Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65521
|
Westminster projects, or, The mystery of iniquity of Darby-House discovered
|
|
1648
(1648)
|
Wing W1468; ESTC P1081
|
8,711
|
16
|
Numb 5. Westminster Projects OR The Mystery of Iniquity OF Darby-House Discovered A Plot a Plot our Saviours cry But dare it not declare Because alas they know full well Themselves the Traitors are Yet though they think themselves secure And juggle with the City Who are deluded once againe And cheated more 's the pity Yet yet them know their knavery shall To all the world appeare For I 'le not keep their secrets I For flatterie or feare Printed no body knowes where licensed no body knows when and sent into the world by the appointment of the said Committee because they could not help it in this yeare of their vexation 1648. VVestminster Projects IT is strange that in a time of Reformation there should be so much wickednesse and in high places too that Westminster should after all its seeming sanctity become such a Den of Devills such a Cage of unclean Birds but what remedy what is past cure must be past care also But yet it is requisite that they should be knowne for Knaves unknowne passe for honest men and there is not such a subtill deceiver in the world as an Angell of light a Devill in the shape of a Saint especially at Westminster hath done more mischief then all the honest men there can ever do good I confesse it a wonder there is no more hurt done considering honest men are so scarce there and knaves so plentifull for you can scarce peep into a Committee but you shall find ten if there be eleven in the number two in a Committee is a miracle nay if you find one in the Committee of Derby I 'le give you leave to hang him though my Lord Say himselfe be there But now I talke of that Committee I will tell you strange newes they have done the Kingdome good service and is not that a wonder in a Committee And if you aske how I must tell you they have discovered a Plot and well they might if you knew all you would say so for as sure as I live they made it the Fox is the finder and for fear others should discover it they did it themselves you know it is good to cry Whore first but you may observe the knavery of the Baker They tell us of a Plot against the Kingdome Parliament and City but by whom they know not not one actor or contriver is discovered and why thinke you because the Earle of Northumberland the Chaire-man of the Committee thinks it not convenient for fear he should be troubled to purchase the life of another Waller to secure his head from the Block But because you shall not be kept in ignorance know their Proverb is verifified there is seldome much smoke but there is some fire so you shall find that there is not only a talk of a Plot but such a plot indeed as tends to the ruine and destruction of all honest men in the Kingdome The particulars thus 1 For the severall Counties of Essex Surrey and Kent the ground and growth of their late Petitions proceeded and had their births from a party in the Houses of Parliament being Members of the Committee of Derby-house with other of their creatures the Earle of Warwick was the first promoter of Essex Petition Sir Arthur Anstoe of Surrey and Sir Simpleton Walsingham with other of his Adherents were drawn into the present ingagement of Kent 2. For London and the parts adjacent there hath been a designe of listing many thousands and putting them into Armes which designe hath had its rise and birth from the treacherous braine of Algernon Percy whose name and family never were found to be faithfull either to God or their Countrey and it may be boldly averred that he was never other then a Traytor to the Kingdome since the late Warre witnesse the plot for which Tompkins and Challenor were murthered wherein the Earle of Northumberland was a chiefe Actor with Waller and therefore though Waller was the greatest offender as having ingaged others yet he must be sold to the Earl of Northumberland for some thousands of pounds and by him conveighed into France not only to conceale his Knavery but to be his Agent to keep up his credit with the Queen and give him intelligence what the Queene desires should be effected This is the reason why you have no further discovery of this dangerous plot whereas had the finders been free you should have had them proclaimed the Authors names imprisoned them seized their estates c. and had a day of Thanksgiving whereas now you see them rather desire a day of Humiliation for sorrow that they were so soon discovered Neither is this honoured Gentleman without other accomplices for there is a Cabinet-Councell of them to wit Sir William Lewis Sir Iohn Clotworthy the Earle of Holland the Countesse of Carlisle Doctor Fraper a Scot Sir Peter Killigrew cum multis alus all which receive constant intelligence from the Queen and act accordingly and by their designement are all these commotions and troubles which threaten the Kingdome to that end is the Earle of Northumbealand Chaire-man of the Committee of Safety at Derby-house to the end he may be inabled to retard proceedings especially if they crosse the ends they aime at But because you shall see that I speake more then probabilities although my neer relation to them would hinder yet I will clearly discover unto you the very bottome of their design In order to which give me leave to informe you that the quarrell betwixt the Factions in the Houses is now not whether the King shall be brought in but who shall bring him in and who shall be the Princes of the People under him when brought in The Royall Presbyterian and Independent for there are such of both sorts as Northumberland Warwick Say Crumwell Ireton Vane Senior Vane Iunior c. they would bring in the King upon their accompt and make such an agreement with him as might not only secure them with safety but advance them to honour also The reall Presbyterian and reall Independent they are willing to bring in the King but they would first have the King secure unto them Religion Law and the Liberties of the Nation but alack they are but a few and their tale cannot be heard for the cry of others is Let us use the best means we can to satisfie the King no matter what becomes of the Kingdome And to this end have they underhand promoted and procured these tumults so that thereby they might force the House to an adjournment which is the chiefe thing they desire and if procured then all the power will reside in that Committee And because they will be sure to doe their worke they have endeavoured to bring in seven Lords more into them namely their whole House which if effected we shall be troubled no more with a House of Peers or Parliament but must be governed by a Committee of Estates and by the power of the Army which by the
