Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
parliament_n house_n king_n officer_n 2,496 5 7.4181 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A91269 The second part of A seasonable legal and historical vindication, and chronological collection of the good old fundamental liberties, franchises, rights, lawes, government of all English freemen; their best inheritance and onely security against all arbitrary tyranny and Ægyptian taxes. Wherein the extraordinary zeal, courage, care, vigilancy, civill, military and Parliamentary consultations, contests, to preserve, establish, perpetuate them to posterity, against all tyrants, usurpers, enemies, invaders, both under the ancient pagan and Christian Britons, Romans, Saxons. The laws and Parliamentall great councils of the Britons, Saxons. With some generall presidents, concerning the limited powers and prerogatives of our British and first Saxon kings; ... are chronologically epitomized, ... By William Prynne of Swainswick, Esquire.; Seasonable, legall, and historicall vindication and chronologicall collection of the good, old, fundamentall, liberties, franchises, rights, laws of all English freemen. Part 2 Prynne, William, 1600-1669. 1655 (1655) Wing P4072; Thomason E820_11; ESTC R203292 115,608 151

There are 12 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

of late here objected against the Kings Jesuiticall and Popish ill Counsellors And whosoever will peruse the severall Speeches and Declarations made upon the breaking up of former Parliaments since the beginning of his Majesties Raign will find the pretences of those unjust and illegall Dissolutions to be grounded upon the exceptions against some particular Members under the name of A few factious and seditious persons so that the aspersing and wounding of the Parliament through the sides of a few Members is no new invention And hath not this been the very Army officers practice since the first year of their reigne till now to wound the last real parliament yea their own lare dissolved Mock parliaments since though the sides of a few corrupt Members or a corrupt Maiority in the House as all their printed Declarations upon their dissolutions attest And is this then no crime or no Jesuiticall practise in them though such in the late King and his ill Counsellors And for the satisfaction of all indifferent men that this war is raised against the parliament wee shall refer them to former Declarations issued out in his Maiesties name being so many invectives and groundless accusations not against particular Members only but against the Vote and proceedings of both Houses And are not many of the Armies Declarations in 1647. and 16●● yea the late pamphlet of some present Grandees 〈◊〉 A True State of the Case of the Commonwealth of England printed 1654. Such let them now then see whence they took their pattern even from the beheaded Kings Iesuited evill Counsellors whose steps they exactly trace in this But if the truth were as that Declaration seems to imply That this Army is raised to force some particular Members of this parliament to be delivered up yet upon that ground would it follow that the same is levied against the Parliament For it cannot be denyed by any ingenious man but that the Parliament by their inherent rights and priviledges hath the power to judge and punish their own Members yet the Army officers took upon them to secure seclude them without charge and their future new minded parliament Members though only elected by the people must be trye à iudged by the new Whitehall Members ere they can be admitted to sit Article 21. of the New Government And we have often declared to his his Majestie and the world That we are alwaies ready to receive any evidence or accusations against any of them and to judge and punish them according to their demerits yet hitherto no evidence produced no Accuser appearing And yet notwithstanding to raise an Army to compel the parliament to expose those Members to the fury of those wicked Counsellors that thirst for nothing more then the ruin of them and the Commonwealth What can be more evident then that the same is levied against the Parliament For did they prevaile in this then by the same reason pray observe it They might demand twenty more and never rest satisfied until their malice and Tyrany did devour all those Members they found cross and opposite to their lewd and wicked designs And was not this the practice of the Army-officers who levied a reall actuall Warre against the parliament They first impeached secluded XI Members of the Commons house and some Lords soon after An 1647. then they secured imprisoned my self with 44. Members more and secluded the greatest part of the Commons House leaving not above 50. or 60. at first sitting who confederated with them in December 1648. within two moneths after this they beheaded the King then suppressed the whole Lords House to carry on their designs since acted At last they dissolved their own Mock Parliaments when they crossed their ambitious aspires What they did in September last since this was first penned to those now sitting is fresh in memory Touching the priviledges of Parliament which the contrivers of that Declaration in his Majesties name and the Contrivers of sundry Declarations since in the armies name who imitated them herein seem to be so tender of and to profess all conformity unto and deny this army to be raised in any degree to violate we shall appeale to the judgment of any indifferent man how little truth is contained in this their assertion or in the Army Officers printed papers to the same effect The Parliament is to be considered in three severall respects First as a Council to advise Secondly As a Court to judg 3. As it is the body representative of the whole kingdome to make repeal or alter lawes whether the Paarliament hath enjoyed its priviledges in any of these respects under the Army Officers and powers as wel as late King let any that hath eyes open judg For the first Wee dare appeal even to the Consciences of the Contrivers themselves and to the consciences of the Army-Officers Souldiers and Whitehall men themselves whether matters of the highest importance witness all the publike proceedings against the late Parliament King Peers Government the warrs with Scotland Holland their new Magna Charta repealing the old entituled The Government of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland wherein they take upon upon them such an Omnipotent Soveraign power as To pass a decree upon the waveting humors of the people and to say to this nation yea to Scotland and Ireland too As the almighty himself said once to the unruly Sea Here shall be thy bounds hitherto shalt thou come and no further as ome most arrogantly if not blasphemously publish in print to all the world in their True State of the Case of the Common-wealth p. 34. Their making of new binding Laws and Ordinances repealing old Laws and Statutes in and by pretext of this Instrument out of Parliament as their manifold VVhit-hal Folio new Edicts amounting to near 700 pages attest have not been agitated and determined in and by the armie-Armie-Officers General-Councel and other unparliamentary Juncto's not onely without but even contrary to their Advice and Votes too and whether Private unknown Councels in the Army VVhite-hall and elswhere have not been hearkned unto approved and followed when the Faithfull and wholsome advice of the great Counsel hath been scorned and neglected by the Army Officers and their Confederates And 〈◊〉 can deny but it is one of the Principle ends why a 〈◊〉 called To Consult the great Affairs of the Church and State And what miserable effects and 〈…〉 neglect of the great Councell and preferring of unknown and private Councels before it hath proved let the present Distractions of this Kingdome bear witnesse with all the bloody unchristian VVars Taxes Oppressions Distractions since the Armies force upon the King Members Houses Anno 1647. and 1648. to this present time Concerning the Second it sufficiently appears by the making the Kings Court by the Force and Power of the Kings Army the Sanctuary and re●uge of All sorts of Delinquents against the Parliament and Kingdome and protecting
and defending them from the Justice thereof and by admitting such to bear places of great trust in the Army and to stand in defiance of the Parliament and the Authority thereof and it is not a far greater crime to make the Parliaments Army it self a Delinquent against the Parliament and Kingdome the fanctuary of such Delinquents against both and to continue such Officers in places of greatest trust in the Army who have levied actual war against the Parliament secluded secured members of Parliament kept divers years under their armed guards in defiance of the Parliament refusing to release them even when the Serjeant was sent from the House it self to demand the Members seised By all which it is apparent how our Priviledges have been torn from us by piece-meals from time to time And we might mention many passages whereby they were endeavoured to be pulled up by the root and totally subverted As the attempt to bring up the late Army from the North to force Conditions upon the Parliament His Majesties Letters and Commands to the Members of both Houses which found obedience in a great many to attend him at York and so By depriving the Parliament of their Members destroy the whole body And was not the actuall twice bringing up of the Parliaments own Army by the Army Officers against the Parliament it self to impeach secure some principall members of both Houses seclude the Majority of the Commons House suppresse the whole house of Lords break off the Preaty behead the King the Head of the Parliament against the Parliaments Votes alter the government force conditions on the Parliament it self to omit the 12 21 24 32 37 38 39. Articles of their New government with the secluding of all the Members lately admitted by Armed Souldiers till they took a New Engagement and keeping out all others a taking of the Priviledges of the Parliament from them all by whole-sale and a more desperate pulling up by the Roots and totall subversion of all the Priviledges and whole body of the Parliament then this objected against the Northern Army or the Kings Jesuiticall ill Councel VVhich is enough to prove the vanity of the Contrivers of that Declaration and of the Army Officers too to feed themselves with hope of beliefe That the Priviledges of Parliament are not Violated but intended to be preserved with all due observance Concerning the Allegation That the Army raised by the Parliament is to murder the KING oft alledged by the King and his Party in many printed PROCLAMATIONS