they say That the Kings offers are not fit for them to accept in that certainly they declare the truth if they make their own unlimited aimes and ambitions the measure of what is fit for them for they will no wayes content themselves with such a narrow and unlimited Soveraignty as our former Kings have had restrained in our Laws in our liberties in our proprieties but they pro arbitrio wil levy what forces they please without limitation of number or distinction of persons or quality raise what moneys they please for the support of this their military dominion and make what lawes they list without any other assent but their own and remain everlastingly a representative of the people whether they will or not so that really making their aimes and intentions the measure of what is fit for them to accept no offers or conditions can be fit for them that shall not establish them in a more absolute power and dominion then ever any King of England had or any King of Christendome hath or the Grand Seignior himselfe doth practice They then say They cannot see how it should be expected that a new engagement could prevaile on Him or engage Him more then the solemn Oath at His Coronation with severall other vowes protestations and imprecations so frequently broken by Him during His whole Reign Let it be calmly considered of whether this be a modest and decent way of a House of Commons thus upon generals to charge their King as a perjured man whom they have ever professed they would make a glorious King especially when their said charge is as false in the matter as shamefull in the manner for they are not able to fix upon the King any one particular wherein He hath broken His Oath or Protestation when the truth of the fact and circumstances shall be truly set down on the behalfe of the King as well as their false relations of the said fact with their inferences strains and malitious glosses thereupon and doubtlesse if the King were not highly punctuall religious in the observance of the said Oath He would not suffer those miseries hazards which He doth rather then infringe it But let the breaking of Oaths Protestations be with equality looked upon let the obligation of their naturall Allegiance the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegeance without taking whereof they cannot be Members of their House Let the solemn Protestation taken by them at the beginning of this Parliament in which they did promise vow and protest in the presence of God with their life power estate according to the duty of their Allegeance to maintain and defend His Majesties Royall Person Honour Estate which how well it hath been performed let their own consciences tell them Let their Solemne League and Covenant taken with their hands lifted up to God never to depart from that blessed union conjunction as they shall answer it in the presence of God the Searcher of all hearts at the dreadfull day of judgement how they have kept it let their brethren of Scotland tell them M. Martin who stiles it an Almanack of the last year out of date and the Answer of the Scots Declaration that termeth it absurd hypocriticall humane so alterable Let them remember all these and their often repeated Protestations of making the King a glorious King and consider their present usage of His Person their endeavours by this Declaration of rendring Him infamous to the world and to all posterity Let them likewise consider that their present animosity against the King is cheifly because they cannot make Him consent to be perjured He hath sworn to maintain the Laws to protect His Subjects to defend the Church to maintain the Religion established by the Laws to uphold the just rights inherent in the Crown or legally thereunto annexed and because He will not consent to be perjured in them all which He must be if He should consent to their demands He must be declared unworthy to governe and as hath been said by some among them not worthy to live be close imprisoned and debarred of all comforts of life God in his due time will be Judge between them and the King and so will be all sober and disinterested men Then they say That the King in His publick Speeches and Declarations hath laid a fit foundation for all tiranny by this most destructive maxime or principle which He saith He must avow That HE OWETH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS ACTIONS TO NONE BUT GOD ALONE AND THAT THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT JOYNT OR SEPARATR HAVE NO POWER TO MAKE OR DECLARE ANY LAW For the first part of this Maxime the King avoweth but that which the Law of God and the Law of England avoweth and what all the Monarchs and States of Christendom that have Soveraign Supream power will avow and would punish as high and capitall offenders any that should avow the contrary As for the second clause the King hath often declared That He doth not pretend to the making of Laws singly of Himselfe but by the advice and consent of the two Houses neither can the Houses joynt or separate nor He with the consent of either House alone make a Law but there must be a concurrence of all three The two Houses first to consent and pray and then the King maketh it a Law by his declaring the Royall assent by Le Roy le veut As for the declaring of the Law that it is the interpreting of the Law in dubiis obscuris vel si aliqua dictio duos contineat intellectus If the words of the Law be doubtfull and obscure or may bear two senses the Iudges in their Courts may interpret and declare the meaning of the Law and the same is done in Parliament upon Writs of Error but that is in the high Court of Parliament before the King and the Lords and not before the Commons who are no Court But this Declaration must not be understood of plain and cleer cases nor to the overthrowing of the literall sense nor of the equity of the Law otherwise to declare and to make a Law were all one in effect But not to enter upon any moot Case or contestation of a Law point Let it be judged whether upon this Maxime it be a sober or dutifull expression that the King hath laid a foundation for all tiranny but especially whether from this charge any just or colourable ground may be laid for the justifying of their Votes or their present proceeding with the King They then speak of the Articles for the intended match with Spain which were treated of 25 yeers since by King James And likewise of the Articles of the match with France which certainly should be without their cognizance for the Houses of Parliament have declared often the the making of peace and war and the marriage of the Kings Children belong wholy to the King And it is well known that Queen
beleived that they that have forborn nothing that they could imagine might turne to His dishonour would conceal any thing that might cast any Aspersion upon Him in this of Rochell As for that plot presupposed to be many years since designed of bringing in an Army of German Horse to have compelled the Subjects to have submitted to an arbitrary Government they might have remembred that thinking thereby to have raised a hatred against the King they have published this Aspersion in severall of their Papers and Declarations and particularly upon the breach of the Treaty at Oxford May 18. 164â— whereunto His Majesty made answer as appears by His Declaration printed and published by their own Order in the second volume of their Orders and Ordinances Pag. 109. wherein He saith That he esteemes his condition more miserable then any of his Subjects when he sees a few factious persons have obtained that power as to publish to all his people in the name of both Houses of Parliament a charge which comming forth with a semblance of such Authority may much worke with them against Him and yet do not which is certainly because they cannot tell any one proof or particular either whence whether or when or by whom or by whose designe those horse should have been brought they confesse it is many years since and it seemes it is so many that these particulars are worn out of the memory of man Now what a strange Impudency and malice must it appear to all equall men that being challenged and provoked by the King even with scorn and derision to instance in any one of the above specified particulars if they could they doe now again revive the same aspertions without giving satisfaction by the producing of any one proof or giving instance in any one particular especially when it is well known unto the world that such persons as they themselves had whispered to be the men that were imployed in the said designe have been highly imployed in their service and nothing would have been kept from them if any thing might have been found to the Kings prejudice but it was thought fit by them that this should be now concealed since it is apparent that the chief end of this Declaration is to accumulate all things that they conceive may asperse the King or make Him odious for those men might have told them the mistery of that businesse for that the Parliament having Declared a war for the recovery of the Palatinate and given way for the raising of 10000. foot in England to serve Count Mansfeild in that imployment it was in discourse how to furnish them likewise with horse which was thought could no where fittingly be done but in