being more then was ever thought of or desired in the Treaty of Peace in February and March 1642. The second Proposition fully granted by the King for the setling and securing of the State and Religion too against the Kings armed power is the setling of the whole Militia by Sea and Land and Navy of England Ireland and the Isles and Dominions thereunto belonging by Act of Parliament in the hands and disposall of both Houses and such as they shall appoint for the space of twenty years with power to raise moneys for all forces raised by them for Land or Sea service during that space or time which forces are authorised to suppresse all forces raised or to be raised in or any forraigne forces which shall invade the Realms of Engl. Ireland or the Dominions and Isles thereunto belonging without Authority and consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament And it further provides that after the expiration of the said 20. years neither the King his heirs and successors nor any person or persons by colour or pretence of any Commission power Deputation or Authority to be derived from the King his Heirs or Successors or any of them shall raise array train imploy or dispose of any of the forces by Sea or Land of the Kingdomes of England and Ireland the Dominion of Wales Isles of Gâ—ernsep and Iersey or of Barwick upon Tweed nor execute any power or authority touching the same invested in the two Houses during the space of twenty years nor do any thing or Act concerning the execution thereof without the consent of the Lords and Commons first had and obtained And that after the expiration of the said twenty years in all cases wherein the Lords and Commons shall declare the safety of the Kingdome to be concerned and shall thereupon paffe any Bill for the raising arming training and disposing of the forces by Sea and Land of the Kingdomes Dominions Isles and places aforesaid or concerning the leavying of moneys for the same if the King his Heirs and successors shall not give the Royall assent thereto within such time as both Houses should think conveent that then such Bil or Bills after Declaration made by the Lords Commons in that behalf shall have the force and strength of an Act or Acts of Parliament and be as valid to all intents and purposes as if the Royal assent had been given thereunto After which it disables any Sheriffe Justice of the Peace Majors or other Officers of Justice to leavy conduct and imploy any forces whatsoever by colour or pretence of any Commission of Array or extraordinary command from the King His Heirs or Successors without consent of both Houses And concludes That if any persons to the numberâ— of 30 shall be gathered together in warlike manner or otherwise and not forthwith disband themselves being thereunto required by the Lords and Commons or command from them or any other specially authorized by them that then such person or persons not so disbanding shall be guilty and incur the pains of High Treason any Commission under the great Seal or other Warrant to the contrary notwithstanding and be uncapable of any pardon from His Majesty His Heirs and Successors and their estates disposed of as the Lords and Commons shall think fit To all this new grand principle security of our present and future peace and settlement the King hath given his full and free consent in terminis And what greater security then this wee can imagine or demand against the Kings armed power and sword of War transcends my capacity to imagin Therefore if we have not lost our brains and consciences too we cannot but vote and conclude it satisfactory and restabundantly contented with yea exceeding thankful for it And that upon all these ensuing considerations First both Houses in their Treaty with the King in February and March 1642. demanded only the Militia of England not of Ireland yet so as they did leave the Nomination and disposing of the chiefe Commanders Officers and Governors of the Militia Forts and Navy of the Kingdome to the King provided only they might be such persons of honor and trust as both Houses might confide in and likewise promise restitution of all Moneys Forts Garrisons Arms and Ammunition of the Kings which they had seized upon or to give him present satisfaction for the same which being granted and performed they professed it should bee their hopefull endeavour that His Majesty and His people might enjoy the blessing of Peace c. and be derived to Him and to His Royall Posterity and the future Generations in this Kingdome for ever Whereas in this Treaty the King denudeth himselfe of the Militia of England and Ireland too and of the Nomination and approbation of all Officers Commanders Governors of the Militia or forces by Sea or Land and leaves all the Forts Navy and Magazines only to the Houses disposall without any compensation for his Magazines or Armes formerly seized by them And if far lesse was deemed sufficient for our settlement and security then much more will all this be thought so now Secondly Because the King hath wholly stript Himself His Heirs and Successors for ever of all that power and interest which His Predecessors alwaies enjoyned in the Militia forces forts Navy not only of England but Ireland Wales Iersey Garnsey and Berwick too so as He and they can neitherâ— raise nor arm one man nor introduce any forraign forces into any of them by vertue of any Commission Deputation or authority without consent of both Houses of Parliament and hath vested the sole power and disposition of the Militia Forts and Navy of all these in both Houses in such ample manner that they shall never part with it to any King of England unlesse they please themselves So as the King and His Heirs have no military power or authority at all left to injure or oppresse the meanest Subject much lesse the whole Kingdome or Houses of Parliament had they wills to doe it and the Houses having all the Militia by Land and Sea not only of England but even of Ireland Wales Garnsey Iersey and Berwick to assist and secure them in case He or His Heirs should attempt to raise any domestick or introduce any forraign force against them is so grand so firm a security in all probability for insuring and preserving of our Peace Religion Lawes Liberties Lives and Estates against regall force and tyranny that none of our Ancestors ever demanded or enjoyed the like nor no other Kingdome whatsoever since the Creation for ought that I can find in Histories or Republicks who have perused most now extant to do you service and such a selfe-denying condâ—sconsion in the King to His People in this particular as no age can president In the 17 year of King Iohn the Barons having by force of Armes compelled him to confirm the great Charter at Runningmead near Windsor thought this their greatest
certain destructions and desolation to this poor Kingdome and more especially to the Army and their adherents in this desperate advice who must stand or fall upon their own bottome without the least aid or contribution from any other I desire them and all others who have either eyes or brains in their heads most seriously to consider But that which makes me most of all detest this desperate advice is this That it is the only way that can be thought upon to accomplish the Popes and Jesuites designs to set up Popery and subvert the Protestant Religion and professors of it in all our three Kingdoms and in all forraign Realms beyond the Seas For if this reforming Parliament which hath pretended so much to the extirpation of Popery shall so far play the Popes and Jesuites the undoubted contrivers of this Armys New-model of our peace and settlement as to depose and behead the King his father and forever disinherit him of the Crown bring him as a Traitor to die without mercy if he come hither It wil so far provoke and exasperate him the Duke being both young and of generous spirits not throughly grounded in our Religion and under the Queens tuition and in the power of this popish party abroad who will aggravate these high affronts and injuries put upon them to the utmost and on whose protection they will be in this case necessitated to cast themselves that there is great fear and probability they will immediately renounce such a bloody and detestable Religion as shall insâ—igate us to such horrid actions and Councels and abominate all the professors of it so as totally to abandon them and turn Roman Catholicks in good earnest and then match themselves to great potent popish Alliances and by their purses forces and assistance and of the Popes and all his Catholick sonnes in Forraigne parts for the advancement of the Catholick cause and of the popish Malignants and discontented parties in England Scotland and Ireland which will questionlesse receive and assist the Prince as their Soveraign Lord and King invade our poore impoverished divided and distressed kingdom with such a power as in all humane probability would speedily over-runne and destroy this mutinous Army and the Houses too put them with their adherents to the Sword without mercy or quarter and disinherit them and their heirs for ever to revenge their Fathers blood and their dis-inherison of the Crown c. And then Popery and Prelacy will both return with greater authority power approbation then ever over-spread our whole three kingdoms and extirpate our Religion the professors of it as the most anti-Monarchical treacherous and perfidious bloody Miscreants under heaven excite all other forraign States and kingdoms to do the like to prevent the springing up of a new generation of treacherous King-killing State-subverting Agitators and Hypocritical perfidious Army-Saints and engage all Protestant kingdoms Churches and States for their own security and vindication to disclaim and declare against us This questionlesse will be the sad inevitable issue of this Jesuiticall advice if ever the Houses or Army shall put it into actuall execution and not speedily prevent it it being long since fore-plotted by the Jesuites as I shall prove anon at the beginning of the late Warre against the Scots But if the Prince and Duke be set aside I would gladly learn of these Statists who and what King they would set up Not any of the Kings posterity certainly since they dis-inherit two at a blow and the blood being corrupted by the Kings and their attainders no other heir can inherit it by descent it must escheat to the Houses or Armies disposal and become no kingdom at all but an Elective one if any And is this the next way to peace and settlement If so I have certainly lost my reason and senses too No it will be a seminary of lasting Wars of which few elective Kingdoms are long free every new election producing commonly a new Warre where there is no pretence of an hereditary succession much more where a right heir is forcibly and unjustly dis-inherited I shall give you but one instance though I could name you divers and that is a memorable one at home in our owne kingdom King Henry the first having one onely daughter Maud to reserve the Crown unto her after his death caused her to be crowned and made all the Prelates and Nobles swear to receive her as their Queen and Princesse after his decease But she marrying afterwards to the Emperour and being out of the Realme when King Henry died The Archbishop of Canterbury with the rest of the Prelates and Nobles contrary to their Oath and agreement elected Stephen Earle of Bloyes for their King and put by Maud the right heir Stephen taking an Oath to grant and confirm those Laws and Liberties for the kingdoms peace and settlement as they propounded to him before his Coronation A very likely means to settle Peace and prosperity as they imagined But was the event answerable No verily this cursed perjury and pollicy brought all the chiefe contrivers of it to great calamity and miserable ends and engendred a bloody civill Warre in the bowels of this kingdom which continued no lesse then seventeene years together with interchangeable successes till the whole kingdom was laid waste and desolate most Houses Towns and Villages burned to the ground their Gardens and Orchards quite destroyed their monies and estates exhausted and plundered their Cattle and flocks consumed and eaten up their Fields over grown with weeds in stead of Corne most of the people devoured by the Sword Famine and Pestilence and eleven hundred Castles Holds and Garrisons erected which were no other but dens of Theeves and Plunderers This was the peace and settlement this policy produced At last both Parties weary of the Wars out of pure necessity came to a Personall Treaty and in conclusion made this agreement That Stephen having no issue of his body should enjoy the Crowne during his life and Henry son and heir to Maud and next heir also to Stephen should succeed him after his death and in some sort officiate with him in the kingdoms Govenment during his life And so these long lasting Warres concluded after which there were at least eleven hundred Castles demolished by order of Parliament crected during these wars to the Countreys utter undoing But if we dis-inherit the Prince and Duke for ought I discern if they suddainly recover not their possession of the Crown of England after one seven years of Warre already elapsed we may have seventeen years more and seventeen after that again and be reduced to a more miserable condition then our Ancestors were in King Stephens dayes And that upon these two grounds First the contest then was onely between two Competitors for this one kingdom who had no other kingdoms of their own to side with them But the Prince and Duke being successively heirs as well to
The Substance of a SPEECH Made in the House of Commons BY WIL. PRYNN of LINCOLNS-INN Esquire On Munday the Fourth of December 1648 TOUCHING The Kings ANSWER to the Propositions of both Houses upon the whole TREATY Whether they were satisfactory or not satisfactory Wherein the Satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers to the Propositions for settlement of a firm lasting Peace and future security of the Subjects against all feared Regall Invasions and encroachments whatsoever is clearly demonstrated As likewise That there is no other probable or possible way to settle a speedy firm and lasting Peace but by the Houses embracing and proceeding upon the large extraordinary Concessions of the King in this Treaty for the Kingdoms present weal and future Security And that the Armies Remonstrance Nov. 20. is a way to speedy and certain ruine and a meer Plot of the Jesuites to defame and destroy us Put into Writing and Published by him at the importunate request of divers Members for the satisfaction of the whole Kingdome touching the Houses Vote upon this Debate The third Edition MATTHEVV 5. 9. Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God PSALM 68. 30. Rebuke the company of Spearmen scatter thou the people that delight in War London Printed for Mich Spark at the blew-bible in Green-arbor 1649. All flesh is Grass the best men vanity This but a shadow here before thine eye Of him whose wondrous changes clearly show That GOD not men swayes all things here below TO THE Christian Reader Courteous Reader THE importunity of divers eminent Members of the House and the multitude of false and scandalous Aspersions publickly cast upon my self and other secluded Members not only in common Discourses and News-books but in sundry Libellous pamphlets published by the Officers of the Army and their Confederates since their late Treasonable unparalleld violence to our persons and the Houses and our priviledges and freedome without the least pretext of Authority have necessitated me to put this Speech into writing and publish it to the whole Kingdom and world which else had expired within those walls where it was spokâ—n with that breath that uttered it The scandals wherewith they have publickly aspersed the secured and secluded Members in print are these That wee are a corrupt Majority and apostatizing party selfe-seeking men old Royalists New-malignants Neuters Traitors Men byassed from the common Cause powerfully carrying on their own designes to secure themselves and work their own advantage by a corrupt closure with the King and by subtill endeavours making way for the bringing him in on TERMS DESTRUCTIVE to the Publick a corrupt Majority designing the establishment of a lasting Dominion between the King and themselves in a perpetuall Parliament No wonder those Saints dâ—generated so far to act the Devills part as to carry and cast us prisoners into hell it selfe and there keep us waking upon the bare boards all night without any accommodations when they seized us were wee such persidious Judasses or incarnate Devills as they would render us to the Kingdome and those for whom wee serve before ever they vouchsafed particularly thus to charge us or bear our just defence either as Members or Freemen of England However were we every way as vile as they would make us yet it is as clear as the Noon-day Sun That these very Officers and the Army being not our Masters but Servants particularly raised waged and engaged by solemn Leacue and Covenant among other things to protect and defend the Parliaments and Members Rights priviledges and persons from all Force and violence whatsoever in such manner as both Houses and the Committee of both Kingdomes should approve cannot pretend the least shadow of reason or authority from the Law of God or man thus traiterously to seized imprison and seclude us without the Houses license before any particular charge against us it being a far more detestable and inexcusable Treason and Rebellion then Jermins or Percies attempt to bring up the Northern Army to over awe the Houses or the Kings comming to the Commons House to demand the five Members only formerly impeached of High-Treason without seizing or secluding them the Hause or any other Members or Wallers Tompkins and Chaloners Treason to seize severall Members of both Houses and bring them to a legall Tryall as they pretended and to awe and master the Parliament for which they were condâ—mned and executed as Traitors though never actually attempted or the Reformadoes or Apprentices unarmed violence for a few hours without seizing or secluding any Member which yet the Generall Officers and Army in their Remonstrances Letters and papers declared to be Treasonable and pressed for speedy and exemplary Iustice against the chief Actors and Abettors of it to prevent the like attempts and force for the future But what is the true and onely ground of all this outcry Surely the Generall Conncell of the Oâ—ffiâ—rs of the Army in their Answer of Ian. 3 1648. Pag. 7 8. 9 10. ingenuvsly confâ—ss 〈◊〉 it was noâ—hinâ— but our vote upon the long nights debate on the fisth of December last That the Answers of the King to the Propositions of both Houses were a ground for the House to proceed upon for the setâ—lement of the peace of the Kingdome being the largest the safest and benefioiallest ever yet granted by any King to his Subjects since the Creation and that we resolved to settle a speedy and well grounded peace upon most honourable and secure termes for the Kingdomes publike interest and felicity not our owne particular advantages after seven years bloody expensive wars and refused to follow the pâ—rnicious treasonable Iesuiticall advice of these Enemies of peace who intend to make a lasting trade of war in breaking off the Treaty with the King upon the first tender of their Treasonable Remonstrance Nâ—vemb 20. some few dayes before the Treaty expired contrary to our publick Engagement both to the King and Kingdome and would not directly contrary to our Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance our Solemn Protestation League and Covenant our multiplyed Remonstrances Declarations ' Petitions Propositions and Engagements to the King Kingdom People Scotland Ireland all forraigne Protestant States and the World immediately imprison arraigne condemn depose and execute the King dis-inherit and banish the Prince and Royall line as Traitors dispose of all the Crown revenues towards their arrears dissolve the present Parliament forthwith subvert all future Parliaments and the ancient Government of the Kingdome by King Lords Knights Citizens and Burgesses duly elected and alter all the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of the Realme set up a new Utopian Representative and supream Anarchicall Tyranny of the people to destroy both â— Magistracy Ministery Government Peace Religion and Liberty at once betray bleeding dying Ireland then near its ruine to the bloody Popish Irish Rebells and bring speedy inevitable destruction on our three Kingdomes and those respective
officers and Councell of this Army and their two â—ore-named Chaplains had they been called to that Confederacy at they are to this would have justified not onely the contriving but the effecting of it with their plea of extraordinary necessity for the publique good there being no difference between the Armies proceedings and theirs but that they would have blonn up the King Lords and Parliament with Gunpowder and the Army hath now pulled and battered them downe with Gunpowder and armes violence and what they did onely attempt modestly and covertly in a Vault for which they were condemned and executed as Traytors though they had no Engagements on them to protect the Parliament the Army hath done impudently in attempting and affecting it in the open view of all the World against their trusts duties covenants And whereas some of them repented and were sorry for it these Saints doe not onely not repent of it but persevere in and justifie this Treason in print Therefore those very powder-Traytors shall condemn them as being more modest and lesse sinfull then they who have so many obligations and Vowes upon them not to doe it but detest it 2. This plea of necessity for publick good is the very Iustification and Foundation of the Jesuites treacherous practises to murther stab poyson all Christian Kings and Princes whom they deem hereticall or obstructive to their designes to equivocate lie dissemble subvert whole Kingdoms blow up Parliaments and act any kinde of villanies If you interrogate them why they doe it or what arguments they use to engage others in that service they will inform you That necessity of publike good and honest intentions to promote the Catholike cause and Popes authority are the onely grounds and warrant for such irregular and extraordinary proceedings And for the Generall Councell of the Officers to take up this very Iesuites plea as the only argument to justifie their laste Iesuiticall force and powder-plot upon the Houses is an infallible argument unto me that they are swayed and steered by Iesuites in all their late Councels and proceedings 3. This plea of necessity if admitted will be a perpetuall president from the Armies practice and rebellion to justifie and encourage all kinde of factious and discontented people in all suture ages be they Papists Malignants Neuters Jack Cades vâ—lgar Rable or Royalists and Cavaliers when ever they have sufficient power in their hands to seize upon or secure and exclude any Members in all succeeding Parliaments who vote not what they please as a corrupt Majority who have betrayed their Trusts since an Army of Saints specially raised waged by both Houses to defend and protect them from any violence and engaged by a solemne League and covenant to preserve them from it have publickly justified it upon these grounds to the Members now sitting and to all the world and their Chaplain John Goodwin in his Right Might well he should have then said ill met vindicates THE EQVITY REGVLARNES of the ARMIES PROCEEDINGS against us VPONVNDENIABLE PRINCIPLES as â—e stiles them as well of REASON AS RELIGION ô monstrous Divinity worthy to be burnt by the hands of the Hangman which will totally subvert the priviledges freedom honor and power of Parliaments in all times to come if not vindicated by some exemplary Act of justice and a professed law and declaration against such insolencies as in the five Members cases And so much the rather because the Members now sitting under the Armies force on Thursday the 11. of Ianuary 1648. passed this stupendious Vote destructive to the priviledges freedom honor safety and being of the present and all future Parliaments and most injurious and scandalous to the secured and secluded Members prejudged and condemned both by them and the Army without ever being heard or any proofs or witnesses produced to make good any general or particular charge against all or any of them which vote we must totally disclaim and publiquely protest against as the most dishonorable that ever passed within the Houses Walls being repugnant to the Protestation of both Houses the solemn League and Covenant and many Declarations of the House inviolably to maintain the Rights Priviledges and freedom of Parliament and the highest breach of Priviledge ever offered by Members to their fellow-Members since there were Parliaments in the world The Vote is this That THE HOUSE DOTH APPROVE OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ANSWER of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army to the demand of this House touching the SECURING and SECLUDING SOME to wit above 200 besides those frighted thence being half as many more MEMBERS THEREOF And appointing a Committee of 24 whereof most are new elected Members and Mr. Fry whose election is voted void or any five of them to consider what is fit further to be done upon the said answer of the Generall Councell of the Officers of the Army and present the same TO THIS HOUSE and the Committee to meet this afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The injustice of this vote beside the breach of Priviledge will appear by these particulars First in justifying the most horrid and treasonable force of these Officers of the Army that ever was offered to any Parliament or Members in any age contrary to the expresse Statute of 7 E. 1. which the Houses heretofore so deeply resented that they oft declared against it in case of the King who did only come and demand but five Members but feixed neither of them and Impeached Jermin and Piercy of High Treason only for tampering to bring up the Northern Army And executed Chaloner and Tomkins for Traytors for conspiring to force the Houses and seize some Members under a pretext to bring them to justice Yea the Parliament in 4 E. 3. n. 1. among other charges condemned and executed Roger Mortimer as a Traytor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom for offering violence to some few Members of Parliament sitting at Salisbury and forcing others thence And the Parliament of 21 R. 2. cap. 12. condemned the Earls of Arundel and Warwick and Duke of Gloucester as Traytors for forcing the King and Parliament by a power of armed men arrayed in warlike manner to consent to Bile against their wils to adjudg some of the Kings liege people therein much more them if the King himself as now to death and to forfeit their Lands and Goods in the Parliament of 11 R. 2. Tea the Parliament of 1. H. 4. â— 21. 22. articled against Richard the second that he held the Parliament of 21. R. 2. Viris armatis sagittariis immensis and kept an extraordinary Guard of armed men brought out of Cheshire who forced abused and took free-quarter on the people the better to over-aw the Parliament and take away the lives of some Noble-men And the Parliament of 31 H. 6. cap. 1. adjudged and declared Jack Cade to be a most horrible odious and errant false TRAYTOR for forcing the King and
of Peace who in his own due time iâ— despite of all the Devills in hell and Iesuites Forces or Armies upon Earth will create peace for and settle it amongst us to our own hearts content The speedy accomplishment whereof as it alwayes hath been so it ever shall be the constant prayer and endeavour of Thine and his Countryes wel-wisher and the Armies Captive William Prynne From the sign of the Kings-head Iune 22. 1648. Mr. PRYNNES LETTER To The Borough of NEWPORT in Cornwall for which he serves in PARLIAMENT GENTLEMEN BEING freely and unanimously elected by you without my privity or seeking to serve as one of your Purgesies in this Parliament I have since my entrance into the Commons House the 7 th of Nevem last endeavoured to the best of my skill and judgment faithfully to discharge that trust and duty you reposed in me according to my Conscience to put a speedy and happy period to our unnaturall long-lasting bloody Wars and settle a firm well-grounded peace upon such terms of honor freedome safety and advantage as no Subjects under Heaven ever yet enjoyed from the Creation till this present What my indefatigable endeavours were herein in drawing up all the Bils upon the Kings Concessions in thellate Treaty is wel known to most of the Members then sitting and what I delivered in the House upon the Debate of the Kings Answers to our Propesitions upon the whole Treaty with a sincere and publique spirit aiming at nothing but yours and the whole Kingdoms felicity and prosperity not any private interest of mine own I have sent you here in print being falsly charged by a new erected Generall Councell of Officers of the Army who have traiterously usurped to themselves the supream Authority of the Kingdom and against the known Priviledges of Parlia the Liberty of the Subjects and the Law of the Land forcibly seised on my self and divers other eminent Members going to the House to discharge our duties on the 6 th and 7 th of Decemb. last in pursuance of the Treaty and secluded me and them from sitting there ever since to yours and the whole kingdoms prejudice among other secured Members in the gross for an Apostate from the publike trust which you reposed in me only for this SPEECH and the VOTE of the whole House for the settlement of the kingdomâ— peace made in pursuance of it they having no particular matter â—else to charge me with had they any just power to impeach or seclude-me which they have not but this alone How perfidiously and injuriously they have dealt with and how scandalously they have traduced and libelled against me and the other restrained Members in print upon this occasion only you may read in the Epistle to the Reader though mine and the other Members innocency be so perspicuous that they confesse they have yet no particular matters of impeachment against us after above 7 weeks imprisonment but promise shortly to produce some if they can whereas their owne Treasonable Rebellions violences perjuries and crimes written with Sun-beams in their very forcheads are visible to all the world and need no witnesses to prove their guilt their late unparallel'd exorbitances and proceedings both against the King Parliament Lords Members City and Country being known and apparent unto all I shall therefore appeal from these usurpers who have no more Authority to question or restrain me for any reall or pretended breach of my Trust as a Member were I guilty of it then the meanest servant hath to call his Master to account for mis-governing his family or to shut him out of doores unto you alone who elected me and are best able to know and judge of your owne Trust desiring your speedy resolution of this question Whether in that herein spoken or voted by me I have any wayes violated the trust or faith which you and every of you reposed in me For which Speech and Vote though I am judicially accountable only to the Commons House which knowes the true grounds upon which I went and can only truly judge of what was there spoken and voted none being fit to judge any thing but those who know and hear it too the majority of which House concurred with me in the vote without any division yet I hold my selfe in some sort ministerially accompâ—able unto you for whom I serve as the properest Iudges without the House doores of what I spake or voted in your behalfe From whom I shall humbly request so much right and justice upon the perusall of the inclosed Speech and papers which I desire may be read openly before all my Electors at your next publique meeting as to testifie to the world under your hands and seais which you set to the returne of my Election your own judgments and opinions whether I have betraid or broken the Trust you reposed in me or not by what I spake or voted in this debate and what sense you have of the Armies forcible secluding and imprisoning me your Burgesse from the House among other Members above seven weeks space together contrary to mine and your undoubted Priviledge how far you conceive your selves obliged by ought that hath been or shall be concluded or voted in the House during the Armies force upon it and your Burgesses and most other Members violent seclusion thence against all Law and President and what reparations you expect for this high Injustice to your selves and me With what else you-think fit to determine touching the premises And if you deeme it necessary to returne your results herein to me with all convenient speed who shall make the best advantage thereof for yours mine own and the kingdoms benefit whose peace by Gods blessing had beene fully settled to your hearts content before this time had not the Enemies of Peace who gain their livings by the Warres interrupted our proceedings by imprisoning and sâ—â—luding the greatest part of the Members and particularly From the Kings Head in the Strand Ian. 26. 1648. Your most affectionate Friend and faithfull Servant and Burgesse WILLIAM PRYNNE To his honoured Friends the Vianders and free Burgesses of the Borough of Newport in Cornwall these present The substance of a Speech made in the House of Commons by William Prynne of Lincolns Inne Esquire on Munday the 4th of Decemb. 1648. touching the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses upon the whole Treaty whether they were satisfactory or not satisfactory Mr. Speaker BEing called to be a Member of this House without my privity or seeking and against my judgment having formerly refused many places freely tendered to me by the unanimous election without one dissenting voice of that Borough for which I serve and by a divine providence entring within these doors in this great conjuncture of the highest publique affairs that ever came within these wals wherein the very life or death the weal or ruine of this Kingdom if not of Scotland and Ireland too consist in our Ay or No upon
