conformitie with us then in such a case to conforme to them But Lastly It 's as cleare as the Sunne that the true intent of the solemne League and Covenant was a more plaine discovery of the Parliaments enemies and not for a snare to the Parliaments friends and as touching reformation in matters spirituall and ecclesiasticall to root out Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme and prophanenesse and God forbid but that all these in a due and Christian way should be endeavoured against But are wee bound by this to ruine the Parliaments friends who loveth not their lives unto death in the Parliaments cause Men cordiall to the State conscientious in Religion yea holy godly learned and that by the testimony of their hottest adversaries and for no other reason but their non-resolution to sweare subjection to what they know not as if the tender conscience was the troubler of Israel when the want hereof is the onely plague of this wicked world the naming whereof is an evident offence yea no lesse then a provocation unto these angry Remonstrants who can hardly beare it even from the pen of the Parliament of England This is the second ground of our utter dislike of the narrative part of this Petition Thirdly You tell the people in print as well as the Parliament by your written Remonstrance what Vowes you have made in the Covenant as well as in former Protestations to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and the Liberties of the Kingdomes and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the Preservation and Defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdomes that the world may beare witnesse with your Consciences of your Loyalty and that you have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse and doe humbly rest in the assurances you have received in the many former Declarations of both Houses concerning their intentions towards his Majesty his Royall Posteritie and the Peace of this Kingdome But to what end is all this is it to call for the popular testimony of your constant care you ever have had of the Parliaments Priviledges if it was meet for us to remember what the Parliament have forgotten to unvaile for detection what in love they have buried in oblivion you very well know what truth can say to this particular Is it to call for a popular observation of the Parliaments neglect of their obliged care not to diminish his Majesties just power and greatnesse As for the Parliament let envie her selfe disgorge her poyson and speake her worst nay in this case speak Malignants speak the Oxfordian Aulicus but first consider a word or two what an unnaturall warre hath been raised amongst us how managed on the Kings side how maintained how much innocent bloud split in the three Kingdomes what slanders have been cast upon the Parliament of England how they have been written remonstrated and declared again and again Traytors Rebells a pretended Parliament and what not how the * The Author of Truth it 's manifest positively affirmes that his Majestie himselfe sent a Commission from Scotland sealed with the Sâ—ots broad Seale unto the Irish Rebells to authorize them in that bloudy work Page the 20. Irish Scottish and English warres did rise what murtherings killing and slaughtering the poore subjects what tearings rendings and crippling the poor people what burning wasting and plundering mens estates how many poore distressed and afflicted fatherlesse and widows are made what wofull bitter and sad complaints and showers of teares are shed in corners and secret closets by many men whose former quality with the remembrance thereof makes them wipe their eyes and counterfeit cheerfulnesse in the sight of men What tamperings with forein Nations for the utter ruine and perpetuall enslaving of the three Kingdomes to an arbitrary power what evident plaine and palpable detections to the perfect discharge of all doubts and scruples from whom and whence all this hath been the relating whereof will fill volumes and will be the affecting subject of the Readers heart in another age and yet how tender hath the Parliament been still to maintaine his Majesties honour by charging all upon his evill Counsellors making him meerly passive and onely seduc'd as if altogether innocent notwithstanding all this almost to the very regret of charity it selfe And as for their care of his Majesties royall posterity bloud and family how carefull have they been for the princely education of his Majesties children within their quarters their bountifull provision and noble respects for and to his Majesties Sister and her royall family All this considered and many things more which may be asserted I challenge againe the desperatest Malignant in Citie or Kingdome on this side the grave to let his tongue articulate his Consciences thoughts and give an answer whether the Parliament hath not had a tender care to his Majesties honour his bloud and family Doe you rest in the assurance you have concerning the Parliaments intentions about the peace of the Kingdome why are they then interrupted in their worke are not they in the fairest way to a happy