which both Houses have since approved and made use of in severall Declarations and Remonstrance And therefore I may with greater confidence and better grounds adventure on this discovery of which most here present who are little acquainted with mysteries of State or Politicks ' and trouble not their heads with such inquiries after them as I have done are utterly ignorant and so apt to be deluded and easily over-reached the plainest open-hearted men being easiest to be over-witted by Jesuites and their Instruments especially when they transform themselves into Angels of Light or become new lights to broach new strange opinions or revive old errors under the notion of New-light as they have lately done to lead captive silly people To make out this discovery so cleerly evident that none can rationally deny but be sufficiently convinced of its truth I must minde you of these particulars of undoubted truth and certainty which this House and the House of Lords have joyntly and severally published and remonstrated to the whole Kingdom King and World in severall Declarations and Remonstrances and other printed papers 1. That the Iesuites and other Engineeres and Factors for Rome for the alreration of Religion the setting up of Popery and Tyranny in this Kingdom and subversion of the fundamentall Lawes and Government of it did long before the beginning of this Parliament compose and set up a corrupt malignant ill-affected party consisting of corrupt Bishops and Clergy-men some great Officers and Counsellours of State and others of trust and neernesse about the King his Children and Court to carry on these their designes who were acted by their subtill practises and that by this means those Iesuites and Romish Engineers had a very powerfull operation upon his Majesties Counsells and the most important Affaires and proceedings of his Government both in Church and State 2. That the most dangerous divisions preparations and Armies to make a War between England and Scotland were made and carried on by the practise and counsel of the Iesuites Papists and their Confederates 〈◊〉 Scottish Iesuites being sent from London into Scotland not foment the divisions there and a Generall Convention of all the principall Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom and of sundry Priests and Iesuites whereof Con the Popes Nuncio was President being held in London wherein great Sums of mony were granted towards the raising of the Army against the Scots Treasurers and Collectors appointed by them in every County and Popish Commanders sent for over and imployed in that Service as was apparently proved before a Committee and reported to this House soon after the beginning of this Parliament as your own Journal manifests And it furthers appears by one who was privy to that plot sent from Rome as an assistant to Con who out of conscience revealed all the secrets of it to Andreas ab Habernfeld Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia at the Hague under an Oath of secrecy and he to Sir William Boswel and the King the Originals whereof are in my custody and published by me at your appointment in my Romes Master-Piece that the â—end of he Scottish Wars was to engage the King to cast himself wholly on the Papists and their party the Puritans and Protestant party being averse to this War and inclining to the Scots who would not engage to assist him unlesse hee would condition with them to grant an universall toleration of Popery and free exercise of that Religion to the Papists if their party prevailed To which if he should shew himself unwilling or averse then they would presently dispatch him out of the way and poyson him with an Indian nut which they had prepared kept in Con's custody as they had poysoned his Father King Iames And the Prince being next Heir to the Crown educated neer his Mother accustomed to the Popish party and easie to be perverted in his Religion being but young and under age they would get him into their power educate him in their Religion and match him to a Papist so all their work accomplished Popery set up the Protestants and their Religion so 〈◊〉 extirpated both in England Scotland and Irelands In which dâ—scovery he further relates that there were under the command of Cardinal Barbarino the Popes Nephew protector of the English Catholicks and Con the Nuncio resident in London four severall Orders of Jasuites most active in these designs and wars disturbers of Christian kingdoms The first Ecclesiasticks whose office it is to take care of things promoting Religion The second polititians whose imployment it is by any meanes whatsoever to shake troube reforme and alter the state of Kingdoms and Republiks The third Seculars whose property it is to intrude themselves into offices places about Kings and Princes and to insinuate and thrust themselves into civill affaires bargains contracts and such like civill businesse The and fourth Spyes or Intilligencers men of inferior condition who submit and become houshold servants to Princes Barons Noblemen Great men Gentlemen Citizens and others of all protessions to discover their minds and make use of them to promâ—te their designes That these Jesuites usually met at one Captaine Reads a Scotch-man a Souldier and Lay Jesuit â—â—ing in Long Acre in the habits Gentlemenâ— Souldiers and Laymen and many of them followed the Camp as Souldiers in those intended Wars That there were neere as many of all these severall Sorts of Jesuits residing and lurking privily in and about London in September 1640. where were then above 50 Scottish Jesuiâ—sâ—as were in al Spain Frat. c Italy who have ever since been promoting the same designes and devisions among us all these Wars as that which followes will demonstrate 3 dly That the dissolving and breaking up al the Parliaments in this Kings Reigne in discontent proceeded from the councels and practises of the Jesuits and their Popish confederats to disaffect the King against them and prevent the calling of Parliaments for the future the principall obstacle to prevent and counter-worke all their designes to promote Popry and subvert our Religion laws and Government 4thly That the Jesuits Popish Priests Papists and their Confederats ever since this Parliament have by pollicy power endeavoured to dissolve and put an end to this present Parliament as the onely basis and support of our Religion and Libertie the onely Bulwarke betweene and Tyranny Popery and superstition ready to over-run the three Kingdomes the dissolution whereof would not onely deprive us and our posterities of the present but of the hopes and capacity of any future Parliament and that they have indefatigably used and left no means unattempted to dissolve this Parliament the continuance and close whereof with the King in a happy Peace settelment would frustrate all their hopes and Popish-designes as the Lords Commons both have most fully declared in their Remonstrance of Mâ—y 19. and 26. 1642. in their Declaration of March 23. 1643. in their propositions of
intituled Royal tyranny discovered Discovering the tiranny of the Kings of England from William the invader and robber Tyrant alias the Conqueror to this present King Charles who is plainly proved to be worse and more tyrannicall then any of his predecessors and deserves a more severe punishment from the hands of this present Parliament then either of the dethroned Kings Ed. 2 or Rich. 2. had from former Parliaments which they are bound by duty and Oath without equivocation or collution to inflict upon him he being the greatest delinquent in the three kingdoms and the head of the rest so the title In the Table there are these passages amongst others Charles Steward guilty of this treason p. 92 93 94 95 97. C. R Charls Rex Ought to be executed p. 57. where the houses are not only pressed to depose and execute him but his execution in their neglect foretold that in An exemplary manner in dispite of all his protectors and defendors Which Iesuitical books and counsels published at that instant discovered clearly to my apprehension their votes for laying the King then aside the deposing executing of him to be then intended only interrupted by the Scots invasion the last summers commotion occasioned by those votes of Non addresses and the forceing on of them then now by the army with the violence they use to be no other but a very plot and project of the Iesuits to ruine and distroy the King and us I shall only add to this what I manifested but now that it was the Iesuits plot when they engaged and assisted the King in his warre against the Scots to dash the protestants in both nations in peeces one against another so be masters of both kingdoms extirpate our religion in both and that if the King consented not to grant them a generall free exercise of their religion throughout all his realms Dominions or did but sticke at it that then they would presently poyson dispatch him possesse themselves of the Prince next heire to the Crowne then by flattery or menaces draw him to their Religion match him to a Papist and then all three Kingdomes would soon turn Papists and all Protestants be murthered or burnt for Heretiques Now these Papists and Iesuits understanding that the King beyond contrary to their expectatioÌ„ bath granted all or most of our Propositions in the Isle of Wight and fully condescended to five New bills for the extirpation of Masse Popery and Popish innovations out of his Dominions and putting all Lawes in execution against them and for a speedier discovery and conviction of them then formerly and that their good friends and Confederats our Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters and other branches of the hierarchy are tobe wholly routted out both in England and Ireland so as they are never likely to have any more footing in them againe after all their late warres charges hazards plots and designes to set up their Catholique Religion party are so inraged with the King so inexorably incensed against him both at home abroad as I am credibly informed that now they are mad against him thirst for nothing but his blood which they think they cannot advantagiously effectually accomplish but by engaging the Army to dessolve the Treaty force the Parliament in case they vote his answers satisfactory and then by themselvs are a confederate party in the House to depose cut off his head Which done the Prince being now beyond Seas in their power destitute of his hopes of succession to this Crown banished and declared a Traitor and to dye without mercy if he returne hither to lose his head as well as his father upon such high affronts put upon his Father himself that by a Protestant Parliament Army of Saints will be so inraged against all professors of our religion that he will probably professe himself a Roman Catholique and his brother too match with a Catholique Princes then ingage all the Papists in forraign parts England Scotland and Ireland to unite their forces purses councels by way of revenge to cut all the Protestants throats in all three Kingdomes who have adhered to the Parliament and hew the Army it selfe in peeces when they have thus accomplished their designes which will render them and the Parliament execrable and infamous to all posterity and then farewell all Parliaments and our Protestant religion for ever not onely here but throughout all Christendome where the Popish Princes will presently massacre the Protestants lest they should fill to the like perfidious practises This I am most confident is their designe by what I have met with in their papers and in the Jesuit Conâ—zens politiques and others who have chalked out a way by degrees insensibly to crue Popery into any Protestant Church by those very steps which our Prelates followed who were directed by them and to alter and subvert any Protestant State and Kingdom by this new modelling of them into such a popular Anarchy as is now suggested and