Declarations before and after this here mentioned VVe hoped the Contrivers of that Declaration or any that professed but the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise such a SCANDALL especially when they must needs know the Protestation taken by every member of both Houses and Army Officers too whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God TO DEFEND HIS MAJESTIES PERSON The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both Houses upon the nomination of the Earl of Essex to be Generall and to live and die with him wherein is expressed THAT THIS ARMY WAS RAISED FOR DEFENCE OF THE KINGS PERSON Our oft earnest and most humble Addresse to his Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army c. A request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to His Person which hath and ever shall be dear unto us And concerning the imputation laid to our Charge of Raising this Army to Alter the whole Frame of Government and Established Laws of the Land which the King and his party frequently objected in print we shall need give no other Answer but this That the Army Raised by the Parliament is to no other end but for the Preservation of his Majesties Person to Defend themselves the Laws of the Land and the true Protestant Religion After which they there and elswhere conclude And by this time we doubt not but every man doth plainly discern through the Mask and Visard of their Hypocrisie what their the Kings ill Counsels design is To Subject both King and Parliament and Kingdome to their needy Ambitious and Avaritious Spirits and to the violent Laws Martial law of Governing the People by guards and by the Souldiers But alas for greife how superlatively have many of the Army Officers and their confederate members though parties to these Declarations and Protestations violated them and both Houses Faiths Trusts intentions ends in raising the Army in every of these particulars How have they verified justified the Kings Declarations Jealousies concerning the Parliaments Army in every point here and elswhere disclaimed by both Houses How have they exceeded out acted the Kings Jesuiticall Counsellers and most desperate Popish army in violating subverting both the Parliaments Priviledges Members and Parliaments themselves together with our Fundamentall Laws Liberties Government for whose preservation they were onely raised paid How have they pursued the Kings and his worst Counsellors●ootsteps ●ootsteps in all the charges here objected against them by both Houses in relation to the Parliaments priviledges Members Constitution Rights Lawes to their utter Subversion dissolution and waged warre against them And doth not every man plainly discern through the Mask and Visard of their Hypocrisie to use both houses expressions that their designe is just the same with that here objected by the Parliament to the Kings ill Jesuited Counsellers and Popish army even to subject both King Parliament and Kingdome to their needy ambitious avaritious spirits and to the violent Laws marshall Law of Governing the people yea parliaments themselves by guards and by the Souldiers and By Conquest to establish an absolute and unlimited power over the Parliament and good subjects of this Kingdome as the Houses elsewhere thrice objected against the late King his Army and party being the very designe as many wisemen fear of the 27 Article of their new Government to settle a constant Annuall revenue for the maintenance of 20000 foot and 10000 Horse and Dragoones for the Defence and Security of England Scotland and Ireland O that they would now in the name and fear of God as they tender the eternal salvation of their souls the honour and priviledges of all future Parliaments the ease welfare settlement of our Nation Lay all this most seriously to their Hearts and make it a matter of their greatest lamentation and repentance Besides this have they not falsified that memorable late Declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament Novemb. 2. 1642. in Answer to his Majesties well worthy perusall now and made good both for the time past and all succeeding Parliaments whiles there shal be any standing Army in England able to over power them all the odious scandalous positions in relation to the English Parliament its Members and priviledges deduced from the Kings Declaration onely by inference but disclaimed by the King summed up by them in the close
of that Remonstrance and published in these ensuing terms as will evidently appear if applied to the Army and their Generall Counsel of Officers by adding or exchanging their names onely for the Kings in a parenthesis 1. That the King the Army General and their Generall Councell of Officers when he pleaseth may declare the Major part of both Houses a faction of Malignant Schismatical and ambitious Persons so that all Parliaments that have been heretofore and SHALL BE HEREAFTER AND ALL LAWS MADE IN THEM may by this means be called in question at pleasure yea nulled and repealed for ever as some former parliaments have been when held and over-awed by armed power or unduly elected packed summoned without Lawfull Authority or some of the Members forcibly secluded as you may read at large in the Statutes of 21. R. 2 c. 11 12. 16 17 18. 1. H. 4. c. 3. 1 H. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 22 23 36 48 66 70 39 H. 6. c. 1. and 17 E. 4. c. 7. worthy the serious perusal of our present Grandees and all illegitimate Parliaments where they may read the fatall end of all new unparliamentary projects laws devices wherein many now so much glory as if they would continue firm for ever when as in a few years space they will all probably prove nullities be for ever reversed yea branded to posterity as most pernicious presidents 2. That his Majesty the Army and their Generall Councell may declare what is the known Law of the Land against the judgement of the Highest Court and consequently of all his Courts So that the safety and right of King and people and THE LAW IT SELF must deupon his Majesties the Armie Generall and their Councels pleasure 4. That as the King hath a property in his Town Forts and Kingdomes so he the Army and their Generall Councell may dispose of them as he pleaseth and the Representative body of the whole Kingdome may not intermedle in discharge of his Majesties the Armies Generalls Councels trust though by the advice of evill Councellers they see it diverted to the hazard of the publique peace and safety of the Kingdome 5. That his Majesty the Army General and their Councell or any other person may upon suggestions and pr●tences of Treason Felony or breach of peace or of their Trusts a fourth Army new minted cause Take the Members of Parliament without giving satisfaction to the House whereof they are Members of the grounds of such suggestion or accusation and without and against their consent as in the case of the late secured secluded Members and their two Juncto's since so they may Dismember a Parliament when they please and make it what they will when they will 6. That whosoever shall follow the King Army Generall and their Councell in the wars against the Parliament though it were to destroy Laws Liberty Religion the Parliament it self and the whole kingdome yet he shall be free from all crime or punishment And that on the other side to oppose by force any such force though in the most legall way and by authority of the representative body of the whole kingdome is to leavy war against the King Army Generall and TREASON with in the Letter of 25. E. 3. or of their new Knacks since So our Lands Liberties Lives Religion and Laws themselves Whereby all the Rights both of King and people are due to them and preserved for them shall be at the sole will and pleasure of the Prince Army General and General Councel of Officers in their new High Courts of Injustice or other martiall Judicatories O consider consider seriously by these particulars to what a sad low despicable condition all English parliaments are now for ever reduced by the late Army practises violences and rebellions insolencies against them never to be parallel'd in any age which hath really verified this clause in the Declaration of both Houses Aug. 4. 1642. objected against the King and his popish Army in relation to themselves That if the King by his army may force this Parliament as the parliaments army both forced and dissolved it they may bid farewell to all Parliaments for ever receiving good by them and if parliaments be lost they the people are lost their Laws are lost as well those lately made as in former times All which will be cut in sunder with the same sword now drawn for the Distruction of this Parliament Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria about the year of our Lord 340. objected this as a great crime barbarisme cruelty and violation of the priviledges of Councels to the Arrian Emperour Constantine That whensoever he called a Councel or Assembly of Bishops it was but for a shew For he would not permit them to be guided by the ecclesiasticall Canont but his will alone must be their onely Canon And when they advised him not to subvert the ecclesiasticall order nor bring the Arrian Heresie into the Church of God he would neither hear nor permit them to speak freely but grievously bending his brows for they had spoken crosse to his designes and shaking his sword at them commanded them to be taken away Whereupon he thus infers What Liberty for perswasion or place for advice is there left when he that contradicteth shal for his labour lose either his life or his Country VVhy hath the Emperour gathered so great a number of Bishops partly terrified with threats partly inticed with promises to condescend that they will not communicate with Athanasius And Hilary Bishop of Poictou An. 360. in his first Book against this Tyrannical Arrian Emperours Constantius thus censures his violent proceedings of this kinde to the subversion of the freedom and priviledge of Councils and their members Thou gatherest COVNCILS and when they be shut up together in one City thou TERRIFIEST THEM WITH THREATS as the Army Officers did the secluded members 6 and 7 Decemb. 1648 when they shut them up all night in Hell on the bare boards without beds in the cold and kept them fasting all the next day at Whit-Hall till 7 a clock at night thou pinest them with hunger thou lamest them with cold thou depravest them with Dissembling O thou wicked one what a mockery dost thou make of the Church and Councels Onely Dogs return to their vomit and thou compellest the priests of Christ to sup up those things which they have disgorged and commandest them in their confessions to allow that WHICH BEFORE THEY CONDEMNED what Bishops hand hast thou left innocent What tongue hast thou not forced to falshood Whose heart hast thou not brought to the condemning of his former opinion Thou hast subjected all to thy will yea to thy violence And have not some swaying Army Officers by their frowns menaces frauds open force upon the Parliament and its members beyond all the presidents in any ages done the like and exceeded this Arrian Tyrant And is it not then high time for all friends to Parliaments to protest and provide
