three or foure of our Kings raignes and against which our Protestants have alwaies so eagerly declaimed laying their grounds upon certaine proofes drawne from the corruption of Rome which gave life unto it had nothing in it of more venimous consequence then this we see here save that the Emissaries and Boute-feus of the English Confederacy have not as yet imbrued their hands in the bloud of their King And can it suite with their profession who talke so much of reducing Christian Religion to it's primitive purity and reviving the Innocence and Simplicity of the Apostolique times who call him their Master that reconciled the world to God and united men in the same mutuall affections who are not ignorant that Peace and Concord are the essentiall characters of a Christian and that such should never be the occasioners of warre to employ the sword in such a manner as this I cannot thinke there 's any man so credulous as to beleive that such courses can finde any welcome among those that are Protestants indeed they may with many who are such in shew onely of which sort are all the opposers not of monarchy alone but indefinitely of any secular authority whatsoever There were some in the infancy of the Church who strained Christian liberty so farre that they condemned it as unjust for the Enfranchised of God and such as were guided by his spirit to be subject to the command of any creature The Donatists sucked the same poison from them which afterwards diffused it selfe among the Anabaptists and in fine reached us also by meanes of some who gave a second birth to this Heresy which now walkes up and downe here in great bravery under pretences very specious in the apprehension of some shallow Judgements And though I conceive this will not be to the generall prejudice of the Reformed Churches in Europe by reason of that just jealousy which Princes ought to entertaine that they hold no intelligence amongst themselves and that they doe not all bandy togethr against the rights and prerogatives of their respective dominions Yet it must needs 〈◊〉 to their shame atleast if they doe not openly declare against the villany of their proceedings and the iniquity of their designes especially since they have had the impudence to invite them to an imitation of their example and to steppe in for the support of their faction I am not ignorant what grounds we goe upon and how little resemblance ours â—eare to theirs but the world will not passe sentence upon us by our positions but either by our actions or by our silence For if we be silent when they are bragging of 〈◊〉 with us and yet appearing in the field against their Soveraiâ—â— who will not be ready to conclude that had we the like power â—â— our hands we would do as much every wâ—â—it our selves â— but if 〈◊〉 the contrary we speake our mindes condemning the unlawfullnesse and horridnesse of their designe our actions suiting still with 〈◊〉 doctrine in stead of exasperating the secular powers we shall 〈◊〉 them for it cannot be but they will take part with us and 〈◊〉 off such as make them so subordinate either to the people in groâ—â—â— or to some select parcell of the whole body who let them talke what they will are no lesse Subjects then the rest In breife â— need but demand whether of the two are the better Christians those that wast so much bloud to subvert the right of Kings and to cherish a warre under counterfeit pretences for the suppression of all order and engaging the whole world to the same common confusion Or they of the Primitive times who maintained that to shâ—â— bloud was to violate Christianity to oppose Kings was to disobey God and to contest with Superiours was to fight against that Order which he established I beleeve they will hardly be swayed by examples lesse by reason nor that they put any great value upon the authority which the practise of the first ages may challenge over us If they do I would exhort such preachers of fire and sword to call to minde how the ancient disciplien of the Church denied their communion to such as had slaine an Enemy in a lawfull warre and that they would hence collect how those times stood affected to such as voluntarily embroyled themselves in an unlawfull and unjust one See Sir in part what I have to say to you upon this argument It will not be amisse if in the next place I acquaint you with the innovations they make in Religion and what fruits Christianity is like to reape from the labours of such doughty Reformers 'T is a truly impious designe to perâ—ue a Reformation in such manner as these men do and which tends onely to the subversion of an order established by God under a pretence of pulling downe one devised by man which they call Tyranny because indeed it is the onely meanes whereby to check them in that full caâ—câ—â—â— of unbridled licentiousnesse unto which they are naturally so much devoâ—â—â— Not but that there is alwayes matter enough for a reformation both in manners and government and that it is extreamely necessary to correct the evills and disorders of the present times and withall to prevent that corruption which may be feared from the future But who will be the fittest to go through with this taske will the Parliament no in as much as the Bishops that is the Clergy are no longer a part of it Will the Synod be able to supply this defect no not they because the whole body is composed of persons interessed besides that ignorance and blindenesse are there for the most part in their greatest exaltationâ— or if perhaps there be some knowing there is a great dearth of honest men most of them being possest with the spirit of division which hath drawne them into the by-paths of Hereticks as well ancient as moderne Well then shall the People