the question now debating I shall with the greater boldness crave liberty to discharge my conscience towards God and duty to my dying country which now lies at stake and so much the rather because for ought I know it may be the last time I shall have freedome to speak my minde within this House That I may in this great debate more sincerely speak my very heart and soul without any prejudice I shall humbly crave leave briefly to remove two seeming prejudices which may perchance in some members opinions inervate the strength of those reasons I shal humbly represent unto you to make good my conclusion touching the satisfactorinesse of the Kings answers to the Houses Propositions The first is that wherewith some Members have upon another occasion the last week and now again tacitely aspersed me That I am a Royal Favorite alluding to the title of one of my books out of which some have collected an abstract in nature of a charge against the King and this day published it in my name and am now turned an Apostate to the Kings party and interest To which I shall return this short answer I hope without any vain-glory or boasting being thus provoked thereunto That I have opposed and written against the King and his Prelates Arbitrary power illegal proccedings more then any man That I have suffered from the King and Prelates for this my opposition more then any man That if the King and Prelates be ever restored to their pristine Arbitrary power and illegall prerogative I must expect to suffer from them as much if not more then any man That all the Royal favour I ever yet received from his Majesty or his Partie was the cutting off both my ears two several times one after another in a most barbarous manner the setting me upon three severall pillories at Westminster and in Cheapside in a disgraceful manner each time for two houres space together stigmatizing on both cheeks the burning of my licenced books before my face by the hand of the hangman the imposing of two fines upon me of 50001.2 peece expulsion out of the Innes of Court and University of Oxford and degradation in both the losse of my calling almost nine yeares space the seisure of my Bookes and Estate above eight years imprisonment in several prisons at least 4 of these years spent in close imprisoment and exile in CARNARV AN in Northwales and in the lsle of IERSEY where I was debarred the use of pen inke paper and all books almost but the Bible with the least accesse of any friend without any allowance of diet for my support And all this for my good service to the State in opposing Popery and Regall Tyranny for all which sufferings and losses I never yet received one farthing recompence from the King or any other though I have waited above 8 years at your doors for justice and reparations and neglecting my own private calling and affairs imployed most of my time studies and expended many hundred pounds out of my purse since my inlargement to maintain your cause against the King his Popish and Prelaticall party For all which cost and labour I never yet demanded nor received one farthing from the Houses nor the least office or preferment whatsoever though they have bestowed divers places of honour upon persons of less or no desert nor did I ever yet receive so much as your publike thanks for any publike service â—on you which every preacher usually receives for every Sermon preached before you most others have received for the meanest services though I have brought you off with honor in the cases of Cant. and Macg. when you were at a loss in both cleared the justness of your cause when it was at the lowest ebb to most reformed Churches abroad who received such satisfaction fro my books that they translated them into several languages ingaged many thousands for you at home by my writings who were formely dubious unsatisfied Now if any Member or old Courtier whatsoever shal envy my happiness for being such a royal or State favorite as this I wish he may receive no other badges of Royall favour from his Majesty nor greater reward or honor from the Houses then I have done and then I beleeve he will no more causlesly asperse or suspect me for being now a Royal favourite or Apostate from the publike cause True it is which it behoves me now to touch that about 4 years since I published a Book entituled The Royal Popish Favorite wherein as likewise in my Hidden works of Darknesse brought to publique light published a year after it I did with no little labour and expence discover to the world the severall plots and proceedings of the Iesuites Papists and their forraign and domesticke confederates to introduce and set up Popery throughout England Scotland and Ireland and how farre they had inveagled the K. not only to connive at but to countenance and assist them in a great measure more fully evidently then any else had done And those worthy Members of this House who drew up that Declaration whereupon they voted No more Addresses to the King plowed but with my heyfer borrowing all or most of their real materials from my writings A convincing evidence that I am yet no more a Royal favourite then themselves Yet this I must adde withall to take off that aspersion of being an Apostate from my first principles that I never published those Books as I then professed in them and now again protest to scandalize or defame the King or alienate the peoples affections from him much lesse to depose or lay him quite aside though I am clear of opinion that Kings are accountable for their Actions to their Parliaments and whole kingdoms and in case of absolute necessity where Religion Laws Liberties and their kingdoms will else be inevitably destroyed by their Tyrannicall and flagitious practises be deposed by them if there be no speciall oaths nor obligations upon their consciences to the contrary which is our present case much less did I it out of any malice or revenge for the injustice I received from him in the executions done upon my person and estate which I have long since cordially forgiven and do now again forgive him from my soul beseeching God to forgive him likewise but meerly to discover his former errours in this kinde unto himselfe that he might seriously repent of them for the present and more carefully avoid and detest them for time to come and that the Parliament and whole kingdom might more clearly discern the great danger our Religion was in before we publikely discerned it and the several wayes and stratagems by which Popery got such head and growth among us that they might thereby the better prevent the like plots and dangers for the future by wholesom Laws and edicts as I have more largely declared in the books themselves This grand prejudice against me being
security that 25 of the eminentest Barons should be made Conservators of the Magna Char. and that all the rest of the Barons and people should take an Oath to be aiding and assisting to them in their preservation thereof and that the King should surrender into their hands his four principall Castles that so it he infringed his Charter they might compell him to observe it This was the highest Militia and security of that kind our Ancestors ever demanded or enjoyed which is nothing comparable unto that now granted us by the King who rested satisfied therewith 3. Because the King and his successors are hereby not only totally disabled to raise any forces to oppresse the people or disturb their peace and settlement but all persons discouraged from aiding or assisting them by any Commission or authority whatsoever under pain of high Treason and losse both of life and estate at the pleasure of both Houses without any benefit of pardon from the KING disabled for to grant it So great a discouragement for any persons of fortune or quality to appear for the King or his party in the Field for time to come that in all humane probability none ever will or dare to appear in arms hereafter for the King against the Parliament being sure to forfeit all without any hopes of pardon And if this Act had been passed as a Law before our Wars I dare presume not any one English Lord or Gentleman durst once to have appeared in the Field for the King and wee had never felt the miseries of a civill War Fourthly Because the Militia of Ireland Ierâ—y Guernsey and Wales as well as England is wholly transferred from the King to the Houses so as we need fear no danger thence and the Militia of Scotland being in their Parliaments disposall if wee hold a Brotherly correspondency with them I know no other enemies we need to fear for the Navy being in the Houses power wee need not fear any forraigne invasion that can hurt us if we can agree at home All which considered I dare assert we have now the greatest security of any people under Heaven against all armed regall force and power the King having given up all his Military power into the Houses actuall possission and resigned his Sword and Armes into their hands And if we refuse to accept it now he so freely resignes it we may fight till doomesday but never win nor hope for the like security or advantage yea the present age and all posterity will curse and abhor us for not embracing and resting satisfied with such unparalleld security But is this all the security the King hath granted us in this Treaty No verily there is yet much more behind which hath not yet been opened The Kings of England have alwaies held two swords in their hands which when ill managed have hurt destroyed their Subjects The first is the sword of Mars in times of War which is already sheathed and resigned into the Houses hands by the precedent concessions so as it can never wound them more The other is the sword of Iustice in times of Peace and this likewise the King hath wholly given up into the Houses power for twenty years as he hath the Militia so that it can never hurt them nor any English man or other Subject hereafter at least for twenty years This sword was formerly intrusted by the King in the Judges and great Officers handsâ— had they been so couragious so upright as they should the King could never have wounded or ruined the meanest of his Subjects with this Sword Shipmoney Kinghâ—hood with other Grievances Monoplies neither would nor could have been imposed on the people by the Kings Prerogative or power had the Judges according to Law and duty declared them illegall The Kingdome can do no injustice to any it his Judges be so just and stout as to do justice Whereupon this House impeached only the Judges not blamed the King for the project of Shipmony to which their opinions in Mr. Hampdens Case gave life vigor Now the King in this Treaty hath for twenty yeeres at least granted to both Houses the nomination and appointment of all the Great Officers Civill or Military and of all the Judges and Barons of his Courts and Exchequers within England and Ireland to continue in their places only quom diu bene se gesserint So as these great Officers Judges having now no dependence at all upon the King who can neither place nor displace any of them but wholly upon the Houses of Parliament and such as they shall appoint to nominate them in the Intervals of Parliament if the Houses have a care to make good Officers and Judges in all Courts at first and to displease and punish them as they may and ought to do when they degenerate or misdemean themselves the King with all his legall power now left him can neither injure nor oppresse the poorest Subject in body goods or Estate nor protect the greatest malefactor from justice And what more can we desire to expect for the security of our lives liberties or estates than this Besides as theâ— King hath intrusted you with the Sword and Courts of Justice and Revenue so hath he with his Conscience and Courts of Equity too You have the nomination of the Lord Chancellours Lord Keepers and Commissioners of his great Seals of England and Ireland of the Chancellours of the Exchequer and Dutchy and Masters of the Rolls as well in Ireland as England who are the Dispensers of his Equity Conscience to his Subjects the Issuers of al his Commissions Writs Patents and keepers of all his publique Records If this be not enough you have the disposall of his purse and Treasure too The nomination of the Lord Treasurers both of England and Ireland of the Chancellours and Barons of the Exchequers in both and of the Vice-Treasurer and Treasurer of Wars in Ireland Would you have yet more You have the nomination of the Lord Deputy and chief Governour of Ireland and of all the Presidents of the severall Provinces of that Kingdome for twenty years and of all other forenamed great Officers Judges and Treasurers there a great strength and reall addition to the Militia of that Kingdome which can never doe us harm if we accept of these concessions which invest us in such power there as no Parl. of England ever yet expected nor laid claim to What is there yet remaining for your safety Perchance you will suspect the King may have many secret designs and intercourses with forraign enemies and States and grand Malignants at home to undo all which we shall never discover without some further provisions then yet we have made Truly no you have a remedy already provided and granted for this The nomination and appointing of the Lord Warden of the Cinque-ports the principall gates to let in or keep out Forraign Enemies or Spies and of the Secretaries of State who will be
privie to all his Maj. secrets and transactions of publick concernment receive all letters of intelligence directed to him and most commonly return all Answers to them There is now but one thing more wanting to make this security compleat and firm the Kings Great Seals of England and Ireland the greatest Regall Assurance confirmation he can give you and of these you have both the custody and disposal having the nomination appointment both of the L. Chancellors L. Keepers and Commissioners of the Great Seal in England and Ireland To summe up all these Grants together Some Parliaments in former times have had the nomination of the Lord Chancellor some of the Lord Treasurer some of the great Iusticiar or some few Judges of England only But never any Parliament of England claimed or enjoyed the nomination and appointment of any the Great Officers Barons Iudges or Treasurers places in Ireland nor yet of the L. Warden of the Cinque-Ports Chancellors of the Exchequer and Dutcby Secretaries of State Master of the Rolls or Barâ—ns of the Exchequer of England yet all these the King for peace sake hath parted with to us and shall we be yet so froward and peevish as not to be satisfied with all those Offices We have a long time mocked and abused the world with a self-denying Ordinance disabling any Member to retain or receive any Civill or Military Office by grant from the Houses whiles he continces a Member though there is scarce one day or week at least doth passe but we are still bestowing some place or Office upon Members for which we are weekly censured and reviled in printed Pamphlets and become odious to the Kingdome But here is a self-denying Act and Ordinance in good earnest in the King in parting with so many Offices of which He and his Predecessors have had the sole disposall for some Ages without interruption to the Houses shal we not yet rest satisfied If not what will the whole Kingdome what will all forraign Kingdoms and Nations report of us but that we are so foolish so unreasonable that nothing can or will content us because we are resolved not to be content with any thing that the King shall grant us be it never so advantagious for our present or future safety and settlement But seeing we have the disposall of all these Officers in England and Ireland both Military and Civill of his Sword of War and Peace his Justice his Conscience his Purse his Treasury his Papers his publick Records his Cabinet his Great Seal more then ever we at first expected or desired I must really for my owne part professe my selfe abundantly satisfied with these Concessions and so must every one who hath so much judgement as to understand the latitude consequences of them for the whole Kingdomes and dying Irelands safety settlement especially at this season when they are so neer their ruin To this I shall adde another grant of great concernment for the Peace and safety of this Nation which the King hath fully consented to in this Treaty and I presume no Member of this House will rest unsatisfied therewith when he fully understands it Both Houses of Parliament upon the Lord Keeper Littlâ—tons deserting of the House and conveying away the Great Seal were pleased for the better distribution of Justice and transaction of the great Affairs of the Realm to appoint a new Great Seal to be made The Ordinance for its approbation and use sticking long in the Lords House who were somewhat doubtfull in point of Law I thereupon compiled and published a Treatise intituled The opening of the Great Seal of England which fully satisfied them and opened the doors to let it out for publick use though some who have had the custody of it as Mr. Speaker knowes have but ill requited Me for this my pains good service Many Grants Commissions Presentations Writs Processe Proceedings and other things have passed under this Great Seal and some Patens for Offices and Bishops Lands to Members of this House who differ in opinion from me and yet would be glad to have their Patents confirmed by an Act of Parliament The King in this Treaty hath not only consented to ratifie all the Grants c. that have passed under this new Seal by Act of Parliament and to enact them to be as effectuall to all intents purposes as if they had passed under any other Great Seal of England heretofore used but to continue it to be used hereafter for the Great Seal of England and hath likewise so farre disclaimed his old Great Seal from the day it was carried from the Parliament that he is content to make and declare all Grants Commissions Presentations Writs Processe Proceedings and other things whatsoever passed under or by any Authority of any other Great Seal since the 22 of May 1642. To be invalid and of no effect to all intents and purposes except one grant to Mr. Justice Racon to bee Judge of the Kings Bench and some other Writs Processe and Commissions mentioned in that proposition And he hath further yeelded That all Grants of Offices Lands Tenements or hereditaments made or passed under the great Seale of Ireland unto any person persons or body politick since the Cessation in Ireland the 15 Septemb. 1642. shall be null and void with all Honours and Titles conferred on any person or persons in that Realme since that Cessation By this Concession the Houses of Parliament and their adherents have gained these extra ordinary advantages most of them not to be paralleld in any Age of King from Adom till this present First an acknowledgement of both Houses Authority to make and use a new great Seal of England without the King in cases of extraordinary necessity Secondly a power in the Houses to null and voide the Kings usuall Great Seal upon the making of their New and conveying the old Seal from the Houses without their consent Thirdly a ratification of all Judiciall and Ministeriall Acts Writs Processe presentations Grants Decrees Commissions and other things which have passed under the New Seal since its making till this present which tends much to the qulet and settlement of many mens Estates to the confirmation and justification of all legall proceedings in all Courts of Justice and at all Assises and Sesstons of Peace held by vertue of Commissions under this Seal and of Justices appointed by it whose authority and proceedings might else hereafter prove disputable and bee drawn into Question and to the fight constitution of the Parliament it selfe many Members of this House being elected and some Members and Assistants of the Lords House being called thither by VVrits under this New Seal Fourthly an absolute disavowing and repeall of all Commissions whatsoever or other things passed under the old Great Seal against the Parliament or its proceedings and an exposing of all those of the Kings Party who have acted any thing by any Commission or Authority under the
satisfactory to the purchasers of Bishops lands themselves who are most displeased with it As to that which hath been objected that some have purchased Reversions of Bishops Lands after 99 years in being who must absolutely lose their purchase money after this rate which is neither just nor honourable for the Parliament I answer that this is but the case of three or foure only that their purchases are of no considerable value nor bought fingly by themselves but jointly with Lands or Rents in possession of good value in which they had the cheaper purchase to take off the Reversion after so long a term which losse in the Reversion they may contentedly undergoe to purchase their owne and the Kingdomes peace and enjoy what they have purchased with these Reversions in possession without trouble or eviction by Act of Parliament for 99 years space or receive other satisfaction from the King and Parliament to their contentment in such manner as I shall presently inform you Sixtly To that concerning the present Rents which the Kingdemands out of Bishops Lands which sticks most with Purchasers many of them having purchased nothing but Rents and others more rents then Lands in possession which Rents must all be lost if they must pay their old rents over to the King to their undoing which would be both unjust unconscionable and dishonourable to the Houses upon whose assurance and engagement to enjoy their bargains they were induced both to lend money on and to purchase these Lands afterwards and would be no better then plain cheating and render them odious to all the world as some have objected I will not answer it with Caveat emptor but desire them to observe that the King in his answer doth not peremptorily require the Bishops old rents during the 99. years but only disjunctively either the old Rent or some other moderate Rent to be agreed on and if only a moderate proportion of the old rent be paid to the King the Purchaser is sure to enjoy the residue during the 99 yeares and so his purchase money not totally lost as is objected Besides the King will not reserve these Rents to the use of himselfe or the Crown but only to the Church and maintenance of the Ministers in such manner as He and his Houses shall agree in the Bill for setling these Lands in the way propounded by him Which offer opens this just and honourable way for the Houses to give all Purchasers of Bishops Land and Rents full satisfaction both for the losse of their reversions after 99 years and for the present rents which shall be reserved to the Crown out of Bishops Lands to the Churches use which I beleeve the King and Houses will readily consent to and that is to settle by Act of Parliament so much of the Dean and Chapters demein Lands and Rents upon the Purchasers as the losse of their Reversions after 99. years and present Rent to the Crowne shall amount unto upon a just computation By which means the Purchasers by way of Exchange of Deans and Chapters Lands and Rents for their Bishops shall have such full and satisfactory content even in kind as will cleare the Honour justice and Reputation of the Houses fair dealings in this particular throughout al the world and give the Ministers full satisfaction likewise for the augmentation of whose livings and maintenance the Deanes and Chapters Lands and Rents are designed by settling the reversion and Rents reserved to the Crown out of the Bishops Lands for the Churches use upon those who should have enjoyed the Deans and Chapters Lands thus settled on the Purchasers by exchange which being of equall value can be no losse nor prejudice to any This is such a visible and reall satisfaction to all purchasers as none of them can justly open their mouths against being both for their owne security and advantage and the Kingdomes settlement But if any of them dislike this reall satisfaction which the King no doubt will yeeld to there is an other means provided by this very Treaty for their satisfaction and that is by ready money for what ever they shall lose by Bishops Lands in possession or reversion by this Reservation to the Crown which I am sure they never will nor can refuse in Justice or equity they having the Bishops Lands conveyed to them only by way of Morgage or security for Moneys lent upon the publike faith And the houses by the 12th Article of this Treaty have time within two years space by Act or Acts to raise any summes of money for the payment of the publique debts of the Kingdome whereof the moneys lent upon Bishops Lands and the publique faith are a principall part and the same Justice of the Houses which hath already provided by severall Ordinances a sufficient recompence and satisfaction for purchasers of Bishops Lands in cases of eviction or of emergent charges and incumbrances discovered after the purchases made may be a sufficient assurance to them of the Houses Justice that they will give them as good or better satisfaction by one of these two wayes I have here propounded for any thing they shall part with to the King or Church for the settlement of the Kingdomes peace Seventhly it hath beene the solemn Protestation and Declaration of both Houses of Parliament in all their Remonstrances to the King Kingdome and forraigne States that they have taken up defensive Armes against the Kings Party onely for the maintenance of Religion Lawes Liberties c. and to bring Delinquents to condigne punishment Now Bishops Lands and Rents I am certaine are neither our Religion Lawers nor Liberties and I thinke they are no Delinquents though most Bishops are And shall we now after seven yeares Warres and sixty dayes Treaty make Bishops Lands which for five yeares time or more of our Warres were never thought of the sole or principall cause at least of our present breach with the King and the onely ground of a new Warre God forbid will not the world then justly censure us for notoriouÌ„s hypocrites and impostors pretendâ—ng one thing and intending another will they not then say that Bishops Palaces and Lands were the onely Religion and Liberty we have fought for the onely Delinquents we have brought to publick Justice and execution that we would never have suppressed Archbishops and Bishops nor entred into a solemne League and Covenant with bands listed up to heaven to endeavour to extirpate them as Antichristian but onely to gaine and retaine all their Lands and Revenues and never condemned their Functions but onely to seize on their Possessions And that we must now maintaine an Army upon their exhausted Purses and Estates only to defend these Parchasers Titles to the Bishops Inheritances If so for shame let us never break off this Treaty nor ruine two or three Kingdomes upon such an absurd dissatisfaction as this And if our Parchasers of Bishops Lands shall still refuse to rest satisfied with that twofold