peace that ever they were in since the warres began and will you now obstruct them herein doth this course of yours promote in the least the publicke peace what now to discourage the Parliament now to presse them in all haste unto a suddaine enfeebling their strength by crushing a considerable party of as cordiall friends as ever they had since the warres began and that because they will not sweare a submission unto that Church Government which neither they nor your selves yet understand Presbyteriall Government the Modell whereof is yet unseen Is this your requitall for their winters worke have not you lived shall I say by the sweat of their browes nay by the expence of their blood is this in lieu of their promised arrears what have they been walls and Bulwarks to you and will you prove briers and thornes to them have they watch'd whilst you sleep hazarded danger for your peace undergone such separations from their wives and children friends and Families such hardships of hunger and thirst cold and nakednesse lived in the valley and shadow of death for yours and the Kingdomes sake and shall London be the unworthy pattern of inhumane unthankfulnesse to the whole Kingdome You rest satisfied in the assurance of the Parliaments respects to the King but doe you rest so satisfied in the like assurance of the Kings respects unto the Parliament Let your Consciences speak are you so satisfied if so what is the ground of this perswasion is it because of his late good words fair sweet and pleasant lines he hath written to his Parliament of England sitting at Westminster or to his right trusty and well beloved the Lord Major Aldermen and common-Counsell of London how can London be thus deluded is the word of a King now so taking in Londons thoughts If you have
with reverence upon it or an opinion that it hath but a share of the supreme power of this Kingdome that you have no more reverence unto it will you not allow so much unto the representative Kingdome in reference to the whole Kingdome as the representative City will assume unto themselves in reference to London Is not the Parliament of England the representative Kingdome And doth not the whole Supreme power of this Kingdome reside therein And if so why say you they have a Share Unfold your Riddle and speak it out if our judgement deceive us we are willing to be informed Was the like insinuation and dividing principle ever suggested unto the common people except it was from his Majesties Declarations there is little doubt that however the City is blinded herein the rise of this businesse come from Court let the Author of a little book lately published entituled A full answer to the Plea for the Commonalty of London except he himsel is become enervatus in his judgement and reason stand up like a man of right Principles and true thereunto and plead the just power of the Parliament of England as he hath well done of the Commons of London and therby he wil shew himself the Parliaments friend as he hitherto hath done But what do you mean when you say the Parliaments priviledges may now become a tenure for life Surely had this passage been found from one of the old Declarations froÌ„ Oxfâ—rd against the Parliament it could not be judged any thing else but a malignant scorn a notorious jeer being of the same affinity with the like passages found therein viz. a perpetuall Parliament and an everlasting Parliament If any Members of that House doe owe great summes of Monies and protect divers under them as Servants whereby they plead exemption from the course of Law and so Citizens or others are undone or endammaged thereby let the parties agrieved frame their Petitions and complaine of the men and let not London remonstrate this to the Parliaments prejudice it is very true the intention of the Parliament is the good of all the butt of none every mans benefit no mans undoing yet remember your Covenant the preservation of the Parliaments Priviledges is a maine Article thereof if any priviledge proves prejudiciall to the Subjects benefit you your selves say they did anticipate your desires by that Remonstrance of the 15. of December 1642. Yea were then in a way of passing a Bill to give satisfaction concerning the same and have any Bills been past since that time and that neglected and is the case now with the faithfull Members of this present Parliament as it was then Is it not notoriously known that their faithfull sticking unto the Kingdomes Cause hath been the utter undoing of themselves and their Families whilst they have been here in the Kingdomes service the common enemy hath wasted spoyled burned plunder'd and ruin'd their Estates but the truth is this kind of Dialect concerning the Parliament in Print for the peoples view doth import no lesse then an evident charge that Parliament men are now mean men of broken Fortunes men that cannot or else which is worse men that will not pay their debts but live upon the people and make a trade of it and the same shall be a tenure for life Seventhly you proceed further and tell the people the Kingdome is almost reduced by which meanes the Revenues of the Kingdome