Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	government_n	kingdom_n	3,695	5	5.8013	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91227	A new discovery of free-state tyranny: containing, four letters, together with a subsequent remonstrance of several grievances and demand of common right, by William Prynne Esquire; written and sent by him to Mr. John Bradshaw and his associates at White-Hall (stiling themselves, the Councel of State) after their two years and three months close imprisonment of him, under soldiers, in the remote castles of Dunster and Taunton (in Somersetshire) and Pendennis in Cornwall; before, yea without any legal accusation, examination, inditement, triall, conviction, or objection of any particular crime against him; or since declared to him; notwithstanding his many former and late demands made to them, to know his offence and accusers. Published by the author, for his own vindication; the peoples common liberty and information; and his imprisoners just conviction of their tyranny, cruelty, iniquity, towards him, under their misnamed free-state.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1655 (1655)	Wing P4016; Thomason E488_2; ESTC R203337	111,299	152

the purity of Gods publick Ordinances and sending of Letters when first approved by himself such a Ward and School boy is he yet to this very hour under your Free-State even after the Court of Wards quite voted down And whereas all Collonels and Gentlemen heretofore in actual Arms against the Parliament here or elsewhere secured in their proper Counties only not in foraign in the late times of danger were a full year since enlarged from their far more favourable restraints than his by your general Order and many Theeves Felons legally deserving death both pardoned and set free without any Petitions to you from them and not only diverse Popish Recusants in A●mes but some Popish Pr●ests and Jesuites imprisoned before your Government absolutely released under it yea exempted from the very Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance specially provided prescribed by the wisdom of many pious Parliaments for the detection and prevention of their manifold treasonable practices against our Realms Princes Parliaments Government Laws Liberties and Religion from some if not all old penal Laws formerly made and those 5 new excellent Bills and Oaths of Abjuration for their better speedier discovery a●d suppression so earnestly pressed by our late zealous Parliaments and consented too by the late King so much taxed by you for indulgence towards them in the last Treaty without scruple yet since quite buried with ●im in oblivion and some of them unwittingly as is conceived entertained as Troopers Souldiers in pay in your very Guards for want of such strict inquiries after them and such meanes to prevent their coming over and to detect them as formerly and not one of them for oug●t he can hear close imprisoned if imprisoned at all in remote Castles under such Guards Centinels Restraints as his forementioned though in near one hundred printed Declarations of Parliament remonstrated to the World to be the Original Contrivers the chief Incendiaries Fomentors Promoters of the first late Warres between Scotland and England and the late King and Parliament of purpose thereby to subvert the Protestant Religion both at home and ab●oad destroy that last and all future Parliaments our Lawes Liberties and former setled Government and introduce Popery Anarchy Slavery and Military Tyr●●y in their pl●c●s Whereupon they are grown so audacious as not only secretly to infuse their Jesuitical Tenents Pract●ces Poli●icks of most dangerous consequence expr●ssed in sundry former Acts of P●rliament purposely enacted to prevent them into the Souldiery a●d Pe●ple now much infected with them but likewise by their instruments to translate print and vend publiquely throughout the Nation without Inhibition or Punishment their Jesuitical Books even in folio professedly ass●rting both th● Popes Sup●emacy pra●ing to Saints and Angels Purgatory Masse Transubstantiation and all other points of grossest Popery for undoubted Truths necessary to Salvation and also positively maintaining our true Protestant Religion to be grosse Heresie and our late famous Queen Elizabeth with all true professors thereof to be damnable Hereticks Witnesse the Jesuite Edmond Causin his Holy Court printed in several folio Tomes in London it self translated into English by Papists Jesui●es and dedicated to the two greatest Female Papists Queen Mary and the Dutchesse of Buckingham sold publikely under your Noses and elsewhere with the very Jesuites badge S. I. S●cietatis Iesis in Capitals in the Title Page and this bold subscription Printed at London by William Bently Anno 1650. since his close imprisonment by you and are to be sold by Iohn Williams in Pauls Churchyard where all these Popish Tenents are largely maintained to the great Scandal and Offence of all true Protestants as you may read at leisure Tom. 1. p. 30 to 38 63 64 68 74 75 Tom. 2. p. 168. Tom. 3. p. 425 to 430. 461 462. Tom. 5. p. 173 174. 