not the Armies pleasure to follow our own consciences and judgments not their imperious dictates to satisfie the whole Kingdom and those who have intrusted and sent us hither whose Representatives and servants we are not the Armies by pitching upon that which is most conducing to their welfare and our own too not to satisfie the Army in all their unreasonable extravagant demands who are but ours and the Kingdoms servants not Masters to the Kingdoms Peoples our own ruine and the Armies too And so much the rather because I have observed a dangerous practice in some Officers and Members only of the Army to make use of the whole Armies name without their privity or consents forcibly to drive on their own private pernicious Designs in the House and to fright and cudgell us into Votes as some say we were cudgelled into a Treaty with the very name of the Army without any reason at all and if that will not doe the feat then they presently mutiny and bring up the Army it self to or neer the Houses doors against them contrary to our expresse commands as heretofore and now they have done to force us to Vote against our judgements consciences reason and the publique safety what ever they shall dictate be it never so absurd dishonorable to our selves or destructive to the Kingdom and though the Army and those who usurp their name be not present at our debates as they seldom are though some of them are Members yet if they suit not with their foreplotted Designs they will presently censure them and those that passe them without hearing or weighing of their reasons And though they contend most earnestly for Libertie of Conscience for themselves and all others of their confederacy out of the House and for a Liberty for their own Party to enter their particular Protestations and Dissents to the House to any Vote they like not yet they will admit no Liberty of Conscience nor Freedom of dissenting unto us nor us to be Masters of our own reason Votes or discretions in the House it self where wee should have most freedom as is evident by sundry Magisteriall over-ruling censorious Passages in their late Remonstrance November 20. and if we vote not fully with them they presently take us for Apostates and violaters of our trust fit not only to be secluded the House for the present but not to be entrusted for the future to such an height of insolency are they grown Therefore for any Members to make their pleasing or displeasing of the Army whom they thus abuse the sole or principall reason of their Ay or No is such a Solecism and breach of Priviledge as ought not now to be named much lesse pressed as a reason without some severe censure or exclusion from the House especially in this instant debate for the settlement of our Peacè to which those who make a Trade of War will certainly be most averse having little else to live on or support their present greatnesse if the wars be ended Yea but they further object That if we discontent the Army by voting the Answers satisfactory we are undone they will all lay down their Arme as one Commander of eminency hath here openly told you he must do and serve us no longer and then what will become of us and all our faithfull friends I Answer That I hope the Army will not be so sullen as to desert or turn against us for voting what our consciences and judgments prompt us is most for theirs ours and the Kingdoms safety and that without hearing or scanning our debates If they be I shall not much value the protection of such unconstant mutinous and unreasonable servants and I doubt not but if they desert us on so sleight a ground God himselfe and the whole Kingdome will stand by us who else I fear will both unanimously rise up against us to ours and the Armies destruction And if the King and we shall happily close upon this Treaty I hope we shall have no great need of their future service However fiat justitia ruat coelum Let us do our duty and leave the issue to God It is better for us to perish doing our own duties then to be justly destroyed by following other mens wills against our duties and consciences too He that thinks to save himself or the Kingdom by such a sinful and unworthy compliance shall be certain to lose both himself and it in conclusion However both the Arguments of displeasing the Army and the ill consequents of it are altogether extraneous and impertinent to the question and amount but to this Non sequitur The Army will not have us proceed further upon the Treaty to settle peace Ergo the Kings Answers are unsatisfactory What will all wise men what will the Kingdom what will Scotland Ireland and our friends abroad whose eyes are all intent upon the result of the Treaty and must be satisfied in the reasons of our breach upon it lest they all fall foul upon us think of such absurd Nonsense as this Had the Treaty been only between the King and the Army not him and the Houses this reason might have contented some men without expressing any grounds of their dissatisfaction of which they think the Army more competent Judges then the Parliament but the Treaty being only between the King and both Houses not the Army that we who are the only Parties to the Treaty and Judges of the satisfactorinesse thereof should set aside our own reasons consciences judgements and make the Armies absolute peremptory will the only principall reason of our dissatisfactorinesse with the Kings Concessions which I am confident not ten men in the Army ever heard of but by report alone and never seriously scanned as we have done is such an absurdity as will render us for ever both ridiculousand odious to all our friends and foes to present to future Ages For shame therefore let us no more insist upon such extravagancies Having answered these two Iron Arguments against the unsatisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers and all others hitherto insisted on I humbly conceive I have fully satisfied every rationall mans conscience that the King hath granted us all we have demanded that is really necessary or conducing to the speedy settlement of a lasting and well-grounded Peace and the future security of our State Kingdom Church Religion against all feared dangers from the King or any others and I shall challenge and put it to the conscience of any Gentleman dissenting from me whether he can propound any one thing more except an Oath which is intended when all is concluded essentiall for the fuller and firmer setling of our Laws Liberties Priviledges Lives Estates Religion Kingdoms Parliaments Army and satisfying of all publike interests then what have been already propounded and the King compleatly granted in this Treaty If then the King hath granted us every thing our selves during seven years advice and consultation could possibly think of
stead of setling a safe and well grounded Peace upon their new-fangled foundations of liberty and safety but indeed of slavery and ruine To begin with the first branch of the first of these assertions That our closing with the King upon these Concessions is the only way to settle a firm and lasting Peace between the King the Parliament and his three Kingdoms Not to insist upon this generall that Treaties in all Ages have been the usuall and only way to conclude and settle Peace and Unity between Kings and their People and all dissenting Kingdomes States Persons and therefore this Treaty now is the only way to our prâ—sent Peace and settlement I shall pitch only upon particulars First that your selves in this House and the Lords in their House have severally and joyntly voted and resolved over and over heretofore and published to all the world from time to time in sundry Declarations Remonstrances and other printed Papers since the Kings departure from the Houses and the late Warres That it hath been is and alwayes shall be their cordiall desire and sincere unwearied endeavour to settle a speedy firm and well grounded Peace between His Majesty his People and three Kingdomes and that this hath been the only end they have aymed at in all their Warres and Treaties with the King That the Kings presence with and Residence neer his Parliament is of so great necessity and importance towards the removall of our Distractions Feares Iealousies the happy beginning of contentment betweene the KING and His People and the settlement and preservation of the Peace and Safety of the Kingdome and KINGS Person That they thought they had not discharged their duties untill they had declared and backed it with some Reasons That those persons who advised His MAIESTY to absent Himselfe from His Parliament are an Obstruction and Enemies to the Peace of this Kingdome and justly suspected to be favourers to the Rebellion in Ireland That the sending of Propositions and a Treaty with the KING and a good close with Him and His Commissioners thereupon is the only way to settle a firme safe and lasting Peace And this is the only way and meanes you have hitherto pursued to obtaine such a Peace and settlement Secondly the Parliament of Scotland and their Commissioners here imployed have voted and resolved this the onely way and meanes to such a Peace and Settlement both for this kingdom and their own too and have joyned with us in all former Treaties and promoted this Thirdly the generality of the People and all the wisest and most cordiall to the Publique Interest both of the Parliament and kingdome have approved and desired a Treaty and close with the KING as the onely meanes of Peace and settlement as is evident by their frequent and multiplyed Petitions to both Houses Fourthly the KING himselfe and all his party when tyred out with the miseries of War have desired and embraced a Treaty as the only means to close our bleeding wounds and make a firme Vnion betweene the King Parliament and three Kingdoms Fifthly the Generall Officers and Councell of the Army themselves when in their right senses and not intoxicated with selfe-conceit and Iesuiticall Principles have Publikely declared that compliance by a Treaty with the KING and restitution of Him to a condition of Honour Freedome and Safety was the only way to a lasting Peace and settlement yea the Grandees of the Army were so over forward to comply treat and close with Him upon termes more dishonourable and lesse safe then these we are now a closing with him in this Treaty that when they falsly impeached the eleven Members the last Summer in the House of Commons for holding secret intelligence and correspondence only with Him without consent of the House themselves at that very instant without and against consent of the Houses were secretly treating and complying with him upon proposals framed by themselves and perswade the King to reject the Houses Proposition sent to his Maj. to Hampton Court to treat upon those they had tendred to him privately without the Houses privity as more advantagious to him and his party then the Parliaments declaring to all the world that they were as cordiall to the King as desirous to bring him up to London to restore him to a condition of honor freedom and saftey and more favourable to Delinquents in mitigating their fines and punishments then the Houses All which they are not ashamed to acknowledge in their last Remonstrance Novemb. 20. p. 43. 44. yet with this detâ—stable brand upon themselves That their compliances with him were but negative Secondly what we declared of Moderation was but Hypotheticall with carefull caution and saving for the â—publique interest according to OUR THEN UNDERSTANDING OF IT c. Yet however in that degree of compliance admitted in that kinde we find matter of acknowledgment before the Lord concerning OUR ERROR FRAILTY UNBELIEF and CARNAL COUNCELS THEREIN and we blesse him that preserved us from worse If their compliance and Treaty with the King c. was but Hypotheticall as I fear this very Remonstrance and their acting since all are or at least wise Iesuiticall I hope our Treaty shall be reall and not in their power to make it Hypocritical as they have attempted by endeavouring to force us by this Remostrance and their subsequent advance to London to break it off to render us odious to our King and kingdomes God and all good men and translate the Odium of it from themselves to us And because themselves may discover their owne Apostasie from their former principles which they would falsly father upon us and how justifiable and advantagious to the kingdom our closing with the King upon these Propositions are before all the world be pleased to take notice of these following passages in their own Letters Declarations and Remonstrances made upon mature advice a year before this Treaty In the humble Remonstrance from his Excellency and the Army under his command presented to the Commissioners at St. Albans Iune 23. 1647 p. 12. they print Whereas there has been scandalous informations presented to the Houses industriously published in print importing as if his Majesty were kept as prisoner amongst us barbarously and uncivilly used We cannot but declare that the same and all other suggestions of that sort are most false scandalous absolutely contrary not only to our declared desires but also to our principls which are most clearly for a generall Right and just freedom to all And therefore upon this occasion we cannot but declare particularly that we desire the same for the King and others of his party so far as can consist with common right and freedom and with the security of the same for the future And we do further clearly confesse we do not see how there can be any peace to the kingdom firm or lasting without a due consideration of and provision for the
and us to the general content and safety of all honest men and so end the old and begin the new year with peace Whereas if we now break off and let go all the King hath granted I see no end of our Wars and miseries nor any probable means of peace and settlement in many years at least if ever in this or the succeeding Generation And the speediest remedy in this case especially considering the kingdom is so far exhausted that we know neither how to pay our publike debts our Fleet or Army their present Arrears much lesse their future must needs bee the best and be preferred before all others that will require more time and expence and be more hazardous and contingent in the event Thirdly As it is the speediest so the best and legallest safest and certainest way of all others First there is no danger nor hazard at all in it nor any expence of mony or effusion of bloud 't is but accept and then confirm by Acts and Oaths and the work is presently done If we think of settlement in any other way we must fight again and that will be both costly hazardous and when all is done we must Treat again perchance upon worse terms else there will be no peace nor settlement Secondly This is the way we have ever formerly pitched upon the way all parties have consented to and approved but those alone who desire neither peace nor settlement Therefore best safest and durablest Thirdly It is the legallest certainest because a peace and settlement by Acts of Parliament the highest security to English men under heaven to which King Lord Commons in them the whole kingdom consent wil all acquiesce in what is done without question or future dispute What peace soever is settled otherwise either by a bare Order or Ordinance of the Houses or by the Sword power alone will neither be sure safe nor lasting no longer then maintained by the Sword every man will be sure to question and unsettle all again upon the least advantage given The highest security that England ever had was Magna Charta and the Charter of the Forrest these were gained by the Sword but not held by it That which hath kept perpetuated these since their making was those Acts of Parliament which confirmed them These are only security for what ever we enjoy which will survive all other we can think of Nullum violentum est diuturnum Whereas priviledges kept and held by publike Acts will last for ever and be entailed to us and our posterities with peace and happiness attending them This was the way of settling peace between Kings and Subjects heretofore in Henry the 3. Edward the 2. Richard the 2. Henry the 6. Raigns and an Act of Pacification and Oblivion was the only safe and usuall way the Parliaments both of England and Scotland lately fixed on to settle a firm and lasting peace between both Nations kingdoms All other settlements will be but like an ulâ—â—r skinned over which will soone break out again with greater pain and danger then before 2dly For the new way proposed by the Army for a firm peace settlement it is certainly the most desperate dishonourable dangerous and destructive that can possibly be imagined and such as we can neither in honour justice conscience nor prudence imbrace To examine it a little by parts The first way to peace and settlement propounded by them is presently to break off the Treaty and that contrary to our publike faith to the King and kingdom yea to our own votes before the Treaty was fully ended this is the drift of their whole Remonstrance Which as it will totally if not finally deprive us of the fruit benefit of all the K. Concessions in the Treaty all which are by mutuall agreement no wayes obligatory to either party in any particular unless all be agreed being all that we can possibly think of for our safety and advantage and more then any Nation under heaven yet injoied so it wil inevitably cast us upon present wayes of new distractions confusions and civill wars now we are quite exhausted and end at last in our absolute destruction instead of a wel-grounded peace and those blessings we may forth with enjoy for the very accepting without further charge or trouble But if God beyond our hopes should after any new embroylments give us peace yet it must be upon a new Treaty and that perchance upon far worse terms then now are offered Therefore it must needs be dangerous to reject a safe way to follow a hazardous or destructive one The next thing proposed by them for a speedy peace and settlement is the bringing of the King to speedy justice for all his treasons and bloodshed in the late wars and then to depose and execute him as the greatest capitall malefactor in the kingdomâ— This certainly is a very dangerous aund unlikely way to peace and settlement First of all The smiting of the Shepheard is the way to scatter not unite the sheep The slaying of the King or Generall in the field scatters and dissolves the Army not secures them To cut off an aking head is the next way to destroy not cure a diseased body such kind of State policy may destroy or disturb but never settle us in perfect peace The Prince his next heir the Queen the Duke of York all his Children and Allies both at home and abroad will certainly meditate revenge and all Kings in Christendom will assist them even for their own interest and safety lest it should become a president for themselves And will this then secure or be a likely way to peace or settlement 2. The greatest part of the Members in both Houses the Lords Gentlemen and all sorts of people throughout the kingdome the whole kingdomes of Scotland and Ireland who have as great an interest in the Kings person being their lawfull King as we have and are obliged by Allegiance and Covenant to protect his person and Crown from violence will unanimously as one man oppose and protest against it and by force of Arms endeavour to bring those to execution who shall presume to advise or attempt to depose or destroy the King in any kinde contrary to their Allegiance and solemne Covenant Yea all Protestant Realms Churches States in forraign parts will abhorre both the fact and adjudge it contrary to their principles and Religion and that which may irritate Popish Kings and Princes to take up arms to ruine them lest they should fall into the like Jesuiticall practice And can this be a safe or speedy way to peace and settlement especially when we know not what Government shall succeed upon it and can expect nothing but bloody consequences from such a bloody Jesuiticall advice Thirdly I never read of any peace or settlement in any kingdom where King-killing was practised or approved When the Roman Armies began once to kill their Emperours and cut off their
heads they were scarce ever free from civill warres One Army set up one Emperour another Army another the Senate a third who alwayes warred till they had cut off one anothers heads Most of those Emperours had very short reigns few of them above a year or two and some of them scarce two months but most of them untimely deaths In Sclavonia and Norway where they had a Law that he that slew a Tyrant King should suceed him in the Throne They had almost every year a new King perpetuall wars and discords and not one of all their Kings for above one hundred years together ever came to a natural death but was murthered as a Tyrant and succeeded by a worse and greater tyrant as Saxo grammaticus and Nubrigensis testifie And in the sacred story it selfe it is very observable that after the ten Tribes revolted from Rehoboam though by Gods Iustice and approbation for Solomons sinnes they had never any peace or settlement but perpetuall Wars with one Kingdome or another or between themselves Their Kings or most of them were all Tyrants and Idolaters and by the just hand of God for the most part tumultuously slaine and murthered one of and by another who succeeded them he that murthered his Predecessor being usually slain by his Successor or his Predecessors Sons Servants or by the People of the Land in a tumltuous way In the 2 Kings 15. We read in that one Chapter of no lesse then 4 of those Kings slain one by another and as for the people under these Kings they had never any rest peace settlement or freedome but lived under the greatest misery and oppression that ever any Subjects under Heaven did as the sacred History records This King-killing certainly can be then no probable way at all to peace safety settlement freedome but the Jesuits pollicy to deprive us eternally of all these and of God and Religion to boot as it did the ten Tribes heretofore Fourthly this way to peace and settlement is directly contrary to all the former Engagements Oaths and severall Petitions Declarations Remonstrances Protestations and professions of both Houses of Parliament to the King Kingdomeâ— people wherein were have alwaies protested and held forth unto them both before and since the Wars That we will preserve and protect the Kings person from danger support his Royall estate with honour and plenty at home with power and reputation abroad and by our loyall affections actions and advice lay a sure and lasting foundation of the greatnesse and prosperity of his Majesty and his Royall posterity in future times That we are still resolved to keep our selves within we bounds of faithfulnesse and allegiance to His sacred Person and Crown That we will with our lives fortunes estates and with the last drop of our blood endeavour to support His Majesty and his just Soveraignty and power over usâ— and to prevent all dangers to His Majesties Person That wee tooke up armes as well for Defence of His Majesty to protectâ— His Person as the Kingdome and Parliament without any intent to burt or injure His Majesties person or power professing in the presence of Almighty God That we would receive Him with all honour yeeld him all due obedience and subjection and faithfully endeavour to secure His person and estate from all danger and to uttermost of our power to procure and establish to Him and His People all the blessings of a glorious and happy reign which both Houses severall times profest and remonstrated to the world That the allegation that the Army raised by the Parliament was TO MURDER and DEPOSE THE KING was such a scandall as any that professed the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise it especially when they must needs know the Protestation taken by every Member of both Houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend His Majesties person and all their addresses and Petitions to him expressing the contrary That they never suffered it to enter into their thoughts to depose the KING abhorring the very thought of it much more the intent That they never suffered the word DEPOSING the King to goe out of their mouthes nor the thing to enter into their thoughts That they rest assured both God and Man will abominate that monstrous and most injurious Charge layed upon the Representative Body of this whole Kingdome by the Malignant party against the KINGâ— as designing not onely the ruine of His MAIESTIES person but of MONARCHY it selfe The Authors of which malicious horrid scandall they professe to make the Instances of their Exemplary Iustice so soon as they shall be discovered Now for Us after all these multiplyed reiterated Protestations Promises Engagements Declarations Remonstrances to all the World from the beginning of the differences and wars till now to think or talk of deposing and destroying of the King and altering the Government as the only safe and speedy way to peace and settlement as the Army-Remonstrants prescribe would be such a most detestable breach of Publike Faith such a most perfidious treacherous unrighteous and wicked act as not only God Angels and good men but the very worst of Turks and Devils would abhor and therefore it s a miracle to me that these precious Saints should thus impudently before all the World propose to the House and force you to pursue it to staine your reputation and make you exerable to God and Men. Fifthly the very Oath of Allegiance which every one of us hath taken upon our first admission to be Members engageth us in positive terms Not to offer any violence or hurt-to His MAIESTIES Royall Person State or Government to beare faith and true Allegiance to His MAIESTY His Heirs and Successors and Him and Them to defend to the uttermost of our power against all Conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against His or Their PERSONS CROWNE or DIGNITY And from our hearts to abhorre detest and abjure as impious and hereticall this Jesuiticall and Popish Doctrine That Princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope as it seems the KINGS is now for extirpating Episcopacy Popery Mass and Prelacy out of His Dominions by His present Concessions without any possibility or hopes of replanting may be deposed or murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever Which Jesuiticall contrivance and practise as our whole State and Parliament in the Statutes of 3â— Iaâ— cap. 1â— 4 5 35. Eliz. cap. 1. and other Acts resolve is the only way to unsettle ruine and subvert not to settle and establish the Peace and government of our Realme And both Houses since this Parliament have by a Solemne Protestation first and by a Solemne League and Covenant since with Hands listed up to the most High God engaged both themselves and the three kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by a most sacred and serious vow and protestation purposely made and prescribed by them For the
the Crowns of Scotland and Ireland as England will have their aid and assistance and of their forraign Friends too to carry on the wars till they have got possession of the Crowne of England upon better terms then ever they are like to enjoy it if we accept of the K. Concessions which we can never expect from them if we depose and kil the King and dis-inherit banish them for Traitors Secondly Stephen the actuall King then had no issue at all and Henry was next heir to the Crown both to Maud and him so as both Titles meeting in him the controversie and wars must needs cease But if we shall now set up a new King by Election either of the Kings line or otherwise as long as there is either an Elective King or hereditary to exclude this Prince or Duke or either of their heirs to whom the inheritance of the Crown belongs of right we can neither hope for nor expect either peace or settlement in this kingdom as the bloody and long lived wars between the two Houses of Lancaster and York will inform us which never ended till they were both united in King Henry the seventh The Armies next proposall to settle the kingdoms peace is as bad as any of the former to wit the speedy dissolving of this present Parliament which if not presently consented to for ought I discerne by their last Declaration they are resolved to dissolve it by open violence on the Houses which they threaten A Tempest certainly of the Jesuites raising to blow down this Parliament as they would have blown up that of 3 Iacobi with Gun-powder But is this a way to safety and settlement to dissolve the onely visible meanes of both If the King Prince Duke Parliament be all dissolved and quite laid aside what meanes or hopes at all of peace of safety of settlement can any man in his right senses rationally see or imagine Is the overturning of the very Foundations and Pillars of our Church and Kingdom the best and safest way to settle and preserve them Is it not the onely certain way to subvert and ruine them Such wayes of peace and settlement aâ— these are fitter for Bedlam then a Parliament house Yea but they have one infallible way more to which all the rest are but preparatory to settle peace and safety in our Kingdoms which they idolize almost to wit A new Representative or moâ—k-Parliament to be immediately subscribed to and set up in post haste constituted neither of King nor Lords the brats of Tyranny and the Norman Conquest as some of themselves pretend as this Representative is of the Armies nor yet of Knights Citizens and Burgesses duly elected but of a selected company of politick Mechanicks pragmaticall Levellers and Statesmen of the General Councel of the Army as they stile themselves by what Commissiom I know not who have usurped the whole Power both of King Parliament Assembly and all Courts of Iustice before their Representative be setled as a true pattern of it which they are to imitate A meer Whimsicall Vtopia and Babel of confusion invented by the Iesuites to please the vulgar rabhle and stir them up to mutinies against King Lords Commons Gentlemen and their Superiours of all ranks that they alone may possesse and sway the reins of Government Magistracy and Ministry to which they have now prepared their tumultuous spirits Much might be said against it but I shall contract my self because nothing can be so much as probably pretended for it First It is a new Jesuiticall popish Gunpowder Treason with a witnesse which blowes up and destroyes at once the King Prince Duke Lords Knights of Shires Citizens Burgesses this present and all future Parliaments and noblest ancientest Cities and Boroughs of England It not this a blessed invention to settle peace and safety Secondly It blows up both our Magistracy Ministry Laws Liberties Judges and Courts of Justice at one crack and breaks them all in pieces to raise up this new Babâ—â— out of all their ruines And is not this a blessed new invention of Jesuites and Saints to settle peace Thirdly It blows up all our Oaths of Supremacy and Allegeance Protestations solemn Leagues and Covenants all former numerous Declarations Remonstrances Votes and Resolutions of one or both Houses of Parliament not to alter the present form of Government by King Lords Commons and other ordinary Magistrates and ministers of publick Iustice orâ—â—eâ— loose the golden reins of government to Blasphemies Heresies Errors Libertinisme Prâ—phanenesse Schisme all sorts of Religions It unsettles all things to settle that which is worse then nothing And is this the way to safety tranquillity or settlement Fourthly it enforceth aâ— Subscription more unjust unreasonable illegall tyrannicall and penall then ever the Bishops or Pope invented invents and sets up the very worst of Monopolies a Monopoly of Electors of Elections and of Representatives elected engrossing all mens ancient Rights Liberties priviledges of election without consent or title into the hands of those who never had a right unto them the people who are no Free-holders no Free-Burgesses free-Citizens or men capable of Votes by Law and these people no other then the Army themselves and some of their levelling Confederates who must possesse judge rule usurp the Rights and Priviledges of the whole Kingdome in point of electing Parliament Members without Charter or Title A cursed Monopoly which will discontent all men who are thus injuriously deprived of their Rights and produce nought else but infinite animosities factions fractions and tumuls throughout the Kingdome and discontent all wise all honest men who will rather die then not oppose it unto death as carrying the death aâ—d funerall of al peace settlement Parliaments the Kingdome in its bowels And is this a fit tool to peece and unite our shattred Kingdome and settle peace amongst us Fifthly It no way extends to Ireland or our Islands but to England onely it will require many years time and triall to settle and secure its own being priviledge power and gain any general obedience to its new erected Soveraignty so that our Church and State will be sunk and drowned and Ireland inevitably lost before this Ark will or can be prepared for their safety Sixthly This Newâ— Representative in this new Remonstrance is in terminis nought else but the very Agreement of the people presented to the House by the Agitators accompanied with some Iesuites on the 9. of Novemb. 1647. then and in that very month twice by two expresse Votes upon solemn debate and an Ordinance of both Houses in December following resolved to be destructive to the being of Parliaments and to the fundamentall Government of the Kingdome and a signall brand of disability and imprisonment imposed on the contrivers and presenters of it and then condemned by the Generall and his Councell of Warre who shot one White to death for abetting it of which more a non Therefore