presented in the Armies Remonstrance This I am assured will be the unavoydable desperate and deplorable issue if we comply with them and the Army in it unlesse God in his infinite mercy shal hold off their hands and turn their hearts from prosecuting their present designes I shall onely adde one thing more and so conclude That many of the Agitators and Armies papers especially Putney projects and some late Declarations savour of a Iesuites stile or spirit That I have been credibly informed that not onely Gifford a Jesuite was one of the Generals own Life-gard and a very active man in the Army but one Thomas Budds alias Peto the last Popish Priest condemned at Newgate was a Trooper in this Army and by influence of some great Officers in it obtained a Reprieve instead of an Execution That the Papists beyond Seas wish very well to the Army iu whom now is their chiefest hopes and that the Iesuits Cels and Colleges in forraign parts are of late very empty that many Popish Priests and Iesuits are now in England not saying Masse crying up the Pope and Popish Tenents as heretofore that were to grosse and they easily discovered but using all manner of mechanick Trades preaching in private corners as Sectaries Anabaptists Seekers broachers of new Light or as gifted brethren that many of them are turned Troopers Agitators if not some of them Officers in the Army or at leastwise have so insinuated themselves into the leading Officers there who are much taken with their parts their new Designs Tenents to alter unsettle States that they have as powerfull an influence now upon the Armies Couâ—cels Officers as formerly they had upon the King and his Councels and have now thus deeply ingaged them beyond all expectation to accomplish these Iesuiticall designes of theirs to depose and destry the Kingâ— dissolve this Parliament subvert our Magistracy Ministry Religion Lawes
being more then was ever thought of or desired in the Treaty of Peace in February and March 1642. The second Proposition fully granted by the King for the setling and securing of the State and Religion too against the Kings armed power is the setling of the whole Militia by Sea and Land and Navy of England Ireland and the Isles and Dominions thereunto belonging by Act of Parliament in the hands and disposall of both Houses and such as they shall appoint for the space of twenty years with power to raise moneys for all forces raised by them for Land or Sea service during that space or time which forces are authorised to suppresse all forces raised or to be raised in or any forraigne forces which shall invade the Realms of Engl. Ireland or the Dominions and Isles thereunto belonging without Authority and consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament And it further provides that after the expiration of the said 20. years neither the King his heirs and successors nor any person or persons by colour or pretence of any Commission power Deputation or Authority to be derived from the King his Heirs or Successors or any of them shall raise array train imploy or dispose of any of the forces by Sea or Land of the Kingdomes of England and Ireland the Dominion of Wales Isles of Gâ—ernsep and Iersey or of Barwick upon Tweed nor execute any power or authority touching the same invested in the two Houses during the space of twenty years nor do any thing or Act concerning the execution thereof without the consent of the Lords and Commons first had and obtained And that after the expiration of the said twenty years in all cases wherein the Lords and Commons shall declare the safety of the Kingdome to be concerned and shall thereupon paffe any Bill for the raising arming training and disposing of the forces by Sea and Land of the Kingdomes Dominions Isles and places aforesaid or concerning the leavying of moneys for the same if the King his Heirs and successors shall not give the Royall assent thereto within such time as both Houses should think conveent that then such Bil or Bills after Declaration made by the Lords Commons in that behalf shall have the force and strength of an Act or Acts of Parliament and be as valid to all intents and purposes as if the Royal assent had been given thereunto After which it disables any Sheriffe Justice of the Peace Majors or other Officers of Justice to leavy conduct and imploy any forces whatsoever by colour or pretence of any Commission of Array or extraordinary command from the King His Heirs or Successors without consent of both Houses And concludes That if any persons to the numberâ— of 30 shall be gathered together in warlike manner or otherwise and not forthwith disband themselves being thereunto required by the Lords and Commons or command from them or any other specially authorized by them that then such person or persons not so disbanding shall be guilty and incur the pains of High Treason any Commission under the great Seal or other Warrant to the contrary notwithstanding and be uncapable of any pardon from His Majesty His Heirs and Successors and their estates disposed of as the Lords and Commons shall think fit To all this new grand principle security of our present and future peace and settlement the King hath given his full and free consent in terminis And what greater security then this wee can imagine or demand against the Kings armed power and sword of War transcends my capacity to imagin Therefore if we have not lost our brains and consciences too we cannot but vote and conclude it satisfactory and restabundantly contented with yea exceeding thankful for it And that upon all these ensuing considerations First both Houses in their Treaty with the King in February and March 1642. demanded only the Militia of England not of Ireland yet so as they did leave the Nomination and disposing of the chiefe Commanders Officers and Governors of the Militia Forts and Navy of the Kingdome to the King provided only they might be such persons of honor and trust as both Houses might confide in and likewise promise restitution of all Moneys Forts Garrisons Arms and Ammunition of the Kings which they had seized upon or to give him present satisfaction for the same which being granted and performed they professed it should bee their hopefull endeavour that His Majesty and His people might enjoy the blessing of Peace c. and be derived to Him and to His Royall Posterity and the future Generations in this Kingdome for ever Whereas in this Treaty the King denudeth himselfe of the Militia of England and Ireland too and of the Nomination and approbation of all Officers Commanders Governors of the Militia or forces by Sea or Land and leaves all the Forts Navy and Magazines only to the Houses disposall without any compensation for his Magazines or Armes formerly seized by them And if far lesse was deemed sufficient for our settlement and security then much more will all this be thought so now Secondly Because the King hath wholly stript Himself His Heirs and Successors for ever of all that power and interest which His Predecessors alwaies enjoyned in the Militia forces forts Navy not only of England but Ireland Wales Iersey Garnsey and Berwick too so as He and they can neitherâ— raise nor arm one man nor introduce any forraign forces into any of them by vertue of any Commission Deputation or authority without consent of both Houses of Parliament and hath vested the sole power and disposition of the Militia Forts and Navy of all these in both Houses in such ample manner that they shall never part with it to any King of England unlesse they please themselves So as the King and His Heirs have no military power or authority at all left to injure or oppresse the meanest Subject much lesse the whole Kingdome or Houses of Parliament had they wills to doe it and the Houses having all the Militia by Land and Sea not only of England but even of Ireland Wales Garnsey Iersey and Berwick to assist and secure them in case He or His Heirs should attempt to raise any domestick or introduce any forraign force against them is so grand so firm a security in all probability for insuring and preserving of our Peace Religion Lawes Liberties Lives and Estates against regall force and tyranny that none of our Ancestors ever demanded or enjoyed the like nor no other Kingdome whatsoever since the Creation for ought that I can find in Histories or Republicks who have perused most now extant to do you service and such a selfe-denying condâ—sconsion in the King to His People in this particular as no age can president In the 17 year of King Iohn the Barons having by force of Armes compelled him to confirm the great Charter at Runningmead near Windsor thought this their greatest
of the Kingdome for the bare lives of seven Delinquents only or in truth of one alone who is fully in your power which you may take away by a legall tryall without a war will not all the Kingdome nay all the three Kingdomes and whole world cry out upon you for such a frantick unadvised act as this yea and for such an unjust and wicked resolution to hazard the lives and shed the bloud of many thousand Innocents and gallant men to take away the head of one or only of 7. vile Delinquents the sparing of whose lives will more conduce to settlement and reall unity then their deaths by the axe of Justice For shame then let us not vote the Kings answer to this branch of Delinquents so unsatisfactory as to break off and lose all upon it since I have proved it fully satisfactory in all things to your own last demands As to the Delinquents specified in the 2d and 3d. Qualification the King and you are fully agreed Besides the King consents to the exclusion of the Delinquents specified in the first qualification from sitting in Parliament being of his Councells coming within the verge of his court bearing any office or having any imployment in the State during the pleasure of both Houses Thus far you are both agreed only he desires this mitigation of their penalty in case they shall offend herein that they may not be guilty of high Treason and uncapable of any pardon and forfeit all their estates nor that those who shall return from banishment without leave may incur so high a penalty but a more moderate sutable to the Law they shall offend And to break only upon this excesse and extremity of punishment too high even in many wise mens opinions for such offences and of dangerous president to posterity it being the wisdome of our Ancestors to make as few new treasons as possible being only for the Kings advantage and peoples prejudice when as a lesser penalty may as well and sooner too prevent the mischief is neither safe nor prudent As for the compositions of such persons the King only desires their moderation if you think fit even to such proportions as the Army it self in their proposals to him in Aug. 1647. thought reasonable and if you please not to grant it then he leaves them to compound at such rates as you and they shall agree and those are only such as you have already fixed on in former compositions from which you will not vary and in case they will not compound at your rates you have then the benefit of all their sequestred estates till their composition be made which is your benefit and their losse Therefore in this though some have pleased without any colour of reason to assert the contrary you are both fully accorded To the Delinquents in the fifth Qualification the King consents to all your desires with this exception only That such Delinquent Ministers who are not scandalous in their lives or Doctrine are already sequestred may injoy the third part of the profits of their Livings for the support of them and their families and be capable of future preferments if they be thought fit to enjoy them This some have concluded very unsatisfactory because it craves some little favour for Malignant Ministers But I beseech you consider how inconsiderable the difference is and how just and charitable the Kings request is in