Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	liberty_n	parliament_n	4,708	5	6.3048	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96074	The constant man's character. Intended to be sent first as a letter from a gentleman in the country, to a gentlemen his esteemed friend and countryman, a Member of the House of Commons. Since inlarged into a discourse by way of humble advice to keep him from revolting, either directly or collaterally by the side-winde of being Presbyterially affected, through the mistaken and unhappy conceit, that those who have taken the Covenant, cannot without breach of the same, assent and submit unto the late proceedings of the Parliament, when as the parts of the Covenant seem to be inconsistent within themselves, as the author's observations here discoursed do manifest. The scope whereof is 1 Historically to set down the occasion and beginnings of the war. ... 4 To prove the fitness and necessity (as matters now stand) of complying with, and submitting unto this present government. For the powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13. Together with some animadversions incident hereunto on the same book, and on the two declarations, intituled The declarations of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at Oxford. The one touching a treaty for peace, [the] other concerning their endeavors for peace. Printed there, 1643.	S. W.	1650 (1650)	Wing W105; Thomason E595_7; ESTC R204161	52,955	81

was Respice finem the prudential Proverb is made good by an acute Epigram Non refert quà sed quò So the maintenance of the King's Honor c. are but the Means in relation order to the End the preservation of Religion Laws c. The well-weighing which Protestation might have confined and settled the unresolved and doubtfull thoughts of man in what the end and aym of the Protestation was A promise to fulfil in as much as in us lies the Commandements of the first and second Table of the Law directing our duty towards God and Man the severall parts in the Protestation tending in the summe to the maintenance of God's Honor the King 's the Subjects Right and Liberty no one part thereof if rightly applyed and understood crossing another and therefore how it comes to passe that the Protestation being one and the same the course of mens affections should be thus divided into Factions and Part-takings or that some should be of opinion That to maintain the King's Honour Person and Estate is to adhere unto Him in this present War in what He shall command They should withall consider the other parts of the Protestation viz. the Defence of the Protestant Religion the Power and Priviledges of Parliament the Subject's Right and Liberty for by the Protester's observing all the King is best observed and truliest His Honour and Promises being engaged to maintain the latter three when as every one who took the Protestation did in his thoughts endeavour and intend according to his Power to make Him a Soveraign Lord of a Free and Flourishing People the King's Protestations concurring with and tending to that end So the Protestation taken altogether is best observed and kept To the Protestation for the defence of the Protestant Religion every one who takes it is not immediately and specially bound by vertue of his Vow to discover and make known to extirpate or remove all Papists that is above the Power and Liberty of every common person neither is wishing well alone and sitting still a sufficient discharge of the Protester's duty of vowing to Endeavour Endeavouring is a progressive motion and the Protester's supine failing to endeavour can be no better reckoned of then the * Livy Historian did of those Souldiers who dreamed of their Enemies Votis sedendo debellari posse or what the * Isaiah Prophet doth of the Egyptians that their strength was sitting still A perfunctory and neutrall slackness in the Protester satisfies not the precept which God himself enjoyns When thou vowest a vow unto the Lord thou shalt not be slack to pay it and wherein many have not onely deserted this their Vow but endeavoured against the same others contemplatively only and remiss as not endeavouring at all but with cautious reservations and forbearances keep off their endeavourings The passive and faint observing of the Vow in some the Acting contrary to their Vow in others is a sin which God is justly angry for visiting this Land of late with long and heavy judgments wherefore if he who hath taken this Protestation and shall solemnly observe the same shall foresee or hath cause of suspition to believe that the Protestant Religion is or was when he took the same in danger of declining that the Papist is connived at countenanced by b Which is not the Author's Observation alone but the unanimous judgment of most part of the Kingdom observed by their several Petitions at that time presented especially that of the Gentry and Trained Bands of the County of Essex presented to their Lord Lieutenant the Earl of Warwick See Mr. May his History lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. 