it seems a miracle to me that they should be now so virtiginous rash and audacious as to tander this to the House againe with such post-hast and violence as the readiest safest and speedyest course to settle peace and safety and set aside the onely meanes of settlement the Treaty O the inconstancy and strange intoxications of these new Saints and Statists who would make the Houses as unconstant as themselves Since then I have cleerly manifested that all these Proposals of peace and settlement in the Army 's late Remonstrance are all and every of them most apparent precipices Jesuiticall contrivances and labyrinthes of speedy imminent unavoidable ruine and confusion to our King Prince Kingdomes Magistracy Ministry Church Religion Lawes Liberties Government the present and all succeeding Parliaments and the Army too it must needs be the very extremity of madnesse to let go that speedy safe and sure way to certain peace security and settlement I have propounded by accepting of the Kings Concessions to catch at such a false deceitfull shadow of settlement as this which will engâ—lâ—e us in endlesse wars and miseries It is a Rule in Policy and Divinity Ex duobus malis minimum eligendum But of these one being a most certain destructive evill and the other a certaine good and advantage of the highest nature it can admit of no deliberation which of them to embrace And so much the rather if we sadly consider of our deplorable almost desperate condition both at home and abroad pertinent to the point in hand We are all weary of a long and costly Warre and yet God hath so infatuated many that though in words they desire yet in deeds they reject alwayes of Peace and cast them out of their hands when put into them as if they delighted to have our Warres spun out like Amaleck's from generation to generation Wee are unable any longer to maintain a Warre and yet are unwilling to give it over But I beseech you now seriously to consider into what great straights and difficulties you are already brought and how the true state of your Affairs stands in relation to your Forces and Friends both at home and abroad There are many thousands of Reformadoes who have formerly served you in your Warres who lie dayly clamouring at your doores for Arrears complaining they are ready to starve and some of them to â—ot in prison desiring but some inconsiderable Summe to satisfie their present necessities and you returne them answer you are unable to raise it and after many debates upon their generall Ordinance you cannot in diverse months pich upon any probable meanes to secure their Arreares amounting as is conceived to above two hundred thousand pounds The Arreares alledged to be due to the Army who now take free quarter and eat up the Countries where they lye amount to above three hundred thousand pounds and how to raise money to discharge this debt or so much as to disband the supernumeraries and reduce the Army into their Winter Quarters hath put you to a stand for many weeks and as yet you know not how to doe it So as free quarter must still continue to ruine us on the one hand and your debts and arrears be dayly multiplied to undoe us on the other hand Your Navie is now comming in to harbors and your Mariners expect a present considerable Sum amounting to many thousands to pay them off and you have not yet one peny in your Treasury to satisfie their arrears and can pitch upon no way to raise any present monies but onely by the Earle of Arundels Composition amounting in all but to six thousand pounds and the moity of it not to be paid till three months end at least What your other debts of the Navy are and how many thousand pounds you owe to Mariners Masters and Tradesmen the Committee of the Navie can best informe you Your debts to your Artificers Waggonars and such who have advanced monies upon the Publick Faith amount to two or three Millions at least Besides your debts to Plimmouth and other Garrisons are so great that they are all ready to mutiny and disband for want of pay Your Debts to the Souldiers and Officers in Ireland are vaste and if speedy and large supplies of Men Provision and Monies arrive not there within one month Colonell Iones and your other Officers there professe the whole Kingdome will be utterly lost and you for ought I sinde have no possible means to supply them with either If then your Debts are already so great to Reformadoes Tradesmen the Army Navie Garisons and those who have lent you Monies that you know not how to satisfie any one of them If you have not money to pay your Army or Navie at the present nor to maintaine them for the future why doe you now refuse that Peace which is tendered you upon such great advantages and chuse a Warre which you know not how to maintaine and must needs break yours and the Kingdoms backs in few months more Your credits are quite lost and broken in all places in City Country and the Houses too You cannot now borrow ten thousand pounds for ought I know upon any suddain occasion were it to serve the Kingdome Your breaches of Faith and security heretofore and clashes with the City have made you almost Bankrupts if not altogether Gold-smiths Hall the Excise Cambâ—en-House and Custom-house are already charged with more Debts then are likely to be paid in many yeares Compositions are almost at a stand or end Sequestrations generally disposed of to each particular County or other uses Bishops Lands engaged for farre more then they are really worth You have nothing of your owne or the Publick's left to raisâ— either present monies or credit whereonâ— to borrow themâ— Besides the City Country and whole Kingdome are how quite exhausted and almost as poore as naked Iob was Many Countries of the Kingdome are so impoverished and exhausted with the last Warres especially the foure Northern Shires next to Scotland that as their Knights and Burgesses assure you they are so farre unable to pay any Taxes that they already starve and perish in most places for want of food and are petitioners to you for some reparation towards their great losses and present support to keep them from starving The rich Associated Counties have beene harressed and undone by the last Summers Warres that they are growne poore unable to lend or contribute to you any more force or assistance The excessive dearth of corn and provisions the last year the great destruction of corn by unseasonable weather this present year which makes that which is wholesome exceeding deer The extraordinary rot among sheep and murraine among cattle which should raise monies 〈◊〉 Counties the generall scarcity and decay of Trade by Land of Merchandize by sea and apparent probability of their decaying every day more and more by reason of the revolted Ships and Irish Men-of-warre and the Sequestrations of the
which both Houses have since approved and made use of in severall Declarations and Remonstrance And therefore I may with greater confidence and better grounds adventure on this discovery of which most here present who are little acquainted with mysteries of State or Politicks ' and trouble not their heads with such inquiries after them as I have done are utterly ignorant and so apt to be deluded and easily over-reached the plainest open-hearted men being easiest to be over-witted by Jesuites and their Instruments especially when they transform themselves into Angels of Light or become new lights to broach new strange opinions or revive old errors under the notion of New-light as they have lately done to lead captive silly people To make out this discovery so cleerly evident that none can rationally deny but be sufficiently convinced of its truth I must minde you of these particulars of undoubted truth and certainty which this House and the House of Lords have joyntly and severally published and remonstrated to the whole Kingdom King and World in severall Declarations and Remonstrances and other printed papers 1. That the Iesuites and other Engineeres and Factors for Rome for the alreration of Religion the setting up of Popery and Tyranny in this Kingdom and subversion of the fundamentall Lawes and Government of it did long before the beginning of this Parliament compose and set up a corrupt malignant ill-affected party consisting of corrupt Bishops and Clergy-men some great Officers and Counsellours of State and others of trust and neernesse about the King his Children and Court to carry on these their designes who were acted by their subtill practises and that by this means those Iesuites and Romish Engineers had a very powerfull operation upon his Majesties Counsells and the most important Affaires and proceedings of his Government both in Church and State 2. That the most dangerous divisions preparations and Armies to make a War between England and Scotland were made and carried on by the practise and counsel of the Iesuites Papists and their Confederates 〈◊〉 Scottish Iesuites being sent from London into Scotland not foment the divisions there and a Generall Convention of all the principall Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom and of sundry Priests and Iesuites whereof Con the Popes Nuncio was President being held in London wherein great Sums of mony were granted towards the raising of the Army against the Scots Treasurers and Collectors appointed by them in every County and Popish Commanders sent for over and imployed in that Service as was apparently proved before a Committee and reported to this House soon after the beginning of this Parliament as your own Journal manifests And it furthers appears by one who was privy to that plot sent from Rome as an assistant to Con who out of conscience revealed all the secrets of it to Andreas ab Habernfeld Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia at the Hague under an Oath of secrecy and he to Sir William Boswel and the King the Originals whereof are in my custody and published by me at your appointment in my Romes Master-Piece that the â—end of he Scottish Wars was to engage the King to cast himself wholly on the Papists and their party the Puritans and Protestant party being averse to this War and inclining to the Scots who would not engage to assist him unlesse hee would condition with them to grant an universall toleration of Popery and free exercise of that Religion to the Papists if their party prevailed To which if he should shew himself unwilling or averse then they would presently dispatch him out of the way and poyson him with an Indian nut which they had prepared kept in Con's custody as they had poysoned his Father King Iames And the Prince being next Heir to the Crown educated neer his Mother accustomed to the Popish party and easie to be perverted in his Religion being but young and under age they would get him into their power educate him in their Religion and match him to a Papist so all their work accomplished Popery set up the Protestants and their Religion so 〈◊〉 extirpated both in England Scotland and Irelands In which dâ—scovery he further relates that there were under the command of Cardinal Barbarino the Popes Nephew protector of the English Catholicks and Con the Nuncio resident in London four severall Orders of Jasuites most active in these designs and wars disturbers of Christian kingdoms The first Ecclesiasticks whose office it is to take care of things promoting Religion The second polititians whose imployment it is by any meanes whatsoever to shake troube reforme and alter the state of Kingdoms and Republiks The third Seculars whose property it is to intrude themselves into offices places about Kings and Princes and to insinuate and thrust themselves into civill affaires bargains contracts and such like civill businesse The and fourth Spyes or Intilligencers men of inferior condition who submit and become houshold servants to Princes Barons Noblemen Great men Gentlemen Citizens and others of all protessions to discover their minds and make use of them to promâ—te their designes That these Jesuites usually met at one Captaine Reads a Scotch-man a Souldier and Lay Jesuit â—â—ing in Long Acre in the habits Gentlemenâ— Souldiers and Laymen and many of them followed the Camp as Souldiers in those intended Wars That there were neere as many of all these severall Sorts of Jesuits residing and lurking privily in and about London in September 1640. where were then above 50 Scottish Jesuiâ—sâ—as were in al Spain Frat. c Italy who have ever since been promoting the same designes and devisions among us all these Wars as that which followes will demonstrate 3 dly That the dissolving and breaking up al the Parliaments in this Kings Reigne in discontent proceeded from the councels and practises of the Jesuits and their Popish confederats to disaffect the King against them and prevent the calling of Parliaments for the future the principall obstacle to prevent and counter-worke all their designes to promote Popry and subvert our Religion laws and Government 4thly That the Jesuits Popish Priests Papists and their Confederats ever since this Parliament have by pollicy power endeavoured to dissolve and put an end to this present Parliament as the onely basis and support of our Religion and Libertie the onely Bulwarke betweene and Tyranny Popery and superstition ready to over-run the three Kingdomes the dissolution whereof would not onely deprive us and our posterities of the present but of the hopes and capacity of any future Parliament and that they have indefatigably used and left no means unattempted to dissolve this Parliament the continuance and close whereof with the King in a happy Peace settelment would frustrate all their hopes and Popish-designes as the Lords Commons both have most fully declared in their Remonstrance of Mâ—y 19. and 26. 1642. in their Declaration of March 23. 1643. in their propositions of
expressing his approbation of it being gotten into the Generalls owne life Guard and the next man to him when he came to bring the Speaker unto the House of Commons August 6. 1647. He was afterward very active to perswade the Staffordshire supernumerarie forces not to disband and prevailed so much with them that there were severall orders from the house General ere they wovld obay therefore its propable he and they perswaded the Army at first not to disband or to goe for Ireland After which he was taken this summer at a meeting in Ramme-alley to raise a new Warre and being carried prisoner to the Committee of safety made an escape from thence by bribing his Keepers as is conceived having offered fifty peeces to a Captaine to suffer him to escape This Petition and Agreement of the People thus presented by the Agitators and this Jesuite Upou reading and debate thereof this House passed these Votes against it Die Martis 9. Novemb. 1647. A paper directed To the supream authority of the Nation The Commons in Parliament assembeld and stiled The just and earnest Petition of those whose names are subscribed in behalfe of themselves and all the free born people of England together with a printed paper annexed intituled All Agreement of the People for future and present peace upon grounds of common right avowed Resolved c. That the matters contained in these papers ARE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE BEING OF PARLIAMENTS and TO THE FUNDAMENTALL GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM Resolved c. That a letter should be sent to the Generall and those papers inclosed together with the Vote of this house upon them and that he be desired to examine the proceeding of this businesse in the Army and returne an account hereof to this House By which Votes is apparant That the house then deemed this Agreement of the people a second Gunpouder Treason Destructive to the being of Parliaments That some Iesuites or ill affected persons in the Army had put these Agitators upon it and therfore desired the Generall to examine and give them an account of it The Generall and Councell of Warre in pursuance of this vote condemned one of the Agitators who fomented it and shot him to death at Ware wherewith they acquainted the house and by this meanes this Iesuites brat and Engin to blow up this and future Parliaments was no further prosecuted in the Army but some of their confederates in the City on the 23. of the same November most audatiously sent it into the house to the Speaker inclosed in a Letter with a petition wherupō the House unanimously passed these votes concerning this agreement for the committing and prosecuting those who presented it giving the Generall thankes for the Execution done at Ware desiring him to prosecute the businesse further to the bottome where they thought they should find a litter of Iesuites and a Garnet a Catesby and Faux together in the Vault Die Martis 23. Novemberis 1647. A Petition directed to the Supreame Authority of England The Commons in Parliament assembled and intituled The numble Petition of many free borne People of England sent in a Letter directed to Mr. Speaker and opened by a Commitee thereunto appointed was read the first and second time Resolved vpon the question That this Petition is a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former Petition and paper annexed stiled an Agreement of the people formerly adjudged by the House to be distructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall government of the Kingdoms Resolved c. That Thomas Prince Cheesemonger and Samuel Chidly be forthwith commtted prisoners to the prison of the Gate-house there to remaine prisoners during the pleasure of this House for a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former petition and paper annexed stiled An Agreement of the people formerly adjudged by this House to be Distructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome Resolved c. That Jeremy Ives Thomas Taylor ani William Larner be forthwith committed to the prison at Newgate there to remaine prisoners during the pleasure of this House for a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former petition and paper annexed stiled An Agreement of the People formerly adjudged by this House to be Destructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome Resolved c. That a letter be prepared and sent to the Generall taking notice of his proceedings in the execution according to the rules of War of a mutinous person at their Randezvouze neare Ware and to give him thanks for it and to desire him to prosecute the examination of that businesse to the bottome and to bring such guilty persons as he shall think fit to condigne and exemplary punishment Resolved c. That the Vots upon the former Petition and Agreement annexed and likewise the Vots and proceedings upon this Petition be forthwith printed and published Yea the houses were so sensible of the treasonablenes and danger of this agreement that in an Ordinance of the 17. of Decem. 1647. For electing of Common Councell men and other Officers in London they expresly ordained that person who hath contrived abetted perswaded or entred into that engagement intituled The agreement of the people declared to BE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE BEING OF PARLIAMENTS AND FUNDAMENTALL GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM be elected chosen or put into the Office or place of the Lord Mayor of the City of London Sheriffe or Alderman Deputie of a Ward or Common Councell man of the said City nor shall have any voice in the electing of any such Officers for the spase af one whole year and be made uncapable of any of the said places Vpon this treable sentence of condemnation that passed against this Agreement of the people by these Votes Ordinances this stratagem of the Iesuits to blow up this and future Parliaments by putting a certanperiod to this Parlaments dissolution on the last of Sept. 1648. and setling a more equal Representative for the future with a fixed time for its beginning and ending and of a new Parliament of Commons alone without King or Lord◠the substance of this whol agreement was for that year trustrated and totally laid aside till the beginning of Novem. last At which time the Iesuits and the Agitators to hinder Irelands reliefe and our settlement prosecuted it againe a fresh in the Army the better to disguise carry it on more closely they inserted it verbatim into their Remonstrance to break off the Treaty with the King prevailed so far with the General and his generall Councell of Officers who formerly condemned it and shot one to death for abetting it but in Novemb. before as unanimously to approve it at St Albans the sixtenth of November 1648. and sent it to this House the twentieth of that moneth to break of the Treaty presently and to be forthwith considered and confirmed and which is most
Counties Cities and Burroughs for which we serve the only contradictory wayes to peace and settlement which they prescribed in their long-winded Remonstrance and the only good intentions though the worst that ever entred into the hearts of Saints to justifie their unparalleld force upon our persons and our false imprisonment ever since which they confesse in it self to be irregular and not Justifiable 1 doâ— therefore here in my owne behalf there being nothing case that can be objected against me but this Speech and vote which was carried clearly in the House without any Division at all and by 140. voices to 104. that the question should be then put though I bee not obliged to render any accompt or reason of anything I spake or voted in the House to any mortalls but the House alone appeal to the great and righteous judg of Heaven and Earth to whom the Army and Officers have so oft appealed in this cause to the Burrough of New-port in Cornwal and all the free Burgesses in it who without any privity or desire elected mee for their Trustee and Burgesse to all the Counties Cities Burroughs and Freemen of England and Wales to the united Kingdomes of Scotland and Ireland to all the Protestant Churches Kingdomes and States in forraigne parts yea to the Judgements and Consciences of the Generall Officers and Souldiers of the Army and to all the rest of the world who shall peruse this Speech and the Reasons inducing me cordially to consent to the former Vote and dissent from the Armies Remonstrance whether I and the rest of the secured or secluded Members whom they so oft term THE CORRVPT MAIORITY OF THE HOVSE or the GARBLED MINORITY who dissented from us and the Generall and Generall Councell of Officers in the Army be the greatest Apostates and Renegadoes from our publick trust and duties the greatest Betrayers and Renowncers of the Law and doctrine of the peoples Liberties and Freedome the greatest boils and plague-sores of the Kingdome the greatest mad-men struck with a Pestilentiall Phrensy the greatest self-seekers of our own particular corrupt interests the reallest re-imbroylers of this miserable wasted Nation in war blood oppression and Tyranny And whether we or they bee most guilty all those Calumnies and Censures they have thus rashly and censoriously published and cast upon us before any proof hearing or conviction of us to wound us and render us odious to the present and all future ages And whether our dâ—ryed Vote till the passing whereof they affirm they said or acted nothing in relation to the Parliament or any Member of it as if their Remonstrance of Nov. 20. their High Declaration full of Menaest against the dissenting numbers Novemb. 30. their removing the Houses former guards and marching up to London against the Houses command Decemb. 1. to over-awe the Members in their debate before the Vote passed were nothing to the House or any Member or their undutifull Remonstrance Novemb. 20. be the more honourable safe just conscientious speedy and certain way to settle a firme and lasting Peace in all three Kingdomes with most security and advantage to the Kingdomes and all honest mens publick interest both for the present and all succeeding Generations And if upon the serious perusall and consideration of the intire Treaty and of this my ensuing Speech comprehending the principall graunds and reasons of that Vote though much more was spoken by many worthy and more able Members in that most solemne debate which I leave to them to publish if they please the Burrough for which I serve and all others to whom I have here appealed shall give up their verdict for me and the other secured and secluded Members that I and they have herein faithfully discharged our Trusts and duties to God and Man to the King Kingdoms Church people and Army too as we have sincerely done it to our owne consciences in the uprightnesse of our hearts and spirits wee shall then hope that all these rayling accusations against us and their violence offered to our persons and priviledges will vanish into smoke and returne upon their owne pates with highest infamy and dishonâ—ur as being most really guilty themselves of all these false Calumnies against us and that wee shall appeare spotlesse and innocent from these great pretended transgressions both before God and Men. Howsoever seeing our owne consciences pronounce us innocent we shall cheare up our hearts with this sacred Cordiall Matth. 5. 10 11 13. Blessed shall you be when men revile you AND SEPARATE YOU FROM THEIR COMPANY and say all manner of evill against you falsely for my name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you till God in his owne due time and way shall bring forth our righteousnesse as the light and our judgement as the noon day in this present world or acquit us of them at his owne tribunall in the world to come at the great day of judgement when the secrets of all learis shall be revealed and every man condemned or absolved before the Angels and all mankind by Christ himselfe according to his workes not good or evill intentions or Hypocriticall pretentions which may delude the world for a time but never God nor Christ before whose all-seeing eyes all things are bare and unridged appearing in their proper colours In the mean time Christian Reader I submit this plaine-dealing Rude speech to thine impartiall censure by which I desire to be acquitted or condemned justified or impeached of the good or evill of the forementioned Vote the only crime I am guilty of against all these calumnies and the Armies violence to my person who have only two pleas to justifie their treasonable violence upon the secured and secluded Members which I shall here briefly examine The first is their honest intentions of publique good To which I answer First that no pious nor â—onest intentions can justifie or excuse any irregular actions though neither scandalous nor prejudiciall unto men but seemingly pious and devout as is cleare by the examples of the Bethsheemites Vzza Saul and others much lesse can they excuse or justifie any treasonable scandalous and flagitious acts of violence and oppression as yours are both against the King and Members against your Oaths Trusts Covenants which are morall sinnes and evils against many expresse Scriptures and that very devine charge to Souldiers Luke 3. 14. Doe violence to no man c. 2 That Christians must in no case doe evill that good may come of it Rom 3. 8. their damnation being just that doe it Therefore not so great an evill so many complicated evils as you now act upon any intents of publike good Thirdly Christians must abstaine from all appearance of evill provide things honest in the fight of all men and give no offence to the Gentiles Churches of Christ or
inslave the City to our vassalage This is their present practise The Land-lordâ— Rich men in the Country are too potent for their Tenantâ— the poor Ergo we must by force of Armes out of extraordinary necessity now abate the Tenants Rents alter their Tenures and Customes share their Lands and wealth amongst our selves and the poore and if any poore man by forging an Act of Parliament or otherwise pretend a Title to any rich mans Lands turne the rich man out of possession and put the poore into it as some Levellers and Souldiers have lately done in Essex in the case between Sir Adam Littleton and one Pointz against all rules of righteousnesseâ— Law and conscience Such a Monster is this plea of necessity for publick good already grown unto through the Armies power and how soon it will proceed to draw the blood of many gallant Gentlemen Lords and Members now secluded for fear they should prove the stronger as well as the major number and therefore must lose their heads to prevent al future dangers revenge God only knows The second ground for the necessity of our seisure and seclusion is this that the pretended corrupt majority of the House would have closed with the King setled the Kingdomes peace before this time had they not been secured Ergâ— the Officers and Army were necessitated to secure them as Apostates from and infringers of their trusts I answer This is very ill Logick and worse Divinity For first is not the end of all just wars whatsoever nought else but peace 2. Is it not Gods command and every Saints and Christians duty to pray for peace to follow peace with al menâ— to seek peace and pursue it to study to be quiet and live in peace to live peaceably with all men as much as in us â—yeth And is not our God a God of Peace our Saviour Jesus Christ the Prince of peace the holy Ghost a Spirit of Peace the Gaspell it selfe a Gospell of peace and can or dareâ— any Saints then pretend a necessity to levy warre even against the Parliament and Members themselves which is high Treason onely upon this pretended necessity that they desire and indeavour to settle peace in our Kingdome Thirdly Is not peace the greatest Earthly blessing that God can bestow upon us and hath promised out of his love to give us as a most SIGNALL favour is it not the thing we have all payed for fasted for fought for paid for longed for and earnestly desirid for many yeares doe not all Counties Cities Villages Families yea every sort except those who make a trade of Warre to enrich themselves by the Kingdomes ruines but more especially distressed Ireland cry all out unto us with one unanimous cordiall and continuall clamar Peace Peace for the Lords sake No more Warres no more blood shed no more plundering no more free quarter no more taxes but Peace Peace or else we perish And if so the generality of the people and Kingdome being by the Armies principles the originall and fountaine of all just power there is an absolute necessity lyes upon us who are their trustees to make and setlle Peace but no necessity for the army to hinder or secure us from effecting it yes a necessity for them to assist us in it and release us to accomplish it which by Gods blessing we had done ere this Object All that they can object is That we would have made an unsafe and dishonourable peace with the King upon his owne termes to the peoples prejudice and enstaving Answ. To which I answer 1. It is the foulest falsest and most malicious scandall that ever man could invent which the ensuing Speech will abundantly refute to the shame of those who dare to aver it in print 2. Admit it true yet an unjust and unequall peace is better safer and more honourable for us now we are quite exhausted and can manage warre no longer and Ireland so neere its ruine then the justest Warre which ought not to be undertaken at first without absolute necessity and nes to continue one houre longer then that necessity endures especially if it be a Civill Warre between those of the same Nation blood Religion or a defensive Warre as our Warre is who have now no armed Enemies to encounter and so there can be no pretence of necessity to continue a Warre or so great a recruited Army unlesse it be to enslave us to martiall Law and Tyranny in stead of peace and Liberty 3. Neither God nor the Kingdome nor Majority of the people ever made the Army Iudges of the goodnesse or badnesse of the intended peace but the Parliament onely the onely proper Iudges likewise of the necessity of peace or Warre And therefore for them thus forcibly to wrest this Iudicatory out of the Houses bands without a lawfull calling to it and to imprison those who are Iudges of it is neither Christian nor warrantable but the highest insolency and Rebellion ever offered to any Parliament in any age And upon this account every Souldier who hath a cause depending in Parliament or in any Court of Iustice may by as good Iustice and reason pull all the Members out of the Houses and Iudges from the Benches that would not give Iudgement for him be his cause never so unjust and make himselfe or the Generall Councell of the Army his onely Iudges who may proceed to Iudgement on his side before any hearing or appearance before them by his adversary in such sort as they have proceeded against us But admit there were an extraordinary necessity for publick good as is pretended yet to make necessity a plea for to justifie any mâ—rall sinne or evill is monstrous in an Army of Saints Nulla est necessitas delinquendi quibus una est necessitas non delinquendi was the Primitive Christians Maxime who chose rather to die the cruellest deaths then commit the smallest sinne Had Hugh Peters John Goodwin and these Army-Counsellors lived in our Saviours dayes they could have taught St. Peter how to have denyed his Lord and Master thrice together with Oathes and curses as the Army have denyed and imprisoned their Lords and Masters and cast them into bell with Oathes and curses too and to have justified it in stead of going forth and weeping bitterly for it as he did because be did it onely out of necessity to save his life when he was in danger If these Army-Saints had lived in Iulian the Apostate's dayes they could have instructed his Souldiers how to have sacrificed to his Idols by throwing but a branch into the Fire out of necessity to sare many precious Souldiers lives rather then to be mariyred for refusing it And had Catesby Faux Winter and Piercy wanted an advocate or Ghostly father to encourage them to blow up the Parliament-House King Nobles and Commons at once and justifie it when they had done it the Generall
