hath shed his Or if the guilt of our great Sins cause this Treaty to break off in vain Lord let the Truth clearly appear who those men are which under pretence of the Publick Good do pursue their own private ends that this People may be no longer so blindly miserable as not to see at least in this their day the things that belong unto their Peace Grant this gracious God for His sake who is our Peace it self even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen III. A Prayer drawn by His MAJESTY's special directions for a Blessing on the Treaty at Newport in the Isle of Wight O Most merciful Father Lord God of Peace and Truth we a People sorely afflicted by the scourge of an unnatural War do here earnestly beseech Thee to command a Blessing from Heaven upon this Treaty brought about by Thy Providence and the only visible remedy left for the establishment of an happy Peace Soften the most obdurate hearts with a true Christian desire of saving those mens blood for whom Christ himself hath shed His. O Lord let not the guilt of our Sins cause this Treaty to break off but let the Truth of Thy Spirit so clearly shine in our minds that all private ends laid aside we may every one of us heartily and sincerely pursue the Publick Good and that thy People may be no longer so blindly miserable as not to see at least in this their day the things that belong unto their Peace Grant this gracious God for His sake who is our Peace it self even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen IV. A Prayer for Pardon of Sin ALmighty and most merciful Father look down upon Me thy unworthy Servant who here prostrate My self at the Footstool of thy Throne of Grace but look upon Me O Father through the Mediation and in the Merits of Jesus Christ in whom Thou art only well pleased for of My self I am not worthy to stand before Thee or to speak with my unclean lips to Thee most Holy and Eternal God For as in sin I was conceived and born so likewise I have broken all thy Commandments by my sinful Motions unclean Thoughts evil Words and wicked Works omitting many Duties I ought to do and committing many Vices which Thou hast forbidden under pain of thy heavy displeasure As for my Sins O Lord they are innumerable wherefore I stand here liable to all the Miseries in this life and everlasting Torments in that to come if Thou shouldst deal with Me according to My deserts I confess O Lord that it is Thy Mercy which endureth for ever and Thy Compassion which never fails which is the cause that I have not been long ago consumed But with Thee there is Mercy and plenteous Redemption In the multitude therefore of thy Mercies and by the Merits of Jesus Christ I entreat thy Divine Majesty that Thou wouldst not enter into Judgement with thy Servant nor be extream to mark what is done amiss but be Thou merciful unto Me and wash away all my Sins with that precious Blood that my Saviour shed for Me. And I beseech Thee O Lord not only to wash away all my Sins but also to purge my Heart by thy Holy Spirit from the dross of my natural Corruption And as Thou dost add days to my Life so Good Lord I beseech Thee to add Repentance to my days that when I have pass'd this mortal life I may be partaker of thy everlasting Kingdom through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen V. A Prayer and Confession in and for the times of Affliction ALmighty and most merciful Father as it is only Thy goodness that admits of our imperfect Prayers and the knowledge that Thy Mercies are infinite which can give us any hope of Thy accepting or granting them so it is our bounden and necessary Duty to confess our Sins freely unto Thee And of all men living I have most need most reason so to do no man living having been so much obliged by Thee that degree of Knowledge which Thou hast given Me adding likewise to the guilt of my Transgressions For was it through Ignorance that I suffered innocent blood to be shed by a false pretended way of Justice or that I permitted a wrong way of thy Worship to be set up in Scotland and injured the Bishops in England O no but with shame and grief I confess that I therein followed the perswasions of worldly Wisdom forsaking the Dictates of a right-informed Conscience Wherefore O Lord I have no excuse to make no hope left but in the multitude of Thy Mercies for I know my Repentance weak and my Prayers faulty Grant therefore merciful Father so to strengthen my Repentance and amend my Prayers that Thou maist clear the way for thine own Mercies to which O let thy Justice at last give place putting a speedy end to my deserved Afflictions In the mean time give Me Patience to endure Constancy against Temptations and a discerning spirit to chuse what is best for Thy Church and People which Thou hast committed to My Charge Grant this O most merciful Father for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake our only Saviour Amen VI. A Prayer in time of Captivity O Powerful and eternal God to whom nothing is so great that it may resist or so small that it is contemned look upon My Misery with Thine Eye of Mercy and let thy infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proportion of deliverance unto Me as to Thee shall seem most convenient Let not injury O Lord triumph over Me and let my faults by Thy Hand be corrected and make not my unjust Enemies the Ministers of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest chastisement for my unexcusable Transgressions if this ungrateful bondage be fittest for my over-high desires if the pride of my not enough humble Heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto Thy Will and chearfully embrace what sorrow Thou wilt have Me suffer Only thus much let Me crave of Thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of since it even proceeds from Thee that by thy Goodness which is Thy self Thou wilt suffer some beam of thy Majesty so to shine in my mind that I who acknowledge it my noblest Title to be Thy Creature may still in my greatest Afflictions depend confidently on Thee Let Calamity be the exercise but not the overthrow of my Vertue O let not their prevailing power be to My Destruction And if it be thy Will that they more and more vex Me with punishment yet O Lord never let their Wickedness have such a hand but that I may still carry a pure mind and stedfast resolution ever to serve Thee without Fear or Presumption yet with that humble Confidence which may best please Thee so that at the last I may come to thy eternal Kingdom through the Merits of thy Son our alone Saviour Jesus Christ Amen VII A Prayer in time of imminent Danger O Most merciful Father
attain to that Kingdom of Peace in my Heart and in thy Heaven which Christ hath purchased and thou wilt give to thy Servant tho a Sinner for my Saviours sake Amen II. Vpon the Earl of STRAFFORD's Death I Looked upon my Lord of Strafford as a Gentleman whose great Abilities might make a Prince rather afraid than ashamed to employ him in the greatest affairs of State For those were prone to create in him great confidence of undertakings and this was like enough to betray him to great errors and many enemies Whereof he could not but contract good store while moving in so high a sphear and with so vigorous a lustre he must needs as the Sun raise many envious exhalations which condensed by a Popular Odium were capable to cast a cloud upon the brightest Merit and Integrity Though I cannot in my Judgment approve all he did driven it may be by the necessities of Times and the Temper of that People more than led by his own disposition to any height and rigor of actions yet I could never be convinced of any such Criminousness in him as willingly to expose his life to the stroke of Justice and Malice of his Enemies I never met with a more unhappy conjuncture of affairs than in the business of that unfortunate Earl when between my own unsatisfiedness in Conscience and a necessity as some told Me of satisfying the importunities of some people I was perswaded by those that I think wished Me well to chuse rather what was safe than what seemed just preferring the outward Peace of my Kingdoms with men before that inward exactness of Conscience before God And indeed I am so far from excusing or denying that compliance on My part for plenary consent it was not to his destruction whom in my Judgment I thought not by any clear Law guilty of Death that I never bare any touch of Conscience with greater regret which as a sign of my Repentance I have often with sorrow confessed both to God and men as an act of so sinful frailty that it discovered more a fear of Man than of God whose name and place on Earth no man is worthy to bear who will avoid inconveniencies of State by acts of so high injustice as no publick convenience can expiate or compensate I see it a bad exchange to wound a mans own Conscience thereby to salve State sores to calm the storms of Popular discontents by stirring up a tempest in a mans own bosome Nor hath Gods Justice failed in the event and sad consequences to shew the world the fallacy of that Maxime Better one man perish tho unjustly than the people be displeased or destroyed For In all likelihood I could never have suffered with my people greater calamities yet with greater comfort had I vindicated Strafford's Innocency at least by denying to sign that destructive BILL according to that Justice which my Conscience suggested to Me than I have done since I gratified some mens unthankful importunities with so cruel a favour And I have observed that those who counselled Me to sign that BILL have been so far from receiving the rewards of such ingratiatings with the People that no men have been harassed and crushed more than they He only hath been least vexed by them who counselled Me not to consent against the Vote of my own Conscience I hope God hath forgiven Me and them the sinful rashness of that business To which being in my Soul so fully conscious those Judgments God hath pleased to send upon Me are so much the more welcome as a means I hope which his Mercy hath sanctified so to Me as to make Me repent of that unjust Act for so it was to Me and for the future to teach Me That the best rule of Policy is to prefer the doing of Justice before all enjoyments and the Peace of my Conscience before the preservation of my Kingdoms Nor hath any thing more fortified my resolutions against all those violent importunities which since have sought to gain a like consent from Me to Acts wherein my Conscience is unsatisfied than the sharp touches I have had for what passed Me in my Lord of Strafford's Business Not that I resolved to have employed him in my Affairs against the advice of my Parliament but I would not have had any hand in his Death of whose Guiltlesness I was better assured than any man living could be Nor were the Crimes objected against him so clear as after a long and fair hearing to give convincing satisfaction to the Major part of both Houses especially that of the Lords of whom scarce a third part were present when the Bill passed that House And for the House of Commons many Gentlemen disposed enough to diminish my Lord of Strafford's greatness and power yet unsatisfied of his guilt in Law durst not condemn him to die who for their Integrity in their Votes were by Posting their Names exposed to the popular calumny hatred and fury which grew then so exorbitant in their clamours for Justice that is to have both My self and the two Houses Vote and do as they would have us that many 't is thought were rather terrified to concur with the condemning party than satisfied that of right they ought so to do And that after-Act vacating the Authority of the precedent for future imitation sufficiently tells the world that some remorse touched even his most implacable Enemies as knowing he had very hard measure and such as they would be very loath should be repeated to themselves This tenderness and regret I find in my Soul for having had any hand and that very unwillingly God knows in shedding one mans blood unjustly tho under the colour and formalities of Justice and pretences of avoiding publick mischiefs which may I hope be some evidence before God and Man to all Posterity that I am far from bearing justly the vast load and guilt of all that Blood which hath been shed in this unhappy War which some men will needs charge on Me to ease their own Souls who am and ever shall be more afraid to take away any mans life unjustly than to lose My own But Thou O God of infinite mercies forgive Me that act of sinful compliance which hath greater aggravations upon Me than any man Since I had not the least temptation of Envy or Malice against him and by My place should at least so far have been a preserver of him as to have denied my consent to his destruction O Lord I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before Me. Deliver Me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Against Thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight for Thou sawest the contradiction between my heart and my hand Yet cast Me not away from thy presence purge Me with the Blood of my Redeemer and I shall be clean wash Me with that precious effusion and I shall be whiter
