An ANSVVER TO A LETTER Written out of the country to Master John Pym Esquire one of the worthy Members of The House of Commons LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 164â— An answer to a Letter written out of the countrey to Master Iohn Pym Esquire THough R. E. I am not acquainted with you yet have I often perused your Diabolicall forgeries the bitternesse of your complaints the invective poison couched in your speeches and the treacherous calumnies written in your Letters wondring that a Papist dare be so saucie to invent such untruths against the State knowing the Lawes to condemne such Pharisees as treasonable My intent at this time is not to search out the rancour of your poyson further then it lies couched in your Letter out of the countrey forged as to Master Iohn Pym Esquire which might rather have been justly entituled a calumnious Pamphlet forged of purpose to abuse him You may well say it was written out of the countrey 1 because by forreigne spirit of the Church of Rome an abortive in ours But 2 because it came from Hell the Devill is the father of lies he presented you a fit instrument for his purpose with it because of your Popish education and you have been obedient herein you say he is one of the worthy Members of the House of Commons Herein the Devill appeares like an Angell of truth you say he is one of the worthy members is such a one a fit subject for you to jeare taunt and abuse as if he were so base a vassall as your self a right Popish trick your Letter beares date Feb. 1. a time remarkable for upon this very day L. Sergius Catilina conspired the destruction of Rome as you have done of England but what was the event of it M. Cicero prevented his conspiracie and caused him to receive his due reward 691 Salust And so I doubt not but God will by some Cicero or other discover yours and bring you to the barre of justice for your labour But to come to the view of your forged Letter it self I find your Letter or rather calumnious Pamphlet to begin thus Sir I shall not need to tell you with what tendernesse of care I have hitherto observed your commands concerning the dispersing of those bookes you sent me It is true we are too well acquainted how tender you have been and carefull to stirre for the Popes honours sake and to this purpose have perused those bookes Remonstrances and Declarations which have proceeded from the High Court of Parliament which have been too much and too saucily abused by such turbuleÌ„t factious spirits neither do I wonder that your own conscience whispers treason to your selfe because you know so well your own guilt so lightly condemne your self with their just censures You say you find your Arts now to failt I hope you will in convenient time for doe not think that you can still vaile your black art of consecrating of traytours to act your desperate designes your art of conjuring with Bulls and Breves your arts of treason and treacherous conspiracies which your old men have reâ—â—â—â—ed 〈◊〉 King Iames said once in the Parliament House By their first drinking iâ— liqour upon a certain shamefastnesse to bethought curious and your young men through evill education that have never been brought up but upon such venome in place of wholesome nutriment King Iames speech March 19. 1603. And indeed the practises of the Popish Armies in the North at this day are such that I hope the English Protestants will have so much understanding to preserve their own security that where you were wont to find a willingnesse you will be nâ—w to seek a receit Iâ— the next place you seem to dissemble the matter and indeed to mingle your poysoned pills with Sugar that the bait may the better allure us to swallow it it is true enough that the malignant party have infused such Principles as begin to shake the whole fabrick by which they have laboured to divide the King from his Parliament to lessen his honour by vailing his throne there exalted by dissolution of Parliaments by destruction of the Lawes and Liberties of the subject and indeed by overthrowing all Religion and turning the peace of the Kingdome to a confused Chaos and so to crosse and hinder that happy building which the Parliament on their behalf have endeavoured with so much industry In some things you have spoken true to give the Devill his due From a right understanding alwayes proceedes a right judgement Therefore is it that the Parliament rightly understanding the dangerous designes you daily practise doth bind us to assist them resting satisfied in their judgements and accordingly to proceed against you and your designes It is our misery that you have those to deale withall that want the first and so are ignorant of the misery you bring them by being so forward in the latter whose sufferings have payed too deare already since your Rhetoricke hath prevailed above the wholesome counsell and advice of the Parliament You say you are no longer able to restrain their you would have said your own rash judgement of Master Pym and many other worthy members of the Houses accusing them as the prime instruments of your misery you may well call it