will be unburthened and the Customes and Excise increase and the publike charge of the Kingdome decrease now that Delinquents doe daily come in and compound and now that the Enemy hath but few Holds left we hope that the great and extraordinary Taxes and burthens on this City and their Trade shall be in the future abated that the Debts owing to the City and Citizens of London either by particular Assurances of the Parliament or upon the publike faith of the Kingdome be taken care for and discharged as well as those assigned upon the Excise and may not be diverted from the uses appointed by former Acts and Ordinances If so have a little more patience your debts owing you are coming apace eight per. cent shall reward you for it you cannot but see extraordinary charges doe still appeare the payment of our Armies long in Arrears though sufficiently active in the Kingdomes service the vast summes paid to the Scotch Army the relief of Ireland and many wayes more so many Garrisons so many Parties so many Sieges doe pray your patience a little longer but must every particular have a charge in the bowels of it What summes of monies are by the Parliament diverted from the uses appointed by their Acts and Ordinances if none what is the ground of this particular thus remonstrated is it because of some few gratuities lately confer'd upon deserving men for their valiant painfull and faithfull services for the publick safety are not such sums employed in the uses appointed in their Acts and Ordinances must the Parliament of England advise with London about the disbursements of the publick stock Eightly you complaine of the Committees work at Haberdashers-Hall as a grievance to the City viz. that any more Malignants should be detected or further course taken to find out Delinquents which have not as becomes them assisted the Parliament surely they little thought the times would so face about as that London should turne Delinquents advocate we say no more to this but remember your Covenant Ninthly you further proceed and professe your zeale for our bleeding Brethren of distressed Ireland c. It is a good motion and for Gods sake doe not binder so good a work by weakning the Parliaments Party by any more such Remonstrances as these Tenthly in the last place you heap up your deserts and your grievances together to the first we confesse you did run well Suffer not your Crowne to be taken away by your discontinuance in your work begun but yet consider have you done more then the Law of God of nature of Nations engaged you Hath all this been for the Parliament or for your selves was not your Estates your Liberties your freedomes the grand price of your Enemies race the Crowne they strive for the spoyles they fight for Speake your Consciences what had become of you by this very day if the present Parliament had not stuck to you what of your Religion what of your Estates what of your Liberties Hath it not been in their power every day to ruine you yea and perhaps by their personall preferments to advance themselves Have not the Subjects Liberties been deare in their eyes have they not layen under many temptations many discouragements to continue constant under them all were all able to abide the same why then did many desert the House How often have they protested by word of mouth in your common Halls and many Declarations in the publick view of Heaven and Earth that they would live with you and dye with you
private meetings of Christian people for prayer exhortation repetition of Sermons or any other laudable and Christian duty amongst the Saints in their private assemblies as sure we are your words doe import abhorr'd be your request by God and good men and the Lord prevent the Parliament from ever stumbling at that stone What you mean wee cannot tell wee would not desire wee doe not know what wee cannot joyne with you in this Petition 2. That all Anabaptists This is the selfe same et caeâ—â—ra that was in the Bishops Oath and â—â—ubâ—lesse the Episcopall party cannot but look upon this as the resurrection from the dead onely herein it differs they enjoyned men to sweare to what they knew this would have men resolve upon what they know not and so it is a step neerer to Popety Brownists Heretiques Schismalicks Blasphemers and all such Sectaries as conforme not to the publique Discipline established or to be established by Parliament may be fully declared against and some effectuall course setled for proceeding against such persons First Anabaptists Brownists c. in the Kings Declarations did alwayes intend the Parliaments friends and besides these whom you mean wee cannot tell Secondly if all such Sectaries as conforme not to the publique Discipline established or to be established by the Parliament must be fully declared against and some effectuall course taken for proceeding against such persons What shall become of our Presbyterian brethren which hold Presbytery to be jure divino and cannot submit unto Commissioners over the Presbytery though established by Ordinance of Parliament Surely the Remonstrants are not of that opinion but if they be their feet are taken in