SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON OCCASION of the Publishing their MAJESTIES LETTERS OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the Vniversity 1645. SOME OBSERVATIONS Vpon Occasion of the publishing their Majesties LETTERS SVCH is the unhappy ingagement of many People in this Kingdome such the Nature of most men That what is written to detract from Princes or great men shall ever find an easier beleife then what is rationally offered to defend them against Aspersions So as it might seem a vaine thing to declare a private mans Opinion concerning the intercepted Letters of the King since the Preface saies He must be a Papist the worst of men or a Jesuit the falsest of Papists that would defend them Well! Let it find beliefe as it will He is neither Papist nor Jesuit that dares say If there be not forgery in some part of the King's Letters for a word or two varied or omitted may make a new matter yet the inferences on them are neither perspicuous nor modest The Letters not unworthy a Prince Defendor of the Faith against whom so dangerous and causelesse a Rebellion was then in it's height threatning both to his Government and to the Protestant Profession of the Christian Religion in this Kingdome an utter ruine I 'le say no more But we know the Spyder sucks a poysonous juice cut of the same flower a Bee doth Hony Inquire into thy owne nature as well as these Letters and see if thou had'st had either a Christian or a Morall Spirit whether these short Observations following were not more naturall out of those Letters then those publisht Look then upon these Letters as the truest Mirour of the King's mind Here you may say He was not drawne but He showed himselfe to the life So as the worst of men cannot but confesse here is the worst of the King And if it be so without any Flattery which Princes in an imbroyl'd condition are not much troubled with for they are usually commended or dispraised by Excesses see what is unworthy of Him in all that hath passed from Him Will you see Him in His Religion to Her who by all your former Declarations must be understood to have corrupted Him in that which He profest yet in Cipher it is Pag. 8th I need not tell thee what Secrecy this businesse requires yet this I will say that this is the greatest point of confidence I can expresse to thee for it is no thankes to me to trust thee in any thing else but in this which is the only thing of difference in opinion betwixt Vs What is the King so found a Protestant Surely we have much slandered his footsteps then And he is the Lord 's Annointed We know the nature of the Crime and such a Crime there is For how hainous is it now to flounder the pretended House of Commons or both Houses called the Parliament in this usurped Authority From the syncerity of my heart I professe it I conceive were the rest of the passages in the Letters as ill as they are descanted and paraphrazed upon this might wipe off much of the sully But let us examine whether it be the naturall coulor of the things or the ill humour in our sight that makes them of the ill dye and hue they are represented What is this great Secrecy le ts read the words It is presumption not piety so to trust to a good Cause as not to use all law full meanes to maintaine it what ver is proposed I find it is conceived law full I have thought of one meanes more to furnish thee with for my assistance then hither to thou hast had what not hitherto It is that I give thee power to promise in my name to whom thou thinkest fit that I will take away all the Penall Lawes against the Roman Catholick in England as soone as God shall enable me to do it So as by their meanes you see it 's a Bargain not a Favour or in their favours I may have so power full assistance as may deserve so great a favour and in able me to do it Here comes the great and popular Charge Here say the three Orations to my Lord Major c. And the Annotations Printed at the end of these Letters so Lawes shall be repealed by force The King who hath so often declared and protested against Papists now dispensing with them How agrees this with the title of Defendour of the Faith c. An ill Rhetorician to a misaffected and ignorant People may make this seem very odious But to rationall men and I am confident many that could not find out reason will understand it when it is laid before them I offer this that followes That true it is and would it were as received an Opinion as it is true That no man or body politick may commit a sinne for any good that may be pretended to be procured thereby So as if this Dispensation were in it selfe sinfull then for no end by the King to have been granted But this Dispensation of Penall Lawes is but a forbearance of punishment which certainly by all Learned men is granted Gro. de Iu. Bel. Pac. C. Princes may nay ought to doe when the exercising of Justice may be the breach of