Majesty having by His Proclamation of the 22. of December upon the occasion of the Invasion threatned and in part begun by some of His Subjects of Scotland summoned all the Members of both Houses of Parliament to attend him here at Oxford we whose Names are under-written are here met and Assembled in obedience to those His Majesty's Commands His Majesty was pleased to invite us in the said Proclamation by these gracious expressions That His Subjects should see how willing He was to receive Advice for the preservation of the Religion Laws and Safety of the Kingdom and as far as in Him lay to restore it to its former Peace and Security His chief and only end from those whom they had trusted though He could not receive it in the Place where He appointed This most gracious Invitation hath not only been made good unto us but seconded and heightned by such unquestionable Demonstrations of the deep and Princely sense which possesses His Royal Heart of the Miseries and Calamities of His poor Subjects in this unnatural War and of His most entire and passionate Affections to redeem them from that sad and deplorable condition by all ways possible consistent either with His Honour or with the future Safety of the Kingdom that as it were Impiety to question the Sincerity of them so were it great want of Duty and Faithfulness in us His Majesty having vouchsafed to declare that He did call us to be Witnesses of His Actions and privy to His Intentions should we not testifie and witness to all the World the assurance we have of the Piety and sincerity of both We being most entirely satisfied of this truth we cannot but confess that amidst our highest afflictions in the deep and piercing sense of the present Miseries and Desolations of our Country and those farther Dangers threatned from Scotland we are at length erected to some chearful and comfortable thoughts that possibly we may yet by God's Mercy if his Justice have not determined this Nation for its Sins to total Ruine and Desolation hope to be happy Instruments of our Countries Redemption from the Miseries of War and restitution to the Blessings of Peace And we being desirous to believe your Lordship howsoever ingaged a person likely to be sensibly touched with these considerations have thought fit to invite you to that part in this blessed Work which is only capable to repair all our misfortunes and to buoy up the Kingdom from Ruine that is by conjuring you by all the Obligations that have Power upon Honour Conscience or publick Piety that laying to heart as we do the inwardly-bleeding condition of your Country and the outward more menacing Destruction by a Foreign Nation upon the very point of invading it you will co-operate with us to its Preservation by truly representing to and faithfully and industriously promoving with those by whom you are trusted this following most sincere and most earnest desire of ours That they joyning with us in a right sense of the past present and more threatning Calamities of this deplorable Kingdom some persons be appointed on either part and a place agreed on to treat of such a Peace as may yet redeem it from the brink of Desolation This Address we should not have made but that His Majesty's Summons by which we are met most graciously proclaiming Pardon to all without exception is evidence enough that His Mercy and Clemency can transcend all former Provocations and that He hath not only made us witnesses of His Princely Intentions but honoured us also with the name of being Security for them God Almighty direct your Lordship and those to whom you shall present these our most real desires in such a course as may produce that happy Peace and Settlement of the present Distractions which is so heartily desired and prayed for by us and which may make us Your c. From Oxford the 27. of Jan. 1643. We are not ashamed of that earnest meek and Christian request we made in that Letter though it was cryed through London Streets in scorn as the Petition of the Prince and Duke of York for Peace and we thought it would have prevailed to have procured a Treaty for so blessed a thing as Peace and for such an end as redeeming the Kingdom from Desolation the only desire of that our Letter But instead of a compliance with us in this Christian work of Treaty and Accommodation we received a mere frivolous Answer or rather a paper of Scorn in form of a Letter directed to the Earl of Forth wherein was inclosed a Printed paper called A National Covenant of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and two other Papers in writing one called A Declaration of both those Kingdoms and the other A Declaration of the Kingdom of Scotland Pamphlets full of Treason Sedition and Disloyalty which being publick and needless here to be inserted the Copy of the Letter hereafter followeth My Lord I Received this day a Letter of the nine and twentieth of this instant from your Lordship and a Parchment subscribed by the Prince Duke of York and divers other Lords and Gentlemen but it neither having Address to the two Houses of Parliament nor therein there being any acknowledgment of them I could not communicate it to them My Lord the maintenance of the Parliament of England and of the Privileges thereof is that for which we are all resolved to spend our blood as being the foundation whereupon all our Laws and Liberties are built I send your Lordship herewith a National Covenant solemnly entred into by both the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and a Declaration passed by them both together with another Declaration of the Kingdom of Scotland I rest Your Lordships humble Servant Essex Essex-House Jan. 30. 1643. Whosoever considers this Letter will easily find it was fully understood to whom ours was desired to be communicated under the expression of those by whom their General was trusted And although it be pretended because there was no Address to the two Houses of Parliament nor ackuowledgment of them it could not be communicated to them it is notoriously known he did so far impart it that a Committee of theirs advised the Answer and it appears by the penning they all concurred in the resolution therein mentioned whereby it is evident that this was but an excuse framed to avoid a Treaty And what could that printed Covenant and two Declarations enclosed signifie but to let us know that before we come to any Treaty we must also joyn in that Covenant with them for the absolute extirpation of Church-Government here without nay though against the Kings Consent submit the Lives Liberties and Estates of us and all those who according to their Allegiance have assisted His Majesty to their Mercy and admit and justifie the Invasion from Scotland according to the plain sense of their Declaration which all indifferent Men will think strange Preparatives to a Treaty for Peace and after such
actions But Thou O Lord who hast in so remarkable a way avenged thy Servant suffer Me not to take any secret pleasure in it for as his death hath satisfied the Injury he did to Me so let Me not by it gratifie any Passion in Me lest I make thy vengeance to be mine and consider the affront against Me more than the sin against Thee Thou indeed without any desire or endeavour of Mine hast made his mischief to return on his own head and his violent dealing to come down on his own pate Thou hast pleaded my Cause even before the sons of men and taken the matter into thine own hands That men may know it was thy work and see that Thou Lord hast done it I do not I dare not say So let mine Enemies perish O Lord yea Lord rather give them Repentance Pardon and impunity if it be thy blessed will Let not thy Justice prevent the objects and opportunities of My Mercy yea let them live and amend who have most offended Me in so high a nature that I may have those to forgive who bear most proportion in their offences to those trespasses against thy Majesty which I hope thy Mercy hath forgiven Me. Lord lay not their sins who yet live to their charge for condemnation but to their Consciences for amendment Let the lightning of this thunderbolt which hath been so severe a punishment to one be a terror to all Discover to them their sin who know not they have done amiss and scare them from their sin that sin of malicious wickedness That preventing thy Judgments by their true Repentance they may escape the strokes of thine eternal Vengeance And do Thou O Lord establish the Throne of thy Servant in mercy and truth meeting together let My Crown ever flourish in righteousness and peace kissing each other Hear my Prayer O Lord who hast taught us to pray for to do good to and to love our Enemies for thy sake who hast prevented us with offertures of thy love even when we were thine enemies and hast sent thy Son Jesus Christ to die for us when we were disposed to crucisie him IX Vpon the listing and raising Armies against the KING I Find that I am at the same point and posture I was when they forced Me to leave White-hall what Tumults could not do an Army must which is but Tumults listed and enrolled to a better order but as bad an End My recess hath given them confidence that I may be conquered And so I easily may as to any outward strength which God knows is little or none at all But I have a Soul invincible through Gods grace enabling Me here I am sure to be Conqueror if God will give Me such a measure of Constancy as to fear him more than man and to love the inward peace of my Conscience before any outward tranquillity And must I be opposed with Force because they have not Reason wherewith to convince Me O my Soul be of good courage they confess their known weakness as to Truth and Justice who chuse rather to contend by Armies than by Arguments Is this the reward and thanks that I am to receive for those many Acts of Grace I have lately passed and for those many Indignities I have endured Is there no way left to make Me a Glorious KING but by my Sufferings It is hard and disputable choice for a King that loves his People and desires their love either to kill his own Subjects or to be killed by them Are the hazards and miseries of Civil War in the bowels of my most flourishing Kingdom the fruits I must now reap after Seventeen years living and Reigning among them with such a measure of Justice Peace Plenty and Religion as all Nations about either admired or envied Notwithstanding some Miscarriages in Government which might escape rather through ill counsel of some men driving on their private ends or the peevishness of others envying the Publick should be managed without them or the hidden and insuperable necessities of State than any propensity I hope of My self either to Injuriousness or Oppression Whose innocent blood during my Reign have I shed to satisfy my Lust Anger or Covetousness What Widows or Orphans tears can witness against Me the just cry of which must now be avenged with My own Blood For the hazards of War are equal nor doth the Cannon know any respect of Persons In vain is my Person excepted by a Parenthesis of Words when so many hands are Armed against Me with Swords God knows how much I have studied to see what Ground of Justice is alledged for this War against Me that so I might by giving just satisfaction either prevent or soon end so unnatural a motion which to many men seems rather the production of a surfeit of Peace and wantonness of minds or of private discontents Ambition and Faction which easily find or make causes of quarrel than any real obstruction of publick Justice or Parliamentary Priviledg But this is pretended and this I must be able to avoid and answer before God in my own Conscience however some men are not willing to believe Me lest they should condemn themselves When I first withdrew from White-hall to see if I could allay the Insolency of the Tumults of the not suppressing of which no account in Reason can be given where an orderly Guard was granted but only to oppress both Mine and the Two Houses freedom of declaring and voting according to every mans Conscience what obstructions of Justice were there further than this that what seemed just to one man might not seem so to another Whom did I by power protect against the Justice of Parliament That some men withdrew who feared the partiality of their tryal warned by my Lord of Strafford's death while the Vulgar threatned to be their Oppressors and Judgers of their Judges was from that instinct which is in all creatures to preserve themselves If any others refused to appear where they evidently saw the current of Justice and Freedom so stopped and troubled by the Rabble that their lawful Judges either durst not come to the Houses or not declare their sense with liberty and safety it cannot seem strange to any reasonable man when the sole exposing them to the publick Odium was enough to ruine them before their Cause could be heard or tried Had not factious Tumults overborn the Freedom and Honor of the Two Houses had they asserted their Justice against them and made the way open for all the Members quietly to come and declare their Consciences I know no man so dear to Me whom I had the least inclination to advise either to withdraw himself or deny appearing upon their Summons to whose Sentence according to Law I think every Subject bound to stand Distempers indeed were risen to so great a height for want of timely repressing the vulgar Insolencies that the greatest guilt of those which were Voted and demanded as Delinquents was