their behalf Your selves both by Ordinance and common practise grant the ful fifth of the profits of sequestred Livings to the Wives and Children of sequestred Ministers as well in case of scandall and insufficiency as Mulignity the King desires only that such who have bin sequestred meerly for Malignancy and are not scandalous may receive a third part in stead of a fifth and for their future encouragement having spent their time in fitting themselves for a Ministry and being fit for no other calling and having lost their former livings he requests only that in this scarcity of able Ministers they may be capable meerly of future preferments for which they shall be adjudged meet in such way as you shall appoint not he or they A just a charitable request and that which your selves have done there being many able godly Ministers of eminent parts and exemplary life who have not been so clearly convinced in point of conscience as to concur with you in the late Wars for which they have been sequestred and have since been better satisfied and God forbid that such should be made utterly uncapable of the Ministry and they and their families starve for want of bread I beseech you therefore of al other things let us not break with the King upon this Act of Charity of Piety lest all the world condemne us for uncharitablenesse and judge the King to be more pious and charitable then we And no doubt it will be the greatest charity to our selves to our Church our Religion our Kingdom at this time rather to close with the King in this particular then hazard all for a few third parts and to be as charitable as his Majesty The more charity we shew the greater unity peace amity and better settlement we may expect But the greatest dissatisfaction of all referred to this head of Delinquents is in the Kings answers concerning his present recalling of Marquesse Ormonds Commission to Treat with and unite the Irish Rebels To which I answer first that this was no part of the propositions first sent but a collaterall emergement discovered since the Treaty upon Col. Iones his letter and so the unsatisfactorinesse of the Kings Answer as to this alone can be no just cause or ground to vote the other Answers unsatisfactory or break off the Treaty 2dly The Kings granting of this Commission to Ormond at the time he did it is no such hainous thing as many have made it al circumstances considered The King when the Army would not close with him upon their own tearms the last year who treated with him without your privity and against your Orders even then when they unjustly impeached the eleven Members for holding secret intelligence with him and his party of which themselves were only culpable was shut up close Prisoner in Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight by their procurement and by the Votes of both Houses proceeding originally from the Officers and the Armies projection promoted by their Declaration and engagement to joyne with the Houses in setling the Kingdome without against the K. and forcibly passed the Lords House by the Armies garrisoning White Hall billeting a Regiment of Horse in the Muse to terrifie them to a concurrence with the Commons quite laid aside like a dead man out of minde and no more addresses to be made to him by the Houses or from him to them and no accesse of any to him under pain of high Treason without both Houses licence the King in these extremities the better to procure his own
so fully satisfactory and abundantly sufficient for our Weal and safety against all future Dangers and Encroachments on our Liberties that if we conjoyn them with those other acts the KING hath already consented to this Parliament We can neither desire nor expect any additions to make us more compleatly happy and secure then any people or Kingdome under Heaven The KING hath already by Acts of Parliament condemned and suppressed Ship-money his owne Monopoly of making Gunpowder and Saltpetre Fines for Knight-hood Impositions upon Merchants goods Tonnage and Poundage without grant by Parliament Coat and Conduct money Forrest bounds and Laws the grand grievances under which we groaned heretofore so as we need never feare their revivals nor any others of that nature Especially since we have the Nomination of all great Officers and Iudges the chiefe promoters of them Besides by Act of Parliament hee hath for ever suppressed the Bishops sitting and voting in Parliament a great disadvantage to him they commonly voting what he pleased and being wholly at his devotion together with the three Grand Oppressive Courts and shops of Tyranny Oppression and Injustice in the Kingdome the great Terrors of Mens Spirits the Invaders of their Rights Members Liberties the chiefe inlargers and maintainers of an unlimited prerogative and Authors of all our late illegall projects pressures the Starchamber the HIGH COMMISSION and COUNCELL TABLE the Kings chief Engines to scrue up his Prerogative to the highest and lay his Subjects lowest to which a fourth is since added in this Treaty the Court of Wards All which being totally abolished the KING hath now no Court nor instrument left that I can thinke of whereby to injure or oppresse his people as in former times The oppressions likewise and extortions of the stannary Courts and of Clerkes of the Market are rectified by acts this Session yea this Parliament by Act perpetuated without any power in the KING to adjourne and dissolve it till all concurre to dissolve it by an Act of Parliament and when this shall be so determined for our future security and redresse of all growing mischiefs which may endanger us there is a provision by another Law for a Triennall Parl. with power to summon it in case of the Kings refusall without him or his writ and authority for the Houses to sit for a convenient time sufficient to redresse all grievances punish all publike Offenders and settle usefull Lawes without dissolution or adjournment To which I may adde the Act of Oblivion Pacification and union with our Brethren of Scotland Upon granting of four of which Acts alone the House of Commons in their Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome 15 December 1641 did with much thankefulnesse acknowledge that His Majesty had passed more good Bils at that time to the advantage of the Subjects then have been passed in many ages And if he shall now accumulate all the fore-mentioned Propositions turned into Acts to those already enacted with some few Laws more for the regulating of some grievances and corruptions in the Common Law the punishing and restraining of some publike mischiefs and crimes and punishment of Extortions which will be readily assented to there being no losse or prejudice to the Crowne in passing them We may through Gods blessing in all humane probability if our sins deprive us not of so great a felicity be the freest happiest securest most flourishing and best ordered Kingdom and People in the World and injoy such priviledges and immunities as our Ancestors never so much as once imagined much lesse aspired after And if we will not now rest satisfied and thankfully contented with all these large extraordinary Concessions and blesse God for this tender of them to our hands the present and all future ages will Chronicle us for the most unreasonable and ungratefull Creatures that ever sate within these wals or the world produced since the Creation Having now at large demonstrated I hope to every rationall and honest mans conviction the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers to all our Propositions relating to the safety and settlement of our State I shall in the next place proceed to those Propositions and Concessions which concerne the Peace Settlement and Security of our Church and Religion wherein there appears the greatest difficulty the most whereof I shall dispatch with greater brevity then the former There are three things especially which may endanger and disturb the Peace and settlement of our Church and Religion 1. Popery Popish corruptions and innovations introduced by Jesuites Papists and superstitious Clergy-men Popishly addicted 2. Prophanenesse 3 Prelacy and one chiefe thing to promote Religion and the Churches happiness the propagation of the Gospel by settling preaching Ministers throughout the Kingdom and establishing the publick Worship and Church-Government in such sort as is most agreeable to Gods word For all these there is sufficient ground in the Kings answers to our Propositions concerning them to vote them satisfactory as I humbly apprehend and hope to manifest For the first of these dangers to our Church and Religion there is as good security and provision granted us by the King as we did or could desire even in our own terms First he hath fully consented to pass an Act for the more effectuall disabling of Iesuites Papists and Popish Recusants from disturbing the State and deluding the Lawes and for the prescribing of a New Oath for the more speedy discovery and conviction of Recusants Secondly to an Act of Parliament for the Education of the children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion Thirdly to an Act for the due levying of the penalties against Recusants and disposing of them as both Houses shall appoint Fourthly to an Act whereby the practices of the Papists against the State may be prevented the Lawes against them duly executed and a stricter course taken to prevent the saying or hearing of Mass in the Court or any other part of the Kingdome whereby it is made Treason for any Priests to say Masse in the Court or Queenes owne Chappel and so no place left for the suying of Masse throughout the Kingdome no not in the Queens owne Chamber Fifthly to an Act for abolishing all Innovations Popish Superstitions Ceremonies Altars Rayles Crucifixes Images Pictures Copes Crosses Surplices Vestments bowings at the name of Iesus or towards the Altar c. out of the Church and to prevent the introduction of them for the future By all which Acts added to our former Lawes against Recusants I dare affirme we have now far better provision and security against Papists Iesuits Popish Recusants their Popish pictures Innovations Superstitions and Ceremonies both for our Churches and Religions safety and States too then any Protestant Church State or Kingdome whatsoever So as wee need not feare any future danger from Papists or Popery if we be carefull to see those Concessions duly put into execution when turned into Acts and our former Laws Secondly against the