304 to 319 The Angel of Peace to all Christian Princes p. 10 11 and elsewhere to omit all other Iesui●ical Arminian Popish Erroneous Books against our Religion now publikely written printed vended by thousands under you with impunity though so lately charged pressed by the whole House of Commons against Canterbury as an Article of High Treason for which amongst others he lost his head by Iudgement of Parliament and your own concurrent Votes and Approbations Yet he who out of pure love zeal to his God true Religion Country Parliaments hath constantly stuck unto and written most of any man in times of greatest need and danger in defence of the just Power Rights Privileges of our true English Parliaments and Nation against all Opponents against all late introduced Arminian Popish Iesuitical Errours Doctrines Ceremonies Innovations Books and made the first the fullest discoveries of and Oppositions in print of any man with no little pains cost losse danger against their manifold dangerous Books Practices Plots Conspiracies to undermine our Religion Parliaments Laws Liberties Government and involve all Protestant Kingdoms States Churches in bloody intestine wars to their own mutual destruction but these Iesuites insultation exul●ation and that by approbation authority of Parliament and most of your applauses And hath particularly informed some of you by Letters since his restraints of admired indulgences towards Priests ●esuites of one particular noted Iesuite who for a fortnights space together disputed with a friend of his at St. Omers with 5 other Iesuites more about August 1649 since listed a Trooper in your Guards and of this late printed Iesuites folio Book without any reformation or suppression of either upon his complaints thereof during this their licentious Liberty and Freedom to their grand Rejoycing Advantage and the great Grief Offence of most really affected to our Religion or the publike weal without any cause hearing or release must be shut up and continued close Prisoner by you year after year and sent from one remote Castle to another remoter and worser than it and there kept under strictest Guards Centinels Restraints and most injurious Duresses as aforesaid without any hopes of release notwithstanding his manifold Letters and Addresses to you joyntly and severally in such a way as becomes him though not by unworthy complyances in submission to the self-created new Powers and Titles complaining of these fore-remonstrated Proceedings Searches Imprisonments Translations and Restraints in forraign Counties Castles under Souldiers without any precedent Indictment Tryal and Crime yet specified and undeniably manifesting them to you to be co●trary to all Laws of God Nature Nations the Common L●w and Great Charter of England and other forecited known Statute● Iudgement● Declarations Resolutions R●monstrances of all our late Parliaments the expresse Votes and Resolves of both Houses of Parliament in his own late particular case and others the indubitable Birthright Franchises of eve y English Freeman of very dangerous President Conseq●ence to Posterity and in sundry respects far more exorbitantly unrighteous than his former Grievances and Imprisonments under the worst of your discarded condemned decapitated

is your new Free-State Whitehall transcendent Iustice worthy to be registred for your Honour to all Posterity towards this Remonstrant instead of recompencing his former voted Dammages Losses Services for the publick to his extraordinary Prejudice and Oppression the exceeding grief of his kinred friends and most religious truly publique spirited men to the great rejoycing of his Iesuitical and Prelatical Malignant Enemies and no great honour to your Iustice or Government And that only as most conjecture in imitation of the Prelates heretofore of purpose to disable and ●inder him from writing or publishing any thing more in Defence or vindication of our endangered invaded Religion Government Laws Liberties Franchises Properties Freeholds Lives against the manifold new encrochments on them and subversions of them under pretext of their support or making any fr●sh discoveries of the Jesuites Papists and their confederates various plots and practises now very rife and visible to undermine them and engage our own and all other Protestant Kingdomes States Churches in destru ctiveunreconcilable Wars and differences agreeth either to their mutuall and the Protestants Religions ruine or to countermine these their designes as he hath done formerly to his power Or else as others conceive to force him by tedious uncomfortable imprisonments and extreame penury to turn a practicall Apostate and perjured abjurer of all his former Orthodox loyall Principles Writings Books Oaths Covenants Protestations concerning King Kingdome Lawes Liberties Properties Taxes Parliaments Government Lords hereditary just right to sit vote judge in our Parliaments as Peers and thereby to verifie all the Prelates malicious Aspersions upon all Puritans in generall and himself in particular in their two late Star-chamber Bils and Speeches there exhibited against him and render him really guilty of beheaded Canterburies Treasons in an higher degree then he after his injoyned printing and publication of his Charge Tryall and Condemnation for them by the Commons House speciall Order to his eternall infamy here and damnation hereafter neither of which through the assistance of heaven no Prisons Tortures Powers on earth shall ever compell or perswade him