House of Commons 3. Considering the indirect means you use to drive on your designs and that by fraud falshood stattery and Compliance with all sorts of men Comply you do with the King to permit his malignant Chaplins to come to him and have common prayers read before him contrary to the order of both Houses Comply basely you do with malignants a new smooth tearm for them you have in your Remonstrance found out least you should displease them too much in calling them Malignants therefore you call them the Kings late Partakers See humble Remonstra P. 12. l. 27. and desire for them more then ever they durst desire for themselves Doubtless these helpers shal be your shame and ruin as the reeds of Aegypt shal they be unto you to fayl and wound you 4. Considering the ill Consequences that either have or may fall out as 1. Have not you strengthned the hands of the wicked and greived the hearts of the godly wise 2. Have not you stirred up a spirit of disobedience in many people of the land against the Parliament 3. Have not you rendred the Parliament base and low before the people 4. Have not you countenanced and encouraged all the desperate Sectaries in the Kingdom 5. Have not you blemisht and contemned a godly and Orthodox Ministry and encouraged illiterate mecanick unworthy fellows to preach where and when and what they list 6. Have not you permitted all scandalous Ministers that wil to read the Common-prayer-book within your quarters 7. Have not you hardned the Kings heart in his former wayes in allowing him his seducing Chaplains who have caused him to erre and to have as free a use within your quarters of the Common-prayer-book as ever he had when he was at White-hall 8. Have not you exceedingly retarded the releif of Ireland had you not rather to pick quarrels with your freinds here then to fight with your enemies there 9. Hath not your approach to London raised the price of Provisions and interrupted the Trade of this City above 200000. l. weekly These inconveniences we have already felt what yet we may further undergo the Lord knows I have no more to say but to Commend this following subject to your Patronage wherein I shal endeavour to set forth to the world and your own Consciences the Dangerousness of your designs the unreasonableness of your demands together with some new Queries to your Consciences in the mean time rest Your humble Servant if you wil not presume to be the Kingdoms Masters Tom Tell-troth VVorks of darkness brought to LIGHT OR A true Representation to the whole Kingdom of the dangerous Designs c. driven on by the ARMY Oye Inhabitants of ENGLAND WIth what face can ye endure a smal Councel of war to controul and disobey the great Councel of state Are ye weary of the Common Law or rather willing the Marshal Law should rule you wil ye delight rather to see Souldiers in Buff then Nobles in their Parliament Robes Had ye rather the Land should run down with tears and blood then flow with milk and honey wil ye be beguiled with the flattering words and plausible pretences of a Revolted Army wil ye suffer the Army under pretence of justice to bring you under oppression and under the notion of Liberty to bring you into bondage and under the name of Saints of light to act the part of the Angels of darkness That you might not be deluded for time to come I shal breifly dispatch these 3. particulars 1. Shew the Armies dangerous designs 2. Unreasonable demands together with some new Queries to their Consciences touching their refusal to disband at the Command of the two Houses of Parliament I begin with the first viz. the dangerous designs driven on by the sectaries in the Army why they refuse to disband I shal reduce to 7. heads which I shal make appear by plain and Demonstrative Reasons The first grand design the Army drives at is to new-mould the Honorable House of Commons â— Design to increase the numbers of Independent Members that so they might carry the Votes of the House as it shal please themselves that if it were possible they might promote their wicked designs in a Parliamentary way This design is so clear that he that runs may read it since the writs were Issued forth for new elections to fil up the House how Industriously have the Independent Party endeavoured to fil the House with Independent Members using M. Peters by perswasion in the Pulpit and the Army by terror to deceive and affright the people forcing many places in the Country to chuse Souldiers and others men of no considerable interests in the Kingdom to be Members of Parliament yea their violence against the XI Accused Members manifests this to be the design declaring to the Parliament in their Papers a See the Armies humble Remonst p. 14. that they must take some extraordinary courses til the XI Members be suspended the House and some other of their demands satisfied And not being content with this they vent their spleen also against other Members of the House of Commons branding them with the ignominious tearm of b See the Armies humble Remonst P. 10. P. 14. a Party men that drive their own interests Accomplices to the Members accused accusing all them to be disaffected to the publique good who are not affected to their own Party T is clear by this the new moulding the