smooth pretensions of Religion Reformation and Liberty As the Wolfe is not lesse cruell so he will be more justly hated when he shall appear no better than a Wolf under Sheeps cloathing But as for the seduced Train of the Vulgar who in their simplicity follow those disguises My charge and councel to You is That as You need no palliations for any designes as other men so that you study really to exceed in true and constant demonstrations of goodnesse piety and virtue towards the People even all those men that make the greatest noise ostentations of Religion so You shall neither fear any detection as they doe who have but the face and mask of goodnesse nor shall You frustrate the just expectations of Your People who cannot in reason promise themselves so much good from any subjects noveltis as from the vertuous constancy of their King VVhen these mountains of congealed factions shall by the sunshine of Gods mercy and the splendour of your virtues be thawed and dissipated and the abused Vulgar shall have learned that none are greater Oppressours of their Estates Liberties and Consciences than those men that entitle themselves The Patrons and Vindicators of them onely to usurp power over them Let then no passion betray You to any study of revenge upon those whose own sinne and folly will sufficiently punish them in due time But as soon as the forked arrow of factious emulations is drawn out use all princely arts and clemency to heal the wounds that the smart of the cure may not equall the angnish of the hurt I have offered Acts of Indempnity and Oblivion to so great a latitude as may include all that can but suspect themselves to be any way obnoxious to the Laws and which might serve to exclude all future Jealousies and securities I would have You alwayes propense to the same way when ever it shall be desired and accepted let it be granted not only as an Act of State-policy and necessity but of Christian charity and choice It is all I have now left Me a power to forgive those that have deprived Me of all and I thank God I have a heart to do it and joy as much in this grace which God hath given Me as in all My former enjoyments for this is a greater argument of Gods love to Me than any prosperity can be Be confident as I am that the most of all sides who have don amisse have don so not out of malice but mis-information or mis-apprehension of things None will be more loyall and faithfull to Me and you than those Subjects who sensible of their Errours and our injuries will feel in their own Soules most vehement motives to repentance and earnest desires to make some reparations for their former defects As Your quality sets You beyond any Duell with any Subject so the Noblenesse of Your mind must raise you above the meditating any revenge or executing Your anger upon the many The more conscious You shall be to Your own merits upon your People the more prone You will be to expect all love and loyalty from them and to inflict no punishment upon them for former miscarriages You will have more inward complacency in pardoing one than in punishing a thousand This I write to you not despairing of Gods mercy My Subjects affections towards you both which I hope you wil study to deserve yet we cannot merit of God but by his own mercy If God shall see fit to restore Me and You after Me to those enjoyments which the Lawes have assigned to Us and no Subjects without an high degree of guilt and sinne can devest us of then may I have better opportunity when I shal be so happy to see you in peace to let you more fully understand the things that belong to Gods glory your own honour and the kingdoms peace But if You never see My face againe and God will have Me buried in such a barbarous Imprisonment and obscurity which the perfecting some mens designes require wherein few hearts that love me are permitted to exchange a word or a look with Me I do require entreat You as Your Father and Your King that You never suffer Your heart to receive the least check against or disaffection from the true Religion established in the Church of England I tell You I have tried it and after much search and many disputes have concluded it to be the best in the world not only in the Community as Christian but also in the speciall notion as Reformed keeping the middle way between the pomp of superstitious Tyranny and the meannesse of fantastique Anarchy Not but that the draught being excellent as to the maine both for Doctrine and Government in the Church of England some lines as in very good figures may happily need some sweetning or pollishing which might here have easily been done by a safe and gentle hand if some mens precipitancy had not violently demanded such rude Alterations as would have quite destroyed all the beauty and proportions of the whole The scandall of the late troubles which some may object and urge to you against the Protestant Religion established in England is easily Answered to them or Your owne thoughts in this That scarce any one who hath been a Beginner or an active prosecutor of this late VVarre against the Church the Lawes and Me either was or is a true Lover Embracer or Practiser of the Protestant Religion established in England which neither give such rules nor ever before set such examples 'T is true some heretofore had the boldnesse to present threatning Petitions to their Princes and Parliaments which others of the same Faction but of worse Spirits have now put in execution but let not counterfeit and disorderly zeal abate Your value and esteem of true piety both of them are to be known by their fruits the sweetnesse of the Vine Fig-tree is not to be despised though the Brambles Thorns should pretend to bear Figs and Grapes thereby to rule over the Trees Nor would I have You to entertaine any aversation or dislike of Parliaments which in their right constitution with Freedome and Honour will never injure or diminish Your greatnesse but will rather be as interchangings of love loyalty and confidence between a Prince and His People Nor would the events of this blacke Parliament have been other then such however much biassed by Factions in the Elections if it had heen preserved from the insolencyes of popular dictates and tumultuary impressions The sad effects of which will no doubt make all Parliaments after this more cautious to preserve that Freedome and Honour which belongs to such Assemblies when once they have fully shaken off this yoke of Vulgar encroachment since the publique interest consists in the mutuall and common good both of Prince and People Nothing can be more happy for all than in faire grave and Honourable waies to contribute their Counsels in Common enacting all things by publique
superfluous where former religious and legall Engagements bound men sufficiently to all necessary duties Nor can I see how they will reconcile such an Innovating Oath and Covenant with that former protestation which was so lately taked to maintain the Religion established in the Church of England since they count Discipline so great a part of Religion But ambitious minds never thinke they have laid snares and ginnes enough to catch and hold the Vulgar credulity for by such politique and seemingly-pious stratagems they think to keep the populacy fast to their Parties under the terrour of perjury Whereas certainly all honest and wise men ever thought themselvs sufficiently bound by former ties of Religion Allegiance and Laws to God and Man Nor can such after-Contracts devised and imposed by a few Men in a declared Party without My Consent and without any like power or precedent from Gods or mans lawes be ever thought by judicious men sufficient either to absolve or slacken those morall eternall bounds of duty which lie upon all My Subjects consciences both to God and Me. Yet as things now stand good men shal lest offend God or Me by keeping their Covenant in honest lawfull ways since I have the charity to think that the chief end of the Covenat in such mens intentions was to preserve Religion in purity and the kingdoms in peace To other then such ends and meanes they cannot think themselves engaged nor will those that have any true touches of Conscience endeavour to carry on the best designes much lesse such as are and will be daily more apparently factious ambitious by any unlawfull means under that title of the Covenant unlesse they dare preferre ambiguous dangerous and un-authorized novelties before their known and sworn duties which are indispensable both to God and My self I am prone to believe and hope That many who took the Covenant are yet firm to this judgment That such later Vows Oaths or Leagues can never blot out those formâ—r gravings and characters which by just lawfull Oaths were made upon their Soul That which makes such Confederations by way of solemn leagues covenants more to be suspected is that they are the common road used in all factions and powerfull perturbations of State or Church where formalities of extraordinary zeal and piety are never more studied and elaborate then when Politicians most agitate desperate designes against all that is setled or sacred in Religion and Laws which by such scrues are cunningly yet forcibly wrested by secret steps and lesse sensible degrees from their known rule wonted practise to comply with the humours of those men who aym to subdue all to their own will and power under the disguises of Holy Combinations Which cords and wythes will hold mens Consciences no longer then force attends and twists them for every man soone growes his owne Pope and easily absolves himselfe of those ties which not the commands of Gods word or the Lawes of the Land but only the subtilty and terrour of a Party casts upon him either superfluous and vaine when they were sufficiently tied before or fraudulent and injurious if by such after-ligaments they find the Imposers really ayming to dissolve or suspend their former just and necessary obligations Indeed such illegall waies seldome or never intend the engaging men more to duties but only to Parties therefore it is not regarded how they keep their Covenants in point of piety pretended provided they adhere firmly to the Party and Designe intended I see the Imposers of it are content to make their Covenant like Manna not that it came from heaven as this did agreeable to every mans palate and relish who will but swallow it They admit any mens senses of it though diverse or contrary with any salvoes cautions and reservations so as they crosse not their chief Designe which is laid against the Church and Me. It is enough if they get but the reputation of a seeming encrease to their Party So little do men remember that God is not mocked In such latitudes of sense I believe many that love Me and the Church well may have taken the Covenant who yet are not so fondly and superstitiously taken by it as now to act clearly against both all piety and loyalty who first yeilâ—ed to it more to prevent that imminent violence and ruine which hung over their heads in case they wholly refused it than for any value of it or devotion to it Wherein the latitude of some generall Clauses may perhaps serve somewhat to relieve them as of Doing and endeavouring what lawfully they may in their Places and Callings and according to the Word of God for these indeed carry no man beyond those bounds of good Conscience which are certaine and fixed either in Gods Lawes as to the generall or the Lawes of the State and Kingdome as to the particular regulation and exercise of mens duties I would to God such as glory most in the name of Covenanters would keepe themselves within those lawfull bounds to which God hath called them Surely it were the best way to expiate the rashnesse of taking it which must needs then appeare when besides the want of a full and lawfull Authority at first to enjoyne it it shall actually be carried on beyond and against those ends which were in it specified and pretended I willingly forgive such mens taking the Covenant who keep it within such bounds of Piety Law and Loyalty as can never hurt either the Church My selfe or the Publique Peace Against which no mans lawfull Calling can engage him As for that Reformation of the Church which the Covenant pretends I cannot think it just or comely that by the partiall advice of a few Divines of so soft and servile tempers as disposed them to so sudden acting and compliance contrary to their former judgements profession and practise such foule scandalls and suspitions should be cast upon the Doctrine and Government of the Church of England as was never done that I have heard by any that deserved the name of Reformed Churches abroad nor by any men of learning and candour at home all whose judgments I cannot but perfer before any mens now factiously engaged No man can be more forward than My selfe to carry on all due Reformations with mature judgement and a good Conscience in what things I shall after impartiall advise be by Gods Word and right reason convinced to be amisse I have offered more than ever the fullest freest and wisest Parliaments did desire But the sequele of some mens actions makes it evident that the main Reformation intended is the abasing of Episcopacy into Presbytery and the robbing the Church of its Lands and Revenues For no men have beene more injuriously used as to their legall Rights than the Bishops and Church-men These as the fattest Deer must be destroyed the other Rascal-herd of Schismes Heresies c. being lean may enjoy the benefit of a Toleration Thus Naboth's Vineyard made
undermining their opinion value of Me My enemies and theirs too might at once blow up their affections and batter down their loyalty Wherein yet I thank God the detriment of My Honour is not so afflictive to Me as the sin and danger of My peoples souls whose eye once blinded with such mists of suspicions they are soon mis-led into the most desperate precipices of actions wherein they do not only not consider their sin and danger but glory in their zealous adventures while I am rendred to them so fit to be destroyed that many are ambitious to merit the name of My Destroyers imagining they then fear God most when they least honor their King I thank God I never found but My pity was above My anger nor have My passions ever so prevailed against Me as to exclude My most compassionate prayres for them whom devout errours more than their own malice have betraied to a most religious Rebellion I had the Charity to interpret that most paâ—â— of My Subjects fought against My supposed errours not My Person and intended to mend Me not to end Me And I hope that God pardoning their Errours hath so farre accepted and answered their good intentions that as he hath yet preserved Me so he hath by these afflictions prepared Me both to doe him better service and My people more good than hitherto I havâ—don I doe not more willingly forgive their seductions which occasioned their loyall injuries then I am ambitious by all Princely merits to redeem them from their unjust suspicions and reward them for their good intentions I am too conscious to My own Affections toward the generality of My people to suspect theirs to Me nor shall the malice of My Enemies ever be able to deprive Me of the comfort which that confidence gives Me I shall never gratifie the spightfulnesse of a few with any sinister thoughts of all their Allegiance whom pious frauds have seduced The worst some mens ambition can do shall never perswade Me to make so bad interpretations of most of My Subjects actions who possibly may be Erroneous but noâ— Hereticall in point of Loyaltie The sense of the Injuries done unto My Subjects is as sharp as those done to My selfe our welfares being inseparable in this onely they suffer more then My selfe that they are animated by some seducers to injure at once both themselves and Me. For this is not enough to the malice of My enemyes that I be afflicted but it must be don by such instruments that My afflictions grieve Me not more then this doth that I am afflicted by those whose prosperity I earnestly desire whose seduction I heartily deplore If they had been My open and forreign Enemies I could have born it but they must be My own Subjects who are next to My Children dear to Me And for the restoring of whose tranquility I could willingly be the Ionah If I did not evidently fore-see that by the divided Interests of their Mine enemies as by contrary winds the storm of their miseries would be rather encreased then allayed I had rather prevent my peoples ruine then rule over them nor am I so ambitious of that Dominion which is but My Right as of their happinesse if it could expiate or countervaile such a way of obtaining it by the highest injuries of Subjects committed against their Soveraign Yet I had rather suffer all the miseries of life and dy many