105. higher Powers for the Question is not about the certain and actual bringing in of Popery but touching the pregnancy of suspition if the Protester adhereth to that Party which promiseth to defend the Protestant and opposeth that which countenanceth the Popish his Protestation is then truliest kept a Promise or Vow the more pursued the more fulfilled In like manner to the other part of the same Protestation viz. The Maintenance of the Kings Honour every one who takes the same is not thereby bound to comply assent unto and obey the King in whatsoever He may command whether unlawfull or unjust or to think all his attempts and actions Justifyable throughout This were indeed in the highest degree to honour Him but in a more serious and as truly a Loyall way of His being Honoured by His Subjects is when they or those who are put in Place and Authority over them shall enquire into and provide against all things incident to His Dishonour when they shall endeavour to suppress all Affronts which may be offered to His Dignity This though a more remote and less flattering yet a more stable and certain discharge of Duty in Honouring Him Again as to that part of the Covenant That They had then no intention to diminish His just Power and Greatness They might intend no less untill They saw They could not overcome Him by humble Applications and Addresses that they could not discern any acknowledgment of His former Errours any placable or propitious heart towards His Parliament and People any condiscending to those Propositions as the only and necessary means for setling a safe Peace long since tendered to Him joyntly and unanimously by ye all Presbyterians and Independents as they are called yet not all of ye concluding or providing what was to be done in case He did refuse But instead thereof contrary to the * See the Articles of the large Treaty Pag. 16. Demand 4. granted by the King Aug. 1641. Articles of the large Treaty agreed upon viz. That none should be admitted to his Counsell or Attendance but such as should be approved of by both Kingdoms gracing and preferring to His neerest secrecy and trust a Person proclaimed guilty of High Treason charging still and banding with the Parliament the Supreamest and greatest Councell for Weight and Number in all EUROPE contending to lay the Blood spilt in this War at their doors and theirs alone ever seeking by His Pyoners by a covert and restless ill-will one way against the a See the Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 23. and elsewhere in that Book His Party 's constant and continued ill-will towards the City of London The City styled by His party in their wonted Invectives against it The Nursery and Treasury of Armes and Ammunition employed against their King continued even to this day to be termed by them a Rebellious City upon all occasions Mercur. Pragmat from Jan. 28. to Feb. 4. 1649. further continuing his Invectives against the City in his weekly Pamphlet Place receiving Them another against their b See their Declaration printed at Oxford 1643. pag. 14 15. against the suggested irregular and undue proceedings of the Common Councel in London the Representative of the whole City Friends assisting Them to undermine their Power They thought

that Book as unjustly and improbably delivered viz. The excuse and plausible reasons given of the King 's going to the House of Commons attended with so many armed Gentlemen as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Treatise concerning the King's going to the House of Commons to surprize the five Members Author sayes was no unwonted thing for the Majesty of a King to be so attended especially in discontented times The times were not then so discontented as that unheard of and horrid act did afterwards make them and might have made them at that time had but the hand of one desperate Caitiffe given fire to his Pistols ready cockt the House of Commons being near full and equall in number to the Forces prepared against them no man knows how disastrous and fatall the event had been neither could the King justly fear to be assaulted or affronted by any in the House as the Author intimates None in the House within being armed answerable to that the King's Guard without The Author thinks that he hath handsomly palliated that attempt under colour of the King 's standing in need of a Guard rendring those His Attendants there short of His ordinary Guard but whether he means short in number or in forcible array he declares not Many other passages as improbable as these are the discourses of the Book too tedious to recite the examining and search whereof is besides my purpose It seems to have little of it of the King it hath Elegancy of wit enough and affectation of expressions to be applauded inconsistent with a sound and Christian wisdom whereunto His present Condition was to be fitted and Charity enjoynes not to think it His when full of so many uncharitable expressions although clothed in pious ejaculations The Author is too blame to father upon Him such intermixtures of Scorn and Piety in some parts of it Devotion and Penitencie in other Censurings and Detractings compiled probably by several Authors the off-spring too unlike it self to be truly and unviocally begot by one and the self-same Parent The words of Scorn are where the Author speaking of the King 's impeaching six Members of both Houses of High Treason terms them in a disdainful way * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 11. Half a dozen which number is all one as six but the manner of the slighting