designs The Marquess therefore shewing a dislike to those their sinister dealings departed from the Assembly at Glasgow Whereupon the Covenanters protested against all that he had said and done there as his Majesties Commissioner And at the same instant the Lord Areskyn and three other mean persons came and beg'd to be admitted into their blessed Covenant Which offer though of purpose contrived was made so good use of by the Moderator that he desired it might be admired as God's approbation and Sealing of their proceedings And it being put to the question whether they should adhere to their Protestation and continue the Assembly notwithstanding the King's Commissioners departure it was voted by most affirmatively Secondly whether the Assembly though dissolv'd by his Majesties Commissioner was competent judge against the Bishops and whether they would go on in their Tryal it passed also affirmatively nemine contradicente And now no sooner was the Marquess thus departed having caused his Majesties Proclamation to be publish'd by Heraulds at the Market-Cross in Glasgow for dissolving the Assembly but that Mr. Archibald Iohnston the then Clerk to the Assembly made a scandalous Protestation against it After which all things were transacted by some few pack'd Committees of the most fierce Covenanters which sate till the thirtieth of December following Which Committees amongst other of their Acts declared six general Assemblies to be Null and void whereof two were then in force by several Acts of Parliament and divers Acts of the other four confirm'd by Parliament They condemned likewise all the Arminian Tenets as they call'd them without defining what those Tenets were They also deprived all the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of that Realm excommunicating many of them without examining any one witness to prove no nor offering to produce any to testify ought against them And next declared Episcopal Government to be inconsistent with the Laws of that Church and Kingdom abolishing it for ever though it then stood confirm'd by many Acts both of Parliament and Assemblies They also depriv'd divers Ministers for Arminianisme without ever questioning them for what Tenets or opinions they held Moreover towards the end of their Assembly they divided themselves into several Committees which after their rising should see all their Acts put in execution And at the conclusion of all the Moderator gave God thanks for their good success congratulating the Nobility for their great pains giving thanks also to the Earl of Argyle for his Presence and Council Which Earl in a long Speech then excused his late declaring himself yet protesting that he was always set that way though he delay'd to profess it so long as he found his close carriage might advantage their Cause but now he must openly adjoyn himself to their Society or prove a Knave as he said Hereupon the Marquess his Majesties Commissioner resolving to ask the King's leave to return for England came first to Edenborough where he found strong Guards put upon the Castle and the people much abused by false Reports viz. that his Majesty had made good nothing at all which was contained in his Declaration at Edenborough upon the two and twentieth of September last whereupon he caused a Proclamation to be published in his Majesties name at the Market-cross there containing the sum of his whole proceedings at Glasgow Which being encountered with a blustering and undutiful Protestation in the name of the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland and published at the same time and place he return'd into England Then the Faction proceeded to levy Soldiers impose Taxes and requiring obedience to their Acts menac'd the Refusers raised divers Fortifications in that Kingdom block'd up his Majesties Castles and Forts and took the Castle of Edenborough procuring their Preachers seditiously to teach the People that there was a Necessity of bearing Arms against his Majesty under pain of Perjury and Damnation and caused such an infamous Ballad to be sung up and down against the Bishops as that in hatred of them the people called a Dog with black and white spots a Bishop as he went in the Streets Moreover they procured divers Libels to be scattered in England for justification of their rebellious courses and defamation of Ecclesiastical Government inciting his Majesties Subjects in this Realm to attemt the like Rebellion here refusing to admit such to the Communion who had not subscribed their Covenant and preaching that the Non-subscribers were Atheists Nay one of them in his Sermon exhorted the people never to give over till they had the King in their power and then he should see what good Subjects they were Others preach'd that the Service-Book was fram'd at fome These and many other groundless scandals and falshoods to amuse the People they published in their Pulpits which they call'd the Chairs of truth And to hasten on the Peoples Insurrection endeavoured to perswade them that his Majesty intended an Invasion of that Kingdom and to make it a Province as also to despoil them of their Laws and Liberties and to give them new Laws as if they were a conquer'd Nation And having thus prepared the People and fitted themselves with all Provisions for war they put themselves in Armes and march'd to the Frontiers of England pretending they came as Petitioners The King therefore discerning the danger raised a gallant Army whereof he made Thomas Earl of Arundel his General and on the seven and twentieth of March set forwards towards Scotland having with him the flower of his English-Nobility and Gentry whose cheerfulness then to serve him was very great Yet was the Earl of Essex at that time his Lieutenant-General and the Earl of Holland General of the Horse so much was his Majesty then mistaken in their affections to him who did afterwards sufficiently discover themselves And advancing with his Army encamp'd four miles West from Barwick What correspondence was then held betwixt the Scots and divers of the great ones then in his Majesties Camp considering also who were of his Bed-chamber may easily be guest by the consequences Certain it is that divers of them grew cool in the business so that after the Scots had by a formal Petition expressed that they falling down at his Majesties feet did most humbly supplicate him to appoint some of the Kingdom of England to hear by some of them their humble desires his Majesty assented thereunto and after several meetings thereupon and their demands presented in writing professed that it was their greif that his Majesty had been provoked to wrath against them his most humble and loving Subjects and that it should be their delight upon his gracious assurance of the preservation of their Religion and Laws to give example to all others of all civil and temporal obedience which could be required of loyal Subjects To which his Majesty answered that if their desires were only the enjoying of their Religion and Liberties according to
Subscription of those Lords and other loyal persons then attending him at York for levying Horse in his own defence as also for safeguard of the two Houses of Parliament and the Protestant Religion they order'd that ten thousand pounds of the money which had been brought in upon the Propositions unto Guild-Hall should be forthwith laid out to buy Horses and that ten thousand Foot should be speedily raised in London and the parts adjacent to be employ'd according to the direction of the Parliament As also that Arms should be taken out of the Tower for their present occasions to be disposed of by authority of Parliament Likewise that the ten thousand men so raised should be forthwith listed under Officers trained entred into pay and march into any part of the Kingdom by direction and authority of Parliament And of this Army thus speedily to be raised they appointed that the Earl of Essex should be General with whom they voted that they would live and dye Likewise to the end that this great affair might yet carry a specious shew to the world they set forth two more Declarations in the name of both Houses Whereby they pretended their whole endeavour to be for his Majesties Honour and Safety the regaining the ancient Laws Rights and Liberties of the Kingdom so much invaded setling the Protestant Religion in peace and purity c. Taxing the King with endeavour of a change in Religion and Government as also with breach of his solemn Protestations and Imprecations and that he had already begun a war against them being seduced by Jesuitical Counsel and Cavaliers who had designed all to slavery and confusion which gave them occasion thus to raise Forces for defence of Religion and Laws And having given authority to the Earl of Warwick to command his Majesties Navy at Sea they made an Order for him to take provisions for the same out of the Kings stores at Chatham notwithstanding his Majesties command to the contrary Likewise for the better increase of their Army they made Orders for encouragement of Voluntiers within this Kingdom and dominion of Wales to exercise and discipline themselves in a military manner which promises of the Authority of both Houses for their indemnity As also that the Earl of Essex should go on to make all speedy preparation for the raising of Forces according to his Commission appointing Commissioners out of the Common-Council of London to assist him in raising Voluntiers within that City and the Liberties thereof And lastly that a Declaration should be published to satisfy the people concerning their proceedings herein as also to stir them up to afford all speedy aid towards the raising of Forces upon the Propositions for the intent aforesaid and for removing the evil Counsellers from his Majesty How forward and active the Londoners were to promote this Rebellion can hardly be imagined people of all sorts pouring out their Treasure as if it had been for the most advantageous purchase in the world thronging in with their Plate and Rings and not sparing their very Thimbles and Bodkins Neither were they backward in the adventure of their lives five thousand of them listing themselves under the Earl of Essex the next day in Moor-Feilds Which with the other Voluntiers then in readiness amounted to near ten thousand men being forthwith committed to Officers and distributed into Regiments were ordered to be daily exercised and to have constant pay But all these Forces and preparations were raised and made for the King's safety and preservation as 't was pretended though at the same time certain Provisions of Wheat and Wine for his Majesties own Table passing by water towards York were seized by Sir Iohn Hotham and that seizure approved of by the Houses at Westminister with encouragement to do the like upon occasion And as they took all care to hinder the King's good Subjects from the sight of his Declarations and Proclamations lest they should continue stedfast in their old obedience to his Majesty and the Laws as is evident from their imprisoning the Lord Mayor of London as also of the Mayors of Salisbury and St. Albans for the publishing of them according to their duties so were they not slack in spreading and divulging their own as is apparent from their frequent dispersing them And therefore though they had often vented the like before yet now again to remind the people of what was in hand they set forth another bitter Declaration whereby they taxed the King with a design to alter the Government both in Church and State and that the time for effecting thereof was then come to ripeness as did appear by the preparation of Arms made by his Majesty as they alleadged Scandalizing him with giving countenance to the Rebellion in Ireland and therefore declared that they were necessitated to take up Arms for the defence of all these which must otherwise perish The King therefore observing that in pursuance of their Votes and Declarations they had thus form'd a powerful Army and that they had already beseig'd the Town of Porstmouth did set forth a Proclamation declaring the Earl of Essex and all his adherents Traitors with pardon to such as should return to their obedience within six days But this gracious offer was so much contemn'd that so soon as it came to their notice they publish'd a Declaration in the name of both Houses of Parliament containing many shameful invectives against his Majesty declaring all such to be Traitors that were Contrivers or Countenancers of this last Proclamation of August the ninth And that if his Majesty would disband his Forces abandon those wicked Counsellers and hearken to the wholsome advice of his great Council they would endeavour to make him and his posterity as great and rich as any Prince that ever sway'd the Scepter CHAP. XII BUt what this specious offer meant the King by woful experience being sufficiently sensible and of all other helps in small hope publish'd another Proclamation declaring his purpose to erect his Standard-royal at Notingham upon the twentieth of August requiring the aid and assistance of all his Subjects on the North of Trent and twenty miles Southwards for suppressing the power of those Rebels which were then on their march against him And therewithall a Declaration setting forth their evil practises and proceedings from the beginning of that Parliament But the Rebels for so I shall now call them having brought their work to this height and for their better support therein having seized on an hundred thousand pounds of the money rais'd by Act of Parliament for the service of Ireland having also deposed Sir Richard Gurney Lord Mayor of London as also committed him to the Tower and by their own authority set up another they sent Forces into several parts of this Realm viz. into Kent putting them into Cotham-House as also into the Block-house