beare the burthen this is altogether impossible unlesse first there be made an universall resignation of all sence and reason because of themselves they are uncapable of all manner of order and conduct Neither can the King assisted only by his Counsell and Magistrates be thought a â—it instrument to mannage the businesse for feare he make Religion waite upon his owne private interest and by consequent bring the spirit under the command of the Flesh The issue then will be to finde out a just and lawfull way for the advancing of this Reformation which in my opinion can be no other then that of a generall Assembly indicted by the Prince wherein the Boroughs shall have their Deputies whose voices are to be heard and their suffrages admitted The Church it's Bishops and Doctors The Parliament diverse of the Nobility which they may chuse out of their severall Houses and the King his principall Officers And to make the action more Authentique to establish in the Church that uniformity which ought to be in a body in which
â—â—atter not any rebellious Doctrine a thing very familiar with such as have had their breeding at Rome in Spaine or in any Schooles of the Jesuites Had they their education at home they would breath nothing but affection to the place of their nativity and the liberty which would be indulged them among their Parents and kindred without the least jealousie of suffering for any differences in opinions would nourish respect in them towards their King and all other their Superiours whereas rigour doth but harden them the more and imbolden them to redeeme themselves at any rate from that irkesome necessity which is commonly imposed on them to beleeve otherwise then they will and perhaps too then they can Let me but adde a word of the Liberties they talke of and for which they make so much noyse in the world I am not altogether ignorant what they be as having seene a great part of the Lawes and Customes of that Kingdome Certainely those gentlemen may with much credit charge their King with the violation of them who have themselves so insolently trampled upon whatsoever hath the face either of Publique or private right I shall attend an opportunity to give you a distinct information of their basenesse in this particular For the present I shall onely assure you thus much in generall that their complaints are most groundlesse as flowing from the same spirit by whose instigation they have slandered the religion and piety of their Prince Did he ever during that peaceable part of his reigne over them endeavour to stretch his prerogâ—tive or to protect any of his Creatures that encroached I will not say upon the Lawes of the Realme but even upon the propriety of the meanest Subject Was there ever in any Kings Reigne knowne fewer escheats except those from Recusants or fewer proscriptions and banishments fewer executions lesse disorder and violence lesse repining fewer impositions in a word fewer Innovations And therefore it concerned them to fancy as they have done a thousand illegall and tyrannicall actions in that Prince that so they might more easily delude the People and in the issue engage them as in their owne defence to a resolution of making head against him either wholly to devest him of all rule or to reigne a while in his stead or at least to have a constant share with him in the government That blinde unruly Beast is never more servilely tame then when abused with lyes ever repining and ready to mutine at any extraordinary imposition though never so reasonable and advantagious You may lead it whither you please with a specious pretence so willing at this time to sacrifice it selfe to the ambition of some factious spirits intoxicated by their oaths and protestations that they aime at nothing but the good of the People In like manner have the Pesantry of France sometimes inconsiderately engaged themselves in the service of a King of Navarrâ— a Duke of Normandy and another of Burgogne who having in effect no other designe then to advance their owne greatnesse would notwithstanding have nothing more in their mouthes then the publique liberty of which to speake truth they were the most pernicious if not the onely enemies Just so it is here now They that have undertaken the protection of Priviledge possessing their abettours and Disciples with the hopes of securing their liberties thinke of nothing lesse then the interests of others and that very thing which they pretend to appeare in the feild for hath beene more violated and infringed by them then ever it was by all the Kings of England And yet they have so varnisht over their actions that by this trick they have got the estates the lives the hearts nay and the consciences to boot of the People here wholly into their owne disposall It may be those unfortunate Wretches will be one day sensible of the Imposture and perceive at last how they have approved and engaged themselves to what will be their destruction if they repent not For those that flatter them with the hopes of liberty will either get the upper hand and so 〈◊〉 them their vassals or else plunge them into a condition farre more intolerable then the most irksome slavery were it not for that Anabaptisticall venime which hath intermixed it selfe with the naturall propension of this people to Libertinisme there might be some hopes of remedy But there have been the like disorders here to fore in this Kingdom And a man would thinke that the soules of the Earle of Leicester and the Duke of Gloucester had by a kind of transmigration possessed the ring-leaders of this present Rebellion But the former were so much the more excusable in that they made not Religion the screene to their Ambition which sooner put on end to those troubles