Phrase Half a dozen unbecoming the grave and serious Majesty of a King especially He being in sorrow and affliction as the Author presents Him Not to be applyed to Gentlemen of quality rather to things of cheap and mean accompt vendible in Tradesmens Shops The whole Book indeed if throughly scanned is but a fine-dressed Invective against the one an Apology for the other Party fitly penned to keep up the affections of His friends to win and move compassion even from His enemies for whilest the Author presents him innocent and injured compassion begets affections towards the Person injured throws disgrace and calumny on the Persons injuring The best most acceptable and likelyest to be believed Tract had been if the Author in His Book had observed and declared that the King peradventure in the time of His greatest troubles and when the Victory stood doubtful did intend as He did then profess in many excellent and winning speeches delivered at York Shrewsbury Nottingham and else where to preserve the Laws and Liberties of His People to maintain the Protestant Religion the Power and Priviledg of Parliament which He could not but foresee take it either in the upright heart of a pious Prince intending it that His real and sincere intentions to maintain the same were His best brest plate and safest guard or take it in the politick part of a cunning Enemy meaning nothing less That such Professions were His next way to Conquer by but when He had thereby conquered what safety or security was there to be expected that He should not return unto and be governed by the advice of those evil Counsellors who had at the first drawn Him away and by degrees might have wrought upon His affections to the curbing if not to the suppressing those Laws and Liberties to the punishing those whom He had adjudged and called Travtors Rebels The High Treason charged on the Parliament by the Author in the Person of the King softly and mildely instilled into the Readers ears in that Book down-rightly and roughly by the divided Members sitting at Oxford in their Declaration printed there must be understood either le Crime de Majestie or le Crime de Fausonnerie The Crime against His Majesty is either against His Person or His Honor against His Person as to conspire or intend His death or to leavie War against Him against His Honour as to deflour the Queen His wife His daughter or the wife of His Heir to kill those His principal Officers of State specified within the Statute of 25. Edw. 3. comprising all Crimes adjudged Treason Flattery and a temporary conformity to the present and Arbitrary will of a Prince are but shadows only the true substance and highest degree of honouring Him is when men in Place and Authority deputed thereunto shall endeavour as the Parliament Protested and were credibly believed to have punished all Indignities Affronts and Crimes which had or might have been committed against the Peace His Crown and Dignity The other sort of High Treason is Le Crime de Fausonnerie two ways committed either by counterfeiting the Coyne or the Great Seal Now with which sort of High Treason doth the King's Party charge the Parliaments either with the first a purpose to destroy His Person c. as above recited or the latter the counterfeiting the Great Seal not against His Person The observing this Discourse throughout setting forth the Maner and Original of the Contention betwixt the King and His People the Parliament only is as it were the Judg between both doth manifest how improbable and untrue it doth appear that the Parliament when five or six years since accused of Treason by the divided Members sitting at Oxford did then or at any time before intend to levy and offensive War to imagine or conspire the Kings Death It is one thing originally to intend out of malice prepensed and fore-thought to devise or contrive a purpose another thing through an inevitable necessity to act against and contrary to the intention of the Actors If by the way any exquisite or choice ☞ Wits of a more sublimate reach then their Fellow-Subjects did know or could have discovered any dark or secret contrivances of such intendment or conspiracy against His Person deeming all others of a narrow and lower capacity ignorant and dull-spirited they were too blame to conceal the Plot the manner and means of effecting it They had Power Confidence and Liberty enough when the divided Members being of their Party sate at Oxford and there accused the Parliament sitting at Westminster of many treasonable Designs present which the quality of