voting in their old companions called the Eleven impeached Members Next setting up a Committee of Safety enabling them to joyne with the Committee of the restored City-Militia and giving them power to list and raise forces appoint Commanders and Officers and issue forth Arms and Amunition for defence of both Houses and the City against all that should invade them And in the neck of these Votes came out a Declaration of the City which the Lords and Commons then sitting at Westminster ordered to be published throughout all England and Wales wherein after a large preamble they went on thus We do in the presence of Almighty-God profess that there is nothing in the world that we more desire than that His Majesty may be put and left free in such an honourable condition and capacity as his person may appear to be at Liberty to receive and treat upon such Propositions as shall be presented unto him from the Parliaments of both Kingdomes for our Consciences tell us that whilst his royal person is environ'd by an Army and remains under the power thereof we cannot expect that either His Majestie 's Princely Heart can give that free assent unto those things which shall be propounded unto him as is requisite or if he do cannot hope with good reason that we and our posterity shall without alteration enjoy the same And therefore we are resolved earnestly yet with humility to apply our selves to the Parliament to this purpose and hope that all good Subjects who are touched with any sense of that duty and allegiance which by the Law of God and man they owe unto the King will unanimously joyn with us therein We cannot omit also to declare unto the Kingdome how we have sadly observed since the Eleven accused Members withdrew themselves and that the Army hath daily grown upon the Parliament that a great and considerable number of other Members of the House of Commons have also retired themselves to the endangering of the Kingdom which never more needed a full Council And therefore we shall make our speedy address to the honourable House of Commons to call in all the Members of their House residing in the Army or retired to their dwellings by leave of the House or otherwise And we shall particularly insist upon the readmission of the Eleven Members lately driven out of the House of Commons by the violent pursuit of the Army contrary to the sense of the same House the Law of the Land and the Priviledges of Parliament wherein also we are confident all good English-men and Lovers of their Country will adhere unto them and us c. And we declare that we sincerely desire an happy and speedy Peace by the settlement of true Religion in this Kingdome by re-establishing His Majesty in his just Rights and Authority by upholding all lawful Priviledges of a free Parliament by maintaining the Fundamental Laws of the Land by restoring and securing the Subject unto and in his just liberty and property and by freeing the long oppressed Kingdome of all Taxes and enforced free Quarter towards the maintenance of an Army which of a long time hath had no visible Enemy to encounter And from this Resolution by the blessing of God we shall never recede for any earthly consideration or advantage whatsoever But whilst the Citizens were thus Declaring and the Members very busy at Westminster the Fugitives for so they then call'd them that were fled to the Army were not idle at Windsor for there they sate in consultation with the Council of War and signed an Engagement to live and dye with General Fairfax and the Army under his Command as also a Remonstrance shewing the grounds of their intended advance towards London Declaring against the choyce of the new Speaker at Westminster and that as things then stood there was no free-Parliament sitting being through the violence done on the twenty sixth of Iuly before wholy suspended as also that whatsoever Orders or Votes had passed since that time they should be null and void and not at all submitted unto With the Army thus marching towards the City also joyned the Trayned Bands of some Countries viz. Kent Essex and Surrey which put the Covenanting Brethren into such dreadful apprehensions and pannick fears as that they often sent Commissioners to mediate for peace but could obtain no other terms than that they must desert the Members sitting at Westminster as also the Eleven formerly impeached Moreover that they should call in their Declaration then newly printed and published Relinquish the Militia Deliver up all their Forts and Line of Communication to the Army together with the Tower of London and all the Magazines of Armes therein Disband all their Forces Turn all the Reformados out of the Line withdraw all their Guards from the Houses Receive such Guards of Horse and Foot within the Line as the Army should appoint to guard the Houses Demolish their works and suffer the whole Army to march in triumph through the City Unto all which they forthwith tamely yielded as may seem from those poor pittiful abject and slavish Expressions made by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council then sent to General Fairfax in these words And forasmuch as we observe that the chief cause which hath drawn you Excellency and your Army thus near the City is to bring home those noble and honourable Memebers of both Houses who because of the Tumults at Westminster the twenty sixth past have retired themselves to the end they may by you be placed in safety and in a free-Parliament at Westminster we chearfully and heartily joyne with your Excellency therein and according as we shall find directions from your Excellency they shall find all ports and passes open to receive you and them and also such Guards of two or three Regiments as you Excellency shall think fitting for their conduct to the two Houses of Parliament And the Parliament being set with Peace and Safety we shall humbly submit to their direction what forces of yours and ours to continue for their future Guard in which service we humbly offer the whole strength of this City Whereupon on Hounslow Heath the Army drew up in Batalia there being present the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Kent and Moulgrave the Viscount Say and Sele the Lord Gray of Werke the Lord Howard of Escrick and Lord Wharton the Speaker also of the House of Commons and about one hundred Members of that House Where the Common-Souldiers were taught to make great Shouts and cry Lords and Commons and a free-Parliament From whence upon the sixth of August the General brought the fugitive Members with a strong party to the Parliament House the two Pallace-yards being filled with armed Guards and double Files placed throughout Westminster-Hall to the stairs of the House of Commons and so through the Court of Requests to the Lords House put the Speakers in their respective chayrs and set
â—wordsâ— this Ordinance and others likewise presented to hiâ— alterations should be made of some expressions in them which did reflect on former establisht Laws it being therefore necessary that they should be penned in other termes 7. That he would pass an Act for prevention of saying Mass in Court or other places provided onely that his Queen might have free exercise of her Religion for her self and her ordinary servants according to the Articles of Marriage made between the two Crowns France and England 8. Lastly that for the Covenant he could not in Conscience take it himself nor impose it upon others therefore hoped that it should not be insisted on in regard the imposing thereof could not tend to peace a great part even of the Parliaments-party being utterly persuaded against it And further because all the ends of the Covenant would be obtained if an agreement were made in the rest of the Propositions These were the chief referring the rest untill his coming to Westminster where he might personally advise with his two Houses and deliver his opinion with the reasons thereof which done he would leave the whole matter of those remayning Propositions to the determination of his two Houses But as His Majesty had formerly well observed the humours of these impious men to be restless ever altering and changing their Principles with their success So did he then find the greatest and most wofull experiment thereof For having by the defeat of D. Hamilton's Army the reducing of Colchester and subduing the Welch in Pembrokeshire cleared all opposition which any could make against them they then did openly manifest to the world that nothing should suffice but the absolute destruction of the King and utter extirpation of Monarchy Towards the accomplishing of which execrable designe a prodigious Remonstrance was contrived by Cromwel and his son Ireton with some other venemous-minded officers in the Army then at St. Albans and presented to the House of Commons by Colonel Evre and seaven other Officers of the Army whereby they fiercely declaymed against any peace at all with the King and likewise against his Restauration demanding that he should by a Tryal be brought to Iustice. So likewise against those Members of Parliament as had been impeached the year before and all others that sate when the Speaker and Members fled to the Army that they might be excluded the House Requiring that the Souldiers arrears should be paid out of the King 's and Dean and Chapters lands Moreover that a certain terme should be prefixed to that present Long-Parliament as also a more equal number of persons as Representatives of the People to be thenceforth elected in whom the supreme power should thereafter reside In which Remonstrance it is not unworthy observation that they said whereas it might be objected that by the Covenant they were obliged to the preservation of His Majestie 's person and authority it was with this restriction viz. in the preservation of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome So that considering Religion and the publick Interest were to be understood the principal and supream matters engaged for and of the King's person and authority as inferiour and subordinate thereto As also whereas the preservation of his person and authority was not consistent with the preservation of Religion and the publick Interest they were therefore by the Covenant obliged against it And the better to illustrate this they instanced the practice of the Parliament all along the late wars which not onely opposed his Majesty and his authority but really endeavoured to kill and destroy both his person and authority by Bullets and otherwise in order to the preservation of Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome Which Remonstrance was soon after presented to the House of Commons and tendred to the consideration of the whole Kingdome But three days after they Treaty having continued fourty days whereunto they limited it ended And here it is not improper to take notice that as they had frequently used to procure Petitions from sundry places to countenance the carrying on of any notable design which they had in hand So now having publisht this wicked Remonstrance they obteined