which hath reversed Christs Ordinances and procreated Antichrist and that they were bound in conscience to take away their Lands and Temporalties from them which they had abused to Pride Ambition Discord c. His Disciples or noble Martyrs William Swinderby Iohn Purvey Sir Iohn Oldcastle and after them Pierce Plowman Geffrey Chaucer Mr. Tyndall Doctor Barnes Iohn Firth Sir Iohn Borthwike a Martyr the Author of a Supplication to King Henry the eight the Author of the Image of a very Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop William VVraughton in his Hunting of the Remish Fox Mr. Fish in his Supplication of Beggers Henry Stalbridge in his exhortatory Epistle and others are of the like judgement and Roderick Mors in his Supplication to the Parliament in Henry the eight his Reigne to omit Penry and others in Queene Elizabeths Reigne And why there should be more Sacriledge in taking away Bishops Lands in England then in Scotland or Abbey Lands heretofore from Abbeys and Priories I cannot yet discerne All which considered I hope his Majesties conscience may and will be rectified in this particular before the Treaty be absolutely confirmed by Acts of Parliament so as this of Bishops Lands shall make no breach between us In clearing which I have beene the more prolix because it is most insisted on of any thing in point of dis-satisfaction both by the King and us As for all our other Propositions relating to the Peace and settlement of the Church the King hath fully assented to them interminis as namely to the Bill for the better advancement of the preaching of Gods word and setting godly Ministers in all parts of the Kingdome To a Bill against Pluralities and Non residencie To an Act of Confirmation for the calling and setling of the Assembly of Divines To an Act for the confirmation of the Directory and abolishing the Booke of Common-Prayer throughout the Kingdome and in the Kings owne Chappell too yeelded unto in the Kings finall answer though formerly stuck upon to an Act for taking the covenant throughout the Realme only the King sticks at it as yet unsatisfied in conscience as to the taking of it himselfe without some qualifications in it which a Committee were appointed to consider of but have not yet reported ought to the House Besides he hath approved the lesser Catechism as far as you desired who rest satisfied with his answer concerning it And as for the Presbyteriall Government he hath absolutely consented to settle it for three years But it hath been much insisted on by many That the Kings Grant of the Presbyterian Government is no wayesâ— satisfactory because only for three years And therefore they will break off the Treaty for this reason and vote the Kings answers upon the whole unsatisfactory because too short in this particular To which I answer That the King in terminis hath granted as much as we desired We desired its settlement but for three years and many who most pretend dissatisfaction in this point now did and do indeed desire no setled Government at all no not for three years space Therefore if there be any default in this it was in the Houses Proposition only not in the Kings answer who was not obliged to grant us in this particular or any other more than we desired Secondly after the three years expiration the Presbyterian Government must remain till a new be agreed upon by consent of the King and both Houses upon conference and advice with the Assembly of Divines or that further established if found best and most sutable in the interim So as now upon all the branches of this Treaty and the Kings answers thereunto I conceive the Kings answers to be compleatly satisfactory in that sense I have stated and debated the question as well for the safety and settlement of our Church and Religion as Kingdom though the Kings Answers come not up fully to the Propositions in some two or three particulars only It is storied of Alexander the Great that one demanding of him to give him a penny he returned him this answer That it was too little for Alexander to give Whereupon he demanded a Talent of him whereunto he replyed It was too much for a begger to receive We have demanded of the King in our own and the Kingdomes behalf in former Treaties but a penny in comparison and then the King refused to grant it though we would have been heartily contented with it or lesse But now we have in this Treatty demanded a Talent and the King hath not thought it overmuch for him to grant or for us to receive and if we shall now ungratefully reject it we know not why our selves unlesse it be that God hath infatuated and designed us unto speedy ruine for our sins I must needs take up our Saviours Lamentation over dying Ierussalem in relation unto England O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes And I pray God they be not so far hid that we shall never live to see any peace or settlement at all in Church or State if we embrace not those Concessions now the best the largest the honourablest the safest and most beneficiall that ever was tendred to any People by a King and if we now reject we shall never have the moity of them granted us again no though we soek them carefully with tears as Esau did his last blessing when he had overslipt his time but a very little For mine own part I value no mens bare opinions in this debate but their reasons which inforce them and if I have not quite lost my reason and senses too I have not heard one solid reason given by any Gentleman that differs from me why the Kings Concessions upon the whole Treaty should be so unsatisfactory as utterly to reject them and proceed no further Most of the reasons to the contrary have been either cleer mistakes both of the question and Kings Answers or our Propositions and mistakes are no reasons but irrationall or a fear in some Purchasers of Bishops Lands of an ill bargain which I presume I have fully satisfied or that which is to me the most unreasonable though many Gentlemens chief and only reason the Armies discontent and dissatisfaction in case we vote it satisfactory to which I shall give this Answer That though I honour the Army for their good services heretofore in the Field and Wars and should as readily gratifie all their just desires as Souldiers as any man yet I must with just disdain and censure look upon their Magisteriall encroachments upon our Councels and prescriptions to us what to vote in our debates or else they will be incensed as the highest violation to the Freedom â— Honour and Priviledges of Parliament not to be Presidented in former times nor now to be endured We all sit here freely to speak our own Mindes
not the Armies pleasure to follow our own consciences and judgments not their imperious dictates to satisfie the whole Kingdom and those who have intrusted and sent us hither whose Representatives and servants we are not the Armies by pitching upon that which is most conducing to their welfare and our own too not to satisfie the Army in all their unreasonable extravagant demands who are but ours and the Kingdoms servants not Masters to the Kingdoms Peoples our own ruine and the Armies too And so much the rather because I have observed a dangerous practice in some Officers and Members only of the Army to make use of the whole Armies name without their privity or consents forcibly to drive on their own private pernicious Designs in the House and to fright and cudgell us into Votes as some say we were cudgelled into a Treaty with the very name of the Army without any reason at all and if that will not doe the feat then they presently mutiny and bring up the Army it self to or neer the Houses doors against them contrary to our expresse commands as heretofore and now they have done to force us to Vote against our judgements consciences reason and the publique safety what ever they shall dictate be it never so absurd dishonorable to our selves or destructive to the Kingdom and though the Army and those who usurp their name be not present at our debates as they seldom are though some of them are Members yet if they suit not with their foreplotted Designs they will presently censure them and those that passe them without hearing or weighing of their reasons And though they contend most earnestly for Libertie of Conscience for themselves and all others of their confederacy out of the House and for a Liberty for their own Party to enter their particular Protestations and Dissents to the House to any Vote they like not yet they will admit no Liberty of Conscience nor Freedom of dissenting unto us nor us to be Masters of our own reason Votes or discretions in the House it self where wee should have most freedom as is evident by sundry Magisteriall over-ruling censorious Passages in their late Remonstrance November 20. and if we vote not fully with them they presently take us for Apostates and violaters of our trust fit not only to be secluded the House for the present but not to be entrusted for the future to such an height of insolency are they grown Therefore for any Members to make their pleasing or displeasing of the Army whom they thus abuse the sole or principall reason of their Ay or No is such a Solecism and breach of Priviledge as ought not now to be named much lesse pressed as a reason without some severe censure or exclusion from the House especially in this instant debate for the settlement of our Peacè to which those who make a Trade of War will certainly be most averse having little else to live on or support their present greatnesse if the wars be ended Yea but they further object That if we discontent the Army by voting the Answers satisfactory we are undone they will all lay down their Arme as one Commander of eminency hath here openly told you he must do and serve us no longer and then what will become of us and all our faithfull friends I Answer That I hope the Army will not be so sullen as to desert or turn against us for voting what our consciences and judgments prompt us is most for theirs ours and the Kingdoms safety and that without hearing or scanning our debates If they be I shall not much value the protection of such unconstant mutinous and unreasonable servants and I doubt not but if they desert us on so sleight a ground God himselfe and the whole Kingdome will stand by us who else I fear will both unanimously rise up against us to ours and the Armies destruction And if the King and we shall happily close upon this Treaty I hope we shall have no great need of their future service However fiat justitia ruat coelum Let us do our duty and leave the issue to God It is better for us to perish doing our own duties then to be justly destroyed by following other mens wills against our duties and consciences too He that thinks to save himself or the Kingdom by such a sinful and unworthy compliance shall be certain to lose both himself and it in conclusion However both the Arguments of displeasing the Army and the ill consequents of it are altogether extraneous and impertinent to the question and amount but to this Non sequitur The Army will not have us proceed further upon the Treaty to settle peace Ergo the Kings Answers are unsatisfactory What will all wise men what will the Kingdom what will Scotland Ireland and our friends abroad whose eyes are all intent upon the result of the Treaty and must be satisfied in the reasons of our breach upon it lest they all fall foul upon us think of such absurd Nonsense as this Had the Treaty been only between the King and the Army not him and the Houses this reason might have contented some men without expressing any grounds of their dissatisfaction of which they think the Army more competent Judges then the Parliament but the Treaty being only between the King and both Houses not the Army that we who are the only Parties to the Treaty and Judges of the satisfactorinesse thereof should set aside our own reasons consciences judgements and make the Armies absolute peremptory will the only principall reason of our dissatisfactorinesse with the Kings Concessions which I am confident not ten men in the Army ever heard of but by report alone and never seriously scanned as we have done is such an absurdity as will render us for ever both ridiculousand odious to all our friends and foes to present to future Ages For shame therefore let us no more insist upon such extravagancies Having answered these two Iron Arguments against the unsatisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers and all others hitherto insisted on I humbly conceive I have fully satisfied every rationall mans conscience that the King hath granted us all we have demanded that is really necessary or conducing to the speedy settlement of a lasting and well-grounded Peace and the future security of our State Kingdom Church Religion against all feared dangers from the King or any others and I shall challenge and put it to the conscience of any Gentleman dissenting from me whether he can propound any one thing more except an Oath which is intended when all is concluded essentiall for the fuller and firmer setling of our Laws Liberties Priviledges Lives Estates Religion Kingdoms Parliaments Army and satisfying of all publike interests then what have been already propounded and the King compleatly granted in this Treaty If then the King hath granted us every thing our selves during seven years advice and consultation could possibly think of
