to his Officers to know what they had against him Who it seemes act all things without his privity and steere all the Armies present counsels and designes according to their absolute wills The publique Declaration and Protestation of William Pryn of Lincolnes Iune Esquire Against his present Restraint and the present destructive Councels and Iesuiticall proceedings of the Generall Officers and Army I William Pryn a Member of the House of Commons and Free-man of England who have formerly suffer'd 8. years Imprisonment four of them close three in exile three Pillories the losse of my Eares Calling Estate for the vindicating of the Subjects just Rights and Liberties against the arbitrary tyranny and injustice of King and Prelats and defence of the Protestant Religion here established spent most of my strength and studies in asserting the Peoples just freedome and the power and priviledges of Parliament against all Opposers and never received one farthing by way of damages gift or recompence or the smallest benefit or preferment whatsoever for all my sufferings and publick services Doe here solemely declare before the most just and righteous God of Heaven and Earth the Searcher of all hearts the whole Kingdome English Nation and the World that having according to the best of my skill and judgment faithfully discharged my trust and duty in the Commons House upon reall grounds of Religion Conscience Iustice Law prudence and right reason for the speedy and effectuall setlement of the peace and safety of our three distracted bleeding dying Kingdomes on Monday Dec. 4. I was on Wednesday morning following the 6 of this instant going to the House to discharge my duty on the Parliament staires next the Commons dore forcibly seized upon by Col. Pride Sir Hardresse Waller and other Officers of the Army who had then beset the House with strong Guards and whole Reg of Horse and Foot haled violently thence into the Queens Court notwithstanding my Protestation of breach of priviledge both as a Member and a Freeman by a meere usurped tyrannicall power without any lawfull Authority or cause assigned and there forcibly detained Prisoner with other Members there restained by them notwithstanding the Houses double demand of my present enlargement to attend its service by the Sergeant and that night contrary to faith and promise carried Prisoner to Hell and there shut up all night with 40. other Members without any lodging or other accommodations contrary to the known Priviledges of Parl. the fundamentall Laws of the Realm and liberty of the Subject which both Houses the 3. Kingdoms the Generall with all Officers and Soldiers of the Army are by soleme Covenant and duty obliged inviolably to maintaine Since which I have without any lawfull power or authority been removed and kept Prisoner in severall places put to great expences debarred the liberty of my Person calling and denied that hereditary freedome which belongs to me of right both as a Free-man a Member an eminent sufferer for the publike a Christian by these who have not the least shadow of authority or justice to restraine me and never yet objected the least cause for this my unjust restraint I do therefore hereby publickly protest against all these their proceedings as the highest usurpation of an arbitrary and tyrannicall power the greatest breach of faith trust Covenant priviledges of Parliam and most dangerous encroachment on the Subjects liberties and Law of the Land ever practised in this Kingdome by any King or Tyrant especially by pretended Saints who hold forth nothing but justice righteousnesse liberty of conscience and publick freedome in all their Remonstrances whiles they are triumphantly trampling them all under their armed iron feet And doe further hereby appeal to and summon them before all the Tribunals and powers in heaven and earth for exemplary justice against them who cry out so much for it against others lesse tyrannicall oppressive unjust and fedifragus to God and men than themselves And doe moreover remonstrate that all their present exorbitant actings against the King Parl. present Government their new modled Representative are nothing else but the designs projects of Iesuits Popish Priests and Recusants who bear chief sway in their Councels to destroy and subvert our Religion Lawes Liberties Government Magistracy Ministry the present and all future Parl. the King his Posterity and our 3. Kingdomes yea the Generall Officers and Army themselves and that with speedy and inevitable certainty to betray them all to our forraigne Popish Enemies and give a just occasion to the Prince and Duke now in the Papists power to alter their Religion and engage them and all forraigne Princes and Estates to exert all their power to suppresse and extirpate the Protestant Religion and Professors of it through all the world which these unchristian scandalous treacherous rebellious tyrannicall Iesuiticall disloyall bloudy present Counsels and exorbitances of this Army of Saints so much pretending to piety and justice have so deeply wounded scandalized and rendred detestable to all pious carnall morall men of all conditions All which I am and shall alwaies be ready to make good before God Angels Men and our whole three Kingdomes in a free and full Parliament upon all just occasions and seale the truth of it with the last drop of my dearest bloud In witnesse whereof I have hereunto subscribed my Name at the Signe of the Kings-head in the Strand Decemb. 26. 1648. William Pryn. 51. The Councell of War forbid all state and ceremony to the King From Dec. 25. to 1. Ianuary Num. 283. 27. Decemb. The Councell of Warre who manage the businesse in relation to the King saith the Diurnall ordered That all state and ceremony should be forborne to the King and his Attendants lessened to mortifie him by degrees and worke Him to their desires 52. Cromwels Sp. in the Ho when it was first propounded to trie the King When it was first moved in the House of Commons to proceed capitally against the King Cromwell stood up and told them That if any man moved this upon designe he should thinke him the greatest Traytour in the world but since providence and necessity had cast them upon it he should pray God to blesse their Councels though he were not provided on the sudaine to give them counsel this blessing of his proved a curse to the King 53. The Ordinance for electing Com Councel men confirmed 28. Decemb. was brought into and read in the House an Ordinance explaining the former Ordinance for electing Common-Councel-men which confirmed the former Ordinance It was referred back againe to the said Committee to consider of taking away the illegall as they please to miscall them Oathes of Allegiance Supremacy and other Oathes usually administred to Officers Free-men c. of the City The 28. Decemb. Tho Scot brought in the Ordinance for Triall of the King it was read and recommitted three severall times 54. The Ordinance for Triall of His Majesty passed
Army and their Parliament Cromwell Ireton and Hugh Peters have severall times made it their errand to go into the City and visit the Ministers 66. London Ministers threatned See the Ministers of Londons Letter to the Generall called A serious Representation dated Ian. 18. 1648. giving them threatning admonitions not to Preach any thing against the Actings of the Army and their Parliament But Hugh acted his part above them all he tooke some Musketiers with him to the house of Master Calamy knocking at the dore a Maid asked whom he would speake with he told her with her Master she asked his name he replied Mr. Hugh Peters the Maid going up the staires to acquaint her Master who was above-staires in Cōference with somes Divines over-heard Peters say to the Souldiers The very name of Peters will fright them all Peters being called up the staires told Mr. Calamy He was commanded by the Generall to warne him to come before him Mr. Calamy leaving Peters vapouring canting Religion and non-sense to the rest of the Divines slipt downe staires and went to the Generall to know his pleasure telling him He had been summoned before him by Hugh Peters the Generall said Peters was a Knave and had no such directions from him Since this the Councell of Warre finding it difficult to stop the Ministers mouths have sundry times debated 67. The C. of VVar consider hovv to shut up the Churches dores How to shut up the Churches dores in the City for Reformation of the Church and propagation of the Gospell they have imprisoned Mr. Canton a worthy Minister for praying for King CHARLES threaten to trie him for his life in the Upper Bench forsooth which all the Lawes call the Kings-bench and upon their new Acts of Parliament made by a ninth part of the Members the small remnant or Junto of the House of Commons notwithstanding by The Directory for Publique Worship established by both Houses the Ministers are enjoyned to pray for the King It is said that Monsieur Paux one of the Dutch Agents here hath advised Cromwell to stop the Ministers mouthes by hanging up a dozen of them and vouches a president for it in the Low Countries 68. The Lords sent some Votes to the Commons for their cōcurrence Ian. 9. The Lords sate againe and passed some Ordinances which they sent downe to the Commons for their concurrence to feel their pulse whether they would vouchsafe to take so much notice of them the Commons laid them aside after some expressions of disdaine 69. Sergeant Dandy proclaimeth the sitting of the nevv H Court of Iustice This day Sergeant Dandy Sergeant at Armes to the Comissioners for Triall of His Majesty rode into Westminster-hall with the Mace belonging to the House of Commons upon his shoulder some Officers attending him all bare and 6. Trumpetors on horsback before him Guards of Horse Foot attending in both the Palace-yards the 6. Trumpetors sounded on horseback in the middle of the Hall the Drums beat in the Palace-yards after which a Proclamation was read aloud by Mr. King one of the Messengers of the said High Court of Justice to this purpose To give notice that the Commissioners were to sit to morrow and that all those that had any thing to say against CHARLES STVART King of England might be heard The like was done in Cheapside and at the Old Exchange 70. The Gr Seale voted to be broken This day the remainder of the House voted their Great Seale to be broken in order to the making of a new one justly putting the same affront upon their owne Seale which they had formerly put upon the Kings 71. Mr. Pryns Memento to the unparliamentary Iunto Upon these occasions Mr. Pryn it is said published his Memento to the unparliamentary Junto therein telling the House That being forcibly secluded from the House by the Officers of the Armies violence whereby he could not speake his mind to them freely in or as the House of Commons yet he would write his thoughts to them as private Persons onely under a force consulting in the House without their fellow Members advice or concurrence about speedy Deposing and Executing CHARLES their lawfull Soveraigne to please the Generall Officers and Counsell of the Army who have usurped to themselves the Supreme Authority both of King and Parliament or rather the Iesuits and Popish Priests among them 1. By the Common Law the Stat. 25. Edw. 3. Cok. 5. Iusti 4. 1. Stamf. Pleas of the Crovvne l. 1. c 1 2. and all other Acts concerning Treason It is High Treason for any man by overt act to compasse the death of the King or his eldest Sonne though never executed and so adjudged by Parliament in the Earle of Arundels Case 21 Ric. 2. Plac. Coronae n. 4 6 7. 2. In the Oath of Allegiance which every man takes before he sits in Parliament you acknowledge Him to be lawfull and rightfull King of this Realme and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any authority of the See of Rome or by any other meanes with any other hath any Power or Authority to depose the King c. 3. Your selves amongst other Members Exact Collect p. 16. 19. 21. 59. 66. 83. 102. 103. 118. 123. 125. 141. 142. 143. 173. 180. 195. 219. 259. 281. 307. 380. 312. 360. 376. 457. A Collect c. p. 13. 18. 41. 43. 44. 49. 51. 61. 64. 96. 181. 182. 310. 321. 424. 425. 499. 599 623 696. 806. 807. 879. Appendix p. 15. in above one hundred Remonstrances Declarations Petitions Ordinances c. in the name of the Parliament have professed you never intended the least hurt injury or violence to the Kings Person Crowne Dignity or Posterity but intended to Him and His Posterity more Honour Happinesse Glory and Greatnesse than ever any of His Predecessors enjoyed That you would make good to the uttermost with jour lives and fortunes the Faith and Allegiance you have alwaies borne to him That all Contributions Loanes should be imployed onely to maintaine the Protestant Religion the Kings Authority Person Royall Dignity Lawes of the Land Peace of the Kingdome and Priviledges of Parliament That the Forces raised by the Parliament were for defence of the Kings Person and of both Houses That the Parliament will ever have a care to prevent any danger to His Person That they are resolved to expose their lives and fortunes for maintenance of the Kings Person Honour and Estate and the Power and Priviledges of Parliament when the King taxed the Houses for insinuating Exact Collect pag 298. 695. 696. 657. 658. 991. That if they should make the highest presidents of other Parliaments their patternes that is Depose the King there could be no cause to complain of them Both Houses by two Declarations protested against it saying That such thoughts never entred nor should enter into their Loyall hearts 4. By the Protestation Collect. of
all Orders p. 8. 13. 41. 43. 44. 49. 51. 61 64. â—6 9â— 623. 69â— 879. Appendix pag. 15. they Declare in the presence of God to defend the Kings Person and Estate and that their Armies under Essex and Fairfax were raised for that purpose inter alia 5. By the Nationall Covenant they vowed to defend the Kings Person and Authority in preservation of true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome and that they will all the daies of their lives continue in this Covenant against all opposition 6. You monopolize the Supreme power into your owne hands robbing both King Lords the rest of your fellow Members thereof whom you are content should be violently shut out by your Army who have leavied Warre against the Parliament to dissolve it till the removall of which force and restoring your Members with freedome and safety you ought not to sit or Act by your Armies owne doctrine in their Remonstrance Aug. 18. by the Declaration and Ordinance of both Houses Aug. 20. 1647. Also 15. E. 3. n 5. 17. E. 3. n. 2. 6. 18. E. 3. n. 1. 2. 5. c. â— R. 2. n. 1. 2. R. 2. n 1 3. R. 2. n. 1. 4 R. 2. n. 1. 5. R. 2. Parl 1. n. 1. Parl. 2. n. 1. 8 H. 4. n. 28. Sec. 21. R. 2. c. 12. 1. H. 4. c. 3. 31. H. 6. c. 1. 39 H. 6. c. 1. See the memorable Record 6. E. 3. Parl. apud Ebor. n. 1 2. dorso clauso 6 E. 3. m. 4. 6 E. 3. apud Westm ' Parl. 2. n. 1 13. E. 3. Parl. 2. n. 4. many more Rolls where Parliaments when any considerable number of Members of either House were absent refused to sit though under no force till the Houses were full 7. You have neither Law nor president for what you doe Edw. 2. Rich. 2. were forced by Mortimer and H. 4. to resigne their Crowns in a formall way one to his Sonne the other to his conquering Successor neither of them to the Parliament and at last Deposed by a subsequent Sentence of Parliament as unfit to Reigne without any formall Triall * 72. The Armies party in the H approve the matter of the Co of Officers accusatory Ans against the secured Memb vvithout hearing them See Mr. Io Grereâ—s Ans to that silly Sophister Io Goodvvin called Might overcomming right Ian. 11. 