Congratulations from those called the Well-affected in several parts to the end that others might be the more danted from any opposition thereto CHAP. XXX THIS business of the Treaty being therefore thus over I come now to the last Act of this afflicted King's life A Scene indeed of much sorrow and which cannot well be represented without great lamentation and the deepest expressions of sadness wherein I shall be as brief as well may be pointing chiefly at the times of the most notable passages therein but leaving the larger Narrative thereof to such of our Historians as have already or shall hereafter set forth the Life and Sufferings of this incomparable Prince As an Introduction whereunto it may be sit enough to observe that though the Parliament had been garbled as before is shewed whereby the Remnant of the Presbyterians was totally disheartened Yet did the Invasion from Scotland and Risings in other Parts about that time put so much Life and Courage into the drooping Spirits of that Party as that having with no little difficulty carryed the Vote for a Treaty they strugled to their utmost for such an issue thereof that the King might be at some better Liberty than he was at that time and the Administration of his Authority in the Two Houses as formerly And then though the Army stood not right to them at present the Majority of Votes might some time or other so alter the case as that the sweetness of Dominion might return to them again To second therefore what they had so vigorously begun discerning that the Army in pursuance of their late Remonstrance were on their March towards London they Voted a Letter to the General forbidding his nearer approach Which Vote so irritated the Souldiary that immediately they publisht a sharp Declaration therein accusing the Parliament with Breach of Trust Inconstancy and Indiscretion saying that they would appeal from them to the People threatning forthwith to advance up to Westminster and there to do what God should enable them and accordingly came up to the corner of Hide-park Where upon it was put to the Question in the House whether that approach of the Army were not prejudicial to the Freedom of Parliament But into such a terror were the Presbyterian Members then 〈◊〉 that they durst not hold up their Heads to give their Votes therein Nevertheless within two days following they took better heart and set on foot a debate touching the satisfactoriness of His Majesties Answer to the Propositions in the late Treaty And though the same day the General entred Westminster with Four Regiments of Foot and Six of Horse taking up his Head Quarters at White-hall and that soon after the King was seized on in his Bed-chamber and carryed to Hurst-Castle
Rebellion That the first Seeds of it were sown in Queen Elizabeth's time grew up in K. Iames and came to perfect ripeness in K. Charles his Reign is proportionably true of the Holy-League The first Platform of that was laid in the time of K. Charles the Ninth soon after the Reformation of Religion got footing in France It broke out in K. Henry the third's time and was at last suppressed by K. Henry the Fourth So that it infested the Reigns of three Kings no less than this of ours The cheif pretended occasion of it was the defence of Religion which the Ring-Leaders of that Faction did if not conceive themselves yet labour to perswade the People to be in danger of utter Ruine and Extirpation And that by reason of some Indulgence and Toleration granted by Charles the ninth and the Queen Mother and continued by Henry the third unto the Huguenots or Protestants who were as odious to them as Papists were with our Men though the truth was those Princes did as intirely detest the Religion of Protestants as the most zealous among ours can do the Papists And what they did in favour of them was meerly to preserve the Peace of the Kingdom Before the League was fully hatch't the State of that Kingdom was not much unlike this of ours before the late Troubles Some Grievances there were which waited upon it into the World For besides the Toleration of the Huguenots which distasted the Zealots the greatness of some new Men at Court bred an high discontent in divers of the Nobility And the heavy Taxes and Impositions upon the Common-People made them generally dissaffected with the present Government And this Variety of Malignant Humors rising from several Springs all met in the same Stream and bent their course to the same common end Innovation and Subversion of the Establish't Government A Parliament for so I shall take leave to call the general Assembly of the three Estates in France not according to the modern use of the Word in that Country from whence this Kingdom borrowed at first the name and thing but in compliance with our own Language was thought to be a sure Remedy at a pinch for â—etling the publick Distractions And though such Assemblies had been long intermitted in that Realm and the Kings of later time were grown out of love with them as conceiving that while they who represent the whole Nation are convened together with such Supream Power the Royal Authority in the mean time remained little better than suspended Yet upon a consultation had with a Council of Peers like that of ours at York and a motion from them to that purpose Francis the second was content to call a Parliament at Drleans which was quietly Dissolved by his Death before the States had done any thing but only shew'd their Teeth against the Protestants taking a solemn Protestation for Defence of their Religion and by that excluding all others from any Vote in that Assembly By the like exigence was Henry the third driven to have recourse to the like Remedy which proved indeed worse than the Disease For after his Intimation of a Parliament to Commence at Bloys the Duke of Guise and his Allies laid the Foundation of the League who being the most Popular and Powerful Subjects in the Kingdome sought by that means to augment their own greatness and secure the State of Religion which was so straitly twisted with their Interests This Duke besides his Ambition which prompted him sufficiently to those Turbulent Undertakings has formerly received some disgust at Court not much unlike that of Philip Earl of Pembroke for the Keys of the Pallace were taken from him and bestow'd upon the King of Navarr With which disgrace he was extreamly vexed and his Brother the Cardinal much more though they cunningly Dissembled and made a shew as if nothing troubled them but the Toleration of and connivence at Calvinisme by that means veiling their own Passions and Private Interests with an honest Cloak and colour of Religion So by little and little the Factious among the great ones were confounded with the differences in Religion and instead of Male-Contents and Guisards they put on the name of Catholicks and Huguenots Parties which under colour of Piety ministred so much the more Pernicious Fewel to all the Succeeding Combustions and Troubles The League was ushered in with Declarations Remonstrances and Protestations to the same effect and much in the same Language with this of our Covenanters We the Princes Noblemen Gentlemen and Commons Parties to that League profest that nothing but pure Zeal and Sincere Devotion which we bear to the Honour of God his Majesties Service the Publick Peace and Preservation of our Lives and Estates together with the Apprehension of our utter Ruine and Destruction hath necessitated us to this Resolution which we are constrained to put on for which we cannot any way be taxed or traduced for Suspition of Disloyalty Our Councils and Intentions having no other Design but meerly the Maintenance and Advancement of the Service of God Obedience to his Majesty and Preservation of his Estate And perceiving by what is past that our Enemies have not nor ever had any other aim but to Establish their Errors in the Kingdom to extirpate Religion and by little and little to undermine the King's Authority and totally alter the Government we can do no less in discharge of our Honours and Consciences than withstand the Sinister Designs of the Supream Enemies of God and his Majesty by a common Covenant and Association it being no more than time to divert and hinder their Plots and Conspiracies for all Faithful and Loyal Subjects to enter into a Holy Union and Conjunction which is now the true and only means left in our Hands by God for restoring of his own Service and Obedience to his Majesty The chief Heads of the League to which they swore were either altogether or in Proportion the same with those in our English Covenants viz. 1. To Establish Religion the Law and Service of God in its Pristine State according to the form and usage of the Catholick Roman-Church there as of the Protestant Reformed-Church here 2. As our Covenanters swore in the second Article to extirpate all Popery Heresy c. So did the Leaugers Renounce and abjure all Errors contrary to their Religion 3. As our Men in the third Article swore to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and Liberties of the Kingdom and to preserve the King's Person and Authority but with a Reservation in the Preservation and Defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdon So did they to preserve Henry the third of that Name and his Successors the Most Christian Kings in the State Splendour Authority Right Service and Obedience which are due unto him from his Subjects but with this Abatement according as is contained in
the Bishop of Galoway and the Lord chief Justice of that Kingdom were assaulted by the multitude and the Lords beset in the Council-house the people in their clamorous noises crying God defend all those who will defend God's cause and God confound the Service-book and all the maintainers thereof And so great were their outrages that they pull'd down the Lord Treasurer took his Hat Cloak and White-Staff from him and set upon the Provost as he was entring his own House These with the like were the beginnings to their intended glorious work of Reformation as they call'd it which they 〈◊〉 God even to a miracle had so graciously prospered in their Hands In which last Tumults none were more forward than two of those who were lately Bayliffs of Edenborough and had subscribed the before-mention'd Letters to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Subsequent to which Tumults two Petitions were presented to the Lord Chancellour and Council against the Service-book the first in the name of all the Men Women Children and Servants of Edenborough the second by the Noblemen Gentlemen Ministers and Burgesses suggestions being made to the people of the King's inclination to Popery Of which stirs in Scotland the King having advertisement he sent over the Earl of Roxborough Lord Privy-Seal into that Kingdom Whereupon a Proclamation was set forth there by his Majesties appointment for dispersing of the dangerous multitudes got together at Sterlyn But against this Proclamation the Earl of Hume and Lord Lindsey with many others of all ranks made a Protestation which Protestation they published at Lithgow and afterwards at Edenborough forcing the Heraulds that proclaim'd the same to stay and hear the Protestation against it So that 't is observable that the first Tumult was by the name of Rascals and Scum of the people The second by the best sort of Citizens and the third by the Nobility Gentry and Magistrates After which Protestation they erected public Tables of Advice and Council for ordering the affairs of that Kingdom in contempt of his Majesties authority entring into a formal Combination which they call'd a Covenant against all that should oppose them Which Covenant Mr. Andrew Cant in his Sermon at Galsgow told the people he was sent to them with by a Commission from Christ to bid them Subscribe it being Christ's contract and that he himself came as a wooer to them for the Bridegroom and call'd upon them to come to be hand-fasted by subscribing that contract Adding that he would not depart the Town till he got all the names of those who should refuse to subscribe that Contract of whom he promised to complain to his Master The King therefore hearing of the increase of those troubles sent over the Marquess of Hamilton with Commission for composure of them Who on the sixth of Iune following arrived at Dalkeith where the Lords of his Majesties Council of that Kingdom were then assembled for safety as 't was pretended in regard of the combustions at