to do or in case of his resolved Non-compliance herein under seigned Machivilian pretexts of his wilfull obstinacy and contempt of your new-created authority whose legality it must be no lesse then High Treason for him to dispute in law or conscience being now as absolutely to be submitted to by all men as the Popes it self in Rome by an implicit faith and blinde obedience even to break his heart with grief if possible by depriving him of the comfort of his Friends Kindred Books Calling all free converse with men by Letters or conference all publick Trusts and private usefull imployments to passe away his solitary houres laying him quite aside like a broken uselesse vessell restraining him under strictest Gards as the most dangerous enemy instrument to his Countries weal after all his reall losses studies sufferings for its benefit whose truest welfare he hath ever cordially studied to his private prejudice whiles others under pretext thereof have wholly sought their own particular emoluments to its irreparable dammage if Vox Populi be truth and by such ingratefull usage ill requitals of all his former merits by his very late pretended friends to hasten his passage from these strong earthly purgatives to a better world Or else if this plot prevail not through Gods supporting power as hither it hath not to starve or kill him outright in forain incommodious prisons for want of legall matter or proof to take away his head after your Whitehall Predecessors double cropping off his ears as some of his friends conceive You having of late refused as he is informed to receive any more Petitions in his behalfe from his own Sister or any others or to release or remove him from his ill winter prison or to pay his publick debt allow him diet or do him any common right or justice which though due Ex officio mero from all Kings Powers Governments Magistrates whatsoever by the Lawes of God Nature Nations and Oaths to their meanest subjects and particularly by our own Kings Judges Justices and great Officers usuall Oathes the great Charters and other Statutes resolutions to every English freeman upon their respective demands of or motions for it yea upon bare information from others without any suit or motion by for or from the oppressed injured parties in such cases as his is without any formall Petition to them for it as the Formes of most legall Writs sued forth of course and most Plaints and Declarations manifest every reall demand of right by word or writing being in truth a reall Petition for it and every Petition of Right but a more bashfull demand thereof as all Dictionaries in the words Peto Petitio the usuall Law phrases Petere Debitum Petere Judicium c. the ordinary motions of the Councell or Parties in all our Courts of Justice for Law or Right without written or verball Petitions for them and the Scripture it self resolve yet such is your unparalleld injustice toward him that unlesse he will present a submissive Petition to you after the new mode wherewith he is unacquainted subscribed with his own hand you will neither release nor right him in any kind Which as it seems very strange unto him he desiring not meer grace or mercy from you but only common known right and Justice against undeniable oppressions by your selves and instruments so all his former Letters and his friends addresses to you being reall legall though not formall Petitions for right and justice yet denied him and formall Petitions even for right it self by the resolution of our Law-books the Records of our ancient Parliaments and late Petition of Right Petitions of this nature being originally due to our English Kings alone as their unseparable regall prerogative not to any Subjects whatsoever nor yet to the very House of Lords Commons or any other Courts of Justice Councell Judges Justices Great Officers or Grandees whatsoever being no King but Subjects which anciently were but the inferiour peoples hands or Masters of Requests to receive and present their formall Petitions to our Kings both in and out of Parliament and had no other Bils of Parliaments but meer Petitions of Right or Grace to the King whose Royall answer to them by way of concession made them Acts Lawes and his disassent meer Nullities as our old Parliament Records and the late Petition of Right 3. Caroli resolve Which transcendent Prerogative of our Kings alone by Law of meer Right incommunicable to any other Subjects he hopes you will not now arrogate to your selves by enforcing him through duresse to a formall submissive Petition to you as his Soveraignes before you will enlarge or do him common right or justice having both abolished and publickly engaged your selves and also others to your power against