tye of Policy and Prudence by and through an extream and inevitable Necessity to the preservation of Ye and your Friends Neither you nor any of your Party can devise or act a means how to settle such a course as may prevent a totall confusion or the overthrow of those who have already prevailed by the. Sword nor to Still the common Enemy and Avenger But if He being hard-driven shall by Treaty or other unsafe way of setling a Peace prevail He is left at liberty to do His pleasure In Treatles or like wayes of Parleance what Security can He give or will He keep commensurate to the safety and welfare of many thousands engaged in this Quarrel to the avoidance of those Dangers and Jealousies already administred by Him Within these three years you instanced Hen. 3. His complyance and Signing Articles which when He had by that recovered His Power again kept none of them But to your Arguments and your paralelling the King 's offering a Force to six of the Houses of Parliament to the Force is offered you He might peradventure and by an usurped Authority do it to exercise a Regall Power above the Laws from assuming unto Himself an unlimited and strong conceit of His Soveraignty Transcendency of Might in nothing to be resisted to awe and force this present Parliament and all future Parliaments in case He had any purpose to convene any more to His beck as 't is probable Not long after by the like menacing and imperious act of Proclaiming those Gentlemen Traytors who either obeyed not or refused to conform to His present Will There was no necessity but His sole Will to force all those who complyed not with Him to save and rescue His Creatures from the hand of Justice And whether there be not now a stronger necessity then before the great and universall Engagement of many good and deserving men I appeal to you Sir In that you take it ill That your Servants so the Army style themselves should force their Masters They are not simply and precisely Servants immediate subordinate rather many of Them your Equals Commanders and Officers in the Army the common-Souldiery commanded and led by Them Or the Army relatively unto ye as Jurors in a triall of Assize before a number of Judges for so ye are although the resemblance holds not adequately as to an Army and to a Jury Let a Major part of Judges incline or direct which way they please Yet an upright Jury will finde according to the Evidence in being The Evidence in this case is the certainty of knowing and re-collecting things past the foresight of things to come which induceth them to bring in such Verdict as may render all things Just and Safe for when it shall happen to be debated which ought to be preferred the Priviledg of Parliament or the Safety of a Kingdom every one can judg which ought to sway the ballance Again admit the Army to be your Servants yet properly they are Servants unto those from whom they receive their pay that is from the Kingdom neither from the Presbyterian nor Independent Party In a mixt and joynt-Government where more then One commandeth and a mutuall consent had betwixt the Governours that the Servants shall obey the discreeter Party as between a Master and a Mistresse in a Family they mutually consent that their Family shall be directed by the wiser of the two there it is left to the election and discretion of the Family which of them Master or Mistresse to pay obedience unto It skils not in a Governing and Politique Body consisting of many Ruling all consenting in the main which is the Major part unless that Major part will do the whole work themselves without the help of those whom they do employ which of them is to be obeyed That Part rather which Acts and Endeavours without respect had to the Majority in the more prudent watchfull and safe way So 't is no Disobedience or Affront offered by your Army where Obedience may be dangerous to the Obeyours to your Party and your adherents For whereas some of the King's Party prefer the Presbyterian before the Independent some the Independent before the Presbyterian a See the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 224. hating both yet giving good words unto and complying with the more discontented and weaker Party untill by their cunning Artifice they overcome them also so in this Leger de main and sleight of wit blow the coals of Dissention betwixt ye both Ye of the Presbyterian can look for no other then Polyphemus his courtesie to be of those last to be devoured Besides as to the Major or Minor part of Members sitting in the House or secluded or voluntarily absenting themselves from the House so that the greater number are absent as you reckon Take heed of that objection lest you open an old wound long since salved up through God's blessing on your success and that Objection be made use of against ye all of both Houses and against that Authority whereby Ye have at any time acted since the Contention first began betwixt the King's Parties claim to their Parliament at Oxford and the Parliaments Parties claim to theirs at Westminster For if the King's Party did rightly calculate their numbers which were in both Houses of Lords and Commons b See their Declaration Printed at Oxford March 1643. towards the end of the Book 258. either personally sitting at Oxford or occasionally absent upon imployment for the King That number exceeded that of those sitting at Westminster so that the Argument for the major part of the number of Members Presbyterially affected that way Covenanted against which the King's Friends have learnedly as yet unansweredly * In a Book stiled The present Judgment of the Convocation at Oxford dated June 1647. Which if weighed with the Arguments in the late Letter written by the London Ministers to the Lord Fairfax and his Councell of War dated Jan. 1648. in behalf of the Covenant and the keeping it the Reader will soon discern the odds argued is no safe or prudent Argument at this time to be used however abetted and seconded by an elaborately written Letter by the London Ministers lest ye help your first and common Enemy to rowse an Objection which hath a long time slept for maintaining their Parliament at Oxford For by the way had those Ministers employed their pains in answering that Book their Letter might have been better credited and more universally received They much insist on the Protestation taken May 1641. wherein the Protesting is For the maintenance of the King's Honor Person and Estate yet the End at which all matters of weight do aym is the preservation of Religion Laws Liberties The maintenance of the King's Honor c. is but a piece of the Protestation the sum full sense scope thereof the preservation of Religion c. The drift of one of the Grecian wise men's advice