1648. The House read the Answer of the Generall Counsell of the Army concerning the secured secluded Members and as I have formerly said without hearing what the said Members could say for themselves approved the matter of it whereupon the secured and secluded Members 20. Ian. 1648. with much adoe got printed their Vindication against the Aspersions cast upon them in The humble Answer of the Generall Counsell of the Officers of the Army concerning the securing secluding of the said Members The summe whereof is as followeth By the Preamble of this Answer by the Proposals of the 6. Decemb. and the late Declaration and Remonstrance therein cited 73. The sec secl Mem. Defence aginst the scandalous An of the C of VV it appeares this designe to breake the House by force hath been long since plotted and contrived with action The Generall Councell of the Army in their said Answer say Is a course in it selfe irregular and not justifiable but by honest intentions and extraordinary necessity the weaknesse of which Answer we must examine but first must state the case between us They are an Army raised by Ordinance of Parliament of 15. Febr. 1644. for defence of King and Parliament the true Protestant Religion the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome and to be from time to time subject to such Orders and directions as they shall receive from both Houses of Parliament and to this end they stand Commissioned by them and receive pay from them to this day And besides this trust thus lying upon them they are under the obligation of a solemne Covenant sworn to God That they will in their place and callings with sincerity reality and constancy with their estates and lives preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and the Liberties of the Kingdome and defend the Kings Person and Authority in defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome they being under the said trusts and Oath march up to Westminster contrary to order in a hostile way forcibly secured secluded drove away many of the Members the Question is Whether this Action be Iustifiable upon pretence of Honest intentions and Necessity Their good intentions cannot be known but by their expressions and actions and they referre us to their Proposals Declarations and Remonstrances where we find their desires are 1. To take away the Kings life 2. To take away the lives of the Prince and the Duke of Yorke at least to dis-inherit both them and all the Kings Children 3. To put a period to this Parliament 4. To set up a new Representative of their owne which takes away all Parliaments 5. To have an Elective King if any These are their Honest intentioÌ„s for publique good which must come in to justice their waging warre against their Masters this Parliament To name them is to confute them as being apparently against the Lawes of God and the Land under which they live which they are engaged to maintaine we shall produce no other Witnesses to prove this but themselves On the 15. of Novemb. 1647. The Agreement of the People which is lower in demands than these which they call Honest intentions for publique good was condemned by the Army The promoting it in the Army judged mutinous and capitall Col Rainsborough and Major Scot complained of in the House for appearing in it and the Paper it self adjudged by the House destructive to Government and the being of Parliaments The second pretence or Principle is Extraordinary Necessity for the same end To this we say 1. The Army made the same plea of necessity in their Remonstrance Iune 23. 1647. upon quite contrary grounds to what they expresse now both to justifie the same violent proceedings against the Parliament then when the King was seized upon by a Party of the Army without Order from the House the Army advanced against the Parliament They say in their Letter to the House Iuly 8. 1647. There have been several Officers of the Army upon severall occasions sent to his Majesty the first to present to Him a Copy of the Representations and after that same others to tender Him a Copy of the Remonstrance upon both which the Officers sent were appointed to cleer the Sence and intentions of any thing in either Turne back to sect 2 and see my Aniadvers upon the Army 20. Nov 1648. p. 4 5 6 7. Paper whereupon His Majesty might make any Question There the Army Treated with the King yet now they offer violence to the Parliament for Treating with the King Then in their Remonstrance 25. Iune
for a bare Cessation or Truce 4. Who can believe that any subordinate Officer commissionated to prosecute a Warre against Owen Roe and the rest in Armes in that Kingdome should dare to Treat and conclude an Agreement and conjunction with that very Enemy he had Commission to fight against without the knowledge and Directions publique or private of those from or under whom he hath his Authority and should be so bold when he had done to come over and justifie his said doings notwithstanding they proved unprosperous Col. Monke being so much a Souldier as to know That all the world over to exceed the bounds of his Commission much more to act against his Commission as in this case is assured death without mercy both by the Law Martiall without which Military Discipline will perish and by the Lawes of our Land See the said Letter printed at the latter end of a Relation of the securing and secluding of the Members by the Army 5. Wherefore was Sir Iohn Winter and Sir Kenelme Digby sent for over as was foretold by an intercepted Letter where of I have formerly spoken and O Realy the Popes Irish Agent and another Agent from Owen Roe O Neale privately entertained in England as I have formerly hinted but to drive on Treaties and Associations of this nature insomuch that long since it was whispered amongst Cromwels party in England to uphold their Spirits That upon his shewing himselfe in Armes in Ireland Ormonds Catholique Irish party would all forsake him and go over to O Neale who maintained the Popes Interest in that Kingdome The aforesaid Paper printed by Authority and stiled The true State of the Tronsactions c. besides the said Articles of Cessation Nota. setteth downe other Articles called The PROPOSITIONS of Generall Owen O Noale the Lords Gentry and Commons of the confederate Catholicks of VLSTER To the most High and most Honourable The PARLIAMENT of ENGLAND 1. INprimis That such as are already joyned or shall within the space of three Months joyne with Generall Owen O Neale within the space of three Months is not in the said Copie printed at Corke in the service of the Parliament of England in this Kingdome as well Clergy as others may have all Lawes and Penalties against their Religion and its Professors taken off by Act of Parliament and that Act to extend to the said Parties their Heires and Successors for ever while they Loyally serve the Parliament of England 2. The said Generall O Neale desireth an Act of Oblivion to be passed to extend to all and every of his Party for all things done since the beginning of the Yeare 1641. 3. They desire that Generall Owen O Neale be provided with a Competent Command in the Army befitting his worth and quality 4. They desire that they may enjoy all the Lands that were or ought to be in their or their Ancestors possession 5. That all incapacity inability and distrust hitherto by Act of State or otherwise against the said Party be taken off 6. That on both sides all jealousies hate and aversion be laid aside Vnity love and amity be renewed and practised between both Parties 7. That Generall Owen O Neale may be restored and put in possession of his a a Ancestors not Successours a fault of the Printers Successors Estates or some Estates equivalent to it in the Counties of Tyrone Ardmarch or Londondery in regard of his merit and the good service that he shall performe in the Parliament of Englands Service in the preservation of their interest in this Kingdome 8. That the Army belonging to Generall Owen O Neale and his Party be provided for in all points as the rest of the Army shall be 9. That the said Party be provided with and possessed of a convenient Sea-port in the Province of Ulster I doe upon receiving a confirmation of these Propositions forthwith undertake and promise in behalfe of my selfe and the whole Party under my Command faithfully and firmely adhere to the Service of the Parliament of England in this Kingdome and maintaine their Interest hereafter with the hazard of our lives and fortunes In witnesse whereof I have hereunto put my Hand and Seale this 8. day of May An. Dom. 1649. Signed Owen O Neale Thus farre the said Paper stild The true State c. goes on with the Relation of the said Treaty and Agreement but conceales what farther Transactions passed between Monke and O Neale upon the last recited Propositions Wherefore I shall be bold to continue the Story out of a Paper entituled The Propositions of Owen Roe O Neale sent to Col. Monke The Story of the farther Transactions between O Neale and Monke continued and enlarged out of the Propositions printed at Corke and a Cessation for three Months concluded between them Together with a Letter thereupon sent by a Gentleman at Dundalke to his Friend at Corke Printed at Corke 1649. The last recited Propositions were sent to Monke 25. day of April 1649. who perused them and made some inconsiderable alterations in them as appears by Monkes Letter of Answer thereupon to Owen O Neale dated from Dundalke 26. April 1649. as I find it in the said Paper printed at Corke in these words SIR I Have received your of the 25. April and I have seen your Order given to Captain Hugh Mac Patricke Mac Mahon to Treat and Conclude a Peace with me in the behalfe of your selfe and the Forces under your Command I have perused your Propositions and conceiving there are some particulars in them which at first view the Parliament of England may scruple to grant I have made a small alteration in some of them being well assured by it you will not receive the least disadvantage but it will rather prove a meanes to beget an increase of their good opinion towards you and your Patry which I believe your reality fidelity and action in their Service will sufficiently merit and in case you approve of them as I have revised and altered them I desire you to send them to me Signed and Sealed by you that I may present them to the Parliament of England to obtaine their favourable Answer in returne of them And in the meane time I desire that according to this inclosed Paper three Months Cessation between us be condiscended unto and inviolably kept between our Forces during the same time Dundalke 26. April 1649. Gorge Monke 1. Observations upon Monkes Letter 1. Col. Monke in his said Letter to O Neale 26. April answereth him 1. That he had perused his Proposition and conceiving there are some Particulars which at first view the Parliament of England may scruple to grant c. A gentle Phrase to nourish hopes in O Neale even of obtaining all his Demands if need be upon debate and deliberation though not at first view That he hath made a small Alteration in some of them I confess very small being will assured be should not receive
him and give an ill example to other Women to the prejudice of our other New States-men their New erected Sodomes and Spintries at the Mulbury-garden at Saint Jame's 220. Felons fetched out of New-gate to informe against Merchants for not paying Customes Master Gybs Master of a Ship having caused three Fellowes to be committed to New-gate upon Felony for Robbing him These Fellowes sent to Col. Harvey That if he would procure their Liberty they would discover to him severall Merchants who had lately stolne Customes Whereupon Harvey sends for those Rogues out of New-gate heares their Accusation approves it prosecutes the Merchants upon the Information of those Villaines discharges them of their Imprisonment by his own power and recommends them to Col. Deane to be employed in the Navie And one Master Lovell a Silk-man in Saint Lawrence-lane is committed to the Gate-house Prisoner because he refuseth to Sweare how many Bayles of Silke he hath come over if the First yeare of our Liberty make such presidents what Monsters will the Sixt and Seventh yeare produce All Princes begin with moderation the Elders gave good Counsell to Rehoboam Serve the People one day and they will serve thee for ever hereafter Nero had a commendable Quinquennium but our Novice Statists are Tyrants ab incunabilis Oppressors with shells upon their heads from the Nest before they are fledged what will they be hereafter 221. Sommer-hill given to Bradshaw A sop for Cerberus Sommer-hill a pleasant Seat worth 1000 l. a yeare belonging to the Earle of Saint Albans is given by the Iunto to their Bloud-hound Bradshaw so he hath warned the Countesse of Leicester who formerly had it in possession to raise a Debt of 3000 l. pretended due to her from the said Earle which she hath already raised fower-fold to quit the possession against our Lady-day next THE END An Exhortatory Conclusion to the English Nation TO conclude the series of Affaires and Action on both Parties especially of late rightly compared Compare the Date of the K. Commissions with those of the Parliament and their Declarations on both sides it appeareth by the sequell That KING CHARLES the First from the beginning took up Defensive Armes to maintaine Religion Lawes Liberties and the Antient fundamentall being of Parliaments and this Kingdome and that there alwaies was and now especially is a predominant Faction in Parliament notwithstanding their frequent Declarations Remonstrances Petitions Protestations Covenant and votes to the contrary conspiring with a Party especially of Commissioned Officers of the Army without the Houses to Change the Fundamentall Lawes and Government of the Church and Common-wealth to usurp into a few hands the Supreme Authority to enslave the People with an Oligarchicall Military and Arbitrary Government to raise what illegall Taxes they please to establish their tyranny and enrich themselves and their Party to oppresse consume and devoure all Men of a judgement contrary to their Interest to Murder them by new-declared arbitrary Treasons contrary to the Stat. 25. Edw. 3. for ascertaining Treasons to Disfranchise them of their Birth-rights and make them Adscriptios Glebae Villaines Regardante to their owne Lands which the Nobility Gentry and Yeomanry plough sowe and reap whilst Brewers Draymen Coblers eate drinke and play upon the sweat of their labours and are the Usufructuaries of their Estates All which they have lately brought to passe wherefore let all true English-men as becomes good Christians good Patriots and gallant Men claime their Birth-rights and with one voice crie out 1. We will not Change our Antient setled and well approved Lawes to which we are sworne 2. We will not Change our Antient and well-tempered Monarchy to which we are Sworne 3. We will not Change our old Religion for New Lights and inventions 4. We will not subject our selves to an eight part of one Estate or House of Parliament sitting under a force and having expelled two hundred and fifty of their Fellowes more Righteous then themselves by force and usurping to themselves the Supreme Authority 5. We will not be subjected to a new Supreme Authority usurped by forty ambitious covetous Tyrants arrogating to themselves to be a Councell of State and designed to supply the roome of Parliaments under what name or title soever they shall maske themselves 6. We will not submit our selves to a Military Government or Councell of Officers See the Stat of Recognition 1. Iac. and the Oathes of Allegiance Obedence and Supremacy 7. We must and will have A KING and The KING whom the Lawes of God and this Land have Designed to us we being by the Oathes of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy sworne to beare faith and true Allegiance to KING CHARLES the First his lawfull Heyres and Successors Hic telum infigam moriarque in vulnere POSTSCRIPT REader at the latter end of my First part of The History of Independency I have presented to thy consideration some Generall Conclusions arising out of the Premises the same Conclusions doe as naturally arise out of the Premises of this Second part of the History and doe as aptly serve to illustrate this Second as that First part wherefore to that First part I send thee for opening thy understanding When our old Lawes run againe into their Antient Channell and the Sword of Murder is sheathed and the Sword of Justice drawne the Author engageth to publish his Name Apologie and shew what he hath done and suffered for the Parliament and Kingdome THE END