deaths then shamefully to desert or dishonourably to betray My own just rights and Soveraignty thereby to gratify the ambition or justifie the malice of My Enemies between whose malice and other men mistakes I put as great a difference as betweene an ordinary AGUE and the PLAGUE or thâ— Itch of Novelty and the Leprosie of Disloyalty As Lyars need have good Memories so Malicious Persons need good inventions That their calumnies may fit every mans fancy and what their reproaches want of truth they may make up with number and shew My patience I thank God will better serve Me to bear and My charity to forgive then My leisure to Answer the many false Aspersions which some men have cast upon Me. Did I not more consider My Subjects Satisfaction then my own Vindication I should never have given the malice of some men that pleasure as to see Me take notice of or remember what they say or object I would leave the Authors to be punished by their own evil manners and seared Consciences which will I beleive in a shorter time then they be aware of both confute and revenge all those black and false scandals which they have cast on Me And make the world see there is as little truth in them as there was little worth in the broaching of them or Civility I need not say Loyalty in the not-suppressing of them whose credit reputation even with the People shall ere long be quite blasted by the breath of that same fornace of popular obloquy and detraction which they have studied to heat and inflame to the highest degree of infamy wherein they have sought to cast and consume My Name and Honour First nothing gave Me more cause to suspect and search My owne Innocency then when I observed so many forward to engage against Me who had made great professions of singular piety For this gave to vulgar minds so bad a reflection upon Me and My Cause as if it had been impossible to adhere to Me and not withall part from God to think or speak well of Me and not to Blaspheme Him so many were perswaded that these two were utterly inconsistent to be at once Loyall to Me and truly Religious toward God Not but that I had I thank God many with Me which were both Learned and Religious much above that ordinary size and that vulgar proportion wherein some men glory so much who were so well satisfied in the cause of My sufferings that they chose rather to suffer with Me then forsake Me. Nor is it strange that so religious Pretensions as were used against me should be to many wel-minded Men a great temptation to oppose Me Especially being urged by such popular Preachers as think it no sin to lie for God and what they please to call Gods Cause cursing all that will not curse with them looking so much at and crying up the goodnesse of the end propounded that they consider not the lawfullnesse of the means used nor the depth of the mischief chiefly plotted and intended The weaknesse of these mens judgements must be made up by their clamours and activity It was a great part of some mens Religion to scandalize Me Mine they thought theirs could not be true if they cried not down Mine as false I thank God I have had more triall of his grace as to the constancy of My Religion in the Protestant Profession of the Church of England both abroad and at home than ever they are like to have Nor do I know any exception I am so liable
designes which no doubt many of them by this time discover though they dare not but smother their frustrations and discontents The specious and popular titles of Christs Government Throne Scepter and Kingdome which certainly is not divided nor hath two faces as their Parties now have at least also the noise of a through Reformation these may as easily be fixed on new modells as faire colours may be put to ill-favoured figures The breaking of Church-windowes which Time had sufficiently defaced pulling downe of Crosses which were but civill not Religious marks defacing of the Monuments and Inscriptions of the Dead which served but to put Posterity in mind to thank God for that clearer light wherein they live The leaving of all Ministers to their liberties and private abilities in the Publike service of God where no Christian can tell to what he may say Amen nor what adventure he may make of seeming at least to consent to the Errours Blasphemies and ridiculous Undecencies which bold and ignorant men list to vent in their Prayers Preaching and other offices The setting forth also of old Catechismes and Confessions of Faith new drest importing as much as if there had been no sound or cleare Doctrine of Faith in this Church before some foure or five yeares consultation had matured their thoughts touching their first Principles of Religion All these and the like are the effects of popular specious and deceitfull Reformations that they might not seem to have nothing to doe and may give some short flashes of content to the Vulgar who are taken with novelties as Children with Babies very much but not very long But all this amounts not to nor can in Justice merit the glory of the Churches thorow Reformation since they leave all things more deformed disorderly and discontented then when they began in point of Piety Morality Charity and good Order Nor can they easilâ— recompense or remedy the inconveniences and mischiefs which they have purchased so dearly and which have and ever will necessarily ensue till due remedies be applied I wish they would at last make it their Unanimous work to doe Gods work and not their owne Had Religion been first considered as it merited much trouble might have been prevented But some men thought that the Government of this Church and State fixed by so many Lawes and long Customes would not run into their new moulds till they had first melted it in the fire of a Civill Warre by the advantages of which they resolved if they prevailed to make my selfe and all my Subjects fall down and worship the Images they should forme and set up If there had been as much of Christs Spirit for meeknesse wisdome and charity in mens hearts as there was of his Name used in the pretensions to reforme all to Christs Rule it would certainly have obtained more of Gods blessing and produced more of Christs Glory the Churches good the Honour of Religion and the Unity of Christians Publique Reformers had need first Act in private and practice that on their owne hearts which they purpose to trie on others for Deformities within will soon betray the pretenders of publike Reformations to such private designs as must needs hinder the publike good I am sure the right Methods of Reforming the Church cannot consist with that of perturbing the Civill State nor can Religion be justly advanced by depressing Loyalty which is one of the chiefest Ingredients and Ornaments of true Religion for next to fear God is Honour the King I doubt not but Christs Kingdome may be set up without pulling downe Mine nor will any men in impartiall times appear good Christians that approve not themselves good Subjects Christs Government will confirm Mine not overthrow it since as I own mine from him so I desire to rule for his Glory and his Churches good Had some men truly intended Christ's Government or knew what it meant in their hearts they could never have been so ill-governed in in their words and actions both against me and one another As good ends cannot justifie evill meanes so nor will evill beginnings ever bring forth good conclusions unlesse God by a miracle of Mercy create Light out of Darknesse order out of our confusions and peace out of our passions Thou O Lord who onely canst give us beauty for ashes and Truth for Hypocrisie suffer us not to be miserably deluded with Pharisaicall washings instead of Christian reformings Our greatest deformities are within make us the severest Censurers and first Reformers of our own soules That we may in clearnesse of judgment and uprightnesse of heart be means to reform what is indeed amisse in Church and State Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us that we may do all by thy directions to thy glory and with thy blessing Pity the deformities which some rash and cruell Reformers have brought upon this Church and State Quench the fires which Factions have kindled under the pretence of Reforming As thou hast shewed the world by their divisions and confusions what is the pravity of some mens intentions and weaknesse of their judgments so bring â—s at last more refined out of these fires by the methods of Christian and charitable Reformations wherein nothing of ambition revenge covetousnesse or srcriledge may have any influence upon their coâ—nsells whom thy providence in just and lawfull wayes shall entrust with so great good and now most necessary work that I and my People may be so blest with inward piety as may best teach us how to use the blessing of outward peace 21. Vpon his Majesties Letters taken and divulged THe taking of my Letters was an opportunity which as the malice of mine enemies could hardly have expected so they knew not how with honour and civility to use it Nor doe I think with sober and worthy minds any thing in them could tend so much to my reproach as the odious divulging of them did to the infamy of the Divulgers the greatest experiments of vertue and noblenesse being discovered in the greatest advantages against an enemy and the greatest obligations being those which are put upon us by them from whom we could least have expected them And such I should have esteemed the concealing of My Papers The freedome and secresie of which commands a civility from all men not wholly barbarous nor is there any thing more inhumane than to expose them to publique view Yet since providence will have it so I am content so much of My heart which I study to approve to Gods omniscience should be discovered to the world without any of those dresses or popular captations which some men use in their Speeches and Expresses I wish my Subjects had yet a clearer sight into my most retired thoughts Where they might discover how they are divided between the love and care I have not more to preserve my owne Rights than to procure their peace and happinesse and that extreme griefe to see them both
they know not what they did The teares they have denied me in my saddest condition give them grace to bestow upon themselves who the lesse they were for me the more cause they have to weep for themselves O let not my bloud be upon them and their Children whom the fraud and faction of some not the malice of all have excited to crucifie Me. But thou O Lord canst and wilt as thou dist my Redeemer both exalt and perfect me by my sufferings which have more in them of thy mercy then of mans cruelty or thy owne Iustice Natus May 29 An o 1630 AEtatis â— 27 To the Prince of VVales SOn if these Papers with some others wherein I have set down the private reflections of My Conscience and My most impartiall thoughts touching the cheif passages which hath been most remarkable or disputed in My late troubles come to your hands to whom they are chiefly designed they may be so far usefull to you as to state your judgement aright in what hath passed whereof a pious is the best use can be made and they may also give you some directions how to remedy the present distempers and prevent if God will the like for time to come It is some kind of deceiving and lessening the injury of my long restraint when I find My leisure solitude have produced something worthy of My self and usefull to you That neither you nor any other may hereafter measure My Cause by the Successe nor My Judgement of things by My misfortunes which I count the greater by far because they have so farr lighted upon you and some others whom I have most cause to love as well as My self and of whose unmerited sufferings I have a greater sense then of Mine own But this advantage of wisdome you have above other Princes that you have begunne and now spent some years of discretion in the experience of troubles and exercise of patience wherein Piety and all Vertues both Morall and Politicall are commonly better planted to a thriving as Trees set in Winter then in the warmth and serenity of times or amidst those delights which usually attend Princes Courts in times of peace and plenty which are prone either to root up all plants of true Vertue and Honour or to be contented only with some leaves and withering formalities of them without any reall fruits such as tend to the Publick good for which Princes should alwayes remember they are borne and by providence designed The evidence of which different education the holy VVrit affords us in the contemplation of David and Rehoboham The one prepared by many afflictions for a flourishing Kingdome the other unsoftned by the unparalel'd prosperity of Solomons Court and so corrupted to the great diminution both for Peace Honour and Kingdome by those flatteries which are as unseparable from prosperous Princes as Flies are from fruit in Summer whom adversity like could weather drives away I had rather you should be Charles Le Bon then le Grand good then great I hope God hath designed you to both having so early put you into that exercise of his Graces and Gifts bestowed upon you which may best weed out all vicious inclinations and dispose you to those Princely endowments employments which will most gain the love and intend the welfare of those over whom God shall place you With God I would have you begin and end who is King of Kings the Soveraign disposer of the Kingdomes of the world who pullest down one and setteth up another The best Government highest Sove raignty you can attain to is to be subject to him that the Scepter of his Word and Spirit may rule in your heart The true glory of Princes consists in advancing Gods glory in the maintenance of true Religion and the Churches good Also in the dispensation of civill Power with Justice and Honour to the publike Peace Piety will make you prosperous at least it wil keep you from being miserable nor is he much a loser that looseth all yet saveth his own Soul at last To which center of true Happinesse God I trust hath and will graciously direct all these black lines of Affliction which he hath bin pleased to draw on Me and by which he hath I hope drawn me nearer to himself You have already tasted of that cup whereof I have liberally drank which I look upon as Gods phisick having that in healthfulnesse which it wants in pleasure Above all I would have you as I hope you are already well-grounded setled in your Religion The best profession of which I have ever esteemed that of the Church of England in which you have been educated yet I would have your own Iudgement and Reason now seal to that sacred bond which education hath written that it may be judiciously your owne Religion and not other mens custome or tradition which you professe In this I charge you to persevere as comming nearest to Gods VVord for Doctrine and to the primitive examples for Government with soms little amendment which I have otherwhere expressed and often offered though in vaine Your fixation in matters of Religion will not be more necessary for your soule then your Kingdoms peace when God shall bring you to them For I have observed that the Divell of Rebellion doth commonly turne himselfe into an Angell of Reformation and the old Serpent can pretend new Lights When some mens Consciences accuse them for Sedition and Faction they stop its mouth with the name and noise of Religion when Piety pleads for peace and patience they cry out Zeale So that unlesse in this point You be well settled you shall never want temptations to destroy you and yours under pretensions of forming matters of Religion for that seemes even to worst men as the best and most auspicious beginning of their worst designes VVhere besides the Novelty which is taking enough with the Vulgar every one hath an affection by seeming forward to an outward Reformation of Religion to be thought zealous hoping to cover those irreligious deformities whereto they are conscious by severity of censuring other mens opinions or actions Take heed of abetting any Factions or applying to any publick discriminations in matters of Religion contrary to what is in your judgement and the Church well setled your partiall adhering as head to any one side gaines you not so great advantages in some mens hearts who are prone to be of their Kings Religion as it loseth you in others who think themselves and their profession first despised then persecuted by you Take such a course as may either with calmnesse and charity quite remove the seeming differences and offences by impartiality or so order affairs in point of Power that you shall not need to feare or flatter any Faction For if ever you stand in need of them or must stand to their curtesie you are undone The Serpent will devour the Dove you may never expect lesse of loyalty justice or humanity