Charity and other Vertues that is when for punishing some Rebels strong and too well back'd He must wage a Warre that may be the destruction of many of His Loyall Subjects Thus you see Princes on whom Societies depend may be rather charitable to many then just on few So the State of the Question will be this A Prince in his Government is like to be undermined And the establisht Religion of the Kingdome He professeth and is resolved to maintaine for sure none will say now that the King is a Papist or Popishly affected is by the power of a Rebellious sort of men like to be altered A bloudy and sharp Warre being continued to effect this To preserve his own Rights and maintaine the Religion by Law established The Question is Whether He may not dispence with Penall Lawes against another Sect or sort of His Subjects who by themselves or Freinds may procure Him an ayde to maintaine his Government and Religion Surely I may say yes For 1. If it be not to set up a false Religion but to lessen Penalties against it it is not sinfull specially since it was a necessitated Act in Him by the Rebellion of his other Subjects For he approves not of their Religion but dispences with freedom of Conscience And if this be an odious Tenent sure there be many think it so only in the King 2. I will not say which is most Politick but I beleeve I may say it is more Christian to let the Doctrine of Teachers and the good life of the Disciples convert men to the purity of Profession then the Coercive power 3. If a stranger be not procured to resist this Rebellion Then necessarily the King must be dethroned Religion established alter'd or
the Warre in the Kingdom continued if not both for none ever saw quiet times after so great Innovations Now which were better That a King should let all His Subjects be imbrueing their hands in each others Bloud or by calling in Assistance by dispencing with Penalties against still to be remembred not setting up one sort of his Subjects happily procure a Peace to all For if he had been considerably strong peradventure His Rebells would not need to have been fought with but by Treaty have made a Peace secure though not pleasing to all If they would not were it not farre better He had power to reduce them Lastly can it be hainous in Him to call Forraign friends to his assistance who hath his own Subjects of this Kingdom and others though Subjects to Him yet Forraigners to the Kingdom in the bowells of the Kingdom invading Him and sooyling His Subjects Besides when is it that He promiseth this ultima Ratio Regis but in March last Nay it was a secret then to Her who was conceived the Cabinet of all His secrets so as I may say it entred not into His heart till danger shewed it Him or He kept it for a Reserve that he would not part with if he could save Cursed be those that put the necessity on Him For the objection how this suits with Defendor of the Faith surely nothing clearer For it is to enable himselfe to defend the Religion professed That title leads Him as much as He can to make all His Kingdom of one beliefe But rather to leave unpunisht divers Professions then let that establisht perish That this is the true case nothing clearer For see whether the Propositions of the Houses either to take the Sword not his Militin alone but also his Iudicature into their power or the altering the government of the Church be demands upon the old Foundations or Lawes of this Kingdom or rather upon new desires of a sort of men ambitious both to reigne over their King and fellow Subjects If both Innovation as without any controversy they are then is the case truly stated And if so sarewell the Peace of this Kingdom for the Question will not nor can be What is But what to the then Members of Parliament seems best And if the King will not consent to it as now so ever hereafter a Warre may be levied Poore Country-men would you could distinguish betwixt Pretences and Realities that you might not thus court your own Ruine and call that Courtship or Flattery to your Prince which is defence of Magna Charta and consequently of your Peace For grant once the present Lawes of a Kingdome may be altered by any other way then they were made you shall never have a Parliament but you may justly feare a Warre But let the King have his just Rights of denying what he thinkes unfit and the Houses theirs of tendting what they think fit and the old splendor and Peace of this Kingdome may be restored The second Observation is That in all the Letters it is manifest the King sincerely sought by His Treaties the Peace of his Subjects and that he made the Lawes in being the Standard or rule to measure it by Nay the Queen is as earnest for it as any one A Peace that might not last is that wich both of them only feare First observe In all this secrecy of Letters there is not one Word that expresses the making use of the Treaty to any other end then