Edenborough which daily increased But the cheif of the Covenanters grew daily more violent in their courses increased the meetings of their Tables subdivided them into several Committees augmented their Provisions of Armes and infusing fears and jealousies into the people by seditious Sermons caused Edenborough-Castle to be girt with strong Guards hindred all persons to go to the Marquess to treat or speak with him in the business for which he was sent giving out that there was a Plot to blow them up with Gunpowder if they should go to Dalkeith and received in two Ships-lading with Armes and Amunition at that time Whereupon at the request of the Citizens of Edenborough the Marquess took his journey from Dalkeith to Haly-Rood-House But before he got thither the Covenanters meeting him on the way with multitudes that made great Exclamations against Popery and Bishops required a General Assembly of the Church and then a Parliament justifying their Covenant as being more available and usefull to them as they said than all the Laws and Acts of Parliament which had been enacted in that Kingdom since the time of Fergus the first King thereof The Peoples fury also growing more hot than ever new Guards were clap'd upon the Castle of Edenborough the Pulpits rung of Libellous Sermons and Prayers yea so insolent they were that they sent a Prohibition against reading the English-Service in the King 's peculiar Chappel where the Marquess his Majesties Commissioner and the Council were to be Which Tumults as 't was said occasioning the Marquess to go back to Dalkeith the Covenanters sent Letters to every one of his Majesties Council requiring their Subscription to the Covenant And understanding that the Marquess did resolve to publish a Declaration of his Majesties forwardness to maintain the Religion professed in that Kingdom and his aversness to Popery disswaded him as he tendred the King's honour his own safety and peace of the Publick from doing it But not withstanding these arguments the Marquess did cause his Majesties Proclamation to be publish'd by Heraulds at the Market-Cross in Edenborough declaring his resolution to maintain the true Protestant-Christian-Religion And for farther clearing of scruples assured them that he would neither then nor thenceforth press the practise of the Canons and Service-Book otherwise than in such a fair and legal way as should satisfy his loving Subjects that he neither intended Innovation in Religion or Laws warning all his good people to beware of disobedience But all this no whit sufficed them for in open affront thereto they caused multitudes of people to fill the streets especially near the Cross in an hostile equipage with Pistols and Swords out of their Belts giving out that if this Proclamation were hearkned unto it would bring undoubted ruine to their Religion Laws and Liberties and upon a Scaffold erected for that purpose they mounted with a Rebellious Protestation in defence of their Covenant which they published openly concluding that if his Majesty would not allow their proceedings they themselves would call a General Assembly justifying all their doings to be most necessary and an orderly means agreeable to the Laws and practise of that Church and Kingdom Whereupon the Marquess returning into England to acquaint the King with what had passed resolving to be back again before the Fifth of August with new instructions they in his absence inform'd the People that he was well satisfied with their Covenant Against which calumny upon his return he publish'd a Manifesto in Print And having direction from his Majesty to indict an Assembly sent to divers of the principal Covenanters concerning some Propositions to be resolv'd upon before the meeting thereof But this Message was receiv'd with so much choler and contempt that they blazed it abroad for a proposition tending to the utter ruine of the Laws and Liberties of that Church and Kingdom Which much startling the Marquess he told them of his resolution to go
back into England and that he could not concur with them but that he had power to grant them a new Assembly which he could not conceive to be free if they should bring in every man to have a voice whom they had a mind to And accordingly went again into England Where having acquainted the King with what had hapned he returned Howbeit before he came back the Covenanters contrary to promise had elected Commissioners for the Assembly Upon which his Return he delivered to his Majesties Council at Haly-Rood-House Letters concerning the Confession of faith of the date at Edenborough Ian. 28. 1580 and signed by King Iames. But the Covenanters hereupon gave out to the people that the News brought by the Marquess did tend to the utter subversion of their Religion and Liberties also that there was a new Covenant to be set on foot by the King to destroy theirs and that if now they resisted not all was lost that they had already done Nevertheless the Marquess caused his Majesties Declaration and Confession of Faith ut supra to be publish'd at the Market-Cross in Edenborough and at the same time not only a Proclamation for indicting a General Assembly at Glasgow the one and twentieth of November ensuing but an Act of the Lords of the Council requiring all his Majesties Subjects to subscribe the said Confession of Faith and Band annexed Which Declaration contain'd a grant for redress of all the particular Grievances desired in their Supplications Remonstrances Protestations Declarations c. and besides all this their own Confession of Faith the ground as they pretended of their Covenant renewed and established But the principal Covenanters having possess'd the People with a prejudicate opinion of this gratious Declaration before they heard it as destructive to the Laws and Liberties of that Church and Kingdom erected a large Scaffold near the Cross where the same was to be published at which divers Earls Lords Gentlemen and others with their Swords in their Hands and Hats on their Heads stood jeering and laughing during the time of the same Declaration and it being ended with Insolent and Rebellious behaviour assisted one Archibald Iohnston in the publishing a most wicked and treasonable Protestation wherein they invoked God's holy name as a witness to many notorious falshoods attributing Infallibility to their Rebellious Covenant affirming that it was approved from Heaven with rare and undeniable instances And the next Sunday after all the Pulpits rang with bitter invectives and Declamations against his Majesties Declaration branding it with the depth and policy of Satan Nevertheless this Declaration and Confession of Faith so sent by his Majesty was very well received in all places except such whereunto the Covenanters from their Tables had prepared their Emissaries to disswade the acknowledgment of it witness the Letter sent to the Marquess dated 24 Sept. from the Provost Bayliffs and Council of Glasgow and the Ministers there And the Assembly at Glasgow being thus indicted they cunningly contrived that the Commissioners should be elected of the most rigidand fanatic spirits that were the Principal Covenanters perswading the People that the King intended no performance of what he promised in his last Proclamation no not the Assembly it self but to gain time until he were ready for their ruine sending likewise for all their party to flock to Edenborough as if then there had been greater danger than ever increasing also their Guards about the Castle their Preachers publishing in the Pulpits that whosoever subscribed his Majesties Confession and Covenant were perjur'd Villains Moreover they caused a most false odious and scandalous Libel to be drawn up against the Archbishops and Bishops and exhibiting it to the Presbytery of Edenborough procured it to be publicly read in the Pulpits Whereupon the Archbishops and Bishops were cited by the Presbytery of Edenborough to appear before the General Assembly to be holden at Glasgow 21 Nov. following And the more to infatuate the giddy-headed multitude they set up such another Impostor as the Holy Maid* of Kent in King Henry the Eighth's time was viz. one Michelson's daughter said to have been long distracted by Fits and then pretended to be inspired with Divination who was cryed up for raving against the Bishops in her mad Fits Rollock one of their fiercest Presbyters giving out that God spake through her her expressions being that it was revealed unto her from God that their Covenant was approved from Heaven And soon after this they indicted an Assembly by their own authority upon the one and twentieth of November following But upon knowledg that the Lord Marquess his Majesties Commissioner was resolv'd to hold the Assembly at the time and place appointed by the King's Proclamation they altered their purpose and sent out Papers for a General meeting at Edenborough upon the twelfth of November and to stay there till they were to go to Glasgow on Saturday the seventeenth of that month Which meeting according to the King's Proclamation being very great after his Majesties Commission read the Marquess exhorted them to a peaceable and moderate carriage giving some touch of the disorders that had passed Whereunto answer being made by a Nobleman a Lay Elder that they had given his Grace satisfaction for all their proceedings they went on to the choice of a Moderator without the approbation and consent of his Majesties Commissioner appointing for that purpose Mr. Alexander Henderson the most rigid Covenanter Against whom when the Marquess protested such was their heady and exorbitant carriage that by the hands of Doctor Hamilton they presented to the Marquess a a Declinator and Protestation against his proceedings in the name of the Bishops Nay so formidable they soon after grew as that the University of Aberdene having been threatned with the loss of their lives for writing against the Covenant durst not send any of their Professors to that Assembly And on the eight and twentieth of October a calumnious Libel against the Bishops was read in all the Churches of Edenborough one Gibson in the Assembly thundring out a verbal Protestation that they would pursue their Libel against the Bishops so long as they had lives and fortunes Which Assembly was form'd of Ministers Commissioners to it chosen by Lay Elders the Lay Elders themselves being likewise present in it 〈◊〉 course so much distasted by several parts of the Kinâ—â—â—â— that they thereupon made Protestations against 〈◊〉 proceedings divers of which were read at the instance of his Majesties Commissioner but the Lord Lowdon hindred the reading of that from Glasgow And as their Elections were wholy undue so were their Actions in the Assembly all being carried by faction and clancular contrivances as appeared by their own Private Papers of Instructions some whereof were discovered by the Marquess neither was any freedom of debate therein but what tended to the advancement of their evil
