stand or fall with you that they would never leave you till they had made you free and have they not been faithfull in their promise herein Is not their preservation your security their glory your Crowne their freedomes your Liberties As for your grievances we consider them as they lye First you complaine that the Letter sent you from the Parliament of Scotland should still be detained though petitioned for as if this Honourable House were doubtfull of your fidelity We suppose the House is not bound to be accountable to you though you are obleiged to account to them in this particular and whether they be doubtfull of your fidelity or no we cannot tell onely we wish they may have no cause Your next complaint is that in the last Propositions to his Majesty at Uxbridge the power of the Militia of this City was fully represented that it should now be reassumed and endeavoured to be altered to the endangering of this City and parts adjacent as if you now deserved lesse trust from this Honourable House then a twelvemoneth agoe We think it not safe to taxe the Parliaments wisdome in their ordering and disposing the power of the Militia of City or Kingdome as they shall see cause and it cannot be asserted that their reassuming the Militia of London into their owne hands is matter of danger to the City of London and parts adjacent without an unworthy aspersion upon that Honourable House such that will say so give just cause to think that they deserve lesse trust from that Honourable House then a twelvemoneth agoe when they were better affected then so to affirme Thirdly you complaine and remonstrate that some late Petitions of this Citie presented to this Honourable House should lie yet unanswered If the Parliament were bound to answer all your Petitions and that forthwith even in your owne time why did not you rather enjoyn then petition and if all your Petitions should be answered to your owne content we well perceive how the case would stand with this poore Kingdome the Parliaments love both to City and Kingdome may cause them to deny the Petitions of the City as the case may stand Your fourth complaint that Quarterman a notorious Sectary one whom the City not long since cast out for his misdemeanors should presume in the contempt of the priviledges and Government thereof to enter the City and to make Proclamation with Trumpet without acquainting the Lord Major therewith the like of which to our best knowledge in no age when the City was most neglected was ever so much as attempted What Quatermain doe you meane there are many in the Kingdome for all that we know but we presume you intend Roger Quatermain late Marshall to the City That this Quaterman is a Sectary lies upon you to prove and him to defend and herein you will befriend our intellects and helpe us to understand what you mean by your Sectaries against whom you so much stickle in this Remonstrance That the Citie cast him our viz. from his Marshallship for so wee presume your meaning is though you speake as disturbed that the Reader must study to finde out your meaning will be denied by one of the chiefe promoters of this Remonstrance except he hath changed his judgement in the Government of the Citie as sometimes it falls out men continue not their judgement especially in matters of government both civill and ecclesiasticall for it was neither the Citie representative or collective but the Lord Major and Court of Aldermen that put him out of the place and surely they are no more the Citie in that act except the Common Counsell gave them power herein as wee cannot understand they have then any other Citie Justices or Officers in the Citie are so As for his misdemeanors none were urged as the causes hereof except this was his crime that one Marshall should serve the Citie And though it is a crime circumstantiable to a great aggravation for one man to wrong a whole Citie yet it is more strange because lesse usuall that a representative Citie should wrong a poore man by taking away his good name and so his livelihood in his present employment As for his great transgression herein specified wee dare presume the poore man is ignorant of the Citie priviledges iâ— this be one that the Parliament of England cannot make Proclamation in the Citie of London with Trumpet or otherwise without licence given by the Lord Major of London If the case be thus well may you say that the Parliament of England is betrusted but with a share of the supreame power Custome is one thing priviledge another that it is a custome to acquaint the Lord Major in such cases is quickly granted and if he did willingly and wilfully in contempt of the Major or customes of the Citie performe that worke he is blame-worthy and not to he pleaded for but when such customes of single Corporations shall entrench upon the power of Parliaments and change their names and call them Priviledges it is high time to change those customes Many customes in former times had almost undone the Kingdome wee would not now meet with any that raze our foundation and strike at the Parliament And lastly You complain that after