the same snare they laid for their brethren If this Petition should be granted our Presbyterian brethren as well as others must be suppressed and for that cause though no such allowance is given by them unto their weak brethren wee cannot joyne with you in that Petition 3. That as wee are all Subjects of one Kingdome so all may be equally required to yeeld obedience unto the Government set forth or to be set forth by the Parliament To resolve to submit to what wee know not in matters of Religion and to Petition the suppression of all that will not subject thereunto is against the principles of Religion and Reason wee cannot conceive a Parliament so religious so rationall will prove so irreligious so irrationall as to enforce the Subjects to stifle the light of their own Consciences and let God and conscience say what they will to sweare conformitie to the will of man in matters of Church-Government wee cannot joyne with you in this Petition 4. That no person disaffected to the Presbyteriall Government The Bishops to our best remembrâ—nce did never so publiquely make the like motion to the Magistracy of this Kingdom set forth or to be set forth by the Parliament may be employed in any place of publick Trust Wee judge our selves bound to leave that businesse to the Parliaments wisdome as supposing them best able to judge what is meet to be done in that particular If men prove faithfull in their trust intamperable by their adversaries succesfull in their worke untainted in their integrity courageous in their services c. such men are not usually after many experiences of such particulars put out of their publick trust though they should be an Army of Turks and why men should be discharged from their publick trust for so small a punctillo as difference in judgement about Church-Government nay so much as dis-affection to the Presbyteriall Government for that 's your expression we see no cause and truly if this desire should be granted as the case now stands the Parliaments strength would be much abated and the Malignant Rovalists very much pleased wee are none of them wee cannot close with you in this Petition 5. That this Honorable House will please to hasten Propositions to his Majesty for setling of a safe and well-grounded Peace amongst us after so long and unnaturall a Warre A well grounded peace is our hearty desires as well as yours but whether to be sought for by tendering Propositions from the Parliament to his Majesty the wisdome of the Parliament not wee must determine When a man meets mee to take away my purse my life if the combate be over and the party disarm'd and his weapons in mine own hands I will not indent how much he shall have to doe no more when the truth is he hath done his worst A well grounded Peace we desire with you the means hereunto wee leave to the Parliaments wisdome wee would not offend them wee therefore wave this Petition 6. That this Honourable House according to the Covenant and Treaties will please to study all meanes to preserve the Vnion between the two Nations of England and Scotland and to remove all jealousies which may endanger our mutuall agreement We close with you here with all our hearts and heartily pray that wisdome may be given to them from God to direct their studies to so good a work VII That this Honourable House will please to consider of some meanes whereby the priviledge which its Members their Servants and others enjoy by being protected and exempted from being proceeded against for their Debts may be sa qualified as that the Subject may be able to recover his owne in some due time This Petition implies a charge we will not at all intermeddle herein VIII That all publike Revenues and Receipts may be employed to publike uses that so the Taxes of the City may be abated We know no publike Revenues imployed at all by the Parliament of England for any other then publike uses and if this Petition may be altogether cleare from secret aspersions of our worthy Parliament we can fully joyn with you in this particular IX That the Estates and Compositions of Delinquents may according to the engagements by Ordinances of Parliament be applyed to discharge the great summes owing to this City and Citizens The publike Faith for the publique debts will be valid we doubt not and in due season will so appeare we hope they minde the main what ever becomes of particular cases due time will be time enough we durst not engage as the case stands with this Petition X. That the Plymouth Duty may be taken off the Trade especially now the West is reduced That poore Garrison is still to be encouraged Surely these are the last times when mercy and charity waxeth cold we utterly wave this Petition XI That the Committee at Haberdashers-hall may be presently dissolved or at least so limited and regulated as that the City may have no cause of complaint This Petition seems in the first part of it to favour Malignants we remember our Covenant wee cannot close with you in this the later is ours as well as yours XII That the reducing of the Kingdome of Ireland may be taken into consideration before the good party there be too farre