Coeli Specto Beatam et Aâ—ternum Gloria Asperam at Levem IN VERBO TUO SPES MEA Gratia Christi Tracto Splendidam at Gravem Vanitaâ— Mundi C 〈…〉 〈…〉 all delin The Explanation of the Embleme POnderibus genus omne mali probrique gravatus Vizque ferenda ferens Palma ut depressa resurgo Ac velut undarum Fluctûs Ventique furorem Irati Populi Rupes immota repello Clarior è tenebris coelestis stella corusco Victor aeternùm foelici pace triumpho Auro fulgentem rutilo gemmisque micantem At curis Gravidam spernendo calco Coronam Spinosam at ferri facilem quo spes mea Christi Auxilio Nobis non est tractare molestum Aeternam fixis fidei semper que beatam In Coelos occulis specto Nobisque-paratam Quod vanum est sperno quod Christi Gratia praebet Amplecti studium est Virtutis Gloria merces THough clogg'd with weights of miseries Palm-like depress'd I higher rise And as th' unmoved Rock out-braves The boyst'rous winds and raging waves So triumph I. And shine more bright In sad Affliction 's darksom night That splendid but yet toilsome Crown Regardlesly I trample down With joy I take this Crown of Thorn Though sharp yet easie to be born That heav'nly Crown already mine I view with eyes of faith divine I slight vain things and do embrace Glory the just reward of Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ THE PORVTRAICTVRE OF HIS SACRED MAIESTIE IN HIS SOLITUDES AND SVFFERINGS Together with His MAIESTIES Praiers delivered to Doctor Juxon immediatly before His Death Also His Majesties REASONS Against the pretended Jurisdiction of the high Court of Justice which he intended to deliver in Writing on Munday January 22. 1648. ROM 8. More then Conquerour c. Bona agere mala pati Regium est M. DC XLIX THE CONTENTS 1. UPon His Maiestyes calling this last Parliament p. 15 2 Upon the Earle of Strafford's death 3. Upon His Maiesties going to the House of Commnos 11 4. Vpon the Insolency of the Tumults 15 5. Upon His Maiestyes passing the Bil for the trienniall Parliaments and after setling this during the pleasure of the two Houses 23 6. Upon His Maiesties retirement from Westminster 30. 7. Upon the Queenes departure and absence out of England 37 8. Upon His Majestyes repulse at Hull and the fates of the Hothams 42 9. Upon the Listing and raysing armyes against the King 48 10. Upon their seizing the Kings Magazines Forts Navy and Militia 59 11 Upon the 19. Propositions first sent to the King and more afterwards 67 12 Vpon the Rebellion and troubles in Ireland 81 13. Upon the calling in of the Scots and their Comming 90 14. Upon the Covenant 99 15. Upon the many Jealousies raised and Scandalls cast upon the King to stirre up the People against him 110 16. Vpon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book 124 17. Of the differences between the King and the 2. Houses in point of Church-Government 133 18. Vpon Uxbridge-Treaty and other Offers made by the King 150 19. Vpon the various events of the Warre Victories and Defeats 155 20. Vpon the Reformations of the Times 164 21. Vpon His Maiesties Letters taken and divulged 172 22. Vpon His Maiesties leaving Oxford and going to the Scots 178 23. Vpon the Scots delivering the King to the English and his Captivity at Holmeby 183 24. Vpon their Denying his Maiesty the Attendance of his Chaplains 187 25. Penitentiall Meditations and Vowes in the Kings solitude at Holmeby p. 199 â—6 Vpon the Armies Surprisall of the King at Holmby and the ensuing distractions in the two houses the army and the City 204 27. To the Prince of Wales 213 28. Meditations upon Death after the Votes of Non-addresses and his Maiesties closer Imprisonment in Carisbrook Castle â—32 ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ 1. Vpon His Maiesties calling this last Parliament THis last Parliament I called not more by others advice and necessity of My affairs then by my owne choice and inclination who have alwayes thought the right way of Parliaments most â—afe for my Crown and best pleasing to My People And although I was not forgetfull of â—hose sparks which some mens distempers forâ—erly studied to kindle in Parliaments which â—y forbearing to convene for some yeares I â—oped to have extinguished yet resolving with â—y selfe to give all just satisfaction to modest â—nd sober desires and to redresse all pubâ—que greivances in Church and State I hoped â—y My freedome and their moderation to preâ—ent all misunderstandings and miscariages in â—is In which as I feared affaires would meet â—ith some passion and prejudice in other men â—o I resolved they should finde least of them in â—y selfe not doubting but by the weight of Reason I should counterpoise the over-ballancings of any factions I was indeed sorry to hear with what partiality and popular heat Elections were carried in many places yet hoping that the gravity and discretion of other Gentlemen would allay and fix the Commons to a due temperament guiding some mens wel-meaning zeal by such rules of moderation as are best both to preserve and restore the health of all States and Kingdomes No man was better pleased with the convening of this Parliament then My selfe who knowing best the largenesse of My owne Heart toward My peoples good and just contentment pleased my selfe most in that good and firmâ— understanding which would hence grow between Me and My people All Jealousies being laid aside My owne anâ— my Children Interests gave me many obligations to seek and preserve the love and welfare oâ— my Subjects The only temporall blessing thaâ— is left to the ambition of just Monarchs as theiâ— greatest honour and safety next Gods protection I cared not to lessen my self in some thing of my wonted prerogative since I knew I coulâ— be no loser if I might gain but a recompenâ— in My Subjects affections I intended not only to obliege My Friends bâ— Mine Enemies also exceeding even the desire of those that were factiously discontented â— they did but pretend to any modest and sobeâ— sense The odium and offences which some mens rigour or remissness in Church State had contracted upon my Government I resolved to have expiated by such Laws regulations for the future as might not only rectifie what was amisse in practise but supply what was defective in the constitution No man having a greater zeal to see Religion setled in Unity and Order than My selfe whom it most concernes both in piety and policy as knowing that no flames of civill dissentions are more dangerous then those which make Religious pretensions the grounds of Factions I resolved to reform what I should by free and full advice in Parliament be convinced to be amisse and to grant whatever My Reason Conscience told me was fit to be desired I wish I had kept my selfe within those bounds and not suffered My own Iudgement to have been over-born in some things more by others
be My Right belonging to Me iâ— Reason as a Man and in Honour as a Soveraign King as undoubtedly it doth how can i be other then extream injury to confine my Reason to a necessity of granting all they haveâ— mind to ask whose minds may be as differinâ— from mine both in Reason and Honour as theiâ— aims may be and their qualities are which laâ— God and the Laws have sufficiently distinguishâ— making me their Soveraigne and them my Subjects whose Propositions may soone provâ— violent oppositions if once they gaine to be necessary impositions upon the Regall Authority Since no man seeks to limit confine his King in Reason who hath not a secret aime to sharâ— with him or usurp upon him in power domion But they would have me trust to their moderation and abandon mine own discretioâ— that so I might verifie what representations some have made of me to the world that I am fitter to be their Pupill then their Prince Truly I am not so confident of my own sufficiency as not willingly to admit the Counsell of others But yet I am not so diffident of my self as brntishly to submit to any mans dictates at once to betray the Soveraignty of Reason in my soul and the Majesty of my own Crown to any of my Snbjects Least of all have I any ground of credulity to induce me fully to submit to all the desires of those men who will not admit or do refuse and neglect to vindicate the freedome of their own and others Sitting and Voting in Parliament Besides all men that know them know this how young States-men the most part of these Propounders are so that till experience of one seven yearts hath shewed me how well they can Govern themselves and so much power as is wrested from me I should be very foolish indeed unfaithfull in my Trust to put the reins of both Reason and Government wholly out of my own into to their hands whose driving is already too much like Iehues and whose forwardnesse to ascend the Throne of Supremacy portends more of Phaeton then of Phoebus God divert the Omen if it be his will They may remember that at best they sit in Parliament as My Subjects not my superiours called to be my Counsellours not Dictators Their Summons extends to Recommend theiâ— advice not to command my Duty VVhen I first heard of Propositions to be senâ— Me I expected either some good Lawes whicâ— had been antiquated by the course of time oâ— overlayd by the corruption of manners had biâ— desired to a restauration of their vigour anâ— due execution or some evill customes preter-legall and abuses personall had been to be removed or some injuries done by My selfe anâ— others to the Common-weale were to be repaired or some equable offertures were to bâ— tendred to Me wherein the advantages of my Crowne being considered by them might fairly induce me to condescend to what tended to my Subjects good without any great diminution oâ— My selfe whom Nature Law Reason anâ— Religion bind me in the first place to preserve without which 't is impossible to preserve my People according to my Place Or at least I looked for such moderate desires of due Reformation of what was indeed amisse in Church and State as migh still preserve the foundation and essentialls o Government in both not shake and quite oveâ— throw either of them without any regarâ— of the Lawes inforce the wisdome and pietâ— of former Parliaments the ancient and universall practise of Christian Churches thâ— Rights and Priviledges of particular men Nor yet any thing offered in lieu or in the roome of what must be destroyed which might at once reach the good end of the others Institution and also supply its pretended defects reforme its abuses and satisfie sober and wise men not with soft and specious words pretending zeale and speciall piety but with pregnant solid reasons both divine and humane which might justifie the abruptnesse and necessity of such vast alterations But in all their Propositions I can observe little of these kinds or to these ends Nothing of any Lawes dis-joynted which are to be restored of any right invaded of any Justice to be unobstructed of any compensations to be made of any impartiall reformation to be granted to al or any of which reason Religion true Policy or any other humane motives might induce me But as to the maine matters propounded by them at any time in which is either great novelty or difficulty I perceive that what were formerly look't upon as Factions in the State and Schismes in the Church and so punishable by the Lawes have now the confidence by vulgar clamours and assistance chiefly to demand not only Tolerations of themselves in their vanity novelty and confusion but also Abolition of the Lawes against them and a totall extirpation of that Government whose Rights they have a mind to invade This as to the maine other Propositions are for the most part but as waste paper in those which are wrapped up to present them somewhat more handsomely Nor do I so much wonder at the variety horrible novelty of some Propositions therebeing nothing so monstrous which some fancies are not prone to long for This casts me into not an admiration but an extasie how such things should have the fortun to be propounded in the name of the two Houses of the Parliament of England among whom I am very confident there was not a fourth part of the Members of either House whose judgements free single and apart did approve or desire such dstructive changes in the Government of the Church I am perswaded there remaines in far the major part of both Houses if free and full so much learning Reason Religion and just moderation as to know how to sever between the use anâ— the abuse of things the institution the corruption the Government and the Mis-government the Primitive Patterns and the abberrations or blottings of after Copies Sure they could not all upon so little or nâ— reason as yet produced to the contrary so soon renounce all regard to the Lawes in force to antiquity to the piety of their reforming Progenitors to the prosperity of former times in this Church state under the present Government of the Church Yet by a strange fatality these men suffer either by their absence or silence or negligence or supine credulity believing that all is Gold which is guilded with shewes of Zeale and Reformation their private disse nting in judgement to be drawne into the common sewer or stream of the present vogue and humour which hath its chief rise and abetment from those popular clamours and Tumults which served to give life and strength to the infinite activity of those men who studied with all diligence and policy to improve to their Innovating designes the present distractions Such Armies of Propositions having so little in My Judgement of reason J ustice and Religion on their side as they had
angry with us for ever 13Vpon the Calling in of the Scots and their Comming THe Scots are a Nation upon whom I have not onely common ties of Nature Soveraignty and Bounty with My Father of blessed memory but also special and late obligations of favours having gratified the active Spirits among them so far that I seemed to many to prefer the desires of that party before my own interest and Honour But I see Royall bounty emboldens some men to aske act beyond all bounds of modesty and gratitude My charity and Act of Pacification forbids me to reflect on former passages wherein I shall ever be farre from letting any mans ingratitude or inconstancy make Me repent of what I granted them for the publique good I pray God it may so prove The comming againe of that Party into England with an Army onely to conforme this Church to their late New modell cannot but seem as unreasonable as they would have thought the same measure offered from hence to themselves Other errand I could never understand they had besides those common and vulgar flourishes for Religion and Liberty save onely to confirme the Presbyterian Copy they had set by making this Church to write after them though it were in bloudy Characters Which designe and end whether it will justifie the use of such violent means before the divine Justice I leave to their Consciences to judge who have already felt the misery of the means but not reaped the benefit of the end either in this Kingdome or that Such knots and crosnesse of grain being objected here as will hardly suffer that forme which they cry up as the only just reformation and setling of Government and Discipline in Churches to goe on so smoothly here as it might doe in Scotland and was by them imagined would have done in ENGLAND when so many of the English Clergy through levity or discontent if no worse passion suddenly quitted their former engagements to Episcopacy and faced about to their Presbytery It cannot but seem either passion or some self-seeking more then true Zeal and pious Discretion for any forraign State or Church to prescribe such medicines only for others which themselves have used rather successefully than commendably not considering that the same Physick on different constitutions will have different operations That may kill one which doth but cure another Nor doe I know any such tough and malignant humours in the constitution of the English Church which gentler applications then those of an Army might not easily have removed Nor is it so proper to hew out religious Reformations by the Sword as to polish them by fair and equal disputations among those that are most concerned in the diferences whom not force but Reason ought to convince But their designe now seemed rather to cut of all disputation here than to procure a fair and equall one For it was concluded there that the English Clergy must conform to the Scots pattern before ever they could be heard what they could say for themselves or against the others way I could have wished fairer proceedings both for their credits who urge things with such violence and for other mens Consciences too who can receive little satisfaction in these points which are maintained rather by Souldiers fighting in the Field