That you may the better remember the cheife circumstances of that History give me leave to acquaint you how in the reigne of King Henry the third there was a Parliament held at Oxford which Posterity justly branded with an infamous name calling it The mad Parliament except me but the generall superstition of those times and it will mervailously resemble that at Westminster At which time the Lords and Commons fore'd that King to consent to the nominating of certaine persons amongst them whom they stiled Commissioners and Gâ—â—rdiâ—â—s of the Peace Whereupon under pretence of that extraordinary power and by vertue not onely of an Ordinance of the two Houses but of a compleate Act of Parliament they rose up in Armes against their Prince and molested him with a long and bloudy Warre like this After the various successe of which insolent attempt and the severall innovations which distracted the Kingdome the review of the whole businesse was committed to a free Parliament in which the Authors and Promoters of that warre were condemned of High Treason and all the Rebels Estates by a solemne Act confiscate But the extent of the crime abated of the punishment lest otherwise the greatest part of England should have beene made a desolation And certainly were there any hopes of a free Parliament now the traiâ—â—â—ous attempt of those who make up that shadow of a Parliament would be proceeded against with all rigour and the example of that at Oxford be renewed seeing they have dared to renew the criâ—â— And were the punishment proportion'd to the offence these men should be used with more severity then the other they have so 〈◊〉 out-done them For their attempt was onely against their owne Prince but the designe of these against all the Princes in the World They were contented to be Rebeâ—â— themselves but these must have all the Protestants in Christendome to be so likewise They medlâ—â— not with Religion nor thought to disquiet the Church these hâ—â—â— violated Religion and torne the Church in peeces They offered 〈◊〉 violence to any of the three States in Parliament suppressing onely the votes of some particular persons which crossed their designe These have outed the
Calvin upon this Argument That the Presbyters to wit all such as had the cure of Soules were accustomed in every City to cull out one amongst the rest upon whom in particular they bestowed the title of Bishop to prevent saith he those ordinary Divisions which flow from a Parity Notwithstanding this Bishop was not so farre liâ—ted up above his fellowes in honour and degree aâ— that he might exercise any act of jurisdiction over them His proper function resembled that of a Consul in the Senate He made relation of proceedings in a full House â—e advised informed exhorted He ruled aâ— by his authority managed the whole Action and put the generall and unanimous results of the Senate in execution whereto he subjoyneth that according to the universall attestation of all Antiquity the necessity of the times was the first Authoriser of this Custome Now this necessity was nothing but those divisions which crept in among the Pastours of the Church for want of some principall Overseers which is now farre greater in this Nation then ever it was with them as you shall see anon But let us feele a little more the pulses of these men that will have no degrees or preheminence in the Church They be the very same that would have none in the State also They strike at Episcopacy for the same ends they have assaulted Royalty They are no strangers to the frowardnesse of their owne dispositions but are sufficiently convicted how farre each of them in particular hath degenerated from the Maximes and even from the very graine of their Ancestours That they are generally odious and destructive to the Publike nor can ever build any hopes to themselves but such as must have their foundation in perpetuall discords That seeing their expectations frustrate and themselves consequently in a wretched condition their onely way is to advance a generall confusion and so to involve all order and constitution of former ages which crosse their wicked inclinations in the same common ruine The very complexion of these Râ—kâ—â—ells speakes the worth of what they oppose so eagerly To which if you addâ— the manner how they have from the beginning invaded it with what violence they have proceeded you may easily inferre the basenesse of those who put them upon that employment No sooner had they notice of those jealoâ—sies betwixt the King and his Parliament wherein at that time there were not a few sicke of the same disease with themselves but they readily embraced the opportunity to make their Soveraigne and the Bishops sensible of their inveterate spleene towards them Having first set some of the other sexe a worke which in the open streets renounced all shame and modesty in lieu of benedictions wherewith the custome was to greet Princes to belch out with a deliberate impudence most traiterous expressions against their King the impunity of that sexe whose insolence is oftner sleighted then punished animated the other to a desperate resolution of offering violence unto his Person To which purpose they invest his Pallace seize upon White hall gates and had not the well mannaged providence of some of the Lords though strongly suspected by that frantique multitude quashed their designe he could not have escaped their hands The King having given them the slip immediately they divert the streame of their fury upon the Bishops as if they had beene of a Jewish descent and some Pilates were upon the bench to give judgement they cryed away with those followers of Christ as the other had cryed away with Christ himselfe The Parliament indeavouring