procuring Peace which as it shewes the Kings integrity so it manifest the Queenes innocency For had shee been contrarily affected the King would have used arguments to have induc'd her thereunto Read then what He saies of it what she saies First in respect of the aversenesse of those at London to Peace He is forced to use dexterity in procuring a Treaty you see then from whom the Treaty moved Therefore proposes His own comming up to London And you see this is no delusion for the Queen Pag. 31. Startles at it as being by Her supposed probably of much danger to His Majesties Person But alas that She is carefull of Her Husband will be anon objected to be Her fault but not one of those that I think worthy to Answere Nay observe whether she be against it She only tells Her thought and hath had too just ground to suspect If you trust to these People you are lost c. Pag. 20. She declares I wish a Peace more then any and that with greater reason The short of all Her meaning is in pag. 30. J have nothing to say but that You have a care of Your Honour and that if you have a Peace it may be such a one as may hold A Peace with the Kings Honour who from the beginning desired no new thing or any of that glorious greatnesse promised and such a one as might last are very ill wishes or they very ill men that interpret them so Nay observe in the same Letter She writes concerning Catholicks and you 'l find She knew not what the King might resolve for there is no such dangerous influence from Her Majesty on the King as the People must believe For saies she in my opinion Religion should be the last thing upon which You Treat Why For if You doe agree upon strictnes against the Catholicks then for ought she knew it might be it would discourage them to serve You. Look upon pag. 11. And you 'l read the wayes the King hath used to come to a Treaty and the Grounds These His Majesty sets downe how His whole party are strangely impatient for Peace where are His evill Councellors then unlesse advising Peace be one evidence of it What doth the King upon this Is it to comply with them No His Answer is Which obliged me so much the more to shew my reall intentions thereunto If you read on you 'l find the King takes notice of Factions among you What use doth He make of it or what hope I am put in good hope some holds it a certainty that if I could come to a faire Treaty the ring-leading Rebells could not hinder me from a Peace Sure then it 's plaine the Treaty was only sought to procure Peace Nay pag. 2. See Whether the King be not ready to resume the Treaty after it was broken so certainly it was left at your doores and to make the Queen the meanes of it so he were satisfied but of a willingnesse to yeeld to reason Nay before I part with this I 'le desire you but to remember who were the Treaters Men of great Honour and Integrity and to the end they might have all freedome observe but their Oath and how strictly it bound them from certifying even to His Majesty the name though in some cases they might the number of the dissenters Would you were in a Constitution and Temper to weigh I dare say you could not then but value His Majesties Wisdom in the Instructions He gave
His Commissioners I 'le end with these few notes out of them to let passe the substance of those Instructions since my purpose only is to shew how really His Majesty sought a Peace how fowly soever He is now traduced That He offered to joyne in the rectifying abuses if any have crept into the Church Easing tender Consciences c. Stands not upon giving the Rebells security by strong Townes that Articles agreed on should be performed And offering some of them rewards or places Nay in all the Letters there is not one word of taking revenge in the future on any Person which expresses as well His Majesties Christian as generous spirit Be not now angry with me that all this satisfies me of His Majesties Princely intentions to His people and amazes me of your Comments I cannot say remember Cham that discovered his Fathers Nakednesse for that 's not your case you discover not you make There is no Example But a Prophecy or a Character of such men as you That in these latter times Many should be Traitors and speak evill of Dignities c. Your present successes may make you unapt to believe this but when the time of Affliction comes then you may as Solomon saies Consider For truly I divulge this more to justify honest men who have a dutifull and reverend opinion of His Majesties Letters then with hope to convert an unreasonable and obstinate party Many more instances there are to be drawn out of the Kings Letters but there is a whole Book of the Treaty and I love not actum agere The next great Objection Is the Cessation and Peace with Ireland That also is at large handled in the said Booke and therefore I shall only touch some things naturall to these Letters See then the Reasons which are chiefly these pag. 27. All the World knowes the imminent and inevitable necessity which caused me to make the Irish Cessation And there remaines yet as strong reason for concluding of that Peace And pag. 16. 