Germany but the King of France denying passage to Count Mansfeid all that businesse came to nothing Then they speake of the torturing of our bodies by cruell whippings cutting off eares racks and pillories c. They might have added hanging drawing and quartering and hanging in chaines for all these have been done in the Kings Reigne but executed upon Traytors theeves seditious and impious libellers by established Courts of Justice and according to the knowne course of the Laws which were made by former Kings his Predecessors with the consent of Parliament for they are not able to produce any one Law made in the Kings reign tending to blood or cruelty how many have been made for the ease and enlargement of the Liberty of the people they have often themselves confessed them to be more then by any of his Predecessors And shall the doing of Justice according to the Laws by his Judges and Ministers of Justice be charged upon him as acts of cruelty shal the burning of theeves in the hand or rogues in the forehead or shoulder or what Mr. Gregory doth at Tyburn in the due execution of legall sentences be stiled cruelty for such have been all these whippings rackes pillories which they speake of And they are challenged to instance in one drop of blood drawn by his Majesty or any one Act of cruelty committed by Him in his whole raign or by his Judges or Ministers whom He hath not left to the Justice of the Law For it will not be denied that from the 3. of November 1640. untill the 12. of Jan. 1641. when he was driven from London all His Judges were wholly left unto them many of them being impeached of Treason and Judge Berkley whom they thought the most criminall arraigned for Treason who made a defence so honest and so able that they were forced to wave their legall Triall of him and to pick his purse by their arbitrary power Was there ever so strained a malice especially if they looke how themselves have proceeded not to speake of those multitudes that have been slaine in the War how many of the Kings honest loyall Subjects have they murthered in cold blood by no Law but their owne arbitrary power with how many new Treasons have they ensnared the subject by the single authority of some hasty and angry Ordinances notwithstanding that the Law telleth us what shall be Treason and nothing else but by Act of Parliament what cruelty hath been used in point of imprisonments where many have dyed for want or ill usage and how many persons of quality both Divines and others hath been by them sent a ship-board and kept under deck and seeing a person of quality and a Judge of great years and reverence out of heat and indignation sent to Newgate a prison for Rogues Theeves and Cutpurses how many Gentlemen and Peers did they Vote to death and losse of their whole estates and to be excepted from pardon and mercy without summons hearing tryall or conviction how many Noblemen Gentlemen Judges and divers of great age have they forced out of England to begge their bread in strange Countries not allowing them one penny out of great estates which they have seized to keep them from contemptible poverty notwithstanding that the Law alloweth to the highest Traytors a conveniency for food and raiment for themselves and family And yet these men have had the face to fix upon their King these odious markes of cruelty when they cannot deny but in his reigne there hath been lesse blood by attainder and fewer confiscations then in any such space of time since the Conquest As for the lording over mens souls The Laws for the government of the Church not established by this King but by his Father and Queen Elizabeth were put in execution with so much mildnesse and moderation that they can scarcely instance in the punishment of any Separatists or Sectary if his Recusancy for the Law maketh them Recusants as well as Papists hath not been accompanied with some crime or some scandalous or seditious preaching or writing against the present government whereas they may remember and see in the new book of entries 5. Paschae 35. Eliz. fol. 252. that Pendry for publishing two scandalous books against the Church Government
was indicted arraigned attainted and executed at Tyburn And let their present lording over mens souls be considered their sending so many learned and pious men a begging by depriving them of their livings imprisoning their persons their lording over their consciences by new illegall and trayterous Oaths by forcing of the Covenant to the ruine of many hundreds who otherwise were without exception both Ministers and Lay-men being consciencious men men of parts and great learning as is set downe in the preceding words of the Answer to the Scotch Declaration of the 4. of Jan. 1648. But nothing can by them be done amisse that Axiome of the Law le Roy ne fait tort is now with the Crown and Soveraignty which they have usurped applicable onely to them But all the Kings actions though never so legall just and gratious must by them have the appellations of tyranny cruelty and oppression They then say that they were worse then slaves for they were prohibited by Proclamation to speake or hope for another Parliament They should have done well to have specified the year and date of the said Proclamation and to have set down the very words contained therin for it is so unlikely a thing that the people should be forbidden by Proclamation to hops that no rationall man can choose but suspect it to be that which civility is loath to tearme it how foule soever their pen be against their King As for the searching of cabinents closets c. It is set down to be after the dissolution of the Parliament so that that sin against the Holy Ghost never to be forgiven of breaking the Priviledges of Parliament is not charged and any other sinne will not be found for it is lawfull and usuall for the Justice or Councell of the King to search the closets and cabinets of such as they have good cause to suspect of practises and correspondency to the prejudice of the King or Kingdome neither have the Kings or Queens letters or cabinets nor the dispatches of Ambassadours and forraign States been free from their inquisition and search nay some such searches have been made by them for Letters and Jewels upon women not of the meanest ranke as is indecent to put them in mind of They then reckon up a long list of Monopolies and Patents of Soap Pins Leather Sugar c. Whether the said Patents were legall or illegall there can from thence no just fault be laid upon the King He is in point of Law to be advised by His Atturney and His learned Councell And there cannot in all the particulars specified any one be instanced in which He did of Himselfe without the Certificate of the Referrees of the legallity of such Grants wherein never Prince was so punctuall as He hath been and it is conceived that it may be with truth averred that in His whole Reign He hath not passed by Patent any one Monopoly without reference and certificate in writing that it might be granted by Law But besides upon complaint this Parliament all grievances have been redressed all doubtfull Patents cancell'd care had for the preventing of the like for the future all referrees and patentees left to justice and all punished but such as the injustice of the Houses have protected Then they come to that which they call the compendium of all oppression and cruelty viz. The Ship-money When Princes are involved in great wants and necessities they are forced to those things which at other times they willingly forbear to presse So it was here The King by His Wars with Spain and France was brought into great necessitys and consulting how He might by lawfull wayes releive Himselfe He was advised to this course of Ship-money by His Atturney Generall Noy as is said who was by all men esteemed a great Lawyer and had been a great propugner of the Subjects liberty The King herein asked the opinion of His Judges and learned Councell And both the Judges the major part of them His Councell did set it under their hands to be lawfull these are the Kings proper councel with whom he is to consult in point of Law are sworn to advise Him faithfully But some and particularly Mr. John Hamden not satisfied with the extrajudiciall opinion of the Judges came to a legall tryall upon the Case in the Exchequer Chamber after a fair hearing and learned arguments on both sides Judgement passed for the King If the said Judges and learned Councel who are sworn to do equall justice betwixt the King and the Subjects to Councell the King faithfully have erred and done amisse in both the greater hath been their fault and offence But herein where lieth the Kings transgression For did he not leave the Judges upon complaint of the Houses to their Justice and were not the said Judges many of them impeached of high Treason Judge Berkley arraigned thereupon for high Treason and made so learned and able a defence that they were forced to withdraw any further prosecution of their impeachment against him It seems they forget that which they declared for Law at the beginning of this Parliament viz. that the King can do no wrong Le Roy ne fait tort upon the very ground of this Case And that the reason why the Law supposed that the King could doe no wrong was for that the Judges and Ministers that did the wrong