being too strong But no sooner was the King gone than that the turbulent Spirits in the House of Commons set to work in framing a bitter Remonstrance of the general Grievances of the Kingdom to make his Majesties Government seem odious to his Subjects which was ordered to be brought into the House Whereupon grew great debates and disputes which lasted from three of the clock afternoon the whole night following and till ten of the Clock on the morrow But at length many who disliked and opposed it partly by reason of their age of infirmity of Body being wearied out and departing others through sloth or timorousness leaving the House it was voted by some few voices divers of the factious party being fetcht out of their Beds to assist This Remonstrance being a compendium of all the mistakes and misfortunes that had hapned since the beginning of his Majesties reign to that hour objected to him the Actions of some and the Thoughts of others reproacht him with such things of which he never knew and reviled him to his people complained also of the House of Peers and ascribed all the Acts of Grace already passed in that Parliament to their own wisdom in procuring with intimation of their despair in setling the distractions of the Kingdom by reason of the power of a malignant-party and want of concurrence by the House of Peers wherein so many Bishops and malignant Lords then sat This being done their next work was to get the whole command of the Militia which being had nothing afterwards could be difficult to them For the better effecting thereof they therefore had again recourse to those shadows of Conspiracies and Plots which had stood them in good stead before The first of them being a new pretended Treason by the Earl of Craford and others against the Marquess of Hamilton then in Scotland and other Peers of that Realm this being signified by Letters from their Committee in Scotland dated 14 Oct. Whereupon that the like here might be prevented orders were directed to the Sheriffs of London Middlesex and Surrey for setling strong Guards of armed-men in places of moment Likewise the whole Trayned-Band of Westminster was brought into the Palace-Yard on the morrow and there attended all that day giving this reason for that order viz. Because the mischeivous designs and conspiracies lately discovered in Scotland against some principal and great men there by some of the Popish-faction gives just occasion to suspect that they may maintain correspondency here and practise the like in this Realm In like manner the same Trayn-Band of Westminster was brought into the Palace-Yard on the morrow and attended all that day until the Houses rose And the next day following Mr. Pym made a large Speech at a conference to lay open the Conspiracy Neither wanted they the Pulpits to advance their designs their Lecturers in several parts being men neither of learning nor conscience insinuating to the People all those falshoods and scandals which might work in them a dislike towards his Majesty depraving the conformable-Clergy charging them with Revolt from the Protestant Religion with purpose to introduce Popery one of them preaching to the Brotherhood in the Artillery-Garden expressing that for the defence of Religion and Reformation of the Church it was lawful to take up Arms against the King As a preparative whereunto a Bill was brought into the House for putting all the Forts and Castles and the whole Militia of the Kingdom into such hands as they might confide in CHAP. VIII IN this time the Rebellion in Ireland breaking forth it will not be improper to say somewhat thereof wherein though I shall not charge our grand Conspirators here with having any hand as to matter of council or contrivance with the Ring-leaders of that barbarous Insurrection yet can I not at all excuse them from giving great occasion for it and not without suspicion of Design if all be true that I have seen in a brief discourse thereof publish'd in print in an 1644. Which I shall leave to the better judgment of such as then lived and well observed the Actions of those times The substance of which Narrative is this viz. That the Irish being a people born and bred in the Romish Religion which they did glory to have derived from their Ancestors for no less than Thirteen hundred years and wherein they had connivence ever since the Reformation it could not be imagined when they saw such a Storm approach them by the harsh proceedings of the Parliament then sitting at Westminster against those of their profession in England who were daily cavill'd withall charg'd with sundry forged Conspiracies and Plots to render them odious and distastful to the world the wardship and education of their children voted to the disposal of others their votes as Peers in Parliament endangered and the large Progress made in England and Scotland towards the extirpation of the Protestant Religion as it then stood establish'd by Law in both Realms under which they had enjoyed their estates though upon certain penalties with the charge whereof they were well acquainted but they had cause enough to fear that their own misery was not far off especially discerning that the Insolency of the Scots did daily increase toward them whose large footing in their Kingdom having an inveterate hatred towards the Natives might endanger their shouldring them out Considering likewise the frequent Reports given out in that Kingdom to extirpate their Religion and Nation as also that Orders were made by the Houses of Parliament in England incroaching upon their priviledges of Parliament in Ireland and that their Committee after nine months attendance on his Majesty who was graciously pleased to hear their grievances being referr'd to the Houses of Parliament here upon his departure from London towards Scotland 10 Aug. 1641 was constrain'd to return without any redress through the prevalency of some leading Members who before had all they could misinterpreted to his Majesty the proceedings and Actions of the Parliament in Ireland It was therefore not a little fear'd by some that those provocations were purposely exercised to exasperate the Irish to take up Arms that so under colour of suppressing them as Rebels they might be utterly destroyed and eradicated Nor was it without suspicion by others considering how eagerly that Act for confiscation of their Lands was prosecuted by those Members at Westminiter at the very beginning of that Insurrection Also how his Majesties going over in person after the same brake out was hinder'd which in probability might have quencht that flame Moreover how they ingrossed that war into their own hands thereby to have the power to employ any forces raised or levied for it to assist in pursuance of their design upon this Kingdom as they should see cause as was evident by those under the command of the Lord Wharton and others which were in the Battel of
give no just cause of fears to the people But whilst he was thus zealous to satisfy his good Subjects of his real Intentions the Members at Westminister now confident of their own power sent down a Petition with Nineteen Propositions to his Majesty By which they demanded no less in effect than to yield up all his Regal power into their Hands Unto which he soon after returned a full and clear Answer by the Marquess of Hertford and Earl of Southampton To second which Propositions within four days ensuing they set forth a bold Declaration against his Proclamation of the xxvijth of May affirming it to be void in Law and in opposition thereto requiring all Officers to muster levy rise march and exercise according to their Ordinance assuring them for so doing of protection by both Houses of Parliament And within few days after sent out an Order in the name likewise of both Houses with Proposals for the bringing in of Money and Plate as also for providing Horse Horse-men and Arms in pursuance of their solemn vow and Protestation for suppressing the Traiterous attempts as they call'd them of those wicked and malignant Counsellers who sought to engage the King in a war against his Parliament and likewise with Instructions for the Deputy-Lieutenants to proceed therein themselves making Subscriptions accordingly the very same day Nor were the Lecturing-Preachers and other of that strain less active every where in this desperate and afterwards bloudy Scene the cheif of which throughout all England were then got into London Westminster and the Suburbs of both it being very well known both bâ— their public Sermons and sediticus Pamphlets what endeavours they sedulously used to stir up all persons able of Body to take up Arms and others to give aid with their Purses towards the advancing that Glorious work as they call'd it And for the better quickning the Members of Parliament therein they forthwith repaired to each man's particular House or Lodgings in and about those Cities to excite and animate them thereto as some of those Members have since acknowledged the drift and design of those Pulpiteers therein being the alteration of Church-government and inriching themselves with the lands and possessions of the Bishops and their Cathedrals as is very well known Whose Rebellious documents had such success that the Houses of Parliamen sent down divers of their most active Members to execute their Ordinance for the Militia in the Counties of Leicester Lincolne Essex Kent c. Who infused into the people strange fears and apprehensions of very great dangers to the end that they might be the better prepared to rise in the ensuing Rebellion But to return to the Propositions for bringing in of Horse Money and Plate Of this so soon as the King had notice he dispatch'd a Letter to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Sheriffs of London intimating to them that if they should give or lend any money or provide or raise any Horse or Arms under pretence of a Guard for both Houses grounded upon those scandalous votes by which they had presumed to declare his intention to levy war against his Parliament he should look upon it as the raising of force against himself and to be done in malice and contempt of his authority But this came too late for the Londoners were so forward in their compliance with these Propositions that the very same day they brought in great sums of Money for which by a special Order they had public Thanks returned Which sums if we may credit one of their own Party did with their Plate Rings c. in London Middlesex and Essex amount to above Eleven millions of pounds besides vast sums from the rest of the Counties and otherwise So that all the effect his Majesties Letter produced was only an Order in the name of both Houses that the Deputy-Lieutenants throughout the Kingdom should tender Propositions to the several Counties for raising of Horse for the service of the King and Parliament and soon after that a Declaration of both Houses was issued out whereby they justifyed their raising of Forces alleadging the same to be for maintenance of the Protestant Religion the King's Authority and Person in his Royal dignity the free course of Justice the Laws of the Land priviledge of Parliament c. forbidding any Officers whatsoever to spread that Paper for so they stiled his Majesties Letter justifying their Votes that the King intended to levy war against his Parliament intimating that neither his Majesties commands nor threats could withdraw or deter such as were well affected to the public from contributing Money Horse and Plate And so indeed it proved for as they had deluded the people large proportions were daily brough in the County of Essex contributing twenty seven thousand pounds and upwards and eight hundred Horse Hertfordshire eight thousand pounds and three hundred Horse c. as appears by the calculation thereof made upon the twentieth of August ensuing The King therefore taking into consideration these their violent practises and that they had set up Lieutenants and Deputy-Lieutenants in all Counties declaring his Commissions of Lieutenancy illegal upon mature deliberation and advice about this time issued out Commissions of Array into all parts of the Realm which course had been anciently used by his Royal Progenitors for prevention of Invasions or suppressing of any Insurrections and approved by divers Statutes and thereupon set forth a Proclamation informing all his loving Subjects of the lawfulness and use of them commanding their obedience thereunto Which Commissions the Earl of Derby in Lancashire the Earl of Huntingdon and Mr. Henry Hastings his Son afterwards Lord Loughborough in Leicestershire with others in those Counties to whom they were directed did first put in execution But hereupon the Members at Westminster published a large Declaration in the name of both Houses representing those Commissions of Array to be contrary to the Laws of the Land destructive to the Liberty and Property of the Subject yea so full of danger and inconvenience that it would bring an heavier yoke of bondage upon them than any that had been taken away that Parliament Their sactious Emissaries employ'd in sundry parts of the Realm perswading the people that those Commissions were to reduce the Estates of all the Yeomanry of England to ten pounds a year and to enslave them beyond expression And lest those who were thus seduced by these their subtil illusions should receive any satisfaction from his Majesties gracious Declarations whereby the uprightness of his Actions and candor of his Intentions might appear they sent out Orders strictly to prohibit the publishing of them promising Protection from the Parliament to those who should refuse so to do Moreover because the King out of his great sense of those imminent dangers which daily more and more threatned his safety desired a