rash judgement indeed as a Spanish Embassadour once said Gâ—ndomor by name at his return declaring what dissaffection he had raised in England against Parliaments Whatsoever project we list to attempt saith he enters safely at that eare whilst their policie lies asleep So have too many at this day been seduced by such wicked practises to labour that the wise policies of the High Court of Parliament may be lulled asleep in a tempest whilst we and all we have are drowned in the deluge The ordinary or rather extraordinary calumnies you write of are too frequently used indeed the more it is to be lamented for it is easie to be discerned how the want of right understanding doth corrupt such judgements as are so discerned by you As 1 to say Have we at all mended our condition this Parliament I answer that it was much bettered by their suppressing of Monopolies preventing of injustice in many Courts and beginning a Reformation in Religion Indeed your Popish hopes were not bettered but our hopes were and our condition found it out so till evill counsell stopt their proceedings by raising a dissaffection in the Kings Majestie towards them which hath caused so much distractioÌ„ bloudshed ever since so that may we say indeed 2 Are we not fallen almost into termes of absolute ruine since Papists are permitted to bear Arms against us do we not see our estates not onely takeÌ„ away without but against Law by plundering and pillaging the dayly practice of the Popish Cavaliers insulting over the lives of the Protestants in the North by wofull experience have found But whereas you taxe the proceedings of the the High Court of Parliament in the raising of money to
that very substance the representative body of the Kingdome neither is it usuall termes to declare that there is the fountain of Law and power for Reformation of Religion both which they have and dayly doe labour to preserve And because the advise of both Houses of Parliament hath through the suggestion of evill councell been so much undervalued of late and so absolutely rejected and refused did declare to the Kingdome in their Remonstrance May 26. sufficiently enough to satisfie any rationall man in the world what the priviledge of the great councell of Parliament is herein You accuse the Parliament for having done that under the name of Peace which would hardly have hapned in Warre which you undertake to prove wel let us see what you can say herein 1 You say Armes are taken against the King there wanted onely a captain which in a tumult is easily found The King now might easily leave the city seeing at a beck in his presence such tumults were raised Surely I cannot believe the Parliament bear any Arms against his Majesty but against a company of known malignants and traytours to the Religion and peace of the Kingdome that have gathered head to make us slaves and vassalls for ever and that without the impeachment of their loyalty to him neither hath the Parliament given way to any designe which hath not been awed by the Lawes of the Land and the lawfull power and exercise thereof which his Majesty hath over them much lesse to any unlawfull tumults especially raised against him You put the question what hath been his demeanour since and you answer your self a continuall â—â—â—ing of us not to undoe our selves for the private ends of a few whose deserts have been onely 1. The shedding of the Earle of Straffords bloud It is true this was his desert and Justice did require it of them This justice they performed in his tryall and they as you say had their desert the justice of their power executed on the malefactour 2 you tell us it was followed with an ocean of that of Ireland Herein you say they have had their deserts too where you truly appeare in your own colours and what you are You go on and now of England what of England England hath beene too much troubled with your popish faction you say there hath beene bribery from Papists and I beleeve it too the more is the pity I make no question but you speake by experience but when you are brought before the Parliament what availes bâ—ibes then though the Pursevants may bee stopt with a silver barre there you must come to the barre of Justice 2. You complaine of the seperating of Protestants countenancing of Anab aptists and all other sectaries Surely to cherish and countenance such the Parliament gives no way at all but are against them indeed if by these you meane all such as are not Episcopall in their judgements formall in their devotions ceremonial and superstitious in their worship of God such as will not sweare and lye and prophane the Lords day in a word if by these be meant all such as desire to be Protestants in life and conversation as well as in meere profession then to countenance and cherish such is the way to maintaine the true reformed Protestant Religion and I know none countenanced but such as these 3. You complaine of their inhibiting good Preachers and favouring ill yea even Coach-men and Coblers I pray you why do you not nominate the parties this is nothing but a meere invective aspertion except you call your fathers the