against such detestable treasonable violences for the future destructive to all Parliaments if permitted or silently pretermitted without question censure righting of the imprisoned members or any provision to redresse it for the future Our prudent Ancestors were so carefull to prevent all violence force arms and armed men in or near any places where Parliaments were held to terrifie over Qaw or disturb their proceedings or members That in the Parliament of 7 E. 1. as you may read in Rastals Abridgement Armour 1. Provision was made by the King by common consent of the Prelates Earls and Barons by a geciall act That in all Parliaments Treaties and other Assemblies which should be made in the Realm of England FOR EVER every man shall come without Force and withour Armour well and Peaceably to the honour of the King and of the peace of him and of his Realm and they together with the Commonalty of the Realm upon solemne advise declared That it belonged to the King and his part it is by his Royal Signiory strictly to defend wearing of Armour and all other Force against his peace at all time when it shall please him especially at such times and in places where such Parliaments Treaties and Assemblies are held and to punish them which shall do contrary according to the Laws and usage of the Realm And hereunto they are bound to old the King as their Soveraign Lord at all seasons when need shall be Hereupon our Kings ever since this statute by virtue thereof and by the Law and Custome of the PARLIAMENT as Sr. Edward Cook in his 4 Institutes c. 1. p. 14. informs us did at the beginning of every Parliament make a speciall Proclamation prohibiting the bearing of arms or weapons in or neere the places where the Parliament sat under pain of forfeiting all they had Of which there are sundry presidents cited by St. Edward Cook in his Margin whereof I shall transcribe but one which he omits and that is 6. E. 3. Rot. Parliament n. 2. 3. Because that before these dayes at the Parliaments and Councels of our Lord the King Debates Riots and commotions have risen been moved for that people have come to the places where Parliaments have been summoned and Assembled Armed with privy cotes of plate spears swords long knives or daggers and other sort of arms by which the businesses of our Lord the King and his Realm have been impeached and the great men which have come thither by his Command have been affrighted Our Lord the King willing to provide remedy against such mischiefs defendeth that no man of what estate or condition soever he be upon pain of Forfeiting all that he may forfeit to the King shall be seen armed with a Coat of Male nor yet of plate nor with an Halberd nor with a speare nor sword nor long knife nor any other suspicious arms within the City of LONDON nor within the Suburbs thereof nor any place neer the said City nor yet within the Palace of WESTMINSTER or any place neere the said Palace by Land or Water under the foresaid pain except onely such of the kings men as he shall depute or by his command shall be deputed to keep the peace within the said places and also except the Kings servants according to the Sta●ute of Northampton And it is not the intention of our Lord the King that any Earle or Baron may not have his Lance brought to him in any place but onely in the Kings Presence and in the place of Councell The like Proclamations were made in the beginning of the Parliaments of 9. 13 17 18 20 25. Ed 3. and sundry others more necessary to be revived in all succeeding English Parliaments now then ever heretofore since the unpresidented forces upon the late Members of both Houses and the Parliament it self by the army-Army-Officers and souldiers raised to defend them from violence The Treasonablenesse and Transcendency whereof being at large related in my Epistle to the Reader before my Speech in Parliament 4 December 1648. I shall not here criminally presse or insist on but referre them thereunto However for the future security and freedome of our Parliaments from violence I must crave liberty to imform these Army Parliament-drivers forcers dissolves habituated to this trade That if the late Kings march to the House of Commons accompanied onely with some of his Pensioners and others armed with Pistols and Swords meerly to demand but five Members thereof to be delivered up to Justice particularly impeached by him of High-Treason some dayes before to wit That they had traterously endeavoured to Subvert the Fundamentall Laws and Government of this Kingdome To deprive the King of his Royall power To place over the subjects an Arbitrary and Tyrannicall power To Subvert the very Rights and being of Parliaments and by force and terrour to compell the Parliament to joyn with them in their designs for which end they had actually raised and countenanced Tumults against the King and Parliament Or if the Kings bare tampering with some Officers of his own Northern Army to draw a Petition from them to the Houses or march towards London from their quarters not to seise upon force or dissolve the Parliament or its Members but only to overaw them and impeach the freedome of their debates Votes touching Episcopacy Church-Government and the Kings Revenews were such high transcendent violations of the Priviledges and Freedome of Parliament and unsufferable injuries as both Houses of Parliament seperatly and joyntly proclaimed them to all the world in severall Declarations during his life Or such capitall crimes as those who condemned and executed him for a Traytor and Tyrant have published in the Declaration of 17. March 1648. touching the grounds of their proceedings against him and setling the Government in the way of a Free State without King or House of Lords since his beheading in these very words But above all the English Army was laboured by the King to be engaged against the English Parliament a thing of that strange impiety and unnaturalnesse for the King of England that nothing can answer it but his being a Forraigner neither could it have easily purchased belief but by his succeeding visible actions in full pursuance of the same as the Kings comming in Person to the House of Commons to seise the five Members whether he was followed with some hundreds of unworthy debauched persons armed with swords and pistols and other arms and they attending him at the door of the House ready to execute what the Leader should command them This they charged against the King as the highest of his unparralleld Offences for which they appeal to all the world of indifferent men to judge whether they had not sufficient cause to bring him to Justice Though neither he nor his followers then seised secured secluded injured any one Member when they thus went to the Commons House Yea presently retracted and offered all satisfaction that should
be desired by the House for this breach of Privilege and though the Northern Army nor their Officers ever advanced towards or offered the least violence to the Houses or their priviledges by Petition or otherwise Then certainly the Parliaments own Army Officers Counsels manifold ●high printed Declarations of Aug. 18. 1647. Sept. 6. 1648. ●and others before and since their professed open Oppositions Impeachments against the very Proceedings Votes Orders Ordinances Members of both Houses of Parliament which first raised them principally for their defence b See their Impeachments printed in their Books of Declarations The History of Indepency and my Speech in Parliament their Impeachment of eleven Members of the House of Commons and sundry Lords at once their securing of above 40. and secluding of above five parts of six of the whole House of Commons at once their avowed marches with the whole Body of the Army in Battalia severall times to force the Houses seise their Members overaw affright dismember dissolve the Parliament it self and their own new erected Junctoes since and justification of it to all the world in print See their humble Answer touching the secured and secluded Members Jan. 3. 1648. The free state of the life of the Common-wealth of England 1654. and their Declarations concerning their dissolution of their two Jun after these Misdemeanours of the King without the least repentance for them must needs bee farre more execrable unwarrantable and criminall than the Kings and deserve a severer censure than his Peccadilioes in respect of their crimes And if by the whole armies printed Remonstrance August 18. 1647. the tumult of some unarmed London Apprentices who offered some small force to the Houses to the violation of their Priviledges without securing or secluding any one Member deserved a speedy and exemplary capitall proceeding against the principall contrivers and Actors in it as they then declared and vehemently urged again and again in that Remonstrance Nay if by their own late printed Instrument of the Government of the Common-wealth of England c. Articles 14. 