than Schollars disputing in free and learned Synods Sure in matters of Religion those truths gain most on mens Judgements and Consciences which are least urged with secular violence which weakens Truth with prejudices and is unreasonable to be used till such means of rationall conviction hath beene applied as leaving no excuse for ignorance condemns mens obstinacy to deserved penalties Which no charity will easily suspect of so many learned and pious Church-men in England who being alwayes bred up and conformable to the Government of Episcopacy cannot so soon renounce both their former opinion and practise only because that Party of the Scots wil needs by force assist a like Party here either to drive all Ministers as sheep into the common fold of Presbytery or destroy them at least fleece them by depriving them of the benefit of their Flocks If the Scotch sole Presbytery were proved to be the only institution of Jesus Christ for all Churches Government yet I beleive it would be hard to prove that Christ had given those Scots or any other of my Subjects Commission by the sword to set up in any of My Kingdomes without My Consent What respect and obedience Christ and his Apostls pai'd to the chief Governours of States where they lived is very clear in the Gospell but that he or they ever commanded to set up such a parity of Presbyters and in such a way as those Scots endeavour I think is not very disputable If Presbytery in such a supremacy be an institution of Christ sure it differs from all others and is the first and only point of Christianity that was to be planted and watred with so much Christian bloud whose effusions run in a stream so contrary to that of the primitive Planters both of Christianity Episcopacy which was with patient shedding of their own bloud not violent drawing other mens sure there is too much of Man in it to have much of Christ none of whose institutions were carried on or begun with the Temptations of Covetousnesse or Ambition of both which this is vehemently suspected Yet was there never any thing upon the point which those Scots had by Army or Commissioners to move me with by their many Solemne obtestations and pious threatnings but only this to represent to me the wonderfull necessity of setting up their Presbytery in England to avoid the further miseries of a Warre which some men chiefly on this designe at first had begun and now further ingaged themselves to continue What hinders that any Sects Schismes or Heresies if they can get but numbers strength and opportunity may not according to this opinion and pattern set up their wayes by the like methods of violence all which Presbytery seeks to suppres render odious under those names when wise and learned men think that nothing hath more marks of Schisme and Sectarisme then this Presbyterian way both as to the Ancient and still most Universall way of the Church-government and specially as to the particular Laws and Constitutions of this English Church which are not yet repealed nor are like to be for me till I see more Rationall and Religious motives then souldiers use to carry in their Knapsacks But we must leave the successe of all to God who hath many waies having first taken us off from the folly of our opinions and fury of our passion to teach us those rules of true Reason peaceable wisdom which is from above tending most to Gods glory his Churches good which I think my self so much the more bound in Conscience to attend with the most judicious Zeal and care by how much I esteem the church above the State the glory of Christ
him the onely Blasphemer of this City and fit to die Still I see while the breath of Religion fills the Sailes Profit is the Compasse by which Factious men steer their course in all seditious Commotions I thank God as no man lay more open to the sacrilegious temptation of usurping the Churches Lands and Revenues which issuing chiefly from the Crowne are held of it and legally can revert onely to the Crowne with My Consent so I have alwayes had such a perfect abhorrence of it in My Soule that I never found the least inclination to such sacrilegious Reformings yet no man hath a greater desire to have Bishops and all Church-men so reformed that they may best deserve and use not only what the pious munisicence of My Predecessours hath given to God and the Church but all other additions of christian bounty But no necssity shall ever I hope drive Me or Mine to invade or sell the Priests Lands which both Pharaoh's divinity and Ioseph's true piety abhorred to doe So unjust I think it both in the eye of Reason and Religion to deprive the most sacred imployment of all due encouragements and like that other hard-hearted Pharaoh to withdraw the straw and encrease the Taske so pursuing the oppressed Church as some have done to the read sea of a Civil Warre where nothing but a miracle can save either It or Him who esteems it His greatest Title to be called and His chiefest glory to be The Defender of the Church both in its true faith its iust fruitions equally abhorring Sacriledge and Apostacy I had rather live as My Predecessour HENRY 3 sometime did on the Churches Alms then violently to take the bread out of Bishops and Ministers mouthes The next work will be Ieroboam's reformation consecrating the meanest of the People to be Preists in Israel to serve those Golden Calves who have enriched themselves with the Churches Patrimony and Dowry which how it thrived both with Prince Priests and People is well enough knowne And so it will be here when from the tuition of Kings and Queenes which have been nursing Fathers and Mothers of this Church it shal be at their alowance who have already discovered what hard Fathers and Stepmothers they will be If the poverty of Scotland might yet the plenty of England cannot excuse the envy and rapine of the Churches Rights and Revenues I cannot so much as pray God to prevent those sad consequences which will inevitably follow the parity and poverty of Ministers both in Church and State since I thinke it no lesse than a mocking and tempting of God to desire him to hinder those mischiefs whose occasions and remedies are in our own power it being every mans sin not to avoid the one and not to use the other There are wayes enongh to repair the breaches of the State without the ruins of the Church as I would be a Restorer of the one so I would not be an oppressour of the other under the pretence of Publiquâ— Debts The occasions contracting them were bad enough but such a discharging of them would be much worse I pray God neither I nor Mine may be accessary to either To thee O Lord doe I addresse My prayer beseeching thee to pardon the rashnesse of My Subiects Swearings and to quicken their sense and observation of those just morall and indispensable bonds whiâ—h thy Word and the Lawes of this Kingdome have laid upon their Consciences From which no pretensions of Piety and Reformation are sufficient to absolve them or to engage them to any contrary practises Make them at length seriously to consider that nothing violent and iniurious can be religious Thou allowest no mans committing Sacriledge under the Zeal of abhorring Idolls Suffer not sacrilegious designs to have the Countenance of religious ties Thou hast taught us by the wisest of Kings that it is a snare to take things that are holy and after Vâ—ws to make enquiry Ever keep thy servant from consenting to periurious and sacrilegious rapines that I may not have the brand and curse to all posterity of robbing Thee and thy Church of what thy bounty hath given us and thy clemency hath accepted from us wherewith to encourage Learning and Religion Though My Treasures are Exhausted My Revenues Diminished and My Debts Encreased yet never suffer Me to be tempted to use such prophane Reparations lest a coal from thine altar set such a fire on My Throne and Conscience as will be hardly quenched Let not the Debs and Engagements of the Publique which some mens folly and prodigality hath contracted be an occasion to impoverish thy Church The State may soone recover by thy blessing of peace upon us The Church is never likely in times where the Charity of most men is grown so cold their Religion so illeberall Continne to those that serve Thee and thy Church all those incouragements which by the will of the pious Donours and the Iustice of the Laws are due unto them and give them grace to deserve and usâ— them aright to thy glory and the releif of the poor That thy Preists may be cloathed with righteousnesse and the poor may be satisfyed with breád Let not holy things be given to Swine nor the Churches bread to Dogs rather let them go about the City grin like a Dog and grudg that they are not satisfyed Let those sacred morsells which some men have already by violence devoured never digest with them nor theirs Let them be as Naboth's Vineyard to Ahab gall in their mouths rottennesse to their mames a moth to their Families and a sting to their Consciences Break in sunder O Lord all violent and sacrilegious Confederations to doe wickedly and inâ—uriously Divide their hearts and tongues who have bandyed together against the Church and State that the folly of such may be manifest to all men and proceed no further But so favour My righteous dealing O Lord that in the mercies of thee the most High I may never miscarry 15. Vpon the many Jealousies raised and Scandals cast upon the King to stir up the People against Him IF I had not My own Innocency and Gods protection it were hard for Me to stand out against those stratagems and conflicts of malice which by Falsities seek to oppresse the Truth and by Jealousies to supply the defect of Reall causes which might seeme to justifie so unjust Engagements against Me. And indeed the worst effects of open Hostility come short of these Designes For I can more willingly lose My Crowneâ— than My Credit nor are My Kingdoms so dear to Me as My Reputation and Honour Those must have a period with My life but these may survive to a glorious kind of Immortality when I am dead and gon A good name being the embalming of Princes a sweet consecrating of them to an Eternity of love gratitude among Posterity Those foule and false aspersions were secret engines at first employed against My peoples love of Me that
understandings are soonest received into their hearts and aptest to excite and carry along with them judicious and fervent affections Nor doe I see any reason why Christians should be weary of a wel-composed Liturgy as I hold this to be more than of all other things wherein the constancy abates nothing of the excellency and usefulnesse I could never see any Reason why any Christian should abhor or be forbidden to use the same forms of prayer since he prayes to the same God believes in the same Saviour professeth the same Truths reads the same Scriptures hath the same duties upon him and feels the same daily wants for the most part both inward outward which are common to the whole Church Sure we may as wel before-hand know what we pray as to whom we pray in what words as to whatsense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same words our appetite and disgestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our daily bread Some men I heare are so impatient not to use in all their devotion their own invention and gifts that they not only disuse as too many but wholly cast away contemn the Lords Prayer whose great guilt is that it is the warrant originall pattern of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church I ever thought that the proud ostentation of mens abilities for invention and the vain affectations of variety for expressions in Publique Prayer or any sacred Administrations merits a greater brand of sinne than that which they call Coldnesse and Barrennesse Nor are men in those noveltyes lesse subject to formall and superficiall tempers as to their hearts than in the use of constant Formes where not the words but mens hearts are too blame I make no doubt but a man may be very formal in the most extemporary variety and very fervently devout in the most wonted expressions Nor is God more a God of variety than of constancy Nor are constant Forms of Prayers more likely to flat hinder the Spirit of prayer devotion than un-premeditated confused variety to distract and lose it Though I am not against a grave modest discreet humble use of Ministers gifts even in publique the better to fit excite their own the Peoples affections to the present occasions yet I know no necessity why private and single abilityes should quite justle out and deprive the Church of the joynt abilityes concurrent gift of many learned and godly men such as the Composers of the Service booke were who may in all reason be thought to have more of gifts and graces enabling them to Compose with serious deliberation concurrent advise such Forms of prayers as may best fit the churches common want inform the Hearers understanding and stir up that fiduciary and fervent application of their spirits wherein consists the very life and soul of prayer and that so much pretended Spirit of prayer than any private man by his solitary abilities can be presumed to have which what they are many times even there where they make a great noise and shew the affectations emptinesse impertinency rudenesse confusions flatnesse levity obscurity vain and ridiculous repititions the senselesse and oft-times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most tedious and intolerable length do sufficiently convince all men but those who glory in that Pharisaick way Wherein men must be strangely impudent and flatterers of themselves not to have an infinite shame of what they so do and say in things of so sacred a nature before God the Church after so ridiculous indeed profane a manner Nor can it be expected but that in dutyes of frequent performance as Sacramentall administrations and the like which are stil the same Ministers must either come to use their own forms constantly which are not like to be sound or comprehensive of the nature of the duty as Forms of Publick composure or else they must euery time affect new expressions when the subject is the same which can hardly be presumed in any mans greatest sufficiencyes not to want many times much of that compleatnesse order and gravity becomming those duties which by this means are exposed at every celebration to every Ministers private infirmities indispositions errours disorders defects both for judgment and expression A serious sense of which inconvenience in the Church unavoidably following every mans severall manner of officiating no doubt first occasioned the wisdom piety of the Ancient churches to remedy those mischiefs by the use of constant Lyturgies of publick composure The want of which I believe this Church will sufficiently feel when the unhappy fruits of many mens un-governed ignorance and confident defects shall be discovered in more errours scismes disorders and uncharitable distractions in Religion which are already but too many the more is the pity However if violence must needs bring in and abet those innovations that men may not seem to have nothing to do which Law Reason Religion forbids at least to be so obtruded as wholy to justle out the publick Lyturgy Yet nothing can excuse that most unjust and partiall severity of those men who either lately had subscribed to used and maintained the Service-book or refusing to use it cryed out of the rigour of the Laws and Bishops which suffered them not to use the liberty of their consciences in not using it That these men I say should so suddenly change the Lyturgie into a Directory as if the Spirit needed help for invention though not for expressions or as if matter prescribed did not as much stint and obstruct the Spirit as if it were cloathed in and confined to fit words So slight and easie is that Legerdemain which will serve to delude the vulgar That further they should use such severity as not to suffer without penalty any to use the Common-Prayer-Book publickly although their Consciences binde them to it as a duty of piety to GOD and Obedience to the Laws Thus I see no men are prone to be greater Tyrants and more rigorus exacters upon others to conform to their illegall novelties then such whose pride was formerly least disposed to the obedience of lawfull Constitutions and whose licentious humours most pretended Conscientious liberties which freedome with much regret they now allow to Me and My Chaplains when they may have leave to serue Me whose abilities euen in their extemporary way come not short of the other but their modesty and learning far exceeds the most of them But this matter is of so popular a nature as some men knew it would not bear learned and sober debates least being convinced by the evidence of Reason as well as Laws they shoulâ— have been driven either to sinne more againsâ— their knowledge by taking away the Lyturgy or to displease some faction of the people by continuing the use of it Though I believe they have offended more considerable men not only for their numbers estate