to reduce His dis-affected Subjects of Scotland to their obedience desiring withall It may be recorded as an Ordinance of Parliament and to be printed as a testimony of their Loyalty to all the world and to succeeding ages which could not but stir up the Scots to seek protection and assistance from their fellow-Subjects and Friends wheresoever whom the King called His dis-affected Subjects and how He doth secern them from the rest is hard to judg when as the whole and most considerable part of that Kingdom did by their Pacts and Counsels at their Assemblies held withstand and resolve to withstand divers of His Messages obtruding on them such matters as made against the Peace of their Church and Kingdom See His Declaration since the Pacification Page 63. third also likely to bear a part in the broyls of the other two the King Himself jealous and displeased to see the Parliament then at distance with Him in transaction of matters concerning the three Kingdoms Petitioned and Appealed unto termed in an envious and scornfull way by some of His Party Omnipotent Others murmuringly upbraiding that it was Idolized Himself as it were neglected and left out none or seldom Addresses made to Him So the Parliament had a narrow path to tread between their hopes to regain the King 's lost Favour after many evidences of His Anger poured forth and their hazarding the ruine of those Principles which by their Duty and Covenant they were to assert and defend What those Principles were follows in this Discourse if rightly cast up but two in chief The securing the Protestant Religion the Primū quaerite The preserving the Laws and Peace b Suprema Lex salus Populi the chiefest Law the Peoples Safety The other Principles are subservient onely and fall in by complication and dependency upon those two as the means unto the end Lastly Sir That this Parliament thus acting You strenuously argued as knowing well that their Cause was just their War Defensive when another a Mr. Denz Hollis his Speech June 1642. Gentleman of the like abilities with you had in an excellent Speech delivered to that purpose That there was a succession of Designes to interrupt it as first by awing and taking away the Freedom of it by an Army then actually assaulting it and with the Sword to cut asunder the onely Nerves which strengthens and knits together the King and People the People amongst themselves and the whole frame of Government in one firm and indissoluble knot of Peace and Vnity That the Parliaments taking up Arms was to defend onely to repell the force and violence practised by a few of the King's side at first afterwards to provide against the mischief which His party heightened through Rage against the Parliament pretence of Loyalty towards the King might several ways intend That the Parliaments resisting His and His Party's attempts was as you then judged and discoursed for no other end then to maintain their own just Priviledges in order to the Maintenance of the Laws and Liberties of their fellow Subjects That they did not intend an offensive War the consequences whereof as of all Civil Discords could not but prove calamitous and sad the event and period as fatall and uncertain when as besides the two Parties immediately engaged each against the other a middle and Neutrall part although wiser in their own eyes then their Fellow Subjects worse as well in the b See the Declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled at Oxford Printed there pag. 26 27. King's Parties Accompt as in the Parliaments would fall in more to be shunned then a moderate Enemy That it being presumed the aim and councels of the Parliament and all men else being for Peace and Justice a War once waged would hinder and destroy their ayms and produce more overtures for discord more fresh supplies for quarrelling in the prosecuting which many unexpected chances would fall out to increase the discord as in the controversies between man and man he who hath not been so forward and visibly active for the side unto which he doth adhere shall be traduced and accused by him that loves him not for a Neutrall or an Enemy That amidst their hopes of Conquering there would not be wanting discontented and seditious humours even out of their own Party to traduce and calumniate their proceedings if not consonant to their particular humours and phantasies That those humours would be fed and animated by the first and common Enemy on purpose to divide and weaken the prevailing Power That divers other Consequences likely to result from War would prove harsh and irksom to a People born and governed under Laws and Peace as that the Souldiery and prevailing power knowing their own opportunity