and all Votes Orders Ordinances passed in either or both Houses of Parliament since the said Ordinance of the 26. of Iuly to the said 6. of August are null and void and were so at the making thereof and are hereby Declared so to be the Parliament being under a force and not free Provided alwaies and be it Ordered That no Person or Persons shall be impeached or punished for his or their actions by or upon or according to the aforesaid Votes Orders or Ordinances unlesse he or they shall be found guilty of contriving acting or abetting the aforesaid visible and actuall force or being present a or knowing of the said force did afterwards act upon ths Votes so forced or were guilty of entring into or promoting the late Engagement for bringing the KING to the City upon the Termes and Conditions expressed in His Majesties Letter of the 12. of May last IOHN BROWNE Cler. Parl. ERATA PAg. 9. Lin. 9. r. spoken p. 16. l. 29. r. Papir Cursor p. 21. l. 14. Hypothetically p. 28 l. 9. r. without p. 70. l. 35. r. which action p. 82. l. 33. r. Trayterous p. 103. l. ult col 2. r. Io. Dove p. 115. l. 7. r. disapprovable p. 127. l. 22. r. feare p. 177. l. 6. r. slay p. 224. l. 35. r. powr resides p. 240. l. 6. r. act with them l. ult r. the most THE SECOND PART OF The History of Jndependency MY First part of Relations and observations Historicall and Politique upon this present Parliament 1. The Proeme begun Anno Dom. 1640. anno Car. primi 16. is divided into tvvo parts or Books The Mystery of the two Iuntoes Presbyterian and Independent vvherein I shevv vvith vvhat art to advance their designes the Grandees divided the Houses into the said tvvo Factions vvhich Factions entertaining the Quarrell in earnest their respective Grandees vvere forced to turne their jest into earnest too for upholding their Authority vvith their severall Parties not unlike Butchers vvho in a Country Market set their Dogs together by the eares in sport and at last ovvne their Dogs quarrell themselves in earnest The second Book is The History of Independency vvherein I shevv the Rise Growth and Practises of that Party vvhich being full of schismaticall quick-silver restlesse and stirring and tenable by no Oaths Principles Promises Declarations nor by any obligations or Lavves divine or humane doth novv enjoy the fruits of their perfidiousnesse and treachery a Conquest gotten over their Adversaries by pretending protesting and false promising vvhich they attribute to the Bounties and Mercies of God and from the successe of their villanies argue most Turkishly his blessings over them and as Ievvishly arrogate to themselves to be the peculiar People and Saints of God although he useth them but as a Rod in his hand to scourge the sinnes of the other Party and of the vvhole Kingdome It is the usuall method of Gods justice not onely to punish one sinne by another but one Sinner by another nay a lesser Sinner by a greater and at last to receive the humble and corrected Sinner into Abrahams bosome and cast the insulting Executioner of his vvrath into the fiery fornace of his anger In my aforesaid History of Independency you have that Faction conquering In this Continuation or Supplement of the said History I represent them to you triumphing using and abusing their Victories to the dishonour of God destruction of the King beggering and enslaving of the Kingdome depriving us of our Religion Lavves Liberties and Estates and consequently making our VVives and Children the objects of our feare despair and ill boding doubts not the objects of any comfort and joy vve can take in them vvhose miseries vve foresee but cannot help VVhen I consider the intricacy of this my undertaking hovv perplexed it is hovv intangled vvith various changings counterchangings revolutions revoltings and betrayings of Parties such are all Civill VVarres but especially those vvhere the most unciviil and barbarous sort of men the dregs and lees of the People svvim a top hovv full of divisions and subdivisions in so much that they vvho are Friends and hold together in one Interest or Faction are Opposites in another Methinks my labour is as vaine as his that attempted to take the Picture of Proteus or his that endeavoured to shape a Garment for the Moone vvhen God brought a Confusion but of Lips and Tongues upon Babel vvhat Man vvas able to reduce them into order againe But God hath brought upon us a Confusion a Babel not onely of Lips and Tongues but of Heads Hearts Hands c. VVhat Historian can find a method in so universall a Chaos can dravv light out of so palpable a darknesse Besides I foresee my revvard to be envie hatred malice contempt slanders sequestration beggery imprisonment and at last an Arbittary death vvithout any Legall Tryall proceedings Iury Iudges or Court or any knovvne established Lavv to judge by Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit I have already follovved truth so neer at the heels although but a private retainer to her that almost all my teeth are secretly stricken out vvhat dare they not novv doe openly against me since by murdering our King dis-inheriting his Posterity subverting Monarchicall Government abolishing the House of Lords and perverting the House of Commons setting up nevv Representatives vvith Supreme and Legislative Povver and nevv Courts and Iurisdictions against all Lavves they Proclaime themselves Conquerours of King Parliament and Kingdome Victors of our Religion Lavvs Liberties Properties Triumphers over our Persons VVives Children and Estates since they professe their vvill povver to be the only Lavvs Rules of their doings and our sufferings But vvhen I consider that as no mans innocency so no mans reservednesse can protect him but that some men must die according to Catiline's rule to make up the number others to multiply confiscations others to satisfie private suspitions malice revenge many must die to cement and foment this nevv erected Tyranny vvith their bloud I thought it as easie more honourable to die vvaking and vvorking for my God my King and Country than to die sleeping and have my throat cut in a Lethargy I knovv these Schismaticks thirst as much after bloud as they hunger after money and I am sure to be involved in the common and inevitable ruine of my Country vvhy should I not rather perish for it novv them vvith it hereafter It is more manly more noble more Christian Dulce decorum est pro patria mori vvas the saying of an Heathen vvhy not of a Christian Religion Lavves and Liberties lie novv at stake vvhy should not I come in for a Gamester it is a mixt cause and he that dies for it is a Martyr He that feares Death must be a slave to those Tyrants that carry rhe Svvord he that feares Poverty must be a Villaine to those Iudasses that beare the Purse but he that feares God vvill borrovv strength from
Int rest and Party The more subtile Independent knevv the King vvould not nor could not take it and therefore complied vvith the Presbyterians in obtruding it upon him to breake off the Treaty many things in the Covenant vvere vaine in the Person of His Majesty as that He should sweare to maintain His owne Person c. vvhich the lavv of nature binds him to vvithout an Oath vvhich in this case is idle and a prophaning of Gods name some things in the Oath vvere contradictory to vvhat the Parliaments Propositions desired of him as to maintaine His owne Authority in defence of Religon Lawes and Liberties vvhich vvas impossible for Him to doe unlesse he kept the Militia in his ovvne hands and his Negative Voice also vvhich that clause in the Bill of Militia That all Bills for leavying Forces should have the povver of Acts of Parliament without the Royall Assent c. vvould have deprived him of by making their Ordinances Acts of Parliament in effect binding to the Persons and Estates of the People in an Arbitrary vvay to their utter enslaving To sweare to Abolish Bishops c. vvas against his Coronation Oath To sweare to extirpate Heresies Schismes c. is more then the Independents vvould permit To sweare to maintaine the Vnion between the two Nations vvhich the Parliament declare already to be broken by the Scots Invasion is vaine besides hovv unjust a thing vvas it to impose that Oath upon the King vvhen most Members of the Parliament Army and others are left at large not to take it The Parliaments Demands That the King should declare against the Marquesse of Ormonds proceedings to unite all the Interests of Ireland for the service of his Majesty vvas no part of the Propositions upon vvhich the Treaty vvas begun but a subsequent request upon an emergent occasion and therefore I see no reason vvhy the King should have given any Ansvver to it but onely have held himselfe to the originall Propositions yet he did Ansvver That the whole businesse of Ireland was included in the Treaty and therefore a happy Agreement thereupon would set an end to all differences there vvhich being voted unsatisfactory and moved that a new Declaration might be published against him the King vvas inforced to put a stand to the Marquesses proceedings by his Letter to his great prejudice yet these Declarers against him do novv comply vvith Ovven Roe Oneale and have entertained O Realy the Popes Irish-Vicar-generall in England to negotiate for the Irish massacring Rebels vvith the Parliament These things considered prove vvhat I find in our late King Charles the 1. most excellent Booke Chap. 18. That it is a Maxime to those that are Enemies to peace to aske something which in Reason and Honour must be denied that they might have some colour to refuse all the rest that is granted More observations upon this unlucky Treaty I vvill not trouble my Reader vvith these being enough to shevv the vanity of those Propositions by these he may take a scantling of the rest ex pede Herculem I cannot but blame the indiscretion if not the indisposition of those Commissioners vvho cavilled avvay so much time in the Treaty 17. Iones complaines by Letters that Ireland was like to be lost untill Cromwell had done his vvorke in the North and marched up to Tovvne to make the Treaty ineffectuall About the latter end of Octob. 1648. Col. Iones sent vvhining Letters from Dublin to the Steers-men at Darby-house complaining that all Ireland vvas like to unite and prosecute the Kings Interest and therefore he cried for help but neither the said Committee in their consultations nor the Army in execution of vvhat vvas resolved could agree amongst themselves the Engrossers and Monopolizers of Olygarchy into a fevv hands desiring to make themselves a corporation of Tyrants suspect an opposition from the Levellers and vvould faine turne them out of the Kingdome into Ireland to seek their fortunes and practice their Levelling Principles in a strange Land The Levellers more numerous in the Army though lesse numerous in the said Committee straine courtesie vvith their Betters and vvould have them goe first thinking the seeds of liberty and equality vvill prosper better in the soyle and ayre of England VVhile they vvere disputing if Marquesse Ormond had been acting as he had been had not the King been necessitated to retard him by his said Letters sent from the Isle of VVight during the Treaty the King had recovered that Kingdome intirely to himselfe vvhich had been of great advantage to him The 20. Novemb. 1648. Col. Evvers 18. The Remonst of the Army to he House of Commons Nov. 20 1648. vvith seven or eight Officers more presented at the House of Commons Barre a thing called by those that use to miscall things An humble Remonstrance of the Army it is founded upon these five Anarchicall Principles 1. That themselves and their faction onely vvhom they call exclusively the VVel-affected Godly Honest Party the Saints are the People of England all the rest but Philistins Amorites or at the best but Gibeonites 2. That their Interest onely is the publique Interest of the People 3. That thè People that is themselves are the onely competent Iudges of the Peoples safety contrary to the Lavves and practice of all Nations vvhich bestovv that prerogative onely upon the Supreme Magistrate but it may be here lies hid another subsequent principle That they are the Supreme Magistrate armed vvith Supreme Authority as vvell as vvith their Svvords and hereupon they as good as tell the House That if their supposed dangers be not removed and those remedies vvhich they Remonstrate admitted they shall make such appeale to God that is their Svvord as formerly they have done 4. Principle is consequentiall to the 3. That they may drive on their Designe upon pretence of necessity self-preservation honest intentions providence or revelation against all Powers Formes of Government and Lawes what soever under colour of that much abused Maxime Salus Populi Supremae Lex esto the safety of the People is the Supreme Lavv vvhich hath been the fruitfull Mother of many Rebellions in all Ages to serve the corrupt ends of ambitious Persons vvho usually fish in troubled vvaters to attaine to those ends vvhich they could never arrive at in setled Governments This is a Principle or nevv light discovered by Maior Huntington That it is lawfull to passe through any formes of Government for accomplishment of their ends and therefore either to purge the Houses and support the remaining Party by power everlastingly or put a period to them by force and themselves imply as much in this Remonstrance p. 45 saying It cannot be safe to accommodtae vvith the King because if He returne and this Parliament continue long and unlimited He vvill make a Party amongst them He hath bid faire for it among the Commons already and the Lords are his ovvne out of Question and therefore vve dare not trust
jugling trick to make them acknovvledge the Lord Fairfax Authority and become voluntary Prisoners upon their ovvne engagement and vvas therefore refused The next morning being Thursday the Imprisoned Members had vvarning given them to meet the Generall and his Councell of VVarre at VVhite-hall vvhither they vvere Guarded in Coaches tyred out vvith vvatching and fasting But the mechanick Councel took so much state upon them that after six or seven hovvers attendance untill darke night and no admittance nor application to them they vvere led avvay from thence on foot vvith Guards of Musketiers like Thieves and Rogues and thorovv the kennels like Col. Prides Dray-horses to the Swan and Kings-head tvvo Innes in the Strand and there distributed under severall Centinels The Souldiers making a stand vvith them sometimes halfe an hovver together in the snovv and raine untill they had put their Guards into a marching posture and reviling them See the 2. part of Englands Chaines discovered and the Hunting of the Foxes c. that they were the men that had cousened the State of their money and kept back their Pay Vpon vvhich scandalous provocation some of them Ansvvered That it was the Committee of the Army and their owne Officers that had cousened them vvhich some of the Foot-Souldiers then acknovvledged Besides the 41. Imprisoned Members the Officers standing severall daies vvith Lists of Names in their hands at the Parliament dore have turned back from the House and denied entrance unto above 160. other Members besides 40. or 50. Members vvho voluntarily vvithdrevv to avoid their violence all vvhom they knovv to be Losers by the VVarre and therefore desirous of a safe and vvel-grounded peace so that they have made vvarre against the majority of the House that is against the vvhole House for major pars obtinet rationem totius by all our Lavves and Customes The major part of the House is virtually the whole House vvhich is Treason by their ovvne Declarations and Remonstrance farre higher than that vvhereof they accuse the King and for vvhich they demand Iustice against Him and the remaining faction of 40. or 50. engaged Members vvho novv passe unpresidented Acts of Parliament of the House of Commons as they call them vvithout the Lords ought not to sit Act nor take upon them the stile of a House under so visible actuall and horrid a force both by the Lavves of the Land and their ovvne Ordinance passed August 20. 1647. To null and void all Orders Votes and Acts passed under the Tumult of Apprentices from Iuly 26. to the 6. August following and yet the said Tumult ended the said Iuly 26. vvhen it begun See the said Ordinance herevvith printed The Army vvho novv acknovvledge no povver but that of the Svvord as Major VVhite long since foretold at Putney and vvhose principle it is To break the Powers of the Earth to pieces as VVilliam Sedgewicke in his Iustice upon the Army Remonstrance saith And who as Ioh Lilburne in his Plea for Common Right p. 6. saith have by these extraordinary proceedings overturned all the visible supreme Authority of this Nation now suffer onely their owne Party of 40. or 50. Members to sit and doe journey worke under them who are Enemies to peace and have got well by fishing in troubled waters and hope to get better so that hardly a seventh or eighth part of the Counties Cities and Burroughs that ought to have Members sitting have any body to represent them and therefore hovv they shall be bound by the Votes and Acts of this fagge end this Rump of a Parliament vvith corrupt Maggots in it I doe not see Friday Decemb. 8. a Message from the Generall vvas brought to Sir Robert Harlow that he might go home to his house giving his engagement not to oppose the actings and proceedings of this present Parliament and Army The like vvas offered to divers others you see hereby vvhat the offence of these Imprisoned Members is onely a feare that they will defend the fundamentall Government the Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Land the Kings Person and Authority and the being of Parliaments against the Tyrannicall and Treasonable practices of the Army and their House of Commons The small remnant of the House of Commons sent sundry times to the Generall to knovv why he Imprisoned their Members 24. Reasons proving that the remaining faction or Iunto sitting under the force of the Army were consenting to the securing secluding their Members sect 134 135. and humbly to beseech him to set them at liberty if he had nothing against them But all this vvas but prevarication and false shevves for 1. Their base and conditionall vvay of demanding their Liberty if he had nothing against them implies an acknovvledgement of the Generalls jurisdiction and conusance over them and an invitation of him to accuse them 2. Their sitting and acting under so brutish a force before their Members righted or the honour of the House vindicated is a deserting and yeilding up of their Membres honour 3. Their Voting an approbation of the matter of the Generall Officers scandalous and jugling Ansvver to their said Demands concerning the secured and secluded Membres as aftervvards they did vvithout hearing vvhat the said Members could say for themselves is cleerly a forejudging and betraying them 4. Their late Votes That no man shall peruse their Iournall Booke of Orders c. without speciall leave is purposely done to barre the said Membres vvho cannot make any perfect Ansvver in confutation of the Scandals cast upon them by the Generall Councels printed Libell against them vvithout having recourse to the said Booke to see vvhat Votes passed for Ireland for the 200000 l. and other matters To say nothing hovv unusuall and unjust it is to keep the Records of the House from the vievv and knovvledge of any man and yet to expect their obedience to them 5. Their exceeding strict and severe prohibiting the printing any Books not Licenced and imploying Souldiers to Search all Printing Houses dayly is done in ordre to barre the said accused Members from publishing an Ansvver in their justification 6 Their Summoning Mr. Pryn by ordre to appeare at the Commons Barre knovving him to be still a Prisoner to the Army shevves that the Army and they serve each others turnes against them 7. And Lastly the Declaration of the present House of Commons dated Iaen 15. 1648. is nothing but an eccho of the said Ansvver of the Generall Councell against the said secured and secluded Members They that are so vvickedly industrious to destroy these Gentlemens credits doe this as a preparative to destroy their Persons and seize upon their Estates for the maintenance of a nevv VVarre vvhich they foresee their violent courses vvill bring upon them and for the farther inriching of themselves and establishing their Tyranny vvhich they miscall The Liberty of the People This violent purge vvrought so strongly upon the House and brought it to that vveaknesse that ever since