Parliament is the first and grand design The grand design and main intent is to new mould the Parliament The Army then and Country-clown wil turn the Kingdom upside down To destroy the House of Lords 2. Design The Petition of Lambes Congregation to the House of Commons c See that seditious Petition from Lambes Congregation that none might have a negative voyce doth directly justle out the power of the House of Peeres The Sectaries are not ashamed to say that the Lords of this Realm ought not to sit in Parliament unless they do come in by Election as Members of the House of Commons do this wil more evidently appear if ye read those seditious Pamphlets against the House of Lords written by the Sectaries It is said in one Sectarian Pamphlet d See the just man in bonds P. â— that the Lords are but painted puppies and Dagons that our superstition and ignorance their own craft and impudence have erected no natural Issues of Laws but the mushromes of Prerogative the wens of just government putting the body of the people to pain as wel as occasioning Deformity sons of conquest they are and usurpation not of choyce and Election intruded upon us by power not constituted by consent not made by the people from whom all power place and office that is just in this Kingdom ought only to arise And in another seditious Pamphlet 't is said thus e See Pearl in a dunghil p. 3. why presume ye thus O ye Lords set
VVorks of Darkness Brought to LIGHT OR A true Representation to the whole Kingdome of the Dangerous Designes driven on by Sectaries in the ARMY As also laying down the unreasonableness of their DEMANDS Which if not granted they refuse to DISBAND Together with VII new QVERIES propounded to the ARMY LUK. 3.14 And the Souldiers demanded of John saying And what shal we do And he said unto them Do violence to no man neither accuse any man falsly and be content with your wages LONDON Printed in the Year 1647. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO The disobedient Army under the Conduct of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX Much to be lamented Gentlemen and Soldiers IT greives your freinds and glads your enemies that you who have been famous for your victories should now become infamous for your disobedience It may be said of your practises as it was of the writings of Origen ubi bene nemo melius ubi male nemo pejus what things he did wel none did better wherein he did ill none did worse the same may be said of you whiles you did wel in obeying the Parliament encountring with your enemies none did better but when once you did ill in disobeying the Commands of this state you serve and in picking quarrels with your freinds when you had no enemies to fight withall in this none did worse It hath made me wonder that you whose Tenets are you must not fight for Religion should stretch your Consciences so far on the tenter-hook of your own designs as to fight against it I know most of your Persons and have read all your Papers with a bleeding heart and weeping eye my very soul mourning in secret for the proud and imperious language vain and carnal confidence Peremptory and high demands weak and groundless jealousies sinful and ungodly compliance with all parties to carry on your own which is scattered up and down throughout all your papers Lies have been your refuge and under falshood have you hid your selves That your selves and the Kingdom might see I do you no wrong I shal produce your own party and Papers to give palpable Demonstration to all the world that you have contrived and carried on your designs with falshood and deceit From your Party I might evince it thus did not Cromwel your great Ring-leader into Disobedience solemnly protest and promise upon his life and honor many times and oft in the House of Commons * Cromwels Promise falsified that the Army should disband and lay down all their Arms at their door when ever the House Commanded them now whether your papers agree with his promise the world wil witness It seems he can take that liberty of Conscience with the Papist to promote the Catholique cause per fas et nafas by right means or wrong by truth or falshood This palpable breach of Cromwels ingagement makes all indifferent men beleive that this promise of obedience was only made that your purpose of disobedience might be the less suspected and the practise of it the more easily promoted Is not this like the practise of Garnet and Jesuite who a little before the powder-plot was to be acted did lay his Commands on the Papists to obey their King and keep themselves quiet and all was that the plot might not be suspected If Cromwel follow Garnets steps I would have him take heed of Garnets end 2. The falshood of your Papers I could declare in many particulars which I wil scan and survey in this following Treatise I shal in my Epistile instance in one Palpable falshood only In your letter to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common Councel of the City of London a These in breif are our desires and the things for which we stand beyond which we shal not go See the Letter from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the cheif Commanders in the Army to the Lord Major Aldermen and Common-Council of the City of London Dated from Royston June 10. 