thus removed I proceed to the the second to wit that I am an enemy to the Army and therefore what I shall speak may be interpreted to proceed only from opposition against them and their Remonstrance concerning which I freely uttered my suddain thoughts immediately after its reading in the House To this I answer that I have alwaies been a real friend and welwisher to this Army from their first modelling til now in what ever they have acted in their sphear as Souldiers for the publique safety When they were first formed into a body the Committee of Accompts whereof I was a Member those they engaged advanced about thirty thousand pounds of the fourscore thousand to set them out Since that I have freely contributed towards their pay prayed constantly for their good success joined in all publike thanksgivings for the Victories obtained by them made honorable mention of them and their heroick actions in some of my writings and particularly dedicated one Book I since compiled to the General himself as I had done former Books to others of your Generals for to do him all the honour that possibly I could for his renowned Actions Besides I have lately signed Warrants to get in their Arrears and promoted an Ordinance for that purpose all I could since my entrance into this House All which considered with this addition that some of them have bin my ancient intimate friends never did me the least injury I hope no Member can be so partial as to report me such a professed enemy to them as in this grand debate to go against my judgment or conscience in opposition only unto their desires True it is when the Army have forgot their duty or offered violence to the priviledges Members freedom or proceedings of Parl. or endeavoured to engage them to break their publike faith to the King or kingdom in breaking off the Treaty contrary to their votes and engagement or to infringe their solemn League and Covenant or to enforce them to subvert the fundamental Government Laws Liberties of the kingdom or the very freedom and being of Parl. as they have done in their late Remonstrance and Declaration and some other printed papers since heretofore I have then in discharge of my covenant conscience and duty opposed and spoken against these their exorbitances as much as any not out of malice but out of love to reclaim them from their evill destructive courses and counsels according to Gods own precept Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him And seeing I have alwayes with like freedome opposed and written against the exorbitances and errour of the King Court Prelates Parliament Committees Presbyterians Independents Lawyers and all other sorts of men in reference to the publick good the Army and their friends have no cause at all to censure me as their enemy but rather to esteem me as their friend for using the like freedom towards them and their exorbitances especially in this House Having removed these two prejudices I shall now addresse my self to the question in debate which hath been thus propounded Whether the Kings answers to the Propositions of both Houses taken altogether upon the whole Treaty be satisfactory or unsatisfactory This being an equivocall question not hitherto clearly stated and debated by those who have spoken to it most of them being much mistaken in it I must crave leave to give you the true state of it before I shall debate it for which purpose I must distinguish in what sense it is not satisfactory to any in this House yet in what respect it will appear satisfactory to all or most of us who are not blinded with passion or prejudice agaisnt the King or misled by affection meerly to please the Army which many have made their principal argument wherefore it is not satisfactory If the question be propounded and intended in this sense Whether the Kings answers to all the Propositions be satisfactory that is whether the King hath granted all the Propositions sent unto him in as large and ample manner as both Houses did propound them then it is certain his Answers are not satisfactory in tha which concerns Delinquents Bishops and Bishops Lands and the Covenant though they are voted satisfactory as to all the rest by both Houses And in this sense only those who have concluded them not satisfactory have stated and disputed the Question But this under favour neither is nor can be the state or sense of the question for these reasons First because these Propositions were sent by the Houses to the King not as Bills of Parliament to be granted in terminis without debate or alteration but only as Propositions to be debated treated upon personally with the King as the Votes of both Houses and instructions to the Commissioners sent to the Isle of Wight resolve past all dispute now it is directly contrary to the nature of all treaties especially such as are personall to tie up the parties of either side so precisely that they shall have no liberty to vary from their first proposals in any particular or if they condescend not to what ever was at first demanded by the stronger party that the condescensions should not be satisfactory though they yeeld to all just things and fall short only in some few of least concernment This is evident by all Treaties heretofore between England France Spain and other forraign Nations if you peruse their first demands which were never condescended to but alwaies receded from and qualified in some particulars on either fide Iniquum petas ut justum fer as being a rule in Treaties amongst Statesmen There have been many Treaties during these Wars between the Officers of the Parliament and Kings party about surrenders of divers Cities and Garrisons wherein the first Propositions on either side have been moderated or changed and yet agreed and accepted at last as satisfactory to both sides In all ordinary Treaties concerning Marriages purchases and ordinary bargains in Fairs Markets or Shops there are usually greater sums of money demanded at first on the one and lesse proferred on the other side then is accepted and given at last and yet both parts close agree and are ful satisfied so may we do now with the King upon the whole Treaty though the King grants not fully all that we at first proposed Secondly because the Houses have already voted the Kings Concessions of the Great Offices of England and Ireland to be at their disposal for 20. years to be satisfactory though their demand was for perpetuity which they would not have done had the satisfactorinesse of the Kings answers depended upon the full concession of that Proposition as amply as it is penned Thirdly because the Houses in their last propositions demand farre more then ever they did in most former Treaties and the King hath granted them
more now in this then they have demanded heretofore And therefore having granted more then what would have fully satisfied them in former Treaties his Concessions in this may be fully satisfactory to us so far as to close with him to settle a firm peace in the Kingdome now at the brink of ruine though they fall short in somethings which we now propounded which do not much concern our security as I shall prove anon The true state then and sense of this Question must be this and no other Whether the Kings finall Answers to the Propositions of both Houses in this Treaty considered and weighed all together be not so full and satisfactory in themselves that this House may and ought to accept of and proceed upon them for the speedy settlement of a safe and wel-grounded Peace both in Church and Common-wealth rather then reject them as unsatisfactorie and so hazard the life of all and the perpetuating of our wars and miseries In this sense I humbly conceive and hope to evidence them so clearly fully satisfactory that we can neither in point of duty prudence justice honor or conscience reject them as unsatisfactory but ought to imbrace them as the only safe ready way to our peace and settlement though they come not up so fully to some of our Propositions as I could have heartily desired for the avoiding of this hazardous debate For my clearer progresse in this grand debate I shall observe this method First I shal clearly manifest that the King in this Treaty hath granted us whatsoever we can wel desire for the present settlement future security of the Common-wealth or state when ratified by Acts a regal oath as is intended yea far more then ever our Ancestors or any Subjects in the christian world enjoyed or desired of their Ks. for their security preservation against their armed power or legal prerogatives Secondly That the King hath granted as much in this Treaty as will settle and secure the Peace and Government of our Church and Religion against Popery and prelacy on the one hand and prophanenesse on the other hand and more then we or any Protestant Churches ever enjoyed or demanded heretofore for their security and settlement When I have made good these particulars and answered the Objections made against them I hope every one of us who have any ingenuity reason or conscience in their brests and are not transported with passion or private engagements to the contrary will and must of necessity vote these Answers satisfactory in the sense forestated I shall begin with the first of these namely the Kings Answers to all these Propositions which concern the present settlement and future security of the State and Republike against any armed force or invasions of the Regall Prerogative to the enslaving or prejudicing of the Subject which in my poor judgement are so full and satisfactory that little or nothing can be added to them and if we well consider them we have cause to say O fortunati nimium bona si sua norinâ— I shall give you a full view of them all because many of them have not been so much as once remembred in this debate and apply them to our present settlement and future safety as I mention them The first Proposition for the settlement of a safe and wel-grounded Peace is that which concerns the justification of the Parliaments War declaring it by an Act of Parliament to be passed to be in their just and lawfull defence justifying the Solemn League and Covenant in prosecution thereof and repealing all Oaths Declarations and Proclamations heretofore had or hereafter to bee had against both or either Houses of Parliament their Ordinances or proceedings or against any for adhering unto or executing any Office Place or Charge under them and all Judgements Indictments Outlawries Attainders Inquisitions in any of the said causes and all Grants thereupon made had or to be made or had to be declared null suppressed forbidden and never put into execution And this to be published within all Parish Churches and all other places needfull within his Majesties Dominions To this proemiall and advantagious proposition the King hath fully and readily condescended at first in every tittle as was desired By this concession the Parliament hath gained sundry considerable advantages tending to their present honour and future security First a full publick acknowledgment of the justnesse of their Warre and Cause to be ratified and perpetuated to posterity by the highest record that can be an Act of Parliament and that to be read in all Parish Churches throughout England Ireland and other the Kings Dominions and proclaimed in all Counties Cities Corporations and at Assizes and Sessions of the peace that so all men may take publick notice of it Which is such an honour to and justification of them and their Cause as was never condescended to by any King that took up arms against his Subjects since the creation to this present and so low a humiliation and Legall disclaimer in the King of his Warre against the Parliament and disavowing of his Cause and Party as could possibly be imagined or expected Secondly It secures the Lives Liberties and Estates of all the Members of both Houses engaged in these Wars and of all persons whatsoever that have adhered to or acted for them against all former present and future Impeachments Prosecutions and Judgments whatsoever and makes void and nul what ever hath been is or may be objected against them Which coupled with the Act of Indempnity and Oblivion proposed by the King and agreed to by the Houses wil extraordinarily secure pacifie content all wel-affected Members and persons who have adhered to them in this Cause and preserve them from the danger of 25 E. 3. and other Laws concerning Treasons which otherwise upon any revolution of times and affairs might by corrupt Judges and Instruments be extended and rested to their prejudice aud undoing Thirdly it laies a foundation for the lawfulnesse of a defensive War by Authority of both Houses upon the like occasion in all future ages without incurring the guilt of Treason or Rebellion which will be a great encouragement and security to the Subjects and engagement to them to adhere to the Parliament in after-times Fourthly It wil very much discourage and deter all kind of men from taking up Arms in the Kings His Heirs and Successors behalfe against the Houses of Parliament when they shal cast their eyes upon this Act and behold the King himselfe passing such a censure upon all his own proceedings and retracting his own Oaths Proclamations Commissions Inditements Grants against such Members all others who have now taken up arms against him for the Houses Kingdoms defence So as this very first Proposition only if well weighed without any others added thereunto being so fully and freely consented unto by the King tends very far towards our present settlement and future safety
Seal against the Parliament to publick Justice who cannot plead it in Barre or excuse in any Court after it shall be nulled and repealed by an Act. Fifthly a great disparagement dishonour and disadvantage to the English Cavaliers Irish Rebels and their cause and proceedings with a future disingaging of them and al their Party from the King and his interest who hath so far dishonoured deserted and disclaimed them as thus to null and repeal all Honours Titles Grants of Offices Lands or Tenements bestowed on any of them for any services done or Assistance given by them to the King in his Warres against the Parliament A very high point of humiliation and self-deniall in the King and such a blow to his Popish and Malignant party that I dare presume they will never engage in his behalfe nor trust him for the future which will much conduce to the settlement of a firm and lasting peace and prevent new VVars if accepted of 6ly Indempnity and security for all the Commissioners of the new Great Seale against all scruples which may arise upon the Statute of 25. E. 3. for using and sealing with it if ever the times alter which every prudent man will readily embrace where it is freely offered and not peevishly reject in such an age of danger and incertainty as this in which no man is secure of his life liberty or estate on either side The next Concession of the King in this Treaty is this That by Act of Parliament all Peeres made since Edward Lord Littleton deserted the Parliament and conveyâ—d away the Great Seale on the one and twentieth day of May 1642. shall be Vn-Peer'd and set by And all other titles of honour and precedency as Lordship Knighthood and the like conferred on any without consent of both Houses of Parliament since the twentieth of May 1642. shall be revoked and declared null and void to all intents and never hereafter put in use And that no Peere who shall be hereafter made by the King his heirs or successors shall sit or vote in the Parliament of England without consent of both Houses of Parliament This Concession of the Kings is of great concernment to the Kingdome and I conceive without president or example in any age or King in the Christian world First it secures us from our formerly feared danger of a designe in the King by new created Peers to make an over-ruling party at any time in the Lords House wherein the Iudicatory of the Parliament principally consists which danger and inconvenience by secluding the Bishops out of that House by an Act already passed and by this disabling all new Peers hereafter to be made to sit in that House without consent of both Houses is for ever totally prevented Secondly It gives such an extraordinary new power to the House of Commons as they never formerly enjoyed or pretended to to wit that no Peer created by the King himselfe or by the King or Lords in Parliament who usually created Peers in Parliament without the Commons privity or consent in former times shall be henceforth inaabled to sit or vote as Peers of Parliament but by consent of the House of Commons as well as of the King and Lords By which provision the Commons are made not only in some sense the Judges of Peers themselves which they could not try or judge beforeby the expresse letter of Magna Charta chap. 29. and the Common Law but seven their very Creators too Thirdly It is an extraordinary prejudice and blemish on the Kings cause and an extream dishonour dissatisfaction disengagement upon his own party then which a greater cannot be imagined For what higher affront or disgrace could the King put upon those Nobles Gent. others who have spent their estates lost their blood limbs and adventured their very lives in this cause against the Parliament and received no other reward for it but an empty title of honour perchance a Kightship Lordship or the bare title of a Marquesse Earl or Viscount which they have enjoyed but a year or two with little benefit and lesse content to be thus by Act of Parliament with the Kings owne Royall assent who conferred those titles on them for their gallant services in his behalfe thus suddenly degraded and divested of them all as if they had never been A perpetuall brand to them their posterity who must be inforced to give place to such of whom they have had precedency place by vertue of these dignities Which high affront and scorne I am verely perswaded will pierce and break many of their own at least their Ladies hearts and for ever disoblige them in the highest degree 4thly It will make all the ancient and new Nobility and Peers of England lesse dependent on the King lesse complying to serve his ends upon all occasions being never able to gratisie or reward them though never so ambitious with any new Honours or Peerships without consent of both Houses of Parliament whom they dare not displease or disoblige for fear of crossing them in their desired dignities and titles as well as in their great Offices which are both now in their disposall not in the Kings alone In brief the King in his Concession hath manifested the greatest humiliation and self-deniall that any King since there was a Kingdome in the world hath done It is and hath been the ancient and undoubted prerogative of all Kings in the world but especially of the Kings of England to conferre honours dignities of all sorts especially Knighthood on whom they shall think meet and more principally on those who have merited it by their gallantry in the field as Mr. Selden proves at large in his Titles of honour and others who have written of that Subject Now for the King out of a desire only of a happy peace and settlement not onely to part with much of the Royall Prerogative which all other Kings in the world enjoy for the future but to repeal the Honours and Titles conferred by him on his adherents for reward of their services in times past during all these wars is such a miracle and high degree of selfe-deniall as no age hath produced the like and that which most of this house had the King prevailed would have rather lost their lives had they conferred any such Titles on their Generalls and Commanders then have condescended to should the King require it And therefore I cannot agree with those over-censorious Gentlemen who so oft inculcate this that they can see no humiliation at al or change of heart in the King when I find so great a change and deep a humiliation in Him in this and all other forementioned free Concessions without any or little hesitation and I heartily wish their owne hearts were as much humbled as his and then I doubt on but they would thankfully embrace rest fully satisfied with his concessions for their owne and the Kingdomes benefit The next proposition tending
to the peace and settlement of the Kingdome is this That the King do give his Royall assent to such Act or Acts for the raising of moneys for the Parliament satisfying of the publique Debts and Damages of the Kingdome and other publique uses as shal hereafter be agreed on by both Houses of Parliament And if the King do not give his assent thereto then it being done by both Houses the same shall be as valid to all intents and purposes as if the Royall assent had been given thereunto To this Proposition the King hath condescended so as those Acts be passed within two years after the Treaty ended which the Houses have now voted to be satisfactory This Proposition secures all moneys lent upon the publike faith all arrears due to Officers souldiers yea all moneys advanced by any who have purchas'd Bishops lands for their losses by reversions after 99 years or any present rents to be reserved to the Crowne for the use of the Church with which those Members who have purchased such lands or advanced moneys upon them declare themselves most unsatisfied all those who have sustained publique losses Yea if the King denies his royall assent thereto it enables both Houses to make a valid Act of Parliament without the King in this case and in case of the Militia likewise which was never challenged by nor granted to both Houses in any Kings Reign before takes away the Kings Negative voice as to these particulars which those who conclude the Kings answers unsatisfatory have so much contended for yet now stand in their own light in not accepting of these Concessions as satisfactory and striking at the Negative voice The next Concession of the Kings for the settlement of the State is the taking away of the Court of Words and of all Wardships and Tenures in Capite or by Knights service which draw on Wardships Primer seisures liveries and such like incombrances to the intolerable vassalage and prejudice of the Nobility and Gentry of England and great landed persons and that only upon giving the King and his successors one hundred thousand pounds yearly for compensations being one principall part of his Royall Revenue This Concession is of so vast consequence to the Kingdome to enfranchise the Subjects from the Norman yoak of bondage as some stile VVardships and Tenures in Capite though others deem them more ancient then William the Conqueror that our Ancestors never enjoyed the like It exempts mens heits under age and their estates from being made a prey for hungry Courtiers or over-reaching Committees of them their estates It exempts them from being married to any against their free consents without any single or double forfeiture of the values of their marriages to which they were formerly liable from marriages to persons of small or no or broken fortunes and different dispositions which have ruined many families from many chargeable suits expences excessive fees gratuities to Escheators Feodaries all sorts of griping Officers in the Court of Wards and from vast expences and extraordinary vexation in finding and traversing Offices suing out Liveries c. and many suits and questions arising thereupon which have undone too many And it deprives the King of such an over-awing Prerogative over the persons and Eâ—tates of the Nobility and Gentry which usually fell into his custody after every Tenants decease as will very much weaken his interest in and their over much dependence on him and make them lesse subject to engage for or with him against the Parliaments or Kingdomes common interest The next Proposition relating to the Kingdomes safety and settlement not so immediately and directly as any of the former is that which concernes Delinquents in which alone as to the State the Kings answers are pretended unsatisfactory not in all but only in some particulars of no extraordinary concernment in my apprehension though so much insisted on by many as to vote all the Treaty unsatisfactory In opening the state of the Kings Answers to this proposition I shall doe these 3. things First I shall shew how far the King and you are both agreed 2dly In what particulars you really or seemingly differ 3dly I shall examine whether these differences herein be of any such moment as to induce the House to vote the answers to this and the other Propositions upon the whole Treaty unsatisfactory and so reject and lose whatever the King hath granted in the rest because he hath not satisfied our demands in this one and two others concerning the Church For the first both Houses by their Votes have thought this Proposition touching Delinquents so needless to beinfisted on in every punctilio for the publick settlement which will certainly more obstruct then promote it merey moderation being the nearest way to peace and union that you have reduced since the Treaty the persons excepted in the first qualification both from life composition from 37 to 7 only six of those are beyond the Seas quite out of your power the 7th aged scarce worth your Execution The King consents that they should be banished during the pleasure of both Houses which is a civill death banishment being next to death the severest punishment and to some men more grievous then present Execution But if that will not satisfie then he leaves them wholly to your justice to proceed against them if you please according to Law and promiseth not to interpose nor pardon any of them if legally condemned only he adds ex abundanti that he cannot in justice or honor assent to any Act to take away their lives by a meer Legislative Power ex post facto if they have done nothing that was formerly capital by the known Laws of the Land by which Hee leaves them to be tryed This Answer many Gentlemen who have spoken have coucluded very unsatisfactory and made many large descants on it because they did not rightly weigh nor understand it when as in truth it Answers the very Proposition in terminis as I shall clearly manifest to all who understand what Law is First it is apparent that one of the first quarrels and cause of taking up Arms on our parts was to bring Delinquents to condign punishent according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm as you have declared to the Kingdom in many printed Declarations and in your Petitions to the King you alwayes desired him to leave Delinquents to the course of Iustice not to cut them off by a meer Legislative Power when as you could not doe it by any known Law Secondly you have professed to all the World and to the King and Delinquents themselves that you have taken up Armes to defend and preserve the Ancient fundamentall Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and to oppose the introduction of any Arbitrary and Tyrannicall Power Yea your selves and the Army likewise have declared against all extraordinary proceedings and tryals in the Lords House to