and encrease the holy fire of thy Graces on the Altar of my Heart whence the sacrifice of Prayers and incense of Praises might be duly offered up to Thee Yet O Thou that breakest not the bruised Reed nor quenchest the smoaking Flax do not despise the weakness of my Prayers nor the smotherings of my Soul in this uncomfortable loneness to which I am constrained by some mens uncharitable denials of those helps which I much want and no less desire O let the hardness of Their Hearts occasion the softnings of mine to Thee and for them Let their Hatred kindle my Love let their unreasonable denials of my Religious desires the more excite my Prayers to Thee Let their inexorable deafness encline thine ear to Me who art a God easy to be entreated Thine Ear is not heavy that it cannot nor thy Heart hard that it will not hear nor thy Hand shortned that it cannot help Me thy desolate Suppliant Thou permittest men to deprive Me of those outward means which Thou hast appointed in thy Church but they cannot debar Me from the communion of that inward Grace which Thou alone breathest into humble hearts O make Me such and Thou wilt teach Me Thou wilt hear Me Thou wilt help Me the broken and contrite heart I know Thou wilt not despise Thou O Lord canst at once make Me thy Temple thy Priest thy Sacrifice and thine Altar while from an humble Heart I alone daily offer up in holy Meditations fervent Prayers and unfeigned Tears my self to Thee who preparest Me for Thee dwellest in Me and acceptest of Me. Thou O Lord didst cause by secret supplies and miraculous infusions that the handful of meal in the vessel should not spend nor the little Oyl in the cruise fail the Widow during the time of drought and dearth O look on my Soul which as a Widow is now desolate and forsaken let not those saving truths I have formerly learned now fail my memory nor the sweet effusions of thy Spirit which I have sometime felt now be wanting to my Heart in this Famine of ordinary and wholsome food for the refreshing of my Soul Which yet I had rather chuse than to feed from those hands who mingle my bread with ashes and my wine with gall rather tormenting than teaching Me whose mouths are proner to bitter Reproaches of Me than to hearty Prayers for Me. Thou knowest O Lord of Truth how oft they wrest thy Holy Scriptures to my destruction which are clear for their Subjection and my Preservation O let it not be to their damnation Thou knowest how some men under colour of long Prayers have sought to devour the houses of their Brethren their King and their God O let not those mens Balms break my head nor their Cordials oppress my heart I will evermore pray against their Wickedness From the poison under their tongues from the snares of their lips from the fire and the swords of their words ever deliver Me O Lord and all those Loyal and Religious hearts who desire and delight in the prosperity of my Soul and who seek by their Prayers to relieve this Sadness and Solitude of thy Servant O my King and my God XXV Penitential Meditations and Vows in the KING's Solitude at Holdenby GIve ear to my words O Lord consider my Meditation and hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto Thee will I pray I said in mine hast I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes nevertheless Thou hearest the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee If Thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss who can abide it But there is mercy with Thee that Thou mayest be feared therefore shall sinners fly unto Thee I acknowledg my Sins before Thee which have the aggravation of my Condition the eminency of my Place adding weight to my Offences Forgive I beseech Thee my personal and my peoples Sins which are so far Mine as I have not improved The power thou gavest Me to thy Glory and my Subjects good Thou hast now brought Me from the glory and freedom of a King to be a Prisoner to my own Subjects justly O Lord as to thy over-ruling hand because in many things I have rebelled against Thee Tho Thou hast restrained my Person yet enlarge my Heart to Thee and thy Grace towards Me. I come far shart of David's Piety yet since I may equal David's Afflictions give Me also the Comforts and the sure Mercies of David Let the penitent sense I have of my Sins be an evidence to Me that Thou hast pardoned them Let not the Evils which I and my Kingdoms have suffered seem little unto Thee the Thou hast not punished us according to our Sins Turn Thee O Lord unto Me have mercy upon Me for I am desolate and afflicted The sorrows of my Heart are enlarged O bring Thou Me out of my Troubles Hast Thou forgotten to be gracious and shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure O remember thy Compassions of old and thy loving kindnesses which have been for many generations I had utterly fainted if I had not believed to see thy Goodness in the land of the living Let not the sins of our Prosperity deprive us of the benefit of thy Afflictions Let this fiery trial consume the dross which in long Peace and Plenty we had contracted Tho Thou continuest Miseries yet withdraw not thy Grace what is wanting of Prosperity make up in Patience and Repentance And if thy Anger be not yet to be turned away but thy hand of Justice must be stretched out still let it I beseech Thee be against Me and my Fathers house as for these Sheep what have they done Let my Sufferings satiate the malice of mine and thy Churches Enemies But let their Cruelty never exceed the measure of my Charity Banish from Me all thoughts of Revenge that I may not lose the reward nor Thou the glory of my Patience As Thou givest Me a heart to forgive them so I beseech Thee do Thou forgive what they have done against Thee and Me. And now O Lord as Thou hast given Me an heart to pray unto Thee so hear and accept this Vow which I make before Thee If Thou wilt in mercy remember Me and my Kingdoms in continuing the light of thy Gospel and setling thy true Religion among us In restoring to us the benefit of the Laws and the due execution of Justice In suppressing the many Schisms in Church and Factions in State If Thou wilt restore Me and mine to the ancient Rights and Glory of my Predecessors If Thou wilt turn the hearts of my People to Thy self in Piety to Me in Loyalty and to one another in Charity If Thou wilt quench the flames and withdraw the fewel of these Civil Wars If Thou wilt bless us with the freedom of publick Counsels and deliver the Honour of Parliaments from the insolency of the Vulgar If Thou wilt keep Me from the
suffering thy Will in either Life or Death As I believe Thou hast forgiven all the Errors of my Life so I hope Thou wilt save Me from the Terrors of my Death Make Me content to leave the Worlds Nothing that I may come really to enjoy All in Thee who hast made Christ unto Me in Life Gain nnd in Death Advantage Tho my Destroyers forget their Duty to Thee and Me yet do not Thou O Lord forget to be merciful to them For what profit is there in my Blood or in their gaining my Kingdoms if they lose their own Souls Such as have not only resisted my just Power but wholly usurped and turned it against My self tho they may deserve yet let them not receive to themselves Damnation Thou madest thy Son a Saviour to many that crucified Him while at once He suffered violently by them and yet willingly for them O let the voice of his Blood be heard for my Murtherers louder than the Cry of Mine against them Prepare them for thy Mercy by due Convictions of their Sin and let them not at once deceive and damn their own Souls by fallacious pretensions of Justice in destroying Me while the conscience of their unjust Vsurpation of power against Me chiefly tempts them to use all extremities against Me. O Lord Thou knowest I have found their Mercies to Me as very false so very cruel who pretending to preserve Me have meditated nothing but my Ruine O deal not with them as blood-thirsty and deceitful men but overcome their Cruelty with Thy Compassion and My Charity And when Thou makest inquisition for my Blood O sprinkle their polluted yet penitent Souls with the Blood of thy Son that thy destroying Angel may pass over them Tho they think my Kingdoms on Earth too little to entertain at once both them and Me yet let the capacious Kingdom of thy infinite Mercy at last receive both Me and my Enemies When being reconciled to Thee in the Blood of the same Redeemer we shall live far above these Ambitious desires which beget such mortal Enmities When their hands shall be heaviest and cruellest upon Me O let Me fall into the arms of thy tender and eternal Mercies That what is cut off of my Life in this miserable moment may be repayed in thy ever-blessed Eternity Lord let thy Servant depart in Peace for my eyes have seen thy Salvation Vota dabunt quae bella negârunt FINIS An Historical TABLE of both PARTS That the Reader may the more easily discern the Order of those Historical Papers which are digested under their several Heads in the First Part and more readily conjoyn them in their proper Places with the Second it is thought fit to represent both together in this Table according to their Dates and Dependencies MDCXXV HIS Majesties Speech at the Opening of His First Parliament June 18. 1625. page 159 160 His Speech to both Houses at Oxford Aug. 4. 1625. ibid. MDCXXV VI. His Speech to the Speaker of the Lower House of His Second Parliament 1625 6. p. 160 His Speech to both Houses at White-Hall March 29. 1626. p. 161 His Speech to the House of Lords at Westminster May 11. 1626. ibid. A Declaration concerning His Two First Parliaments p. 217 MDCXXVII VIII His Majesties Speech at the Opening of His Third Parliament March 17. 1627 8. p. 162 His Speech to both Houses at White-Hall April 4. 1628. ibid. His Speech to the Speaker and House of Commons April 14. 1628. p. 163 His Speeches to both Houses in Answer to their Petition Jun. 2. 7. 1628. ibid. His Speech to the Lower House at the Reading their Remonstrance June 11. 1628. ibid. His Speech to both Houses at the Prorogation Jun. 26. 1628. p. 164 MDCXXVIII IX His Speech to both Houses Jan. 24. 31. 1828 9. p. 164 165 His Speech to the Lower-House concerning Tonnage and Poundage Feb. 3. 1628 9. p. 165 A Declaration concerning His Third Parliament p. 222 A Proclamation for suppressing false Rumours touching Parliaments Mar. 27. 1629. p. 230 MDCXXXVI VII His Majesties Letter to the Judges concerning Ship-money Feb. 2. 1636 7. With their Answer p. 231 232 MDCXL His Majesty's Speech to the Speaker of the Lower House of His Fourth Parliament 1640. p. 166 A Declaration concerning His Fourth Parliament p. 233 His Speech to the Great Council of the Lords at York Septemb. 24. 1640. p. 167 MDCXL XLI Of His Calling His Fifth Parliament See Icon Basil I. p. 647 His Speech at the Opening of His Fifth Parliament Nov. 3. 1640. p. 168 Six Speeches to both Houses Nov. 5. 1640. Jan. 25. Feb. 3. 10. 15. 