1647. P. 4 li. 14. you signify what your desires are and the things for which you stand beyond which you promise you shal not go And in your b See the Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Army from St. Albanes June 1â— 1647. P 12. l. 29. Declaration 4. daies after this you have these words There are besides these many particular things which we could wish to be done and some to be undone but these proposals afore-going present being the principal things we bottome and insist upon we shal as we have said before acquiesce for other particulars in the justice and wisedom of the Parliament In which words I cannot but give you to take notice both of Pride and falshood 1. Pride in that in some particulars only you wil acquiesce in the wisedom and justice of the parliament in other things it seems you wil not Touching those proposals in your Declaration you wil not acquiesce in the justice and wisedom of the House in those you seem your selves the most Competent judges on intollerable pride 2. The falshood of those words appear in this although you bound up your selves by promise that beyond your desires exprest in your letter Dated 10. of June and your Proposals in your Declaration at St. Albanes June 14. you would not go but acquiesce in the justice and wisedom of the Parliament for other particulars yet have you since the time you made that promise imperiously demanded and Peremptorily insisted upon about 20. Particular Proposals more in your Humble Remonstrance dated June 23. and in your manifesto dated June 27. and in other Papers Thus have you made lies your Refuge and under falshood have you hid your selves Having thus dealt plainly with you I shal now retire into a corner and weep for you and that upon these 4. Considerations 1. Considering the Temptations you lie under at this day Your selves confess it in the opinion and humble advice of the Councel of War at Bury 29 of May 1647. pag. 7. line ult Oh 't is the houre of your Temptation the Temptation that I conceive lies upon you is this that you have many of you been used so long to Command that you have forgotten to obey that many of you from deep penury have aspired to gainful offices and from being cloathed in raggs are now arrayed in Scarlet this I fear wil be a prevailing Temptation upon you to make you unwilling to disband knowing that then you must return to your obscure dwellings and callings to be Tinkers Tapsters Taylors Tanker-bearers Porters Coblers Bakers and other such mean trades of which you could not subsist before these wars 2. Considering the Designs you drive at among many this is the summ of your desires to new-mould the House of Commons which you call purging but others think corrupting the House Oh then M. Peters would be busy abroad to get in some famous Common-wealths-men such as Hughson the Shoo-maker Hobson the Taylor Quarterman the Marshal These in your account would be faithful Members in the
forth your merit before the people Remember your selves or shal we remember ye which of you before this Parliament minded any thing so much as your pleasures plaies masks feastings buntings gameings dancings c For what other have you been but a meer clogg to the House of Commons in all their proceedings how many necessary things have ye obstructed how many evil things have ye promoted And in another Pestilent Pamphlet 't is affirmed f See Remonstrance of many thousands p 7. that the Lords must stand to be chosen for Knights and Burgesses by the people as other the freemen and gentry of this nation are Yea there is another seditious Book intituled An Al-arm to the House of Lords which contains in every page of it railing against the Peers of the Realm g See the book intituled an Al-arm to the House of Lords the several passages would be too tedious for you to read or me to write let this suffice to let you see the endeavours of the Sectaries to overthrow and alter the very foundamentals of the government of the Kingdom now least you should imagine that this spirit of dis-affection to the House of Lords should be confined only within the breasts of the unknown Authors of these seditious books it is meet I should let you know that this malignant humour runs as blood throughout the veines of all the Sectaries when the Sectaries in and about London Petition 't is only to their own House of Commons they never take notice of the Lords House at all witness that factious Petition from Lambes Congregation and another Petition from the Sectaries of London delivered to the House of Commons by that Turn-coate Samuel Warner Tichbourn and others in opposition to the Renouned Remonstrance of the City which was humbly presented to both Houses but their seditious Petitions but only to the House of Commons By this it appears that destroying the Lords House is the 2. Design driven on by the Sectaries Ye nobles all be ware a fall The Brownists do against you brawl They say you shal not sit an houre If th' upper House yeeld not to th' lower To cut off the King if he sides not to the Independent party 3. Design 'T is true of late they seem to appear for him to gain Malignants on their side but 't is notoriously known how their Principles are directly against Monarchy What desperate speeches have some Independent Members uttered against the King yea it wil never be forgotten how inraged the Independent Members of the House and Sectaries of London were against the City Remonstrance chiefly because there was this passage in it for the preservation of the Kings person according to the Covenant Yea the Sectaries publish to the world in Print that the King for his mis-government must lose his life h See the just mans Iustification P. 1. 