Representative have so unstable an authority vvhat shall the subordinate Magistrate acting under them have 7. It smels so much of the Iesuite that it tolerateth Popery in private Houses contrary to the knovvne Lavves of the Land Popery like the old Serpent if it once get in the head vvill soon insinuate the vvhole body being so vvell backed by potent Princes and Councels from beyond Sea And truly I knovv not vvhat to say against Popery vvhere Heresie Schisme Atheisme and Blasphemie are openly tolerated and exempted from the povver of the civill Magistrate as in this Agreement 8. It vvill lose Ireland the managing of the VVarre there being legally in this Parliament by Act passed not in this nevvfangled Representative 9. It divides us from Scotland 10. It destroyes the Cause for vvhich the Parliament so often Declared Voted Protested and Convenanted that they fought viz. Defence of Parliaments Religion Lawes and Liberties and bestovves the Cause upon the King as if He onely from the beginning had fought for them vvhich all men have reason to believe vvhen they shall see the Parliament make such ill use of their Victory as to root them all up And this and all other Parliament Armies vvere Commissioned to preserve this Parliament by this Authority they have their Pay and Indemnity vvithout vvhich they are Thieves Rebels and Murderers 11. It demands that there be no Lavvyers nor Lavves but nevv Rules in English to be made from time to time by the nevv Representative vvho are to be chosen and trusted onely by a small faction of Subscribers as hath been said according to vvhich justice shall be administred not by Mayors Sheriffs Iustices of the peace Officers alvvaies ready but by Hundred Courts vvho are to supply the roome off all the Iudges and Lavvyers of the Kingdome and all this to lie in the brests of 12 Men in every Hundred of the Tribe of the Godly be sure vvho peradventure can neither vvritte nor read nor have responsible Estates to satisfie vvrongs done these shall doe justice by providence and revelation 12. It destroyeth all great and publique Interests and therefore cannot stand Kings Lords Souldiers Magistrates Parliaments Lavvyers Ministers vvho vvill oppose it becaâ—se it confounds and destroies Religion and depriveth the Ministery of its lot Tythes stopping their mouthes vvith famine purposely to cast them off and generally all men of quality and discretion vvill vvithstand it because it gives no security for enjoyment of liberty and property nor for increase of learning civility and piety vvho then are left to ovvne and subscribe it but desperate forlorne Persons vvho because they cannot bring their actions under the protection of our present Lavvs and Government vvill bring the Lavvs and Government to their ovvn corrupt vvills and interests and therefore vvill signe this Agreement no obedience being given to this Representative but upon condition that they kept this Agreement and there being no other Iudges of their keeping it but the Subscribers vvho in the result of all have the Lavv in their ovvne VVills 36. This Agreement of the People was condemned by the House of Commons 9. Nov. 1647. This Agreement of the People is the same vvhich vvas subscribed by 9. Regiments of Horse and 7 of Foot and presented vvith a Petition to the House of Commons Novemb. 5. 1647. by the Agitators Gifforde the Iesuite being then in the Lobby vvith them and very active therein Vpon reading and debate hereof the House then declared their judgements against it by passing these Votes Die Martis 9. Nov. 1647. A Paper directed to the Supreme Authority of the Nation the Commons in Parliament assembled The just and earnest Petition of those whose Names are subscribed in behalfe of themselves and all the Free-borne people of England Together vvith a Paper annexed intituled An Agreement of the People for present and future peace upon grounds of Common Right avowed Hovv these Papers come novv to be ovvned those that opposed them violently secured by the Army by the connivence at least of the dregs of the House novv sitting let the Saints novv voting in the House examine their pockets for I am confident their consciences had no hand in the businesse Resolved c. That the matters contained in these Papers are destructive to the beings of Parliaments and to the fundamentall Government of the Kingdome Resolved c. That a Letter should be sent to the Generall and those Papers inclosed together with the Vote of this House upon them and that he be desired to examine the proceedings of this businesse in the Army and returne an Account thereof to this House The Generall and Councell of VVarre in pursuance of this Vote condemned one of the Agitators vvho promoted it 37. The said Agreement damned by the General Councell of VVarre and a Souldier shot by sentence for promoting it and shot him to death at VVare you see vvhat it is to doe a thing unseasonably this Designe of the Army and their Party vvas not yet ripe vvherevvith they acquainted the House yet they kept in the same fire in the City still vvhere some of their Confederates 23. of the same Novem. sent the same Agreement c. inclosed in a Letter vvith a Petition into the House of Commons vvhere-upon the House giving thanks to the Generall for the execution done at VVare and desiring him to examine that businesse to the bottome unanimously passed these Votes Die Martis 23. Nov. 1647. A Petition directed to the Supreme Authority of England 38. The said Agreement condemned by the House a second time 23. Novemb 1647. the Commons in Parliament assembled and entituled The humble Petition of many Free-borne People of England sent in a Letter directed to Mr. Speaker and opened by a Committee thereunto appointed vvas read the first and second time Resolved c. That this Petition is a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former Petition and Paper annexed stiled An Agreement of the People formerly adjudged by this House to be destructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome c. Resolved c. That Tho Prince Cheese monger and Sam Chidley be forthwith committed Prisoners to the Prison of the Gate-house there to remaine Prisoners during the pleasure of this House for a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former Petition and Paper annexed stiled An Agreement of the People formerly adjudged by this House destructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome Resolved c. That Ieremy Ives Tho Taylor and VVill Larner be forthvvith committed Prisoners to the Prison at Nevv-gate c. as last aforesaid in Terminis Aftervvards by an Ordinance Decemb. 17. 1647. for Electing Common-Councel-men and other Officers in London they expresly ordained That no Person vvho hath contrived abetted persvvaded or entred into that Engagement entituled The Agreement of the People declared to be destructive to the being of Parliaments
Generall and Generall Councell of the Army and their Faction now remaining and sitting in the said House WHereas long since for ease of the People both Houses in a full free Parliament Voted the Disbanding of this Army in opposition to which some great Officers of the said Army to continue their rich Commands with some Members of the House of Commons who daily inrich themselves by the troubles of the times secretly mutinied the Army against the Parliament And whereas lately the farre major part of the House of Commons pitying the bleeding condition and teares of the oppressed People Voted and entred into a Personall Treaty with the King without which by the Armies own confession in their Remonstrance at Saint Albons p. 64. there can be no peace which the Army interrupted by obtruding upon the Commons a treasonable Remonstrance 20. Novemb. 1648. tending to destroy the King and His Posterity and wholly to subvert all Parliaments Religion Lawes Liberties for ever whereby the Commons in Parliament found it absolutely necessary to prevent such pernitious innovations by cōcluding a safe peace with His Majesty whereupon after mature debate the House of Commons the 5. Decemb. 1648. Voted That the Kings Answer to the Propositions of both Houses upon the Treaty were a ground for the Houses to proceed to the setlement of a safe and well-grounded Peace Upon which the Generall and Councell of Warre Wednesday morning 6. December 1648. Seized Imprisoned 41 of the Members going to the House of Commons to doe their Duty secluded above 160. other Members besides 40. or 50. Members who voluntarily withdrew themselves to avoid their violence leaving onely their owne engaged party of 40. or 50. Members sitting who now passe Acts of Parliament of the House of Commons as they call them without the Lords and comply with the said Councell of Warre to carry on the said Remonstrance To which purpose this present remnant of the Commons have unvoted in a thin House under the force of the Army what was deliberately Voted in a full and free House whereas by their owne Ordinance passed upon the Tumult of Apprentices 20. August 1647. to null and make void ab initio all Acts Orders Votes c. passed under the said force This remaining Party ought not to sit act nor take upon them the style af a House under so visible actuall and horrid a Force The premises considered We whose names are hereunto subscribed Members of the House of Commons doe declare protest That the said Generall Commissioned Officers Generall Councell of the Army by the said act of violence upon the major part of the House which legally and virtually is the whole House have waged Warre and Rebelled against the Parliament their Masters who raised them to defend the Priviledges of Parliament the Kings Person Authority in defence of Religion Lawes Liberties and have thereby forfeited their Commissions and have broken and dis-continued this Parliament so that untill this force be removed punished the Honour of the Parliament and their wronged Members vindicated and all the Members resummoned all the Votes Orders Actings Passed and to be Passed by this nominall House of Commons are and will be void ab initio and all such as doe or shall obey them are and will be punishable both by the Armies owne judgment in their Remonstrance August 18. and by the Houses Declaration and the said Ordinance 20. August 1647. We doe farther declare protest against this present House of Commons illegall Acts Order or Ordinance for erecting a High Court of Justice usurping a power without any Law or president to Trie Depose and bring to capitall punishment the King and to Dis-inherit His Posterity or any of them and against the said Generall Councell of Officers aiding and abetting them therein as highly impious against the Law of God Nations the Protestant Profession Traytors against the Stat. of Treasons 25. Edw. 3. and against all Lawes and our Statutes perjurious and perfidious against the Oaths of Allegiance Supremacy Nationall Covenant and Protestation all the Parliaments Declarations Remonstrances held forth to the world their Treaties and promises made to the Scots when they delivered the Kings Person into our hands against our promises made to the Hollanders and other Nations and against all the Professions Declarations Remonstrances and Proposalls made by this Army when they made their Addresses to the King at New-market Hampton-Court and other places Ianuary 19. 1648. William Pryn. Clem Walker About this time the Generall Councell of Officers at White-Hall ordered 75. The Coun of Officers order 2. Petit for the Com House 1. against Tyths 2. against the Stat. for Banishing the Ievvs 76. Col. Tichburnes Pet and Complaint against the Ld. Mayor their Orders thereupon The like Petitiōs vvere invited from most Counties vvhere a dozen Schismaticks and two or three Cloaks represēted a vvhole County That two Petitions or mandates rather should be drawn and presented to their House of Commons One against Payment of Tythes the other for Repealing the Act for Banishment of the Iewes Here you see they shake hands with the Jewes and crucifie Christ in his Ministers as well as in his Anointed the King About this time Col Tichburne some schismaticall Common-Councell-men presented a Petition to the supreme Authority the Commons in Parliament demanding justice against all grand and capitall Actors in the late Warres against the Parliament from the highest to the lowest the Militia Navy and all Places of power to be in faithfull hands that is in their owne Faction all others being displaced under the generall notion of Disaffected to settle the Votes That the supreme Authority is in the Commons in Parliament assembled They complained That the Lord Mayor and some Aldermen denied to put their Petition to the Question at the Common Councell and departed the Court with the Sergeant and Town-Clerke That the Court afterwards passed it Nemine contradicente The Commons thanked the Petitioners for the tender of their assistance and Ordered That the Petition should be entered amongst the Acts of the Common Councell and owned them for a Common Councell notwithstanding the departure of the Lord Mayor c. And about foure or five daies after the Commons Ordered * See a just solemne Protest of the free Citizens of London against the Ordinance 17. Decemb 1647. disabling such as had any hand in the City Engagement to beare Offices That any six of the Common Councell upon emergent occasions might send for the Lord Mayor to call a Common Councell themselves and any forty of them to have power to Act as a Common Councell without the Lord Mayor any thing in their Charter to the contrary notwithstanding Thus you see the Votes of this supreme thing the House of Commons are now become the onely Lawes and Reason of all our actions 77. An Act passed for adjournment of part of Hillary Terme