of the Kingdome for the bare lives of seven Delinquents only or in truth of one alone who is fully in your power which you may take away by a legall tryall without a war will not all the Kingdome nay all the three Kingdomes and whole world cry out upon you for such a frantick unadvised act as this yea and for such an unjust and wicked resolution to hazard the lives and shed the bloud of many thousand Innocents and gallant men to take away the head of one or only of 7. vile Delinquents the sparing of whose lives will more conduce to settlement and reall unity then their deaths by the axe of Justice For shame then let us not vote the Kings answer to this branch of Delinquents so unsatisfactory as to break off and lose all upon it since I have proved it fully satisfactory in all things to your own last demands As to the Delinquents specified in the 2d and 3d. Qualification the King and you are fully agreed Besides the King consents to the exclusion of the Delinquents specified in the first qualification from sitting in Parliament being of his Councells coming within the verge of his court bearing any office or having any imployment in the State during the pleasure of both Houses Thus far you are both agreed only he desires this mitigation of their penalty in case they shall offend herein that they may not be guilty of high Treason and uncapable of any pardon and forfeit all their estates nor that those who shall return from banishment without leave may incur so high a penalty but a more moderate sutable to the Law they shall offend And to break only upon this excesse and extremity of punishment too high even in many wise mens opinions for such offences and of dangerous president to posterity it being the wisdome of our Ancestors to make as few new treasons as possible being only for the Kings advantage and peoples prejudice when as a lesser penalty may as well and sooner too prevent the mischief is neither safe nor prudent As for the compositions of such persons the King only desires their moderation if you think fit even to such proportions as the Army it self in their proposals to him in Aug. 1647. thought reasonable and if you please not to grant it then he leaves them to compound at such rates as you and they shall agree and those are only such as you have already fixed on in former compositions from which you will not vary and in case they will not compound at your rates you have then the benefit of all their sequestred estates till their composition be made which is your benefit and their losse Therefore in this though some have pleased without any colour of reason to assert the contrary you are both fully accorded To the Delinquents in the fifth Qualification the King consents to all your desires with this exception only That such Delinquent Ministers who are not scandalous in their lives or Doctrine are already sequestred may injoy the third part of the profits of their Livings for the support of them and their families and be capable of future preferments if they be thought fit to enjoy them This some have concluded very unsatisfactory because it craves some little favour for Malignant Ministers But I beseech you consider how inconsiderable the difference is and how just and charitable the Kings request is in their behalf Your selves both by Ordinance and common practise grant the ful fifth of the profits of sequestred Livings to the Wives and Children of sequestred Ministers as well in case of scandall and insufficiency as Mulignity the King desires only that such who have bin sequestred meerly for Malignancy and are not scandalous may receive a third part in stead of a fifth and for their future encouragement having spent their time in fitting themselves for a Ministry and being fit for no other calling and having lost their former livings he requests only that in this scarcity of able Ministers they may be capable meerly of future preferments for which they shall be adjudged meet in such way as you shall appoint not he or they A just a charitable request and that which your selves have done there being many able godly Ministers of eminent parts and exemplary life who have not been so clearly convinced in point of conscience as to concur with you in the late Wars for which they have been sequestred and have since been better satisfied and God forbid that such should be made utterly uncapable of the Ministry and they and their families starve for want of bread I beseech you therefore of al other things let us not break with the King upon this Act of Charity of Piety lest all the world condemne us for uncharitablenesse and judge the King to be more pious and charitable then we And no doubt it will be the greatest charity to our selves to our Church our Religion our Kingdom at this time rather to close with the King in this particular then hazard all for a few third parts and to be as charitable as his Majesty The more charity we shew the greater unity peace amity and better settlement we may expect But the greatest dissatisfaction of all referred to this head of Delinquents is in the Kings answers concerning his present recalling of Marquesse Ormonds Commission to Treat with and unite the Irish Rebels To which I answer first that this was no part of the propositions first sent but a collaterall emergement discovered since the Treaty upon Col. Iones his letter and so the unsatisfactorinesse of the Kings Answer as to this alone can be no just cause or ground to vote the other Answers unsatisfactory or break off the Treaty 2dly The Kings granting of this Commission to Ormond at the time he did it is no such hainous thing as many have made it al circumstances considered The King when the Army would not close with him upon their own tearms the last year who treated with him without your privity and against your Orders even then when they unjustly impeached the eleven Members for holding secret intelligence with him and his party of which themselves were only culpable was shut up close Prisoner in Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight by their procurement and by the Votes of both Houses proceeding originally from the Officers and the Armies projection promoted by their Declaration and engagement to joyne with the Houses in setling the Kingdome without against the K. and forcibly passed the Lords House by the Armies garrisoning White Hall billeting a Regiment of Horse in the Muse to terrifie them to a concurrence with the Commons quite laid aside like a dead man out of minde and no more addresses to be made to him by the Houses or from him to them and no accesse of any to him under pain of high Treason without both Houses licence the King in these extremities the better to procure his own
so fully satisfactory and abundantly sufficient for our Weal and safety against all future Dangers and Encroachments on our Liberties that if we conjoyn them with those other acts the KING hath already consented to this Parliament We can neither desire nor expect any additions to make us more compleatly happy and secure then any people or Kingdome under Heaven The KING hath already by Acts of Parliament condemned and suppressed Ship-money his owne Monopoly of making Gunpowder and Saltpetre Fines for Knight-hood Impositions upon Merchants goods Tonnage and Poundage without grant by Parliament Coat and Conduct money Forrest bounds and Laws the grand grievances under which we groaned heretofore so as we need never feare their revivals nor any others of that nature Especially since we have the Nomination of all great Officers and Iudges the chiefe promoters of them Besides by Act of Parliament hee hath for ever suppressed the Bishops sitting and voting in Parliament a great disadvantage to him they commonly voting what he pleased and being wholly at his devotion together with the three Grand Oppressive Courts and shops of Tyranny Oppression and Injustice in the Kingdome the great Terrors of Mens Spirits the Invaders of their Rights Members Liberties the chiefe inlargers and maintainers of an unlimited prerogative and Authors of all our late illegall projects pressures the Starchamber the HIGH COMMISSION and COUNCELL TABLE the Kings chief Engines to scrue up his Prerogative to the highest and lay his Subjects lowest to which a fourth is since added in this Treaty the Court of Wards All which being totally abolished the KING hath now no Court nor instrument left that I can thinke of whereby to injure or oppresse his people as in former times The oppressions likewise and extortions of the stannary Courts and of Clerkes of the Market are rectified by acts this Session yea this Parliament by Act perpetuated without any power in the KING to adjourne and dissolve it till all concurre to dissolve it by an Act of Parliament and when this shall be so determined for our future security and redresse of all growing mischiefs which may endanger us there is a provision by another Law for a Triennall Parl. with power to summon it in case of the Kings refusall without him or his writ and authority for the Houses to sit for a convenient time sufficient to redresse all grievances punish all publike Offenders and settle usefull Lawes without dissolution or adjournment To which I may adde the Act of Oblivion Pacification and union with our Brethren of Scotland Upon granting of four of which Acts alone the House of Commons in their Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome 15 December 1641 did with much thankefulnesse acknowledge that His Majesty had passed more good Bils at that time to the advantage of the Subjects then have been passed in many ages And if he shall now accumulate all the fore-mentioned Propositions turned into Acts to those already enacted with some few Laws more for the regulating of some grievances and corruptions in the Common Law the punishing and restraining of some publike mischiefs and crimes and punishment of Extortions which will be readily assented to there being no losse or prejudice to the Crowne in passing them We may through Gods blessing in all humane probability if our sins deprive us not of so great a felicity be the freest happiest securest most flourishing and best ordered Kingdom and People in the World and injoy such priviledges and immunities as our Ancestors never so much as once imagined much lesse aspired after And if we will not now rest satisfied and thankfully contented with all these large extraordinary Concessions and blesse God for this tender of them to our hands the present and all future ages will Chronicle us for the most unreasonable and ungratefull Creatures that ever sate within these wals or the world produced since the Creation Having now at large demonstrated I hope to every rationall and honest mans conviction the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers to all our Propositions relating to the safety and settlement of our State I shall in the next place proceed to those Propositions and Concessions which concerne the Peace Settlement and Security of our Church and Religion wherein there appears the greatest difficulty the most whereof I shall dispatch with greater brevity then the former There are three things especially which may endanger and disturb the Peace and settlement of our Church and Religion 1. Popery Popish corruptions and innovations introduced by Jesuites Papists and superstitious Clergy-men Popishly addicted 2. Prophanenesse 3 Prelacy and one chiefe thing to promote Religion and the Churches happiness the propagation of the Gospel by settling preaching Ministers throughout the Kingdom and establishing the publick Worship and Church-Government in such sort as is most agreeable to Gods word For all these there is sufficient ground in the Kings answers to our Propositions concerning them to vote them satisfactory as I humbly apprehend and hope to manifest For the first of these dangers to our Church and Religion there is as good security and provision granted us by the King as we did or could desire even in our own terms First he hath fully consented to pass an Act for the more effectuall disabling of Iesuites Papists and Popish Recusants from disturbing the State and deluding the Lawes and for the prescribing of a New Oath for the more speedy discovery and conviction of Recusants Secondly to an Act of Parliament for the Education of the children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion Thirdly to an Act for the due levying of the penalties against Recusants and disposing of them as both Houses shall appoint Fourthly to an Act whereby the practices of the Papists against the State may be prevented the Lawes against them duly executed and a stricter course taken to prevent the saying or hearing of Mass in the Court or any other part of the Kingdome whereby it is made Treason for any Priests to say Masse in the Court or Queenes owne Chappel and so no place left for the suying of Masse throughout the Kingdome no not in the Queens owne Chamber Fifthly to an Act for abolishing all Innovations Popish Superstitions Ceremonies Altars Rayles Crucifixes Images Pictures Copes Crosses Surplices Vestments bowings at the name of Iesus or towards the Altar c. out of the Church and to prevent the introduction of them for the future By all which Acts added to our former Lawes against Recusants I dare affirme we have now far better provision and security against Papists Iesuits Popish Recusants their Popish pictures Innovations Superstitions and Ceremonies both for our Churches and Religions safety and States too then any Protestant Church State or Kingdome whatsoever So as wee need not feare any future danger from Papists or Popery if we be carefull to see those Concessions duly put into execution when turned into Acts and our former Laws Secondly against the
recompence I have formerly mentioned and keep up an Army to maintaine their Purchases rather then yeeld to any reason I shall humbly move that not the whole Kingdome but themselves may defray the Armies Taxes and Quarters and then I am certaine they will have a dearer bargaine then what the King or I have proposed for their satisfaction And the better to perswade them to embrace this compensation I have onely this more to offer both to them and you That if you break off with the King upon this point or close with the Army they are most certaine to lose all for a bare Ordinance of both Houses in no legall Title nor good security aganst King or Bishops without the Kings concurrence and Royall assent unto it and valid no longer then maintained by the Sword the worst and most hazardous Title of all others which will quickly cost the Purchasers and Kingdome treble the value of all the Bishops Revenues and if they close with the Army to break the Treaty they tell them in direct termes in print in The Case of the Army truly stated presented to the Generall by the Agitators of the Army at Hampstead October 15. 1647. pag. 16. That whereas the times were wholly corrupt when persons were appointed to make sale of Bishops Lands and whereas Parliament-men Committee-men and Kinâ—folks were the onely buyers and much is sold and yet it 's presended that little or no money is received And whereas Lords Parliament-men and some other rich men have vast summes of Arrears allowed them in their Purchase and all their moneys lent to the State paid them while others are left in necessity to whom the State is much indebted and so present Money that might be for the equall advantage of all is not brought into the publike Treasury by those sales It s therefore to bea insisted on that the sale of Bishops Lands bee reviewed and that they may be sold to their worth and for present Moneys for the publike use and that the sale of all such be recalled as have not been sold to their worth or for present money This particular among others they professe they have entred into a solemne engagement to prosecute and are now marched up to London accordingly to pursue it as their late Remonstrance and Declaration intimates and themselves professe by word of mouth which I desire the Members who have purchased Bishops Lands who are generally most unsatisfied with the Kings answers especially in this particular seriously to consider and then to make their Election Whether they will now close with the Kings Concessions and what I have here propounded for satisfaction of their Reversions after 99. years and present Rents they may chance to part with and so secure their purchases for this terme by Act of Parliament and have full compensation for what they part with either in ready money or Deans and Chapters Lands and Rents and so be no losers but great gainers by the bargaine or else break with the King to please the Army and so be certaine to lose all between them not onely once but twice over for the Agitators in the Army tell them plainely That all their Purchases shall be reviewed and if they have purchased them to an under rate or not for ready Money which not one of them hath done but by Tickets of their owne or bought at very low values of others which 't is like they will also examine that then their sales shall be absolutely recalled and sold to others at full values for ready money and so all is lost in good earnest or else they must re-purchase them for ready moneys at higher values without any assurance from the King by Act of Parliament and so lose them againe the second time if ever He or his Prelaticall party should prevaile and yet be enforced to answer and restore all the meane Profits they have taken to boot A very hard chapter and bargain to digest if they advisedly consider it which by accepting the Kings offer is most certainly prevented Who perchance in shore time upon second thoughts and conference with learned men for the satisfaction of his conscience in the point of sacriledge if he should consent to the totall alienation of these Lands from the Church may come up fully to our desires and part with the very inheritance to the purchasers as amply aâ— they have purchased it rather then leave his owne and the Kingdomes interest wholly unsettled And for my part I make little question that had the Prelates and Clergy-men with the King at the Isle of Wight dealt candidly and cleerly with him in this particular of the sale of Bishops Lands that might have easily satisfied his conscience in this very thing as well as in others from these grounds and matters of fact which I shall but point at to satisfie others who perchance are scrupulous herein even in point of conscience as well as the King First the King in his last Paper 〈◊〉 in expresse terms protesseth That he hath abalished all but the Apostolicall Bishops invested with a Negative Vayâ—e or Power in point of Ordination And if so then I am certain he hath likewise abolished all Bishops Palaces Lordships Revenues Rents and Possessions it being most certaine that neither the Apoâ—ls themselves not any Apostolicall Bishops of their Ordination in their dayes or for above 300. yeers after had any Lands or Possessions annexed to their Apostleships or Bishopricks but lived meerely upon the aâ—ms and voluntary contributions of the people as Christ himselfe Paul and the other Apostles did as all Historiant accord If then his Majesty will retain none but Apostolicall Bishops he must necessarily take away their temporall Lands and possessions annexed to then Bishopricks to make them such if he hath not already done is by his finall Answer to this proposition as I conceive he hath Secondly it is generally agreed by Historians that Constantine the great our owne Country-man borne and first Crowned Emperour at York to the eternall honour of our Island he being the first Christian Emperour and greatest advancer of the Christian Religion and destroyer of Paganism was the first who endowed the Church and Bishops with any temporall Possessions about 350. yeers after Christ though his pretended donation to the Pope be but a meere fable as Doctor Crakenthorp and others have manifested at large Now Ioannes Parisiensis Nauclerus Polychronicon our English Apostle Iohn Wickliffe our noble Martyr the Lord Cobham Iohn Frith a Martyr learned Bishop Iewell and others out of them record That when Constantine endowed the Church and Bishops with temporall Lands and possessions the voice of an Angel was heard in the Ayre crying out Hodie venenum insunditur in Ecclesiam this day is poyson powred into the whele Church of God And from that time say they because of the great Riches the Church had she was made the more secular and had
which hath reversed Christs Ordinances and procreated Antichrist and that they were bound in conscience to take away their Lands and Temporalties from them which they had abused to Pride Ambition Discord c. His Disciples or noble Martyrs William Swinderby Iohn Purvey Sir Iohn Oldcastle and after them Pierce Plowman Geffrey Chaucer Mr. Tyndall Doctor Barnes Iohn Firth Sir Iohn Borthwike a Martyr the Author of a Supplication to King Henry the eight the Author of the Image of a very Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop William VVraughton in his Hunting of the Remish Fox Mr. Fish in his Supplication of Beggers Henry Stalbridge in his exhortatory Epistle and others are of the like judgement and Roderick Mors in his Supplication to the Parliament in Henry the eight his Reigne to omit Penry and others in Queene Elizabeths Reigne And why there should be more Sacriledge in taking away Bishops Lands in England then in Scotland or Abbey Lands heretofore from Abbeys and Priories I cannot yet discerne All which considered I hope his Majesties conscience may and will be rectified in this particular before the Treaty be absolutely confirmed by Acts of Parliament so as this of Bishops Lands shall make no breach between us In clearing which I have beene the more prolix because it is most insisted on of any thing in point of dis-satisfaction both by the King and us As for all our other Propositions relating to the Peace and settlement of the Church the King hath fully assented to them interminis as namely to the Bill for the better advancement of the preaching of Gods word and setting godly Ministers in all parts of the Kingdome To a Bill against Pluralities and Non residencie To an Act of Confirmation for the calling and setling of the Assembly of Divines To an Act for the confirmation of the Directory and abolishing the Booke of Common-Prayer throughout the Kingdome and in the Kings owne Chappell too yeelded unto in the Kings finall answer though formerly stuck upon to an Act for taking the covenant throughout the Realme only the King sticks at it as yet unsatisfied in conscience as to the taking of it himselfe without some qualifications in it which a Committee were appointed to consider of but have not yet reported ought to the House Besides he hath approved the lesser Catechism as far as you desired who rest satisfied with his answer concerning it And as for the Presbyteriall Government he hath absolutely consented to settle it for three years But it hath been much insisted on by many That the Kings Grant of the Presbyterian Government is no wayesâ— satisfactory because only for three years And therefore they will break off the Treaty for this reason and vote the Kings answers upon the whole unsatisfactory because too short in this particular To which I answer That the King in terminis hath granted as much as we desired We desired its settlement but for three years and many who most pretend dissatisfaction in this point now did and do indeed desire no setled Government at all no not for three years space Therefore if there be any default in this it was in the Houses Proposition only not in the Kings answer who was not obliged to grant us in this particular or any other more than we desired Secondly after the three years expiration the Presbyterian Government must remain till a new be agreed upon by consent of the King and both Houses upon conference and advice with the Assembly of Divines or that further established if found best and most sutable in the interim So as now upon all the branches of this Treaty and the Kings answers thereunto I conceive the Kings answers to be compleatly satisfactory in that sense I have stated and debated the question as well for the safety and settlement of our Church and Religion as Kingdom though the Kings Answers come not up fully to the Propositions in some two or three particulars only It is storied of Alexander the Great that one demanding of him to give him a penny he returned him this answer That it was too little for Alexander to give Whereupon he demanded a Talent of him whereunto he replyed It was too much for a begger to receive We have demanded of the King in our own and the Kingdomes behalf in former Treaties but a penny in comparison and then the King refused to grant it though we would have been heartily contented with it or lesse But now we have in this Treatty demanded a Talent and the King hath not thought it overmuch for him to grant or for us to receive and if we shall now ungratefully reject it we know not why our selves unlesse it be that God hath infatuated and designed us unto speedy ruine for our sins I must needs take up our Saviours Lamentation over dying Ierussalem in relation unto England O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes And I pray God they be not so far hid that we shall never live to see any peace or settlement at all in Church or State if we embrace not those Concessions now the best the largest the honourablest the safest and most beneficiall that ever was tendred to any People by a King and if we now reject we shall never have the moity of them granted us again no though we soek them carefully with tears as Esau did his last blessing when he had overslipt his time but a very little For mine own part I value no mens bare opinions in this debate but their reasons which inforce them and if I have not quite lost my reason and senses too I have not heard one solid reason given by any Gentleman that differs from me why the Kings Concessions upon the whole Treaty should be so unsatisfactory as utterly to reject them and proceed no further Most of the reasons to the contrary have been either cleer mistakes both of the question and Kings Answers or our Propositions and mistakes are no reasons but irrationall or a fear in some Purchasers of Bishops Lands of an ill bargain which I presume I have fully satisfied or that which is to me the most unreasonable though many Gentlemens chief and only reason the Armies discontent and dissatisfaction in case we vote it satisfactory to which I shall give this Answer That though I honour the Army for their good services heretofore in the Field and Wars and should as readily gratifie all their just desires as Souldiers as any man yet I must with just disdain and censure look upon their Magisteriall encroachments upon our Councels and prescriptions to us what to vote in our debates or else they will be incensed as the highest violation to the Freedom â— Honour and Priviledges of Parliament not to be Presidented in former times nor now to be endured We all sit here freely to speak our own Mindes
for our security and settlement far more then we our selves demanded in two or three former Treaties and would have bin glad with the moity of it within these few months ten thousand times more then we can gain by a breach with the King upon such disadvantages why should we not all rest thankfully contented and blesse our God that he hath at last inclined the Kings heart to grant so much whereas heretofore he refused to condescend to the tithe of that he hath granted nowâ— Doubtlesse we can never answer such a peevish absurd ingratitude either to God or men and those Counties Cities and Buroughs who sent us hither in their steads will conne us little thanks for refusing Peace upon such honorable beneficiall and safe Concessions as neither they nor we can ever hereafter hope for if rejected now upon no grounds of reason but peevishnesse and will If any object as some have done that the King indeed hath granted all we can desire yet he is so perfidious in his Oaths and Promises as we have found by sad experience in all his Reign that we cannot trust him and therefore all he hath granted is to little purpose I answer That if all he hath granted were still in his own power to dissolve or recall at pleasure this Argument were materiall But since he hath put all our desired security in our hands alone and such as our selves shall appoint and left nothing unto his sole or joint disposall with us the objection is but weak and recoils upon our selves that we dare not trust our selves with our safety It a Shaâ—k come to borrow some money of a Usurer whose word and hand he dares not take yet if he give him a Pawn or Morgage of his Lands in hand he will then trust him without any scruple The King hath given such a sufficient Pawn Morgage and put it into our own hand therefore we need not doubt him now Besides if we cannot trust him for what he hath granted it was a mockery of him and the Kingdome to treat with him to grant it and if so the Kingdom will say they have little cause hereafter to trust us for such palpable dissimulation as the King For my part I have seen so much experience in the world that I dare trust none with my own or the Kingdoms safety but Godâ— alone Put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man in whom there is no help It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in men or Princes have been my Maxims and we have seen such strange Mutabilities and perfidiousnesse in men of all sorts since our troubles that we cannot trust neither the King nor Prince City nor Countrey this Generall nor that Generall this Army nor those that were before it nor yet our selves who are jealous one of another trecherous one to another distrustfull of all and now distrusted by all ever since we began to confide in men and found out a new generation of confiding men Let us begin to trust in God alone in the first place and then we need not distrust the King for time to come any more then others or our selves whose dear bought experience of breach of former trust and promises will make him more carefull of violating his present Concessions for the future especially having put such securityâ— unto our own hands to bind him to an exact performance But it hath been objected by the Generall and Officers in the Army in their late Remonstrance and by some who have spoken in this debate who would teach the King before hand how to elude and vacat all his grants and promises that all the Kings Concessions are and will be void because made by duresse of imprisonment whiles under restraint I answer That the King during all this Treaty hath been in such a condition of honour freedom and safety and had such free liberty of consultation and debate upon his own earnest desire and his parties too as well as the Houses that he can neither with honour nor justice avoid those Concessions by any pretext of Duresse especially since he hath denyed some things and had the same liberty not to have granted other things had he been pleased not to grant them Besides the King is to confirm the whole Treaty by Acts of Parliament to which he is to give his Royall assent and Oath too when all is concluded and that in a free condition then no Duresse can avoid them nor more then Magna Charta it self first gained by the sword and oft confirmed in Parliament by our Kings against their wills In the year of our Lord 1222 The Barons demanding of King Henry the third the confirmation of the great Charter and their Liberties according to his Oath upon the conclusion of the Peace with Lewis of France William Brewer one of his evill Councell answered That the Liberties they demanded were not to be observed nor confirmed because they were forcibly extorted Whereupon words growing between the Barons the Archbishop of Canterbury and Brewer the King closed up the strife with this honourable Answer All of us have sworn to these Liberties and that which we have assented and sworn to ALL OF VS ARE BOVND TO OBSERVE We to this day injoy these Liberties being confirmed by Act of Parliament and sworn to by our Kings though forcibly extorted at the first And so may we much more enjoy the Kings Concessions when turned into Acts and sealed with a sacred Oath superadded to a Royall assent Mr. Speaker I have now waded through the whole Treaty and given you the best reasons I can out of every parcell of it to prove the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers and answered all Objections hitherto made against my conclusion I shall now by your patience and leave proceed a step or two further to evidence by cleer demonstrations and reasons to your consciences First that our closing with the King upon these Concessions is the only the speediest best loyallest safest and certainest way to settle a firm and lasting Peace between the King Parliament and his three Kingdoms Secondly that the new way to Peace and settlement proposed and prosecuted by the Generall the Officers of the Army and their friends in the House is a most desperate dishonourable unsafe course and certain way to speedy ruine both of our King Parliaments Army City Country and three Kingdomes too yea a â—eer project of the Jesuites to destroy the King dissolve this present and all future Parliaments betray Ireland to the Popish Rebels subvert our Religion Reformation Laws Liberties Kingdoms introduce Popery Tyranny slavery and makes us a prey to our forreign Enemies and if I make this clearly appear to all your consciences and reasons I beseech you lay all your hands upon your hearts and consider what you vote in this debate lest you become instrumentall to the Jesuits accomplish these their designs in