in a â—rudent way to settle this disorder found a rub at the first from some among themselves that had a maine hand in the businesse giving private intelligence to that seditioâ—s Rabble how their proceedings were disliked and how the House of Lords had carried the matter in favour of the Bishops and that they likewise were seconded by a considerable party of the House of Commons This set them all on fire in a moment insomuch that of Accusâ—â—s and Prosecuters they had turned Executioners if those pious men had not by keeping out of the way given place to their fury In the meane time they are still urgent they bawle they threaten But perceiving how that great Body would hardly be forced without destroying it and throwing themselves also into danger they joine subtilty to open violence The Bishops must be impeached of High Treason against King and Kingdome and of subverting the Fundamentall Lawes of the Land This prodigrous calumny nourished the boldnesse of their Abettours in Parliament and drew over to them all the faint hearted debarred the liberty of protecting justice and rendring her venerable to such as had yet freely withstood those violent courses From that very houre they are interdicted all resort to Parliament Their Houses are plundered their persons imprisoned their complaints derided In a word there is not any outrage imaginable which they did not exercise upon them insomuch that the very reasons they alleadged to cleare themselves were brought under the compasse of a high misdemeanour albeit they knew not how to proceed against them For even in their greatest heare they were forced to leave the matter undecided and so it continues to this day They are never more gravelled then when they fall upon debate of that The Parliament that is to say the Lower House and the Synod doe both joine heads together to put an end to the Question The one in debarting those a place in their Assembly who have a light to sit there from the first institution of Parliaments and whose votes in that place are so fundamentally necessary that without them all the decrees of the other are null and the originall constitution of the Kingdomes infringed thereby The other contributes to their totall extirpation and to shake off all obedience to them that so they may open a gappe to their Libertinisme and force upon the Church that disorder and confusion which the spirit of giddinesse they are possessed with hath ever aimed at Judge Sir by these proceedings what sincerity there it in these Novelists and if any honest man can shake hands with them Suppose the Bishops had indeed transgressed in matter of State this is but a poore plea for the proscription of Episcopacy in selfe The Persons should be punished not the Profession abolished after the example of those Emperours who having upon good ground such at least as appeared so to them ejected certaine of their Bishops did forthwith substitute others in their roomes to let the world know that if with one hand they put the law in execution against the crimes of men with the tother they would still maintaine the reverence due unto an Order in their esteeme so sacred that those they had divested of it they adjudged altogether unworthy of the same Suppose now they were found peccant in point of Religion this they may be as Men and as Sinners not as Bishops The Ministery among us
Elizabeth and certainly those Princes had more to feare for the Rights of their Crowne which they rescued from the Romish Subjection then the People at this day can possibly have for their liberties and Priviledges Their Religion then bound them to what in all probability was very prejudiciall to the Rights of their Kings nothing doth now obligâ— them to the least disadvantage of the People Then they swore obedience to the Bishop of Rome now they do it to none but to God himselfe Then the discipline of the Church had well-nigh suffered a totall subversion and England after the example of Poland might have conceived that the Nobility alone without Bishops were intrusted with the Reformation of the Church and that there was no more need of Prelates for Counsellors of State that is to sit in Parliament Notwithstanding neither did that Example nor these considerations prove prejudiciall to the Bishops The Fundamentall law of the Realme by which they are established together with the necessity of maintaininâ— them and besides that sundry the most eminent amongst them had couragiously sacrificed their lives in behalfe of Christianity oâ—â—poysed all other considerations whatsoever And the law which first seated them in Parliament expects them there still now especially when God 〈◊〉 leased to make use of Publicke votes for the government of the Church they are of more importance then eveâ— They are in England as in our Assemblies of State or as the Clergy in our highest Courts of Justice Which of our Kings who are absolute Monarchs without sharing their Power either with People or Parliaments as they do in other places which of them I say did ever entertaine a thought of debarring the Bishops this Priviledge We finde indeed in a certaine old Constitution that one of our Kings out of a zealous and pious intent making it seemes a conscience of diverting them from the service of God discharged theâ— all except the Abbat of Saint Denys from assisting at Parliamenâ—â— and hearing criminall cases but we finde not that this Ordinanâ—â— was ever put in execution but on the contrary that the weighâ—ieâ— employments of those times were wholly devolved upon Church-men whose abilities and honesty won them such a generall repuâ—â— that the custome then was for Princes to select among others two Bishops for the cheife of their retinue to be the 〈◊〉 of