Saints and Servants Rev. 2 16. And further assures us That Christ at the last Judgement will say to those who did but only not feed cloth and visit the least of his Saints when they were in Prison Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the ●evil and his Angels What an heavy Doom then will he passe against those who against all Rules of Law and Justice cast them into Prison and will there neither feed cloth nor visit but starv● their bodies and souls too as much as in them lyeth by depriving them of Gods Ordinances and all means of livelihood as you do me after all my former great losses and long-continued suffrings I cannot as yet be so uncharitable as to believe you design the ruine of my soul body and wasted Estate but if you de facto do it by this injurious restraint your sinne is as great as if you did design it If you think to justifie or excuse these Irregularities and unjust violent Proceedings against me by pretext of Necessity and publike Danger the only thing in Justification I yet hear alleged by your Instruments As this will be no Plea at all before Christs Tribunal in the great day of Judgment who prohibits all kind of violonce injustice oppression injury upon any Pretence what soever and will severely punish it their Damnation being most just who do evill upon this unrighteous ground that good may come of it So it will not hold water before mans Tribunal being resolved declared by the Judgement of both Houses and an Act of Parliament in cases of Shipmony Excise Loans to be no cause nor Justification of a Distresse much lesse of an Imprisonment And it being a Necessity and Danger of your own making not mine the Rule of Law is That noman shall take advantage of his own wrong to the prejudice of another The late Beheaded King in his Answer to the Petition of both Houses 26 Martii 1 642. is so ingenious as to confesse That the violating of Laws by his Ministers and the mischief that then grew by Arbitrary Power was made plausible to Us by the suggestion of Necessity and Imminent danger and thereupon he gave both Houses this caution And take you heed you fall not into the same Error upon the same suggestions which in his Answer to the Remonstrance of the Lords and Commons of the 9th of May 1642. he thus seconds And therefore we had good cause to bestow that Admonition for we assure you it was an Admonition of our own upon both Houses of Parliament to take heed of inclining under the specious shews of Necessity and Danger to the exercise of such an arbitrary Power they before complained of The Admonition will do no harm and we shall be glad to see it followed And therefore for you or those now acting after these two serious Admonitions to pretend Necessity and Imminent Danger for these with other Arbitrary courses Proceedings condemned in and by the King himself and the whole Parliament must be the hight of Oppression Injustice and will render you more detestable to the Nation and World than ever they did the King or his Evil Counsellors To trouble you no further at present I shall only inform you That the Commons in their Remenstrance of the State of the Kingdom Decemb. 15. 1641. Yea both Lords and Common● in their Declaration of 4 August 1642. among other Designs Practices of the Malignant Party and Counsellors about the King complained of this as one of the most dangerous That they endeavoured to make those odious under the name of Puritans who sought to maintain the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and such men were sure to be weeded out of the Commission of the Peace and out of all other imployments of Power and Authority in the Government of the Country Many Noble Personages were Counsellors in name but the Power and Authority remained in a ●ew of such as were most addicted to this P●rty whose Resolutions and Determination● were brought to the Table for countenance and execution and not for Debate and Deliberation and no man could offer to oppose them without disgrace and hazard to himself Nay those that did not wholly concurr and actually contribute to the furtherance of their Designs though otherwise Persons of never so great honour and abilities were so far from being imployed in any Place of Trust and Power that they were neglected discountenanced and upon all occasions injured and oppressed The Laws were no Defence or Protection to any Mans Right all was subject to Will and Power which imposed what payments they thought sit to drain the Subjects purses and to supply those Necessities which their ill Counsels had brought upon the King and gratifie such as were Instruments in promoting these illegal and oppressive Courses They who yielded and complyed were countenanced and advanced all others disgraced and kept under that so Mens minds made poor and base and their Liberties lost and gone they might be ready to let go their Religion and submit to the subversion and alteration of the Laws and Government which they designed And whether your Proceedings in the self-same kind against my self others who have suffered and stood so much for Religion Laws and publike Liberties in the worst of former times thus complained against and securing restraining us to boot in a more more violent way than the King and his evill Counsellors proceeded against us heretofore will not draw a greater guilt disreputation heavier judgement upon you and your Associates then they complained of did upon them if you persevere impenitently in such execrable Machiavilian carnal Practices I leave to your own Consciences to determine Sir I was never yet a flatterer of any Person or p●rsons how great soever in arbitrary and illegal w●ys and my present extremities will be a sufficient Apology for this my boldnesse and plain dealing with you as well as others heretofore in like cases wherein the whole N●tions Liberties are concerned as much as mine own wherefore I do once more upon the premised Votes and Gro●nds