it would be lawful to that Kingdome to assist him for the recovery of the Government he not granting the Propositions concerning Religion and the Covenant and not giving a satisfactory answer to the remanent Propositions Their Answer The Quaere presupposeth the King's coming into this Kingdome which case for the reasons expressed in our late warning we humbly conceive should not be put into the Question and therefore desire your Lordships to go about all means for the present preventing of it as a matter of most dangerous consequence to Religion this Kirk and Kingdome and to the King himself and his posterity But if the Question be stated simply without supposing such a case in these termes If the King be excluded from Government in England for not granting the propositions concerning Religion and the Covenant and for not giving a satisfactory Answer to the remanent propositions whether in that case it be lawfull for this Kingdome to assist him for the Recovery of the Government Or if it be not lawfull being put to it we cannot but answere in regard of the Engagement of this Kingdome by Covenant and Treaty Negative 1. Resolv'd upon the Question That the Kingdome of Scotland shall be governed as it hath been these five years last past all means being used that the King may take the Covenant and pass the Propositions 2. Resolv'd that the taking of the Scottish Covenant and passing some of the Propositions doth not give warrant to assist him against England 3. Resolv'd that upon bare taking the National Covenant we may not receive him 4. Resolv'd that the Clause in the Covenant for defence of the King's Person is to be understood in defence and safety of the Kingdomes 5. Resolv'd that the King shall not execute any power in the Kingdome of Scotland untill such time as he hath granted the Propositions concerning Religion and the Covenant and given satisfactory answer to both Kingdomes in the rest of the Propositions presented to him by both Kingdomes at Newcastle 6. Resolv'd that if His Majestie refuse to pass the Propositions he shall be disposed of according to the Covenant and Treaty 7. Resolv'd that the union be friendly kept between the Kingdomes according to the Covenant and Treaty By what hath last been instanc'd t is easy enough to be discern'd that bargain so long in driving on was by this time concluded in reference to the person of the King I mean the certain price for which the Scots did sell him which prompted them so eagerly and frequently to press his taking their Covenant and consent to those destructive Propositions which they well knew he could never do without apparent hazard to his Soul and that he had manifestly confuted the Arguments of Mr. Alexander Henderson whom they brought to convince him therein I shall therefore need to say no more of that matter then to set down the Quaeres which His Majestie delivered to the Commissioners of Scotland upon their last importuning him thereto when they threatned to deliver him up to the Parliament of England as they then called those Members at Westminster in case of his refusal It is a receiv'd opinion by many that Engagements Acts or Promises of a restrained person are neither valid nor obligatory How true or false this is I will not now dispute but I am sure if I be not free I am not fit to answer any of your Propositions wherefore you should first resolve me in what state I stand as in relation to freedome before I can give you any other Answer The Reason of this my Question the Governour can best resolve you But if you object the loss of time and urgency of it certainly in one respect it presses none so much as my self which makes me also think it necessary that I be not to seek what to do when this Garrison shall be surrendred up to demand of you in case I go into Scotland if I shall be there with Honour Freedome and Safety or How being ready to give you a farther and more particular Answer so soon as you shall have resolv'd these two Quaeres Whereunto they give this insignificant Answer 1. To the first in what state you stand as in relation to Freedome the Parliaments of both Kingdomes have given such orders and directions as they have thought fittest for the safety of your Majesty and the Kingdomes to the General and Governour 2. To your second Quaere of your going into Scotland we shall humbly desire that we may not be put to give an Answer but if your Majesty shall either deny or delay your assent to the Propositions we are in that case to represent to your Majesty the resolutions of the Parliament of England ¶ Having now done with their attempts upon His Majesty in reference to the Covenant and Propositions I come to their farther Progress for the establishing of Presbytery Wherein I am to look back a little About the latter end of August a Bill for Ordination of Ministers being the third time read in the House of Commons at Westminster and thence transmitted to the Lords not long after they received a Petition from the County of Lancaster subscribed by twelve thousand hands for setling of the Classes in those parts with the names of such as they had made choyse of and presented to the House for ordering thereof Nor were the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster less active who having fram'd a new Confession of Faith were hard at work in adding quotations of Scripture in the Margent of their Copies for justification thereof And that this blessed Presbytereal Government might be the more secure from danger the Houses at Westminster passed an Ordinance not onely for abolishing the name title and dignity of Arch-Bishops Bishops c. but nominated Trustees in whom their Lands should be setled Likewise for the fitter moulding this new Confession of Faith Copies thereof purposely printed were delivered to each Member of both Houses at Westminster to the end they might consider of the same and advise the better therein But notwithstanding all this holy Reformation there were some who had not onely the Conscience to adhere unto the Liturgy establisht by Law in the Church of England in their publick service of God but the Courage to prosecute those by Indictment which neglected the reading thereof in their Parish-Churches In so much as upon notice of this high presumption from Buckinghamshire an Ordinance was forthwith voted to be brought in for repealing the Statute which enjoyn'd it At which time the House also ordered that all Malignant Ministers for so were the Orthodox called should be disabled from Preaching and an Ordinance to be brought in for that purpose And though by an Order of the House of Commons Mr. Sydrach Sympson one of their Assembly of Divines and an eminent stickler for the Cause was for some opinions and expressions savouring of Independencie to have been
authority before consideration should be had thereupon in a Treaty might afterwards hazard the security it self 3. That these Bills did not onely contain the devesting himself of all Sovereignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to Himself or his Successors except by Repeal of them but also making his Concessions guilty of the greatest Pressures that could be upon his Subjects as in other particulars so by giving an arbitrary and unlimited Power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levy Forces for land or sea service of what persons without distinction of quality and to what numbers they should please and likewise for levying money for their Pay So that these their Proposals being thus destructive to Himself and his Successors he in that his Answer declared That neither the desire of being freed from that tedious and irksome condition of life he had so long suffered nor the apprehension of what might befall him in case they would not afford him a personal Treaty should make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole Peace were concluded still earnestly pressing for a personal Treaty with them It being now visible enough that Independency grew up every day more and more the Brethren of Scotland became so sensible thereof that the Assembly of Divines of that Kirk wrote to those sitting at Westminster passionately desiring them to adhere unto the Covenant and constantly to endeavour the extirpation of Heresie and Schism in the Church of England And to second that came another Letter to the Members of both Houses sitting at Westminster from the Scotish-Commissioners wherein was inclosed a large Declaration in which are these Expressions There be some things which properly concern the Kingdom of England their Rights Laws and Liberties But there be other matters which in their own nature as being common to both or by Covenant or Treaty concern both Kingdoms wherein unless we should forget our duty to God to the King's Majesty to our native Kingdom and to this Nation our common Concernment and Interest cannot be denyed For as Scotland was invited and engaged in this War upon grounds and reasons of common Interest so we trust it will not be offensive that in making Peace we claim from the Houses an improvement of the very same principles and a performance of the Treaties they have made with us that the same measure of conjunction of Interest be given to us which was had of us and promised unto us wherein the very Law of Nations and the Rules of common Equity doth plead for us Yet in the application of this Rule we shall not stretch our selves beyond our lines the express condition of our Solemn League and Covenant the duty of our Allegeance and the Treaties and Declarations between the Kingdoms which are so many strong Obligations as all who have Honour or Conscience must acknowledge should be inviolably observed Having laid this as a most just and solid ground of our proceedings we shall speak of the best and most probable means to procure a good agreement with the King for setling Religion and a lasting peace and next to the Propositions which are to be the foundation of the peace and safety of both Kingdoms And it is still our opinion and judgment that the most equal fairest and just way to obtain a well-grounded Peace is by a personal Treaty with the King and that his Majesty for that end be invited to come to London with Honour Freedom and Safety And as it is far from our thoughts and intentions in expressing our differences upon the Propositions to provoke or give offence so we trust that our freedom in discharge of the trust committed to us proceeding from our Zeal to Religion Loyalty to the King and Love to Peace shall receive a candid interpretation from the honourable Houses and that they will in their Wisedoms not slight the desires of a Kingdom who in the time of England's greatest danger esteemed no hazard too hard for their assistance and are now seeking nothing but the performance of the mutual Obligations Declarations and Treaties between the two Kingdomes and to prevent the danger which may ensue upon the violation and breach of so solemn Engagements The Houses of Parliament have frequently professed that the cheif end of their wars was the Reformation and Establishment of Religion according to the Covenant and they have often promised and declared to the King and to all the world not without deep attestations of the name of God that no trouble or success should ever make them wrong or diminish the power of the Crown which were the chief motives and arguments that induced Scotland to engage with them in this war Let therefore that be given to God which is God's and to Caesar that which is Caesar's whereby it may be evident that you are not unmindfull of the solemn Vows you made to God in the time of distress for Reformation of Religion and it may also really appear that the advantages and power which success hath put into your hands hath not lessened your loyalty to the King And according to our many professions and near relations let us really and cordially cherish and strengthen the union between the two Kingdomes under His Majesty by all pledges of reciprocal kindness that so Religion and Righteousness may flourish and both Kingdomes languishing under the heavy pressures and calamities of an unnatural war may live in peace and plenty As we cannot agree to this way of sending those four Bills to His Majesty for his assent before any Treaty upon the rest of the Propositions so we are extremely unsatisfied with the matter of those new Propositions lately communicated unto us for the reasons expressed in our answer unto them which we do herewith deliver unto your Lordships to be presented to both Houses of Parliament And we do desire that they would take the whole business into their farther consideration and that there be a personal Treaty with His Majesty here at London upon such Propositions as shall be agreed upon with advice and consent of both Kingdomes according to the Treaty This in general was their Declaration but the particular desires which they exhibited were these viz. that the honourable Houses would establish the solemn League and Covenant and that His Majesty be desired to give his royal assent for confirming the same by Act of Parliament That the setling of Reformation and an uniformity in Religion in the Kingdomes of England and Ireland be inserted in the new Propositions And in particular that the Confession the Directory for worship form of Church-Government and Catechisme agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines be established That effectual course be taken by Act of Parliament for the suppressing of Blasphemy Heresy and Schisme and all scandalous Doctrines and practises as are contrary to the light of Nature or to the known principles of Christianity or the power of Godliness or which may