't is said in one Pamphlet 〈◊〉 that You meaning the House of Commons or else the rude multitude should think of that great Murtherer of England meaning the King for by the impartial Law of God there is no exemption of Kings Princes Dukes Earls c. more then of Fishermen Coblers Tinkers or Chimney-sweepers and elsewhere 't is said i See Arguments proving that we ought not to part with the Militia Arg. 10. that according to Protestations Oathes and Covenants He meaning the King ought to be brought to exemplary and condign punishment he being the greatest and most notorious Delinquent in the whole Kingdom c. Yea they speak their minds more fully in another Pamphlet k See the Remonst of many thousands p. 6. We do expect according to reason that ye should in the first place declare and set forth King CHARLS his wickedness openly before the world and withal to shew the intolerable incoveniences of having a Kingly Government from the constant evil practices of those of this Nation and so to declare King CHARLS an enemy and to publish your resolution never to have any more By all this it appears that the Sectaries intend as the 32 Syrian Captains did 1 King 22.31 to fight neither with smal nor great but with the King of Israel In laying down this Design I would have none of you conceive as if I were a Malignant Royalist I hate Arbitrary power and Tyranny in Princes as much as any I only mention this that Malignants might not be brought into fools paradise to joyn with the Army conceiving them to be for the Kings honor and safety who are the greatest enemies of both Malignants all beleeve this thing Sectarians would destroy the King Yea they do wish there might be none For to succeed him on the throne To introduce an universal Liberty and Toleration for all sorts of false and heretical opinions 4. Design All the sectaries in the Kingdom labor with might and main to promote this in one Pamphlet 't is boldly asserted l See Williams Bloody Tenet of Persecution for the cause of Conscience in the preface to the Parliament p. 2. that it is the wil and command of God that since the coming of his son the Lord Jesus a permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichrist an Consciences and Worships be granted to all men in all Nations and Countries And elsewhere 't is said m See Compassionate Samaritan p. 5. that Liberty of Conscience is to be allowed to every man or sort of men to worship God in that way or manner as shal appear to them most agreeable to Gods Word Numerous Pamphlets there are abroad besides broacht by the seducing Chaplains of the Army and their accomplices as Mr Dâ—lls Sermon before the Parliament many smal and trivial Tracts of M. Saltmarshes M. John Goodwin in his blasphemous book intituled Hagio mâ—stix c. and in his impudent Queries against an Ordinance of Parliament for the Suppression of Heresies with abundance of other Pamphlets which cry up this their Diana of Toleration yea these Army-Chaplains have so corrupted their hearers and disciples from the simplicity of the Gospel that the whole Army now contends for Toleration by the sword in the Field which their Teachers could never make good by Argument eit er in Press or Pulpit Yea the whole Army declare this to be the design I le give you the Armies words n See a Letter sent from Sir Tho Fairfax and the cheif Commanders in the Army to the Lord Mayor Aldermen Common Councel of the City of London Dated from Royston Jun. 10. We wish that every good Citizen and every man that walks peaceably in a blameless conversation and is beneficial to the Common-wealth may have liberty and encouragement it being according to the qust policy of all States even to justice it self By this you may see the intendments of the Army if they prevail in this present undertaking The great Diana cry'd up in the Nation Is a licentious lawless Toleration All in the Land own not this
cursed Action Only a base or discontented Faction To pull down the godly and orthodox Ministers of the Kingdom and to open a wide door as in the days of Jeroboam that the 〈◊〉 of the people may take upon them the Priests office 5. Design He who in Jobs account should not be worthy to set with the doggs of his flock is judged meet by Sectaries to be Pastor over the flock and sheep of Christ The prophanest sort of men in the land did never so grosly abuse godly Ministers as all the Sectaries do at this day o See M Dels preface to his Sermon before the Parliament and in his reply after They abuse them in their names calling them the Preists of Baal in their office making them to be but the Props and Toes of Antichrist Yea they account Ministers Calling to be Antichristian their maintenance to be Jewish their preaching to be legal and their persons contemptible