of right demand my present ●nlargement the restitution of my seised Papers Writings Records Books Tr●●●ks from you and your Associates with reparations for these injurious proceedings against me from your selves 〈◊〉 the Origin●l Authors and Principal Actors in them And so exp●cting your undelayed Answer to my former and present Demands who amidst your manifold imployments may spare as much time to doe me right as wrong that so I may know how to steer my course I must and shall till then remain Your unjustly close restrained Captive WILL. PRYNNE For his quodam kind Friend Mr. Serjeant Iohn Bradshaw at Whitehall these Dunster Castle 16 July An. Dom. 1650. The third Letter to Mr. Bradshaw SIR I And my Servant attending on me have for above 6 weeks space against all Rules of Law Justice and the

bountifully you reward your best deserving friends for all their losses and Services for the publick with greater Injuries Dammages Affronts Oppressions and restrai● is than ever they received from the worst and cruelest of their Enemies Which is the present condition o● Mr. George Lutterell the owner of my Demolishing Prison of Dunster Castle and of Your much oppressed close Impriprisoned Vassall WILL. PRYNNE From my Demolishing Prison in Dunster Castle The fourth Letter to Mr. Bradshaw and his Assocîates Gentlemen THese are to mind you that after all my heavy sufferings of three Pillories a double losse of my ears stigmat●zing on both Cheeks two Fines of 5000 l. apiece expulsion out of the University of Oxford and Lincolns Inn degradation in both the seisure of my Papers Books Estate near 9 years losse of my Calling above 8 years imprisonment in the Tower of London Fleet Carnarvan and Mount Orgueil Castle in Jersey through the Tyranny of the late Prelates Starchamber and Council Table only for my publike Defence of the Protestant Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom against Popery and Tyranny in the worst of times when few durst openly stand up on their behalf to my Damage of ten thousand pounds at least After above 8 years faithfull painfull services since my enlargement in maintenance of the Kingdoms Parliaments just Rights Privileges Liberties against all opposers and other publike employments for the Common good with the almost total neglect and losse of my Practice and expence of many hundred pounds out of my purse After 3 Months costly most injurious imprisonment by the Army for discharging my duty and speaking my Conscience in the Commons House whereof I was then a Member and am so still if that House be yet in being as you affirm and so not subject to your New Whit●hal Jurisdiction contrary to Law and the Privileges of Parliament After sundry other Affronts Injuries Pressures for my sincerity fidelity to my Native Country for all or any of which unjust sufferings losses meritorions services by which our Religion Republick Parliament Nation received many great advantages I never yet received one farthing recompense nor the least advantage or preferment of which I was never ambitious I have to augment my former damages oppressions in stead of repairing them received this great accumulation to them by colour of your illegal Warrants under Mr. Bra●sbaws hand who lately professed your selves my Friends and lamented my former injurious sufferings though senceless of my present before without the least notice summons examination or legal accusation even a forcible infringement search rifling of my Studies Trunks Writings Papers in Lincolns Inn house at Swainswick by a company of armed Souldiers who ●e●sed sundry of my Writings Papers Bo●ks 〈◊〉 Records against Law and sent them Whitehall together with a violent Attachment of my own Person though no Fugitive nor person in Armes not by any known sworn lawfull Officers but a strong Party of unknown Troops in my own house and Bedchamber about eleven of the clock at night on the Lords day the 30 of June last who carryed me through the County in triumph as their Prisoner to Dunster Castle no ordinary Prison but a private Garrison 50 miles distant from my habitation where I have been kept close Prisoner with my Servant who attends me by more than four Quaternions of Souldiers as Peter was under persecuting Herod above 3 moneths space though the walls thereof be demolished of late by your Order to my ●xtraordinary expen●e and great damage through my absence from my Family all the Harvest during all which time neither I nor my Servant have been permitted the least accesse to Gods publike Ordinances on Lords-days or Lecture dayes nor to stir out of the Castle where are no provisions at all to be had for any thing I want nor to speak with any Person but in the Governours presence or hearing nor to receive or write any Letters upon any occasion but what he must first peruse And although I have written at the least Seven Lett●rs to Mr. Bradshaw and others of you my late i●timate f●iends ●omol ining of this unparalleld Injustic● and Tyranny answering all Pretences of necessity and publick Danger to justifie or excuse it and manifesting it to be contrary to MAGNA CHARTA c. 29. 25 E. 1. c. 12. 28 E. 3. c. 1. 5 E. 3. c 9. 25 E. 3. c. 4. ●8 E. ● c. 3 37. E. 3 c. 18. 38 E. 3 c. 9. 42 E. 3. c. 3. 17. R. 2. c 6. 2 H. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 60. the Petition of Right other Statutes the very Common Law of England the Liberty of the Subject the Law s of God and Nature the Resolutions and printed Declarations of the 3 last Parliamen●s the expressed Votes of the Commons Iudgement of the Lords House in my own particular Case and my Fellow Sufferers yea a Greater Cruelty and Tyin some respects than ever the late King Star-Chamber or be headed Canterbury ●●flicted on me who at first only summoned me by a Messenger to appear before them but never attached me by armed Officers or Souldiers accused me of a particular bock upon which they examin●d heard before they restrained me and never committed me close Prisoner at first nor laid any such restraints upon me or my servant as you do now for above 4 years space permitting me free accesse to Gods publick Ordinances free conference in publick and Private with whom and Liberty to write to and receive Letters from whom I pleased without any over-hearing or Jutervising and to send my Servant abroad upon all occasions A Liberty which the Laws of England allow to all Traytors and Fellons whatsoever and which beheaded Strafford and Cant●rbury enjoyed though impeached of the Highest Treasons by the whole Commons House and yet deuyed unto me by you such Great Pretenders to Publick Liberty both of Person and Conscience though hitherto accused impeached of no Crime yet notwithstanding I can hitherto receive no relief nor satisfactory answer to my just Demands from any of you Whereupon I have been necessitated to addresse this brief precedent Narrative of your harsh proceedings against me to you all in general to leave you without excuse and thereupon as a Free born English man who as you well know hath written suffered more than any or all of you for the publick Liberty of the Nation without the least reward upon which account I may Justly challenge as great an Interest in the Laws and Liberty of the Nation as any man this day breathing I shall make bold being thus inforced by you thereunto to make some Proposals unto you who have Declared an unaccountable Power or Officer in any State to be A MONSTER both in Nature and Politicks for the publike and your own particular good and my better relief which I beseech you sadly to consider because I fear you now meet with more * Sycophants than Faithfull Friends

Common Liberty of every Subject which they might resist with force but those to be publike Enemies to the State who attempted them Whereunto his Gardians replyed They were commanded by you to do it and therefore must obey without dispute against thes● Declarations Adding that they must and would kill hang or cut his throat though never ac●used nor condemned of any offence if enjoyned by you so to doe so well were they versed in the Jesuites Doctrine and Practise of blind Obedience and Assassination too upon all occasions Of all which particulars though he earnestly complained to all and sundry of you by divers Letters yet he received not the least redresse But was to Mr. Lutterils and the Countries great charge and oppressing kept there still clōse Prisoner in Mr. Lutterils domestick Castle Lodgings with 20 Souldiers purposely to guard him sundry Months after the Castle walls and out-Houses there demolished before any notice or without the least ●atisfaction given to the owner thereof Mr. Lutteril damnified above 4000l thereby to recompense his former 6000l losses by the Kings party for his fidelity to the Parliament whom he served gratis as a Collonel and the Garrison thence removed by your specia● Order which in Law reversed your Warrant for his Imprisonment there and set him free After which on the 12 Iune 1651. by a Warrant from Colonel Desbrow without any from you to increase his expences and vexation he was translated to Taunton Castle notwithstanding his Protest against it as being then set at Liberty in point of Law by Dunster Castles dismantling and that Garrisons dissolution to which only he was confined and no Prisoner to this Collonel nor subject to his Military Power by any Law he knew whither being brought close Prisoner he was for want of Bedding which the Governour could neither borrow nor hire in the Town so much did they detest his causelesse close imprisonment there mued up close Prisoner in an Inn over against the Castle even when some Collonels formerly in armes for the King were there set free with two Souldiers to guard him who had so much good manners as not to permit Captain Georges though then a Collonel of the County Militia Horse to see or speak with him in their presence unlesse he would first seek out his Governour at the Castle and gain his license two others of them having the like rudenesse at Dunster Castle as to quarrel with and affront two Devonshire Gentlemen of quality there visiting Mrs. Lutterel their Kinswoman only because one of them passing by your Prisoner as he was walking moved his hat and said God blesse you Sir without the Governours previou● licence and the other recited only a consolatory Latin verse to him out of Virgil whereupon they saucily told him he ought to speake no word or language but what they understood should answer it to you if he did And whereas he desired the Governour at Taunton being very near the Church to permit him to goe to the publick Ordinances there he having no Order to restrain him from