thing I can see the higher House is totally excluded And for the House of Commons it is too well knowne that the major part of them are detained or deterr'd from sitting so as if I had no other this were sufficient for Me to protest against the lawfulnesse of your pretended Court. Besides all this the peace of the Kingdome is not the least in My thoughts and what hopes of setlement is there so long as power reigns without rule of Law changing the whole frame of that Government under which this Kingdom hath flourished for many hundred years nor will I say what will fall out in case this lawlesse unjust proceeding against Me doe go on believe it the Commons of England will not thank you for this change for they will remember how happy they have bin of late yeares under the Reigne of Queen Elizabeth the King my Father and My selfe untill the beginning of these unhappy troubles and will have cause to doubt that they shall never be so happy under any new And by this time it will be too sensibly evident that the Armes I took up were onely to defend the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome against those who have supposed My power hath totally changed the ancient Government Thus having shewed you briefly the Reasons why I cannot submit to your pretended Authority without violating the trust which I have from God for the welfare and liberty of My People I expect from you either cleare Reasons to convince My Judgement shewing Me that I am in an errour and then truely I will readily answer or that you will withdraw your proceedings This I intended to speake in Westminster-hall on Munday 22. Ianuary but against reason was hindered to shew My Reasons 87. Alteration of the formes and styles of VVrits and Legall proceedings The 27. Ian. The Commons read the Act for Altering the formes of Writs and other procedings in Courts of Iustice which according to all our knowne Lavvs the custome of all Ages and the fundamentall Government of this Kingdome ever ran in the King's Name This Act upon the Question vvas assented to and no concurrence of the Lords desired of this more hereafter 88. A Proclam to be brought in prohibiting the Pr of VVales or any of the Kings Issue to be proclaimed King of England The I unto of 50. or 60. Commons appointed a Committee to pen a Proclamation That if any man should go about to Proclaime Prince Charles or any of that line King of England after the removall of King Charles the Father out of this life as is usually ought to be done by all Mayors Bayliffs of Corporations High Sheriffs c. under high penalties of the Law for their neglect or shall proclaime any other vvithout the consent of the present Parliament the Commons declare it to be High Treason and that no man under paine of Imprisonment or such other arbitrary punishment as shall be thought sit to be inflicted on them shall speake or preach any thing contrary to the present proceedings of the Supreme Authority of this Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament Your hands feet liberties and consciences vvere long since tied up novv you are tongue-tied Upon motion the House ordered 89. The Bishop of London appointed by the Ho to administer spirituall comfort to the condemned King and the Kings usage by the Army See Mr. Io Geree's Book against Good-vvin called Might over-comming right And Mr. Pryn's Epistle to his Speech 6. Dec. 1648. That Doctor Iuxon Bishop of London should be permitted to be private vvith the King in His Chamber to preach and administer the Sacraments and other spirituall comforts to Him But notwithstanding their Masters of the Councell of Warre apointed that vveather-cocke Iohn Goodwin of Coleman-street the Balaam of the Army that curseth and blesseth for Hire to be Superintendent both over King and Bishop so that they could hardly speak a word together without being over-heard by the long-schismaticall-eares of black-mouthed Iohn Besides I heare that for some nights a Guard of Souldiers was kept within His Chamber who with talking clinking of pots opening and shutting of the dore and taking Tobacco there a thing very offensive to the Kings nature should keep Him watching that so by distempering amazing Him with want of sleep they might the easier bring Him to their bent 28. Ianuary being the last Sabbath the King kept in this life 90. A Paper-booke of Demands tendered to be Subscribed by the King the Sunday before He died See sect 94. some of the Grandees of the Army and Parliament tendered to the King a Paper-booke with promise of Life some shadow of Regality as I heare if He Subscribed it It contained many particulars destructive to the fundamentall Government Religion Lawes Liberties Property of the People One whereof was instanced to Me viz. That the KING should amongst many other demands passe an Act of Parliament for keeping on foot the Militia of this Army during the pleasure of the Grandees who should be trusted with that Militia and with power from time to time to recruit and continue them to the number of 40000. Horse and Foot under the same Generall and Officers with power notwithstanding in the Councell of Warre to chuse new Officers and Generals from time to time as occasion shall happen and they thinke fit and to settle a very great Tax upon the People by a Land Rate for an established pay for the Army to be collected and leavied by the Army themselves and a Court Martiall of an exorbitant extent and latitude His Majesty as I heare read some few of the Propositions throwing thē aside told them He would rather become a sacrifice for His People then betray their Lawes and Liberties Lives and Estates together with the Church and Common-wealth and the Honour of His Crowne to so intollerable a Bondage of an Armed faction Monday 29. Ianu. 1648. The legislative half-quarter of the House of Commons 91. The Stile and Title of Custodes libertatis Angliae voted to be used in legall proceedings instead of the style of the King These Goalers of the Liberties of England are Individuum vagum not yet named See a Continuation of this madnesse in an Act for better setling proceedings in 〈◊〉 of Iustice according to the present Government Dated 17. Feb. 1648. voted as followeth hearken with admiration Gentlemen be it enacted by this present Parliament and by Authority of the same that in all Courts of Law Justice equity and in all Writs Grants Patents Commissions Indictments Informations Suits Returnes of Writs and in all Fines Recoveries Exemplifications Recognizances Processe proceedings of Law Justice or Equity within the Kingdoms of England or Ireland Dominion of Wales c. instead of the Name Stile Teste or Title of the KING heretofore used that from henceforth the Name Stile Test or Title Custodes libertatis Angliae authoritate Parliamenti
Goldsmiths Brewers Weavers Clothyers Brewers-Clerks c. whom scornfull Fortune in a spitefull merriment brought upon the Stage and promoted to act the parts of Kings to shew that Men are but her Tennis-balls and when she is weary with laughing at their disguises will turne them into the Tyring Roome out of their borrowed cases and shew us that our Lyons are but her Asses The Kings poore Creditors and Servants may gape long enough like Camelions to see the aforesaid Ordinance executed for sale of the King 's Goods to pay their Debts they poore Soules are left to starve while these Saints Trimphant revell in their Masters Goods and Houses 173. A generall survey to be taken of the whole Kingdome that every mans Estate reall personal may be taxed Orders about this time were sent forth into London and the Counties adjacent for certaine Committees to enquire upon Oath and certifie the improved value and revenue of every mans Estate reall and personall wherein good progresse hath been made already the like is to go forth throughout the Kingdome That our 40 mechanick Kings now sitting in White-hall and the self-created supreme Authority of the Natlon may take an exact survey in imitation of William the Conquerours Booke of Survey called Doomes-day remaining in the Exchequer of their new conquered Kingdome and know what they are like to get by their villanies and how to load us with Taxes and Free-quarter and what the value of their Estates are when they have compleated their Design of Sequestring the Presbyterians as they have done the Royalists The faction in the House are this beginning of Iune 174. An Act enabling Committees to give Oaths 1649. sitting abrood upon an Act to enable Committees to give Oathes in some cases and yet the House of Commons never had nor pretended to have power to give Oaths themselves though every Court of Pypowders hath because the House of Commons is no Court of Iudicature but onely the Grand Inquest of the Kingdome to present to the King the grievances the necessities of the People by way of humble Petition as appears by our Law-Books and Statutes and therefore the Commons can grant no more then they have themselves But now the remaining faction of the House have voted themselves to be the supreme Authority of the Nation and have a Sword to maintaine it they and we must be what they please yet I must affirme that to take illegall Oathes is neither justifiable before God nor Man and no lesse than damnable But it may be that by accustoming the People to take these new-imposed illegall Oathes they hope to make them the more easily swallow their intended new Oath of Allegiance to their new State and their owne Damnation together hereafter All the Scrivenors about the Towne are commanded by the Supreme thing to produce their Shop-books 175. Scrivenors commanded to shew Shop-books that notice may be taken who are guilty of having money in their purses that the fattest and fullest may be culled out and sequestred for Delinquents now that their almighty Saints-ships have occasion to use it for defence of their Free-State if they would but search one anothers private pockets they would find money enough The like attempt onely in the Kings time was cried out upon as a high peece of tyranny but nothing can be tyranny under a Free-State The Supreme Authority being so full a Representative-glasse of the People that it takes our very substance into it self and leaves us onely the shadow whilst we wander up and downe like our owne Ghosts who having lived under the Monarchy of Good KING CHARLES are now dead and descended like shades into the Kingdome of Pluto The 7. Iune 1649. the thanks-giving spoken of § 172. was solemnized in the City the Lord Mayor meeting the Speaker 176. The aforesaid Tanksgiving solemnized resigned to him as formerly was used to thc King the Sword of State as had been ordered by the House the day before and received it againe from him and then the Mayor conducted them all to Christ-Church where the Commons Councell of State Generall and his Officers together with the Mayor Aldermen and Common Councell c. mocked God with their Devotions where Master Tho Goodwin and M. Owen preached out of the Politicks to them from thence they were conducted to a great Dinner at Grocers hall and entertained in the quality of a Free-State no man being admitted without delivering his Ticket They were all strongly guarded with Souldiers and every Cooke had an Oath given to be true to them which shewed they had more of fear and guilt than confidence and innocency within them Great Presents of Plate given to his Excellency Fairfax and to his Super-excellency Cromwell and to others fit to be chronicled in Stowes and Hollingsheads Volumes amongst other solemn Fooleries let it not be omitted that Hugh Peters many other Saints were too full of the Creature anglice Drunk 177. A necessary advertisement to all honest Presbyterians See K. Charles the First his Book The portraicture of His Majesty in His solitudes and sufferings Some over-hastily expect the King should satisfie the Presbyterians by His Declaration but the heigth of the Independents malice their guilty fears are such as may endanger the drawing on a Massacre upon them by such a course I am to give a necessary advertisement to all men that though the young KING shewes much respect and a desire of reconcilement according to his dead Fathers never dying preceps to all moderate men and Presbyterians that make Addresses to Him yet it is complained of by some who look not into the underminning practises of our new Statists that some few of His Counsellors and Followers are as violent against the more moderate and honest Presbyterians as against the Independents who murdered His Father but these zealous Royalists are either some passionate light-brain'd men of little discretion and lesse power with Him or else some false-hearted Pensioners to our new State and such as have under-hand an Indemnity for their owne Estates in England who stand like Scar-crowes about His Majesty to fright away such as returne to their Loyalty and tender their due Allegiance to Him thereby to weaken the hands of His Majesty and cut off the hopes of this Nation from depending upon Him who as our undoubted Soveraigne both by the Lawes of God and the Land and Gods Vice-gerent in His three Kingdomes onely can and will if we forsake not him and our selves free and protect us from the many headed miserable arbitrary tyranny we now starve and bleed under and restore unto us againe our Religion Lawes and Liberties our Wives Children and Estates Trading Husbandry peace and plenty now held in more than Aegyptian bondage under our cruell See a Booke entituled His Majestices Gracious Messages for Peace and Master Pryn's Speech 5. Dec. 1648. in the House And the secured Members Reply to the Councell of
him to contemne them both Thus putting my trust in God I put Pen to Paper and my life into the scales vvhere God I knovv holds the ballance he vvhose providence takes notice of a Sparrovv falling from the house-top vvill vvatch over me and either protect me against them or receive me from them Cromvvell and Ireton by advice of their thriving Iunto of Independents in the tvvo Houses having mutinied the Army against their Masters the Parliament 2. An Introductory Repetition See my I. Part of the History of Independency sect 7 8 9 10 11 13 14. found that crime could not be defended but by committing greater vvherefore they seized the Kings Person at Holdenby to gaine Authority vvith the People that they might the better subdue the Parliament to their lusts for the better expediting vvhereof Sect. 18 19. they courted the City of London to sit Neuters and let them vvorke their vvills vvith the Parliament vvhich Myne not taking fire they united the scismatical Party of the City and Countrey to them and all such as being guilty of publique cheats and spoyles desired the protection of the Svvord to make good their rapines and accounted all men else as Enemies applying themselves to vvooe and cajole the People easily vvrought upon as being vveary of the VVarre and of the Mis-government Factions confusions and oppressions of their nevv Masters the Parliament vvhich indeed vvere very great but aggravated by them and their Agitators beyond the truth and the vvhole vvaight of them charged upon the more moderate and innocent Party onely because they vvere their Opposites vvhereas had they set the saddle upon the right horse as sure as Iudas bore the Bagge the Independents must have rid before the Cloak bagge they being the Publicans and Sinners that handled most publique treasure The Layers on Exactors Treasurers c. of Taxes the farre more numerous and busie party in all Mony-Committees and gainfull Employments Engrossers of all great Offices and the greatest Sharers of Publique money amongst themselves for Compensations for Losses and Revvards for Services pretended and consequently that Faction vvere the greatest Dilapidators of the Common-vvealth Oppressors of the People and Authors of confusion though according to custome by an impudent fallacy called Translatio criminis the Independent faction lay their Bastards at other Mens dores making a shevv to redresse those faults in other men vvhich themselves are chiefly guilty of vvherefore the better to ingratiate themselves vvith King and People they printed and published Engagements Declarations Remonstrances Manifestoes Proposals and Petitions of their ovvne penning and sent them by their Agitators and sectary Priests into all Counties for concurrence and Subscriptions the better to steale the respects of the People from the Parliament to themselves like Absolom they flattered the People to make Addresses and Complaints against publique Grievances to them onely Boasting themselves for the sole Arbitrators of Peace Restorers of Lavves Liberty and Property Setlers of Religion Maintainers of the Priviledges of Parliament Reformers and Callers to Account of all Committees Sequestrators Treasurers c. Deliverers of the People from that intolerable Excise and other Taxes But above all Preservers of all just Interests and Restorers of the King to his just Rights and Prerogatives vvith honour freedome and safety to his Person originally their ovvne vvords Booke of Declarations of the Army pag. 112. Represent of the Army at S. Albons Iune 23. 1647. B. Decl againe p. 64 Sir Tho Fairfax's Letter to the Houses from Reading Iuly 6. 1647. B. Decl againe p. 75. Proposals of the Army Aug. 1. 1647. Putney Projects p. 1â— 14 4â— and my Animadverssions upon the Armies Remonstrance delivered to the Commons Novemb. 20. 1648. The second part of Englands Nevv Chains and the Hunting the Foxes from Nevv Market and Triplo heath to White hall by five small Beagles p. 6 7. See my Animadversions upon the Armys Remonstrance Nov. 20. 1648 and Putney Projects p. 43. and Major Huntingtons Relation in a Booke caled A plea for King and Kingdome in Answer to the Armys Remonst presented Novemb. 20. 1648. pag 14 15. 