were responsable for the wrong doing and the persons wronged were from them to be repaired in point of their dammages But it seemeth they are of old Ployden's minde that when the businesse concerneth themselves the Case is altered They then say The King summoned this present Parliament in hope to have Assistance against the Scots He had little reason to hope for any assistance against the Scots knowing as he did who had called them in and that from some Scots themselves from Newcastle whilst he was at Yorke He had gotten notice of the particulars wherewith divers Lords of the English with the King being startled they sent to the Scotish Lords at Newcastle to have right done them upon a Secretary of theirs who had said to some English prisoners whom the Scots had taken at Newborn That their comming in had not beene but by the invitation of the English and had spoken a little too boldly of some truths that should have beene concealed and this divers at Westminster cannot but remember They then say that it was impossible to quash those pernitious Councels without questioning the Authors Whereupon the King shewed Himselfe so passionately affected to such malignant Councellers their Councel that he would sooner desert or forcc his Parliament and Kingdom then alter His course or deliver up his wicked Councellors to Law and Justice Our passions especially that of revenge and malice do not only deprive us of our senses and reason but often bereave us of shame and honesty For besides that they know that the King hath more then thrice in
much as one Company of Foot or Troup of Horse of forreigners that He hath called in but they hope by this great noise of reciting so many Nations to fill the ears of the People and to abuse them as they did by the speaking of the death of His Father of the reproaching of His Mother of His bloudy Cruelties His oppressions and Tyranny His breach of Trust of Oaths and Protestations and with those odious names and a bold Accusation to which He should not have means to answer to make something stick with the people whereby to alienate their Hearts from Him and to allay the detestablenesse of their most inhumane and barbarous proceeding with Him They then say neither do we wonder He should forget His Vows and Protestations that He would never consent to a toleration of the Popish Religion or abolition of the Laws then in force against Recusants yet about the same time He wrote Letters to the Queen and the E. of Ormond that He would consent to the taking away of all penall Laws against Papists both in England and Ireland Touching the Letters to the Queen and the Marquesse of Ormond they are all printed by their Order and according to the information I have credibly received by those Letters it will appear that the penall Lawes touching Recusants were not to be taken away and the favours intended to the Papists were with such limitation as they think fit to conceal Besides there is a wide difference betwixt a toleration of Popery and the not putting in execution the penall Lawes and so there is betwixt the abolishing of the penall Lawes and a temporary forbearance of the rigour of them which hath been practised by Queen Eliz. King James and His Majesty but never in so high a degree as by themselves toward the Sectaries and Separatists who by the Law are Recusants as well as Papists yet they have made use of them in their service without distinction of any Sect Schisme or Heresie insomuch that at Plymouth they made use of some Turks in their service out of the Gaole that had been condemned as Pyrats And let them remember of what a composition their new model'd Army is by whom they have carried through their Rebellion and how carefull they are now to uphold the liberty and freedom of them under the name of tender Consciences Yet it must be a Crime in the King for the saving of His Crown to encourage His own Subjects to be loyall unto Him and to assist Him against his Rebels by promising them some favour against the rigour and extremity of the Lawes There is no Religion or Nation English Welch Irish Scottish French Hollanders Dutch Germans Turks whose service they have not used to depose their Soveraign as it is now apparent although at first they all fought for the King and Parliament And if He should have made use of them for His just defence or shall do for His just restitution His doing so would be much more justifiable before God and man then what they have done They then say that notwithstanding that both Houses and the Scotch Commissioners did declare that they did hold a personall Treaty was not safe yet the Houses now yeelded to that that is to a personall Treaty They might have remembred that the Scots in their Papers do set down why at that time they held a personall Treaty at London not safe viz. because the King had several Armies on foot many strong garrisons then neither was it known what party or correspondency He might have in London all which considerations were now ceased and that therefore at present they held a personal Treaty and that to be with the Houses themselves and at Westminster most necessary And thus with their Art in confounding of Times they labour to abuse the World and to make shew as if they had yeilded to all that which the Scots now desired whereas they would not treat with the King but in the Isle of Wight and not with the Houses as the Scots Commissioners desired but with their Commissioners And whereas the Scots desired that the King might be free and at liberty they would have Him still their Prisoner They further say that all this was yeilded unto upon condition that the King would sign but four Bils which they judged not only just and honourable but necessary even for the present Peace and Safety during such a Treaty Hereby they would insinuate that they desired the four Bils but for security during the Treaty whereas they know that those Bils were to be made Acts of Parliament and so perpetuall Laws unlesse they intended that the Treaty should be everlasting As for the justness honourableness and necessity of the said four Bils If they have vouchsafed to read the Kings Answer which was not of such importance whether they did or no their resolution being taken before that if the King would not undo Himselfe they must undo Him which is said to have been the speech of a Member of that House if they had read the Kings Answers they would have found that the King had convincingly made it appear that this their way of proceeding besides the unreasonablenesse of the Bils themselves was irrationall impossible and must be ineffectuall to the making of Peace for which this Treaty was pretended to be To which might be added that it would have been invalid It was irrationall for that it is contrary to the nature of a Treaty that the chief Subject matters of the Treaty should be first assumed It was impossible because the King was desired to passe these Acts by Commission under the great Seale and not by His presence in Parliament whereas there is no such thing as a great Seale but a mock-Seale of their owne making of which Sir Edw. Cooke Mr. Sollicitor and the above-named reverent Judge as well as three Statutes have likewise delivered their opinion It must of necessity be ineffectuall for no Peace could be concluded without the Consent of the Scots and they in the name of that Kingdome protested against their Bils and manner of proceeding and like rationall men they declared that they could not but wonder that it could be supposed that the King having so often refused the said Bils for the procuring of a Peace should now condescend unto them only for the procuring of a Treaty Invalid it must needs be for it is well known that imprison'd Princes especially by their own Subjects can do no valid Act to the prejudice of themselves much lesse of their Successors besides it is well known what the doctrine of the above specified Authors and the Law is touching constraining of the King by force There shall no more be said of the manner of their condescending to such a condition'd Treaty which they insinuate to have been a gracious proceeding only I will set down what a sober man said of it then speak to the matter of the Bils by them desired That the King