And wil not they think you pul down them to set up phanatick and phantastick Teachers of their own then poor Paul Hobson the Taylor Quarterman the Marshals man Hughson the Shoo-maker with multitudes of mean and illiterate fellows wil serve to be the Armies Evangelists Ye Presbyterian starrs in Christs right hand Though Armies pul you down yet shal you stand Out live you shal these troubles do what can Hobson or Hughson Del or Quarterman To keep off Independent Members many wherof are guilty of capital crimes from a due legal tryal 6. Design T is only the sound of the Trumpet and noyse of the Drum that makes the cries of the people cannot be heard against the Tyranny Bribery and injustice of the Independent party were it so that the Army were disbanded that the free-born Subjects of England should not be terrified by an Army there are thousands in this Kingdom who would fully prove many of them to be brought into the House upon undue and illegal Elections that they have treasured up vast summs of money obstructed justice retarded the Releif of Ireland and acted many other intollerable injuries to the Common-wealth which would make them an abhorring in the eyes of all the people Fleet-wood Harrison and Ireton with many others know were the Army disbanded their elections would be questioned Seeing they cannot continue themselves Members by right they wil do it by power yea Leivtenant General Cromwel knows there is some body in the world that can accuse him of that and prove it clearly to his face which would make him blush and be p Cromwels lascivious carriage ashamed to enter within the House of Commons doors very unbeseeming a man of his condition and profession His own guiltiness in this and other things as also the guiltiness of many others of his faction makes them unwilling to disband Great are the summs I know not what Which Independent Members got The ground of not disbanding now is plain Least question'd they should be for unjust gain Least of some Members there be an ejection For coming in by an undue Election With Parliament and City they wil fight Least Cromwels lusts and lies should come to light If all these Designs take not their last Design is 7. Design to go over into Ireland under Cromwel and the rest of the Independent Officers if they cannot be Masters here they would be Lords there if cannot befool this Kingdom they would inslave that Ireland is but a Reserve if cannot procure a Tolleration in England they make no doubt to establish it in Ireland field Marshal Skippon and Major General Massey wil not serve their turn therefore they refuse to go under their Command if their Commanders be not Sectaries they rather fear a suppression then look for a Tolleration Ere they tread Irish ground for Cromwel they wil cry Skippon content them cannot nor Massey The reason is they are not of their Sect Which makes the Army wholy them reject The state to their own tearms if cannot tye England must suffer stil and Ireland dye Thus I have endeavoured to lay open the dangerous designs driven on in the Army which I dare affirm with so much confidence that I would have you beleeve nothing to be true if you find not all to be true If you ask me what are the likeliest means to prevent these dangerous Designs I answer briefly 1. All the Counties in the Kingdom should Petition Humbly the Parliament for the speedy disbanding of the Army they having as much from the state as they can expect the Declaration against them revok't the act of Indempnity inlarged and most of their Arrears presently to be payd and all to be unquestionably secured what can they as Souldiers desire more 2. Those 5 Counties Essex Norfolk Suffolk Buckingham and Hertford should declare humbly to the Parliament how they are abused in that a seditious inconsiderable party of such County should presume to present Petitions to Sir Thomas Fairfax under the name of the whole which they wil not own they likewise should represent how surreptitiously the Petitions were gotten by whom fomented contrived and subscribed that they might come to condign punishment for so high an affront against the Parliament This would gain more Honor to those Counties then they have lost in having such a factious party in the midst of them 3. Those Sheirs and Burroughs for which the XI Honorable though accused Members serve should Petition the Parliament that the Knights and Gentlemen legally and fairly chosen by them should be Commanded to attend the service of the House til the Charge can be proved against them 4. All the Kingdom should Petition that none may be Members of Parliament nor have any I ce in trust of this Kingdom who either renounce or refuse to take the solemn league and Covenant 5. We should Petition the Honorable Houses they would be pleased to hold on their Resolutions in sending overfeild Marshal Skippon and Major General Massey these two valiant Commanders to be in supream Command for the business of Ireland 6. Petition the Parliament that they would suppress seducers and false teachers who creep into comers perverting many from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel as also that they would suppress seditious pamphlets printed by Sectaries and malignants against the Parliament Having finisht the first head laying down the designs the Army Drives at together with the Remedies to prevent them I come now to the 2. head To lay down wherein the unreasonableness I had almost said Treasonableness of the Armies demands doth consist 1. Their first unreasonable Demand is which they call reasonable q See the Armies humble Remonst p. 10. that the Army may be payd up equal with those that have deserted it though invited by the Parliament to do it Is this a reasonable Demand that they that have deserted the Army out of conscience and obedience should have no more of their Arrears then they that stand out still in disobedience against the