16. and Second part of England's New Chaines and the said Hunting of the Foxes c. And the Reasons inducing Major Robert Huntington to lay downe his Commission though since they Quarrell vvith Parliament City for using them Reducers of his Queen and Children vvithout vvhich they openly professe and Declare positively in many printed Papers to the vvorld and the Parliament There can be no setled peace nor happinesse to this Nation The truth of this Assertion vvas obvious to the meanest Capacities and vvill sodainly be proved by deare and lamentable experience To all these undertakings they novv hunt directly counter yet in pursuance of these undertakings the Army by their ovvne Authority made Addresses to his Majesty and presented to him more tolerable Proposals than any he could obtaine from his Parliament They treated vvith him yea they vvrought upon him under-hand to neglect the Propositions from Parliament tendered to him at Hampton-Court and to preferre the Proposals of the Army and then presuming they had him fast lymed they propounded to him anevv as I have it from good hands private Proposals for the Interest of the Independent Grandees and the Army derogatory to the Kingly Povver and Dignity to the Lavves Liberties and Properties of the Subject and destructive to Religion To vvhich his Majesty giving an utter denyall they began to entertaine nevv Designes against the Kings Person and Kingly Gouvernment vvhich they ushered in by setting the Schismaticall and Levelling Party on vvork in City and most Counties to obtrude upon the Houses clamorous Petitions against further Treaties and demanding exemplary Iustice against the King exceedingly laboured by Cromwell himselfe in Yorkeshire both amongst the Gentry and Souldiers c. amongst these the Petition Decemb. 11. 1648. vvas the most eminent these men that insolently petitioned against the fundamentall Government of the Land and Peace by Accommodation vvere entertained vvith Thanks Others that petitioned for Peace by Accommodation vvere entertained vvith Frovvns disfranchisings sequestrations vvounds and death as the Surrey Gentlemen this shevved vvith hovv little reality the over-ruling Party in the Houses Treated vvith the King 2. part of England's Chaines discovered 1. Treaty in the Isle of Wight In order to this Designe of laying aside the King and subverting Monarchy They 1. frighted his Majesty into the Isle of VVight 2. The Parliament that is the predominant Party pursued him thither vvith offer of a Treaty upon Propositions conditionally that before he should be admitted to Treat he passe 4. Dethroning Bills of so high a nature that he had enslaved the People subverted Parliaments and had made himselfe but the Statue of a King and no good Christian had he by his Royall assent passed them into Acts of Parliament 1 par Hist Ind. sect 62 63 64. and the Parliament or rather the Grandees
who gave a man 20 l. to wait on the King in his place as Pensioner when He demanded the 5. Members Michael Oldsworth Augustine Garland Sir Io. Danvers Mr. Dove Mr. Henry Smith Mr. Frye whose Election is voted void Mr. Searle Nich Love Iohn Lysle Col. Rigby Cornelius Holland Col. Ludlow Greg Clement Col. Purefoy Col. Stapeley Mr. Dunch Mr. Cawley Col. Downes Io Carey Iohn Blackiston Tho Scot. Decemb. 22. Col. Hutchinson Sir Hen Myldmay Sir Iames Harrington Decemb 25. Col. Edward Harvey Alderman Pennington Alderman Atkins Dan Blagrave voted out of the House Col. Moore Col. Millington Mr. Prideaux Roger Hill the little Lawyer Dennis Bond Col. Harrington Master Hodges Mr. Valentine Sixteene of the imprisoned Members were about this time sent for by the Generall when they came out came Ireton 44. Sixteen imprisoned Members discharged without engagement and finding Mr. Pryn amongst them he chid the Martiall for bringing him and commanded him to be taken away but Mr. Pryn refusing to depart Ireton commanded him to be thrust out by head and shoulders whereupon Mr. Pryn openly protested That the Army endeavoured uttterly to subvert the fundamentall Lawes of the Land and Priviledge of Parliament That they had no power over him nor any Member of Parliament That their late force acted upon them and their proceedings was illegall and trayterous That all men were bound to bring them to condigne punishment as Rebels and Traytours to their God their King Countrey and Parliament So Mr. Pryn was removed by the Marshall and Ireton went in once more to consult the Oracle at last came out again to the Gent telling them It was the Generalls pleasure they should be all released attempting nothing against the actings of this present Parliament and Army but said the insolent Fellow let that be at your perill so the Gentlemen expressing that they would give no engagement were released without any The 22. Decemb both Iuntoes of foure Lords 45. A mock Fast kept by the two Houses and H. Peters comick Sermon and twenty Commons kept a mock Fast at Saint Margarets Westminster where Hugh Peters the Pulpit-Buffon acted a Sermon before them the subject of his Sermon was Moses leading the Israelites out of Aegypt which he applied to the Leaders of this Army whose designe is to lead the people out of Aegyptian bondage But how must this be done that is not yet revealed unto me quoth Hugh and then covering his eyes with his hands and laying downe his head on the cushion untill the People falling into a laughter awakened him He started up and cried out Now I have it by Revelation now I shall tell you This Army must root up Monarchy not onely here but in France and other Kingdomes round about this is to bring you out of Aegypt this Army is that corner stone cut out of the Mountaine which must dash the powers of the earth to pieces But it is objected The way we walke in is without president what thinke you of the Virgin Mary was there ever any president before that a Woman should conceive a Child without the company of a Man this is an Age to make examples and presidents in 46. The Councell of Wat vote a Toleration of all Religions Decemb. 25. The Councell of Warre voted a Toleration of all Religions you see they vote like States men as well as their Parliament About this time a Committee of Common-Councel-men came complainning to the House of Skippons additionall Ordinance 47. The Common Councell petition against Skippons additionall Ordinance in vaine That none should Elect or be Elected or execute the Place of Lord Mayor Alderman Aldermans Deputy Common-Councell-man c. that had signed the Petition for a Personall Treaty c. because they found the City generally ingaged in the said Petition so that they could not find Men enough to Elect or be Elected Wherefore it was referred to a Committee to thinke of a remedy worse than the disease as it proved afterwards You see the petitioning for a Personall Treaty was so universall and publique that it could not be carried on by any private designe in Conventicles and corners as are all the bloudy Petitions for justice justice against capitall Delinquents and the most High which being penned and solicited by the Army or sectary Committee-men and subscribed and prosecuted by some few beggerly Schismaticks without Cloakes in the Names of whole Counties whom they had the impudence to belie were entertained in state and they and that wel-affected County though they abhorred the villany thanked for their paines * 48. Somerset shire encouraged by the House to associate all the welaffected i.e. all the Anarchists and Cheaters 25. Decemb. The House voted a Letter to be sent by way of encouragement to the County of Somerset to go on with setling their association with the welaffected and forces of the Counties adjacent this is to associate Arme all the Schismaticks Committee-men guilty and desperate Persons Antimonarchists and Anarchists against all the peaceable and honest men of the Kingdome 26. Decemb. Mr. Pryn sent a Letter to the Generall 49. Mr. Pryns Letter to the Generall demanding his liberty demanding his liberty and seconded it with a Declaration as followeth Mr. Pryn's Demand of his Liberty to the Generall Decemb 26. 1648. with his Answer thereto And his Declaration and Protestation thereupon For the Honourable Lord Fairfex Generall of the present Army THese are to acquaint your Lordship 50. Mr. Pryns Declaration seconding his said Letter That I being a Member of the Commons House of Parliament a Free-man of England a great Sufferer for and an Assertor of the Subjects Liberties against all Regall and Prelaticall tyranny and no way subject to your owne your Councell of Warres or Officers military power or jurisdiction going to the House to discharge my duty on the 6. of this instant December was on the staires next the Commons House dore forcibly kept back from entring the House seized on and carried away thence without any pretext of Lawfull Authority thereto assigned by Colonel Pride and other Officers and Souldiers of the Army under your Command And notwithstanding the Houses demand of my enlargement both by their Sergeant and otherwise ever since unjustly detained under your Marshals custodie and tossed from place to place contrary to the knowne Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject and fundamentall Lawes of the Land which your are engaged to maintaine against all violation And therefore doe hereby demand from your Lordship my present enlargement and just liberty with your Answer hereunto From the Kings-head in the Strand Decemb. 26. 1648. William Pryn. This was delivered to the Generals owne hands at his House in Queen-street about three of the clock the same day it beares date by Doctor Bastwijcke Who returned this Answer by him upon the reading thereof THat he knew not but Mr. Pryn was already released and that he would send
vvhen the publique is not concerned as any man All vvhich I thought meet to informe your Lordship of vvhom I am heartily sorry to see so much dishonoured abused and misled by rash ill-advised Officers and dangerous destructive and I dare say jesuiticall councels to the Parliaments dissipation the Kingdomes prejudice Irelands losse most good mens and Ministers grief your best Friends astonishment your Enemies and the Papists triumph our Religions scandall and your ovvne dishonour vvhich I beseech you as an English-man a Christian a Professor of piety and Religion a Souldier a Generall to lay sadly to your heart as the earnest request of From my Prison at the Sign of the Kings-head in the Strand 3 Ianu 1648. Your Lordships faithfull Friend and Monitor VVilliam Pryn. * An additionall Postscript WE read Luke 3.14 that vvhen the Souldiers demanded of Iohn Baptist saying and what shall we doe he said unto them Doe violence to no man or put no man in feares neither accuse any falsly and be content with your allowance not imprison depose or murther Kings pull dovvne Parliaments imprison violently shut out and drive avvay Parliament-men and then lay all false accusations and scandals upon them to colour your violence subvert Kingdomes alter States breake all bonds of Lavves Oaths Covenants Obligations Engagements to God and Men usurp all civill military and Ecclesiasticall povver and the Kings Royall Palaces into your ovvne hands as supreme Lords and Kings raise vvhat nevv forces and leavie vvhat nevv Taxes you please take up vvhat Free-quarters and Houses seize and plunder vvhat publick Treasuries monies you please without Commission or Authority obey niether God nor Man neither Parliament nor Magistrate and be content with nothing but alter and subvert all things These are Saint Peters new Doctrines and Revelations to our Officers and Souldiers now those Jesuits who lurk amongst them not Iohn the Baptist whose Canonicall advice is now rejected as Apocryphall even among the Army Saints who preferre every ignis fatuus though from Doway or Rome it selfe before this burning and shining old light and are guided onely by a new minted law of pretended providence or necessity of their owne forging and not by the revealed will law of God the sacred light whereof their present works of darknesse dare not approach lest they should be reproved condemned by them But some 43. Actions of false imprisonment by the imprisoned 150. Actions of the Case by the secluded Members brought against these domineering lawlesse Officers Grandees of the Army wherein good Damages will be recovered some 12. Indictm of High Treason against them for laying violent hands upon the Kings Person the Members and leavying Warre against the Parliament will teach them more obedience humility modesty than either Iohn Baptist Saint Paul Saint Peter or Saint Peters will doe and be like Gideon thornes and briars of discipline to these men of Succoth with whom no faire meanes will prevaile who might have learned so much law and justice from an Heathen Souldier and Governour Festus Acts 25.27 It seemeth unto me unreasonable to send much more to commit a Prisoner and not withall to signifie the crimes layd against him and come short of that ingenuity of the heathenish chief Captaine who seized upon Paul thereby to appease the Tumult at Hierusalem Acts 22.27 29. who as soone as ever Paul told him he was a Roman Free-borne then straight way they departed from him who should have examined him and the chiefe Captaine also was affraid after he knew that he was a Roman and because he had bound him And should not false imprisoning of a Parliament-man Free-born English-man be as formidable to our chiefe Captaines being a Christian I say sworne and vowed to defend the Houses Priviledges and Members Persons as the Imprisonment of a Roman was to this chiefe Captaine they as ingenious and just as he who shall rise up in judgement against them and condemn them at the last I shall close up all with this observation That as the most glorious Angels in Heaven when they fell through pride and ambition as most conceive became the very foulest Devils in Hell so the most resplendent seeming hypocriticall Saints when they fall through the like sinnes and have power in their hands become the most incarnate Devils and Monsters of treachery and tyranny upon earth exceeding Turkes and Pagans therein of which we have now sad experience in our Army-Saints who every day aggravate and yet justifie their impieties exorbitances 2 Chron. 28.11 Now heare me therefore and deliver the Captives again which ye have taken Captives of your Brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you Will Pryn. 64. Another forg'd Letter endeavoured to be fastned upon Sheriff Brovvne The Saints having nothing to say against Major Gen Browne unlesse they should accuse him for being true to King Parliament City Kingdome to all the first declared Principles of this Parliament fell to their old trick to fasten another counterfeit Letter upon him wherefore a Man coming to S. Iames's where he was then imprisoned desired in the hearing of all present to speake with him in private Major G. Browne told him He was not for private conference bade him speake openly then the Fellow presented a Letter to him saying It was from the Prince but Maj G. Browne remembring the like trick put upon him before called for the Guard to apprehend him when presently the Messenger threw te Letters into the fire and the Marshall catching them out halve burnt affirmeth He saw Charles Prince written upon them Sanctified eyes may see through the spectacles of their owne fantasie what they please to accomplish their Designe therefore they have a new principle or light which as the 7. May be added to the aforesaid 6. that though they have no proofs nor evidence against a man yet if in their cōsciences they think him guilty they may condemne him upon the testimony of their owne consciences this is to condemn by Revelation such whose bloud they desire to sucke This supposed Messenger from the Prince was seized by the Guard but no proceedings against him heard of which argues it was but a snare set to catch the Major About this time to second this device a Man gallantly clothed and mounted comes to the Beare in the Strand 65. Another more generall forgery to endanger vvhom the Faction please It vvill be proved that divers VVitnesses have beē practised tampered vvith against Mr. Brovvne and others gives the Hostler a Peece bids him have a care of his Horse then goes into the City the plot being forelayd was taken there with Letters subscribed with the Princes name to divers Citizens Members against whom they want matter of accusation I heare no more of this matter yet this is a device dormant to be awakened hereafter if any shall oppose the present actings of the