but for their weighty and judicious piety than those are whose weaknes or giddines they sought to gratifie by taking it away One of the greatest faults some men found with the Common-Prayer-book I beleive was this That it taught them to pray so oft for Me to which Petitions they had not Loyalty enough to say Amen nor yet charity enough to forbear Reproaches and even cursings of Me in their own forms instead of praying for Me. I wish their Repentance may be their only punishment that seeing the mischiefs which the disuse of publique Liturgyes hath already produced they may restore that credit use and reverence to them which by the ancient Churches were given to Set Formes of sound and wholsome words And thou O Lord which art the same God blessed for ever whose mercies are full of varie y yet of constancy Thou denyest us not a new fresh sense of our old and dayly wants nor despisest renued affections ioyned to constant expressions Let us not want the benefit of thy Churches united wel-advised Devotions Let the matters of our prayers be agreeable to thy will which is alwaies the same and the fervency of our spirits to the motions of thy holy Spirit in us And then we doubt not but thy spirituall perfections are such as thou art neither to be pleased with affected Novelties for matter or manner nor offended with the pious constancy of our petitions in them both Whose variety or constancy thou hast no where either forbidden or commanded but left them to the piety and prudence of thy Church that both may be used neither dispised Keep men in that pious moderation of their Iudgments in matters of Religion that their ignorance may not offend others nor their opinion of their own abilities tempt them to deprive others of what they may lawfully and devoutly use to help their infirmities And since the advantage of Errour consists in novelty and variety as Truths in unity and constancy Suffer not thy Church to be pestered with errours and diformed with undecencies in thy service under the pretence of variety and novelty Nor to be deprived of truth unity and order under this fallacy That constancy is the cause of formality Lord keep us from formall Hypocisie in our own hearts and then we know that praying to thee or praising of thee with David and other holy men in the same formes cannot hurt us Give us wisdome to amend what is amisse within us and there will be lesse to mend without us Evermore defend and deliver thy Church from the effects of blind zeal and over-bold devotion 17. Of the differences betweene the King and the two Houses in point of Church-government TOuching the GOVERNMENT of the Church by Bishops the common Jealousie hath bin that I am earnest and resolute to maintain it not so much out of piety as policy and reason of State Wherein so far indeed reason of State doth induce Me to approve that Government above any other as I find it impossible for a Prince to preserve the State in quiet unlesse he hath such an influence upon Church-men and they such a dependance on Him as may best restraine the seditions exorbitances of Ministers Tongues who with the Keys of Heaven have so far the Keys of the Peoples hearts as they prevaile much by their Oratory to let in or shut out both Peace and Loyalty So that I being as King intrusted by God the Laws with the good both of Church and State I see no reason I should give up or weaken by any change that power and influence which in right and reason I ought to have over both The moving Bishops out of the House of Peers of which I have elsewhere given an account was sufficient to take off any suspicion that I encline to them for any use to be made of their Votes in State affairs Though indeed I never thought any Bishop worthy to sit in that House who would not Vote according to his Conscience I must now in charity be thought desirous to preserve that Government in its right constitution as a matter of Religion wherein both My judgement is justly satisfyed that it hath of all other the fullest Scripture grounds and also the constant practise of all Christian Churches til of late years the tumultuarinesse of People or the factiousnesse and pride of Presbyters or the covetousnesse of some States and Princes gave occasion to some mens wits to invent new modells aud propose them under specious titles of Christs Government Scepter and Kindome the better to serve their turns to whom the change was beneficiall They must give Me leave having none of their temptations to invite Me to alter the Government of Bishops that I may have a Title to their Estates not to believe their pretended grounds to any new wayes contrary to the full and constant testimony of all Histories sufficiently convincing unbiased men that as the Primitive Churches were undoubtedly governed by the Apostls and their immediate Successors first best Bishops so it cannot in reason or charity be supposed that al churches in the world should either be ignorant of the rule by thē prescribed or so soon deviate from their divine and holy patterne That since the first Age for 1500. years not one Example can be produced of any setled Church wherein were many Ministers and Congregations which had not some Bishop above them under whose jurisdiction and government they were Whose constant and universall practise agreeing with so large and evident Scripture-directions and examples as are set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the setling of that Government not in the persons only of Timothy and Titus but in the succession the want of Government being that which the Church can no more dispense with in point of wel-being then the want of the Word Sacraments in point of being I wonder how men came to look with so envious an eye upon Bishops power and authority as to oversee both the Ecclesiasticall use of them and Apostolicall constitution which to Me seems no lesse evidently set forth as to the maine scope design of those Epistles for the setling of a peculiar Office Power and Authority in them as President-Bishops above others in point of Ordination Censures and other acts of Ecclesiasticall discipline then those shorter Characters of the qualities and duties of Presbiter-Bishops and Deacons are described in some parts of the same Epistles who in the latitude and community of the name were then and may now not improperly be called Bishops as to the oversight and care of single Congregations committed to them by the Apostles or those Apostolicall Bishops who as Timothy and Titus succeeded them in that ordinary power there assigned over larger divisions in which were many Presbyters The humility of those first Bishops avoiding the eminent title of Apostles as a name in the Churches stile appropriated from its common notion of a Messenger or one sent to
that speciall dignity which had extraordinary call mission gifts and power immediatly from Christ they contented themselves with the ordinary titles of Bishops and Presbyters untill use the great Arbitrator of words and Master of Language finding reason to distinguish by a peculiar name those persons whose power and office were indeed distinct from and above all other in the Church as suceeding the Apostles in the ordinary and constant power of governing the Churches the honour of whose name they moderately yet commendably declined all Christian Churches submitting to that special anthority appropriated also the name of Bishop without any suspition or reproach of arrogancy to those who were by apostolical propagation rightly descended invested into that highest largest power of governing even the most pure primitive Churches which without all doubt had many such holy Bishops after the pattern of Timothy Titus whose speciall power is not more clearly set down in those Epistles the chief grounds limits of all Episcopall claim as from divine Right then are the Characters of these perilous times those men that make them such who not enduring sound doctrine clear testimonies of all Churches practise are most perverse disputers and proud Usurpers against true Episcopacy who if they be not Traytors and Boasters yet they seem to be very covetous heady high-minded inordinate feirce lovers of themselves having much of the form litle of the power of godlines Who by popular heaps of weak light and unlearned Teachers seeke to over-lay smother the pregnancy and authority of that power of Episcopall government which beyond al equivocation vulgar fallacy of names is most convincingly set forth both by Scripture and all after-Historyes of the Church This I write rather like a Divine than a Prince that Posterity may see if ever these Papers be publick that I had fair grounds both from scripture-Canons Ecclesiasticall examples whereon My judgment was stated for Episcopall government Nor was it any policy of State or obstinacy of wil or partiality of affection either to the men or their Function which fixed Me who cannot in point of worldly respects be so considerable to me as to recompence the injuries and losses I and My dearest relations with My Kingdomes have sustained and hazarded chiefly at first upon this quarrell And not only in Religion of which Scripture is the best rule and the Churches Vniversall practice the best commentary but also in right reason and the true nature of Government it cannot be thought that an orderly Subordination among Presbyters or Ministers should be any more against Christianity then it is in all secular and civill Governments where parity breeds Confusion and Faction I can no more believe that such order is inconsistent with true Religion then good features are with beauty or numbers with harmony Nor is it likely that God who appointed severall orders and a Prelacy in the Government of his Church among the Jewish Priests should abhor or forbid them among Christian Ministers who have as much of the principles of schisme and division as other men for preventing and suppressing of which the Apostolicall wisdom which was divine after that Christians were multiplied to many Congregations and Presbyters with them appointed this way of Government which might best preserve order and union with Authority So that I conceive it was not the favour of Princes or ambition of Presbyters but the wisdome and piety of the Apostles that first setled Bishops in the Church which Authority they constantly used and injoyed in those times which were purest for Religion though sharpest for Persecution Not that I am against the managing of this presidency and authority in one man by the joynt Counsell and consent of many Presbyters I have offerd to restore that as a fit means to avoid those Errours Corruptions and Partialities which are incident to any one man Also to avoyd Tyranny which becomes no Christians least of all Church-men besides it will be a means to take away that burden and odium of afaires which may lie too heavy on one mans shoulders as indeed I think it formerly did on the Bishops here Nor can I see what can be more agreeable both to Reason and Religion then such a frame of Government which is paternall not Magisterial and wherein not only the necessity of avoyding Faction and Confusion Emulations and Contâ—mps which are prone to rise among equals in power and function but also the differences of some Ministers gifts and aptitudes for Government above others doth invite to imploy them in reference to those Abilities wherein they are eminent Nor is this judgment of Mine touching Episcopacy any pre-occupation of opinion which wil not admit any oppositions against it it is well knowne I have endeavoured to satisfie my self in what the chiefe Patrons for other wayes can say against this or for theirs And I finde they have as sarr lesse of Scripture grounds and of Reason so for examples and practise of the Church or testimonies of Histories they are wholy destitute where in the whose stream runs so for Episcopacy that there is not the least rivolet for any others As for those obtruded examples of some late reformed Churches for many retain Bishops still whom necessity of times and affaires rather excuseth then commendeth for their inconformity to all Antiquity I could never see any reason why Churches orderly reformed and governed by Bishops should be forced to conforme to those few rather then to the Catholick example of all Ancient Churches which needed no Reformation and to those Churches at this day who Governed by Bishops in all the Christian world are many more then Presbyterians or Independents can pretend to be All whom the Churches in My three Kingdoms lately Governed by Bishops would equalize I think if not exceed Nor is it any point of wisdom or charity where Christians differ as many do in some points there to widen the differences at once to give all the Christian world except a handfull of some Protestants so great a scandall in point of Church-government whom though you may convince of their Errours in some points of Doctrine yet you shal never perswade them that to compleat their Reformation they must necessarily desert and wholly cast off that Government which they and all before them have ever owned as Catholick Primitive and Apostolicall So farre as never Schismaticks nor Hereticks except those Aerians have strayed from the Vnity and Conformity of the Church in that point ever having Bishops above Presbyters Besides the late generall approbation and submission to this Government of Bishops by the Clergy as well as the Laity of these Kindoms is a great confirmation of My Judgement and their inconstancy is a great prejudice against their novelty I cannot in charity so far doubt of their learning or integrity as if they understood not what heretofore they did or that they did confirme contrary to their consciences So that their
facility and levity is never to be excused who before ever the point of Church-government had any free and impartiall debate contrary to their former Oathes and practice against their obedience to the Laws in force and against My consent have not only quite cryed down the government by Bishops but have approved and incouraged the violent and most illegall stripping all the Bishops and many other Church-men of all their due Authority and Revenues even to the selling away utter alienation of those church-lands from any Ecclesiastical uses So great a power hath the stream of times the prevalency of parties over some mens judgements of whose so sudden and so total change little reason can be given besides the Scots Army comming into England But the folly of these men will at last punish it self and the Desertors of Episcopacy will appear the greatest enemies to betrayers of their own interest for Presbytery is never so considerable or effectuall as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers will find as great a difference in point of thriving between the favour of the People of Princes as Plants do betweene being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberal dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clergy-men wil soon let them see what a poor carcasse they are when parted from the influence of that Head to whose Supremacy they have been sworn A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firm to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without passion might easily reform whatever the rust of times or indulgence of laws or corruption of manners have brought upon it It being a grosse vulgar errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which seditious popular principle and practise all wise men abhor For those secular additaments ornaments of Authority civill Honor Estate which My Predecessors Christian Princes in al countries have annexed to Bishops Church-men I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety who are fit to be in any degree of Church-Government also enablements to works of Charity and Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peaceable times is hardly payed to any Governours by the measure of their vertues so much as by that of their Estates Poverty and meannesse exposing them and their Authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners which persecuting times much restrained I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those incouragements and best able to use them if at any time my judgement of men failed My good intention made My errour veniall And some Bishops I am sure I had whose learning gravity and piety no men of any worth or forehead can deny But of all men I would have Church-men especially the Governours to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect which besides an innate principle of vitious opposition which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restrain them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian party which makes all Ministers equall and the Independent inferiority which sets their Pastors below the People This for My judgment touching Episcopacy wherein God knows I do not gratifie any design or passion with the least perverting of truth And now I appeal to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their KING and Soveraign as some men have endeavoured to do against al these grounds of My Judgment to consent to their weake and divided noveltis The greatest Pretender of them desires not more then I do That the Church should be governed as Christ hath appointed in true Reason and in Scripture of which I could never see any probable shew for any other wayes who either content themselves with the examples of some Churches in their infancy solitude when one Presbyter might serve one Congregation in a City or Country or else they deny these most evident Truths That the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as wel as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches wel-being when multiplyed sociated must also necesarily descend from the Apostles to others after the example of that power and superiority they had above others which could not end with their persons since the use and ends of such Government still continue It is most sure that the purest Primitive and best Churches flourished under Episcopacy may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyall passions had not so blown up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or primitive Patterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeal for Bishops Lands Houses Revenues hath set them on work to eat up Episcopacy which however other men esteeme to Me is no lesse sin then Sacriledge or a robbery of God the giver of all we have of that portion which devout minds have thankfuly given again to him in giving it to his Church and Prophets through whose hands he graciously accepts even a cup of cold water as a libation offered to him Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My judgment I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfulnes of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumniate I could soon with Judgement break that Oath which erroneously was taken by Me. But being daily by the best disquisition of truth more confirmd in the reason Religion of that to which I am Sworn how can any man that wisheth not My damnation perswade Me at once to so notorious and combined sins of Sacriledg and Perjury besides the many personall Injustices I must doe to many worthy men who are as legally invested in the ir Estates as any who seek to deprive thē and they have by no Law been convicted of those Crimes which might forfeit their estates livelyhoods I have oft wondred how men pretending to tendernes of Conscience and Reformation can at once tell Me that My Coronation Oath binds Me to consent to whatsoever they shall propound to me which they urge with such violence though contrary to all that Rationall and Religious freedom which every man ought to preserve and of which they seem so tender of their own Votes yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispense with and roundly break that part of My Oath which binds me agreeable to the best light of Reason and Religion I have to maintain the Government and legall Rights of the Church 'T is strange My Oath should be valid in that part which both My self and
all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against the very natural and essentiall liberty of our souls yet it should be invalid and to be broken in another clause wherein I think my self justly obliged both to God Man Yet upon this Rack chiefly have I been held so long by some mens ambitious covetousnesse and Sacrilegious Cruelty torturing with Me both Church and State in Civill dissentions till I shall be forced to consent and declare that I doe approve what God knowes I utterly dislike and in My Soul abhorre as many wayes highly against Reason Justice and Religion and whereto If I should shamefully and dishonourably give My consent yet should I not by so doing satisfie the divided Interests and Opinions of those Parties which contend with each other as well as both against Me and Episcopacy Nor can My late condesending to the Scots in point of Church-government be rightly objected against Me as an inducement for Me to consent to the like in My other Kingdoms For it should be considered that Episcopacy was not so rooted and setled there as 't is here nor I in that respect so strictly bound to continue it in that Kingdom as in this for what I think in My judgement best I may not think so absolutly necessary for all places and at all times If any shall impute My yeelding to them as My failing and sin I can easily acknowledge it but that is no argument to do so again or much worse I being now more convinced in that point nor indeed hath My yeelding to them bin so happy and successefull as to incourage Me to grant the like to others Did I see any thing more of Christ as to Meeknesse Justice Order Charity and Loyalty in those that pretend to other modes of Government I might suspect My judgement to be biased or fore-stalled with some prejudice wontednes of opinion but I have hitherto so much cause to suspect the contrary in the manners of many of those men that I cannot from them gain the least reputation for their new wayes of Government Nor can I find that in any Reformed Churches whose paterns are so cryed up and obtruded upon the Churches under My Dominion that either Learning or Religion works of Piety or Charity have so flourished beyond what they have done in My Kingdomes by Gods blessing which might make me beleive either Presbytery or Independency have a more benigne influence upon the Church and mens hearts and lives than Episcopacy in its right constitution The abuses of which deserve to be extirpated as much as the use retained for I think it far better to hold to primitive uniform Antiquity than to comply with divided novelty A right Episcopacy would at once satisfie all just desires and interests of good Bishops humble Presbyters and sober people so as Church affairs should be managed neither with tyranny purity nor popularity neither Bishops ejected nor Presbiters despised nor People oppressed And in this integrity both of My judgment Conscience I hope God will preserve Me. For Thou O Lord knowest My uprightnesse and tendernesse as thou hast set me to be a Defender of the Faith and a Protector of thy Church so susser me not by any violence to be overborn against My Conscience Arise O Lord maintaine thine own Cause let not thy Church be deformed as to that Government which derived from thy Apostles hath been retained in purest and primitive times till thâ— Revenues of the Church became the obiect of secular envy which seeks to rob it of all the incouragements of Learning and Religion Make me as the good Samaritan compassionate and helpfull to thy afflicted Church which some men have wounded and robbed others passe by without regard either to pitty or relieve As my power is from thee so give me grace to use it for thee And though I am not suffered to be Master of my other Rights as a KING yet preserve me in that liberty of Reason love of Religion and thy Churches welfare which are fixed in my Censcience as a Christian Preserve from sacrilegious invasions those temporall blessings which thy providence hath bestowed on thy Church for thy glory Forgive their sinnes and errours who have deserved thy iust permission thus to let in the wilde Boar and subtill Foxes to wast and deforme thy Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted and the dew of Heaven so long watred to a happy and flourishing estate O let me not bear the infamous brand to all Posterity of being the the first Christian KING in this Kingdom who should consent to the oppressions of thy Church and the fathers of it whose errours I would rather with Constantine cover with silence and reform with meeknesse than expose their persons and sacred functions to vulgar contempt Thou O Lord seest how much I have suffered with and for thy Church make no long tarrying O my God to deliver hoth me and it from unreasonable men whose counsels have brought forth and continue such violent confusions by a precipitant destroying the ancient boundaries of thy Churches peace thereby letting in all manner of errours schismes and disorders O thou God of order and of truth in thy good time abate the malice aswage the rage and confound all the mischievous devices of thine mine and thy Churches enemies That I and all that love thy Church may sing praises to thee and ever magnifie thy salvation even before the sons of men 18 Vpon Vxbridge-treaty and other Offers made by the King I Look upon the way of Treaties as a retiring from fighting like Beasts to arguing like Men whose strength should be more in their understandings than in their limbs And though I could seldome get opportunities to Treat yet I never wanted either desire or disposition to it having greater confidence of My Reason than My Sword I was so wholly resolved to yeeld to the first that I thought neither My selfe nor others should need to use the second if once we rightly understood each other Nor did I ever think it a diminution of Me to prevent them with Expresses of My desires and even importunities to Treat It being an office not onely of humanity rather to use Reason than Force but also of Christianity to seek peace and ensue it As I was very unwillingly compelled to defend My self with Arms so I very willingly embraced any thing tending to peace The events of all War by the sword being very dubious and of a Civill VVarre uncomfortable the end had hardly recompencing late repairing the mischief of the means Nor did any successe I had ever enhance with Me the price of Peace as earnestly desired by Me as any man though I was like to pay dearer for it then any man All that I sought to reserve was Mine Honour and My Conscience the one I could not part with as a KING the other as a Christian The Treaty at Uxbridge gave the fairest hopes of an hapdy
all meet in our hearts and so dispose us to an happy conclusion of these Civill Warres that I may know better to obey God and governe my People and they may learn better to obey both God and me Nor do I desire any man should be further subject to me then all of us may be subject to God O my God make me content to be overcome when thou wilt have it so Teach me the noblest victory over my self and my Enemies by patience which was Christs conquest and may well become a Christian King Between both thy hands the right somtimes supporting and the left afflicting fashion us to that frame of piety thou likest best Forgive the pride that attends our prosperous and the repinings which follow our disasterous events when going forth in our own strength thoâ— withdrawest thine and goest not forth with our Armies Be thou all when we are somthing and when we are nothing that thou mayst have the glory when we are in a victorious or inglorious condition Thou O Lord knowest how hard it is for me 〈◊〉 suffer so much evill from my Subjects to whom I intend nothing but good and I cannot but suffer in those evills which they compell me to inflict upon them punishing my self in their punishments Since therefore both in conquering and being conquered I am still a Sufferer I beseech thee to give me a double portion of thy Spirit and that measure of grace which only can be sufficient for me As I am most afflicted so make me most reformed that I may be not onely happy to see an end of these civill distractions but a chief Instrument to restore and establish a firm and blessed Peace to my Kingdoms Stir up in all Parties pious ambitions to overcome each other with reason moderation and such self deniall as becomes those who consider that our mutuall divisions are our common distractions and the union of all is every good mans chiefest interest If O Lord as for the sins of our peace thou hast brought upon us the miseries of warre so for the sins of war thou shouldst see fit still to deny us the blessing of peace and so to keep us in a circulation of miseries yet give me thy Servant and all loyall though afflicted Subjects to enjoy that peace which the world can neither give to us nor take from us Impute not to me the blood of my Subjects which with infinite unwillingnesse and grief hath been shed by me in my just and necessary defence but wash me with that precious blood which hath been shed for me by my great Peace-maker Iesus Christ who will I trust redeem me shortly out of all my troubles For I know the triumphing of the Wicked is but short and the joy of Hypocrites is but for â— moment 20. Vpon the Reformations of the Times NO Glory is more to be envied than that of due Reforming either Church or State when deformities are such that the perturbation and novelty are not like to exceed the benefit of Reforming Although God should not honour me so far as to make me an Instrument of so good a work yet I should be glad to see it done As I was well pleased with this Parliaments first intentions to reforme what the iudulgence of Times and corruption of manners might have depraved so I am sorry to see after the freedome of Parliament was by factious Tumults oppressed how little regard was had to the good Lawes established and the Religion setled which ought to be the first rule and standard of reforming with how much partiality and popular compliance the passions and opinions of men have been gratified to the detriment of the publique and the infinite scandall of the Reformed Religion What dissolutions of all Order and Government in the Church what novelties oâ— Schismes and corrupt opinions what undecencies and confusions in sacred administrations what sacrilegious invasions upon the Rights and Revenues of the Church what contempt and oppressions of the Clergie what injurious diminutions and persecutings of me have followed as showres do warme gleames the talk of Reformation all sober men are Witnesses and with my selfe sad Spectators hitherto The great miscarriage I think is that popular clamours and fury have been allowed the reputation of Zeal and the publique sense so that the study to please some Parties hath indeed injured all Freedome moderation and impartiality are sure the best tempers of reforming Councells and endeavours what is acted by Factions cannot but offend more than it pleaseth I have offered to put all differences in Church affaires and Religion to the free consultation of a Synod or Convocation rightly chosen the results of whose Counsells as they would have included the Votes of all so it 's like they would have given most satisfaction to all The Assembly of Divines whom the two Houses have applied in an unwonted way to advise of Church Affaires I dislike not further then that they are not legally convened and chosen nor Act in the name of all the Clergy of England nor with freedome and impartiality can doe any thing being limited and confined if not over-â—wed to do and declare what they do For I cannot think so many men cryed up for learning and piety who formerly allowed the Liturgy and Government of the Church of England as to the maine would have so suddenly agreed quite to abolish both of them the last of which they knew to be of Apostolicall institution at least as of Primitive and Universall practice if they had been left to the liberty of their own suffrages and if the influence of contrary Factions had not by secret incroachments of hopes and feares prevailed upon them to comply with so great and dangerous Innovations in the Church without any regard to their own former judgement and practice or to the common interest and honour of all the Clergy and in them of Order Learning and Religion against examples of all Ancient Churches the Lawes in force and my consent which is never to be gained against so pregnant light as in that point shines on my understanding For I conceive that where the Scripture is not so clear and punctuall in precepts there the constant and Universall practice of the Church in things not contrary to Reason Faith good Manners or any positive Command is the best Rule that Christians can follow I was willing to grant or restore to Presbytery what with reason or discretion it can pretend to in a conjuncture with Episcopacy but for that wholly to invade the Power and by the Sword to arrogate and quite abrogate the Authority of that Ancient Order I think neither just as to Episcopacy nor safe for Presbytery nor yet any way convenient for this Church or State A due reformation had easily followed moderate Counsells and such I believe as would have given more content even to the most of those Divines who have been led on with much Gravity and Formality to carry on other mens