and strength would be apt to intermeddle with private Interests to the perverting Justice and trampling down the Laws which in a time of Peace distributes to every man his just right so that thereby the People would not only want the blessing of Peace but grow subject to the oppression charges and injuries incident to a War The Parliament could not but foresee that in case a War were to be waged their own Countrymen the English both Officers and Common Souldiers must fight it out Forreigners Souldiers of Fortune when they have gained will desist their undertakings and be gone That the English were unaccustomed to war therefore not fit for the Discipline and managing thereof through an easie and soft way of breeding not able to endure the hardship and duties of a War howbeit experience hath otherwise proved it That the English Gallantry and their courage un-acquainted with the conditions of a Warfare and the temper requisite to a Souldier might make them upon every discontent as apt to mutiny and resist as fight for he is not always the best Souldier who hath most courage unless he hath temper withall to yeeld obedience to the commands of his Superiours The Parliament could not but be sensible withall of the troubled condition of their fellow Subjects that the apprehension of Engaging would carry with it a sad aspect all men unwilling to and wary how they did Engage That the engaging Parties on either side when they see the face of War inevitably approaching would for their better strength and Union betake themselves to what Policy Pacts and Leagues they could Defensive and Offensive as to binde themselves and friends by Vow and Covenant which being to consist of severall Heads and Parts could not be so exactly and entirely framed but might admit of a doubtfull sense how to be be observed how to be understood in part or in the whole so consequently divide the Covenanters within themselves They could not but withall know that which side soever should prevail both sides would be loosers the King and Kingdom vast a See it recited in the Declaration Printed at Oxford 1643 pag. 13. sufferers in the loss as they in an humble dutiful Message although

affections By their subtile practices to pursue and continue their Designs disguising them under several habits that what a Lions strength cannot the Foxes skin put on may work each one acting his severall part to the best advantage and improvement of the whole some bemoaning their dejected and low condition thereby to draw pity to their suggested wrongfull sufferings not that they think it so but that they may be thereby the less perceived to exercise their Art of gaining their strength and Power again both by nourishing Discontents and Seditions here at home and having Factors and Emissaries to solicite their Cause abroad By traducing and depressing the esteem of the Parliament and their Actions to render their Persons the more odious and contemptible thence the more weak and easie to be subdued By contriving and inventing Falshoods sometimes in the nature of reporting Prophesies in favour to the King and His success as to give out how happy and victorious He or His Posterity shall be Many the like devised Inventions in the nature of Predictions and Divinings some whereof made on purpose others as vainly reported and given out to give hopes unto His Party to try if the reporting such Prophecyings can bring the fruits of their endeavours within the compass of such Prophesies fulfilled By seditious Pamphletings and privily dispersing such by publishing other more weighty no less seditious Books obtruding them on such Authors as they please all to affect the Reader sometimes in the King s name always in His behalf particularly that Posthume one called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by many men given out to be His which if the Parliaments often Declarations Charges and Remonstrances against Him and His Proceedings be true those applauded Tracts and Meditations in that Book are but a reinforced dissembling put upon Him and the Greek words might be rather translated into the Image and Pourtraicture of a Counterfeit For the Author counterfeiting the King makes the Falshoods and Impostures obtruded upon the King to be his own then into the Image of a Prince Whosoever shall read the Parliaments often Declarations and Charges against the King set forth since the beginning of this War not denyed or answered by any of His Party saving in a recriminatory and scoffing way calling the Parliament and their Adherents Rebels Or who shall read the a Written by Mr. Tho. May 1647. beginning at Pag 6. unto pag. 46. Moreover how Corruption and Oppressions irremediably grew through the Discontinuance and defect of Parliaments not called through the often Dissolving them in the time of His Reign and His Declarations published against the Members of some of them which the Historian reports the dejected People were forced to read with patience and to allow against their own Reason Wherein many things are there observed concerning the maner of the Scots proceedings before and even at the first beginnings of these Troubles Their sufferings how by their humble applying themselves unto the King for redress they could have none In fine the aversness of the English People from a War with Scotland