protect the 11. impeached Members from justice and with them to raise a new Warre To this we say See my 1. part sect 16.17,18 my said Animadversions pag. 2. neither vvere they legally impeached See Ardua regnâ— or tvvelve arduous doubts vvriten in defence of the expulsed Memb the said Members Ans to the Armies Charge we gave them no other protection than the Laws allowed them For the mispending 200000l designed for Ireland we say that 80000l thereof was paid to Nicholas Loâ—tus and others for service of Ireland and above 50000l to the Treasurers at Warre for the Army which may more reasonably be said to be mis-imployed because the Army had an established pay another way than what the Reformado Officers and Souldiers who obeyed the Orders of the House for Disbanding received who neverthelesse pressed upon the House the more earnestly for their Arreares after the Declarations and Remonstrances published by the Army for paying the Arreares of all the Souldiers of England 4. Their countenancing abetting There vvas a close Inquisition of Godly Cut-throats purposely chose to examine this Tumult vvhich proceeded illegally used so much foule play as to accuse men upon characters of their clothes persons yet malice it selfe could find nothing See my 1. part sect 45 46. to sect 54. Return to sect 2. 5. and partaking with the Tumult of Apprentices and others against both Houses of Parliament To this we say that we wonder they should urge the force offered to the House then which they declared horrid and treasonable to justifie the violence acted upon the House by themselves of a much higher nature This is a meer fiction of the Pen-mans which we doe every one of us for ourselves respectively deny 5. The holding correspondency ingaging and assisting the tumultuous Petitioners last Spring the rebellious Insurrections in Kent the Revolted Ships Prince of Wales with the Scots Army We doe every one of us for our selves respectively deny these 6. That when the Army was dispensed and engaged in severall parts c. and many faithfull Members employed abroad upon publique services and others through Malignant Tumults about this City could not with safety attend the House Then the corrupt and Apostating Party taking advantage of these distractions which themselves had caused First recalled in those Members c. Then they recalled those Votes for Non-Addresses and voted a Personall Treaty To this we say that if the proceedings of the Treaty were surreptitiously gotten in a thin House why do they then complain in other parts of their Paper that the majority of the House is corrupt Return to sect 2. 5. there see the true grounds of these Tumults See vvhat use they make of providence in the 2. part of Englands nevv Chaines and formed to serve the Kings corrupt Interest why did they force from the House above 200. Members at once the Counties never expressed so high contempt of the Parliament untill the like had been first done by the Armies quartering upoÌ„ them And now let us come to that Vote of the House 5. Dec. 1648. That the Kings Answer to the Propositions of both Houses are a ground to proceed upon to a setlement of Peace of which they say That though they advanced hither to attend providence for opening some way to avoid the present evils designed and introduce the desired good into the Kingdome yet they said nor acted nothing in relation to the Parliament nor any Member thereof untill by the Vote passed Decemb. 5. they found the corrupt majority so resolvedly bent to compleat their Designe in bringing in the King Doe they call their threatning Declaration Remonstrance a saying nothing and their marching up against the House contrary to the Order of the House a doing nothing in relation to the Parliament But by these words it appeares that this Vote 5. Decemb. is the very point of that necessity they now relie upon to justifie their force upon the House For before that passed they say They acted nothing c. we must now state the difference between the Houses Propositions See Mr. Pryn's said Speech in the House â— Decemb. 1648 more at large and the Kings Answers and see whether the King did not grant all those Propositions in which te maine security of the Kingdome resteth He granted the first Proposition for taking off all Declarations as was desired And the third Proposition for the Militia as was desired He assented to the Proposition for Ireland limiting the time of the Parliaments disposing Officers there to 20. yeares He consented to such Acts for publique Debts and Publique Vses as should be presented within 2. yeares and incurred within that time Hee granted the Proposition concerning Peeres as was desired Hee granted the Disposing Offices in England to the Parliament for 20. yeares He granted the taking away the Court of Wards having 100000 l. per ann in lieu thereof to be raised as the Parliament should thinke fit Hee granted to Declare against the Marquesse of Ormond's power and proceedings after an Agreement with the Parliament The onely difference therefore remained upon two Propositions 1. Delinquents 2. The Church For Delinquents though He doth not grant all His Majesty consented they shall submit to moderate Compositions according to such proportions as they and the two Houses shall agree 2. He disableth them to beare Offices of Publique Trust and removes then from the Kings Queens and Princes Court 3. For such as the Houses propounded to proceed capitally against He leaves them to a Legall Tryall and Declares He will not interpose to hinder it which satisfies the maine complaint of the Parliament which was in the beginning of the Warre That the King protected Delinquents from justice And all that the House desired in the Propositions presented to Him at Oxford Febr. 1642. was That His Majesty would leave Deliquents to a Legall Tryall and Iudgement of Parliament But that His Majesty should joyne in an Act for taking away the Lives or Estates of any that have adhered to Him He truly professeth He cannot with Iustice and Honour agree thereto 4. Nor doe we see how Delinquents being left to the Law can escape justice the King having granted the 1. proemiall Proposition so by a Law acknowledged the Parliaments Cause and Warre to be just For the Church The Houses propound the utter abolishing of Archbishops Bishops c. The Sale of their Lands that Reformation of Religion be setled by Act of Parliament as both Houses have or shall agree The Kings Answer takes away Church-Government be Archbishops Bishops c. by taking away their Courts and Officers and so farre takes away their power of Ordination that it can never be revived againe but by Act of Parliament so that Episcopacy is divested of any actuall being by the Law of the Land instead thereof the Presbyterian Government setled for three yeares by a Lawâ— which is for so long a time as
the Houses formerly in their Ordinances presented to Him at New-castle did themselves thinke fit to settle it For the Sale of Bishops Lands upoÌ„ the Publique Faith we say Every cheating Saint of the Faction must have the Publique Faith exactly kept though he bought the Lands but at 2. or 3. yeares just value and vvith such monies as he thad formerly cheated the State off vvhen other men vvho have lost the best part of their Estates by and for the Parliament for compensation vvhereof they have the Publique Faith engaged by Ordinances are consumed by Taxes and repayed vvith reproaches onely That although the Purchagers might well have afforded to have given the same rates for their purchases which they now give if they might have had them assured by Act of Parliament for 99. yeares and such moderate Rents reserved as the King intimates in his Answer yet in His Answer He expresseth a farther satisfaction to be given them upon which we should have insisted notwithstanding the said Vote 5. Decemb. 1648. We farther alleage That the King having granted the rest of the Propositions and so much in these 2. Delinquents and the Church the Nationall Covenant doth not oblige us to make Warre upon this point nothing can make Presbytery nor the Purchasers of Bishops Lands more ordious nor endanger them more than to make them the sole obstacle of peace nor could any thing more worke the King to comply with our desires herein than for us to draw a little neerer Him The Considerations leading us to passe the said Vote 5. Dec. 1648. come next to be considered 1. The saving of Ireland 2. The Regaining the Revolted Navy and freedome of the Seas 3. The support of the Auncient Government of the Kingdome 4. The putting the people into a secure possession of their Laws and Liberties 5. The avoiding such evill consequences as were apparently to follow a Breach with the King Returne to sect 71. As 1. the Deposing the King if not the depriving Him of life whereupon flouds of misery will follow and schandall to the Protestant Religion which we from our hearts detest abhorre see the many Declarations of Parliament against it 2. The necessitating of the Prince to cast himselfe into the Armes of forreigne Popish Princes embrace Popish Allyances for his succour 3. It may beget a change of Government and a laying aside of Monarchy here and so a Breach with Scotland and this Kingdome being the more rich likely to be the Seate of the Warre 4. The vast Debts of this Kingdome upon the Publique Faith will never be paid in Warre but increased and multiplied multitudes of Sufferers by and for the Parliament like to be repayed onely with new sufferings every years Warre destroies more Families and makes more Malignants through discontenting pressures untill at last the Souldier seeing no hope of pay the People no hope of peace and case fall together into a generall and desperate tumultuousnesse the power of the Sword apparently thereatning a dissolution of Governement both in Church and Common-wealth To that scandalous Objection which saith The corrupt majority will not lend an eare to admit a thought towards the laying downe their owne power or rendring it back to the People from whom they received it We say this Objection is unreasonable from men who endeavour to perpetuate an Army upon the Kingdome nor is the continuance of this Parliament singly objected but that they will not render it back to the People viz To a new Representative invented and made by the Army that is We will not render our power into the hands of the Army Another Objection is That watsoever the King granted He might plead Force to breake it and spoyle us by policy This Objection might have been made against all our Treaties If there be any Force it is from the Army for spoyling us by policy The Kings of this Land could never encroach upon our good Lawes but by corrupt Iudges and Ministers who though they could not abrogate the Law made it speake against it selfe and the intended good of the People or else by the power of Courtiers stopping the course of justice at the Councell Table and in other Arbitrary Courts both which are taken away by the Kings Concessions 1. That the Nomination of Iudges and Officers be in the Parliament 2. That the King make no new Parliament Lords for the future to Vote there Another Objection is That they had intelligence that had they been suffered to meet all in the House once more For this you must take the faith of the mysty brayned Pen-man vvho had this as vvel as many other grosse Lies by Revelation The Army had had the King in their povver and had the Parliament adjourned the sole povver of the Kingdom had been left in the Army vvhich is a thing aymed at by them it was designed to have passed some higher resolutions to lay farther foundations of a new quarrell so as to carry therein the name and countenance of Parliamentary Authority together with the Kings upon an acceptable pretence of Peace to draw men in and then to have adjourned the Parliament for a long time excluding all remedy in this case but by another Warre To this we say the House immediatly upon passing the Vote 5. Decemb. Sent a Committee to the Generall to conferre with him and his Officers and keep a good correspondency with them To which the Generall promised his readinesse howsoever it was hindred afterwards And then they seized upon one of the Commissioners appointed to Treat affronted another and left no way free for a Conference which shewes they were resolved to doe what they had designed The last Obj. is That those Members that are yet detained in Custody are either such as have been formerly Impeached and in part judged by the House for Treason and other Crimes and never acquitted and against whom they can and very shortly will produce new matter of no lâ—sse crime or else such who have appeared most active and united in Councels with them against whom also they are preparing and shall shortly give matter of particular Impeachment To this we say that when it appeares what those crimes are and what persons are charged with them we doubt not but they will sufficiently acquit themselves if things may be Legally carried in a judiciall way by competent Judges not preingaged In the meane time we conclude That Souldiers whose advantages arise by Warre are not fit to judge of the Peace of the Nation 74. A DeclaratioÌ„ by Mr. VValker and Mr. Pryn. The 19. Ian. 1648. Mr. Pryn and Mr. Walker two of the secured Members published in print their Declaration and Protestation against the Actings and proceedings of the Army and their Faction now remaining in the House of Commons as followeth A Declaration and Protestation of Will Pryn and Clem Walker Esquires Members of the House of Commons Against the present Actings and Proceedings of the
cunning The House passed an Act that the Oath underwritten 106. A new Oath for the Free-men of London and other Corporations and no other be administred to every Free-man of the City of London at his admission and of all other Cities Burroughs and Townes Corporate YOu shall sweare that you will be true and faithfull to the Common-weath of England and in order thereto you shall be obedient to the just and good Government of the City of London c. 107. An Act to repeal the Oaths of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy They passed an Act also to repeale the severall Clauses in the Statutes 1. EliZ. 3. Iacob enjoyning the Oaths of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy That the said Oathes and all other Oathes of the like nature shall be and are hereby wholly taken away the said Clauses in the said Acts be made void and null and shall not hereafter be administred to any Person neither shall any place or office be void hereafter by reason of the not taking of them or any of them any Law Custome or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding 108. Another Declaration and Protestation of the secured secluded Members In opposition to these tyrannous destructive illegall and trayterous proceedings of 40. or 50. cheating Schismaticks sitting nuder the force and promoting the Jnterests of will and power of the rebellious Councell of Officers in the Army The secured and secluded Members of the House of Commons Declared as followeth * A publike Declaration and Protestation of the secured secluded Members of the House of Commons Against the treasonable illegall late Acts proceedings of some few Confederate Members of that dead House since their forcible Exclusion 13. Febr. 1648. VVE the secured and secluded Members of the late House of Commons taking into our sad serious Considerations the late dangerous desperate and treasonable proceedings of some few Members of that House not amounting to a full eighth part of the House if divided into ten who confederating with the Officers and Generall Councell of the Army have forcibly detained and secluded us against the Honour Freedome and Priviledges of Parliament from sitting and voting freely with them for the better setling of the Kingdomes peace and contrary to their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy their Protestation the Solemne League and Covenant and sundry Declarations and Remonstrances of both Houses to His late Murdered MAIESTY His Heires and Successors the whole Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland and to all foraigne States and Nations since our exclusion and forced absence from their Counsels by reason of the Armies force most presumptuously arrogated and usurped to themselves the Title of The Supreme Authority of this Kingdome and by colour and pretence thereof have wickedly and audaciously presumed without and against our privities or consents and against the unanimous Vote of the House of Peers to erect a High Court of Iustice as they terme it though never any Court themselves to Arraigne and Condemne His Majesty against the laws of God and the municipall Lawes of the Realme which Court consisting for the most part of such partiall and engaged Persons who had formerly vowed His Majesties destruction and sought His bloud most illegally unjustly refused to admit of His Majesties just Reasons and exceptions against their usurped Iurisdiction and without any lawfull Authority or proofe against Him or legall Triall presumed most trayterously and impiously to Condemne and Murder Him and since that have likewise presumed to Trie and Arraigne some Peers and others free Subjects of this Realme for their Lives contrary to Magna