Priests Friers and Iesuits the good Ministers or divers popish Priests of our owne that were almost yours such as these indeed have been brought to the barre but for their countenancing of any without orders I know none neither do you for all your great words 4. You bring in robbing of Orphanes which is the practise of the popish Cavaliers the Parliament desire to execute Justice against such crying vices 5. You bring in exhorting to all manner of Rebellion and leawdnesse while they themselves have Lorded it free from all danger and care But surely to fight against those who have actually attempted to destroy the lawes of the land the liberty of the subject and indeed the very life of the Parliament Religion and Kingdome is not Rebellion and leawdnesse but is the care to which they are bound to defend his Majesties Royall person and lawes by In the 6. place you reprove the printing of such plausible lies as might draw things into a further confusion of which vice I beleeve there is none in the whole Kingdome so guilty as your selfe witnesse those many lines of lying Rethoricke you have from time to time brought to the presse and especially this Where 7. in the next place I find you ready provided with about the conveying of mony away beyond the sea gathered for distressed Irland To use your owne words it is a plausible printed lye added to your other volumes whereof you have many You tell Master Pins that as for the Propositions hee sent by those honorable Lords c. whereas it is well knowne the Propositions were often debated in both Houses of Parliament before and with free consent of both sent to His Majesty how lamentable a thing is it that such as you should dare to pollute the presse with such a multitude of lies I pray what is it that is odious in those Propositions indeed they strike a great stroke against Popery and for that they are odious to you but the Lords did not goe with their messag without consideration as you imagine or as I may rather say purposely slander â—â—em they know their master Jesus Christ whom they serve whose honour they esteeme above their owne neither doe they at all respect the opinion of such as you so they may stand right between God and us in loialty to the Kings Majesty of which they are tender and careful and with how many bitter taunts and jeares did they all passe throw the Cavaliers before they came to the Kings presence calling them Round-heads Parliament dogs c. Neither are they backward to comply with his Majesties justice and integity which is the laws of the land thus are they not out of but raised to the highest spher from which they scorne to fly knowing you cannot avoid that justice of heaven which will preserve them whilst they move not out of their order You conclude putting him in mind of warding those blowes that are aimed at him whereas he for such matters is not like your condition terrified with a desperate conscience he looks up to heaven for protection not to such dissembling affections as yours who whilst you say Your most affectionate friend and humble servant you are indeed a very R. and so you will be E. An answer to the Postscript IN your Postscript you most of all betray your ignorance for the Parliament have as carefully looked after and committed the forger and printer of that declaration as his Majesty was to burne it by the hand of the hangman at Oxford to teach both him and you and all such libellers to take heed how you do the like FINIS
bee illegall I answer that for the Parliament into whose hands we have commited our estates and trust of the whole Kingdome to demand part of our estates for the defence of the Kingdome against a malignant Army of Papists Delinquents and traytors raised up to destroy the Religion and Lawes of the Kingdome and to compell the payment by an Ordinance of Parliament to save our Lawes Religion Liberties and Lives is not against Law neither against their promises made to us to protect us against all arbitrary power whatsoever 3 Whereas you say had we borne the illegality of the shipmoney even to the period of ours and our childrens dayes it had never lain so heavy upon us as this one of the twentieth I answer that for the illegality of the Shipmony I referre you to the speeches of Master Saint Iohn and many other members of the House of Commons and the large treaties votes and acts of Parliament against it and for this twentieth part now cessed for the just cause aforesaid for which purpose the Parliament have appointed honest sufficient and well affected men to judge of our estates the best course to defend the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects against the Cavaliers in their trayterous Tyranny 4 You say there is a guilt that gnawes us for that it is employed against our lawfull King To which I answer that were it employed against Hâ—s Majesty it would do so I could heartily wish that Justice might have its course to try whether the Earle of Newcastle c. or the Parliaments forces are employed against His Majesty that so all those robbers plunderers and spoilers of this kingdome and good people may be brought to