the present Lord Major had so faithfully behaved himself in his Office and with the testimony of the Citie so carefully discharged the same that yet he should be suspected and questioned upon generall informations which it may well be doubted might be designed to divide between the Parliament and the Citie If generall informations that doe greatly concerne the publique danger of the Citie or Kingdome should be so far neglected as not so much as to make an enquiry according thereto how could they to whom they doe come discharge their consciences and Covenant to God or the people The Lord Majors faithfulnesse can never hurt him and a faithfull man may lie under suspition but will take no offence at a through purgation as we heare his Lordship himselfe is sufficiently satisfied and if former faithfulnesse should for ever discharge all future jealousies though but generall informations be given of danger the two Hothams and many more might have now lived and by this time seen the Parliament and Citie weltering in their own bloud More you could adde but you have done enough if not too much of this nature and more I presume then was ever expected from this Citie You presently slide from your remonstrative part into the prayer or petitionary part and so shall wee and give you to understand wherein wee can and wherein we cannot joyn with you in your desires to the Parliament with the reasons thereof which is the second generall head of our present method you resolve your complaints into prayers 1. That some strict and speedy course may be taken for the suppressing all private and separate Congregations Wee know not your meaning by private and separate Congregations if your meaning be the
with reverence upon it or an opinion that it hath but a share of the supreme power of this Kingdome that you have no more reverence unto it will you not allow so much unto the representative Kingdome in reference to the whole Kingdome as the representative City will assume unto themselves in reference to London Is not the Parliament of England the representative Kingdome And doth not the whole Supreme power of this Kingdome reside therein And if so why say you they have a Share Unfold your Riddle and speak it out if our judgement deceive us we are willing to be informed Was the like insinuation and dividing principle ever suggested unto the common people except it was from his Majesties Declarations there is little doubt that however the City is blinded herein the rise of this businesse come from Court let the Author of a little book lately published entituled A full answer to the Plea for the Commonalty of London except he himsel is become enervatus in his judgement and reason stand up like a man of right Principles and true thereunto and plead the just power of the Parliament of England as he hath well done of the Commons of London and therby he wil shew himself the Parliaments friend as he hitherto hath done But what do you mean when you say the Parliaments priviledges may now become a tenure for life Surely had this passage been found from one of the old Declarations froÌ„ Oxfâ—rd against the Parliament it could not be judged any thing else but a malignant scorn a notorious jeer being of the same affinity with the like passages found therein viz. a perpetuall Parliament and an everlasting Parliament If any Members of that House doe owe great summes of Monies and protect divers under them as Servants whereby they plead exemption from the course of Law and so Citizens or others are undone or endammaged thereby let the parties agrieved frame their Petitions and complaine of the men and let not London remonstrate this to the Parliaments prejudice it is very true the intention of the Parliament is the good of all the butt of none every mans benefit no mans undoing yet remember your Covenant the preservation of the Parliaments Priviledges is a maine Article thereof if any priviledge proves prejudiciall to the Subjects benefit you your selves say they did anticipate your desires by that Remonstrance of the 15. of December 1642. Yea were then in a way of passing a Bill to give satisfaction concerning the same and have any Bills been past since that time and that neglected and is the case now with the faithfull Members of this present Parliament as it was then Is it not notoriously known that their faithfull sticking unto the Kingdomes Cause hath been the utter undoing of themselves and their Families whilst they have been here in the Kingdomes service the common enemy hath wasted spoyled burned plunder'd and ruin'd their Estates but the truth is this kind of Dialect concerning the Parliament in Print for the peoples view doth import no lesse then an evident charge that Parliament men are now mean men of broken Fortunes men that cannot or else which is worse men that will not pay their debts but live upon the people and make a trade of it and the same shall be a tenure for life Seventhly you proceed further and tell the people the Kingdome is almost reduced by which meanes the Revenues of the Kingdome will be unburthened and the Customes and