1. The impossibility of preserving my Protestant Subjects in Jreland by a continuation of a Warre having moved me to give you these powers and directions which I have formerly done c. 2. Besides it being now manifest that the English Rebells have as farre as in them lies given the Command of Ireland to the Scots I think my selfe bound not to let slip the meanes of setling that Kingdome if it may be fully under my obedience nor to loose that assistance I may hope from my Irish Subjects Here you may observe the necessity lay upon the King For you had deprived him of force either to save his Protestant Subjects or to reduce his Popish Then He saw Jreland as a prey given to the Scots And surely the Irish have which I hope we shall never grudge them since they are His-Majesties subjects what ever their Religion is reason to expect to have His protection And lastly His Majesty saw his Irish Subjects designed as a Conquest for the Scot and so he knew he should not only want that assistance which in duty the Irish ought to yeeld him for certainly Protestant Princes may use their Popish Subjects in their Warres since none doubt Christians formerly could serve Heathen Emperours in theirs But by the Scots Conquest of the Jrish he was also to expect the Rebellion against Himselfe so much the more strengthned Nay English subjects might hereafter find the Scots who now helped them in this Rebellion when they should be masters of their own Lands possessors of so much of ours for I doubt few of us shall live to see them wholly outed so enrich'd as they are by the plunder of this Country and so strengthned by the footing given them in Ireland Would at last be as like to conquer or give the Law to this Nation as they are now ready to assist some of them And here let me say since the King was borne in Scotland I cannot enough expresse how much the English are bound to Him for His sense of the honour of this Nation See how he expresseth it pagâ—â— The English Rebells whether basely or ignorantly will be no very great difference have as much as in them lier transmitted the command of Ireland from the Crowne of England to the Scots Observe what He saies in His Instructions concerning the Scots interest in the Government of the Militia of this Kingdome If the English Rebells will be so base to admit ten Scots to twenty English But this care of the Honour of England was no new humor or distast towards the present Scots Rebells for in that Letter pag. 34. so spitefully printed but so advantagiously to His Majesty you see the King is positive enough with the Question to whom now the only objection is that He is too indulgent And one part of the quarrell is She neglects the English Tongue and the Nation in generall Behold then upon all Oceasions how sensible He is of the Honour of this Nation who are at present so forgetfull of their Duty to Him and their Countrey But to returne to the businesse in hand Marke the King's Offers conclude a Peace with the Irish what ever it cost so as my Protestant Subjects there may be secured and my Legall Authority preserved A Fatherly a Kingly care one would think But for all this you are to make the best bargaine still it 's a Bargain and still it 's upon a necessity it 's still but a Dispensation with Penall Lawes and not discover your inlargement of power till you needs must At last if the suspension of Toinings Act for such Bills as shall be agreed on between you there and the present taking away of the Penall Lawes against Papists by a Law will doe it I shall not thinke it a hard bargain Poinings Act which is knowne to be a Law whereby all Acts in Parliament there were to be first sent over hither and confirmed by the King before they be promulged is the first This indeed is a Branch of Royalty a Flower of the Crowne and not to be parted with certainly were it not upon such a necessity as endangers the being of Soveraignty True it was a marke of Irelands Conquest and if it were so hainous in my Lord Strafford to say the Irish were a Conquer'd Nation to the same Persons that were so severe in their Iudgements for that Can it now be so grievous that a mark of a Conquest should be wiped out The second is dispensing with the Execution and afterwards Repeale of the Penall Lawes This hath had my observations on it in the first Objection and therefore shall not be repeated in this Onely you plainly see it is a necessitated dispensing with the punishment of particular Persons Appeales to Rome denied Premunire must stand in force In short Papists may be eased Popery not countenanced Remember who causes the Storme that makes the Merchant fling his goods over boord For that Objection that His Majesty hasted