was used like a man that had had his horse moneys sword cloak and cloak-bagge violently taken from him and the men that had rob'd him so that he would promise not afterward to prosecute them were content to treat with him about restoring him some part of his goods but he should first give his consent that they might keep his horse his money his sword and his cloak but for his cloak-bagge his nightcap his slippers and his shirts they would treat with him And because he would not yeild to those conditions they stript him of his cloaths bound him and cast him into a ditch For the matter of the Bils they say nothing not so much as to insinuate what they were and of them there will be a Tract apart only two or three words shall be said to let the world see that there were never so shamefull proposals made by any Subjects to their King especially upon His refusall to yeild unto them to lay the ground for His deposing and imprisoning 1. If the King should have condescended to the setling of the Militia according to the Bill offered by them He should have devested himself and the Crown for ever of the means of protecting his Subjects the Law or the Church and thereby have been absolutely perjured by breaking His Oath of Coronation he should have left his Subjects meer Slaves to their absolute power by giving way that they might levy what men they pleased without distinction of Persons Quality or limitation of Numbers and under the pretext of paying the men so levyed might raise what moneys they pleased without restraint either in the manner or proportion And having already as they pretend the Legistative power in their hands without the King it is much wonderd that they should presse for any more Bils then this for hereby alone they should be the most absolute Princes in Christendom their Wils being the only Laws and a setled Power to uphold their Will 2. But it should seem being hereby become Princes they would not want that noble Power of Soveraignty of conferring of Honours They had once this Parliament nominated a list of Persons whom they intended to have made Dukes Earls and Barons and now they would hook in that Power by a Bill It may be said they intend it not without the King That is but an illusion for if they shal by Bil make such Persons Peers as they wil pretend have by their fidelity and courage preserved the State they have already declared that the King ought to give His Consent to such Bils as the two Houses offer unto him and in this rewarding of such Heroes as have been the preservers of their Country they will not take a Denyall And for their supplying their new Lords with Estates and Revenues for their new callings that is but giving the Estates of some of the loyall Lords whom they call Delinquents to those their new Lords which is done in a morning by an Ordinance as firmly as if it were by Act of Parliament 3. In their third Bil of having all Declarations Proclamations of their Treason and Rebellion to be revoked they do not pretend a generall Pardon or Act of Oblivion but they wil have a Justification of all their Actions and proceedings and all the blame and bloud of the War to rest upon the Kings head and his Adherents and that they as Traytors and Rebels have forfeited their Lives and Estates wherewith they will enrich themselves So that the King must not only pardon but justifie them whom He hath so often declared to have been Traytors and in his conscience believeth them to be so although he be willing to forgive and forget all that is by past but must leave in the hands of their mercilesse Enemies those that His conscience telleth Him have been and are innocent loyall Subjects and can be charged with no Crime but that they have served Him faithfully according to their Obligations by the Law of God the Law of the Land their Oathes and naturall Allegeance Insomuch that they are not content that the King should be poor and without any Power or Authority but as they labour in this Declaration to render Him odious to His people so they would make Him infamous to all Posterity by delivering His faithfull true servants and Friends that have suffered so much for Him to totall ruine and destruction 4. Their fourth Bill is for the further Declaration of the Act for the continuance of this Parliament as is pretended but in effect it is a further settling and confirming of it And certainly if there did any shame remain they would blush to move the King in any thing concerning this Bill considering upon what grounds the King was induced or rather constrained to grant it how they have solemnly protested by their Declaration of the 19. of May 1642. That they would do nothing by vertue of that gracious Act which otherwise had not been fit to have been done But what use have been made and still is of the said Act beyond the Intention in the preamble of the said Bill expressed to the disservice of the King and destruction of the Kingdome let the world judge Now since the Kings not condescending to these four Bils is that which they themselves set down in this Declaration to be the formall and reall Cause of their making these Votes and consequently of deposing and imprisoning the King For all the other particulars are but Aggravations and Accumulations of faults which they say they have hitherto borne but this the Kings present denyall of their Bils is that which without Scorn and Contempt to themselves and ruine to the Kingdome they may not suffer and therefore have taken their present resolutions to have no more to do with the King but to settle the Kingdomes without Him The case lyeth then plainly before the indifferent Reader whether the refusing of four such Bils so destructive in the matter to Monarchy so enthrawling of the People to all sorts of Slavery and in the manner so compulsory so irrationall and so impossible be a justifiable Cause for Subjects to depose their King to imprison His Person to defame Him to the World and to deny Him all means of Vindicating His Innocency and Honour But now they say having made this last so just and honourable application they cannot but conclude that by not assenting unto it He hath forgotten not only His duty to the Kingdome but also the care and respect which He owes to Himself and His own Family How just and honourable the said Application hath been hath been formerly shewed of which it may be with truth averred that leaving aside the wickednesse in the matter no story ancient or modern can parallel it for the undutifulnesse and impudence of it in Subjects towards their King To conclude they say that for these few of many reasons they cannot repose any more trust in Him but have made those former resolutions
Certainly they have done ill to passe by their many reasons for these few have been much too weak to support so great a weight as the wickedness of their deposing their King and the using of Him as they do and it is to be beleived that they would make use of the best of those reasons having so great store out of which to make their choice In the next place they say They will notwithstanding indeavour to settle the present Government as may best stand with the Peace of the Kingdome It is likely indeed to be a righteous Government and to last long that a prevalent party in the House of Commons shall settle without the King and against all Law WHAT hath been hitherto said hath been to shew how free the King is from the Aspersions endeavoured to be cast upon him by this Declaration together with the great malice and falshood of it First many things in matter of fact are most untrue as that the King should have a hand in the Irish Rebellion That there was a Designe of a generall Massacre of all the Protestants in England That the Spanish fleet that came into the Downes 1629. was to enslave the Subjects c. with many more such ridiculous falshoods Other things are perverted by false application of the facts as that the Horse that were spoken to be raised in Germany were for the enslaving of England whereas the truth is that if that designe had gone forward as it did not it had been to recover the Palatinate In other things were the facts untrue by concealing part of the truth and the circumstances which do clearly justifie the said fact The Malice and Fraud of the Declaration is made most apparent as when they speak of slitting of noses branding of faces cutting off eares the facts were true But they conceal that all these things were done by course of Justice against notorious Malefactors And so that which they should have called Justice they now bring for an instance of Cruelty Fourthly it is remarkable that all the greivances complained of throughout the Kings whole Reigne though wholy redressed according to their own desires yet they are recharged and the redresses not spoken of So likewise are all the Objections which they have formerly made either of the passages of the War or concerning the Treaties although they have by the King been formerly fully answered yet they obtrude upon the people all the said objections and conceale from them the Kings satisfactory Answers and all this in so venomous and spitefull a language that it is plainly to be seen that their end is to make differences irreconcileable and the King odious that they may have the more colour to destroy Him It will now be necessary to speak a few words of their other Proposition viz. that a King that should be culpable of those Crimes suggested in this their Declaration may be proceeded against as they do now proceed with the King for to that end they have written this Declaration as conteining the reason of their Resolutions and Proceedings This position is worse and more dangerous then their present Rebellion for that by Gods goodnesse may soon have an end but this Position is a source a seed-plot and nurcery of perpetuall Rebellions So much hath been written by all sorts of Christians against this damned Maxime that here it shall be very briefly spoken of and onely shewed that it is full of Impiety Perjury and Treason Impiety towards God who hath in his holy word so often commanded obedience to the Powers by him ordained over us and hath prohibited Resistance upon pain of Damnation and that to Heathens Tyrants and Persecutors of his Church even to that monster of mankind Nero Perjury by breaking so many Oathes Protestations and Covenants of bearing unto the King true