be destructive to order and Government or to the peace of the Church or Kingdome That the Ordinances concerning the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines be desired to be confirmed by Act of Parliament That the Proposition for the confirmation of the Treaties betwixt the two Kingdomes and the proceedings betwixt them be expressed And that Treaty for the return of the Scots Army of the date of Decem. 23. 1646. be inserted amongst the rest That His Majestie 's assent be desired to what the two Kingdomes shall agree in the prosecution of the Articles of the large Treaty which are not yet finished and that all other things be inserted concerning the joynt Interest of both Kingdomes or the Kingdome of Scotland in particular That the Armies in both Kingdomes which were raised for the preservation of Religion and defence of the King's person may be disbanded now the war is ended and have due satisfaction for their arrears That speedy releif may be sent to Ireland and that an Act of Oblivion may be agreed upon to be passed in the Parliaments of both Kingdomes That His Majesty be restored to His Rights and that in the Propositions a conclusion may be added promising all real endeavour that His Majesty may live in the splendor and glory of his royal progenitors as beseemeth his royal place that so all differences and troubles may end in a mutual confidence and rejoycing Upon debate of which Message from His Majesty Nov. 16. and of that Declaration and those Proposals by the Scottish-Commissioners the House of Commons passed these following Votes 1. That no more addresses be made from the Parliament to the King nor any Letters or Message received from him 2. That it should be Treason for any person whatsoever to deliver any Message to the King or receive any Letter or Message from him without leave from both Houses of Parliament 3. That the Members of both Houses and the Committee of both Kingdomes had power to sit and act alone asformerly the Committee of both Kingdomes had for the safety of the Kingdom 4. And that a Committee should be nominated to draw up a Declaration to be published to satisfy the Kingdome of the reasons of passing these Votes To back which Votes the General and Council of the Army did put forth a Declaration signifying their Resolutions to adhere to the Houses for setling and securing the Parliament and Kingdome without the King and against him or any other that should thereafter partake with him And sent Thanks to the House of Commons for those Votes To shew the people likewise the Reasons of those four Votes the Grandees at Westminster appointed a Committee to search into the King's conversation and errors of his Government and to publish them in a Declaration to the World wherein they objected as high crimes against him his father's death the loss of Rochell and the Massacre and Rebellion in Ireland Which Declaration being printed by their authority was afterwards ordered to be dispersed throughout the whole Kingdome by the several Members of the House of Commons in those Countries and places for which they did serve CHAP. XXVIII THE King therefore seeing himself thus layd aside penned a Declaration with his own hand for the satisfaction of all his people which soon after was made publick by the Press Whereby representing his sad and most disconsolate condition through a long and strict Imprisonment together with his earnest endeavours to have composed all things by an happy peace whereunto he added most just cleer and undeniable Reasons why he could not assent to pass those four dethroning Bills before-mentioned farther shewed what usage he had endured by Colonel Hamond the Governour in whose custody he then was most of his servants being by him discharg'd the Guards redoubled and himself restrain'd of that Liberty which before he had been allowed Appealing also to the world how he had deserved that dealing from his subjects having sacrificed to them for the peace of the Kingdome all but what was much more dear to him than his life viz. his Conscience and Honour and desiring nothing more than to perform it in the most proper and usual way viz. by a personal Treaty Taking notice likewise of the often repeated professions and Engagements made to him by the Army at Newmarket and St. Albans for asserting his just Rights in General by their voted and revoted Proposals which he had reason to understand should be the utmost that would be expected from him yea that in some things he should be eased And conlcuded that if it were peace they desired he had shewed the way thereto being both willing and desirous to perform his part in it by a just complyance with all cheif Interests Was it plenty and Happiness Those were the inseperable effects of peace Was it security His Majesty who wisht that all men would forgive and forget like him did offer the Militia for his own time Was it Liberty of Conscience He who wanted it was most ready to give it Was it right administration of Iustice Officers of Trust were referred to the choyse of the two Houses Was it frequent Parliaments He had legally and fully concurred therewith Was it the Arrears of the Army Upon a settlement he told them that they would be certainly payd with much ease but before that there would be found much difficulty if not impossibility in it But all this was then to no purpose for having got the power of the Sword into their hands the Voice of an Angel from Heaven could have been nothing regarded for on they went with their great worke In order whereunto a Pamphlet was publisht by authority that is to say licensed by a publick Imprimatur where the Prophet Ezekiel was produced to discover what they intended Thus saith the Lord God concerning the prophane wicked Prince whose day is come when Iniquity shall end Remove the Diadem Take off the Crown This shall not be the same Exalt him that is low and abase him that is high And to cajole the Presbyterean having formerly secured themselves from the reach of their Holy Discipline they passed an Ordinance for the speedy dividing and setling the several Counties of this Kingdome into distinct Classical-Presbyteries and Congregational Elderships And desiring to seem men of the greatest Sanctity imaginable they constituted a Committee for the enumeration of great crying sins appointing that they should daily meet and do their utmost endeavour to suppress them And passed another Ordinance for suppressing of Stage-plays and demolishing Play-Houses But all these devices were meerly circumstantial those which more immediately tended to the carrying on their grand work being the chief viz. the approbation which the people then had or seem'd to have of their Votes for no more Addresses to the King Towards the obtaining whereof having been not a little sollicitous they imploy'd their most busy Emissaries and
confiding-friends in all parts of the Realm Who acted for them so vigourously as that from Launton a populous corporation in Somersetshire they had very great Thanks for the same So likewise from the Godly-party in Buckinghamshire who also made large promises to adhere to and stand by them in the farther prosecution thereof to the utmost of their abilities against all opposers desiring that they would proceed to a speedy setling of the civil Government in such a way as might best conduce to the freedome and happiness of this Nation and that they would put forth their power for promoting of Religion according to the word of God to give due encouragement to all Godly and able Ministers to cast out such as were scandalous and unfit for the work of the Ministry and to be tender of the Consciences of such whose conversations were as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For which the Petitioners had not onely thanks thereupon rendred unto them for their constant affections to the Parliament but an order was forthwith made that the Petition should be printed to the end that the world might take notice of the singular affections of the Petitioners and that they might be an example for other Counties of the Kingdome Which transactions here so awakened the Brethren of Scotland that seeing no good could be effected by words they resolv'd to dispute the business otherwise and therefore agreed of raysing an Army But the general Assembly of that Kirk endeavouring to oppose them therein the estates of Parliament there declared that the breaches of the Covenant and Treaties should be represented and reparations sought for the same Next that the War which they were to make with England should be for strengthning the Union betwixt the two Kingdomes and encouraging the Presbytereans and well affected there Moreover that they would declare His Majestie 's concessions concerning Religion not to be satisfactory And that whereas Religion had been and they trusted should be the principal end of all their undertakings so they would be carefull that the then present question to be stated should contain security and assurance to be had from His Majesty by his solemn Oath under his hand and Seal that he should for himself and for his successors give his royal assent to pass Acts of Parliament injoyning the League and Covenant establishing Presbytreal Government the Directory for Worship and Confession of Faith in all his Dominions and that he should never make opposition to any of these nor endeavour any change thereof As also that this security should be had from him before his restitution to the exercise of his royal power All this notwithstanding the Kirk was not one jot satisfied but earnestly urged that the Parliament should declare against His Majestie 's concessions positively without any condition and presently without delay they being as they exprest so prejudicial to the Cause and Covenant And when they discerned that Forces were levying throughout that Kingdome they so much feared that His Majesty and his good Subjects might receive any benefit thereby that they did put up a large Petition to the Parliament there wherein they earnestly desired the Lords as they would answer the contrary at the great day of Judgment that they would not proceed so as to give any encouragement unto the prelatical or malignant party in England nor be any grief to the Presbyterean Party nor to restore the King untill he had resolved the settlement of Presbytery and that what they intended on the King's behalf might be with subordination to those ends exprest in the Covenant Whereupon the Parliament there declared that they would be so far from joyning or associating with the popish prelatical or malignant-party if they should again rise in Arms either to oppose or obstruct all or any of the ends of the Covenant that on the contrary they would oppose and endeavour to suppress them as Enemies to the Cause and Covenant on the other side Likewise that in regard His Majestie 's late concessions and offers concerning Religion were not satisfactory and that the principal ends of all the undertakings of that Nation had been and they hoped should be to see Religion in the first place setled and that as they should endeavour the rescuing of His Majesty from those who malitiously carryed him away from Holdenby-House against his own will and the declared resolutions of both Kingdomes and did still detein him close prisoner to the end he might come with honour freedome and safety to some of his Houses in or about London where both Kingdomes