Rights quiet and immunity of his Majesties royall Family and his late partakers And herein we think that tender and equitable dealing as supposing their cause had been ours a spirit of common love and justice diffusing it self to the good and preservation of al will make up the most glorious conquest over their hearts if God in mercy see it good to make them and the whole people of the land lasting friends And in the Representation of the Army June 14 1647. there are the like expressions of their judgments in relation to the King and his party too In a Letter of St. T. Fairfax to both Houses of Parliament giving an account of some transactions between his Majesty and the Army dated from Redding July 6. 1647. there is this passage which he there declares to be the generall sense of all or most part of the Officers in the Army In general we humbly conceive that to avoid all harshâ—ness and afford all kind usage to his Majesties person in things consisting with the peace and safety of the kingdom is the most Christian honorable and prudent way and in all things we think that tender equitable and moderate dealing both toward his Majesty and his Royal family and late party so far as may stand with the safety of the kingdom and security to our common rights liberties is the most hopefull course to take away the seeds of war or future seeds amongst us for posterity and to procure a lasting peace and a government in this distracted Nation Since this the Officers and Army in their proposals 1 Aug. 1647. for the settlement of a firm peace have this for one That His Majesties person Queene and Royall issue may be restored to a condition of safety honor and freedome in this Nation without diminution of their personall Rights or further limitation to the exercise of the regall power then according to the particulars aforegoing These proposals of the Army were so pleasing to His Majesty that in his answer to the propositions presented to him at Hampton Court the 7 of Septemb. 1647. by the Commissioners of both Houses and of the kingdome of Scotland he refused to grant the Propositions by them tendred as being destructive to many principall interests of the Army and of all those whose affections concurred with them And he gave this further answer to them That his Majesty having seen the proposals of the Army to the Commissioners from his 2 Houses residing with them and with them to be treated in order to the clearing and securing the Rights liberties of the kingdom as to the settling of a just lasting peace To which proposals as he conceives his two Houses not to be strangers so he beleeves they will think with him that theymore conduce to the satisfaction of all interests may be a fitter foundation for a lasting peace then the propositions which at this time are tendred to him He therefore propounds as the best way in his judgement in order to peace that his two Houses would instantly take into consideration those proposals upon which there may be a personal Treaty with his Majesty such other proposals as his Majesty shall make hoping that the said proposals may be so moderated in the said Treaty as to render them the more capable of his Majesties full concessions wherein he resolves to give ful satisfaction to his people for whatsoever shall concern the settling of the Protestant profession with liberty to tender consciences the securing of the laws liberties and properties of all his subjects and the just priviledges of Parliament for the future c. In which Treaty his Majesty will be pleased if it be thought sit that Commissioners from the Army whose the proposals are may likewise be admitted â—oe here we have the General Officers and Army it self so zealous of a personal Treaty with the King for settlement of this kingdoms peace and the carrying on of their owne interests that themselves draw up proposals for a Treaty with him without the Houses privity yea prevail with him to lay aside the Houses Propositions to treat upon theirs as more advantagious to him and his and less beneficiall to the kingdoms interest In which Treaty he desires that Commissioners from the Army whose the proposals were might likewise be admitted yet these Zealots for a Treaty then are most furious to break off our Treaty now even by open force and violence almost upon the very close though they never made any opposition against it during all its Agitation perchance to bring on another Treaty with the King upon their own proposals wherein the King and they will be the only Treatours and the Houses but idle Spectators to rob them of the honor and benefit expected by our present Treaty and of settling of the kingdoms peace on so good terms for the publike interest In fine the Generall and Army under his command in their Remonstrance of the 18 of August 1647. approved and printed by Order of the House of Peers p. 14. do thus expresse their readinesse and desire for the Parliaments closing with the King upon good grounds and his bringing up to LONDON though now they cry out for nothing buâ— Justice and execution to be done upon him as their capital Enemy For our parts we shall rejoice as much as any to see the King brought back to his Parliament and that not so much in place as in affection and agreement on such found terms and grounds as may render both him and the kingdom safe quiet and happy And shall be as ready as they to bring his Majesty to LONDON when his being there may be likely to produce not greater disturbances or distractions but a peace indeed and that such as may not with the Shipwrack of the publike interest be shaped and moulded only to the private advantages of a particular party or faction but bottom'd chiefly on grounds of common and publike welfare and security The General Officers and Army therefore being so zealous for a Treaty and close with the King in all these severall Remonstrances Papers and Proposalls as the only hopefull way of settling and securing the kingdoms peace cannot without the highest injury and most detestable jugling Hypocrisie and Apostasie from their own ingagements principles wherewith they do now falsly charge the House dislike our present proceedings in the selt same way upon his Majesties Concessions in this Treaty which by all these particular resolutions and the Armies own acknowledgments is the only way of Peace and settlement Secondly As it is the only so the speediest way of all other if we now accept of these Concessions the most whereof I have turned into Bils already and shall turn all the rest into Bils by our next sitting I see no reason but we may in one fortnight at least by the first of Ian. next have fully settled and concluded all things in difference between the King
Honour and Happinesse of the King and his Posterity and the true publike Liberty safety and peace of the three Kingdoms as the Title and Preface declare sincerely really and constantly to endeavour with their estates and lives TO PRESERVE AND DEFEND THE KINGS MAJESTIES PERSON AND AUTHORITY in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome which he hath now fully and actually performed by his Concessions in this Treaty That the World may beare witnesse with our Consciences OF OUR LOYALTY and that WE HAVE NO THOUGHTS OR INTENTIONS TO DIMINISH HIS MAJESTIES JUST POWER AND GREATNESSE And shall also with all faithfullnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as shall be Incendiaries or evill instruments by DIVIDING THE KING FROM HIS PEOPLE That they may be brought to speedy tryall and receive condign punishment And shall not suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination or terrour to be withdrawne or make defection from this Covenant but shall all the dayes of their lives really and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same against all lets and impediments whatsoever And this Covenant we all made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all Hearts WITH A REALL INTENTION TO PERFORME THE SAME as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Now how we who are Members of this House or any who are subjects of our three kingdomes or Officers and Souldiers in the Army who have taken this Oath of Allegiance Protestation League or Covenant or any of them as some of them have done all or two of them at least sundry times over can without the highest perjury to God Treachery to the King perfidiousnesse to the kingdome Infamy to the World Scandall to the Protestant Religion and eternall dishonour to the Parliament and themselves Atheistically break through or elude all those most Sacred and Religious tyes upon our souls by a speedy publique dethroning and decolling of the KING and dis-inheriting his Posterity as the Army Remostrants advise and â—that in the open view of the World and that Al-seeing God to whom we have thus appealed and sworne by that Iesuiticall equivocations or distinstions of which the Armies Remonstrance is full or professions of our damnable hypocâ—isie in the breaking of them transcends my understanding And for those who stile themselves SAINTS and charge this as one of the Highest Crimes against the King His frequent breach of Oathes and Promises to transcend him Iesuites in this very sin is such a monster of impiety as I conceive could never have entred into the hearts of Infidells or the worst of Men or Divells And to act this under a pretext to preserve and settle the Peace of the Kingdom is such a solecisme as militates point-blank against the very words and scope both of this Oath Protestation League and Covenant which crosseth not the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance but more strongly engageth all men to preserve and defend the Kings Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome as the Assembly of Divines and both Houses affirm in their Exhortation to take the Covenant which prescribes this as the only meanes of securing and preserving peace in all the three Kingdomes to preserve the Person and Honor of the King his Crown and Dignity from any such violence and invasion as is now suggested by the Army which all three of them engage us and all three Kingdoms with our lives and fortunes really and constantly to oppose against all lets and impediments c. and to bring those to condigne punishment as Incendiaries and evill Instruments who suggest it So as if the Army will proceed in this Jesuiticall destructive way of Treason and ruine Wee and all three Kingdoms are solemnly engaged with our estates and lives unanimously to oppose and bring them to Justice And is this then the way to publike peace and settlement to raise another new War to murther one another in this new Quarrell wherein the Army and their adherents must be the sole Malignants and enemies we must fight with c No verily but the high-way to the Kingdoms Armies ruine whose Commissions wee are obliged to revoke whose Contributions wee must in conscience withdraw and whose power wee must with our own lives resist unlesse we will be perjured and guilty of breach of Covenant in the highest degree if they persist in these anti-Covenant Demands 7. Both Houses having held a Personall Treaty with the King so lately and he having granted us in that Treaty whatsoever we have or can demand for the safety and preservation of our Religion Laws and Liberties and both Houses engaged themselves by Vote in answer to the Kings Propositions to restore him to a condition of Freedome Honour and Safety according to the Lawes of the Realm which was the Armies own proposals in his behalfe in August 1647. Wee can neither in honesty honour justice nor conscience were hee ten thousand times worse then the Army would render him depose and bring him to execution It being against all the rules of Justice and honour between two professed enemies who had no relations one to another much more between King and Subjects in a civil War and a thing without president in any ages To this the Army Remonstrance answers That this would be thought an unreasonable and unbeseeming demand in a personall Treaty between persons standing both free and in equall ballance of power but not when one party is wholly subdued captivated imprisoned and in the others power But this certainly is a difference spun with a Jesuiticall thred For to treat with any King in our power or out of it on articles of Peace upon these terms That if he consent to them We will restore him to his Throne with Honor Freedom Safety and when he hath yeelded us our Demands then to depose and out off his head is the highest breach of Faith Truth Honor and Justice that can be imagined and those who dare justifie such perfidious and unchristian dealing deserve rather the stile of Turks and equivocating Iesuites then pious Saints 8. There is no president in Scripture that the Generall Assembly or Sanhedâ—in of the Jews or Isrealites did ever judicially imprison depose or execute any one of the Kings of Iudah or Israel though many of them were the grossest Idolaters and wickedest Princes under heaven who shed much innocent blood and oppressed the people sundry waies We know that David himselfe committed adultery with Vriah his wife a faithfull Servant and Souldier whiles he was with his Generall Ioab in the field and then afterward caused him to be treacheroâ—sly slain Yet neither the Assembly of the Elders nor Ioab and the Army under him did impeach or crave Justice against him for these sins though hee lived impeniently in them And when hee numbred the people afterwards
for which sin seventy thousand of his Subjects lost their lives yet was hee not arraigned nor deposed for it and God who is Soveraignly just though David was the principall malefactor in this case iâ— not the sole and thereupon when hee saw the Angell that smote the people cryed out Lo I have sinned and done wickedly but these Sheep what have they done Let thy hand bee against mee and my Fathers house Yet God spared him and his houshold though the principalls and punished the people only with death for this sin of his After him Solomon his son a man eminent for wisdome and piety at first apostatized to most grosse Idolatry of all sorts to please his idolatrous Wives and became a great oppressor of his people making their burthens very heavy yet his Subjects or Souldiers did neither impeach nor depose him for it and though he were the principall offendor yet God spared him for Davids sake in not taking the ten Tribes from him for these sins during his life though he rent them from his son Rhehoboam who was at most but accessory for his Fathers sins not his True it is some of the Idolatrous Kings of Israel by the just avenging hand of God were slain by private conspiracies and popular tumults in an illegall way but not deposed nor arraigned by their Sanhedrins or Generall Congregations and those who slew them were sometimes stain by others who aspired to the Crown or by the people of the Land or by their children who succeeded them and came to untimely tragicall ends 9. Though there be some Presidents of Popish States and Parliaments deposing their Popish Kings and Emperors at home and in forraign parts in an extraordinary way by power of an armed party Yet there is no president of any one Protestant Kingdom or State that did ever yet judicially depose or bring to execution any of their Kings and Princes though never so bad whether Protestants or Papists and the Protestants in France though some of their Kings when they had invested them in their Thrones became Apostates to Popery and persecuters of their people albeit they resisted them by force of arms in the field to preserve their lives did never once attempt to pull them from their Thrones or bring their persons unto Justice And I hope our Protestant Parliament will never make the first president in this kind nor stain their Honor or Religion with the blood of a Protestant King against so many Oathes Protestations Covenants Declarations and Remonstrances made and published by them to the contrary 10. For the presidents of Edward the Second and Richard the Second in times of Popery they were rather forcible resignations by power of an Army then judiciall deprivations neither of them being ever legally arraigned and brought to tryall in Parliament And Mortimer who had the chief hand in deposing King Edward the Second in the Parliament of 1 E. 3. was in the Parliament of 4 E. 3. impeached condemned and executed as a Traitor and guilty of high Treason for murthering Edward the second after he was deposed at Berkley-castle and Sir Simon Bereford together with Thomas Gurney and William Ocle were adjudged Traitors for assisting him therein one of them executed and great rewards promised to the apprehenders of the other two And as for Richard the second though he was deposed after Henry the Fourth was crowned by pretence in Parliament yet this deposition after his resignation only not before it and without any formall tryall or arraignment or any capitall judgement of death against him for which I find no president in any Parliament of England Scotland France nor yet in Denmark it self though an elective Kingdome who though they justly deposed Christiern the second for his most abominable Tyrannies and Cruelties yet they never adjudged or pâ—t him to death but only restrained him as a prisoner I shall only add this that though the elective Kingdoms of Hungary Bohemia Poland Denmark and Sweden have in their Parliaments and Diets deposed sundry of their Kings for their wickednesses and tyranny yet they never judicially condemned any one of them to death though Papists And for a Protestant Parliament to please an Army only acted by Jesuites in this particular to render both Parliament Army and our Religion too for ever execrable throughout the world and set all mens pens and hands against them to their ruine to begin such a bloody president as this upon a most false pretext of setling peace contrary to the express command of God himself who commands Christians To pray for Kings and all in authority that they may live a quiet and peaceable life under them in all godlinesse and honesty not to depose or cut of their heads as the only way to peace and settlement will not only be scandalous but monstrous The next thing they propose for a present peace and settlement it the executing of the Prince if hee come not over upon summons at a short day and give not satisfaction to the Houses or else to declare him and the Duke of York if they appear not upon summons to bee uncapable of any Trust or Government in this Kingdom or any Dominions thereunto belonging and thence to stand exiled for ever as Enemies and Traitors to die without mercy if ever taken or found therein A Jesuiticall inevitable way to civill Wars and ruine For the King being deposed and cut off the Prince no doubt is next heir to the Crown both by the common Law and the statute of 1. Iacobi cap. 1. to which I doubt a Vote or Ordinance of both Houses only will be no such legall barre in any Lawyers or Wisemans Judgement but that hee will claim his right and the generallity of the Kingdome at least ten thousand to one proclaim and embrace him for their lawfull King and assist him with their lives and fortunes both to regain and retain his right being bound by their Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance and their Solemn League and Covenant so to do And must not this of necessity beget a present lasting War in stead of a speedy setled peace undoubtedly it will But consider further that the Prince is not only Heir apparent to the Crown of England but of Scotland and Ireland too and though we reject yet undoubtedly Scotland and Ireland will readily imbrace him as their lawfull King notwithstanding any Votes of ours and will both unanimously assist him with their lives and fortunes to recover his right to the Crown of England and those two Kingdoms falling off wholly from us and proclaiming Warre against us and joining with that potent party here which certainly will appear in his behalfe out of a naturall inclination to the right undoubted Heir or hopes of favour and preferment since Plures solem orientem quam occidentem adorantur and with all his friends and allies Forces from abroad whether this wil not be an unavoidable occasion not only of a present war but of
Malignant and plunderings and losses of the wel-affected Nobility and Gentry have so impoverished all sorts of men but the Souldier and Army and some fow Treasurers and Officers that they know not how to live or subsist almost much lesse to lend or contribute to maintaine such a numerous Army by Land and Sea and supply Irelands pressing necessities If you cannot tell how to pay your present Debts what folly is it to augment them for the future If you cannot pay your Army or Navie now how will you be able to do it hereafter If then you will have no peace with the King upon the Treaty but break it off and keep up a Warre and Army still without colour or reason in this your impoverished and exhausted condition then mark the consequences Your Forces being not duly paid will live upon free-quarter still and that will undoe the Country make them desperate And when they have eaten out all the poor then they will mutiny and fall on all that are rich put them to present Fines and Ransoms at their pleasure eat them out of House and home share their Estates and Offices which many of them already professe to be theiâ—s by Conquest and then the longest sword will be the only true Judge and measure of al mens properties and divider of their Estates as well in this as former ages of which we already begin to feel some sad experiments And as the Souldier on the one hand so the penurious poor people in every place for want of work and imployment and bread to put into their head encouraged by the Souldiers uncontrolled insolencies will fall to plunder and levell all rich men on the other side And if the Army Remonstrance and Agreement of the People now in hot persuit take place Ministers shall receive no Tythes Landlords no Rents Creditors no Debts and oppressed ruined persons no Law not Justice Kings must go down Princes and Peers quite down Parliaments down Judges Justices Magistrates Laws Tenures Inclosures down all rich and landed persons down their very wealth and estates will be sufficient cause to make them Malignants to a starved Peasantry and al-conquering unpaid Army and then what follows but immediate and irrecoverable ruine I beseech you therefore consider in what a desperate hazardous condition we and the whole Kingdom now stand at present how neer we and Ireland are to the very brink of ruine If we will now put into that safe and sure harbour of Peace which the present Treaty invites us into without any further cost or fear of shipwrack we may yet through Gods blessing be safe and happy But if we now wilfully put forth to Sea again among so many rocks shelves quick sands which surround us on every side and will yet chuse War instead of Peace when the golden and silver nerves that formerly maintained it are quite shrunk up we can expect nought else but drowning sudden shipwrack of all our Kingdoms Parliaments Liberties Estates and of our Church and Religion too Yea But say some though all this be truth we must not displease the Army who are our present strength and safety for then we are are lost indeed I have answered this Objection once before in one sense in relation to the Treaties satisfactorinesse I shall here answer it in another I say then 1. That we have a God to please who wil be displeased if we please the Army in their unjust demands And better is it to please God then to please any Army whatsoever If God be with us who can be against us We need no Armies protections if the Lord of Hosts be our Guardian 2. We have a conscience to please as well as an Army and we must satsifie that though the Army who pretend so much for liberty of conscience yet will allow us none or very little be never so unsatisfied with it 3. We have a Kingdom nay three Kingdoms to please and to save too And we must rather please and save them by rejecting the Armies Proposals which will inevitably ruine them then please the Army in being any way instrumentall for their destruction by embracing their destructive counsels If our Kingdoms be preserved we may have another Army though this be disbanded dissolved yea destroyed but if the Kingdoms perish by our pursuing their rash Proposals we shall neither have Kingdoms nor yet an Army nor this Army who must certainly perish in and with the Kingdoms ruine 4. We have a Navie to please as well as an Army and which is more considerable to us then an Army A new Army may soon be raised though the old be disbanded but a Navie being once lost Ships will not grow again nor another Navy built in many years And will not the pleasing of the Army in this displease and lose the Navy now as it did the last Summer to your great losse and danger And can the Army guard the Kingdom against any Forreignâ— Invasions if the Navy be lost No nor treble their number Look then you please your Navy as well as Army 5. We have many hundred thousands of well-affected and cordiall Christians and Covenanters to please who have adventured their estates lives limbs in the present Cause and done as gallant Services many of them in the Field both this last Summer and before as any in this Army and are considerable for number quality estate wisdom parts and reall piety and love to the publick Interest then the Army all which I am certain we shall â—ghly discontent and grieve nay palpably over-reach and cheat to their very faces if we should please the Army in their present demands to their prejudices and scandall and our Religions too There was no man of publick Spirit that engaged with contributed towards or took up Arms in the Parliaments service or Cause at first but meerly upon these five grounds expressed in all the Houses Remonstraces Declarations Petitions Protestations and in the Solemn League and Covenant 1. To defend and maintain the true Protestant Religion against Popery Error and Superstition 2. To defend the Kings Royall Person Dignity and legall Authority against violence treachery and usurpation 3. To maintain the Priviledges Rights and Freedom of Parliaments and the Fundamentall Laws and Government of the Kingdom against State-Innovations and Tyranny Fourthly to rescue the Kings person from evill Counsellors and bring such Incendiaries and Delinquents to condign punishment Fifthly to settle the Kingdom in freedom safety and peace against Crueltie Dangers and imminent Wars and tumults Upon these grounds and for these ends only did both Houses and all who adhered to them or took up Arms for them by their Commissions engage and so did this very Army I appeal then to every mans Conscience Whether the Houses or any who engaged with them did ever contribute any Moneys Plate Horse Atms or march out as an Officer or Souldier under them in these Wars with any such intention as
this to depose and bring the King to Justice disinherit the Princes and Kings posterity dissolve the present Parliament and pull all future Parliaments and ' their Priviledges up by the roots subvert the Fundamentall Government of the Realm and set up a new representative to dash all these in pieces and destroy Religion Magistracy and Ministry Did they not all abhor and disclaim in Publique all such thoughts and intentition as these and when objected by the King and his party out of jealousie amd fear did not the Houses presently resent and remonstrate against it as the grossest scandall and their adherents too Or would ever a man have engaged with the Houses or the Houses with them in this War or enrolled his name even in this New Model'd Army had he been told at first That he must fight to depose and bring the King to execution to dis-inherit his posterity dissolve this Parliament and the very Rights Priviledges and being of all future Parliaments to set up a new Government and representative in our Church and State to alter and change all things at their fancies and to break every clauses and article of the Solemn League Conant If not one of these was the true end of our Wars and Engagement against the King at first and all along till now but the clean contrary to them then how can they now be propounded as the only fruits of our wars and means or conditions of our Peace and Settlement Will they not all say if the Houses or Army proceed in their Proposals for Peace and Settlement mentioned in their last Remonstrance that they engaged and took up Arms to doe quite contrary to what they now propose to the Houses and endeavour to enforce them to put it in punctuall execution And will they not now say That they are by their originall Engagement and Covenants obliged with their lives and estates to oppose and oppugn the Army in all these particulars that having thus declared and resolved they cannot pray for but against the Armies late successes herein that they cannot henceforth contribute towards their future pay and support in point of conscience or prudence but must withdraw and withhold their contributions and resist them to their Faces declare their Commissions null and not look on or take them as an Army but as a tumultnous rout of persons assembled without Commission to act over Iack Cades Treasons again and quite pull down that frame of Government and Order which they have been building up and supporting these many years with such vast expence of Treasure and bloud Better then displease the ARMY then that all these Covenanters and Engagers should suffer to theirs the three Kingdoms hazard Ireland's certain losse and this very Armies overthrow which these Jesuiticall designs wil certainly destroy in a very short space if they Iehu-like drive on so furiously in prosecution and execution of them as they have done of late Consider I beseech you of the desperatenesse and excessive unavoidable destructivenesse of these monstrous wayes to the speedy peace and settlement of our Church and State and of the safety and security of the things your selves have pitched on for Peace and Settlement in and by the Treaty and Lord guide our Hearts and Votes a right therein that we choose not death in stead of life the wayes of misery and destruction in stead of the way of Peace which Armies seldom know or prescribe to themselves or others Mr. Speaker HAving thus demonstrated to you the unavoydable destructivenesse and confusion of those Counsels and pretended wayes of settlement which the Officers of the Army have propounded and would imperiously and forcibly thrust you upon to the Kings Kingdomes Parliaments Religions their own our and Irelands certain and most speedy ruine I must now crave leave with much sadnesse of heart to unbosome my very soul unto you and discover you that secret which God hath so clearly manifested to my understanding that I dare not under the highest penalty but acquaint you with That the Jesuites and Roman Priests and Catholicks are the originall contrivers and principall somenters of the late and present distempers and undutifull mutinous proceedings and counsels of the Officers and Army and chief contrivers of the new Babel or model of confusion which they have tendred to you in their late Remonstrance as the only way to peace and settlement And if I shall clearly demonstrate this unto the House I hope every Member present and the whole Army and Kingdome when they know it will eternally abhor and renounce it and never henceforth countenance or promote this Jesuiticall and Romish designe which I am perswaded the Generall and most of the Officers and Souldiers in the Army in the simplicity of their hearts with honest and publick intentions of Justice and common Freedom have been ignorantly drawn into by over-reaching pates and Machiavilian Policies of these cunning Iesuites who can metamorphose themselves into any shapes and invisibly infinuate themselves into their counsels and actings to promote their own interest and our destruction I do not prosesse my self to be any great Statesman or exactly to know what ever is secretly transacted among us But this I can say without disparagement to others or vain-glory to my self That I have for many years last past been as curious an observer of all the great transactions of Affairs in Church or State and of the instruments and means by which they have been covertly contrived and carried on as any man in this House or Kingdom and that God hath honoured me in being one of the first discoverers and opposers of the Jesuites and Papists plots to undermine our Religion and usher in Popery by degrees into our Church by making use of our Popish and Arminian Prelates and Clergy-men as their Instruments and broaching one Arminian and Popish Doctrine and introducing one Popish Superstition and Innovation after another of which I have given this House and the Kingdome the fullest and clearest discoveries of any man and likewise of introducing Tyranny Arbitrary power and civill combustions in our State of which I likewise made seasonable discoveries and opposition the ground of all my sufferings close imprisonment and banishent to prevent the like detections and oppositions And since my return from exile I have in my ROME'S MASTER-PIECE The ROYALL POPISH FAVOVRITE HIDDEN WORKS OF DARKNESSE BROVGHT TO PVBLICK LIGHT The ANTIPATHY OF ENGLISH PRELACY TO VNITY and MONARCHY and The HISTORY OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBVRY's TRY ALL and other Writings given the World such an exact account of the Iesuites and Papists plots and influences upon our Church State Court Councels Prelates corrupt Clergy and all sorts of people to reduce us back to Rome supplant Religion subvert Parliaments set up tyranny and involve us in civill Wars both in England Scotland and Ireland concealed from most and scarce known to any before these discoveries as none else before or since mee have done all