or mine with theirs either in Prayer or other holy duties as is meet and most comfortable whose golden Rule and bond of Perfection consists in that of mutuall Love and Charity Some remedies are worse then the disease and some Comforters more miserable then misery it selfe when like Jobs friends they seek not to fortifie ones mind with patience but perswade a man by betraying his own Innocency to despair of Gods mercy and by justifying their injuries to strengthen the hands and harden the hearts of insolent Enemies I am so much a friend to all Church-men that have any thing in them beseeming that sacred Function that I have hazarded My owne Interests chiefly upon Conscience and Constancy to maintaine their Rights whom the more I looked upon as Orphans and under the sacrilegious eyes of many cruell and rapacious Reformers so I thought it my duty the more to appeare as a Father and a Patron for them and the Church Although I am very unhandsomly requited by some of them who may live to repent no lesse for my sufferings than their owne ungratefull errours and that injurious contempt and meannesse which they have brought upon their Calling and Persons I pity all of them I despise none onely I thought I might have leave to make choice of some for my speciall Attendants who were best approved in my judgement and most sutable to my affection For I held it better to seem undevout and to heare no mens prayers than to be forced or seem to comply with those Petitions to which the heart cannot consent nor the tongue say Amen without contradicting a mans own understanding or belying his own soule In Devotions I love neither profane boldnesse nor pious non-sense but such an humble and judicious gravity as shewes the Speaker to be at once considerate of Gods Majesty the Churches honour and his owne Vilenesse both knowing what things God allows him to ask and in what manner it becomes a Sinner to supplicate the divine Mercy for himself and others I am equally scandalized with all prayers that sound either imperiously or rudely and passionately as either wanting humility to God or charity to men or respect to the duty I confesse I am better pleased as with studied and premeditated Sermons so with such publique Formes of Prayers as are fitted to the Churches and every Christians daily and common necessities because I am by them better assured what I may joyne my heart unto than I can be of any mans extemporary sufficiency which as I doe not wholly exclude from publique occasions so I allow its just liberty and use in private and devout retirements where neither the solemnity of the duty nor the modest regard to others doe require so great exactnesse as to the outward manner of performance Though the light of understanding and the fervency of affection I hold the maine and most necessary requisites both in constant and occasionall solitary and sociall Devotions So that I must needs seem to all equall minds with as much Reason to prefer the service of my own Chaplains before that of their Ministers as I do the Liturgy before their Directory In the one I have been alwaies educated and exercised In the other I am not yet Catechized nor acquainted And if I were yet should I not by that as by any certaine rule and Canon of devotion be able to follow or find out the indirect extravagances of most of those men who highly cry up that as a piece of rare composure and use which is already as much despised and disused by many of them as the Common-Prayer sometimes was by those men a great part of whose piety hung upon that popular pin of railing against and contemning the Government and Liturgy of this Church But I had rather be condemned to the woe of Vae soli than to that of Vae vobis Hypocritis by seeming to pray what I do not approve It may be I am esteemed by my Denyers sufficient of My self to discharge My duty to God as a Priest though not to Men as a Prince Indeed I think both Offices Regall and Sacerdotall might will become the same Person as anciently they were under one name and the united rights of primogeniture Nor could I follow better presidents if I were able than those â—wo eminent Kings David and Solomon not more famous for their Scepters and Crownes than one was for devout Psalmes and Prayers the other for his divine Parables and Preaching whence one merited and assumed the name of a Prophet the other of a Preacher Titles indeed of greater Honour where rightly placed than any of those the Roman Emperours affected from the Nations they subdued it being infinitely more glorious to convert Souls to Gods Church by the Word than to conquer men to a subjection by the Sword Yet since the order of Gods wisdome providence hath for the most part alwayes distinguished the gifts and offices of Kings of Priests of Princes and Preachers both in the Jewish Christian Churches I am sorry to find My self reduced to the necessity of being both or enjoying neither For such as seek to deprive Me of Kingly power and Soveraignty would no lesse enforce Me â—o live many Months without all Prayers Sacraments and Sermons unlesse I become My owne Chaplain As I owe the Clergy the protection of a Christian KING so I desire to enjoy from them the benefit of their gifts and prayers which I looke upon as more prevalent than My own or other mens by how much they flow from minds more enlightned affections lesse distracted than those which are uncombred with secular affairs besides I think a greater blessing and acceptablenesse attends those duties which are rightly performed as proper to within the limits of that calling to which God and the Church have specially designed and consecrated some men and however as to that Spirituall Government by which the devout Sonl is â—ubject to Christ and through his merits daily offers it self and its services to God every private believer is a King Preist invested with tbe honour of a Royall Priesthood yet as to Ecclesiasticall order and the outward polity of the Church I think confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every mans turning Priest or Preacher as it will in the State where every one affects to rule as King I was always bred to more modest and I think more pious principles the consciousnesse to My Spirituall defects makes me more prize desire those pious assistances which holy and good Ministers either Bishops or Presbyters may afford Me especially in these extremities to which God hath bin pleased to suffer some of my Subjects to reduce me so as to leave them nothing more but My life to take from me and to leave me nothing to desire which I thought might lesse provoke their jealousie and offence to deny Me than this of having some means afforded Me for My Soules comfort and support To which end I
come far short of Davids piety yet since I may equall Davids afflictions give Me also the comforts and the sure mercies of David Let the penitent sense I have of my sins be an evidence to me that thou hast pardoned them Let not the Evils which I and my Kingdomes have suffered seem little unto thee though thou hast noâ— punished us according to our sins Turn thee O Lord unto Me have mercy upon Me for I am desolate and afflicted The sorrows of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles Hast thou forgotten to be gracious and shut up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure O Remember thy compassions of old and thy loviâ—g kindnesse which have been for many Generations I had utterly fainted if I had not believed to see thy goodnes in the land of the living Let not the sins of our prosperity deprive us of the benefit of thy afflictions Let this fiery tryall consume the dross which in long peace and plenty we had contracted Though thou continuest miseryes yet withdraw not thy grace what is wanting of prosperity make up â—n patience and repentance And if thy anger be not to be yet turned away but thy â—and of iustice most be stretched out still Let it I beseech thee be against me and my Fathers house as for these sheep what have they done Let my sufferings satiate the malice of Mine and thy Churches Enemies But let their cruelty never exceed the measure of my charity Banish from me all thoughts of Revenge that I may not lose the reward nor thou the glory of my patience As thou givest me a heart to forgive them so I beseech thee doe thou fergive what they have done against thee and me And now O Lord as thou hast given me an heart to pray unto thee so hear and accept this Vow which I make before thee If thou wilt in mercy remember me and My Kingdoms In continuing the light of thy Gospell and setling thy true Religion among us In restoring to us the benefit of the Laws and the due execution of â—â—â—tice In suppressing the many Schisms in Church and Factions in State If thou wilt restore me and mine to the anciâ—nt Rights and glory of my Predecessours If thou wilt turne the hearts of My people to thy self in Piety to me in Loyalty and to one another in Charity If thou wilt quench the flames and withdraw the fewell of these Civill Wars If thou wilt bless us with the freedom of publique Counsels and deliver the Honour of Parliaments from the insolency of the Vulgar If thou wilt keep me from the great offence of enacting any thing against my Conscience and especially from consenting to sacrilegious rapines spoilings of thy Church If Thou wilt restore Me to a capacity to glorefâ—e Thee in doing good both to the Church and State Then shall my soule praise thee and magnifie thy name before my People Then shall thy glory be dearer to me then my Crownes and the advancement of true Religion both in purity and power be My chiefest care Then will I rule my People with iustice and my Kingdomes with equity To thy more immediate hand shall I ever owne as the rightfull succession so the mercifull restauration of My Kingdomes and the glory of them If thou wilt bring Me again with peace safety honour to my chiefest City and my Parliament If thou wilt againe put the Sword of Iustice into my hands to punish and protect Then will I make all the world to see and my very Enemics to enioy the benefit of this Vow and resolution of Christian Charity which I now make unto thee O Lord. As I do freely pardon for Christ's sake those that have offended me in any kind so my hand shall never be against any man to revenge what is past in regard of any particular iniury done to me We have been mutually pnnished in our unnaturall divisions for thy sake O Lord for the love of my Redeemer have I purposed this in my heart That I will use all means in tbe wayes of amneâ—ly and indempnity which may most fully remove all fears and bury all iealousies in forgetfulnesse Let thy mercies be toward me and mine as my resolutions of Truth and Peace are toward my People Hear my prayer O Lord which goeth not out of fayned lips Blessed be God who hath not turned away my prayer nor taken his mercy from Me. O my soule commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to passe But if thou wilt not restore me and mine what am I that I should charge thee foolishly Thou O Lord hast given and thou hast taken Blessed be thy name May my people and thy Church be happy if not by me yet without me 26 Vpon the Armies Surprisall of of the King at Holmeby and the ensuing destractions in the two Houses the Army and the City VVHat part God will have Me now to act or suffer in this new and strange scene of affaires I am not much solicitous since little practise will serve that man who onely seeks to represent a part of honesty and honour This surprize of Me tells the world that a KING cannot be so low but He is considerable adding weight to that Party where he appeares This motion like others of the Times seemes excentrique and irregular yet not well to be resisted or quieted Better swim down such a stream than in vaine to strive against it These are but the struglings of those twins which lately one womb enclosed the younger striving to prevaile against the elder what the Presbyterians have hunted after the Independents now seek to catch for themselves So impossible is it for lines to be drawn from the center and not to divide from each other so much the wider by how much they go farther from the point of union That the Builders of Babell should from division fall to confusion is no wonder but for those that pretend to build Ierusalem to divide their Tongues and hands is but an ill omen and sounds too like the fury of those Zealots whose intestine bitternesse and divisions were the greatest occasion of the last fatall destruction of that City Well may I change my Keepers and Prison but not my captive condition onely with this hope of bettering that those who are so much professed Patrons for the Peoples Liberties cannot be utterly against the Liberty of their King what they demand for their own Consciences they cannot in Reason deny to Mine In this they seem more ingenuous than the Presbyterian rigour who sometimes complaining of exacting their conformity to laws are become the greatest Exactors of other mens submission to their novell injunctions before they are stamped with the Authotity of Lawes which they cannot well have without my consent 'T is a great argument that the Independents think themselves manumitted from their Rivals service in that they carry on a businesse of such consequence as the
than from those who engage into religious Rebellion Their interest is alwaies made Gods under the colours of Piety ambitious policies march not only with greatest security but applause as to the populacy you may heare from them Iacob's voyce but you shall feel they have Esau's hands Nothing seemed lesse considerable then the Presbyterian Faction in England for many yeeres so compliant they were to publique order nor indeed was their party great either in Church or State as to mens judgments But as soon as discontents drave men into Sidings as ill humors fall to the dissaffected part which causes inflamations so did all at first who affected any novelties adhere to that Side as the the most remarkable and specious note of difference then in point of Religion All the lesser Factions at first were officious Servants to Presbytery their great Masters till time and military successe discovering to each their peculiar advantages invited them to part stakes and leaving the joynt stock of uniform Religion pretended each to drive for their Party the trade of profits preferments to the breaking and undoing not only of the Church and State but even of Presbytery it Selfe which seemed and hoped at first to have ingrosed all Let nothing seem little or despicable to you in matters which concern Religion the churches peace so as to neglect a speedy reforming an effectuall suppressing Errours and Schisms which seem at first but as a hand bredth by seditious Spirits as by strong winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heaven VVhen you have done justice to God your owne soule and his Church in the profession and preservation both of truth and unity in Religion the next maine hinge on which your prosperity will depend and move is that of civil Justice wherein the setled Lawes of these Kingdomes to which you are rightly Heire are the most excellent rules you can governe by which by an admirable temperament give very much to Subjects industry liberty and happinesse and yet reserve enough to the Majesty and prerogative of any King who ownes his People as Subjects not as Slaves whose subjection as it preserves their property peace and safety so it will never diminish your rights nor their ingenuous Liberties which consists in the enjoyment of the fruits of their industry and the benefit of those Lawes to which themselves have consented Never charge your head with such a Crown as shall by its heavinesse oppresse the whole body the weaknesse of whose parts cannot returne any things of strength honour or safety to the head but a necessary debiliatation and ruine Your Prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting rather then exacting the rigor of the Lawes there being nothing worse than legall Tyranny In these two points the preservation of established Religion and Lawes I may without vanity turn the reproach of My sufferings as to the worlds censure into the honour of a kind of Martyrdome as to the testimony of my own Conscience The Troublers of My Kingdomes have nothing else to object against Me but this That I preferre Religion and Laws established before those alterations they propounded And so indeed I doe and ever shall till I am convinced by better Arguments then what hitherto hath been chiefly used towards Me Tumults Armies and Prisons I