faith and allegeance of defending His Person and Honour with all His just Rights and Dignities Treason the levying War against the King the adhering to His enemies the indeavouring to alienate the hearts of the Subject from the King to remove the King from the Government or to imprison His Person to subvert the Lawes to indeavour to change the government either Ecclesiasticall or Civill to reforme the King by force and many other things are by the Lawes and Acts of Parliament and not by Ordinances declared to be Treason and most of them so confessed by themselves this Parliament to be so and for the pretence of some of them the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Earle of Strafford lost their lives And here I shall leave that damned Position that Subjects may depose their lawfull hereditary King for so the King is in effect upon suggestions of His failings or any other cause whatsoever It remains yet to speak something of the Scope of their so bitter railing and reviling of the King with so foul a pen as Tyranny Cruelty betraying breach of Oaths c. which is to make Him odious for answer whereunto there shal be only offered unto the world and them such truths of the King and his Deportments as the fiercest of His enemies shall not deny He is known to be a Prince of a most pious life which He daily sheweth by His constant practice of all Acts of devotion as Prayers Sermons and frequent receiving of the holy Sacrament No blood hath been drawn by his Anger or Revenge no noble Family dishonoured by His Lust no Debauchery or Excesse hath received encouragement by His Example no Oathes or Profanesse have been heard to come out of His mouth His prudence ability invincible courage and industry are not unknown to themselves nor His patience and composedness of minde in the highest afflictions and wrongs that have ever almost befallen any King and lastly his goodnesse and clemency in desiring to put all by-past Injuries into perpetuall oblivion Let these His known and undenyable vertues besides His Royal Deâ—â—â—â— and undoubted Title for six hundred years in England and of 108 Kings in Scotland be put into the ballance against all those malicious and 〈◊〉 Aspersions that have been raked together against Him and then let it be judged whether it will not be an ill change for the people to leave the subjection and Government of such a Prince to put themselves under the Tyrannie and Arbitrary Power of such a Parliament and such an Army One thing more shall onely be offered to the consideration of the People whether if the Houses should condescend to a Peace upon no more then what the King offereth besides all the Concessions He hath granted this Parliament and what He hath offered from Holdenby from Hampton Court and Carisbrook Castle before cited the English Nation should not be the freest and happiest Subjects in Europe And whether if they continue under the present usurped Power of the House of Commons and the Army for the Lords serve now onely to be subservient unto them they shall not be the most miserable of all people by having their Religion Lives Liberties and Lawes changed and to be disposed of by the Wils and Arbitrary Power of their fellow-Subjects It is againe desired as it hath been in the beginning of this Answer that what is herein set down may onely stay mens judgements and put them into a deliberation untill the King who hath perfect knowledge and information of all the particulars which in many things are wanting to the Writer hereof shall Himselfe set forth His full Answer which is not likely to be long for that those who have the worst opinion of the Proceedings of the House of Commons cannot suppose them to be so irrationall and barbarous as not to let the King have a sight of this their Declaration and to afford Him all necessary means of making and publishing His Answer FINIS
The Royall Apologie OR AN ANSWER TO THE DECLARATION OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS the 11. of February 1647. In which they expresse the Reasons for their Resolutions for making no more Addresses nor receiving any from HIS MAJESTY AT PARIS Imprinted in the Yeere 1648. TO MY GOOD COUNTRY-MEN of ENGLAND and fellow-Subjects of SCOTLAND IRELAND I Shall not in this Epistle tell you that by the Word of God he that resisteth the Powers ordained over us shall receive to himselfe Damnation nor that by the Law of the Land it is High Treason to levy War against the King to depose Him from the Government to imprison Him to adhere to His Enemies to reforme Him by force or to doe any thing with intention to alienate the Hearts and affections of the People from Him neither shall I tell you that it is Perjury and against our solemne Oathes and Protestations not to beare unto the King true Faith and Allegeance and not to defend His Person and Honour and not to maintaine all His just Rights I shall onely put you in mind of that which if we were no Christians but Heathens if we had no regard of Lawes or Oathes yet as Men would bind us which is the Law of Nature by which we are taught to doe as we would be done unto Let every man in his owne particular consider that if he were accused of Tyranny and Oppression of all sorts of cruelties of intending bloody Massacres of mercylesse Torturings of Perjury of a continued Track of Falshood and breach of Vowes and Promises through his whole life of conniving at his Fathers death and dishonouring of his Mother and in them all not one word of truth would he not think it a most barbarous irrationall and inhumane proceeding that he should not onely be used as if he were guilty of them all but that he should be rendred odious to the world and infamous to posterity without ever being heard or admitted to the means of making any Answer whereby to cleare his Innocency and Honour This is your Kings case who notwithstanding this libellous Declaration and His great misfortunes is one of the most pious temperate couragious and just Princes that our Nation ever had If He may be afforded no other right let Him not be denyed that naturall Justice which every man would think due unto himselfe of not being condemned unheard and undefended for whatsoever is set downe in this Answer is but one private mans knowledg and information But when you shall see the Kings owne perfect Answer I am most confident your hearts will be on fire to see so good a King so ill used IN regard that some particulars relating to the same matter are spoken of in severall places of this Declaration for the avoyding of confusion in the Answer they are answered together so that in some things the place of them is not exactly kept but sometimes that which is before in the Declaration is after in the Answer therefore in this Index each particular is set down and in what page the answer to it shall be found THe Introduction Page 1 2 That their former Addresses to the King have been fruitlesse 3 They could have no confidence that words should be more perswasive with the King then sighs and groanes c. 4 That they have made seven Addresses to the King ibid. In what sort the Scotch Commissioners joyned with them and the Reasons why they conceal the Scots present dissent from them 5 6 That the King never made any offer fit for them to accept 7 They say they cannot expect that new ingagements should prevaile more with the King then His Oath of Coronation and severall other Vowes which He hath frequently broken 8 That the King in His Speeches and Declarations hath laid a fit maxime for all Tiranny by avowing that He oweth account of His Actions to none but God 9 The match with Spain 10 The Kings having an Agent at Rome ibid. The passages concerning the death of King James 10 11 12 13 Touching the betraying of Rochell 13 14 The bringing in of German Horse 15 Torturing of our bodies with rackes and pillories c. 15 16 The Lording over mens souls 17 Searching of Cabinets ibid. Monopolies and Ship-money 18 The Kings summoning this present Parliament to have assistance against the Scots 19 The King so passionately affected to His malignant Counsellors that He would rather desert His Parliament and Kingdome then deliver them to Law and Justice 19 20 21 The bringing up of the Northern Army 21 22 The Rebellion of Ireland answered together 23 24 25 26 The Kings denying of Commissions to the Lord Wharton Lord Brook 26 They say they need not tell the world how the Scots entred the Kingdom ib. The Lord Digby's attempting the Country with armed Troops 26 The Lord Digby's man hiring a Skipper to be Pilot to a Fleet preparing in Denmarke 27 The Kings Letters to the K. of Denmark touching the Queen his Mother ib. That the King sent away with the Qu. the ancient Jewels of the Crown ib. The King sent a specious Message of renewing a Treaty but His Messenger was to have managed a bloody Massacre pag. 27 28 Touching the Kings march to Brainford pag. 28 The Kings denying to receive their Petitions ibid. All things concerning the Queen answered together pag. 28 29 Touching the Letters written to the Pope pag. 30 The Kings offer of the plunder of London and foure Northerne Counties to the Scots pag. 30 31 Fire works found in Papists houses pag. 31 Of putting the Tower into such hands at the City could not confide in ib. The Track of open force begun in the Kings coming to the House and charging some Members of Treason 32 That the King entred into the Councel-booke that the calling of them a Parliament did not make them so 33 Their standing amazed at the Kings solemne Protestation of having no thought to make War against his Parliament c. ibid. That the King endeavoured to get Powder and Cannon out of Hull ib. That the King proclaimed them Traitors and Rebels and set up his Standard against his Parliament 34 That the King called a Mock-Parliament at Oxford ib. The Kings breach of Trust with the Protestants of France Scotland Ireland c. and His endeavours to enslave them by German Spanish French Danish c. 35 That the King having protested that He would never consent to a Toleration of the Popish Religion nor taking away the Lawes against Recusants did yet by His Letters signifie His consent to the taking of them away ib. That notwithstanding that the Houses and Scotch Commissioners did declare that they held a Personall Treaty not safe yet the Houses yeelded to it 36 That they intimate that the signing of the foure Bils was onely for their security during the Treaty ib. Of the justnesse honourablenesse and necessity of the foure Bils 37 38 That in refusing this their last Application the