16. all and every person and persons who have aided advised assisted or abetted in any war against the Parliament since the first day of January 1641. unlesse they have since been in the Service of the Parliament and given ●ignal testimony of their good affections thereunto shall be disabled and be uncapable to be elected or to give any Vote in the Election of any Member to serve in the next or in the three succeeding trienniall Parliaments and all Votes and Elections given to the contrary shall be null and void And if any person so made uncapable shall forfeit one full years value of his reall estate and one full third part of his personall estate in case he shall give his Vote for election of Members to serve in Parliament as they there adjudge though such persons as they intend thus to disable never waged any actual war against the Parliament it self or its Members immediately but onely against the Forces raised by the Parliament and so mediately and indirectly only against the Parliament the case of all the late Kings adherents and assistants not within the letter but meaning of these Articles then doubtlesse those Army Officers souldiers and their Confederates who advised aided assisted abetted in one or more warres against the Parliament Houses and Parliament Members themselves whom they immediately assaulted forced secured secluded dissipated dissolved destroyed and have justified it severall times in print without giving signall testimony of their good affections to the Parliament and in this their Instrument have laid many Chains clogs restraints on all new future Parliaments of their own framing inconsistent with the Honour freedome priviledges and being of real Parliaments are by their own verdict and Instrument totally disabled as much as the archest Malignants and Cavaliers by the very letter of these Articles to be elected or give any vote for the election of Members in the four next succeeding Parliaments and those who have given their Votes in the late Elections have thereby forfeited at least one full years value of their reall and one full third part of their personall estates and deserve as high if not an higher censure as any sequestered or other Delinquents condemned formerly by them for bearing arms levying and abetting any war but onely mediately against the Parliament and as high an uncapacity to be put not onely on themselves but their Heir males to serve in Parliament as the Statute of 21 R. 2. c. 6 imposed heretofore on others for a farre lesse offence to secure the Members and Priviledges of all succeeding Parliaments from such unpresidented forcible violences ruptures dismembrings and dissolutions as the last Parliament sustained by the Armies outrage and confederacy against them of which I desire onely to make them truly sensible And farther to convince the army-Army-Officers souldiers of their late great injustice to and affronts contempts against the Parliament which raised them in relation to our ancient fundamentall Government and chief Members of the Parliament I shall desire them and all their confederates in cold blood seriously to consider whether they have not by their undutifull violent proceedings against them contrary to the Votes Declarations Remonstrances of the PARLIAMENT endeavoured as much as in them is to falsifie this clause in in both Houses Declaration Nov. 2. 1642. Although they would perswade his Majesty That there is little confidence to be placed in our Modesty and Duty yet AS GOD IS WITNESSE OF OUR THOUGHTS SO SHALL OUR ACTIONS WITNESSE TO ALL THE WORLD that TO THE HONOR OF OUR RELIGION and OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST ZEALOUS IN IT so much strucken at by the contrivers of that Declaration under odious names we shall suffer more for and from our Soveraign then we hope God will ever permit the malice of evill Councellers to put us to And although the happinesse of this and all Kingdomes dependeth chiefly upon God Yet WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT DOTH SO MAINLY DEPEND UPON HIS MAJESTY and THE ROYALL BRANCHES OF THAT ROOT that as WEE HAVE HERETOFORE SO WE SHALL HEREAFTER esteem no hazard too great no reproach too vile but that we shall willingly go through the one and undergo the other That we and the WHOLE KINGDOME MAY ENJOY THAT HAPPINESSE which we cannot in an ordinary way of providence expect FROM ANY OTHER FOVNTAIN OR STREAM then those from whence were the poison of evill Councels once removed from about them no doubt but we and THE WHOLE KINGDOME SHOVLD BE SATISFIED MOST ABOUNDANTLY And on the contrary have they not fully and actually verified in respect of themselves and their Confederates in the Houses this Odious aspersion then only in prediction cast by the KING on the PARLIAMENT but by them at that time renounced with greatest detestation and drawn those sad consequences on the whole Kingdome wherewith both HOUSES conclude that Declaration in these words 7. That the
WAS THE LIKE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE TO THIS PRESENT And may we not then justly suspect fear conclude that all our late dismal changes and turning all things upside down in our Church State Kingdoms Parliaments were originally promoted contrived by the Jesuites and effected by the seduced Officers and Souldiers as their del●ded instruments 2. That this Jesuite Parsons in his Books of the Reformation of all the States of England as he prescribed Reformations to the Prince Court Counsellors Noblemen Bishops Prelates Pastors Universities Lawyers Laws in which he will have STRANGE METAMORPHOSES so likewise THE COURT OF PARLIAMENT HE WILL HAVE BROUGHT TO BETTER FORM as W. W. a secnlar Priest in A Dialogue between a Secular Priest and a Lay-Gentleman Printed at Rhemes Anno 1601. Watson in his Quodlibets p. 92. to 96. 320. to 334. William Clark a secular Priest in his Answer to Father Parsons Libel p. 75. c. in direct terms attest And may we not then justly suspect that the late New-models and Reformation of our Kingdoms Parliaments Government Laws c. proceeded primarily from the Jesuites Projections and Plots against them if the Statutes of 23 Eliz. c. 1. 27 Eliz. c. 2. 35 Eliz. c. 2. 1 Jac. 1 2 4 5 7. 7 Jac. c. 6. and the manifold Declarations of both Houses of Parliament Exact Collection p. 491 462 497 498 616 631 666 698 813 to 828. may be judges 3. That the Jesuites drift directly is immediately by means of CONQUEST intended for England to bring it and all Christendom into an uproar FOR COMMON SOULDIERS TO EXAMINE THEIR SOVERAIGNS WHAT TITLE THEY HOLD BY that thereupon themselves by craft money and multitudes gathered together through their Policy may bring England and then Spain and all the rest under their subjection and Monarchy And that principally by this Jesuitical Position That every Precopie or Tartarian multitude getting once the stile and title of a PUBLICK STATE or HELVETIAN COMMONWEALTH may alter change and innovate the course of inheritances and succession TO CROWNS AND KINGDOMS and also to every private Persons heritage holden in Fee-simple as William Watson assures us in these very terms And whether the Jesuites have nor instructed our Army-Officers and Common Souldiers upon this pretext and for this very end to examine their Soveraigns yea our Parliaments Titles Priviledges and Powers too of late and dispose of them at their pleasure let themselves the whole Nation with all in present power in the fear of God most seriously consider without passion or affection before it be over-late 4. That the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance specially made prescribed by our most wise zealous Protestant Parliaments to prevent the Treasonable Plots and designs of Popes Jesuites and Papists against our Protestant Princes Realms Parliaments Religion though confirmed by many Statutes and containing in them onely the Declaration of such a Duty as every true and well-affected Subject not onely by the bond of Allegiance but also by the COMMANDMENT OF GOD ought to bear to the King his Heirs and Successors and none but persons infected with Popish Superstition formerly oppugned as the Prologue of the Statute of 7 Jacobi c. 6. positively resolves have by late State-innovators not onely been discontinued suspended but declaimed against and repealed as much as in them lay as UNLAWFUL OATHS The New Oath for abjuration of Popery with all Bills against Jesuites and Papists presented to the late King by both Houses the last Parliament and by him consented to in the Isle of Wight wholly laid aside and quite buried in oblivion The Solemn Protestation League and Covenant prescribed by the last Parliament and taken by all the well-affected in all the three Kingdoms to prevent the dangerous plots of Papists and Jesuites and our common enemies to destroy our Religion Churches Realms Government Parliaments Laws Liberties quite antiquated decried detested and a New Engagement forcibly imposed under highest penalties and disabilities upon all men diametrically contrary to these Oaths Protestations and Covenants which have been by a new kinde of Papal Power publickly dispenced with and the people absolved from them to become sworn Homagers to other new self-created Lords and Masters And are not all these to considerate zealous Protestants strong Arguments of the Jesuites Predominancy in our late counsels changes of Government 5. That the Notion of THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT in my weak apprehension deriving its original from the Jesuites-late invented PRESENT CHURCH the onely Supream Power and Judge of Controversies which all men must submit unto without dispute by their determination as they must do to that present Republican Government and new Optimacity and Popularity lately set up instead of our Monarchy Which two forms of Government as they were the inventions of Factious Graecians at first which put all their Cities into Combustions fury frenzy and civil wars against each other to their utter overthrow in conclusion witness these verses of Heniochus an ancient Greek Comaedian Tum geminae ad illas accesserunt Mulieres RITAS QUAE CUNCTA CONTURBARUNT OPTIMA Est nomen alieri alteri POPULARITAS RUNT Quarum incitatu PRIDEM EXTERNATAE FUso Parsons Campanella Cardinal Rech●li●u designed to introduce and set them up amongst us in England Scotland and Ireland of purpose to divide and destroy us by civil wars and combustions and bring us under their Jesuitical power at last as the marginal Authorities declare to all the world And if this be undeniable to all having any sence of Religion Peace or publick Safety left within their b●ests is it not more then high time for us to awake out of our former lethargy and sordid selfish stupidity to prevent our ruine by these and other forementioned Jesuitical practises Or can any English man or real Parliament be justly offended with me for this impartial discovery of them And for my endeavours to put all the dislocated Members and broken bones of our old inverted Fundamental body Politick into their due places joynts and postures again without which there is no more possibility of reducing it to its pristine health ease settlement tranquility prosperity or of preserving it from per●ecual pain inquieration consumption and approaching death ther●of a natural body whose principal members continue dis-joynted and bones broken all in peices as all prudent State-Physitians must acknowledge These five Considerations together with the Premises will I presume sufficiently justifie this my undertaking and impartial discovery of Jesuitical Plots to ruine our Church Religion Kingdoms Parliaments Laws Liberties Government against all malicious Enemies Accusers Maligners whatsoever before all the Tribunals of God or Men where I shall be ready to justifie them upon all occasions In perpetual testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and by God's Grace shall ever be ready to seal them and the truth of God with my blood if called out to do it Swainswick Aug. 12. 1654. Will.