them or so much as to imprison him there from you he peremptorily refused it whereupon he demanded leave to send a Note to Taunton Church to desire the Prayers of that Congregation from which he was debarred to this effect Mr. William Prynne having for 12 Moneths space last past been totally deprived of and debarred from Gods publike Ordinances which he enjoyed in his former close restraints and from free converse with men without any particular cause yet declared to him for this his strict restraint desires the publike and private prayers of this Congregation whereto he is now denyed accesse for restitution to Gods Ordinances and his just Christian and Civil Liberty after full ten yeans imprisonments and sufferings for Defence of our Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdome and Nation which Note he inclosed in a Letter to his Governour proving it to be a chief part of Christian Liberty and a Gospel Duty for him to desire and them to make their publick private Prayers to God for him in such a condition By Acts 10. 5. 12. Rom. 15. 31 32. 2 Cor. 1. 9 10 11. 2 Thes 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2 3. Adding that all the world and his own Conscience would cry shame on and condemn him if he should now deny him the benefit thereof Upon which his Governour was so surprized that to prevent the infamy of stopping this Note or reading it publikely in the Church if sent he ordered his Lieutenant to accompany his Prisoner to the Congregation with his two other Guardians About two weeks following upon a bare Information That Taunton was an unfit place for his restraint because he had some acquaintance and good accommodations for Soul and Body there and was nearer his friends than before though not unfit for Collonels of that County formerly in Armes against the Parliament there lodged in Innes and private houses walking about the streets at pleasure with one single Soldier only to guard them he was about the 27 of June 1651. by your fresh warrant upon few hours warning before he could procure a horse for his Servant or necessaries for so long and costly a journey notwithstanding his special open Protestation against his transcendent vexation and reading the late unanimous Votes of all the Commons and most of your selves in Parliament against it in his own aud his former fellow sufferers Cases to his Condnctors mounted against his will upon a Troopers Horse without his Servant cloaths or Linnen by a party of Captain Warringtons Troop and by them carryed close Prisoner that night to Crediton in Devonshire and from thence by other fresh Parties of other Devonshire and Cornish Troops who were all generally very civil to him some of them having formerly conducted him voluntarily towards London in his return thither from his pristine close restraints in ferein Castles and lamenting they were now forc'd against their wills to conduct him to a new close Prison without an cause or crime at all expressed in their Warrant He was on the 2 of Iuly 1651. brought close Prisoner to Pendennis Castle near the extremest parts of Cornwall 50 miles further than the Star-chamber Lords by their last severest sentence sent Dr. Bastwicke and him whether his very trespassing Beasts could not be driven by Law being above one hundred and fifty miles from his house near two hundred and fifty miles from his Library and usual Residence at Lincolns Inne out of all common roads where his kinred friends at such a vast distance can neither conveniently visit send to hear from nor supply him with necessaries where he can have no accommodation of Books to read nor of Physick Physicians or other conveniences in case of sicknesse nor lodging fit for a Gentleman being for three Months space imprisoned in a narrow Chamber newly made for him for want of other Lodgings just over and

unto you this Large Remonstrance of his severall successive Grievances illegall restraints close imprisonments pressures under you and your Officers the only legall reall petition you can in justice expect from him whereby he doth after his full two years and three months forementiond illegal close imprisonments and Pressures under you before any legall Indictment Tryall or Crime objected against him once more joyntly and severally demand from you and every of you of meer common right and Justice without any further deniall or delay his absolute freedome and enlargement from all his present restraints with full undelayed reparations for all his dammages losses expences sustained thereby and by all other his remonstrated injuries from the authors and instruments of them according to all the forecited Lawes Statutes Oathes Protestations Vowes Covenants Declarations Remonstrances and your bounden duty by Gods own sacred Edicts And that he having already wasted above ten whole years of his short expired life in ten severall prisons only for his free unmercenary defence of publick Liberty Lawes and Religion out of pure conscience zeal duty he may be no longer enforced without guilt or Tryall upon any carnall State policies or old exploded Whitehall pretences of necessity danger or publick safety the damned Pleas for his former illegall close imprisonments sufferings exile and his present likewise to consume the short remainder of his declining dayes like a lighted candle