observable ushered it in with this Iesuiticall preface and these disloyall popish demands That the Capitall and grand Author of our troubles the person of the King by whse commission commands or procurement and in whose behalfe and for whose interest onely of will and power all our warres and troubles have been with all the miseries attending them may be speedily brought to Iustice for the Treason blood and mischiefe he is therein guilty of That a timely and peremptory day may beset for the Prince of Wales and Duke of York to come in and render themselves or else immediatly made uncapable of any Government or trust in this Kingdome or the Dominions thereof or of any right within the same and thenceforth to stand exiled for ever as Enemies and Traytors and to dye without mercy if ever hereafter found therein or if they render themselves then to be proceeded against for their Capitall Deliâ—quency in justice or remitted upon satisfaction given But however the land and revenue of the Crowne to be presently sequestred c. Then followes this Agreement of the People for setting some reasonable and certain period to this Parliament to be assigned as short as may be with safety to the Kingdome and publike interest thereof and for feeling the new Representative c. And because it was twice voted down in November 1648. by the house it is twice repeated and insisted on in this long-winded Iemonstrance page 14 15 16. and page 65 66 67. so much are they in love with the Iesuits Dalila that so it might now be twice confirmed and setled by the house in approving this Remonstrance Now compare this third gunpowder plot with the two former in November last to blow up King Prince Duke Lords Commons this present and all future Parliaments at one attempt to destroy the King and Parliament disinherit his royall posterity unpeer all the Lords levell them with the dust to root up them all Parliaments root and branch at once against all our Oathes our Covenats our Remonstrances our Declarations our Lawos our Protestant Religion all here devoted to ruine together as the onely safe and speedy way to settell peace and safety in Church and State to omit the horrid equivocations dispensations with oathes Covenants and Ieuiticall distinctions in that Remonstrance they are such clear visible Characters of a Jesuites pensill hand and head in this Remonstrance so abounding with their bloody disloyall Tenents parctises of killing and deposing Christian Kings who wil not do homage to their Roman Pontif blowing up Protestant Stats Kingdoms Parliaments so abhorent to al Protestant Principals Professions practises who never yet embrued their hands in nor stained their religioÌ„ with the blood of any King or actual deposition of any Protestant or Popish Pr. who was their lawful King or disinheriting of his lawful heirs or puling downe a Protestant Reforming Parliament that none but Jesuits and Jesuited Papists could possibly invent or spur on the Generall Officers and Army so violently and madly to prosecute them as they do by a subsequent high Declaration discovering a very Jesuitical spirit in the pen-man distinguishing the Memb. of the house dissenting from them in these Treasonable practises into a treasonable brach of trust usurping to themselves a power ro judge censure and exclude them and make those Members who shall confedrate with them herein though never so few materially a Parliment though formerly and essentially no Parliament at all and mooving them to depart the house and joyn with them in these Jesuiticall designes Which they have since agravated and backed by their disobedyent march to Westminster and London against our commands by force and open violence to over-awe us by our votes in Parliament to put all their treasonable Romish demands in present execution to justifie these very traiterous doctrines and practises of theirs which our Parliaments have in direct terms in sundry Acts condemned and every one of us solemnly abjured in the oath of allegiance w ch he must take immediatly before his sitting in the house without taking wherof he neither is nor can be enabled to sit as a Member I shall further offer this to your consideration that as soon as ever this Agreement of the people was suppressed in Novem. 1647. and the king perswaded to reject the propositions tendred him by both Houses by some officers in the army of purpose to treat on their proposals The agitators Jesuits in the army opposed these Proposals and threating to offer some violence to the Kings person caused him secretly to withdraw himself from Hampton Court into the Isle of Wight where they shut him up close prisoner without the Houses privity which done they caused their confederates when most of the Members were sent into the Country to disband the supernumeâ—aries to passe a vote in the Commons house to make no more addresses to the King not to set him aside as they then professed to many dissenting members but only to induce the K. to seck first to them without which protestation they had never caried this vote which passed most of the Membrs departing the 2. ensuing Votes were set on foot passed at an unseasonable hour gotten by surprize The very next morning there came a Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Gen Councell of the Army Ian. 11. 1647. signifying their resolutions to adhere to the Houses for settling and securing the parliament and kingdom without the King and against him or any other that shall hereafter pertake with him But the Lgrds sticking at these Votes there was a regement or two of foot sent from the Army to garrison White hall and a regiment of horse bilited in the Mues to fright and force the Lords to a Concurrence And some few dayes after a Book written by Dolman alyas Parsons the Jesuite against King Iames his Title to the Crown and concerning the lawfulnesse of Subjects Parliaments deposing chastising of their Kings for their misgouernment the good prosperous secceesse that God commonly hath given to the same printed out of Dolmans own printed Copy verbatim except the word Parliament added to it now and then was published to the world with this Title Severall Speeches delivered at a conference concerning the power of Parliaments to procéed against their King for misgovernment which Book with this false new title published at this season intemated to the world that this discourse of a lesuite for which he was condemned of high treason was nothing else but speeches mad by some Members of the Commons house at a conference with the Lords The highest dishonour affront ever put upon a protestant Parliament to have the book and doctrine of a lesuit thus falsly fathered on them of which though I may self and others complained there was nothing done to vindicate the houses from this grosse imputation And about the same time there was another book
intituled Royal tyranny discovered Discovering the tiranny of the Kings of England from William the invader and robber Tyrant alias the Conqueror to this present King Charles who is plainly proved to be worse and more tyrannicall then any of his predecessors and deserves a more severe punishment from the hands of this present Parliament then either of the dethroned Kings Ed. 2 or Rich. 2. had from former Parliaments which they are bound by duty and Oath without equivocation or collution to inflict upon him he being the greatest delinquent in the three kingdoms and the head of the rest so the title In the Table there are these passages amongst others Charles Steward guilty of this treason p. 92 93 94 95 97. C. R Charls Rex Ought to be executed p. 57. where the houses are not only pressed to depose and execute him but his execution in their neglect foretold that in An exemplary manner in dispite of all his protectors and defendors Which Iesuitical books and counsels published at that instant discovered clearly to my apprehension their votes for laying the King then aside the deposing executing of him to be then intended only interrupted by the Scots invasion the last summers commotion occasioned by those votes of Non addresses and the forceing on of them then now by the army with the violence they use to be no other but a very plot and project of the Iesuits to ruine and distroy the King and us I shall only add to this what I manifested but now that it was the Iesuits plot when they engaged and assisted the King in his warre against the Scots to dash the protestants in both nations in peeces one against another so be masters of both kingdoms extirpate our religion in both and that if the King consented not to grant them a generall free exercise of their religion throughout all his realms Dominions or did but sticke at it that then they would presently poyson dispatch him possesse themselves of the Prince next heire to the Crowne then by flattery or menaces draw him to their Religion match him to a Papist and then all three Kingdomes would soon turn Papists and all Protestants be murthered or burnt for Heretiques Now these Papists and Iesuits understanding that the King beyond contrary to their expectatioÌ„ bath granted all or most of our Propositions in the Isle of Wight and fully condescended to five New bills for the extirpation of Masse Popery and Popish innovations out of his Dominions and putting all Lawes in execution against them and for a speedier discovery and conviction of them then formerly and that their good friends and Confederats our Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters and other branches of the hierarchy are tobe wholly routted out both in England and Ireland so as they are never likely to have any more footing in them againe after all their late warres charges hazards plots and designes to set up their Catholique Religion party are so inraged with the King so inexorably incensed against him both at home abroad as I am credibly informed that now they are mad against him thirst for nothing but his blood which they think they cannot advantagiously effectually accomplish but by engaging the Army to dessolve the Treaty force the Parliament in case they vote his answers satisfactory and then by themselvs are a confederate party in the House to depose cut off his head Which done the Prince being now beyond Seas in their power destitute of his hopes of succession to this Crown banished and declared a Traitor and to dye without mercy if he returne hither to lose his head as well as his father upon such high affronts put upon his Father himself that by a Protestant Parliament Army of Saints will be so inraged against all professors of our religion that he will probably professe himself a Roman Catholique and his brother too match with a Catholique Princes then ingage all the Papists in forraign parts England Scotland and Ireland to unite their forces purses councels by way of revenge to cut all the Protestants throats in all three Kingdomes who have adhered to the Parliament and hew the Army it selfe in peeces when they have thus accomplished their designes which will render them and the Parliament execrable and infamous to all posterity and then farewell all Parliaments and our Protestant religion for ever not onely here but throughout all Christendome where the Popish Princes will presently massacre the Protestants lest they should fill to the like perfidious practises This I am most confident is their designe by what I have met with in their papers and in the Jesuit Conâ—zens politiques and others who have chalked out a way by degrees insensibly to crue Popery into any Protestant Church by those very steps which our Prelates followed who were directed by them and to alter and subvert any Protestant State and Kingdom by this new modelling of them into such a popular Anarchy as is now suggested and presented in the Armies Remonstrance This I am assured will be the unavoydable desperate and deplorable issue if we comply with them and the Army in it unlesse God in his infinite mercy shal hold off their hands and turn their hearts from prosecuting their present designes I shall onely adde one thing more and so conclude That many of the Agitators and Armies papers especially Putney projects and some late Declarations savour of a Iesuites stile or spirit That I have been credibly informed that not onely Gifford a Jesuite was one of the Generals own Life-gard and a very active man in the Army but one Thomas Budds alias Peto the last Popish Priest condemned at Newgate was a Trooper in this Army and by influence of some great Officers in it obtained a Reprieve instead of an Execution That the Papists beyond Seas wish very well to the Army iu whom now is their chiefest hopes and that the Iesuits Cels and Colleges in forraign parts are of late very empty that many Popish Priests and Iesuits are now in England not saying Masse crying up the Pope and Popish Tenents as heretofore that were to grosse and they easily discovered but using all manner of mechanick Trades preaching in private corners as Sectaries Anabaptists Seekers broachers of new Light or as gifted brethren that many of them are turned Troopers Agitators if not some of them Officers in the Army or at leastwise have so insinuated themselves into the leading Officers there who are much taken with their parts their new Designs Tenents to alter unsettle States that they have as powerfull an influence now upon the Armies Couâ—cels Officers as formerly they had upon the King and his Councels and have now thus deeply ingaged them beyond all expectation to accomplish these Iesuiticall designes of theirs to depose and destry the Kingâ— dissolve this Parliament subvert our Magistracy Ministry Religion Lawes
Liberties Government and establish their Vtopian New modale of confusion in lieu of Parliaments and regall power thereby to accomplish that now which all their Popish conspiracies armies and confederates from the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign could never yet effect by all their treachery policy power and how farre they have proceeded and engaged the Army and Officers unwillingly in it out of honest intentions we all now sadly behold to our great amazement even in this instant of time when Ireland is in such eminent danger of being utterly lost to â—eep off all Supplies from thence I beseech you Mr. Speaker let us all lay this speedily to our hearts and goe about to prevent it ere it be too late If we Vote the Kings Answer now unsatisfactory and so breake off the Treaty with him our onely means of peace and settlement we have all our hopes and all these large concessions which the King hath granted both for our present and future security our Monarchy Magistracy Ministry Parliaments Laws Liberties Kingdoms and that which is dearest to us our Religion also endangered yea lost at once and such a certain foundation laid to carry on all these Iesuiticall designes I have here discovered and that by authority of this House as will staine the honor of this most glorious and renowned Parliam to all Posterity and put a dishonorable speedy period to this and all future Parliam for ever But if we Vote it so far satisfactory as I have stated it and humbly conceive proved it substantially to every rationall mans understanding conscience as that we may lay present hold upon it and proceed therein without delay to turn all the Kings ConcessioÌ„s into Bils which I have for the most part already drawn and get the Kings Royall assent unto them I doubt not but by Gods blessing on our endeavours we may before this Month be ended settle such a firme and well grounded Peace between the King all his People and kingdom upon such honorable safe and advantagious terms for the Publick interest such strong securities as no State or Kingdome ever yet enjoyed the like since the Creation And therefore Mr. Speaker upon this long and tedious debate for which I must humbly begge pardon of the House being a businesse of such infinite concernment to our present weale or ruine I must and doe conclude That the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses are so farre Satisfactory at the least as that this House may upon safe and firme grounds and great advantages forthwith accept of and immediately proceed upon them to the speedy settlement of the Peace of the Kingdome and are bound both in honour prudence justice and Conscience so to doe to preserve themselves our three Kingdomes and the Army too from perpetuall bloody wars and inevitable impendent desolation and confusion FINIS AN APPENDIX For the Kingdoms better satisfaction of some occurrences since this SPEECH THis Speech uttered with much pathetique seriousnesse and heard with great attention gave such a generall satisfaction to the House that many Members formerly of a contrary opinion professed they were both convinced and converted others who were dubious in the point of satisfaction that they were now fully confirmed most of different opinion put to a stand and the Majority of the House declared both by their cheerfull Countenances and Speeches the Speaker going into the withdrawing Room to refresh himself so soon as the Speech was ended that they were abundantly satisfied by what had been thus spoken After which the Speaker resuming the Chair this Speech was Seconded by many able Gentlemen and the debate continuing Saturday and all Munday and Munday night till about nine of the Clock on Tuesday morning and 244 Members staying quite out to the end though the House doores were not shut up a thing never seen or known before in Parliament the question was at last put and notwithstanding the Generals and whole Armies march to Westminster and Menaces against the Members in case they Voted for the Treaty and did not utterly eject it as unsatisfactory carryed in the affirmative by 140 Voyces with the four Tellers against 104 that the question should be put and then without any division of the House it was Resolved on the question That the Answers of the King to the Propositions of both Houses are a ground for the House to proceed upon for the settlement of the Peace of the Kingdom And to give the General Officers and Soldiers satisfaction and keep a fair correspondency between the house and them they so far condescended as likewise further to vote at the same time That Mr. Peirpoint Sir John Evelyn of Wilts Mr. Solicitor Col. Birch M. Ashurst Sir Thomas Witherington and Mr. Maynard are appointed to repair to the head-quarters this afternoon to confer with the Lord General and his Officers to keep a Right understanding and a good correspondency between the House and the General and the Army Which done the House who sat up all the day and night before adjourned until Wensday morning At which time the General and Officers of the Army highly displeased with the vote and those Members who assented to it sent two or three whole Regiments of Foot and Horse to Westminster set a strong guard at the Houses doors in the lobby stairs and at every passage leading towards the house admitting none but Parliament men themselves to enter into Westminster-Hall or the back stairs leading to the Court of Requests and excluding their servants who attended them Col. Pride Col. Hewson and Sir Hardress Waller seized upon divers Members of the Commons house some at the House doors other in the Lobby others on the stairs near the House without any warrant or reason alleadged but their sword and power as they were going to sit and discharge their duties Among others Col. Pride seized upon Mr. Prynne going up the stairs next the house and told him Mr. Prynne you must not go into the House but must go along with me M. Prynne returned this answer That he was a Member of the House and was going into it to discharge his duty from which no man should or ought to hinder him whether he would go and he should not keep him back and thereupon thrust up a step or two more Whereupon Pride thrusting him down before and Sir Hardress Waller and others laying hands on and pulling him down forcibly behind to the Court of Requests great door Mr. Prynne thereupon demanded by what Authority and Commission and for what cause they did thus violently seize on and pull him from the house to which Pride and Waller shewing him their armed Souldiers standing round about him with swords muskets and matches lighted told him that there was their Commission to which Mr. Pryme answered that they were no legal commission nor cause for them to seize upon him being a Member and openly protested that it was an high breach of the Priviledges of
de Gestis 〈◊〉 Emeriâ—a Donaâ— Tom. 7. parl 1. p. 772. b â—n my breviate of the Prelares Vsur-Pations Epist. Dedicatory and Appendix The antipathy of English Prelacy par 2. c Dialogoâ—um l. 4 c. 15 16 17 18. 26 27. Walsing hist. p. 305. 302 to 307. Fox Acts Monuments 398. 414. 431. 434. Object Answ. * Plut. Apopâ—th * Luk 19 42. Object Answ. * Remonstrance of the Generall and Officers Novemb. 20. 1648 p. 6 7 69. * Pag 62. to 70. ibid. Their Declaration Novemb. 3. and Answ. Ian. 3. Object Answ. Object Answ. * Psalm 145. 3. Pâ—al 118. 8 9. * Object Nov. 20. p. 32 33 34 35. Answ. * Matth. Paris p. 305. Speed p. 597. * Exact Collect. p. 607 911. A Collection of all Orders p. 49. 51 57 58 91. 446. 463 879. 900. * Exact Collection p. 102 103 114 115. * Exact Col. p. 907. c. A Col. of all publique Orders c. of both Houses p. 49 53 58 71 72. c. 61 118. 456 463 879 900. * A Coll. p. 900. * Exact Col. p. 911. 912 913. A Coll. p. 51 52 110 c. Note this See Putnery Projects Animadveâ—sionâ— upon the Armâ—es Remonstrance The Army for a Treaty The Kings Answer to the Pâ—opositions sent to him to Hampton Court 7. Sept. 1647 Note Note Note * See Putneyy Projects * From July 30. till Nov 20. * Remonstrance p. 60. to 64. * Zech. 13. 7. 1 King 22. 17. * Zech. 13. 7. 1 King 22. 17. * See Eutropius and Grimstones Imperiall History * Danicae Histor. l. 8. p. 120. * Rerum Anglicarum l. 3. c. 6. 2 Chron. 5. 5 6. 2 Kings c. 1. to cap. 25. * Exact Collection p. 1 21 644 100 101 102 103 125 214 281 307 458 464 466 474 584 587 588 605 631 632 637 641 642 661 16 c. * Ibid. pag. 657 648 645 687 617 621. A Collection of all the publique Orders câ— p. 422 423. * P. 61 62. 2 Sam. 24. 27 1 Kiâ—g 11 12. * Mat Paris Speed Daniel in the 〈◊〉 of King Stephen * Remon Nov 20. 1648. pag 65 66 68 69 70 * Remonst pa 14 1E 16 66 67. * See Mr. Ashlâ—ursts reasonâ— against it * A Collecti c. p 425 698 700 877 878. * Remon p. 64. 66. And Agreement of the People formerly Printed and of late new modelied Object * See the Remonstrance of the Northern Associations printed 1647. The humble Petition serious Suggestions c. of the Gentlemâ—n Yeomen and Free-holders of the Easternâ— Association * A Collection pag. 599. 623. * Exact Collection p. 298. 657. 658. 695 696 A Collection p. 117. * This is in terminis asserted by the Commons in their Petition to the King at Hampton Court And Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom presented with it 15. Dec. 1641. Exact Collect. * pag 1 to 20 * See Rome's Masters-piece p. 13. to 26. Notâ—â— Exact collections p. 1. 10. 20. 195 to 230. 265. c. 661. to 666. 907 c. * A Collect c. pâ— 95. 97. 101. 203. 204. 205. 227. 252. 253. 287. 457. 148. 704. 705. 752. * Appendix page 1. * Exact 〈◊〉 lectâ—o c. p 28 â— Exact colâ— lect p. 10 to 20 61. 65. 69 70. 78â— 8. 84. 88â— 89â— 93â— 94. 95. * A Collection câ— p 30. 49. 79. 167. 169. 181. 187. â—03 204. 211. 216. 217. 218. 227. 244. to 267. 275. 283. 3â—9 313. 354. 360. 363. 370. 379. 412. 4â—7 424. 412. 457. 458. 470. 489. 504. 5â—6 537. 548. 576. 627. 620. 20â— 64. 87. 624. 666. 704. 7â—5 70â— 724. 7â—0 c. 795. 8â—2 803. 806. 811 to 829. 832. 873. 882. 883. Appendix p. 7. â—1 15. * A Collect on c. p 8. 13. 34. 41. 43. 44 49. 51. 61. 64 75 96. 97 99. 18â—â— 187. 201. 204. 205. 210. 227. 257. 300. 32â— 310. 458. 424. 425. 496. 537. 599. 623. 686. 696. 807. 808. 879. * Appendix p. â— 15. 23. * The Generals Armies Remonstrance Aug 8. 1647. * See their Remonstrance Aug. 18. 1647. See Mr. Edwards Gangrena c. * See the arraignment of Traytors Mr. Vicars History Speeds Chronicle and others NOTA. A Title now owned by them thogh then disclaimed * Remonst p. 62 63. c. * See the Homilies against rebellion Deus Rex Iohn Whites Defence of the way c. 6. 10. Dr. Bilson of Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion pat 3. Bishop Icâ—els View of a seditious Bull * â—Iac 1. 4. 5. Note * A Collection pag. 1â—
enlargement and the Kingdomes settlement by a Treaty grants a Commission to Marquesse Ormond to unite the Irish forces then divided for the foresaid ends Extremities certainly put honest and wisemen too as the Armies friends grant upon hard shifts for self-preservation and this extremity put the King upon this of Ormond The King is flesh and blood as well as we and nature teacheth him to use the best means he may for his own preservation and deliverance in such a strait The Army the last Summer refused to disband or suffer any of their forces to go for Ireland to preserve and secure that Kingdome only from this ground of self-preservation upon which they would now enforce you by their REMONSTRANCE and marching up to your doors with their forces to break off the Treaty or vote it wholly unsatisfactoryâ— whence most Gent. that differ in opinion from me have made this their sole or chief argument that the Kings answers are unsatisfactory because the Army else will not be satisfied If then your own Army may thus disobey your votes and force your consents only upon a pretence of self-preservations and defence when they are in no visible danger the King by as good or better reason in this extremity of danger might justly make use of Ormonds endeavours for his better safety and enlargement And if some Members have affirmed in the House as hath been alleadged in this debate that they would joyn with Turks or the worst of Nations and call them in to their assistance rather then the King should come in by conquest then the King by like reason might joyn with Ormond and the Irish rather then be thus laid aside and destroyed And what we our selves would do in his or the like condition we cannot justly blame in him Thirdly The King did never absolutely deny the recalling of Ormonds Commission but only suspended it til the Treaty ended and if you then close with him you have his engagement presently to recall it if then you agree with him upon thisâ— Treaty your demand in this is granted and danger prevented but if you will not agree at all it is very hard measure to presse the King to a present disadvantage who is like to receive no advantage by you nothing being obligatory on either side til all be concluded In fine the King hath so far condescended to satisfie you in his finall answer as to write a letter to Ormond to suspend the Execution of his Commission for the present and engaged to revoke it so soon as you and he agree in future and more then this as the case stands wee cannot well in justice require and we should hardly grant so much were it our case as it is the Kings and seeing all our dangers may be prevented by our agreement with the King and this demand then fully granted there is no reason to vote this unsatisfactory when we may have all we desire if we please our selves However I see no such differences between the King and Us in this of ORMOND and that of Delinquents as to vote the finall answer to them and all the rest unsatisfactory and so to lose England distressed Ireland and all the former Concessions for an unconsiderable dissatisfaction in these two particulars The last Proposition relating to the security of the State is That the City of London shall enjoy all their Rights Liberties Franchises and usages in raysing and imploying the forces thereof for its defence in as full and ample manner as they used and enjoyed it heretofore That the Militia and City and Liberties thereof shall be in the Ordering and Government of the Lord Major Aldermen and Common-Councell or such as they shall appoint and be imployed and directed as both Houses shall direct so as no Citizen or forces of the City shall be compelled to go out of the City or Liberties for Military service without their own free consent That an Act shall be passed for the granting and confirming of the Cities Charters Customs and Franchises notwithstanding any Non-user Misuser or abuser and for confirmation of all by-Laws and Ordinances made or to be made by the Lord Major Aldermen and common-councell concerning the calling convening and regulating their Common-councell That the Tower of London may be in the Government of the City and the chief Governour thereof nominated and removeable by the Common-Councellâ— and all Propositions which shall be further made and approved by both Houses consent for the future welfare and Government of the City confirmed by Act of Parliament To all which the King hath fully confented so as his Answer thereto cannot be Voted unsatisfactory by any but such who envy the Cities weal and security that themselves may the better seize and trample on it to its enslaving and ruin This Concession is First A great Honour to and justification of your cause the City having beene more cordiall to active for and bountifull towards you upon all occasions and exigencies then all other parts of the Kingdome the harbourers and relievers of all who have fled from the Enemies tyranny thither for safety or reliefe yea the onely Treasury to advance monies upon all exigencies and those to whom under God you pricipally owe your victories and preservation Now for the King to honour the City with such concessions as these which hath beene most hurtfull to and deepest engaged against him in this Warre is almost as high and full if not a greater justification of and countenance to your cause as this consent to the first Proposition 2dly A great satisfaction to the City for all their services and expences and a firm security against all future feares and sufferings for ingaging so deeply in your Cause 3dly An extraordinary Engagement to the City faithfully to adhere to you and all succeeding Parliaments upon the like cause and occasion and to other Corporations to do the like 4thly A great security and advantage to the whole Kingdome whose weal and safety principally consists in Londons welfare its principall Magazine Mart Bulwarke Refuge and Military security both by Sea and Land wherewith the whole Kingdome stands or falls had the King once gained London in these Warres the Parliament and all England had been quickly lost without hope of recovery which will be in a secure or recoverable condition at all times if it be safe and true to the publique interest from which some have studied of late to disengage it to ruine it and the Parliament too which were alwayes free from eminent danger whiles cordially united and near to both their ruines being now disjointed I have thus as briefly as I could with discharge of my conscience and duty run through all the propositions which concerne the security and settlement of our State against the KINGS armed violence or Exorbitant civill Sword or Prerogative and other particulars relating to its peace and safety with the Kings respective Answers thereunto And for mine owne opinion I humbly conceive them