punishment and where can this be done more perfectly then where the fountaine of Law is in the High Court of Parliament 5 Another thing you question is this as often as any Order hath issued out from either or both Houses since the discerning spirit of our good King whom God hath set over us hath been absent bath not the event been prophanesse murder disloyalty in the highest kind not onely not to assist but to resist the highest powers To satisfie this your query I answer that this prophanesse murder and disloyalty did then begin when such orders began to be slighted scorned and neglected by a malignant party and Popish Army and by working and increasing a dislike and dissaffection in his Majesty and the people to the Ordinances of Parliament and by the scandalizing of their proceedings which is the greatest disloyalty of all to the King who is greatest sitting in the High Court of Parliament with those High powers ordained of God the resistance of whose Ordinances are justly censured with just condemnation You tell us that as oft as your impieties have for your sins seemed to prosper so oft hath thanks been given to Almighty God It seems your thaÌ„ks to God have been as full of hypocrisie as your Protestations to us and surely we cannot but think it great impiety and sinne in that party of Papists Atheists and prophane wretches that under pretences of fighting for the old Religion established by the Lawes of this Kingdome shall go about to undermine kill and destroy both Religion and Law and although such may prosper sometimes yet God will undoubtedly find a time for an account hereof 7 You say that those things which in times past were marks of prosperity are now badges of calamities And the reason of this is because there was never any Parliament so abused indeed Gundomer boasted in Spaine that there are quoth he so many about the King who blow this coale fearing their own stakes if a Parliament should enquire into their actions that they use all their art and industry to withstand such a councell thus hath prosperity to this day been vailed from our eyes since the scorne and reproaches of malignants against the High Court of Parliament have beene made the badges of our publick calamities For the Ordinances of Parliament they are not cryed up by new and strange flatteries of base and abject sufferance but obeyed according to the orders of Parliament and as according to Law they ought really to be by all noble spirits and true hearted Protestants which no Subject durst ever opose but Papists Priests and Jesuites Rebells and traytors not as if we tied our faith to their sleeves neither but as obediently submitting our selves to the higher powers and their lawfull Ordinances but for such who doe thus rebell their garments are spotted with that filthinesse from which we that have obeyed have been washed For the Kings Majesty I doe verily believe that Master Pyms love and honour to him doth as farre transcend yours as we the Antipodes of the earth and for this purpose he with the rest of the House have laboured not like Basilisks to flatter but like faithfull Counsellers to make him truly a mighty and an happy King and such hopes have we had and I doubt not shall have again when his Majestie returns that he will by this Parliament bring forth an unexampled and every where envied happinesse to the Kingdome of England to muzzle the mouthes of all pretenders and to establish our Peace All which is their labour and study But you put unto him a strange question Would we say you that there should be brought into the imperiall dignity the issue of a great horse or some such abortive governors Abortive governors indeed and miserable ones too the Popish coÌ„manders too much swaying the imperiall dignity in this cruell warre since they like desperate horsemen have been permitted to trample on us It is true enough that we are dealt with by cunning sophistry with their odious treasons doe not the very tenents of Popery teach us to rid our selves of our allegiance which the Parliament have laboured to prevent by Protestations and wholesome Ordinances and for the parâ—â—ng with the twentieth part of our estates I say no more then I have said already onely I would have you tell me if it be not wickednesse in the Earle of Newcastle and others which doe assesse men to pay not the twentieth part of their estates but what they please and do compell them to it by force of Armes You accuse the high court of Parliament to be such clients who have brought you into danger of your lives Indeed such of you as are traytous and rebells your own consciences it may be smite you to consider your guilt which though you have sinothered a long time yet have you perceived the Parliament in the way to find you out and to discover you who seeing your selves in danger of your lives break forth to act such desperate designes as you have done The Parliament are not clients for themselves neither do they shadow themselves under the name of the people by large terms of Religion and Law whilst in effect they overthrew both as you falsely cast an aspertion upon them for they are