assistants of their Grandee Janisaries to wit Sultan Cromwell Bashaw Ireton c. they doubt not but to quell all their opposers and make such a peace with the King as shall secure their power or set up another which shall be but a Cypher to bear the blame of their misgovernment and please the people withall who they say would be quiet if they had any thing like a King though never so powerless or witless And now give me leave to pity those Gentlemen and others who so freely enter into an Ingagement upon such slender grounds and never weigh the consequence of such endertakings Did the Gentlemen of Essex Surrey and Kent with other the Free-holders but conceive how these men hug themselves with the sweet apprehensions of their accomplishing their designs by their actings yea I say did they but as I doe heare and see with what contentment of spirit they receive the tidings of such their tumultuous approaches and indeavours to terrifie and dissolve the Parliament and with what undervaluing words they speak of them as knowing themselves able when they please to crush them and bring them under the lash and did they I say but wich me know that all their delayes therein is but to give time to the Parliament to chew upon their fears which they by their creatures indeavour to heighten that so they might be necessitated to adjourne and look for their own security they would more suddenly have manifested their spleen by the power of the sword destroyed those that have thus ignorantly prosecuted what they themselves so cunningly designed Neither can I choose but pittie the Kings friends when I consider into what a snare they have run themselves I make no question but that they did cordially intend their assistance for the Kings restauration but by these actings as these Politicians have ordered it they have contributed assistance to the Kings ruine for they must know that if the House adjourne and these seeming stormes be once blown over if the King will not grant what they desire these actings though by themselves designed and promoted shall be charged upon the Kings accompt and brought as arguments to justifie their future dealings with him Thus you see the wits of the time out-witted and the proverb verified All is not gold that glisters Here you see a whole Kingdome abused and in danger to be inslaved to advance the interest of foure and twenty K O that Englishmen would be wise and at last before it bee too late by an happy union seek the establishment of iustice and freedome Can you ever expect happinesse from extremes can you find certainty in uncertainties or doe you ever look to get peace by warre order by confusion certainly no rationall man can be so besotted as to imagine that certain rules of government could be a burden to him seeing onely uncertainty hath occasioned all our trouble Had the Kings power and the Parliaments Priviledges been limited and declared the exercise of the Militia could never have caused such a bloudy dispute And I do conceive it is not our work now to contest for preserving the now-established Lawes since we have experimentally found many of them to be burthensome and destructive in themselves none of them by reason of abuse and corruption a protection to us in our liberties or properties but to labour for such an establishment for the future as may be a certain and safe rule for Kings Parliaments and People to walk by since neither in reason ought to be absolved from obedience to all just Lawes or left to govern or be governed by the dictates of lust will or pleasure This rule must make us happy this must be The happy meanes to make this People free Lawes just and equall now can onely bring Peace to the Nation honour to the King Unite then quickly 't is your union must Force your oppressors to be truly just And without you unite you strive in vaine Justice or Freedome ever to obtaine Strike hands then boldly yeeld not to be slaves To cruell Tyrants nor to subtill Knaves FINIS Numb 6. VVestminster Projects OR THE Mystery of Iniquity OF THE Committee of Darby House DISCOVERED Plot on great Wharton and contrive to save the House of Peers For if the King do but survive He 'l pull them by the ears Pray send for Say and St. Johns too and study some device To cheat the Kingdom once again Y 'ave done it neatly twice The Proverb is beware the third For if you make a blort 'T is ten to one you lose your heads and then you 'l spoil the sport For I should very sorry be you should such honour have A Halter I could well afford the portion of a knave Printed no body knows where licenced no body knows when and sent into the world by the appointment of the said Committee because they could not help it in the year of their vexation 1648. Westminster Projects WHat a strange age are we fallen into where nothing but knavery is practised and nothing but Religion professed seeming holiness hath caused our unhappiness and we are cheated into slavery by fair promises of Freedom and Liberty O tempora O mores O times O manners whom shall we beleeve or trust if not those that are seemingly clothed with righteousness who with such zeal dare call the God of Heaven to evidence the sincerity of their hearts in that they had no other end or intention then the advancement of His Majesty and the Peace of the Kingdom But alas alas Great men are subject to forgetfulness especially when their honor and promotion stand in competition with their Religion witness our ambitious Lords and oppressing Grandees who seven years ago preacht a doctrine that the King might not oppress but now they tell us they may A King might not impeach imprison fine c. but now they may and have witness their unjust dealings with the seven impeached Lords eleven impeached Commons and the four Aldermen for the fift he proved a Cullion and acknowledged himself a Traytor and so became capable of mercy and the enjoyment of fourteen hundred a year by the excise which if he had not submitted and kissed sultan Cromwels great Toe he had surely lost and therefore all things considered Alderman Cullum was the wisest man for what are all the Liberties of England worth in comparison of his office Alas money will buy him a good name and so long as he is free no matter who are slaves But on the contrary I must commend the valour honesty and innocency of those worthy Patriots of their Country Sir John Maynard Sir John Geare Alderman Adams Alderman Langham and Alderman Bunce who for their own Vindication and the securing the Liberties of England out of the jaws of those devouring Harpies the Lords who study nothing more than to make the people slaves have so nobly entered the Lists and notwithstanding so many disadvantages in respect of custom presidents power and