Excise increase and the publike charge of the Kingdome decrease now that Delinquents doe daily come in and compound and now that the Enemy hath but few Holds left we hope that the great and extraordinary Taxes and burthens on this City and their Trade shall be in the future abated that the Debts owing to the City and Citizens of London either by particular Assurances of the Parliament or upon the publike faith of the Kingdome be taken care for and discharged as well as those assigned upon the Excise and may not be diverted from the uses appointed by former Acts and Ordinances If so have a little more patience your debts owing you are coming apace eight per. cent shall reward you for it you cannot but see extraordinary charges doe still appeare the payment of our Armies long in Arrears though sufficiently active in the Kingdomes service the vast summes paid to the Scotch Army the relief of Ireland and many wayes more so many Garrisons so many Parties so many Sieges doe pray your patience a little longer but must every particular have a charge in the bowels of it What summes of monies are by the Parliament diverted from the uses appointed by their Acts and Ordinances if none what is the ground of this particular thus remonstrated is it because of some few gratuities lately confer'd upon deserving men for their valiant painfull and faithfull services for the publick safety are not such sums employed in the uses appointed in their Acts and Ordinances must the Parliament of England advise with London about the disbursements of the publick stock Eightly you complaine of the Committees work at Haberdashers-Hall as a grievance to the City viz. that any more Malignants should be detected or further course taken to find out Delinquents which have not as becomes them assisted the Parliament surely they little thought the times would so face about as that London should turne Delinquents advocate we say no more to this but remember your Covenant Ninthly you further proceed and professe your zeale for our bleeding Brethren of distressed Ireland c. It is a good motion and for Gods sake doe not binder so good a work by weakning the Parliaments Party by any more such Remonstrances as these Tenthly in the last place you heap up your deserts and your grievances together to the first we confesse you did run well Suffer not your Crowne to be taken away by your discontinuance in your work begun but yet consider have you done more then the Law of God of nature of Nations engaged you Hath all this been for the Parliament or for your selves was not your Estates your Liberties your freedomes the grand price of your Enemies race the Crowne they strive for the spoyles they fight for Speake your Consciences what had become of you by this very day if the present Parliament had not stuck to you what of your Religion what of your Estates what of your Liberties Hath it not been in their power every day to ruine you yea and perhaps by their personall preferments to advance themselves Have not the Subjects Liberties been deare in their eyes have they not layen under many temptations many discouragements to continue constant under them all were all able to abide the same why then did many desert the House How often have they protested by word of mouth in your common Halls and many Declarations in the publick view of Heaven and Earth that they would live with you and dye with you
lost so much bloud stood so fast in the libertie that God hath given them and would not be entangled with the yoke of bondage be now bewitch'd as it were into its own misery and utter undoing Shall the glory of your former fame be throwne in the dust your gallant resolutions and unparallel'd transactions be all buried in the grave of oblivion and at the last gasp as it were of our enemies hopes London should revive their fainting spirits and put life into their dying hearts Shall the whole Kingdome that was almost ready in all its quarters consulting of tokens of thankfulnesse to congratulate with London for all its love and care paines and purses and their generall safety through Gods blessings the fruit hereof throw by these thoughts and with sad hearts and pale faces wringing hands and running eyes tell their wives and children friends and neighbours Woe and alas London will ruine us London begins to decline the Parliament London begins to close with the King London is fild with the Malignants language London Remonstrates to the Parliaments prejudice Will not this prove the perpetuall language of succeeding ages that if London should now desert the Parliament and tyranny once get up in the throne by means hereof Londons Citie is Englands woe Fourthly You further acknowledge the particular assurance this honourable House hath again given the whole Land in their late Declaration to lay hold on the first opportunity of procuring a safe and well-grounded Peace in the three Kingdomes which you doubt not but this honourable House will pursue with all speedy dispatch of Propositions to His Majesty now whilst God doth so mercifully and miraculously goe along with your Armies in all