Antwerp 1640. In these Colledges and Seminaries of theirs they had then as they print 15591 Fellows of their society of Jesus besides the Novices Scholars and Lay-brethren of their Order amounting to neer ten times that number So infinitely did this evil Weed grow and spread it self within one hundred years after its first planting What the chief imployments of Ignatius and his numerous swarms of Disciples are in the World his own Society at the time of his Canonization for a Romish Saint sufficiently discovered in their painted Pageants then shewed to the people wherein they pourtraied this new Saint holding the whole world in his hand and fire streaming out forth of his heart rather to set the whole World on fire by Combustions Wars Treasons Powder-plots Schismes new State and old Church-Heresies then to enlighten it with this Motto VENI IGNEM MITTERE I came to send fire into the world which the University of Cracow in Poland objected amongst other Articles against them Anno 1622. Their number being so infinite and the Pope and Spaniard too having long since by Campanella's advice erected many Colledges in Rome Italy Spain the Netherlands and elsewhere for English Scotish Irish Jesuites as well as for such secular Priests Friers Nuns of purpose to promote their designs against the Protestant Princes Realms Churches Parliaments of England Scotland Ireland and to reduce them under their long prosecuted UNIVERSAL MONARCHY over them by Fraud Policy Treason intestine Divisions and Wars being unable to effect it by their own Power no doubt of late yeers many hundreds if not thousands of this Society have crept into England Scotland and Ireland lurking under several Disguises yea an whole Colledge of them sate weekly in counsel in or neer Westminster some few yeers since under Conne the Popes Nuntio of purpose to embroyle England and Scotland in bloody civil wars thereby to endanger shake subvert these Realms and destroy the late King as you may read at large in my Romes Master-piece published by the Commons special Order An. 1643. who occasioned excited fomented the first and second intended but happily prevented wars between England and Scotland and after that the unhappy Differences Wars between the King Parliament and our three Protestant Kingdoms to bring them to utter desolation and extirpate our reformed Religion The Kings Forces in which many of them were Souldiers after some yeers Wars being defeated thereupon their Father Ignatius being a SOULDIER and they his Military sons not a few of them secretly insinuated themselves as Souldiers into the Parliaments Army and Forces as they had formerly done into the Kings where they so cunningly acted their parts as extraordinary illuminated gifted brethren and grand States-men that they soon leavened many of the Officers Troopers and common Souldiers with their dangerous Jesuitical State-Politicks and Practises put them upon sundry strange designes to new-mould the old Monarchical Government Parliaments Church Ministers Laws of England erecting a New General Councel of army-Army-Officers and Agitators for that purpose acting more like a Parliament then Souldidiers And at last instigated the Army by open force against their Commissions Duties Oaths Protestations and Solemne League and Covenant to Impeach Imprison Seclude first eleven Commoners then some six or seven Lords after that to seclude seclude the Majority of the Commons House suppress the whole House of Lords destroy the King Parliament Government Priviledges Liberties of the Kingdom and Nation for whose defence they were first raised which by no other adverse power they could effect This produced new bloody divisions animosities wars in and between our three Protestant Realms and Nations and after with our Protestant Allies of the Netherlands with sundry heavy monthly Taxes Excises Oppressions Sales of the Churches Crownes and of many Nobles and Gentlemens Lands Estates to their undoing our whole Nations impoverishing and discontent an infinite profuse expence of Treasure of Protestant blood both by Land Sea decay of Trade with other sad effects in all our three Kingdoms yea sundry successive New changes of our publique Government made by the Army-Officers who are still ringing the changes according to Campanella's and Parsons Platforms So that if fire may be certainly discerned by the smoke or the tree commonly known by its fruit as the Truth it self resolves Mat●h 12. 33. we may truly cry out to all our Rulers as the Jews did once to the Rulers of Thessa●onica in another case Act. 17. 6. THOSE Jesuites WHO HAVE TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN ARE COME HITHER ALSO and have turned our Kingdoms Kings Peers Monarchy Parliaments Government Laws Liberties yea and our Church and Religion too in a great measure UPSIDE DOWNE even by those very Persons who were purposely raised commissioned waged engaged by Protestations Covenants Vows Oathes Laws Allegiance and Duty to protect them from these Jesuitical Innovations and subversions Those who will take the pains to peruse all or any of these several printed Books most of them very well worth their reading written against the Jesuites and their Practises as well by Papists as Protestants as namely Fides Jesu Jesuitarum printed 1573. Doctrinae Jesuiticae praecipua capita Delph 1589. Aphorismi Doctrinae Jesuiticae 1608. Cambitonius De Studiis Jesuitarum abstrusioribus Anno 1609. Jacobus Thuanus Passages of the Jesuites Hist l. 69 79 83 94 95 96 108 110 114 116 119 121 124 126 129 131 132 134 136 137 138. Emanuel Meteranus his Passages of them Belgicae Hist l. 9 17 18 19 21 23 26 to 34. Willielmus Baudartius Continuation Meterani l. 37 38 39 40. Donatus Wesagus Fides Jesu Jesuitarum 1610. Characteres Jesuiticae in several Tomes Elias Husenmullerus Historia Jesuitici Ordinis Anno 1605. Speculum sive Theoria Doctrinae Jesuiticae necnon Praxis Jesuitaram 1608. Pasquier his Jesuite displayed Petrus de Wangen Physiognomia Jesuitica 1610. Christopherus Pelargus his Novus Jesuitismus Franciscus de Verone his Jesuitismus Sicarius 1611. Narratio de proditione Iesuitarum in Magnae Brit. Regem 1607. Consilium de Jesuitis Regno Poloniae ejiciendis The Acts of the States of Rhetia Anno 1561 and 1612. for banishing the Jesuites wholly out of their Territories NE STATUS POLITICUS TURBARETUR c. mentioned by Fortunatus Sprecherus Palladis Rheticae l. 6. p. 251 273. Melchior Valcius his Furiae Gretzero c. remissae 1611. Censura Jesuitarum Articuli Jesuitarum cum commonefactione illis opposita Anti-Jesuites au Roy par 1611. Variae Doctorum Theologorum Theses adversus quaedam Jesuitica Dogmata The Remonstrance of the Parliament of Paris to Henry the Great against the Re-establishment of the Jesuites And their Censure of Mariana his Book to be publickly burnt printed in French 1610. recited in the General History of France in Lewis 13. his life and Peter Matthew l. 6. par 3. Historia Franciae Variae Facultatis Theologiae Curiae Parisiensis quam aliorum opuscula decreta
Iames was no King at all before his Coronation and that therefore they might by force of Arms lawfully surprise his person and Prince Henry his Son and imprison them in the Tower of London or Dover-Castle till they inforced them by duress to grant a free toleration of their Catholike Religion to remove some evil counsellors from about them and to grant them a free Pardon for this violence or else they would put some further Project in execution against them to their destruction But this Conspiricy being discovered The Traytors were apprehended arraigned condemned and Watson and Clerk two Iesuited Priests who had drawn them into this Conspiracy upon the aforesaid Pretext with some others executed as Traytors all the Iudges of England resolving that King Iames being right Heir to the Crown by descent was immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth actually possessed of the Crown and lawful King of England before any Proclamation or Coronation of him which are but Ceremonies as was formerly adjudged in the case of Queen Mary and Queen Iane 1 Mariae there being no Interregnum by the Law of England as is adjudged declared by Act of Parliament 1 Iac. c. 1. worthy serious perusal 8. By their horrid Gun-powder Treason Plot contrived fomented by Garnet Superiour of the English Iesuites Gerard Tesmond and other Iesuites who by their Apostolical Power did not onely commend but absolve from all sin the other Iesuited Popish Conspirators and Faux THE SOULDIER who were their instruments to effect it Yea the Iesuitical Priests were so Atheistical as that they usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good success of this Hellish plot which was suddenly with no less then 36 Barrels of Gunpowder placed in a secret Vault under the House of Lords to have blown up and destroyed at once King Iames himself the Queen Prince Lords Spiritual and Temporal with the Commons assembled together in the upper-Upper-House of Parliament upon the 5 of November Anno Dom. 1605. and then to have forcibly seised with armed men prepared for that purpose the persons of our late beheaded King then Duke of York and the Lady Elizabeth his Sister if absent from the Parliament and not there destroyed with the rest that so there might be none of the Royal Line left to inherit the Crown of England Scotland and Ireland to the utter overthrow and subversion of the whole Royal Family Parliament State and Government of this Realm Which unparallel'd inhumane bloody Plot being miraculously discovered prevented the very day before the execution in perpetual detestation of it and of the Iesuits and their traiterous Romish Religion which both contrived and approved it the 5 day of November by the Statute of 3 Iacobi ch 1. was enacted to be had IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE that ALL AGES TO COME might thereon meet together publickly throughout the whole Nation to render publick praises unto God for preventing this infernal Iesuitical Design and keep in memory THIS JOYFUL DAY OF DELIVERANCE for which special forms of publick Prayers and Thankesgivings were then appointed and that day ever since more or less annually observed till this present And it is worthy special observation that had this Plot taken effect it was agreed by the Iesuites and Popish Conspirators before-hand THAT THE IMPUTATION OF THIS TREASON SHOULD BE CAST UPON THE PURITANS TO MAKE THEM MORE ODIOUS as now they