pag. 46. History of the Parliament of England summarily reciting the Kings aversness from Parliaments cannot but acknowledg that b See the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on that Tract Book whatsoever the fair and plausible flourishes in it pretend of the King 's inclining to and desiring Parliaments to be falsly and injuriously Charged on him Falsely because They cannot but know how unwillingly and seldom He called any how oft he did dissolve or attempt to dissolve them when they were called whence the Answer meets the Objection That the Parliament's Party did begin the preparations for a War before the King 's The King's c Mr. May his History aversness to call Parliaments His d Mr. Hollis his Speech awing and dissolving them at pleasure often and long before any preparations could be thought of for a War may satisfie the objection when as moreover divers of his Friends and Party have long before fortified and furnished their houses in many parts of the Kingdom with Arms and Ammunition no other notice taken till of late then of adorning such for strength and splendor which w th some smal addition became strong Garisons for him The Parliaments friends had none or not so many Holds so soon or suddenly to be fortified for their defence The Author to have made his own Impostures and Dissembling the King's desires of Peace and Justice the more compleat and full might without blushing aswell have added one Treatise more to the twenty eight to have rendered the King free and innocent from that great offence of the Massacres committed in the Irish Troubles and declared Him guiltless of so much of his Subjects Blood as the Rebellion there hath cost A Treatise added to that Book with such an Apology on the King's behalf might have passed under the same belief and credit as other well penned passages in the Book when as the contrary is well known as the two Houses of Parliament have in their Charges and Remonstrances set forth to the publike view such Transactions of the King 's betwixt Him and the Irish concerning His conniving at and favoring the Rebels there under colour of raising freinds and Assistance thence to serve Him in the War against the Parliament here as to finde Him guilty of the Blood spilt in that Kingdom as in This. Injuriously charged on the King in that the Author and Reader also if a Friend to Him and would have the Book to be reputed His do wound His honor and render the maner of His death the more unchristian then otherwise it would be judged when whilest the Life is mortal they make the vices of Dissembling and uncharitableness to be surviving and immortall motions The reporting it to be the King 's seems besides to blemish the credit of those Penitentiall Expressions therein derogating from the serious retired and solid parts wherewith He was endowed then doubtless free from the affectated words whereof the Book is full in defence of the manifold actions of His incident to this War Many of them too weakly excused to be His although in an handsome way of writing to possess the belief of men obtruded on Him by indeed the Author of the Book Namely and more particularly That weakly objected Crime of the Author in the King's name blaming the Parliaments Army for discovering the King's Letters taken at Naseby Fight upbraiding them with an uncivil and inhumane dealing in publishing them Whosoever shall praise the Book and thence draw applause unto the King should for the better glory of it have expunged some improbable and extravagant passages and inserted others more necessary and satisfactory one Tract at least of the King's care and zeal for the security and maintenance of the true Protestant Religion what He hath written or acted to clear those doubts to wipe away those Jealousies had of Him no where to be found in the Book and a

great Incentive to this Contention Some passages there are plausibly set down by way of censuring and speaking against Novelties and new fashions in Religion about the Form and Maner how God is to be served and prayed unto against the extemporary and unpremeditated Prayers of some Ministers and the like somewhat also by way of * In the Treatise concerning the Ordinance against Common-Prayer defending the Common-Prayer-Book about which there is no lasting and finall discord betwixt the King's Party and the Parliaments For for ought we know it may with some alterations to be made be hereafter received again rather then the Peace or Discipline of the Church shall be disturbed about the Form and Method of the Liturgie the Common-Prayer-Book if in some parts altered little differing from the Directory saving in the exercise of the Ministers abilities and their choice of words and quantities how much or how little their Prayers and Divine Service shall be Nothing in that Book delivered touching the Substance of Religion whether we take it in point of Maners or in Faith or Doctrine or of His professing to defend and secure it from Superstition and Idolatry as part of His * Desensor Fidei Title implies Rather the contrary as to the matter of suspition by reason of His profest indulgence to the Queen as the Author presents Him Bewatling Her absence and Her Fortunes c. And whatsoever His advertisements in the King's name are to the Prince in a skilfull Dialect expressed to perswade