the Court and withall to see that justice were exactly and due 〈◊〉 administred They had likewise two Masters of Requests continually attending on them one of which was alwayes â— Clergy-mâ—â— who gave present Justice And we finde in a certaine Constitutioâ— of one of our Philips that of five appointed to give answer 〈◊〉 such Petitions as were presented in Parliaments two were to be Lay-men and three Clerkes But what neede we go farther then England to warrant the equity of this custome debarre the Bishops their right of sitting in Parliament and what respect will a proud licentious People afford the Clergy you may assure your selfe none at all Let them use what meanes they can to make them their Synods or Councells of any esteeme with them they will conforme no further to them then they please themselves Indeed to disvote Bishops in such Assemblies is to bereave them of all Authority and to open a gap for any wilde Chrochers in point of Religion to enter in that Kingdome 'T is in a word to suppresse the Bishops themselves to throw downe the Pillars of the Church and so to render the conservation of Christian Purity impossible Perhaps Sir you may thinke I speake in this more then comes to my share being one who professe to have no portion in the corruptions of Rome and so much to abhorre the Superstition of embracing such things as some upon divers pretences either out of ignorance or malice have introduced into the world to the great prejudice and disquiet thereof and in derogation to the just liberty of Conscience But if you please to reflect a little upon that prodigious clashing of opinions which at this day divides England into so many severall sects you will certainely conclude with me that in case this Order be once abolished neither innocence of manners nor integrity of doctrine can any longer enjoy a place in that Church The reason 〈◊〉 obvious if it be but considered how since the discontinuing of Episcopall Power in that Kingdome those that owe obedience and should be accountable for their doctrines to the Bishops do now live in such a horrible fashion as I have allready inform'd you that we may safely beleeve the most of them are the spawne of such as were once disgorged out of the mouth of Hell and dispersed in the Church to stifle Christianity in her Cradle rather then the successors of those that have beene the constant assertors of truth and opposers of falshood Witnesse the severall impieties and heresies both ancient and moderne where with they empoyson the soules of that People who in the common confusion listen to them blindely swallowing downe under pretence of Reformation all sorts of fancies and doctrines indifferently The most absurd dreames of the old Chiliasts the most pernicious ertours of Origen the most infamous libertinisme of the Anabaptists and the most execrable impieties of the Sociâ—ians doe usually take up the greatest part of their Sermons the rest being designed either for inflaming the Auditours with the coales of sedition and setting both parties at an irreconcileable distance or else to embase all manners to the lowest degree of corruption Yet in this generall depravation God hath reserv'd for himselfe some well disposed persons and indued them with courage to enquire into their actions and to brand the crimes of the Age. They have stoutly express'd their dislike of what hath beene constantly delivered by many hundred Preachers in that Kingdome I will not present you with an exact list of all they have published Judge with your selfe if there be any impiety those men will make scruple of many of whom out of an extreame unheard of impudence have had the boldnesse to defame in the open pulpit some of the other sex whom they could not tempt to lewdnesse in their private Houses I am very credibly informed that their names were presented to the Parliament but could never heare oâ— any punishment so much as intended them this in my opinion was the 〈◊〉 crying sinne then that of the Ghostly Father who seduced a 〈◊〉 in time of confession There is in this an unparallel'd kind of scandall and such as you will find farre to surpasse the greatest crimâ—â— which have ever beene charged upon any Hereticke in the World Such disorders were not to be heard of till 〈◊〉 Bishops were outed of their Jurisdiction and ill Church discipline robbed of it's force and vertue notwithstanding the naturall irregularity of that People Three yeares Anarchy and Independance in the Church have plunged that State into more confusion then all the Civill Waâ—â— thâ— case prosperity and long
to the Magistrate I instance not in this Custome as if I thought it worthy the imitation no it hath it's blemishes as well as those in other places and is perhaps as repugnant to the ancient practice of the Church That which I most dislike in it as a matter of dangerous consequence is that instead of the usuall Discipline among the Faithfull in winning the Soule from vice by sweet alluring meanes after the example of God who drawes us with the cords of love they exercise a temporall Jurisdiction and practice the severity of Judges meerly secular which begets two evils at once the first an intrenching upon the Churches function in depriving her of the liberty of censuring crimes The second is that by the rigour of that Custome Offenders are many times driven to such desperate resolutions that they chuse rather to flee the City then to abide the hazâ—rd of a triall whence commonly ariseth a third namely that by the intercession of Parents or Freinds they are permitted to compound with their purses and so that repose and security which should be found onely in the goodnesse of men such especially as would be accounted Saints iâ— often to be had in the