Honour and Happinesse of the King and his Posterity and the true publike Liberty safety and peace of the three Kingdoms as the Title and Preface declare sincerely really and constantly to endeavour with their estates and lives TO PRESERVE AND DEFEND THE KINGS MAJESTIES PERSON AND AUTHORITY in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome which he hath now fully and actually performed by his Concessions in this Treaty That the World may beare witnesse with our Consciences OF OUR LOYALTY and that WE HAVE NO THOUGHTS OR INTENTIONS TO DIMINISH HIS MAJESTIES JUST POWER AND GREATNESSE And shall also with all faithfullnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as shall be Incendiaries or evill instruments by DIVIDING THE KING FROM HIS PEOPLE That they may be brought to speedy tryall and receive condign punishment And shall not suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination or terrour to be withdrawne or make defection from this Covenant but shall all the dayes of their lives really and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same against all lets and impediments whatsoever And this Covenant we all made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all Hearts WITH A REALL INTENTION TO PERFORME THE SAME as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Now how we who are Members of this House or any who are subjects of our three kingdomes or Officers and Souldiers in the Army who have taken this Oath of Allegiance Protestation League or Covenant or any of them as some of them have done all or two of them at least sundry times over can without the highest perjury to God Treachery to the King perfidiousnesse to the kingdome Infamy to the World Scandall to the Protestant Religion and eternall dishonour to the Parliament and themselves Atheistically break through or elude all those most Sacred and Religious tyes upon our souls by a speedy publique dethroning and decolling of the KING and dis-inheriting his Posterity as the Army Remostrants advise and â—that in the open view of the World and that Al-seeing God to whom we have thus appealed and sworne by that Iesuiticall equivocations or distinstions of which the Armies Remonstrance is full or professions of our damnable hypocâ—isie in the breaking of them transcends my understanding And for those who stile themselves SAINTS and charge this as one of the Highest Crimes against the King His frequent breach of Oathes and Promises to transcend him Iesuites in this very sin is such a monster of impiety as I conceive could never have entred into the hearts of Infidells or the worst of Men or Divells And to act this under a pretext to preserve and settle the Peace of the Kingdom is such a solecisme as militates point-blank against the very words and scope both of this Oath Protestation League and Covenant which crosseth not the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance but more strongly engageth all men to preserve and defend the Kings Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome as the Assembly of Divines and both Houses affirm in their Exhortation to take the Covenant which prescribes this as the only meanes of securing and preserving peace in all the three Kingdomes to preserve the Person and Honor of the King his Crown and Dignity from any such violence and invasion as is now suggested by the Army which all three of them engage us and all three Kingdoms with our lives and fortunes really and constantly to oppose against all lets and impediments c. and to bring those to condigne punishment as Incendiaries and evill Instruments who suggest it So as if the Army will proceed in this Jesuiticall destructive way of Treason and ruine Wee and all three Kingdoms are solemnly engaged with our estates and lives unanimously to oppose and bring them to Justice And is this then the way to publike peace and settlement to raise another new War to murther one another in this new Quarrell wherein the Army and their adherents must be the sole Malignants and enemies we must fight with c No verily but the high-way to the Kingdoms Armies ruine whose Commissions wee are obliged to revoke whose Contributions wee must in conscience withdraw and whose power wee must with our own lives resist unlesse we will be perjured and guilty of breach of Covenant in the highest degree if they persist in these anti-Covenant Demands 7. Both Houses having held a Personall Treaty with the King so lately and he having granted us in that Treaty whatsoever we have or can demand for the safety and preservation of our Religion Laws and Liberties and both Houses engaged themselves by Vote in answer to the Kings Propositions to restore him to a condition of Freedome Honour and Safety according to the Lawes of the Realm which was the Armies own proposals in his behalfe in August 1647. Wee can neither in honesty honour justice nor conscience were hee ten thousand times worse then the Army would render him depose and bring him to execution It being against all the rules of Justice and honour between two professed enemies who had no relations one to another much more between King and Subjects in a civil War and a thing without president in any ages To this the Army Remonstrance answers That this would be thought an unreasonable and unbeseeming demand in a personall Treaty between persons standing both free and in equall ballance of power but not when one party is wholly subdued captivated imprisoned and in the others power But this certainly is a difference spun with a Jesuiticall thred For to treat with any King in our power or out of it on articles of Peace upon these terms That if he consent to them We will restore him to his Throne with Honor Freedom Safety and when he hath yeelded us our Demands then to depose and out off his head is the highest breach of Faith Truth Honor and Justice that can be imagined and those who dare justifie such perfidious and unchristian dealing deserve rather the stile of Turks and equivocating Iesuites then pious Saints 8. There is no president in Scripture that the Generall Assembly or Sanhedâ—in of the Jews or Isrealites did ever judicially imprison depose or execute any one of the Kings of Iudah or Israel though many of them were the grossest Idolaters and wickedest Princes under heaven who shed much innocent blood and oppressed the people sundry waies We know that David himselfe committed adultery with Vriah his wife a faithfull Servant and Souldier whiles he was with his Generall Ioab in the field and then afterward caused him to be treacheroâ—sly slain Yet neither the Assembly of the Elders nor Ioab and the Army under him did impeach or crave Justice against him for these sins though hee lived impeniently in them And when hee numbred the people afterwards
Malignant and plunderings and losses of the wel-affected Nobility and Gentry have so impoverished all sorts of men but the Souldier and Army and some fow Treasurers and Officers that they know not how to live or subsist almost much lesse to lend or contribute to maintaine such a numerous Army by Land and Sea and supply Irelands pressing necessities If you cannot tell how to pay your present Debts what folly is it to augment them for the future If you cannot pay your Army or Navie now how will you be able to do it hereafter If then you will have no peace with the King upon the Treaty but break it off and keep up a Warre and Army still without colour or reason in this your impoverished and exhausted condition then mark the consequences Your Forces being not duly paid will live upon free-quarter still and that will undoe the Country make them desperate And when they have eaten out all the poor then they will mutiny and fall on all that are rich put them to present Fines and Ransoms at their pleasure eat them out of House and home share their Estates and Offices which many of them already professe to be theiâ—s by Conquest and then the longest sword will be the only true Judge and measure of al mens properties and divider of their Estates as well in this as former ages of which we already begin to feel some sad experiments And as the Souldier on the one hand so the penurious poor people in every place for want of work and imployment and bread to put into their head encouraged by the Souldiers uncontrolled insolencies will fall to plunder and levell all rich men on the other side And if the Army Remonstrance and Agreement of the People now in hot persuit take place Ministers shall receive no Tythes Landlords no Rents Creditors no Debts and oppressed ruined persons no Law not Justice Kings must go down Princes and Peers quite down Parliaments down Judges Justices Magistrates Laws Tenures Inclosures down all rich and landed persons down their very wealth and estates will be sufficient cause to make them Malignants to a starved Peasantry and al-conquering unpaid Army and then what follows but immediate and irrecoverable ruine I beseech you therefore consider in what a desperate hazardous condition we and the whole Kingdom now stand at present how neer we and Ireland are to the very brink of ruine If we will now put into that safe and sure harbour of Peace which the present Treaty invites us into without any further cost or fear of shipwrack we may yet through Gods blessing be safe and happy But if we now wilfully put forth to Sea again among so many rocks shelves quick sands which surround us on every side and will yet chuse War instead of Peace when the golden and silver nerves that formerly maintained it are quite shrunk up we can expect nought else but drowning sudden shipwrack of all our Kingdoms Parliaments Liberties Estates and of our Church and Religion too Yea But say some though all this be truth we must not displease the Army who are our present strength and safety for then we are are lost indeed I have answered this Objection once before in one sense in relation to the Treaties satisfactorinesse I shall here answer it in another I say then 1. That we have a God to please who wil be displeased if we please the Army in their unjust demands And better is it to please God then to please any Army whatsoever If God be with us who can be against us We need no Armies protections if the Lord of Hosts be our Guardian 2. We have a conscience to please as well as an Army and we must satsifie that though the Army who pretend so much for liberty of conscience yet will allow us none or very little be never so unsatisfied with it 3. We have a Kingdom nay three Kingdoms to please and to save too And we must rather please and save them by rejecting the Armies Proposals which will inevitably ruine them then please the Army in being any way instrumentall for their destruction by embracing their destructive counsels If our Kingdoms be preserved we may have another Army though this be disbanded dissolved yea destroyed but if the Kingdoms perish by our pursuing their rash Proposals we shall neither have Kingdoms nor yet an Army nor this Army who must certainly perish in and with the Kingdoms ruine 4. We have a Navie to please as well as an Army and which is more considerable to us then an Army A new Army may soon be raised though the old be disbanded but a Navie being once lost Ships will not grow again nor another Navy built in many years And will not the pleasing of the Army in this displease and lose the Navy now as it did the last Summer to your great losse and danger And can the Army guard the Kingdom against any Forreignâ— Invasions if the Navy be lost No nor treble their number Look then you please your Navy as well as Army 5. We have many hundred thousands of well-affected and cordiall Christians and Covenanters to please who have adventured their estates lives limbs in the present Cause and done as gallant Services many of them in the Field both this last Summer and before as any in this Army and are considerable for number quality estate wisdom parts and reall piety and love to the publick Interest then the Army all which I am certain we shall â—ghly discontent and grieve nay palpably over-reach and cheat to their very faces if we should please the Army in their present demands to their prejudices and scandall and our Religions too There was no man of publick Spirit that engaged with contributed towards or took up Arms in the Parliaments service or Cause at first but meerly upon these five grounds expressed in all the Houses Remonstraces Declarations Petitions Protestations and in the Solemn League and Covenant 1. To defend and maintain the true Protestant Religion against Popery Error and Superstition 2. To defend the Kings Royall Person Dignity and legall Authority against violence treachery and usurpation 3. To maintain the Priviledges Rights and Freedom of Parliaments and the Fundamentall Laws and Government of the Kingdom against State-Innovations and Tyranny Fourthly to rescue the Kings person from evill Counsellors and bring such Incendiaries and Delinquents to condign punishment Fifthly to settle the Kingdom in freedom safety and peace against Crueltie Dangers and imminent Wars and tumults Upon these grounds and for these ends only did both Houses and all who adhered to them or took up Arms for them by their Commissions engage and so did this very Army I appeal then to every mans Conscience Whether the Houses or any who engaged with them did ever contribute any Moneys Plate Horse Atms or march out as an Officer or Souldier under them in these Wars with any such intention as