him to begin and end with God with other good Instructions frequently given him to be well grounded in his Religion to keep the middle way between the Pomp of superstitious Tyranny and the meaness of Phantast que Anarchy The Councell delivered is good if the season of the delivery a weighty circumstance be observed as well That the suspition and fear of the growth of superstitious Tyranny in the peacefull times were no greater then that of Anarchy easie to be let in through the licentiousness and confusedness of a Civil War And wherefore is that Councell given As if the Parliament did intend or had brought in Anarchy or devised to root out all Government No Calumny whereby to render Them and their proceedings odious and detestable is of extent enough to serve and satiate their enemies appetite The Parliament in their Prudence and Experience might discern a reason for the changing the Monarchicall into some other Form of as much conducement to the maintenance of Peace and Justice But what that Religion is which the Author enjoyns the Prince unto whether opposite to Popery or * The speedy and effectuall suppressing Errours and Schismes is charged on him p. 138. Schism This like Weeds in Corn choaking and hindering it's growth That like Mildews blasting and destroying it he defining not makes it seem doubtfull to the Reader For presently after he would have the Prince his judgment and reason to seal to that sacred bond which education hath written in him in which he hath been bred Let a computation be had of his yong years how in his infancy uncapable of discerning the differences of Religion before this War began where and with whom he hath lived these seven or eight years since it began all men will not believe that to be the Reformed Protestant Religion which is there enjoyned him take it in its purity or as the corruption of times hath fashioned it the Prince seems to go in a contrary Diameter to either as to those instructions given him by the Author by what is reported of his favouring and entertaining at his Court the greatest and most known Catholiques Forraigners of all parts setting aside his Protestant and native English So that either he takes not those Instructions to be truly and genuinely the King 's or little observes them That which should have been expunged out of the Book to make it the more admired His is that one passage strange amongst the rest about His challenging the Parliament for discovering the Letters taken at Naseby Fight even how mentioned For who shall look upon a War where Parties are resolutely engaged to defend their own to consume their Enemies Forces as His Party did by Fire and Sword laying waste many Villages and Towns not sparing their own Friends so they might be avenged on their Enemies will not expect that in the heat of War any regard should be had to the concealing or divulging Letters when the opposition was so extream the enmity so violent that no other censure serves to fill up His Parties malice then to judg the Parliament and their Friends False and Rebels From which calumny and stain fastened on their Credit and Posterity They will rather fight it out to vindicate themselves and their Friends from Attainders Forfeitures threatned a In the Declaration printed at Oxford 1643 pag. 27. on Them and sacrifice their Lives to the justice of their Cause then undergo the guilt of those aspersions the dispute resting still upon the Question Who be Rebels To resist and oppose the Will of a Lawfull King may more resemble the name of Rebell and in that acception the Parliament and their Friends may by the King and His be reputed Rebels Those who by practice or councell shall infringe or subvert the Laws and Liberties of a free-born People although in a small degree of exaction and oppression the Laws have their Metes and Limits to bound out unto every man his own are in the judgment of a Religious and Learned b K. James's Speech before-mentioned pag. 14. Prince no better then Vipers Pests and Traytors to a Kingdom styled in these latter times evill Counsellours to the King The violating the ancient Law of Magna Charta so industriously and religiously preserved by our Ancestours and above thirty severall times confirmed in Parliament to use the very words of the Lords and Commons assembled at Oxford in their Declarations printed there is objected against the Parliament sitting at Westminster to be a c See the Oxford Declaration p. 19. bold avowed transgression of the Laws and Liberties of the People as if the Party of those Lords and Commons were altogether free from the like transgressions so they may in like manner object the violating the late King 's Grant to the Petition of Right when they and their Party are as culpable as the Parliaments Party are The pillaging the Earl of Stamford's house in Leicester shire by the Kings Party commanding there an undoubted and notorious Felony by the Letter of the Law all His Souldiers guilty of the same The storming by day and night and breaking into the Marquesse of Winchester's House in in Hant-shire by the Parliaments Party the highest degree of Burglary Many the like Hostile actions may be instanced in on either side but how In the heat of War in the pursuit of Conquest each Party striving which should overcome and destroy their Enemy One other passage of