King hath forgot His duty to the Kingdome 39 That for these reasons they have taken these resolutions and votes to have no more to doe with His Majesty and to settle the Kingdom without Him 40 The Conclusion setting down the falshood fraud and malice of all that is said in this Declaration 40 41 42 The Royall Apology OR An ANSWER to the DECLARATION of the House of Commons of the 11. of Feb. 1647. in which they expresse the Reasons of their Resolutions for making no more Addresses nor receiving any From His Majesty WHen the Son of Croesus who had never spoken being borne dumbe saw his father ready to be destroyed nature brake open all those ligaments that had formerly tyed up his tongue he cryed out That his Father might be saved The King that ought to be the common Father of us all is stil of his Loyall Subjects is upon the point of being destroyed He is deposed from his right of Governing close imprisoned and no Addresses either to Him or from Him is admitted and which is more His honour and Innocency which are dearer to him then his Life are indeavour'd by this wicked and false Declaration made by the House of Commons to be blasted and Himself rendred to His people and to Posterity the most odious and detestable of Men and the most tyrannicall of Kings whilst He himself is detained in close prison and in likelyhood kept ignorant of what is said or working against Him Or if He for His further vexation have notice of what He is accused all meanes of clearing Himself and vindicating His honour are debarred Him His Papers of the Transaction of Affaires kept from Him the accesse of any of His Secretaries or His Privy Counsell or Counsell of Law not admitted The Houses when they impeach the most capitall Offenders even of high Treason in such Cases the supposed Delinquents are allowed Transcripts of their Accusations Counsell in the point of Law and a convenient time for the publishing of their Answer and this was afforded unto the Earle of Strafford the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and is now to the six Lords impeached of high Treason is a Justice not denyed to Traitors Murderers But how it can be afforded to the King I cannot see since He himself can make no addresse whereby to obtain it and no man else may upon Paine of death make any Addresse unto him to receive his directions This certainly may be a sufficient motive to any man nay to all men as it hath been to me in this distresse and oppression of the King to set down what is in their knowledge and reason toward the confuting of those malicious Aspersions cast upon him by this Declaration untill God shall give the King means by his own full and perfect Answer to blow back the poysonous and infectious vapours into the faces of that prevalent Party that with Art and Terrour carried this Declaration to their perpetuall infamy and shame And in the interim I shall desire that this may be received but onely as a preparative to keep the mindes of men from being too much carried away with one story untill the other Tale be told THe Scope of this Declaration is expressed to be to set down the Reasons for these ensuing Resolutions 1. That they will make no farther Addresses nor Applications to the King 2. That no Application nor Addresses be made to the King by any Person whatsoever without the leave of both Houses 3. That they will receive no more any Message from the King do enjoyn that to Person whatsoever do presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either House of Parliament or to any other Person 4. That the Person or Persons that shall make breach of this Order shall incur the Penalties of high Treason So that it may be justly expected that this Declaration shall lay down unto the people whom they intend to satisfie such Reasons as may justifie the said Votes with the Consequences and proceedings thereupon And the way to make plaine the strength of their Argument is to set it down plainly which must run thus A King having committed those crimes which are set down in this Declaration the Houses may remove from the Government imprison Him and debar all Addresses to him and from him as they have done But King CHARLS hath committed these crimes and so the Houses may proceed against Him as they have done When a clear Answer shall be made unto this Argument the debate will be brought unto a shorter issue and the people before whom the seene now lieth will have an easie way to frame a Judgement whether they ought to be satisfied with the proceeding of the Houses as is pretended by this Declaration or whether they shall not have just cause to detest and abominate both their Declaration and their Proceedings The Answer briefly is That both Propositions are false The first that a King doing those things laid down in this Declaration may be removed from the Government imprison'd c. by the Houses The second is That King Charls hath done the things alleadged in this Declaration But because the second Proposition is that which this Declaration endeavours cheifly to infer and make good This Answer shall first insist upon the truth or falsehood of the matters of fact viz. Whether the King have done the things suggested And afterward shew briefly the Impiety danger and Treasonablenesse of the first viz. That subjects may upon Suggestions if true as they are false depose their King THE entrance into this Declaration is in these Words How fruitlesse our former Addresses have been to the King is well known unto the World It is willingly left unto the Judgement of the World to whom they appeal whether the Addresses of the Houses whilst their Addresses were made unto the King in such dutifull and sober manner as Subjects yea even the Houses themselves ought to addresse themselves unto their King were fruitlesse when so many things have by the King been this Parliament condescended unto as have enforced them to acknowledge in some of their Publike Declarations That the King hath granted more for the liberty and ease of his people then had been granted by any of his Predecessors I think with truth it might have been said then all of them and it will not be amiss to set down some of them The high Court of Star-Chamber The high Commission and five Courts more of Justice all established by Law pretended to be for the ease of the people but apparently much to the lessening of the Authority of the Crown have been wholly abolished an Act for a trienniall Parliament another for the taking away of the Kings undoubted Power of dissolving this without the Consent of the Houses an Act for regulating the power of the Councel Table according to their own desires an Act for the taking away the Bishops Votes in Parliament an Act for the