1640 4. 1. Apr. 28. 1641. p. 168 seqq MDCXLI His Speech to the Lords concerning the Earl of Strafford May 1. 1641. p. 172 His Letter to the Lords May. 11. p. 138 See also Icon Basil II. V. p. 648 654 Two Speeches to both Houses Jun. 22. Jul. 5. 1641. p. 172 173 His Speech to the Scotish Parliament at Edinburgh Aug. 19. 1641. p. 173 Two Speeches to both Houses after His Return out of Scotland Dec. 2. 14. 1641. p. 174 A Petition of the Lower House With a Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom Dec. 1. 1641. p. 241 243 His Majesty's Answer to the Petition p. 254 His Declaration in Answer to the Remonstrance p. 255 The Petition and Protestation of the Bishops Dec. 28. 1641. p. 258 MDCXLI II. Articles of High Treason against the Five Members Jan. 3. 1641 2. p. 259 His Majesties Speech to the Lower House concerning them Jan. 4. 1641 2. p. 175 His Speech to the Londoners at Guild-Hall Jan. 5. 1641 2. p. 175 See also Icon Bafil III. IV. VI. VII p. 650 651 656 658 His Message for Peace from Canterbury Jan. 20. 1641 2. p. 97 His Speeches to the Committees of both Houses at Theobalds Mar. 1. at Newmarket Mar. 9. 1641 2. p. 175 His Message from Huntingdon Mar. 15. 1641 2. p. 97 MDCXLII Two Speeches to the Gentry of Yorkshire April 5. May 12. 1642. p. 177 Of His Majesty's Repulse at Hull See Icon Basil VIII p. 659 The Nineteen Propositions Jun. 2. 1642 p. 260 His Majesty's Answer p. 262 See also Icon Basil XI p. 659 His Majesty's Declaration to the Lords at York Jun. 13. 1642. p. 271 With their promise thereupon p. 272 His Declaration concerning the Scandalous Imputation of His Raising War Jan. 1642. p. 273 With the Declaration and Profession of the Lords p. 276 Of the many Jealousies and Scandals cast upon His Majesty See Icon Basil XV. p. 680 A Proclamation forbidding Levies of Forces Jun. 18. 1642. p. 277 See also Icon Basil IX X. p. 661 665 His Majesty's Speeches to the Inhabitants of Nottinghamshire Jul. 4. of Lincolnshire Jul. 15. of Leicester Jul. 20. and the Gentry of Yorkshire Aug. 4. 1642. p. 178 179 180 Votes for Raising an Army against the King Jul. 12. 1642. p. 279 A Declaration of both Houses for Raising Forces Aug. 8. 1642. p. 280 His Majesty's
were thus ingaged to perpetrate their intended Mischiefs all Parties declare against it The Presbyterian Ministers almost all those of London and very many out of the several Counties and some though few also of the Independents did in their Sermons and Conferences as also by Monitory Letters Petitions Protestations and Remonstrances publickly divulged adjure the Assassinates not to draw so great a Guilt upon themselves and the whole Nation by that Murder For it was contrary to those numerous and fearful Obligations of their many Oaths to the Publick and Private Faith which was exprest in their Protestations and many Declarations to the Laws of the Land those of Nature and Nations and the Commands of Scripture That it was to the dishonour of our Religion and against the publick good of the Kingdom But all was fruitless for they had lost their Ministerial Authority by serving the Faction so long till they needed not their assistance and despised their admonitions Besides the very same Principles they preached to kindle the War were now beat back into their faces and made use of against them to adjust the Murder The people also contemned them for their short-sightedness in that they would be the heady and indiscreet Instruments of such men and in such practices as must of necessity at last ruine them and all Ministers as well as the King and Bishops The Scots also by their Commissioners declare and protest against it The States of Holland by their Ambassadors if they were faithful in their trust did intercede and deprecate it as most destructive to the Protestant Interest Some of the most eminent of the Nobility as the Earl of Southampton the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earl of Lindsey and others neglect no ways either by Prayers or Ransom to save the King Yea they offered themselves as being the prime Ministers of the King's Commands as Hostages for Him and if the Conspirators must needs be fed with blood to suffer in His stead for whatsoever he had done amiss The Prince piously assays all ways and means to deliver His Father from the danger For besides the States Ambassadors whom He had procured both He and the Prince of Orange did daily send as Agents the Kindred Relations and Allies of Cromwell Ireton and the other Conspirators with full power to propose any Conditions make any Promises and use all Threatnings to divert them if it were possible from their intended Cruelty or at least to gain some time before the Execution But all was in vain for no Conditions of Peace could please them who were possessed with unlawful and immoderate desires their Ambition that is more impetuous than all other affections had swallowed the hopes of Empire therefore they would remove the King to enthrone themselves Some thought that their despair of Pardon had hardened them to a greater Inhumanity for if after all these attempts they continued the King's Life they must beg their own which they knew Justice would not and they resolved Mercy should not give for this is reckoned among the benefits which we hate to receive and Men are usually ashamed to confess they deserved death Whatsoever it was that truly made them thus cruel they publickly pretended no other Motive than the Calls and Ducts of Providence and the Impulses of the Blessed Spirit To carry on this Cheat Hugh Peters the Pulpit-Buffoon of a luxuriant Speech skill'd to move the Rabble by mimical Gestures Impudent and Prodigal of his own and others fame Ignominious from his Youth for then suffering the contumely of Discipline being publickly whipt at Cambridge he was ever after an Enemy my to Government and therefore leagued himself with unquiet Sectaries Preaches before these fictitious Judges upon that Text Psalm 149. 8. To bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of iron He assures them undoubtedly that this was prophesied of them that they were the Saints related to in that Scripture that they should judge the Kings of the Earth often calling them in his profane Harangue the Saint-Judges Then he professed that he had for a certain found upon a strict Scrutiny that there were in the Army 5000 Saints no less holy than those that now in Heaven conversed with God Afterwards kneeling in his Pulpit weeping and lifting up his hands he earnestly begs them in the Name of the People of England that they would execute Justice upon that Wretch CHARLES and would not let Benhadad escape in Safety Then he inveighs against Monarchy and wrests the Parable of Jotham to his purpose wherein when the Trees would chuse a King the Vine and the Olive refused the Dignity but the Bramble received the Empire and he compared Monarchy to the Bramble And all the while of contriving and executing this Murder he preached to the Souldiers and in some places about the City bitterly and contemptuously railing against the King Others also of the Congregational perswasion acted their parts in this Tragedy but more closely and not so much in the face of the Sun The Conspirators taking heat from their infamous Preachers whom they themselves had first kindled and somewhat doubting that these several strong Applications from all Parties to save the King and the Universal Discontents might take some advantage from their delay with more speed hasten the Assassination In order to which they send a Serjeant of Arms with a Guard of Horse lest the People should stone him for his Employment into Westminster-Hall and other places in London to summon all that could lay any Crime to the King ' s charge to come and give in their Evidence against Him Having proclaimed their wicked purposes and dress'd up a Tribunal at the upper end of Westminster-Hall with all the shapes of Terrour where the President with his abject and bloody Assistants were placed thither afterwards they bring this most Excellent Monarch whom having despoiled of three Great Kingdoms they now determined also to deprive of Life Into which Scene the King enter'd with a generous Miene shewing no signs of discomposure nor any thing beneath His former Majesty but as if He were to combate for Glory the Monsters of Mankind He undauntedly took the Seat which was set for Him with scorn looking upon the fictitious Judges and with pity upon the People who crouding in the great Gates of the Hall being flung open did bewail in Him the frailty of our Humane condition whose highest Greatness hath no Security A sad Spectacle even to those that were not in danger He being set the Charge against Him was read with all those reproachful terms of Tyrant Traytor and Murderer after which He was impleaded in the name of the People of England This false Slander of the People of England was heard with Impatience and Detestation of all and stoutly attested against by the Lady Fairfax Wife of the Lord Fairfax who by this act shewed her self worthy of her Extract from the Noble Family of the Veres for from
be enforced with rigour to such Arbitrary Contributions as should be required of them The dissolving of the Parliament in the second year of His Majesties reign after a Declaration of their intent to grant five Subsidies The exacting of the like proportion of five Subsidies after the Parliament dissolved by Commission of Loan and divers Gentlemen and others imprisoned for not yielding to pay that Loan whereby many of them contracted such Sicknesses as cost them their lives Great sums of Money required and raised by privy Seals An unjust and pernicious attempt to extort great payments from the Subject by way of Excise and a Commission issued under Seal to that purpose The Petition of Right which was granted in full Parliament blasted with an illegal Declaration to make it destructive to it self to the power of Parliament to the Liberty of the Subject and to that purpose printed with it and the Petition made of no use but to shew the bold and presumptuous injustice of such Ministers as durst break the Laws and suppress the Liberties of the Kingdom after they had been so solemnly and evidently declared Another Parliament dissolved 4 Car. the Priviledge of Parliament broken by imprisoning divers Members of the House detaining them close Prisoners for many months together without the liberty of using Books Pen Ink or Paper denying them all the comforts of life all means of preservation of health not permitting their Wives to come unto them even in time of their Sickness and for the compleating of that Cruelty after years spent in such miserable durance depriving them of the necessary means of Spiritual consolation not suffering them to go abroad to enjoy God's Ordinances in God's House or God's Ministers to come to them to administer comfort unto them in their private Chambers and to keep them still in this oppressed condition not admitting them to be bailed according to Law yet vexing them with Informations in inferiour Courts sentencing and fining some of them for matters done in Parliament and extorting the payments of those Fines from them enforcing others to put in Security of good behaviour before they could be released The imprisonment of the rest which refused to be bound still continued which might have been perpetual if necessity had not the last year brought another Parliament to relieve-them of whom one died by the cruelty and harshness of his Imprisonment which would admit of no relaxation notwithstanding the imminent danger of his life did sufficiently appear by the declaration of his Physician and his release or at least his refreshment was sought by many humble Petitions And his blood still cries either for vengeance or repentance of those Ministers of State who have at once obstructed the course both of His Majesties Justice and Mercy Upon the dissolution of both these Parliaments untrue and scandalous Declarations were published to asperse their proceedings and some of their Members unjustly to make them odious and colour the violence which was used against them Proclamations set out to the same purpose and to the great dejecting of the hearts of the people forbidding them even to speak of Parliaments After the breach of the Parliament in the fourth year of His Majesty Injustice Oppression and Violence broke in upon us without any restraint or moderation and yet the first project was the great sums exacted through the whole Kingdom for default of Knighthood