father all their Powder-Plots of this kinde which they have not onely laid but fully accomplished of late yeers against the King Prince Royal Posterity the Lords and Commons House our English●Parliaments and Government upon those Independents and Anabaptistical Sword-men reputed PURITANS who were in truth but their meer under Instruments to effect them When as they originally laid the Plots as is clear by Campanella's Book De Monarchia Hisp c. 25. and Cardinal Richelieu his Instructions at his death to the King of France And it is very observable that as Courtney the Jesuite Rector of the English Jesuits Colledge at Rome did in the yeer 1641. when the name of Independent was scarce heard of in England openly affirm to some English Gentlemen and a Reverend Minister of late in Cornwal from whom I had this Relation then and there feasted by the English Jesuites in their Colledge That they now at last after all their former Plots had miscarried they had found out a sure way to subvert and ruine the Church of England which was most formidable to them of all others BY THE INDEPENDENTS who immediately after infinitely increased supplanted the Prebyterians by degrees got the whole power of the Army and by it of the Kingdom into their hands and then subverted both the Parliament King and his Posterity So some Independent Ministers Sectaries and Anabaptists ever since 1648. have neglected the observation of the 5 of November as I am credibly informed and refused to render publick thanks to God for the deliverance thereon contrary to the Act for this very reason which some of them have rendred That they would not mock God in publick by praising him for delivering the late King Royal Posterity and House of Lords from destruction then by Jesuites and Papists whenas themselves have since destroyed and subverted them through Gods providence and repute it a special mercy and deliverance to the Nation from Tyranny and Bondage for which they have cause to bless the Lord Peforming that for the Jesuites and Powder-Traytors which themselves could not effect The Lord give them grace and hearts to consider how much they acted the Jesuites and promoted their very worst designes against us therein what infamy and scandal they have thereby drawn upon all zealous Professors of our Protestant Religion and what they will do in the end thereof 9. To omit all other forraign instances cited in Speculum Jesuiticum p. 124. to 130. where you may peruse them at leisure By their poysoning King James himself in conclusion as some of them have boasted 10. By the Popes Nuntio and Conclave of Jesuites Conspiracy at London Anno 1640. to poyson our late King Charles himself as they had poysoned his Father with a poysoned Indian Nut kept by the Jesuites and shewed often by Conne the Popes Nuncio to the Discoverer of that Plot or else to destroy him by the Scotish wars and troubles raised for that very end by the Jesuites in case he refused to grant them a universal liberty of exercising their Popish Religion throughout his Realms and Dominions and then to train up his Son under them in the Popish Religion To which not onely heretofore but now likewise they strenuously endeavour by all possible means to seduce him as appears more especially by Monsieur Militierre his late book dedicated to him for that purpose Surely all these premised instances compared together will sufficiently inform the world that the late unparellel'd capital Proceedings against our Protestant King Parliament Members Peers House and forced dissolved late Parliament too
Representative body of the whole Kingdome since dissolved by the Army is a Faction of Malignant Schismaticall ambitious Persons whose DESIGNE IS AND ALWAYES HATH BEEN TO ALTER THE WHOLE FRAME OF GOVERNMENT BOTH OF CHURCH AND STATE AND TO SUBJECT BOTH KING AND PEOPLE TO THEIR OWN LAW●ESSE ●●BITRARY POWER AND GOVERNMENT and that they DESIGNE THE RUINE OF HIS MAJESTIES PERSON and OF MONARCHY IT SELF and consequently that they are TRAITORS ●nd all the Kingdome with them for 〈◊〉 act is the act of the whole Kingdome And whether their punishment and ruine may not also INVOLVE THE WHOLE KINGDOME IN CONCLUSION AND REDU●●● INTO THE CONDITION OF A CONQUERED NATION as some ARMY-OFFICERS and SOULDIERS openly averred we are now reduced to by and under them NO MAN CAN TELL BVT EXPERIENCE SHEWETH V● and now we finde it most true in the ARMY-OFFICERS COUNCELL SOULDIERS THAT SVCCESSE OFTEN DRAWS MEN NOT ONELY BEYOND THEIR PROFESSION but also many times beyond their first intentions Surely as the Armies and their Confederates late proceedings in relation to themselves though not unto the forced dismembred dissolved Parliament and secured Members have fully verified this charge in every particular then reputed most false and scandalous which I thus press upon their consciences at this time and so largely insist on not to defame or asperse them to the world but to vindicate the Innocency Integrity of the Majority and secluded Members of both Houses against the scandalous printed aspersions of Militiere and other Papists to preserve and justifie the Honour of our Reformed Religion and of the most zealous Professors thereof to restore re-establish if possible the Priviledges the Freedom of all Future Parliaments much impaired endangered by their heady violent Proceedings to convince them by what Jesuitical Popish old Court-Principles Counsels Practises they have hitherto been mis-guided and to reclaim them as much as in me lieth for the future from the like destructive Practises for the publick Safety Peace Settlement of our distracted Kingdoms and do most earnestly beseech them as they are English men Souldiers Christians seriously to repent of and lay to heart lest they perish eternally for them at last So the Army-Officers Souldiers Great Successes in all their Wars Designs and forcible Proceedings against the King Parliament Kingdom Government Laws and Liberties as it hath caused them not onely beyond their Professions but also beyond their first Intentions Commissions Protestations to forget that Gospel-Precept given to Souldiers Luke 3. 14. to advance themselves to a more absolute Soveraign arbitrary Power over them then ever any Kings of England claimed or pretended to as their late Proceedings Remonstrances and transcendent Instrument of the Government of the three Kingdoms manifest so it hath been the principal Ground whereby they have justified all their unpresidented forementioned Exho●bitances as lawful commendable Christian and that which hath struck such a stupyfying pannick fear such a stupendious cowardize baseness sottishness into the Generality of the Nobility Gentry Ministery and Commons of our late most heroick English Nation that there is scarce a man to be found throughout the Realm of any Eminency though we should seek after him like Diogenes with a Candle that dares freely open his mouth against the most irregular illegal violent destructive arbitrary Proceedings Usurpations Innovations Oppressions Taxes Projects to the shaking and utter subverting of our ancient Fundamental Laws Liberties Rights Properties Parliaments Parliamentary Priviledges Government and taking away of the very Lives of some and thereby endangering the Lives of all other English Freemen of all Degrees in mischristened High Courts of Justice Such a strange Charm is there in Success alone to metamorphise Men into meer temporizing slavish sordid sotts and beasts yea to cause not onely persons truly honourable but the very Devil himself and the worst of beasts to be wondred after applauded adored not onely as Saints but Gods We read Rev. 13. of a Monstrous deformed BEAST to whom the Dragon the Devil gave his Power Seat and Great Authority whereupon all the world wondred after the Beast and worshipped not onely the Dragon that gave him power but the Beast likewise saying Who is like unto the Beast WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM And there was given unto him a Mouth speaking Great things and blasphemies and power was given him to continue and make war forty and two months And power was given unto him to make war with the SAINTS AND TO OVERCOME THEM and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations And HEREUPON IT FOLLOWS all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Lambes Book of Life And another Beast under him caused the earth and all that dwell therein to set up the Image of this Beast and to worship it and he caused all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive the mark of the Beast in their right hand and in their foreheads and none might buy or sell but he that had this mark and as many as would not worship this Beasts Image were ordered to be killed Yet this Blasphemous Beasts reign and power continued but twenty four Months Rev. 13. 5. This Beast in the height of his Power and Victories was by God himself threatned to go into captivity and be killed with the Sword as he had led others into captivity and killed them with the Sword ver 10. All his followers and worshippers shall soon after drink of the wine of Gods wrath and be tormented with fire and brimstone c. Rev. 14 9 10 11. The Saints at last shall get this victory over the Beast Rev. 15. 2. And the Beast himself notwithstanding all his former Victories Friends and great Armies was at last taken and his false Prophet with him and were both cast alive into a lake burning with fire and brimstone and all his Forces were slain with the Sword and the fowls were filled with their flesh Rev. 19. 19 20 21. From which Texts I have frequently silenced confounded some of our conquering Army-Officers and Souldiers whiles prisoner under them when they were vapouring of their Great Victories Successes and concluding from thence both their Saintship and the Goodness of their Actions saying oft-times like the Beasts followers here Who is able to make war with us And that with these genuine deductions from these Texts which they could not reply against worthy all Souldiers their saddest meditations 1. That God may nay oft-times doth give great power to the very worst and most blasphemous of all Men and Beasts that not only over one or two but many Tongues Nations as in this Text and Dan. 7. 3 to 29. c. 8. 4. to 27. 2. That such Beasts many times may and do not onely make war with but even overcome the very Saints themselves in battel as the Babylonians Assyrians and other ungodly Beasts did the Israelites Gods own Saints and People Psa