Charta the Petition of Right the Lawes of the Land and the Liberty of the Subjects to the great enslaving and endangering of the lives and liberties of all free People of England And whereas the said confederated Commons have likewise tyrannically and audaciously presumed contrary to their Oathes and Engagements aforesaid to take upon them to make Acts of Parliament as they terme them without our privity or assents or the joynt consent of the King and House of Lords contrary to the Use and Priviledges of Parliament and knowne Laws of the Land and by pretext thereof have trayterously and wickedly endeavoured to Dis-inherit the Illustrious CHARLES Prince of VVales next Heire to the Crowne and actuall KING of England Scotland France and Ireland immediately after His said Royall Fathers barbarous Murther by Right of Descent and proclaimed it Treason for any Person to Proclaime Him KING whereas it is high Treason in them thus to prohibit His proclaiming and have likewise trayterously and impudently encroached a tyrannical lawlesse power to themselves to Vote down our antient Kingly Monarchicall Government and the House of Peers and to make a new Great Seal of England without the Kings Portraicture or Stile and to alter the antient Regall and Legall stile of VVrits proceedings in the Courts of Iustice to create new Iudges and Commissioners of the Great Seale and to dispense with their Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance and to prescribe new Oathes unto them contrary to Law though they have no Authority by any Law Statute or Custome to administer or injoyne an Oath to any man and thereby have trayterously attempted to alter the fundamentall Laws and Government of this Kingdome and to subvert the freedome priviledges and beeing of Parliaments for which Treasons Strafford and Canterbury though leste criminall lost their Heads this last Parliament by some of their owne prosecutions and the judgment of both Houses We in discharge of our respective duties and obligations both to God the King our owne Consciences our bleeding dying Kingdomes and the severall Counties Cities and Burroughs for which we serve doe by this present Writing in our own Names and in the Names of all the Counties Cities and Burroughs which We represented in Parliament publickly declare and solemnly protest before the all-seeing God the whole Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland and the world that We doe from the bottome of our hearts abominate renounce and disclaime all the said pretended Acts Votes and proceedings of the said confederate Members acted under the Armies power against our Consents as treasonable wicked illegall unparliamentary tyrannicall and pernitious both to the King Parliamt Kingdomes and all the free-borne People of this Realme extreamly disadvantagious and dishonourable to our Nation scandalous to our Religion and meer forcible Usurpations and Nullities void in Law to all intents and purposes which we and all the Freemen of this Kingdome and all the Kingdomes and Dominions thereto belonging are bound openly to disavow oppugne and resist as such with our purses armes lives to the last drop of our blouds and to which neither We nor any other can ought or dare to submit or assent in the least degree without incurring the guilt of High Treason and the highest perjury infamy and disloyalty And in case the said Confederates shall not speedily retract and desist
Oneale and his bloudy massacring Irish Papists against the Protestant Religion which was part of the designe of the schismatical Party in Parliament in waging war against the King from the beginning See § 184. the Marginall Notes there This impious Liberty of Conscience to destroy the Protestant Religion is all the liberty we are like to enjoy under the kingdome of these bloudy cheating Saints in all things else we are meer and absolute Slaves 10. That an Act for a Generall Pardon be passed to all Persons except such as are particularly named therein and declaring no Pardon to any that shall for the future raise Warre in this Nation against the present Authority thereof This is a project 1. To pardon themselves and their Party for their transcendent villinies and to stop the mouthes of the Countrey from complaining of them after their Adjournment and this shall be effectually done 2. To befoole silly weak spirited People with general words of a Pardon which shall be made ineffectuall by many exceptions and limitations 3. This is principally intended to fright men from attempting any thing against the usurped Supremacy and Tyranny of the Councell of State and therefore all Pardons to such Attemptors are before-hand declared against This with them as a sinne against the Holy Ghost unpardonable to deny their Supreme arbitrary Authority 11. That the Act for reliefe of poore Prisoners for Debt may be passed Though I can with as much Charity as any Man wish a reliefe to them yet I like not that Charity should be made a cloak to ambitious Knavery and all the Creditors of the Kingdome be made liable to the vexation of a covetous Committee who under colour of Charity shall raise up all the indebted Men of the Kingdom against all the monied Men if they will not sacrifice their purses to the Ech-Gods of the new State and be bountifull to the Committee which is the full scope of this Proposition 12. That the Souldiers may be secured their Arreares out of the late Kings Lands This is to tie all the Souldiery by the purse-strings which is Saints Tenure to make good that horrid trayterous Murther 13. That an Act be passed for Probate of Wills Granting Administrations and Investing of Ministers presented These lunatique Saints should have thought upon a new way to be set up before they throw downe the old one and not have left men in an uncertainty how to dispose of their Estates and a Iustititum a vacancy of Iustice upon the Kingdom you see what Mountebanks our new State-Iuglers are The good Boyes began to learne these Lessons upon Monday 25. Iune 190. Things undertaken by the Councell of State during the Recesse The Councell of State likewise reported to their said Free-Shoole of Commons severall things which they in order to their future greatnesse would put into a way during the Recesse against the Houses next meeting when two Sundaies come together 1. That Commissioners be appointed in every County to make an estimate of all Tythes to the end they may be taken away for the future and some other provision designed for Ministers This is a Whip and a Bell to lash Ministers to Preach State-Divinity 2. That the Councell of State consider of setling future Parliaments and the constant time of their calling sitting and ending after this Parliament shall thinke fit to dissolve themselves If they are not dissolved already which is the constant opinion of many great learned Lawyers wel-affected to the Parl. they will never be dissolved without the help of a Hangman But I would gladly know by what Authority a Pack of forty Knaves calling themselves a Councell of State and usurping Regall power shall take upon them to abolish our antient forme of Parliaments contrary to the fundamentall Lawes of the Land their own Declarations Protestations and Covenants and to pack and shuffle new Parliaments to dispose of our Religion Lawes Liberties Lives and Estates against the consent of the farre major part of the people 3. That they shall consider of an Act for regulating Proceedings in Law and prevent tediousnesse of Suites There are too many Lawyers in the Councell of State to doe any thing effectuall that way but it may be they will consider how to make the Lawes of the Land more sutable to an Olygarchicall tyranny and lesse agreeing with Monarchy 4. That they will consider what Lawes are fit to be repealed That is all Lawes enjoyning uniformity in Gods Worship all Monarchicall Lawes and all Lawes allowing more civill Liberty and Priviledges to the People and to severall Degrees of men than squares with the Designes of our new upstart State So many men have been cheated with Publique Faith 191. Deane and Chapters Lands purchased by the Godly Irish Adventures and Bishops Lands that the Market is spoyled for sale of Deane and Chapters Lands wherefore the Saints being the onely monied men left in the Kingdome have now agreed to buy them themselves considering that since they hold their Heads and all that they have in Capite of their Lords Paramount the Councell of Officers they may as well buy dog-cheap and hold Bishops Lands by the same Tenure For which purpose they have their Broakers abroad to buy in Souldiers and Officers Debentures for Arreares at 5 s. and 6 s. in the pound though they are allowed the whole summs of the Debentures in the Purchase which doubling in ready money they purchase upon such easie particulars as brings it downe from ten yeares purchase to two or three years purchase They are not seen in the businesse themselves but buy them in other mens names and to the secret use of their Wives and Children The Lord Munson Humphry Edwards and Sir Greg Norton who hath sold his owne Land to purchase now upon this Title and many other Saints have lately trod this obscure path 192. Souldiers insolencies remedilesse Great complaints are made by the Countrey of the Souldiers insolency amongst many other things in putting their Horses into mowing Grasse The Generall hath ordered the next Officer in chief to cause double damages to be given by the Soldier and if the said Officer neglect he is to answer it at a Councell of Warre at the Head Quarters This remedy is worse than the disease and as meer a gullery as the Act for taking off Free-quarter The chief Officer will laugh at the Complainant the Head Quarters are farre off and the Councell of Warre will tyre him with delaies and expose him to more injuries of the angry Souldiers The Officers will not nor dare not keep a strict discipline 193. The Earle of Denbigh and Henry Martin referred to Committees The Earl of Denbigh referred to the Committee of the Revenue to consider the Arreares of his Ambassie in Italy and of his 1000 Marks per ann pension bestowed upon him by the late King If his deserts had been better his Reward had been worse and worse paid Also Henry Martius
Minstred to me and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary 11. To dispence with our Protestation and Covenant so Zealously enjoyned by both Houses on all sorts of People 12. To dispose of the Forts Ships Forces Offices and places of Honour Power Trust or Profit to whom they please to their own Party 13. To Displace and Remove whom they please from their Offices Trusts Pensions Callings and Franchises at their pleasures without any Legall cause or Tryall 14. To make what New Acts Lawes and Reverse what Old ones they think meet to ensnare and inthrall our Consciences Estates Liberties and Lives 15. To create new monstrous Treasons never heard of before and to declare Reall Treasons against the King Kingdome and Parliament to be no Treasons and Loyalty Allegeance due obedience to our known Lawes and a Conscientious observing our Oathes of Allegance and Supremacy and the Covenant to be no lesse then High Treason for which they may take away our Lives and confiscate our Estates to their new Exchequer Thereby at once repealing Magna Charta c. 29. 5 Edw 3. c. 6. 25 Edw. 3. c. 4. 28 Edw. 3. c. 3. 37 Edw. 3. c. 18. 42 Edw. 3. c. 3. 25. Edw. 3. c. 2. 11 Rich. 2. c. 4. 1 Hen. 4. c. 10. 2 Hen. 4. Rot. Parl. 11. n. 60. 1 Edw. 6. c. 12. 1. M. c. 1. The Petition of Right 3 Car. So much commended this Parliament and laying all our Lawes Liberties Estates and Lives waste after they have drawne so much Bloud and Treasure from us in defence of them 16. To raise and keep up what forces by Land and Sea they please and impose what Taxes they please and renew increase and perpetuate them to support their more then Regall or Parliamentary power 17. To pack and shuffle themselves into a Councell of Lords This 17. is added by the Abridger States Generall without any provinciall States 40. Hogens Mogens with Supream Regall and Arbitrary power in absence of Parliaments which are Abolished by these Usurpations as well as Monarchy 4. The principall ends proposed in the pretend Act for imposing this 90000 l. a moneths Tax oblige all men not to pay it viz. The keeping up this Army under the Lord Fairfax 1. Because this Army by Rebelling against their Masters the Parliament and waging Warre upon them and by conspiring with their owe party of the sitting Commons have occasioned all the Mischiefs last mentioned to the ruine of King Parliament and Kingdome Religion Lawes Liberty and Property and daily threaten an utter dissolution both in their Deeds and Words Both Officers and Souldiers Boasting That the whole Kingdome and all we have is theirs by Conquests Tbat we are but their Conquered Slaves and Vassals and they Lords of the Kingdome That our Lives are at their Mercy and Courtesie That when they have gotten all we have from us by Taxes and Free-quarter they will seize our Lands and turne Vs and our Families out of Dores That there is no Law in England but the Sword as Hugh Peters the Rebels Apostle saith The present power must be obeyed saith parasiticall Iohn Goodwin that is the power of the Sword still More hath been raised by Taxes these last eight years then in all the Kings Raignes since the Conquest and no account given 2. No Tax ought to be imposed but upon necessity for good of the People 25 Edw. 1. chap. 6 Cookes 2. Instit pag. 528. But the keeping up this Army is the Bane of the People 1. Because they are already exhausted with Warre Plunder Taxes Free-quarter c. 2. Because the Souldiers have decayed Trade and brought a Dearth upon the Land 3. This Tax of 90000 l. a Moneth destroyed Trade by Forestalling and Engrossing most of the Money now left in the Kingdome 4. There is no Enemy in the Kingdome visible nor no fear of any if we will believe our Grandees 5. When the King had two Armies in the Field and many Garrisons this whole Army consisted but of 22000. Men and had an Established pay but of 45000 l. a Moneth See Ordinances 15. Feb. 1644. and 6. Aprill 1646. Exact Collect. pag. 599. 876. But when the Army by confederacy with their Party in the House took the boldnesse to encrease their number without Order 60000 l. a Moneth was thought abundantly sufficient to pay the Army and take off Free-quarter and why this Tax should now be raised to 90000 l. a Moneth when sundry Regiments of it are Assigned for Ireland and yet Free-quarter continued is a mystery of Iniquity which fills the Saints Pockets with Money and all the World with Wonder 6. The Counties Militia so much contended for with the King would better defend the Kingdome from Forraign Invasions then a Mercinary Army Therefore there is neither necessity nor publique utility in keeping up this Army or raising Taxes to maintaine them or pay their pretended Arreares The Free-quarter they have taken in kind and leavyed in Money will treble their Arreeres and make them much indebted to the Country Thus farre and much farther Master Pryn whose whole Booke at large I commend to all mens serious perusall The Marquesse of Ormonds happy atchievements in Ireland beginning to look formidably 204. Cromwell sets sayle for Ireland had cooled the hcat of K. Olivers courage though not of his Liver insomuch that he and his intimate Friends began to project how without losse of reputation to take him off from so desperate an Engagement as at that time that seemed to be unnecessary delaies were used in Shipping his Men. Hasterigge and his Party reported great terrours from Scotland Oliver and his Bloud-hounds of the Faction made a shift to smell out a silly Plot in Dorset-shire for surprisall of Weymouth and Portland for the KING now laughed at and exploded by their owne New-books And the tender-conscienced Brethren were prompted to apprehend their owne dangers and put into a Petitioning posture That such a Worthy of Israel such a chosen Instrument of Gods mercy might not in a time of danger leave the Land of his Nativity the Habitation of the Saints to seeke foraigne adventures in a Heathen Land Whilst these preparations were making to withdraw Olivers stake he appeared not openly in them but making more shew of the Lyons skin than the Foxes had written to Col. Iones how heartlesse his Souldiers were and that unlesse Iones did by some successfull Sally lessen their terrour he should not be able to get them on Ship-board This was like the Monkey to rake Chesse-nuts out of the fire with the Catts foot to take a presage of his owne successe at Col. Iones hazard Iones makes an attempt with better luck than he expected though not with half so good successe as was reported Saturday 12. August when the newes first came to Towne the Lyon is not so terrible as he is painted it is a peculiar priviledge of the Saints to lie without sinne or at least without