which seemed to have some colour and shadow of a Law yet if it be rightly examined by that obsolete Law which was pretended for it it would be found to be against all the rules of Justice both in respect of the persons charged the proportion of the Fines demanded and the absurd and unreasonable manner of their proceedings Tonnage and Poundage hath been received without colour or pretence of Law many other heavy Impositions continued against Law and some so unreasonable that the sum of the charge exceeds the value of the Goods The Book of Rates lately inhanced to a high proportion and such Merchants as would not submit to their illegal and unreasonable payments were vexed and oppressed above measure and the ordinary course of Justice the common Birth-right of the Subject of England wholly obstructed unto them And although all this was taken upon pretence of guarding the Sea yet a new and unheard-of Tax of Ship-money was devised upon the same pretence By both which there was charged upon the Subject near 700000 l. some years and yet the Merchants have been left so naked to the violence of the Turkish Pirats that many great Ships of value and thousands of His Majesties Subjects have been taken by them and do still remain in miserable slavery The enlargement of Forests contrary to Charta de Foresta and the composition thereupon The exactions of Coat and Conduct-Money and divers other Military charges The taking away the Arms of the Trained Bands of divers Counties The desperate design of engrossing all the Gun-powder into one hand keeping it in the Tower of London and setting so high a rate upon it that the poorer sort were not able to buy it nor could any have it without Licence thereby to leave the several parts of the Kingdom destitute of their necessary defence and by selling so dear that which was sold to make an unlawful advantage of it to the great charge and detriment of the Subject The general destruction of the Kings Timber especially that in the Forest of Dean sold to Papists which was the best Store-house of this Kingdom for the maintenance of our Shipping The taking away of mens Right under colour of the Kings title to Land between high and low water-Marks The Monopolies of Sope Salt Wine Leather Sea-coal and in a manner of all things of most common and necessary use The restraint of the Liberties of the Subjects in their Habitation Trades and other Interest Their vexation and oppression by Purveyors Clarks of the Market and Salt-Peter-men The sale of pretended Nusanzes as Buildings in and about London conversion of Arable into Pasture continuance of Pasture under the name of depopulation have drawn many Millions out of the Subjects Purses without any considerable profit to His Majesty Large quantities of Common and several Grounds have been taken from the Subject by colour of the Statute of Improvement and by abuse of the Commission of Sewers without their consent and against it And not only private Interest but also publick Faith have been broken in seizing of the Money and Bullion in the Mint and the whole Kingdom like to be robb'd at once in that abominable project of Brass Money Great numbers of His Majesties Subjects for refusing those unlawful charges have been vext with long and expensive suits some fined and censured others committed to long and hard imprisonments and confinements to the loss of health in many of life in some and others have had their Houses broken up their Goods seized some have been restrained from their lawful Callings Ships have
the Church of England as well by their personal Subscriptions as otherwise so attested and declared and which Himself in His Judgment and Conscience hath for so many years been and yet is perswaded to be at least of Apostolical Institution and Practice Truly His Majesty cannot but wonder what should be the reason of your great shiness and unwillingness to discover your minds in a matter of so great and necessary consequence and for a final conclusion of this whole Dispute which His Majesty thinketh fit to shut up with this Paper He must plainly tell you That your endeavours to have given Him satisfaction in the Questions proposed would have added much in His opinion to the reputation of your Ingenuity in the whole undertaking it being not probable you should work much upon His Judgment whilst you are fearful to declare your own nor possible to relieve His Conscience but by a free discharge of yours Nevertheless His Majesty liketh well of your Prayer in the close of your Paper and thinketh you should do very well to joyn therewith your utmost possible endeavours towards the settling of Truth and a happy Peace in this unsettled Church and Kingdom THE END ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ THE POURTRAICTURE OF HIS SACRED MAJESTY IN HIS SOLITUDES and SUFFERINGS I. Vpon His MAJESTIES Calling this last PARLIAMENT THIS last Parliament I called not more by others advice and necessity of my Affairs than by my own choice and inclination who have always thought the right way of Parliaments most safe for my Crown as best pleasing to my People And altho I was not forgetful of those sparks which some mens distempers formerly studied to kindle in Parliaments which by forbearing to convene for some years I hoped to have extinguished yet resolving with My self to give all just satisfaction to modest and sober desires and to redress all publick Grievances in Church and State I hoped by my freedom and their moderation to prevent all misunderstandings and miscarriages in this In which as I feared affairs would meet with some Passion and Prejudice in other men so I resolved they should find least of them in My self not doubting but by the weight of Reason I should counterpoise the over-balancings of any Factions I was inded sorry to hear with what Partiality and Popular heat Elections were carried in many places yet hoping that the Gravity and Discretion of other Gentlemen would allay and fix the Commons to a due temperament guiding some mens well-meaning zeal by such rules of moderation as are best both to preserve and restore the health of all States and Kingdoms no man was better pleased with the convening of this Parliament than My self who knowing best the Largeness of my own Heart toward my Peoples good and just contentment pleased My self most in that good and firm understanding which would hence grow between Me and my People All Jealousies being laid aside My own and My Childrens Interests gave Me many obligations to seek and preserve the Love and welfare of my Subjects the only temporal Blessing that is left to the ambition of just Monarchs as their greatest Honour and Safety next Gods Protection I cared not to lessen My self in some things of my wonted Prerogative since I knew I could be no loser if I might gain but a recompence in my Subjects Affections I intended not only to oblige my Friends but mine Enemies also exceeding even the desires of those that were factiously discontented if they did but pretend to any modest and sober sense The Odium and offences which some mens Rigor or Remisness in Church and State had contracted upon my Government I resolved to have expiated by such Laws and regulations for the future as might not only rectify what was amiss in Practice but supply what was defective in the Constitution No man having a greater zeal to see Religion setled and preserved in Truth Unity and Order than My self whom it most concerns both in Piety and Policy as knowing that No flames of civil Dissentions are more dangerous than those which make Religious pretensions the grounds of Factions I resolved to reform what I should by free and full advice in Parliament be oonvinced of to be amiss and to grant whatever my Reason and Conscience told Me was fit to be desired I wish I had kept My self within those bounds and not suffered my own Judgment to have been overborn in some things more by others importunities than their Arguments My confidence had less betrayed My self and my Kingdomes to those advantages which some men sought for who wanted nothing but Power and Occasions to do mischief But our Sins being ripe there was no preventing of Gods Justice from reaping that Glory in our Calamities which we robb'd him of in our Prosperity For Thou O Lord hast made us see that Resolutions of future Reforming do not always satisfie thy Justice nor prevent thy Vengeance for former miscarriages Our Sins have overlaid our Hopes Thou hast taught us to depend on thy Mercies to forgive not on our purpose to amend When Thou hast vindicated thy Glory by thy Judgments and hast shewed us how unsafe it is to offend Thee upon presumptions afterwards to please Thee then I trust thy Mercies will restore those Blessings to us which we have so much abused as to force Thee to deprive us of them For want of timely Repentance of our sins Thou givest us cause to repent of those remedies we too late apply Yet I do not repent of my calling this last Parliament because O Lord I did it with an upright intention to thy Glory and my peoples good The Miseries which have ensued upon Me and My Kingdoms are the just effects of thy displeasure upon us and may be yet through thy mercy preparative of us to future Blessings and better hearts to enjoy them O Lord tho Thou hast deprived us of many former comforts yet grant Me and My people the benefit of our afflictions and thy chastisements that thy rod as well as thy staff may comfort us Then shall we dare to account them the strokes not of an Enemy but a Father when thou givest us those humble affections that measure of Patience in Repentance which becomes thy Children I shall have no cause to repent the Miseries this Parliament hath occasioned when by them thou hast brought Me and My people unfeignedly to repent of the Sins we have committed Thy Grace is infinitely better with our Sufferings than our Peace could be with our Sins O thou soveraign Goodness and Wisdom who over-rulest all our Counsels over-rule also all our hearts That the worse things we suffer by thy Justice the better we may be by thy Mercy As our Sins have turned our Antidotes into poyson so let thy Grace turn our poysons into Antidotes As the Sins of our Peace disposed us to this unhappy War so let this War prepare us for thy blessed Peace That although I have but troublesom Kingdoms here yet I may
in the odious disguises of Levity Schism Heresie Novelty Cruelty and Disloyalty which some mens practices have lately put upon it Let Her see thy Sacred and Saving Truths as Thine that She may believe love and obey them as Thine cleared from all rust and dross of human mixtures That in the glass of thy Truth She may see Thee in those Mercies which thou hast offered to us in thy Son Jesus Christ our only Saviour and serve Thee in all those Holy Duties which most agree with his Holy Doctrine and most imitable Example The experience We have of the vanity and uncertainty of all human Glory and Greatness in our scatterings and eclipses let it make Vs both so much the more ambitious to he invested in those durable Honours and Perfections which are only to be found in Thy self and obtained through Jesus Christ. VIII Vpon His MAJESTIES repulse at HVLL and the fates of the HOTHAMS MY repulse at Hull seemed at the first view an act of so rude Disloyalty that my greatest Enemies had scarce confidence enough to abet or own it It was the first overt Essay to be made how patiently I could bear the loss of my Kingdoms God knows it affected Me more with shame and sorrow for others than with Anger for My self nor did the Affront done to Me trouble Me so much as their Sin which admitted no colour or excuse I was resolved how to bear this and much more with Patience But I foresaw they could hardly contain themselves within the compass of this one unworthy act who had effrontery enough to commit or countenance it This was but the hand of that Cloud which was soon after to overspread the whole Kingdom and cast all into Disorder and darkness For 't is among the wicked Maxims of bold and disloyal undertakers That bad actions must always be seconded with worse and rather not be begun than not carried on for they think the retreat more dangerous than the assault and hate repentance more than perseverance in a Fault This gave me to see clearly through all the pious disguises and soft palliations of some men whose words were sometime smoother than oyl but now I saw they would prove very Swords Against which I having as yet no defence but that of a good Conscience thought