Romans to forsake the field Claudius afterwards besieging Arviragus who succeded his brother in Winchester they fell to a treaty Claudius proffered Arviragus that he should marry his daughter and hold the Kingdome of Britain peaceably from the Romans under the ancient Tribute upon which suaserunt majores natu Arbiago promissionibus Claudii acquiescere The elders assembled no doubt in councell about it perswaded Arviragus to consent to Claudius his promises for they said it was no disgrace to him to be subject to the Romans seeing they enjoyed the Empire of the whole world Paruit Arviragus consilio suorum Cesari subjectionem fecit Arviragus obeyed and by the advice of his councell did homage to Caesar Anno Christi 52. Arviragus refused to be any longer subject to the Roman power or to pay them Tribute Whereupon Claudius sent Vespasian to reduce him to obedience who after one battaile fought with great losse on both sides came to an agreement After which Anno 63. Joseph of Arimathea with XI more of Phillips Disciples arrived in Britain and preached the Gospell boldly to whose Preaching Arviragus cum proceribus suis with his Nobles and People hearing such new and unaccustomed things utterly refused to consent to their Doctrine neither would they change the traditions of their Fathers yet because they came from far and their lives held forth modesty and meeknesse the King at their Petition granted them the Isle of Glastonbury then horrid and untilled surrounded with woods bushes and lakes to inhabit Which grant his two next successors Marius and Coillus who exercised Justice and Law reverenced the Nobles of the Realme and paid the Tribute to the Romans because all the world was subject to them by his example confirmed giving to each of them one hide of Land a piece to this day called the 12. hides of Glastonbury confirmed to the Abby of Glastonbury afterwards by the Charters of many of our Christian Saxon Kings ratified in their great Councels and Parliaments By these passages it is clear That Taxes and Tributes not granted and assented to in Parliament though imposed by a Conquering Invader binde not the Nation or succeeding Kings That matters of Peace and Warre were determined in Common-Councels and Parliaments in that age That no publick change in Religion or Customes could be made without the Kings and Nobles consents and that the grant of the King of any Crowne Lands without common consent in Parliament bound not his successors unlesse they specially confirmed them by their new Charters How many bloudy Battails with various successe the ancient Britons under the conduct of their Kings and Queens fought against the Roman Emperors Claudius Vespasian and their Generals Officers and Forces after Julius Caesars time for defence of their Native Liberties Rights Lawes Government Country and to exempt themselves from all Tributes Taxes Purveyances imposed on or exocted from them by the Romans How impatient they were of bearing any Taxes or Imposts they never knowing what Servitude was being borne only for themselves and alwayes free unto themselves free from all contagion of Tyranny How oft they revolted from and rebelled against the Romans from time to time for their Oppressions Taxes turning them out of their ancient inheritances by force and using them rather like Slaves then Freemen You may read at large in Cornelius Tacitus Annal. l. 14. and in the life of Agricola in Mr. Camdens Britannia p. 24 to 48. Speed Holinshed and others and more especially in the notable speeches of Caractacus and Galgacus encouraging the Britons manfully to fight for their Country Liberty Lawes c. recorded in these Authors the later of them thus justly taxing the Romans Usurpation Ambition Covetousnesse Rapines and Tyranny in these words Robbers they be of the world who having left no more land to spoile now search also the Sea If their enemies be rich they covet their wealth if poor they seek to gain glory to take away by main force to kill and spoyle they falsely terme Empire and Government when they lay all wasie as a Wildernesse that they call Peace That every man should hold his own children and bloud most dear nature hath ordained and even those are pressed for Souldiers and caried away to serve as Slaves elsewhere our substance they draw from us for Tribute our Corne for provision our very Bodies and Lands they wear out and consume in paving of Bogs and ridding of Woods with a thousand stripes and reproachfull indignities besides Slaves yet which be born to bondage are bought and sold once for al and afterwards fed and found at their own expences But Britain dayly buyeth dayly feedeth and is at dayly charge with her own Bondage And as in a private retin●e of household Servants the fresh man and last comer is laughed and scoffed at by his other-fellowes even so in this old servitude of the whole World our destruction only is sought as being the latest and vilest in accompt of all other c. We as yet were never touched never foiled never subdued as men therefore that mean to maintain their Freedome not for the Present but for ever let us shew straightwayes in the first joyning what manner of men Caledonia reserved in store for her self c. It is not by their own vertue but by our jarrings and discords that yet the Romans are grown into fame to our shame be it spoken many of our own Nation now lend their lives to establish a forain Vsurper not out of any loyall affection but out of fear and terrour weak linkes and bonds of love Remove but them once those who shall cease to fear will soon begin to hate The free Cities are discontent and in factions while those who are under them obey with ill will and they that do govern rule against right Here is the Generall and here is the Army there are the Tributes here be the metall mines and other miseries inseparably following them that live under the subjection of others which either to continue or endure for ever it lyeth this day in this field Wherefore as you are going to Battle bear in your minds both the Freedome of your Ancestors and the Bondage of your Posterity Upon which Speech they manfully sought with the Romans preferring their Liberties before their lives About the year of Christ 50. the Romans extraordinarily oppressed the Britons under Claudius the Emperor Laetus Decianus their Procurator renewed the confiscation of their goods which Claudius had pardoned The Roman Colony at Camolodunum thrust out the ancient Inhabitants seating themselves in their possessions without any other recompence but reproachfull termes calling them their drudges slaves and vassals and the Temple there erected in honour of Claudius was now become an eye-sore to them as an Altar of their perpetuall subjection whiles the Augusta●l Priests there attending wasted all their wealth under pretext of Religion And that which was their greatest grievance Prasutagus King of the
detection and prevention of Jesuites and their treasonable forementioned practises against our Church Kingdomes Princes Religion Parliaments and Government by the wisdom and zeal of our best affected vigilant Protestant Parliaments I can neither hear nor read of any effectual means endeavoured or prescribed by any in power for the discovery of these Romish ●anizaries or banishing feretting keeping them out of England where they have wrought so much mischief of late yeers and whose utter ruine they attempt nor any encouragement at all given to the discoverers of their Plots and Persons but many affronts and discouragements put upon them and particularly on my self mewed up Close-Prisoner under strictest Guards in remotest Castles neer three yeers space whiles they all walked abroad at large of purpose to hinder me from any discoveries of their practises by my pen whiles they printed and vended publickly here in England above 30000 Popish books of several kindes during my imprisonment without the least restraint to propagate the Jesuites Plots and antichristian Romish Religion amongst us as you may read at large in the Stationers Beacon fired which seasonable book and Discovery of these Romish Emissaries books and plots some Officers of the Army in their Beacon quenched publickly traduced in print as a New Powder-treason of the Presbyterian Party to blow up the Army and that pretended Parliament of their own erection which themselves soon after blew up and dissolved in good earnest to carry on their designes against our Laws But most certain it is there hath been of late yeers not onely a General councel of Officers of the Army sitting many months together in counsel to alter and new model all our ancient Laws and Statutes in pursuance of Parson's design but likewise two Conventicles of their own selection and election sitting of late in the Parliament-House at Westminster assuming to themselves the Name and far more then the Power of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England together with the transcendent ambitious Title of The Supream Authority of the Nation in derogation of the army-Army-Officers Supremacy who sufficiently chastised them this strange Usurpation who have made it their chief business not onely to New-model our ancient Fundamental Government Parliaments Ministers Universities much according to Parsons and his Fellow-Jesuites forementioned Plat-formes and Thomas Campanella his Instructions to the King of Spain De Monarchia Hisp c. 25. but likewise to New-mould subvert eradicate the whole body of our Laws and with them the great Charter of our Liberties it self And in their last cashiered unelected Convention as some of their Companions now in greatest Power assure us in their True State of the case of the Commonwealth of England c. London 1654. p. 15 16 17 18. there was a strong prevailing Party whom nothing would satisfie but A TOTAL ERADICATION of the whole body of the good old Laws of England the Guardians of our lives and Fortunes to the utter subversion of civil Right and Propriety who likewise took upon them by vertue of a supposed right of Saintship in themselves to lay the foundation of a New Platform which was to go under the Name of A FIFTH MONARCHY never to have an end but TO WAR WITH ALL OTHER POWERS AND BREAK THEM TO PIECES baptizing all their proselytes into this Principle and Perswasion that the Powers formerly in being were branches of the Fourth Monarchy of England Scotland and Ireland which MUST BE ROOTED UP AND DESTROYED And what other Fifth Monarchy this could be but that projected universal Monarchy of the Jesuites which should bring the whole Monarchy of Great Britain and Ireland together with France Spain and all other Princes States in Christendom under the Jesuites subjection and break all other Powers in peices mentioned by Watson in his Quodlibets p. 306 to 333. or else that Elective New Monarchy of Great Britain and Ireland projected by Campanella and Cardinal Richeleiu which some Grandees now endeavour by their Instrument to erect and perpetuate for èver without Alteration in themselves and their Successors though they thus expresly brand it in others let themselves and wise men resolve it being apparent by the practises and proceedings of all the Propugners of this new Project that this Fifth Monarchy they intend to erect is neither the spiritual Kingdom of Jesus Christ in their own hearts mortifying their ambition covetousness pride self-seeking unrighteousness violence rapines and other worldly lusts nor the personal reign of Christ himself alone in and over our three Kingdoms and all other Realms and Nations for ever which they endeavour to evince from Dan. 2. 