The Substance of a SPEECH Made in the House of Commons BY WIL. PRYNN of LINCOLNS-INN Esquire On Munday the Fourth of December 1648 TOUCHING The Kings ANSWER to the Propositions of both Houses upon the whole TREATY Whether they were satisfactory or not satisfactory Wherein the Satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers to the Propositions for settlement of a firm lasting Peace and future security of the Subjects against all feared Regall Invasions and encroachments whatsoever is clearly demonstrated As likewise That there is no other probable or possible way to settle a speedy firm and lasting Peace but by the Houses embracing and proceeding upon the large extraordinary Concessions of the King in this Treaty for the Kingdoms present weal and future Security And that the Armies Remonstrance Nov. 20. is a way to speedy and certain ruine and a meer Plot of the Jesuites to defame and destroy us Put into Writing and Published by him at the importunate request of divers Members for the satisfaction of the whole Kingdome touching the Houses Vote upon this Debate The third Edition MATTHEVV 5. 9. Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God PSALM 68. 30. Rebuke the company of Spearmen scatter thou the people that delight in War London Printed for Mich Spark at the blew-bible in Green-arbor 1649. All flesh is Grass the best men vanity This but a shadow here before thine eye Of him whose wondrous changes clearly show That GOD not men swayes all things here below TO THE Christian Reader Courteous Reader THE importunity of divers eminent Members of the House and the multitude of false and scandalous Aspersions publickly cast upon my self and other secluded Members not only in common Discourses and News-books but in sundry Libellous pamphlets published by the Officers of the Army and their Confederates since their late Treasonable unparalleld violence to our persons and the Houses and our priviledges and freedome without the least pretext of Authority have necessitated me to put this Speech into writing and publish it to the whole Kingdom and world which else had expired within those walls where it was spokâ—n with that breath that uttered it The scandals wherewith they have publickly aspersed the secured and secluded Members in print are these That wee are a corrupt Majority and apostatizing party selfe-seeking men old Royalists New-malignants Neuters Traitors Men byassed from the common Cause powerfully carrying on their own designes to secure themselves and work their own advantage by a corrupt closure with the King and by subtill endeavours making way for the bringing him in on TERMS DESTRUCTIVE to the Publick a corrupt Majority designing the establishment of a lasting Dominion between the King and themselves in a perpetuall Parliament No wonder those Saints dâ—generated so far to act the Devills part as to carry and cast us prisoners into hell it selfe and there keep us waking upon the bare boards all night without any accommodations when they seized us were wee such persidious Judasses or incarnate Devills as they would render us to the Kingdome and those for whom wee serve before ever they vouchsafed particularly thus to charge us or bear our just defence either as Members or Freemen of England However were we every way as vile as they would make us yet it is as clear as the Noon-day Sun That these very Officers and the Army being not our Masters but Servants particularly raised waged and engaged by solemn Leacue and Covenant among other things to protect and defend the Parliaments and Members Rights priviledges and persons from all Force and violence whatsoever in such manner as both Houses and the Committee of both Kingdomes should approve cannot pretend the least shadow of reason or authority from the Law of God or man thus traiterously to seized imprison and seclude us without the Houses license before any particular charge against us it being a far more detestable and inexcusable Treason and Rebellion then Jermins or Percies attempt to bring up the Northern Army to over awe the Houses or the Kings comming to the Commons House to demand the five Members only formerly impeached of High-Treason without seizing or secluding them the Hause or any other Members or Wallers Tompkins and Chaloners Treason to seize severall Members of both Houses and bring them to a legall Tryall as they pretended and to awe and master the Parliament for which they were condâ—mned and executed as Traitors though never actually attempted or the Reformadoes or Apprentices unarmed violence for a few hours without seizing or secluding any Member which yet the Generall Officers and Army in their Remonstrances Letters and papers declared to be Treasonable and pressed for speedy and exemplary Iustice against the chief Actors and Abettors of it to prevent the like attempts and force for the future But what is the true and onely ground of all this outcry Surely the Generall Conncell of the Oâ—ffiâ—rs of the Army in their Answer of Ian. 3 1648. Pag. 7 8. 9 10. ingenuvsly confâ—ss 〈◊〉 it was noâ—hinâ— but our vote upon the long nights debate on the fisth of December last That the Answers of the King to the Propositions of both Houses were a ground for the House to proceed upon for the setâ—lement of the peace of the Kingdome being the largest the safest and benefioiallest ever yet granted by any King to his Subjects since the Creation and that we resolved to settle a speedy and well grounded peace upon most honourable and secure termes for the Kingdomes publike interest and felicity not our owne particular advantages after seven years bloody expensive wars and refused to follow the pâ—rnicious treasonable Iesuiticall advice of these Enemies of peace who intend to make a lasting trade of war in breaking off the Treaty with the King upon the first tender of their Treasonable Remonstrance Nâ—vemb 20. some few dayes before the Treaty expired contrary to our publick Engagement both to the King and Kingdome and would not directly contrary to our Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance our Solemn Protestation League and Covenant our multiplyed Remonstrances Declarations ' Petitions Propositions and Engagements to the King Kingdom People Scotland Ireland all forraigne Protestant States and the World immediately imprison arraigne condemn depose and execute the King dis-inherit and banish the Prince and Royall line as Traitors dispose of all the Crown revenues towards their arrears dissolve the present Parliament forthwith subvert all future Parliaments and the ancient Government of the Kingdome by King Lords Knights Citizens and Burgesses duly elected and alter all the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of the Realme set up a new Utopian Representative and supream Anarchicall Tyranny of the people to destroy both â— Magistracy Ministery Government Peace Religion and Liberty at once betray bleeding dying Ireland then near its ruine to the bloody Popish Irish Rebells and bring speedy inevitable destruction on our three Kingdomes and those respective
the question now debating I shall with the greater boldness crave liberty to discharge my conscience towards God and duty to my dying country which now lies at stake and so much the rather because for ought I know it may be the last time I shall have freedome to speak my minde within this House That I may in this great debate more sincerely speak my very heart and soul without any prejudice I shall humbly crave leave briefly to remove two seeming prejudices which may perchance in some members opinions inervate the strength of those reasons I shal humbly represent unto you to make good my conclusion touching the satisfactorinesse of the Kings answers to the Houses Propositions The first is that wherewith some Members have upon another occasion the last week and now again tacitely aspersed me That I am a Royal Favorite alluding to the title of one of my books out of which some have collected an abstract in nature of a charge against the King and this day published it in my name and am now turned an Apostate to the Kings party and interest To which I shall return this short answer I hope without any vain-glory or boasting being thus provoked thereunto That I have opposed and written against the King and his Prelates Arbitrary power illegal proccedings more then any man That I have suffered from the King and Prelates for this my opposition more then any man That if the King and Prelates be ever restored to their pristine Arbitrary power and illegall prerogative I must expect to suffer from them as much if not more then any man That all the Royal favour I ever yet received from his Majesty or his Partie was the cutting off both my ears two several times one after another in a most barbarous manner the setting me upon three severall pillories at Westminster and in Cheapside in a disgraceful manner each time for two houres space together stigmatizing on both cheeks the burning of my licenced books before my face by the hand of the hangman the imposing of two fines upon me of 50001.2 peece expulsion out of the Innes of Court and University of Oxford and degradation in both the losse of my calling almost nine yeares space the seisure of my Bookes and Estate above eight years imprisonment in several prisons at least 4 of these years spent in close imprisoment and exile in CARNARV AN in Northwales and in the lsle of IERSEY where I was debarred the use of pen inke paper and all books almost but the Bible with the least accesse of any friend without any allowance of diet for my support And all this for my good service to the State in opposing Popery and Regall Tyranny for all which sufferings and losses I never yet received one farthing recompence from the King or any other though I have waited above 8 years at your doors for justice and reparations and neglecting my own private calling and affairs imployed most of my time studies and expended many hundred pounds out of my purse since my inlargement to maintain your cause against the King his Popish and Prelaticall party For all which cost and labour I never yet demanded nor received one farthing from the Houses nor the least office or preferment whatsoever though they have bestowed divers places of honour upon persons of less or no desert nor did I ever yet receive so much as your publike thanks for any