it my best Policy with Patience to bear what I could not remedy And in this I thank God I had the better of Hotham that no disdain or emotion of Passion transported Me by the indignity of his carriage to do or say any thing unbeseeming My self or unsuitable to that temper which in greatest Injuries I think best becomes a Christian as coming nearest to the great example of Christ And indeed I desire always more to remember I am a Christian than a King for what the Majesty of the one might justly abhor the Charity of the other is willing to bear what the height of a King tempteth to revenge the humility of a Christian teacheth to forgive Keeping in compass all those impotent Passions whose excess injures a man more than his greatest enemies can for these give their Malice a full impression on our Souls which otherways cannot reach very far nor do us much hurt I cannot but observe how God not long after so pleaded and avenged my Cause in the eye of the world that the most wilfully blind cannot avoid the displeasure to see it and with some remorse and fear to own it as a notable stroke and prediction of Divine Vengeance For Sir John Hotham unreproached unthreatned uncursed by any language or secret imprecation of Mine only blasted with the Conscience of his own Wickedness and falling from one Inconstancy to another not long after pays his own and his eldest Sons heads as forfeitures of their Disloyalty to those men from whom surely he might have expected another reward than thus to divide their Heads from their bodies whose Hearts with them were divided from their KING Nor is it strange that they who imployed them at first in so high a service and so successful to them should not find mercy enough to forgive him who had so much premerited of them For Apostasie unto Loyalty some men account the most unpardonable sin Nor did a solitary Vengeance serve the turn the cutting off one Head in a Family is not enough to expiate the affront done to the Head of the Common-weal The eldest Son must be involved in the punishment as he was infected with the sin of the Father against the Father of his Country Root and Branch God cuts off in one day These observations are obvious to every fancy God knows I was so far from rejoicing in the Hothams ruin tho it were such as was able to give the greatest thirst for revenge a full draught being executed by them who first employed him against Me that I so far pitied him as I thought he at first acted more against the light of his Conscience than I hope many other men do in the same Cause For he was never thought to be of that superstitious sowreness which some men pretend to in matters of Religion which so darkens their Judgment that they cannot see any thing of Sin and Rebellion in those means they use with intents to reform to their Models of what they call Religion who think all is gold of Piety which doth but glister with a shew of Zeal and fervency Sir John Hotham was I think a man of another temper and so most liable to those down-right temptations of Ambition which have no cloak or cheat of Religion to impose upon themselves or others That which makes Me more pity him is that after he began to have some inclinations towards a repentance for his sin and reparation of his Duty to Me he should be so unhappy as to fall into the hands of their Justice and not My Mercy who could as willingly have forgiven him as he could have asked that favour of Me. For I think Clemency a debt which we ought to pay to those that crave it when we have cause to believe they would not after abuse it since God himself suffers us not to pay any thing for his Mercy but only Prayers and Praises Poor Gentleman he is now become a notable monument of unprosperous Disloyalty teaching the world by so sad and unfortunate a spectacle That the rude carriage of a Subject towards his Soveraign carries always its own Vengeance as an unseparable shadow with it and those oft prove the most fatal and implacable Executioners of it who were the first Employers in the service After-times will dispute it whether Hotham were more infamous at Hull or at Tower-hill tho 't is certain that no punishment so stains a mans Honour as wilful perpetrations of unworthy actions which besides the conscience of the sin brand with most indeleble characters of infamy the name and memory to Posterity who not engaged in the Factions of the times have the most impartial reflections on the
digest it Soveraign Power in Subjects seldom agreeing with the stomacks of fellow-Subjects Yet I have even in this point of the constant Militia sought by satisfying their Fears and importunities both to secure My Friends and overcome Mine Enemies to gain the peace of all by depriving My self of a sole power to help or hurt any yielding the Militia which is My undoubted Right no less than the Crown to be disposed of as the Two Houses shall think fit during My time So willing am I to bury all Jealousies in them of Me and to live above all Jealousies of them as to My self I desire not to be safer than I wish them and My People If I had the sole actual disposing of the Militia I could not protect My People further than they protected Me and themselves so that the use of the Militia is mutual I would but defend My self so far as to be able to defend My good Subjects from those mens violence and fraud who conscious to their own evil merits and designs will needs perswade the World That none but Wolves are fit to be trusted with the custody of the Shepherd and his Flock Miserable experience hath taught My Subjects since Power hath been wrested from Me and employed against Me and them That neither can be safe if both be not in such a way as the Law hath entrusted the publick safety and welfare Yet even this Concession of Mine as to the exercise of the Militia so vast and large is not satisfactory to some men which seem to be Enemies not to Me only but to all Monarchy and are resolved to transmit to Posterity such Jealousies of the Crown as they should never permit it to enjoy its just and necessary Rights in point of Power to which at last all Law is resolved while thereby it is best protected But here Honour and Justice due to My Successors forbid Me to yield to such a total alienation of that Power from them which Civility and Duty no less than Justice and Honour should have forbad them to have asked of Me. For although I can be content to eclipse My own beams to satisfie their fears who think they must needs be scorched or blinded if I should shine in the full lustre of Kingly Power wherewith God and the Laws have invested Me yet I will never consent to put out the Sun of Soveraignty to all Posterity and succeeding Kings whose just recovery of their Rights from unjust Usurpations and Extortions shall never be prejudiced or obstructed by any Act of Mine which indeed would not be more injurious to succeeding Kings than to my Subjects whom I desire to leave in a condition not wholly desperate for the future so as by a Law to be ever subjected to those many factious Distractions which must needs follow the many-headed Hydra of Government which as it makes a shew to the People to have more eyes to foresee so they will find it hath more mouths too which must be satisfied and at best it hath rather a monstrosity than any thing of perfection beyond that of right Monarchy where Counsel may be in many as the Senses but the Supreme Power can be but in One as the Head Haply when men have tried the horrors and malignant influence which will certainly follow my enforced Darkness and Eclipse occasioned by the interposition and shadow of that Body which as the Moon receiveth its chiefest light from Me they will at length more esteem and welcome the restored glory and blessing of the Sun 's light And if at present I may seem by my receding so much from the use of my Right in the Power of the Militia to come short of the discharge of that Trust to which I am sworn for my Peoples protection I conceive those men are guilty of the enforced Perjury if so it may seem who compel Me to take this new and strange way of discharging My Trust by seeming to desert it of protecting My Subjects by exposing My self to Danger or Dishonour for their safety and quiet Which in the conflicts of Civil War and advantages of Power cannot be effected but by some side yielding to which the greatest love of the Publick-Peace and the firmest assurance of God's protection arising from a good Conscience doth more invite Me than can be expected from other mens Fears which arising from the Injustice of their actions tho never so successful yet dare not adventure their Authors upon any other way of safety than that of the Sword and Militia which yet are but weak defences against the stroaks of Divine Vengeance which will overtake or of mens own Consciences which always attend injurious perpetrations For My self I do not think that I can want any thing which providential necessity is pleased to take from Me in order to My Peoples tranquility and God's Glory whose protection is sufficient for Me and he is able by his being with Me abundantly to compensate to Me as he did to Job whatever Honour Power or Liberty the Chaldoeans the Saboeans or the Devil himself can deprive Me of Although they take from Me all defence of Arms and Militia all refuge by Land of Forts and Castles all flight by Sea in My Ships and Navy yea tho they study to rob Me of the Hearts of my Subjects the greatest treasure and best ammunition of a King yet cannot they deprive Me of My own Innocency or God's Mercy nor obstruct My way to Heaven Therefore O My God to Thee I flie for help if Thou wilt be on my side I shall have more with Me than can be against Me. There is none in Heaven or in Earth that I desire in comparison of Thee In the loss of all be Thou more than all to Me. Make hast to succor Me Thou that never failest them that put their trust in Thee Thou seest I have no power to oppose them that come against Me who are encouraged to fight under the pretence of fighting for Me But my eyes are toward Thee Thou needest no help nor shall I if I may have thine if not to conquer yet at least to suffer If Thou delightest not in my safety and prosperity behold here I am willing to be reduced to what Thou wilt have Me whose Judgments oft begin with thy own Children I am content to be nothing that Thou mayest be all Thou hast taught Me That no King can be saved by the multitude of an Host but yet Thou canst save me by the multitude of thy Mercies who art the Lord of Hosts and the Father of Mercies Help Me O Lord who am sore distressed on every side yet be Thou on my side and I shall not fear what man can do unto Me. I will give thy Justice the glory of my distress O let thy Mercy have the glory of my deliverance from them that persecute my Soul By my sins have I fought against Thee and robbed Thee of thy Glory who am thy Subject and justly mayest