the parts of the Kingdome That Declaration that gave you this assurance assured you likewise whence it was the thing was not done but suppose that providence quite altering the state of affaires the Parliament judge Propositions for Peace are not now so sutable so seasonable as then they were when they promised the same must not they judge what is most meet to be done in such a case Propositions for Peace are to be tendred to enemies not to friends doth his Majesty continue the Parliaments enemy if so his comming to our Quarters is evidently then a designe of mischiefe and not of peace and the truth is an enemy will doe more mischiefe in his adversaries quarters then in his own but if he be our enemy and yet in our hands such Propositions as before were tendred may not consist with wisdome and policie to tender now the case is altered the Market is fallen men will not give for the commoditie thereof as they would before now you see his Majesty is in our own quarters and God doth mercifully and miraculously goe along with our Armies in all the parts of the Kingdome Fifthly You minde the Parliament of our brethren of Scotland how they were first invited to engage with this Kingdome in Gods cause when yet they were at peace at home in what Covenant this Nation is mutually linked with them at what time in relation both to the weak condition of our Forces then and the season of the yeare they adventured upon an Enemy warmly lodged and well armed and prepared what they have since suffered for this Cause in their own Kingdome how succesfull ever since God hath made our Forces in suppressing the Common Enemies of both Nations and what present hopes wee have of a well-setled Peace while wee continue in this mutuall Amitie And then cannot but lament the many jealousies which the Enemies of our Peace Vnion and good Government doe now strive to beget between both Nations and tremble at the sad effects thereof if not timely prevented by the wisdome of the Parliament of both Kingdomes It is most true their love and kindnesse is never to be forgotten for although it is true First that both they and wee are embarqu'd in one and the selfe-same vessell and wee sinke and swim stand and fall together and Englands misery will be Scotlands woe so that what ever they have done for us it is virtually for themselves and although Secondly these miserable warres and bloudy blowes which fell upon us were first attempted for our Scotch brethren but Englands Parliament then in beeing would not consent to such unnaturall warres and by that means kept off the blows from our Scotch Brethren as all can witnesse and although Thirdly this Kingdome hath been likewise ready to helpe the Scots in a former case of their like necessitie against their enemies as is most apparent by authentick Histories and a forme of thanksgiving formerly appointed by the Church of Scotland for the good successe of their English ayde a Copie whereof is added at the end of this Book that wee may ever observe the due care both Kingdomes should have for the mutuall peace and prosperitie of both Kingdomes and although Lastly we must not look so much on our Brethrens successes as their good intentions measuring their love by their endeavours and not events yet let that mouth be for ever shut up and that hand wither which shall maliciously speak or write the least word to foment jealousies between both Kingdomes and confident I am that this heavie curse will fall upon none but that party who joyne issue with the old designe of promoting their personall Interests and base ends of Honour and greatnesse in the publick misery Sixthly you say you cannot but with reverence look upon this Honourable House as trusted with a great share of the supreme power of this Kingdome and as it is the representative of the whole Nation out of which and by whom the Members thereof are chosen doe fixe your hearts the more upon the same and doe by the mercy of God so long as this Kingdome doth adhere to our Covenant promise your selves now and in all future ages great blessings and assurances from the endeavours and labours of this Honourable House and in regard of this dignity of Trust you have and doe submit to all Priviledges of Parliament yet because it may now become a Tenure for life if this priviledge should be so made use of by such Members of Parliament as owe great summes of Money and protect divers under them as Servants Attendants Officers yea and their Servants if all these should be exempted from course of Law how many Citizens of London and other Subjects of this Kingdome may be undone you doe therefore with all Duty and Thankfulnesse put this Honourable House in minde that in a Remonstrance to the Kingdome 15. December 1642. you find this expression viz. That for the matter of Protections the Parliament is so sensibe of it that therein they intend to give whatsoever ease may stand with Honour and Justice and are in a way of passing a Bill to give satisfaction concerning the same Is it the great share this Honourable House hath of the supreme power of this Kingdome which makes you looke