truly of the whole businesse and the reason for having no more to do with the King grounded upon the Kings last Answer concerning the four Bils they remember not in this their finall Declaration the dissent of the Scots nor their unanswerable Reasons for their said dissent nor the Protestations of the said Commissioners delivered unto the King in the name of the Kingdom of Scotland declaring their dissent to those Propositions for the not yeilding whereunto the King is not only by these Votes deposed in effect and another government without Him set up by themselves but His Royall Person used with greater severity inhumanity then theeves and murderers are in the common gaols for to them it is permitted to have the comfort of Physitians for the body and of Divines for their souls whereas to the King there is no meanes left to aske them The reason why they conceal this dissent of the Scots is for that they would have the Kings refusall of the Bils to be ascribed only to his wilfulnesse and to his persisting in his wonted wayes as they call it but would not have the people thinke that the King had many of his mind whereas if the truth might appear it would be found that few besides that prevalent party in the lower House and Army with the Sectaries depending on them that hold not their Propositions most unreasonable and their usage of the King most detestable Further if the former assent and concurrence of the Scots with them be used as an argument for the countenancing and better justifying of their former Treatise and Propositions their present dissent and their unanswerable reasons set down in their Declaration against the four Bils against their deniall of the King a Personall Treaty and against his want of freedom together with their solemn Protestation grounded upon them in the name of the whole Kingdome ought in reason at least to put a stand upon mens judgements untill all tales be told and not be carried away by a Declaration of the single House of Commons without the concurrance of the Peers and not passed unanimously in that House but by the power of a prevalent party For whosoever shall consider the former brotherhood and strict union betwixt the Houses and the Scots and how subservient they have been unto them and their affaires how they have twice entred this Kingdom The first time by their invitement The second time by their most earnest solicitation and hire and how the Scots choose rather the adherence to them then unto their owne native King how far they gratifie them by delivery of him into their hands and how they were become brothers in Interests in Armes in Covenant whosoever shall consider this strict conjunction cannot but thinke that the Scots have some great reason of Conscience Interest and Honour for their present deserting of them in these their new demands and rigorous way of proceeding with the King The nation hath seldom been charged with want of prudence or dexterity in their actions the Houses have found as to them great justness and punctuality in their proceedings by comming in according to agreement and by going out according to promise but now finding not onely their Covenants and Agreements cluded but the very grounds and true ends for which they say they entred into Covenant and joyntly took up Armes viz. The reformation and conformity in Religion the defence of the Kings Person honour and just greatnesse with the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom c. If they now find that the ways which the now prevalent party do pursue are destructive to them all and diametricall opposite to these settlements which they have alwayes declared to intend as if instead of conformity in Religion there shal be brought in tolerated a multitude of Heresies and Sects If instead of the Kings honour safety and greatnesse they that have had more then a hundred Kings shall see Monarchy intended to be levelled and the person of their native King worse used then a thief or murtherer in a Gaole If they shall see all Law Liberty property of the Subject endeavoured to be settled under the arbitrary tyrannicall Power of a prevalent party and an over-awing Army If all these things be who can wonder if the Scots have changed their way and concurrence when they find all those Principles upon which they were engaged to be totally changed It hath therefore been wisdom in this Declaration to mention the Scots former concurrence and to passe by their present dissent the cause whereof they knew will not indure the searching They then say the King never made any offer fit for them to accept It seems the Scots are of another mind who declare their judgements to be that his offers from Carisbrooke-Castle might have given satisfaction But since they will never remember any thing but that which is for their advantage it will be fit to put them in mind of some petty slight offers that by the King have been made unto them leaving aside his generall Request unto them That they would set down together all such means as would give them satisfaction whereunto they should recive a gracious and satisfactory answer to all that they could justly or reasonably desire but this being in January 1642. time may have worne it out of memory But they may remember his offers from Holdenby from Hampton-Court and from Carisbrooke-Castle In them He offered the settling of Religion in the Presbyterian way which was that which themselves had Voted for three years and then to be fully settled as should be agreed on by their owne assembly of Divines only with the addition of twenty to be nominated by Himself to the end that before a full and finall settlement all reasons might be heard yet no doubt might be raised of carrying any thing by plurality of Votes since those nominated by themselves were four times the number He hath offered to put the whole power of the Kingdom both by sea and land into their hands during the whole terme of His Reigne And for the civill Government he hath offred them the nomination of all those Ministers by whom the Kingdome is to be governed He hath offred a generall pardon an Act of oblivion which is an important point if that be true which Sir Edw. Cooke Judge Jenkins and all the books of Law do tell us or that the Army have not changed their minds who a few moneths since did declare that no Indempnity could be safe without the Royall assent and that they would not be satisfied with any other He hath offred 400000. Pounds to be pay'd in the space of one year and an halfe for the payment of the arrears of the Army But all these trifles are not worthy to be remembred although their memory doth serve them better when they come to make up the Catalogue of these false and scandalous reproaches wherewith they revile their King the Lords Anointed But whereas
his publique printed Answers declared That He would except no man of what quality or nearnesse soever unto Him from any legall Tryall according to the Law He did leave unto their Justice the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Earl of Strafford all the Judges and whomsoever they would accuse insomuch that they examined and committed the Queenes Confessor and examined the Ladies of Her bed-chamber And their Sergeant at Armes presumed so far as to come into the Kings withdrawing-roome next unto His Bed-chamber to cite and summon Persous of greatest quality and nearnesse unto Himselfe insomuch that out of shame the King hath bin forced to withdraw Himselfe into his bed-chamber notwithstanding that the Law saith that a Lord cannot in the Kings presence seize his slave or villian that hath rnn from him And from the third of November 1640 untill the 10. of January 1641. when the King was driven out of London then was no man Counseller Judge or Person of what quality soever exempt from their Justice And to shew how willing He was to satisfy them that Hee would not interrupt or hinder the course of Justice He gave way to that which some Princes would rather have adventured a War then have condescended unto which was his giving leave to His privy Counsell that had bin sworn to keep secret whatsoever passed in Councell to be examined upon Oath of what had passed in his own Presence most secret cabinet Counsell against one of their own fellows in a capitall Cause which is likely hereafter to cause him to be served with caution when men shall not know how soon they may be questioned for that which they do advise which is in effect against themselves for if one shall be accused of Treason the rest likewise may be questioned for Concealment They speak of some that fled fearing to be questioned certainly they had great reason so to do when their proceeding was such as not to be guilty but only to be accused was certain ruine or imprisonment for many yeers divers having languished two or three years in Prison the Arch bishop of Canterbury was almost four yeers in prison before he was put to death And such as observed the proceedings with the earl of Strafford would not willingly how innocent soever fall into their hands if it were to be avoyded for they may remember how by the procurement of some amongst them tumults multitudes surrounded the House of Peers crying Justice justice and they would have the Traytors head They may remember their posting up of 59. Members of the house of Commons that would not give their Votes to the Bill of Attainder of the Earl If they have forgotten it their own Historiographer Mr. May may put them in minde of it They may likewise remember that at the same time upon an empty Tun rolled from a Tavern doore a list of the Lords names whom they called Malignants was read in the midst of that rabble in the Palace yard and although the House of Peeres then represented these violences to the House of Commons they could never obtein their assistance to suppresse them or to declare against them and they may remember whether it was not said amongst them that they should doe ill to discountenance their freinds On the other side let it be remembred how many Counsellers who have bin Actors in all the pretended Exorbitancies of the Star-chamber Councel-table high CoÌ„missiion being once become persons in whom they might confide were left unquestioned Let them remember that when they expelled all such Monopolers as they judged affectionate to the King whether they left not some others of their favorites sitting amongst them untill this day But for that it would be too long to instance in many things of this kinde as having imployed the most infamous Projectors and Catchpoles in their service they shall only be put in minde of one particular of an eminent Member of their House who would have presented a Petition