publike service â—on you which every preacher usually receives for every Sermon preached before you most others have received for the meanest services though I have brought you off with honor in the cases of Cant. and Macg. when you were at a loss in both cleared the justness of your cause when it was at the lowest ebb to most reformed Churches abroad who received such satisfaction fro my books that they translated them into several languages ingaged many thousands for you at home by my writings who were formely dubious unsatisfied Now if any Member or old Courtier whatsoever shal envy my happiness for being such a royal or State favorite as this I wish he may receive no other badges of Royall favour from his Majesty nor greater reward or honor from the Houses then I have done and then I beleeve he will no more causlesly asperse or suspect me for being now a Royal favourite or Apostate from the publike cause True it is which it behoves me now to touch that about 4 years since I published a Book entituled The Royal Popish Favorite wherein as likewise in my Hidden works of Darknesse brought to publique light published a year after it I did with no little labour and expence discover to the world the severall plots and proceedings of the Iesuites Papists and their forraign and domesticke confederates to introduce and set up Popery throughout England Scotland and Ireland and how farre they had inveagled the K. not only to connive at but to countenance and assist them in a great measure more fully evidently then any else had done And those worthy Members of this House who drew up that Declaration whereupon they voted No more Addresses to the King plowed but with my heyfer borrowing all or most of their real materials from my writings A convincing evidence that I am yet no more a Royal favourite then themselves Yet this I must adde withall to take off that aspersion of being an Apostate from my first principles that I never published those Books as I then professed in them and now again protest to scandalize or defame the King or alienate the peoples affections from him much lesse to depose or lay him quite aside though I am clear of opinion that Kings are accountable for their Actions to their Parliaments and whole kingdoms and in case of absolute necessity where Religion Laws Liberties and their kingdoms will else be inevitably destroyed by their Tyrannicall and flagitious practises be deposed by them if there be no speciall oaths nor obligations upon their consciences to the contrary which is our present case much less did I it out of any malice or revenge for the injustice I received from him in the executions done upon my person and estate which I have long since cordially forgiven and do now again forgive him from my soul beseeching God to forgive him likewise but meerly to discover his former errours in this kinde unto himselfe that he might seriously repent of them for the present and more carefully avoid and detest them for time to come and that the Parliament and whole kingdom might more clearly discern the great danger our Religion was in before we publikely discerned it and the several wayes and stratagems by which Popery got such head and growth among us that they might thereby the better prevent the like plots and dangers for the future by wholesom Laws and edicts as I have more largely declared in the books themselves This grand prejudice against me being
for our security and settlement far more then we our selves demanded in two or three former Treaties and would have bin glad with the moity of it within these few months ten thousand times more then we can gain by a breach with the King upon such disadvantages why should we not all rest thankfully contented and blesse our God that he hath at last inclined the Kings heart to grant so much whereas heretofore he refused to condescend to the tithe of that he hath granted nowâ— Doubtlesse we can never answer such a peevish absurd ingratitude either to God or men and those Counties Cities and Buroughs who sent us hither in their steads will conne us little thanks for refusing Peace upon such honorable beneficiall and safe Concessions as neither they nor we can ever hereafter hope for if rejected now upon no grounds of reason but peevishnesse and will If any object as some have done that the King indeed hath granted all we can desire yet he is so perfidious in his Oaths and Promises as we have found by sad experience in all his Reign that we cannot trust him and therefore all he hath granted is to little purpose I answer That if all he hath granted were still in his own power to dissolve or recall at pleasure this Argument were materiall But since he hath put all our desired security in our hands alone and such as our selves shall appoint and left nothing unto his sole or joint disposall with us the objection is but weak and recoils upon our selves that we dare not trust our selves with our safety It a Shaâ—k come to borrow some money of a Usurer whose word and hand he dares not take yet if he give him a Pawn or Morgage of his Lands in hand he will then trust him without any scruple The King hath given such a sufficient Pawn Morgage and put it into our own hand therefore we need not doubt him now Besides if we cannot trust him for what he hath granted it was a mockery of him and the Kingdome to treat with him to grant it and if so the Kingdom will say they have little cause hereafter to trust us for such palpable dissimulation as the King For my part I have seen so much experience in the world that I dare trust none with my own or the Kingdoms safety but Godâ— alone Put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man in whom there is no help It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in men or Princes have been my Maxims and we have seen such strange Mutabilities and perfidiousnesse in men of all sorts since our troubles that we cannot trust neither the King nor Prince City nor Countrey this Generall nor that Generall this Army nor those that were before it nor yet our selves who are jealous one of another trecherous one to another distrustfull of all and now distrusted by all ever since we began to confide in men and found out a new generation of confiding men Let us begin to trust in God alone in the first place and then we need not distrust the King for time to come any more then others or our selves whose dear bought experience of breach of former trust and promises will make him more carefull of violating his present Concessions for the future especially having put such securityâ— unto our own hands to bind him to an exact performance But it hath been objected by the Generall and Officers in the Army in their late Remonstrance and by some who have spoken in this debate who would teach the King before hand how to elude and vacat all his grants and promises that all the Kings Concessions are and will be void because made by duresse of imprisonment whiles under restraint I answer That the King during all this Treaty hath been in such a condition of honour freedom and safety and had such free liberty of consultation and debate upon his own earnest desire and his parties too as well as the Houses that he can neither with honour nor justice avoid those Concessions by any pretext of Duresse especially since he hath denyed some things and had the same liberty not to have granted other things had he been pleased not to grant them Besides the King is to confirm the whole Treaty by Acts of Parliament to which he is to give his Royall assent and Oath too when all is concluded and that in a free condition then no Duresse can avoid them nor more then Magna Charta it self first gained by the sword and oft confirmed in Parliament by our Kings against their wills In the year of our Lord 1222 The Barons demanding of King Henry the third the confirmation of the great Charter and their Liberties according to his Oath upon the conclusion of the Peace with Lewis of France William Brewer one of his evill Councell answered That the Liberties they demanded were not to be observed nor confirmed because they were forcibly extorted Whereupon words growing between the Barons the Archbishop of Canterbury and Brewer the King closed up the strife with this honourable Answer All of us have sworn to these Liberties and that which we have assented and sworn to ALL OF VS ARE BOVND TO OBSERVE We to this day injoy these Liberties being confirmed by Act of Parliament and sworn to by our Kings though forcibly extorted at the first And so may we much more enjoy the Kings Concessions when turned into Acts and sealed with a sacred Oath superadded to a Royall assent Mr. Speaker I have now waded through the whole Treaty and given you the best reasons I can out of every parcell of it to prove the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers and answered all Objections hitherto made against my conclusion I shall now by your patience and leave proceed a step or two further to evidence by cleer demonstrations and reasons to your consciences First that our closing with the King upon these Concessions is the only the speediest best loyallest safest and certainest way to settle a firm and lasting Peace between the King Parliament and his three Kingdoms Secondly that the new way to Peace and settlement proposed and prosecuted by the Generall the Officers of the Army and their friends in the House is a most desperate dishonourable unsafe course and certain way to speedy ruine both of our King Parliaments Army City Country and three Kingdomes too yea a â—eer project of the Jesuites to destroy the King dissolve this present and all future Parliaments betray Ireland to the Popish Rebels subvert our Religion Reformation Laws Liberties Kingdoms introduce Popery Tyranny slavery and makes us a prey to our forreign Enemies and if I make this clearly appear to all your consciences and reasons I beseech you lay all your hands upon your hearts and consider what you vote in this debate lest you become instrumentall to the Jesuits accomplish these their designs in
certain destructions and desolation to this poor Kingdome and more especially to the Army and their adherents in this desperate advice who must stand or fall upon their own bottome without the least aid or contribution from any other I desire them and all others who have either eyes or brains in their heads most seriously to consider But that which makes me most of all detest this desperate advice is this That it is the only way that can be thought upon to accomplish the Popes and Jesuites designs to set up Popery and subvert the Protestant Religion and professors of it in all our three Kingdoms and in all forraign Realms beyond the Seas For if this reforming Parliament which hath pretended so much to the extirpation of Popery shall so far play the Popes and Jesuites the undoubted contrivers of this Armys New-model of our peace and settlement as to depose and behead the King his father and forever disinherit him of the Crown bring him as a Traitor to die without mercy if he come hither It wil so far provoke and exasperate him the Duke being both young and of generous spirits not throughly grounded in our Religion and under the Queens tuition and in the power of this popish party abroad who will aggravate these high affronts and injuries put upon them to the utmost and on whose protection they will be in this case necessitated to cast themselves that there is great fear and probability they will immediately renounce such a bloody and detestable Religion as shall insâ—igate us to such horrid actions and Councels and abominate all the professors of it so as totally to abandon them and turn Roman Catholicks in good earnest and then match themselves to great potent popish Alliances and by their purses forces and assistance and of the Popes and all his Catholick sonnes in Forraigne parts for the advancement of the Catholick cause and of the popish