44 45. c. 7. 14 27. Micah 4. 1 2 7. Luke 1. 32 33. but a meer supream arbitrary temporal Authority without Bounds or Limits enchroached by and erected in themselves and their confederates without any colour of Right or Title by the Laws of God or the Realm and no wayes intended but refuted by all these sacred Scriptures and others which explain them This design of the Jesuites to alter and subvert the whole body of our Laws was so far promoted by the Jesuitical and Anabaptistical Party in this last Assembly elected onely by the Army-Officers that on August 20. 1643. as our News-books print they Ordered there should be a Committee selected to consider of A NEW BODY OF THE LAW for the Government of this Commonwealth who were to new-mould THE WHOLE BODY OF THE LAW according to Parsons his mould And hereupon our cheating Astrologers especially Lilly Culpeper the Jesuites grand Factors to cry down our Law Tythes and Ministers from the meer visible earthly Conjunctions Motions Influences of these New wandring excentrick Planets at Westminster onely not of any Coelestial Stars as they would make Country-Clowns believe took upon them in their Monthly Prognostications for this yeer 1654. almost in every Month to predict the pulling down of the Laws of the Nation and of Lawyers to the ground the calling of the great Charter it self into question with other Liberties as not suiting with English mens brains at this time The plucking up the Crabtree of the Law BY THE ROOTS to hinder the future growing of it there being no reason we should now be governed by the Norman Laws since the Norman Race is taken away by the same instrument the Sword that brought it in and the like But these Predicters of our Laws and Lawyers downfals could neither foresee nor predict the suddain downfal of these lawless earthly Westminster-planets from the Firmament of their new-created Power who should effect it by their influences Wherefore though I look upon these and all other their Astrological Predictions as meer Figments Cheats and Impostures in relation to the Coelestial Planets as are their twelve Signes and Houses of the Heavens whereon all or most of their artless Art and Predictions are grounded Yet I cannot but take notice of them as clear Discoverie of a strange
Jesuitical and Anabaptistical Combination of a predominant party amongst us to carry on this ancient Plot of the Jesuites related by Watson against the great Charter of our Liberties the whole body of our Laws And truely when I seriously consider the late great Revolutions Changes both of our Government Parliaments Laws and the manifold extravagant publick Innovations changes Proceedings originally contrived by the Jesuites but visibly acted avowed by Anabaptists Independents and some Pseudo-Presbyterians in the Army and elsewhere formerly reputed Puritans it puts me in minde of 3 memorable Prophetical Passages of William Watson in his Quodlibets printed 52 yeers since Anno 1602. which I have frequently thought on of late yeers as now experimentally accomplished I shall beseech our late and present Grandees and New State-Mint-Masters seriously to consider them which I shall here relate in his very printed words 1. I make no question of it if the Jesuites prevail in England THEY INTEND AND WILL TURN ALL THINGS TOPSY-TURVIE UPSIDE DOWN Cinq shall up Size shall under In Parsons High Counsel of Reformation ALL THE WHOLE STATE MUST BE CHANGED and the Lands and Seignories of CLERGY AND NOBILITY Universities Colledges and what not must be ALTERED ABRIDGED AND TAKEN AWAY And is not all this visibly effected already for the most part and the rest projected and ne'er accomplished 2. I verily think that ALL THE PURITANS WILL JOYNE WHOLLY WITH THE JESUITES AT LENGTH how far off soever they seem to be and are yet in external profession of Religion there being at least half an hundred Principles and odd Tricks concerning GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY TYRANNY POPULARITY CONSPIRACY c. which THEY JUMPE AS JUST TOGETHER IN AS IF BOTH WERE MADE OF ONE MOULD And is not this really verified of by sundry Puritan Anabaptists Independents some temporizing Presbyterians and by many Army-Officers Souldiers in late or present Power if they will but compare their last six yeers actions with the Jesuites O let them consider it seriously in the fear of God and lament it with the greatest grief of heart 3. The Jesuites without all question are more dangerous pernicicus and noysome to the Commonwealth of England and Scotland then the Puritans as having more singular fine wits amongst them and many learned men on their side whereas the Puritans have none but Grossum Caputs they many Gentiles Nobles and some Princes to side with them the Puritans but few of the first rare to have any of the second and none at all unless it be one of the last on their side And so by consequent IF MATTERS COME TO HEARING HAMMERING AND HANDLING BETWIXT THE JESUITES AND PURITANS THE LATER ARE SURE TO BE RIDDEN LIKE FOOLS AND COME TO WRACK And whether they have not been ridden outwitted wracked by the Jesuites plots wits wiles instruments both in their late Councels Innovations of Government Forcible dissolutions subversions of Parliaments Laws Liberties Anomalous Proceedings Designs let our late dis-housed dis-mounted Puritan Grandees and Statizers of all sorts determine at their leisure and let those in present Power take heed they be not ridden by them too like fools as well as their Predecessors yea wracked by them at the last when they have served those turns for which they set them up on horse-back for to ride to death our Kings Parliaments Kingdomes and utterly consume devour them with our Ministers Tythes Glebes Universitie Colledge Lands by Monthly endless Taxes Excises and a perpetual Law Tythe-oppugning Army It is worthy observation that Thomas Campanella prescribed the sowing and continual nourishing of Divisions Dissentions Discords Sects and Schismes among us both in State and Church by the Machavilian Plots and Policies he suggests punctually prosecuted among us of late yeers as the principal means to weaken ruine both our Nation and Religion and bring us under the Spanish and Popish yokes at last witness his JAM VERO AD ENERVANDOS ANGLOS NIHIL TAM CONDUCIT ●UAM DISSENTIO ET DISCORDIA INTER ILLOS EXCITATA PERPETUOQUE NUTRITA Quod cito meliores occasiones suppeditabit and that principally by instigating the Nobles and chief Men of the Parliament of England UT ANGLIAM IN FORMAM REIPUBLICAE REDUCANT AD IMITATIONEM HOLLANDORUM which our Reipublicans lately did by the power of the Army Officers or by sowing the seeds of an inexplicable war between England and Scotland BY MAKING IT AN ELECTIVE KINGDOM as some now endeavour under another Notion or by setting up OTHER KINGS of another Race or by dividing us into many Kingdoms or Reipublicks distinct one from another and by sowing the seeds of Schismes and making alterations and innovations in all Arts Sciences and our Religion The old Plots of Campanella Parsons and late designs of Cardinal Richelieu and the Pope Spaniard Jesuites to undo subvert our Churches Kings Kingdoms and Religion as the marginal Authors irrefragably evidence all visibly set on foot yea openly pursued and in a great measure accomplished by some late nay present Grandees and Army-Officers who cry up themselves for our greatest Patrons Preservers Deliverers and Anti-Jesuites when they have rather been but the Jesuites Popes Spaniards and other Forraign enemies instruments and factors in all the late changes new-models of our Government Parliaments pretended reformations of our laws and Religion through inadvertency circumvention or self-ended respects as many wise and godly men justly fear Certainly whoever shall seriously ponder the premises with these passages in William Watsons Quodlibets concerning the Jesuites 1. That some of the Jesuites society have insinuated themselves into all the Princes Courts of Christendom where some of their Intelligencers reside and set up a secret counsel of purpose to receive and give intelligence to their General at Rome of the secrets of their Soveraignes and of all occurrents in those parts of the world which they dispatch to and fro by such cyphers which are to themselves best but commonly onely to themselves known SO THAT NOTHING IS DONE IN ENGLAND BUT IT IS KNOWN AT ROME WITHIN A MONTH AFTER AT LEAST AND REPLY MADE BACK AS OCCASION IS OFFERED to the consequent overthrow of their own natural Country of England and their native Prince and Realms by their unnatural Treasons against them that so the Jesuites might be those long gownes which should reign and govern the Island of Great Brittain 2. That the Jesuites hope and endeavour to have England Scotland and Ireland under them to make these Northern Islands a JAPONIAN ISLAND OF JESUITES and one JESUITICAL MONARCHY and to infeoffe themselves by hook or by crook IN THE WHOLE IMPERIAL DOMIMIONS OF GRAT BRITAIN with the remainder over TO THEIR CORPORATION or puni-Fathers succeeding them as heirs specially in their society by a state of perpetuity PUTTING ALL THE WHOLE BLOOD ROYAL OE ENGLAND TO THE FORMIDON AS BUT HEIRS GENERAL IN ONE PREDICAMENT together 3. That the Jesuites have Magistracy Kings Magistrates Ministers Priesthood