Parliament 2. Their second Demand is more unreasonable r See the Armies humble Remonst p. â—1 l. 1.2 We have ground to claim more then they or rather that they or some of them should forfeit their Arrears that they that deserted the Army though out of obedience to the Parliament should forfeit their Arrears or at least that the Army should have more of their Arrears payd them then the deserters of it shal were not this to justifie the wicked and condemn the righteous to punish the one for obedience and reward the other for disobedience which would be a provocation in the eyes of God neither consisting with equity and conscience in the Army to demand nor with the justice and honor of the Parliament to grant to punish one for obedience and reward another for disobedience 3. Their third unreasonable Demand is to require more security for their arrears then any in the Kingdom ever yet desired Å¿ See the Armies humble Representation p. 15. l. 3. the credit of the Excise and the profits arising out of Delinquents Estates and Ordinance of Parliament wil not content them though millions of money have been lent upon this security Were these terms offered to all other Officers and Souldiers in the Kingdom they would thankfully accept it as a due and safe recompence for their service 4. Their fourth unreasonable Demand is to limit the Parliament to a very day to grant their desires else to threaten them to their faces which is such an affront to a Parliament that never was offered in this world In one of their Papers they prescribe the very day when they must have a moneths pay t See Humble Remonstrance p. 14. l. 15. in another paper they declare that it they receive not security and assurance to themselves and the Kingdom of a safe and hopeful proceeding and that by Thursday night they must be forced to take extraordinary courses 'T is worthy your notice that this Demand of theirs was presented to the Commissioners at S. Albans Iune the 23. being Wednesday and yet were so impudent to terrifie the Parliament that if they did not gratifie their desires the very next day following they must be forc'd to extraordinary courses they would allow but a day to the Parliament to consider of their Demands which is such a high breach of the priviledg of Parliament that I cannot but stand amazed and wonder with what conscience we can suffer or with what face they can indeavor the subverting of the indubitable priviledges of Parliament 5. Their fifth unreasonable Demand is u See the Armies humble Remonst â— 2. l. 6. that there be no listing of new forces in or about London when themselves do gather together the most notorious Sectaries in the Kingdom to their Army yea draw their Train of Artillery from Oxford take many loades of new arms out of Windsor Castle seize upon powder coming from Northampton to London fortifying some Garrisons and do all things in preparation to a new war yet the Parliament and City must sit stil look on and all lie at their mercy whether this be reasonable I leave to all indifferent men to judg 6. Their sixth unreasonable Demand is that w See humble Remonst p. 15. l. 12. the Members accused be forthwith suspended or sequestred the House and that before any particular Charge or Proofs were brought in against them Is it reasonable that those honorable persons who are but Members accused should be suspended the House and yet Nathaniel Fines a condemned Member should sit still in the House Is he fit to sit as judg to condemn others that is a condemned man himself Behold O ye people the justice of the Army Is it reason that Colonel Long who is only charged but not proved by the Army to be a Coward should be suspended the House and yet poor Nat. Fines who is a Coward upon Record adjudged by a Councel of WAR to dye for Cowardize must still sit in the House 7. Their seventh unreasonable Demand is in the behalf of the King and Malignants for whom the ARMY is now become dissembling Mediators they desire that x See humble Remonst p. 12. l. 26. provision be made for the rights quiet and immunity of his MAJESTIES Royal Family and his late partakers c. How far they will extend this comprehensive term Immunity for the KINGS Family and his late partakers none but themselves know in part we may know what they mean so much Immunity hath the KING and his late partakers already from the ARMY viz. His Chaplains about him and Cringings and Common prayers in use before him which how agreeable this is to the Directions of PARLIAMENT which have been given or the Covenant which hath been taken I leave to wise men to consider