Malignants and discontented parties in England Scotland and Ireland which will questionlesse receive and assist the Prince as their Soveraign Lord and King invade our poore impoverished divided and distressed kingdom with such a power as in all humane probability would speedily over-runne and destroy this mutinous Army and the Houses too put them with their adherents to the Sword without mercy or quarter and disinherit them and their heirs for ever to revenge their Fathers blood and their dis-inherison of the Crown c. And then Popery and Prelacy will both return with greater authority power approbation then ever over-spread our whole three kingdoms and extirpate our Religion the professors of it as the most anti-Monarchical treacherous and perfidious bloody Miscreants under heaven excite all other forraign States and kingdoms to do the like to prevent the springing up of a new generation of treacherous King-killing State-subverting Agitators and Hypocritical perfidious Army-Saints and engage all Protestant kingdoms Churches and States for their own security and vindication to disclaim and declare against us This questionlesse will be the sad inevitable issue of this Jesuiticall advice if ever the Houses or Army shall put it into actuall execution and not speedily prevent it it being long since fore-plotted by the Jesuites as I shall prove anon at the beginning of the late Warre against the Scots But if the Prince and Duke be set aside I would gladly learn of these Statists who and what King they would set up Not any of the Kings posterity certainly since they dis-inherit two at a blow and the blood being corrupted by the Kings and their attainders no other heir can inherit it by descent it must escheat to the Houses or Armies disposal and become no kingdom at all but an Elective one if any And is this the next way to peace and settlement If so I have certainly lost my reason and senses too No it will be a seminary of lasting Wars of which few elective Kingdoms are long free every new election producing commonly a new Warre where there is no pretence of an hereditary succession much more where a right heir is forcibly and unjustly dis-inherited I shall give you but one instance though I could name you divers and that is a memorable one at home in our owne kingdom King Henry the first having one onely daughter Maud to reserve the Crown unto her after his death caused her to be crowned and made all the Prelates and Nobles swear to receive her as their Queen and Princesse after his decease But she marrying afterwards to the Emperour and being out of the Realme when King Henry died The Archbishop of Canterbury with the rest of the Prelates and Nobles contrary to their Oath and agreement elected Stephen Earle of Bloyes for their King and put by Maud the right heir Stephen taking an Oath to grant and confirm those Laws and Liberties for the kingdoms peace and settlement as they propounded to him before his Coronation A very likely means to settle Peace and prosperity as they imagined But was the event answerable No verily this cursed perjury and pollicy brought all the chiefe contrivers of it to great calamity and miserable ends and engendred a bloody civill Warre in the bowels of this kingdom which continued no lesse then seventeene years together with interchangeable successes till the whole kingdom was laid waste and desolate most Houses Towns and Villages burned to the ground their Gardens and Orchards quite destroyed their monies and estates exhausted and plundered their Cattle and flocks consumed and eaten up their Fields over grown with weeds in stead of Corne most of the people devoured by the Sword Famine and Pestilence and eleven hundred Castles Holds and Garrisons erected which were no other but dens of Theeves and Plunderers This was the peace and settlement this policy produced At last both Parties weary of the Wars out of pure necessity came to a Personall Treaty and in conclusion made this agreement That Stephen having no issue of his body should enjoy the Crowne during his life and Henry son and heir to Maud and next heir also to Stephen should succeed him after his death and in some sort officiate with him in the kingdoms Govenment during his life And so these long lasting Warres concluded after which there were at least eleven hundred Castles demolished by order of Parliament crected during these wars to the Countreys utter undoing But if we dis-inherit the Prince and Duke for ought I discern if they suddainly recover not their possession of the Crown of England after one seven years of Warre already elapsed we may have seventeen years more and seventeen after that again and be reduced to a more miserable condition then our Ancestors were in King Stephens dayes And that upon these two grounds First the contest then was onely between two Competitors for this one kingdom who had no other kingdoms of their own to side with them But the Prince and Duke being successively heirs as well to
this to depose and bring the King to Justice disinherit the Princes and Kings posterity dissolve the present Parliament and pull all future Parliaments and ' their Priviledges up by the roots subvert the Fundamentall Government of the Realm and set up a new representative to dash all these in pieces and destroy Religion Magistracy and Ministry Did they not all abhor and disclaim in Publique all such thoughts and intentition as these and when objected by the King and his party out of jealousie amd fear did not the Houses presently resent and remonstrate against it as the grossest scandall and their adherents too Or would ever a man have engaged with the Houses or the Houses with them in this War or enrolled his name even in this New Model'd Army had he been told at first That he must fight to depose and bring the King to execution to dis-inherit his posterity dissolve this Parliament and the very Rights Priviledges and being of all future Parliaments to set up a new Government and representative in our Church and State to alter and change all things at their fancies and to break every clauses and article of the Solemn League Conant If not one of these was the true end of our Wars and Engagement against the King at first and all along till now but the clean contrary to them then how can they now be propounded as the only fruits of our wars and means or conditions of our Peace and Settlement Will they not all say if the Houses or Army proceed in their Proposals for Peace and Settlement mentioned in their last Remonstrance that they engaged and took up Arms to doe quite contrary to what they now propose to the Houses and endeavour to enforce them to put it in punctuall execution And will they not now say That they are by their originall Engagement and Covenants obliged with their lives and estates to oppose and oppugn the Army in all these particulars that having thus declared and resolved they cannot pray for but against the Armies late successes herein that they cannot henceforth contribute towards their future pay and support in point of conscience or prudence but must withdraw and withhold their contributions and resist them to their Faces declare their Commissions null and not look on or take them as an Army but as a tumultnous rout of persons assembled without Commission to act over Iack Cades Treasons again and quite pull down that frame of Government and Order which they have been building up and supporting these many years with such vast expence of Treasure and bloud Better then displease the ARMY then that all these Covenanters and Engagers should suffer to theirs the three Kingdoms hazard Ireland's certain losse and this very Armies overthrow which these Jesuiticall designs wil certainly destroy in a very short space if they Iehu-like drive on so furiously in prosecution and execution of them as they have done of late Consider I beseech you of the desperatenesse and excessive unavoidable destructivenesse of these monstrous wayes to the speedy peace and settlement of our Church and State and of the safety and security of the things your selves have pitched on for Peace and Settlement in and by the Treaty and Lord guide our Hearts and Votes a right therein that we choose not death in stead of life the wayes of misery and destruction in stead of the way of Peace which Armies seldom know or prescribe to themselves or others Mr. Speaker HAving thus demonstrated to you the unavoydable destructivenesse and confusion of those Counsels and pretended wayes of settlement which the Officers of the Army have propounded and would imperiously and forcibly thrust you upon to the Kings Kingdomes Parliaments Religions their own our and Irelands certain and most speedy ruine I must now crave leave with much sadnesse of heart to unbosome my very soul unto you and discover you that secret which God hath so clearly manifested to my understanding that I dare not under the highest penalty but acquaint you with That the Jesuites and Roman Priests and Catholicks are the originall contrivers and principall somenters of the late and present distempers and undutifull mutinous proceedings and counsels of the Officers and Army and chief contrivers of the new Babel or model of confusion which they have tendred to you in their late Remonstrance as the only way to peace and settlement And if I shall clearly demonstrate this unto the House I hope every Member present and the whole Army and Kingdome when they know it will eternally abhor and renounce it and never henceforth countenance or promote this Jesuiticall and Romish designe which I am perswaded the Generall and most of the Officers and Souldiers in the Army in the simplicity of their hearts with honest and publick intentions of Justice and common Freedom have been ignorantly drawn into by over-reaching pates and Machiavilian Policies of these cunning Iesuites who can metamorphose themselves into any shapes and invisibly infinuate themselves into their counsels and actings to promote their own interest and our destruction I do not prosesse my self to be any great Statesman or exactly to know what ever is secretly transacted among us But this I can say without disparagement to others or vain-glory to my self That I have for many years last past been as curious an observer of all the great transactions of Affairs in Church or State and of the instruments and means by which they have been covertly contrived and carried on as any man in this House or Kingdom and that God hath honoured me in being one of the first discoverers and opposers of the Jesuites and Papists plots to undermine our Religion and usher in Popery by degrees into our Church by making use of our Popish and Arminian Prelates and Clergy-men as their Instruments and broaching one Arminian and Popish Doctrine and introducing one Popish Superstition and Innovation after another of which I have given this House and the Kingdome the fullest and clearest discoveries of any man and likewise of introducing Tyranny Arbitrary power and civill combustions in our State of which I likewise made seasonable discoveries and opposition the ground of all my sufferings close imprisonment and banishent to prevent the like detections and oppositions And since my return from exile I have in my ROME'S MASTER-PIECE The ROYALL POPISH FAVOVRITE HIDDEN WORKS OF DARKNESSE BROVGHT TO PVBLICK LIGHT The ANTIPATHY OF ENGLISH PRELACY TO VNITY and MONARCHY and The HISTORY OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBVRY's TRY ALL and other Writings given the World such an exact account of the Iesuites and Papists plots and influences upon our Church State Court Councels Prelates corrupt Clergy and all sorts of people to reduce us back to Rome supplant Religion subvert Parliaments set up tyranny and involve us in civill Wars both in England Scotland and Ireland concealed from most and scarce known to any before these discoveries as none else before or since mee have done all