agâ—inst a great Counsellour who was much favored by Mr. Pym and others who having gotten notice of the Contents thereof would never permit it to be read in the House but the said party having worn out three Copies in his pocket engrossed it in parchment but ever when he stood up to speake Mr. Pym or some other appointed to watch him interrupted him with speaking to the Orders of the House which are alwayes to have the precedency this for many months together insomuch as the said petitioÌ„ could never be read As for the Kings deserting of His Parliament it hath bin so often answered that it is a shame to repeat it only this shall be added that the King did not desert his Parliament but was forced in great haste to fly for the safety of his Person which would the next day have bin in great hazard of being seized And although this present house of commons be not charg'd wth any such intention such resolutions passing few hands and that there are very few left there now that were trusted with that secret yet it hath bin confessed and is under the hand of a person that hath bin very active in their service and who should have bin a principall Actor in it Then followeth that thread-bare businesse of bringing up of the Northern Army so often objected and so often scorn'd by those that knew the mistery of it which if the King had endeavour'd to have won to His service and full adherence He had done like a wise and prudent Prince neither had there bin any cause for the concealing or not avowing of any such endeavour if it had bin so For it is well known by whom that army was endeavour'd to be seduc'd from the kings service from the Earl of Strafford who was their Generall nor was the Earl ignorant therof neither would he have fai'ld in his proofs having it in his thoughts speedily to have impeached severall persons of high Treason for tampering with the said Army as is well known not to a few sitting still amongst them at Westminster but they by their diligence got it by the hand by impeaching him a day or two before his impeachment against them was ready which cost him his life Besides they know the person that started this hare among them hath often clear'd the king that it was impossible that the K. should know of the proposition of the bringing up the Army wch was his own motion was by some rejected as a thing too high not liked by others for that he would have the cheif command of the Action which would not be condescended unto whereupon out of discontent he went immediately and made his discovery to the lower house without ever seeing the king but there had been some speech before of a petition to be procur'd from the Army which was published what knowledge the King might have of preferring such a petition is not known to the writer of this answer but the
party that first gave the houses notice of this busines hath often sworn that all he said concerning the King in this businesse was in relation to the said petition but that the King could never have nor had notice of the proposition of bringing up the Northern Amy for that being his own motion he presently seeing it disapproved especially his having the cheif Command and Conduct of the Action revealed it before the King could possibly have knowledge of it which party is yet living and certainly will avow as much But presupposing the King should have gotten knowledge of the motion which doth in nothing appear the King seeing the great tumults the great hazard that his own person was in as well as the freedom of Parliament might He not have reason by His own Army raised by Himselfe and payed by His own moneys as it had bin for many moneths endeavored to have secured His own safety and the freedom of Parliament without cōmitting any such crime as meriteth to be deposed or used as now He is Let it be compared with that which the now prevalent Party in the houses have don who seeing themselves like to be over-awed by the presbyterian party finding no other means not to be overborne thought it fit to have recourse unto the present Army of Independents although the then house of Cōmons had voted a petition of the said Army to be burnt such to be enemies of the State as should adhere thereunto yet the army was drawn up towards London the house forced to sequester eleven of their most eminent members when the City or Apprentices had restored the said 11 Members as they had in former times don the five Members the Speaker all such as had deserted the parliament had fled to the army were by force again reestablished the new Speaker M. Pelham was unchaired and all that party were driven away some forced to fly others were impeached the now prevalent party possessed themselves again of the houses the power they now have of deposing the King keeping of Him Prisoner There is a great dfference betwixt what they have really don by this army for the turning upside down the Parliament and what was ever spoken of of the Northern Army But Successe and Power will make the same things though acted commendable in those that prevail which they will have capitall in those who never passed further then discourse They then begin to speak of the tyrany towards Scotl. Ireland c. For that of Scotland which is formerly answered I shall only ad the ful satisfaction which the Kingdome of Scotland received by their own acknowledgment expressed by a petition made since the Kings last coming from Scotl. viz. That Whereas The Kings most sacred Majesty's royall zeal constant resolution of maintaining the true Religion preserving the laws liberties of these kingdoms is so undoubted that to call it in que c. could not be construed in any but an unchristian distrustfulnes in us his Ma. Subjests of this His aucient native kingdom the height of disloyalty ingratitude if we should harbor any scruple or thought to the contrary having so many real recent evidences of his Royall goodnes justice Wisdom in setling establishing the trne Religion the Laws Liberties of this His kingdom to the full satisfaction of all his good subjects And nevertheles prerceiving by his Ma' Declarations other printed papers that foul malicious aspersions are cast on his Ma. tending to be and his sacred person deprave his royal Govern ' c. we conceive our selves bound in duty to almighty God by whom we have sworn to defeud maintain the person greatnes authority of our dread Soveraign Gods vicegerent to the utmost with our means lives in every cause which may concern his honor as may apear by that which by the warrant of the Act of the generall Assembly we have all sworn signed to our king country and to that we ow to our honor reputation to represent to your Lps. the desires we have to expresse make known to his Ma. all the world that we are fully satisfied and perswaded of his Majesties royal zeal resolution that malice detraction cannot prevail to make the least impression in our loyal hearts of jealousie or distrust And therfore we have taken the boldnes humbly to petition your Lps. That as his Majesty hath graciously condescended in his letter to your Lps. printed by your warrant for satisfaction of his good subjects to expresse his Royal goodnes desire that all grounds of jealousy may be kept and removed out of the hearts of his good Subjects of this Kingdom So it may please your Lordships to think vpon some course that his Majesty reciprocally may be cleered and assured of our constant affection c. and that we are not so unthankefull to God or to his Vice-gerent nor so little tender of our own honor and credit as to forget so soone that duty incumbent to us by so many obligations and so often promised by us in our foresaid solemn Oathes which are published to the view of the whole World c. As for the Rebellion in Ireland they make use of this to the same end they do of all things else in their Declaration That knowing that horrid rebellion to be so detestable to all men as it justly deserveth they would fain draw part of the hatred of it on the king although it be with never so improbable or false pretext And they think in the meane time that it will serve the present turn of making the king odious till He may have means to cleer it by His answer which they never intend to afford Him untill they have established their tyranny and then they will not care to be fought against with papers But their Declaration in this point of Ingland besides that the points conteined in it have been so often answered in print doth so confound all times all actions either in the War or whilest there was a Cessation and all the circumstances and reasons which may justify such actions at one time as might be blameable at another that the answere must be applyed to the generall Scope of the Declaration which is to insinuate unto the world that the King did abet and favour the Rebellion which not only the Kings many Declarations but his reall and effectuall actions do evince of falsehood and detestable malice For He did wholy put the Irish businesse and the prosecution of the businesse into the hands management of the two Houses and consented to an act of parliament giving them power to raise men mony and all other necessary provision for that war notwithstanding that they had subtilly inserted into the preamble of the said Act a clause debatring Him and His successors from the power