corruption and venality of the Judges the ready way to impenitency and hardnesse of heart Can they now after all this object against the Bishops of England that either avarice or corruption hath prevailed with them to connive at the vicious or that they used too much rigour and precipitation in the execution of their authority If so be they have any designe to make Geneva their patterne For my part I finde nothing commendable in their Discipline but this that our first Reformers have hereby given the world sufficient proofe of their absolute aversion from infringing the force of Lawes or undermining the Authority of the Magistrates And that they never dreamt of being endowed with a power so directly opposite to all secular authority which might any way disoblige them from obedience due to Princes The custome they have in their monethly Assemblies is yet more for our purpose For besides that they never conveene without the consent of their Senatours either express'd or implyed no more then our assemblyes doe in France the severall results and acts of those meetings are altogether invalid till the same Powers have approved and ratified them which is yet more remarkeable in as much as there they confine themselves to the cognition of such causes alone as reflect either upon manners or Religion The Palatinate went beyond Geneva in this particular where in the Ecclesiasticall Assembly at Heidelberg the Prince had alwaies his Officers or Overseers as I may truly call them Nor was there ever any Synod held within the verge of his Dominions where there was not a President deputed by Him and besides what ever was agreed upon nothing could be put in execution till it had passed the examination of his Counsell and received his owne approbation A custome very conformable to the practice of allâ—ges since the infancy of the Church whensoever any Councells at all were held or where there was any Prince or such as either might or would challenge any interest in them Would our Reformers here walke in the same Track they would abate of that insolence whereby they maintaine that the power they exercise is no other then the power of Heaven nor would they any longer call their Conventicles the Tribunall and their Censures the Decrees of Christ They would talke no more of a right of convâ—â—ning in despight of their Magistrates or Princes and when they were conveened by their authority they would attend their approbation as necessary to the execution of what they had determined And in case they were at first denyed it they would noâ— straight picke a quarrell and excommunicate them much lesse would they dare to depose them for any opposition whatsoever They would confine themselves simply to a power over the conscience without encroaching upon the civill Magistrate and under a pretence of advanceing piety towards God and charity towards their neighbour would no longer abuse such weake silly people as suffer themselves to be inveigled by the persons they susteine as Ministers of the Gospell But we may lawfully conclude they thinke of nothing lesse they have a quarrell with the temporall lawes and downe they must sooner or later if this torrent be not maturely opposed They will destroy all Legall Parliaments and overturne all secular authority This is the mischeife which all the sound Members of the present Parliament should eagerly struggle with and not consent so slavish â—y as their manner hath beene to such things as threaten the whole with inevitable ruine All the care they take and the paines they bestow here to reestablish as they pretend the freedome of their Votes the Liberty of the Subject and the purity of Religion are indeed but so many attempts to involve themselves with all the ancient rights of Church and State in the same common destruction the Capitall Enemies thereof insensibly gathering ground and notwithstanding all their faire pretences making their party so strong that when the Parliament shall have fancyed themselves at the very â—op of their designe thinking now they have pluck'd up all Tyranny and superstition by the rootes they will finde in the issue that they have intangled the State in so much confusion as all the wit of man will never be able to compose There is no Law here but Arbitrary What house is secure What person free What wise man regarded What honest man imitated What vice punished What virtue rewarded What stranger priviledg'd What Minister of State unviolated contrary to the Law of Nations All professions degrees and qualities are hudled up together in the common confusion The People which used to receive Lawes in this generall hurliburly prescribes them ignorant malicious and giddy headed rabble that it is it must be shaping a monster which the whole world cryes out of nay 't is allready formed The London â—out being now the sole Moderatours to all the Rebellious part of the Kingdome They have ruin'd the Nobility despoiling them partly of their meanes and partly of their power Such of the Peeres as continue still amongst them are neither of any account noâ— Authority You shall have three or foure seditious rascalls of the City who are of no extraction no merit no name but what they have purchased in traduceing honest men in murthering the innocent and turning each place that lies within the reach of their fury into a disconsolate Wildernesse more listened to and draw more abettours after them then all the House of Lords can do So that me thinkes I heare some interpose and say certainely this convention you tell us of hath nothing but a counterfeit name and is no more then the shadow and empty picture of a true Parliament things are carryed there with so much precipitation and violence that for any man but to talke of