patience as bad as my worst Enemies can falsly say and I hope I shall still do better than they desire or deserve I should I believe it will at last appear that they who first began to embroil my other Kingdoms are in great part guilty if not of the first letting out yet of the not timely stopping those horrid effusions of blood in Ireland Which whatever my Enemies please to say or think I look upon as that of my other Kingdoms exhausted out of My own veins no man being so much weakned by it as My self And I hope tho mens unsatiable Cruelties never will yet the Mercy of God will at length say to his Justice It is enough and command the Sword of Civil wars to sheath it self his merciful Justice intending I trust not our utter Confusion but our Cure the abatement of our Sins not the desolating of these Nations O my God let those infinite Mercies prevent us once again which I and My Kingdoms have formerly abused and can never deserve should be restored Thou seest how much Cruelty among Christians is acted under the colour of Religion as if we could not be Christians unless we crucifie one another Because we have not more loved thy Truth and practised in Charity Thou hast suffered a spirit of Error and bitterness of mutual and mortal Hatred to rise among us O Lord forgive wherein we have sinned and sanstifie what we have suffered Let our Repentance be our Recovery as our great Sins have been onr Ruine Let not the Miseries I and My Kingdoms have hitherto suffered seem small to Thee but make our Sins appear to our Consciences as they are represented in the glass of thy Judgments for Thou never punishest small failings with so severe Afflictions O therefore according to the multitude of thy great Mercies pardon our Sins and remove thy Judgments which are very many and very heavy Yet let our Sins be ever more grievous to us than thy Judgments and make us more willing to repent than to be relieved first give us the Peace of penitent Consciences and then the tranquillity of united Kingdoms In the sea of our Saviours Blood drown our Sins and through this Red sea of our own blood bring us at last to a state of Piety Peace and Plenty As My publick relations to all make Me share in all My Subjects sufferings so give Me such a pious sense of them as becomes a Christian King and a loving Father of My People Let the scandalous and unjust Reproaches cast upon Me be as a breath more to kindle My Compassion Give Me grace to heap Charitable coals of fire upon their heads to melt them whose Malice or cruel Zeal hath kindled or hindred the quenching of those Flames which have so much wasted My Three Kingdoms O rescue and assist those poor Protestants in Ireland whom Thou hast hitherto preserved And lead those in the ways of Thy saving Truths whose Ignorance or Errors have filled them with Rebellious and destructive Principles which they act under an opinion that they do Thee good service Let the hand of Thy Justice be against those who maliciously and despitefully have raised or fomented those cruel and desperate Wars Thou art far from destroying the innocent with tho guilty and the erroneous with the malicious thou that hadst pity on Nineveh for the many Children that were therein give not over the whole stock of that populous and seduced Nation to the wrath of those whose Covetousness makes them Cruel nor to their Anger which is too fierce and therefore justly cursed Preserve if it be thy will in the midst of the furnace of thy severe Justice a Posterity which may praise Thee for Thy Mercy And deal with Me not according to mans unjust Reproaches but according to the Innocency of My hands in Thy sight If I have desired or delighted in the woful day of My Kingdoms Calamities if I have not earnestly studied and faithfully endeavoured the preventing and composing of these bloody Distractions then let thy hand be against Me and My Fathers house O Lord Thou seest I have Enemies enough of men as I need not so I should not dare thus to imprecate Thy Curse on Me and Mine if My Conscience did not witness my Integrity which Thou O Lord knowest right well But I trust not to My own Merit but thy Mercies Spare us O Lord and be not angry with us for ever XIII Vpon the calling in of the SCOTS and their Coming THE Scots are a Nation upon whom I have not only common ties of Nature Soveraignty and Bounty with my Father of Blessed memory but also special and late obligations of Favours having gratified the active Spirits among them so far that I seemed to many to prefer the desires of that Party before My own Interest and Honour But I see Royal bounty emboldens some men to ask and act beyond all bounds of Modesty and Gratitude My Charity and Act of Pacification forbids Me to reflect on former passages wherein I shall ever be far from letting any mans ingratitude or inconstancy make Me repent of what I granted them for the publick good I pray God it may so prove The coming again of that Party into England with an Army only to conform this Church to their late New model cannot but seem as unreasonable as they would have thought the same measure offered from hence to themselves Other Errand I could never understand they had besides those common and vulgar flourishes for Religion and Liberty save only to confirm the Presbyterian Copy they had set by making this Church to write after them tho it were in bloody Characters Which Design and End whether it will justifie the use of such violent Means before the Divine Justice I leave to their Consciences to judg who have already felt the misery of the Means but not reaped the benefit of the End either in this Kingdom or that Such knots and crosness of grain being objected here as will hardly suffer that Form which they cry up as the only just Reformation and setling of Government and Discipline in Churches to go on so smoothly here as it might do in Scotland and was by them imagined would have done in England when so many of the English Clergy through levity or discontent if no worse Passion suddenly quitted their former engagements to Episcopacy and faced about to their Presbytery It cannot but seem either Passion or some Self-seeking more than true Zeal and pious Discretion for any foreign State or Church to prescribe such medicines only for others which themselves have used rather successfully than commendably not considering that the same Physick on different constitutions will have different operations that may kill one which doth but cure another Nor do I know any such tough and malignant Humours in the constitution of the English Church which gentler applications than those of an Army might not easily have removed Nor is it so proper to hew out
my reproach and my dishonour my Adversaries are all before Thee My Soul is among Lions among them that are set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows their tongue a sharp sword Mine Enemies reproach Me all the day long and those that are mad against Me are sworn together O my God how long shall the sons of men turn my glory into shame how long shall they love vanity and seek after lies Thou hast heard the reproaches of wicked men on every side Hold not thy peace lest my Enemies prevail against Me and lay mine honour in the dust Thou O Lord shalt destroy them that speak lies the Lord will abhor both the Blood-thirsty and Deceitful men Make my Righteousness to appear as the light and mine Innocency to shine forth as the Sun at noon-day Suffer not my silence to betray mine Innocency nor my displeasure my Patience That after my Saviours example being reviled I may not revile again and being cursed by them I may bless them Thou that wouldst not suffer Shimei's tongue to go unpunished when by thy Judgments on David he might seem to justifie his disdainful reproaches give Me grace to intercede with thy Mercy for these my Enemies that the reward of false and lying tongues even hot burning coals of eternal fire may not be brought upon them Let my Prayers and Patience be as water to cool and quench their tongues who are already set on fire with the fire of Hell and tormented with those malicious flames Let Me be happy to refute and put to silence their evil-speaking by well-doing and let them enjoy not the fruit of their lips but of my Prayer for their Repentance and thy Pardon Teach Me David's Patience and Hezekiah's Devotion that I may look to thy Mercy through mans Malice and see thy Justice in their Sin Let Sheba's Seditious speeches Rabshekah's Railing and Shimei's Cursing provoke as my humble Prayer to Thee so thy renewed Blessing toward Me. Though they curse do Thou bless and I shall be blessed and made a Blessing to my People That the stone which some builders refuse may become the head-stone of the corner Look down from Heaven and save Me from the reproach of them that would swallow Me up Hide Me in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man and keep Me from the strife of tongues XVI Vpon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book IT is no news to have all Innovations ushered in with the name of Reformations in Church and State by those who seeking to gain reputation with the Vulgar for their extraordinary Parts and Piety must needs undo whatever was formerly setled never so well and wisely So hardly can the Pride of those that study Novelties allow former times any share or degree of Wisdom or Godliness And because matter of Prayer and Devotion to God justly bears a great part in Religion being the Souls more immediate converse with the Divine Majesty nothing could be more plausible to the People than to tell them they served God amiss in that point Hence our publick Liturgy or Forms of constant Prayers must be not amended in what upon free and publick advice might seem to sober men inconvenient for matter or manner to which I should easily consent but wholly cashiered and abolished and after many Popular contempts offered to the Book and those that used it according to their Consciences and the Laws in force it must be crucified by an Ordinance the better to please either those men who gloried in their extemporary vein and fluency or others who conscious to their own formality in the use of it thought they fully expiated their sin of not using it aright by laying all the blame upon it and a total rejecting of it as a dead letter thereby to excuse the deadness of their hearts As for the matter contained in the Book sober and Learned men have sufficiently vindicated it against the Cavils and exceptions of those who thought it a part of Piety to make what profane objections they could against it especially for Popery and Superstition whereas no doubt the Liturgy was exactly conformed to the Doctrine of the Church of England and this by all Reformed Churches is confessed to be most sound and Orthodox For the manner of using Set and Prescribed Forms there is no doubt but that wholesom words being known and fitted to mens Understandings are soonest received into their Hearts and aptest to excite and carry along with them judicious and fervent Affections Nor do I see any reason why Christians should be weary of a well-composed Liturgy as I hold this to be more than of all other things wherein the constancy abates nothing of the Excellency and Usefulness I could never see any Reason why any Christian should abhor or be forbidden to use the same Forms of Prayer since he prays to the same God believes in the same Saviour professeth the same Truths reads the same Scriptures hath the same Duties upon him and feels the same daily wants for the most part both inward and outward which are common to the whole Church Sure we may as well beforehand know what we pray as to whom we pray and in what words as to what sense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same Words our appetite and digestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our daily bread Some men I hear are so impatient not to use in all their Devotions their own invention and gifts that they not only disuse as too many but wholly cast away and contemn the Lords Prayer whose great guilt is that it is the warrant and original Pattern of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church I ever thought that the proud ostentation of mens abilities for invention and the vain affectations of variety for expressions in Publick Prayer or any sacred administrations merits a greater brand of sin than that which they call Coldness and Barrenness Nor are men in those Novelties less subject to formal and superficial tempers as to their hearts than in the use of constant Forms where not the words but mens hearts are to blame I make no doubt but a man may be very Formal in the most extemporary variety and very fervently Devout in the most wonted expressions nor is God more a God of variety than of constancy nor are constant Forms of Prayers more likely to flat and hinder the Spirit of Prayer and Devotion than unpremeditated and confused variety to distract and lose it Tho I am not against a grave modest discreet and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publick the better to fit and excite their own and the Peoples affections to the present occasions yet I know no necessity why private and single abilities should quite justle out and deprive the Church of the joynt abilities and concurrent gifts of many Learned and Godly men such as the Composers of the Service-Book were who