under a bushell or a dead man out of minde in obscure Prisons at farthest distance from his friends where he can neither enjoy their sweet society nor serve his God his Countrey or private family with that freedome and improvement of his Talents for their best advantage as he doth desire nor any longer detained prisoner under the custody of such Martiall Gardians who are for the most part professed enemies both to our Lawes Lawyers Ministers Ministry Gods publick Ordinances Sacraments Churches Chappels Glebes Tithes and whatever else the piety or bounty of former times hath devoted to the maintenance of Gods worship Religion or Learning and therein to our Religion and Learning it self under a pretence of transcendent sanctity and a new monstrous kind of zeal to reforme Religion propogate the Gospell and support true Preachers of it by the readiest unrighteous sacrilegious irreligious wayes that the Jesuites or worst enemies of the Gospell could invent eternally to extirpate it and all true Ministers of it now as violently and publickly impiously pursued by them and some other Army Officers contrary to the pious practises and sacred presidents of all godly martiall Kings Generals Colonels Captains of thousands hundreds and Armies recorded by God himself in the old and new Testament who were so enamoured ravished and eaten up with the love zeal beduty of Gods House Temple Tabernacle Sanctuary publick ordinances Worship Priests Ministers so carefull to frequent maintain advance encourage them that they chearfully and bountifully contributed not only the Tithes First-fruites and oblations of all their estates but the very tenths of all their spoiles with all the Pretious stones Jewels Ear rings Rings Chaines Bracelets Tablets vessels of gold and silver Treasures Brasse and Iron taken in the Wa●s to the building adorning repairing of magnificent Tabernables Temples Houses Synagogues Churches devoted to Gods publick service and maintaining of Gods publick worship Ministers Priests Levites and other Officers attending thereupon in these publick Edifices to which they joyfully constantly and zealously resorted without separation from them as Gen. 14. 20. Exod. 35. 20 30. Ch. 38. 1 10. Numb 31. 28 54. 2 Sam. 8. 10 11 12. 1 Chron. 21. throughout Ch. 26. 26 27 28. a memorable text Ch. 29. 1 10. 2 Chron. 15. 11. Luk. 7. 1 5 6. Heb. 7. 4 6. Psal 5. 7. 21. 6. 26. 8. 27. 4. 36. 8. 42. 4. 52. 8. 55. 14. 65. 4. 66. 13. 69. 9. 84. throughout 42. 1 2. 116. 13. 102. 1 9. 134. 1. 135. 1. Isa 2. 2 3. Mich. 4. 1 2. Joh. 2. 16 17 18 20. Luk. 2. 27 37. Ch. 20. 1. Ch. 24. 53. Act. 2. 46. Ch. 3. 1 8. Ch. 5. 20 21. Rev. 7. 15. resolve To the shame of those his irreligious Gardians of a different judgment and practise who debarred him from all resort to Gods publick Ordinances and Ministers in the Parish Churches of the Garisons wherein he hath been restrained dedicated to Gods worship and still detain him close Prisoner as aforesaid by colour of this your void illegall Warrants bare Transcript without date thus subscribed by them as a true Copy SIR WE have been informed that Taunton is an unfit place for the imprisonment of Mr. Prynne where he now is we therefore desire you to give order for the removall of the said Mr. Prynne to Pendennis Castle and that HE BE THERE KEPT UPON THE SAME WARRANT UPON WHICH HE HATH BEEN PRISONER AT DUNSTER CASTLE AND NOW AT TAUNTON till further Order And that whiles he is there in restraint he may have liberty to go to the publick Odinances of Gods worship if he shall desire the same Signed in the Name and by Order of the Councell of State by authority of Parliament John Bradshaw President This is a true Copy John Disbrowe This is a true Copy of the aforesaid Copy Charles Shrubsoll This Copy only or your Originall Warrant as the science and conscience of every Lawyer amongst you and his who signed it must informe you is meerl● void illegall and no justification for these his foremen●ioned Restraints or Imprisonment in Pendennis Castle before any tribunall of God or Man for these following Reasons 1. Because contrary to all former Councell Table Warrants of this nature All old Councell Table Orders Warrants for his and others imprisonments were fig●ed and subscribed not only by the President alone but by all the Lords and Councell consenting to them then present as by Law they ought that so they might know all those that Imprisoned them and whether enough to make a Councell and whether to bring their actions against all or any of them if wrongfully imprisoned as you may read in A new Discovery of the Prelates Tyranny pag. 9 10 15 16 18 69 85 86 90 to 97. 2. Because this single signing of Warrants by one of you alone against ●ll Law and former Presidents disenabling the Prisoner to know who they were who committed and translated him from prison to prison except the first and sole subscriber John Bradshaw the rest it seems being ashamed to subscribe or own it or the former Warrants for his restraints being so unjust and defective in Law And the subscriber alone being no Councell and having no power solely to act any thing but only joyntly with such a number of Associates who cannot translate their power or trust to him but must execute it themselves This Warrant and the former so signed must needs be void in Law and unwarrantable or