cannot yet learne that lesson nor I hope ever will you That it is safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the Laws in which is wrapt up the publick Interest and the good of the Community How God will deal with Me as to the removal of these pressures and indignities which his justice by the very unjust hands of some of My Subjects hath been pleased to lay upon Me I cannot tell nor am I much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men while I retaine in My foule what I beleive is right before God I have offered all for Reformation and Safety that in Reason Honour and Conscience I can reserving only what I cannot consent unto without an irreparable injury to My owne Soule the Church and My People and to You also as the next and undoubted Heire of My Kingdoms To which if the divine Providence to whom no difficulties are insuperable shall in his due time after My decease bring you as I hope he will My counsell and charge to You is That You seriously consider the former reall or objected miscarriages which might occasion My troubles that you may avoid them Never repose so much upon any mans single councell fidelity and discretion in managing affairs of the first magnitude that is matters of Religion and Justice as to create in Your selfe or others a diffidence of Your own judgement which is likely to be alwayes more constant and impartiall to the interests of your Crowne and Kingdom then any mans Next beware of exasperating any Factions by the crosnesse and asperity of some mens passions humours and private opinions imployed by You grounded onely upon the differences in lesser matters which are but the skirts subbâ—rbs of religion Wherein a charitable connivence and Christian toleration often dissipates their strength whoÌ„ rougher opposition fortifies and puts the despised and oppressed Party into such Combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their Persecutors who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration which attends al that are said to suffer under the notion of Religon Provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Laws and Government or Religion established as to the essentials of them such motions and minings are intollerable Alwaies keep up solid piety and those fundamentall Truths which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartiall favour and justice Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion devour not all or the best encouragements of learning industry and piety but with an equall eye and impartiall hand distribute favours and rewards to all men as you find them for their reall goodnesse both in abilities and fidelity worthy and capable of them This will be sure to gaine You the hearts of the best and the most too who though they be not good themselves yet are glad to see the severer wayes of virtue at any time sweetned by temporall rewards I have you see conflicted with different and opposite Factions for so I must needs call and count all those that Act not in any conformity to the Lawes established in Church and State no sooner have they by force subdued what they counted their Common Enemy that is all those that have adheered to the Lawes and to Mee and are secured from that fear but they are divided to so high a rivarly as sets them more at defiance against each other than against their first Antagonists Time will dissipate all factions when once the rough horns of private mens covetous and ambitious designes shall discover themselves which were at first wrapt up and hidden under the soft and
consent without tyranny or Tumults We must not starve our selves because some men have surfeited of wholsome food And if neither I nor You be ever restored to Our Rights but God in his severest justice will punish My Subjects with continuance in their sinne and suffer them to be deluded with the prosperity of their wickednesse I hope God will give Me and You that grace which will teach and enable Vs to want as well as to weare a Crowne which is not worth taking up or enjoying upon sordid dishonourable and irreligious terms Keep you to true principles of piety virtue and honour you shall never want a Kingdom A principall point of your honour will consist in your deferring all respect love and protection to your Mother My Wife who hath many waies deserved well of Me and chiefly in this that having beene a meanes to blesse Me with so many hopefull Children all which with their Mother I recommend to your love and care She hath been content with incomparable magnanimity and patience to suffer both for and with Me and you My prayer to God Almighty is what ever becomes of Me who am I thank God wrapt up and fortified in My owne Innocency and his grace that he would be pleased to make you an Anchor or Harbour rather to these tossed and weather-beaten Kingdomes a Repairer by your wisdome Iustice piety and valour of what the folly and wickednesse of some mâ—n have so farre ruined as to leave nothing entire in Church or State to the Crowne the Nobility the Clergy or the Commons either as to Lawes Liberties Estates Order Honour Conscience or Lives When they have destroyed Me for I know not how farre God may permit the malice and cruelty of My Enemies to proceed and such apprehensions some mens words and actions have already given Me as I doubt not but My bloud will crie aloud for vengeance to heaven so I beseech God not to poure out his wrath upon the generality of the people who have either deserted Me or engaged against Me through the artifice and hypocrisie of their Leaders whose inward horrour will be their first Tormenter nor will they escape exemplary judgements For those that loved Me I pray God they may have no misse of Me when I am gone so much I wish and hope that all good Subjects may be satisfyed with the blessings of Your presence virtues For those that repent of any defects in their duty toward Me as I freely forgive them in the word of a Christian King so I beleive You will find them truly zealous to repay with interest that Loyalty and love to you which was due to Me. In summe what good I intended do you performe when God shall give You power much good I have offered more I purposed to church and State if times had been capable of it The deception will soon vanish and the Vizards will fall off apace This maske of Religion on the face of Rebellion for so it now plainly appears since My restraint and cruell usage that they fought not for Me as was pretended will not long serve to hide some mens deformities Happy times I hope attend you wherein Your Subjects by their miseries will have learned That Religion to their God and Loyalty to their King cannot be parted without both their sin their infelicity And if God blesse You and establish your Kingdomes in righteousnesse your Soule in true Religion and your honour in the love of God and your People And if God will have disloyalty perfected by My destruction let My memory ever with My name live in You as of your Father that loves you and once a KING of three flourishing Kingdomes whom God thought fit to honour not only with the Scepter and government of them but also with the suffering many indignities and an untimely death for them while I studied to preserve the rights of the Church the power of the Lawes the honour of My Crown the priviledge of Parliaments the liberties of My People and My owne Conscience which I thank God is dearer to Me than a thousand Kingdomes I know God can I hope he yet will restore Me to My Rights I cannot despaire either of his mercy or of My Peoples love and pity At worst I trust I shall but go before you to a better Kingdome which God hath prepared for Me and Me for it through My Saviour Jesus Christ to whose mercies I commend you and all mine Farewell till we meet if not on Earth yet in Heaven Meditations upon Death after the Votes of Non-Addresses and His Maiesties Closer Jmprisonment in Carisbrooke-Castle AS I have leisure enough so I have cause more than enough to meditate upon prepare for My Death for I know there are but few steps between the Prisons and grave of Princes It is Gods indulgence which gives Me the space but Mans cruelty that gives Me the sad occasions for these thoughts For besides the common burden of mortality which lies upon Me as a Man I now bear the heavy load of other mens ambitions fears jealousies and cruell passions whose envy or enmity against Me makes their owne lives seem deadly to them while I enjoy any part of Mine I thank God My prosperity made Me not wholly a Stranger to the contemplations of mortality Those are never unseasonable since this is alwayes uncertain Death being an eclipse which oft happineth as well in clear as cloudy dayes But My now long and sharp adversity hath so reconciled in Me those naturall Antipathies between Life and Death which are in all men that I thank God the common terrours of it are dispelled and the speciall horour of it as to My particular much allayed for although my death at present may justly be represented to Me with all those terrible aggravations which the policy of cruel and implacable enemies can put upon it affaires being drawne to the very dregs of malice yet I blesse God I can look upon all those stings as unpoysonous though sharp since My Redeemer hath eith er pulled them out or given Me the Antidote of his death against them which as to the immaturity unjustice shame scorn and cruelty of it exceeded what ever I can fear Indeed I never did find so much the life of Religion the feast of a good Conscience and the brazen wall of a judicious integrity and constancy as since I came to these closer conflicts with the thoughts of Death I am not so old as to be weary of life nor I hope so bad as to be either afraid to dye or ashamed to live true I am so afflicted as might make Me sometime even desire to die if I did not consider that it is the greatest glory of christians life to dye daily in conquering by a lively faith and patient hopes of a better life those partiall and quotidian deaths which kills us as it were by peicemeales and make us over-live our own FATES while we are deprived of health
to in their opinion as too great a fixednes in that Religion whose judicious solid grounds both from Scripture and Antiquity wil not give My Conscience leave to approve or consent to those many dangerous and divided Innovations which the bold Ignorance of some men would needs obtrud upon me my people Contrary to those well tried foundations both of Truth and Order which men of far greater Learning and clearer Zeal have setled in the Confession and Constitution of this Church in England which many former Parliaments in the most calme and unpassionate times have oft confirmed In which I shall ever by Gods help persevere as believing it hath most of Primitive Truth and Order Nor did My using the assistance of some Papists which were my Subjects any way fight against My Religion as some men would needs interpret it especially those who least of all men cared whom they imployed or what they said or did so they might prevaile 'T is strange that so wise men as they would be esteemed should not conceive That differences of perswasion in matters of Religion may easily fall out where there is the fameness of duty Allegiance and subjection The first they owe as men and Christians to God the second they owe to Me in Common as their King different professions in point of Religion cannot any more than in Civill Trades take away the community of relations either to Parents or to Princes And where is there such an Oglio or medley of various Religions in the world again as those men entertaine in their service who find most fault with me without any scruple as to the diversity of their Sects and Opinions It was indeed a foule and indelible shame for such as would be counted Protestants to enforce Me a declared Protestant their Lord King to a necessary use of Papists or any other who did but their duty to help Me to defend My selfe Nor did I more than is lawfull for any King in such exigents to use the aid of any his Subjects I am sorry the Papists should have a greater sense of their Allegiance than many Protestant professors who seem to have learned to practise the worst principles of the worst Papists Indeed it had bin a very impertinent and unseasonable scruple in Me and very pleasing no doubt to My enemies to have been then disputing the points of different beliefs in My Subjects when I was disputed with by swords points and when I needed the help of My Subjects as men no lesse then their prayers as Christians The noise of My Evill Councellours was another usefull device for those who were impatient any mens counsels but their owne should be followed in Church or State who were so eager in giving Me better counsel that they would not give Me leave to take it with freedome as a Man or honour as a King making their counsels more like a drench that must be powred down then a draught which might be fairly and leisurely drank if I liked it I will not justifie beyond humane errours and frailties My selfe or My Counsellours They might be subject to some miscariages yet such as were far more reparable by second and better thoughts than those enormous extravagances where with some men have now even wil dred and almost quite lost both Church and State The event of things at last will make it evident to My Subjects that had I followed the worst Couucels that My worst Counsellours ever had the boldnesse to offer to Me or My self any inclination to use I could not so soon have brought both Church and State in three flourishing Kingdomes to such a Chaos of confusions and Hell of miseries as some have done out of which they cannot or will not in the midst of their many great advantages redeeme either Me or My Subjects No men were more willing to complaine than I was to redresse what I saw in Reason was either done or advised amisse and this I thonght I had done even beyond the expectation of moderate men who were sorry to see me prone even to injure My self out of a Zeal to releive my Subjects But other mens insatiable desire of revenge upon Me My Court and My Clergy hath wholly beguiled both Church and State of the benefit of all My either Retractations or Concessions withall hath deprived all those now so zealous Persecutors both of the comfort reward of their former pretended persecutions wherein they so much gloryed among the vulgar and which indeed a truly humble Christian will so highly prize as rather not be relieved then be revenged so as to be bereaved of that Crowne of christian Patience which attends humble injured sufferers Another artifice used to withdraw My Peoples affections from Me to their designes was The noise and ostentation of liberty which men are not more prone to desire then unapt to bear in the popular sense which is to do what every man likes best If the Divinest liberty be to will what men should to do what they so will according to Reason Lawes and Religion I envy not My subjects that Liberty which is all I desire to enjoy My self So far am I from the desire of oppressing theirs Nor were those Lords Gentlemen which assisted Me so prodigall of their liberties as with their Lives and Fortunes to help on the enslaving of themselves and their posterities As to Civill Immunities none but such as desire to drive on their Ambitious and Covetous designes over the ruines of Church and State Prince Peers and People wil never desire greater freedoms then the Laws alow whose bounds good men count their Ornament protection others their Menacles and Opression Nor is it just any man should expect the reward benefit of the Law who despiseth its rule and direction losing justly his safety while he seeks an unreasonable liberty Time will best inform my Subjects that those are the best preserver of their true liberties who allow themselves the least licentiousness against or beyond the Laws They will feele it at last to their cost that it is impossible those men should be really tender of their fellow-Subjects libertyes who have the hardinesse to use their King with so severe restraint against all Laws both Divine and Humane under which yet I wil rather perish then complain to those who want nothing to compleat their mirth and triumph but such musick In point of true consciencious tendernes attended with humility and meeknes not with proud arrogant activity which seeks to hatch every Egge of different opinion to a Faction or Schisme I have oft declared how little I desire My Laws and Scepter should intrench on Gods Soveraignty which is the only King of mens Consciences and yet he hath laid such restraints upon men as commands them to be subject for Conscience sake giving no men liberty to break the Law established further then with meeknes and patience they are content to suffer the penalties