Gods Tribunal or their own Consciences where they are more afraid to encounter those many pregnant Reasons both from Law Allegiance and all true Christian grounds which conflict with and accuse them in their own thoughts than they oft were in a desperate bravery to fight against those Forces which sometimes God gave Me. Whose condition conquered and dying I make no question but is infinitely more to be chosen by a sober man that duly values his Duty his Soul and Eternity beyond the enjoyments of this present Life than the most triumphant glory wherein their and Mine Enemies supervive who can hardly avoid to be daily tormented by that horrid guilt wherewith their suspitious or now-convincted Consciences do pursue them especially since they and all the World have seen how false and un-intended those pretensions were which they first set forth as the only plausible tho not justifiable grounds of raising a War and continuing it thus long against Me and the Laws established in whose safety and preservation all honest men think the welfare of their Country doth consist For and with all which it is far more honourable and comfortable to suffer than to prosper in their ruine and subversion I have often prayed that all on My side might joyn true Piety with the sense of their Loyalty and be as faithful to God and their own Souls as they were to Me That the defects of the one might not blast the endeavours of the other Yet I cannot think that any shews or truth of Piety on the other side were sufficient to dispence with or expiate the defects of their Duty and Loyalty to Me which have so pregnant convictions on mens Consciences that even profaner men are moved by the sense of them to venture their lives for Me. I never had any Victory which was without My Sorrow because it was on mine own Subjects who like Absolom died many of them in their sin And yet I never suffered any Defeat which made Me despair of Gods Mercy and Defence I never desired such Victories as might serve to conquer but only restore the Laws and Liberties of My People which I saw were extremely oppressed together with My Rights by those men who were impatient of any just restraint When Providence gave Me or denied Me Victory My desire was neither to boast of My Power nor to charge God foolishly who I believe at last would make all things to work together for My good I wished no greater advantages by the War than to bring My Enemies to Moderation and My Friends to Peace I was afraid of the temptation of an absolute Conquest and never prayed more for Victory over others than over My self When the first was denied the second was granted Me which God saw best for Me. The different events were but the methods of Divne Justice by contrary winds to winnow us That by punishing our Sins he might purge them from us and by dedeferring Peace he might prepare us more to prize and better to use so great a Blessing My often Messages for Peace shewed that I delighted not in War as my former Concessions sufficiently testified how willingly I would have prevented it and my total unpreparedness for it how little I intended it The conscience of my Innocency forbade Me to fear a War but the love of My Kingdoms commanded Me if possible to avoid it I am guilty in this War of nothing but this That I gave such advantages to some men by confirming their Power which they knew not to use with that modesty and gratitude which became their Loyalty and My Confidence Had I yielded less I had been opposed less had I denied more I had been more obeyed 'T is now too late to review the Occasions of the War I wish only a happy Conclusion of so unhappy Beginnings The inevitable fate of our Sins was no doubt such as would no longer suffer the Divine Justice to be quiet we having conquered his Patience are condemned by mutual conquerings to destroy one another for the most prosperous Successes on either side impair the welfare of the whole Those Victories are still miserable that leave our Sins un-subdued flushing our Pride and animating to continue Injuries Peace it self is not desirable till Repentance have prepared us for it When we fight more against our selves and less against God we shall cease fighting one against another I pray God these may all meet in our hearts and so dispose us to an happy conclusion of these Civil Wars that I may know better to obey God and govern my People and they may learn better to obey both God and Me. Nor do I desire any man should be further subject to Me than all of us may be subject to God O my God make Me content to be overcome when Thou wilt have it so Teach Me the noblest Victory over My self and my Enemies by Patience which was Christs Conquest and may well become a Christian King Between both thy hands the right sometimes supporting and the left afflicting fashion us to that frame of Piety Thou likest best Forgive the Pride that attends our prosperous and the Repinings which follow our disastrous events when going forth in our own strength Thou withdrawest thine and goest not forth with our Armies Be Thou all when we are something and when we are nothing that Thou mayest have the Glory when we are in a victorious or inglorious condition Thou O Lord knowest how hard it is for Me to suffer so much evil from my Subjects to whom I intend nothing but good and I cannot but suffer in those Evils which they compel Me to inflict upon them punishing My self in their Punishments Since therefore both in conquering and being conquered I am still a Sufferer I beseech Thee to give Me a double portion of thy Spirit and that measure of Grace which only can be sufficient for Me. As I am most afflicted so make Me most reformed that I may be not only happy to see an end of these Civil Distractions but a chief instrument to restore and establish a firm and blessed Peace to My Kingdoms Stir up in all parties pious ambitions to overcome each other with Reason Moderation and such Self-denial as becomes those who consider that our mutual Divisions are our common Distractions and the Vnion of all is every good mans chiefest Interest If O Lord as for the sins of our Peace Thou hast brought upon us the miseries of War so for the sins of War Thou shouldst see fit still to deny us the blessing of Peace and so keep us in a circulation of Miseries yet give Me thy Servant and all Loyal tho afflicted Subjects to enjoy that Peace which the world can neither give to us nor take from us Impute not to Me the Blood of My Subjects which with infinite unwillingness and grief hath been shed by Me in My just and necessary Defence but wash Me with that precious Blood which hath been shed for Me
motives to Repentance and earnest desires to make some reparations for their former defects As Your quality sets you beyond any Duel with any Subject so the Nobleness of Your Mind must raise You above the meditating any Revenge or executing Your Anger upon the many The more conscious You shall be to Your own Merits upon Your People the more prone You will be to expect all Love and Loyalty from them and to inflict no Punishment upon them for former Miscarriages You will have more inward complacency in Pardoning one than in Punishing a thousand This I write to You not despairing of God's Mercy and My Subjects affections towards You both which I hope You will study to deserve yet we cannot merit of God but by his own Mercy If God shall see fit to restore Me and You after Me to those enjoyments which the Laws have assigned to Us and no Subjects without an high degree of Guilt and Sin can divest Us of then may I have better opportunity when I shall be so happy to see You in Peace to let You more fully understand the things that belong to God's Glory Your own Honour and the Kingdoms Peace But if You never see My face again and God will have Me buried in such a barbarous Imprisonment and Obscurity which the perfecting some mens Designs requires wherein few hearts that love Me are permitted to exchange a word or a look with Me I do require and entreat You as Your Father and Your KING that You never suffer Your Heart to receive the least check against or disaffection from the true Religion established in the Church of England I tell You I have tried it and after much search and many Disputes have concluded it to be the best in the world not only in the Community as Christian but also in the special notion as Reformed keeping the middle way between the pomp of Superstitious Tyranny and the meanness of Fantastick Anarchy Not but that the draught being excellent as to the main both for Doctrine and Government in the Church of England some lines as in very good Figures may haply need some sweetning or polishing which might here have easily been done by a safe and gentle hand if some mens Precipitancy had not violently demanded such rude Alterations as would have quite destroyed all the Beauty and Proportions of the whole The scandal of the late Troubles which some may object and urge to You against the Protestant Religion established in England is easily answered to them or Your own thoughts in this That scarce any one who hath been a Beginner or an active Prosecutor of this late War against the Church the Laws and Me either was or is a true Lover Embracer or Practiser of the Protestant Religion established in England which neither gives such Rules nor ever before set such Examples 'T is true some heretofore had the boldness to present threatning Petitions to their Princes and Parliaments which others of the same Faction but of worse Spirits have now put in execution But let not counterfeit and disorderly Zeal abate your value and esteem of true Piety both of them are to be known by their fruits The sweetness of the Vine and Fig-tree is not to be despised tho the Brambles and Thorns should pretend to bear Figs and Grapes thereby to rule over the Trees Nor would I have you to entertain any aversation or dislike of Parliaments which in their right constitution with Freedom and Honour will never injure or diminish your Greatness but will rather be as interchangings of Love Loyalty and Confidence between a Prince and his People Nor would the events of this Black Parliament have been other than such however much biassed by Factions in the Elections if it had been preserved from the Insolencies of Popular dictates and Tumultuary impressions The sad effects of which will no doubt make all Parliaments after this more cautious to preserve that Freedom and Honour which belongs to such Assemblies when once they have fully shaken off this yoke of Vulgar encroachment since the Publick Interest consists in the mutual and common good both of Prince and People Nothing can be more happy for all than in fair grave and honourable ways to contribute their Counsels in common enacting all things by publick consent without Tyranny or Tumults We must not starve our selves because some men have surfeited of wholsom food And if neither I nor You be ever restored to Our Rights but God in his severest Justice will punish My Subjects with continuance in their Sin and suffer them to be deluded with the prosperity of their Wickedness I hope God will give Me and You that Grace which will teach and enable Us to want as well as to wear a Crown which is not worth taking up or enjoying upon sordid dishonourable and irreligious terms Keep You to true Principles of Piety Virtue and Honour You shall never want a Kingdom A Principal point of Your Honour will consist in Your conferring all Respect Love and Protection on Your Mother My Wife who hath many ways deserved well of Me and chiefly in this that having been a means to bless Me with so many hopeful Children all which with their Mother I recommend to your Love and Care She hath been content with incomparable Magnanimity and Patience to suffer both for and with Me and You. My Prayer to God Almighty is whatever becomes of Me who am I thank God wrapt up and fortified in My own Innocency and his Grace that he would be pleased to make You an Anchor or Harbour rather to these tossed and weather-beaten Kingdoms a Repairer by Your Wisdom Justice Piety and Valour of what the Folly and Wickedness of some men have so far ruined as to leave nothing intire in Church or State to the Crown the Nobility the Clergy or the Commons either as to Laws Liberties Estates Order Honour Conscience or Lives When they have destroyed Me for I know not how far God may permit the Malice and Cruelty of My Enemies to proceed and such apprehensions some mens words and actions have already given Me as I doubt not but My Blood will cry aloud for Vengeance to Heaven so I beseech God not to pour out his Wrath upon the generality of the People who have either deserted Me or engaged against Me through the Artifice and hypocrifie of their Leaders whose inward Horror will be their first Tormentor nor will they escape exemplary Judgments For those that loved Me I pray God they may have no miss of Me when I am gone so much I wish and hope that all good Subjects may be satisfied with the Blessings of Your Presence and Virtues For those that repent of any defects in their Duty toward Me as I freely forgive them in the word of a Christian King so I believe You will find them truly zealous to repay with interest that Loyalty and Love to You which was due to Me. In sum what Good I