might make their application to him for setling of Religion and a well grounded Peace So they did resolve not to put in His Majestie 's hands or in any other whatsoever such power whereby the ends of the Covenant or any one of them might be obstructed or opposed Religion or Presbyterean-Government endangered but on the contrary that before any Agreement should be made His Majesty should give assurance under his solemn Oath and under his Hand and Seal that he should for himself and his successors give his Royal assent and agreement to such Act or Acts of Parliament of both and either Kingdomes respectively for enjoyning the League and Covenant and fully establishing Presbyterean-Government Directory for Worship and Confession of Faith in all his Dominions and that he should never make opposition to any of these nor endeavour any thing thereof Moreover that if any war should be made as it should be on just and necessary grounds so did they resolve to give the trust and charge of their Armies and Committees to none but such as should be and were of known integrity and against whom there was no just cause of exception Also that the Parliament was willing to subscribe for the grounds of their undertaking an Oath wherein both in the framing of it and otherwise they were willing the Church should have interest as had been in the like case And that the resolutions of the Parliament thereupon might be the more effectual and in regard of the then present condition of affairs it was their opinion that the Kingdome of Scotland should be put in a Posture of Defence as it was in the year 1643. And like as they had drawn that Act of Posture which being allow'd in Parliament and sent to the Shires they thought it fit time to send their demands to the Parliament of England and that some descreet man should be sent with the same and a limited time appointed for his return with answer ¶ I shall not stand here to give instance of such particulars as further happened betwixt the Grandees at Westminster and the Scots upon this business for all those passages were to no other end than by thus fencing with each other to prevent any censure in their respective Actings and consequently to obtain the peoples assistance upon occasion For in short the state of the business stood thus the
to posterity he should sooner be willing to be rolled to his Grave in blood and buryed with Infamy than to give consent to the throwing it away And therefore that he had caused a stop to their entrance into the House till such time as they should subscribe a Recognition thereof and did submit thereto And that if things were not satisfied as were then reasonably demanded he for his part should do that which becom'd him seeking his Council from God The truth is that which principally emboldened him to be thus peremptory with them was the strength of the Souldiery which were generally of his side and which the adverse party knew full well So that of the whole number of those Members though there was not above sixty that did at first subscribe the Recognition yet the greatest part of the rest after private consultations together being well aware that by taking their best advantages upon all occasions within the House they might do him more mischief than they could any way to otherwise came in by degrees and formally signed the same But as those who were his chief Confidents did strive all they could to carry on affairs for his peculiar Interest according to the frame of that Government whereby he was so advanced to that place and Title sure it is that the rest by those rubs and obstructions which they cast in his way did make all their endeavours totally fruitless So that after well near five Months expectance and nothing at all done he was necessitated to dissolve that his first and once hopeful Parliament I should here have concluded this years Transactions but that I cannot omit to relate a very pregnant Instance how timely our now gracious Soveraign King Charles the second did adhere to the Protestant Religion professed in the Church of England even in those days when there was so little hopes to see it ever restored the Rebels in this Realm being then so prosperous that the greatest Potentates courted their alliance but even then so fervent was his Majesties zeal thereto that by his great and effectual care he prevented the perverting of his Brother the Duke of Gloucester to that of the Church of Rome In the relation of which there are so many considerable circumstances whereof very little publick notice hath been taken that contrary to the designed brevity of this History I shall give a full account of the same partly taken from a Relation Printed at London in an 1655 and partly from the certain information of persons of undoubted credit yet living who were present at the transacting thereof His Majesty understanding that there was a firm League very far advanced betwixt the French King and Oliver Cromwell withdrew himself this year into Germany out of France where till then he had ever resided since his happy and miraculous escape from Worâ—ester and designing to take the Duke of Gloucester with him was prevailed with by the Queen his Mother to leave him with her at Paris upon promise she would not permit any force to be put upon him to change his Religion but that he should be attended by those Protestant-Servants himself had placed about him and have free liberty to resort to the publick Service of the Church of England at the King's Chappel in Sir Richard Brown's House then his Majesties Resident at Paris But about the beginning of November in this year the Duke under pretence of weaning himself from the company of some young French Gallants who being in the same Accademie were grown into a more familiar conversation with him than was thought convenient was removed to Abbot Mountague's House at his Abby near Potoiso And after a few days Mr. Lovel his Tutor going to Paris for one day only on business designedly contrived as was suspected by Abbot Mountagu during his absence was most vehemently pressed by the Abbot to turn Roman-Catholick with all the motives spiritual or temporal he thought might prevail upon him having at that time no Protestant near him to advise with but Mr. Griffin of his Bed-Chamber a young Gentleman since dead but his Fame for his servent zeal to the Protestant Religion and faithful service to his Master yet living who deported himself with greater prudence than could with reason have been expected for one of so tender years assisted only by so young a second for both their ages did but some few years exceed thirty replying to their Arguments with great ingenuity evidencing no little zeal for his Religion For he told the Abbot he admired how he durst make this attempt upon him knowing how the Queen his Mother had engaged to the King his Brother that no change in his Religion should be endeavoured Also that for his own part he was resoly'd not to incur the Kings displeasure by neglecting the observance of his command which was not to listen to any Argument for change of his Religion Likewise that as to the specious proposals of making him a Cardinal and promising to advance him to be King of England he did with indignation and contempt deride and reject them complaining withal how disingeniously he was dealt with to be thus assaulted in the absence of his Tutor whom the King had placed over him and who he doubted not could easily refute all their Arguments which in truth at his return to Ponroise he did so fully that it was thought convenient to remove the Duke back thence to Paris where he was permitted to resort to the Kings Chappel and enjoy the free exercise of his Religion though not long For after some little time the Queen his Mother did own the attempt made on him to have been done with her approbation and declared she could not but labour to have her Son shew'd the right way to Heaven and though she had promised he should not be forced by her yet to have that way proposed to him she thought requisite And that he might the easier be prevail'd upon his Protestant Tutor was put from him and he himself hurryed out of Paris in such hast that he might be deprived of the Assistance and Advice of any Protestant that he could not though he earnestly beg'd it prevail to stay till he might get some warmer Cloaths and convey'd to Mr. Crofts afterwards Lord Croft's his House but under the direction of Abbut Mountagu none of his Servants but young Mr. Gryffin being permitted to attend him The News whereof did deeply afflict all the loyal-Protestant Exiles then in Paris but no man was more passionately concern'd than that Eminent sufferer for his loyalty to the Royal Family and Zeal to the Protestant Religion the late Lord Hatton Who as soon as he understood how violently this young Prince was Persecuted for his Religion he consulted with that famous Confesfor for the Church of England Dr. Iohn Cosens late Bishop of Durham but at that time Dean of Peterborough and Chaplain to his Majesty then residing in Paris and drew up what Arguments and
next following landed at Dover Whence attended by most of the Loyal Nobility and Gentry of this Realm he came to London upon the 29th of that Month being the Anniversary of his Birth where with stately Arches of Triumph costly Pageants Bells various sorts of excellent Musick Bonefires and joy inexpressible he was received and proceeded in State through that great City to his Royal Palace at White-Hall the chief and happy Instrument of this His Majesties most miraculous Restauration without blood-shed being the above-mentioned Colonel George Monke a Devonshire Gentleman of an Antient and Worthy Family lineally descended from King Edward the IV by the Lady Frances Daughter and Coheir to Arthur Plantagenet Vicount Lisle his Natural Son Who having put himself in Arms for the King at the Commencement of this grand defection and so continuing till by a second Invasion of the Scots the Rebels prevailed in sundry parts by taking divers Garrisons and many of His Majesties Loyal Subjects Prisoners amongst which it was his hap to be one he thought it better to gain his Liberty by receiving entertainment in their Army until he could discern a proper opportunity to do His Majesty service than by so suffering Which at last with no less Prudence than Courage he most faithfully performed as hath been observed and for which he hath since that time been deservedly remunerated not only with several great and honourable Titles viz. Baron Monke of Powtheridge Earl of Torington Duke of Albemarle and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter as also made Captain General of all his Forces Horse and Foot throughout his whole Dominions but with ample Possessions for the better support of those high Dignities A SHORT VIEVV OF THE LATE TROUBLES IN ENGLAND CHAP. XLIII HAving now finished this Narrative with as much brevity as I well could do whereby it hath been fully made evident by what Artifices this seeming-Godly Generation did at first get power into their cruel hands that is to say their many specious Declarations and solemn promises for the Defence of the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land the Liberties of the Subject and Priviledges of Parliament I shall now crave leave to make some short Observations thereon and give most ample instances of their contrary Actings in every of these even in those very times in which their Dagon of Presbytery was visibly Triumphant And first as to the Protestant Religion After they had under pretence of great danger by a Jesuitical-party of destroying the Protestant Religion fram'd a protestation for preserving the same as it was exprest in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England Which protestation the farther to satisfy the People of their own integrity was solemnly taken by all the Members and Ordered to be Printed and sent down into the several Counties within few days after they made an Explanation thereof viz. That by the true reformed Protestant Religion was meant so far as it was opposite to Popery and that the said words were not to be extended to the maintenance of any Form Discipline or Government nor of any Rules or Ceremonies of the said Church of England And having given themselves such Latitude by that their After-explanation viz. not to desend the Protestant Religion as it stood establisht by Law and was exprest in the XXXIX Articles but as it was repugnant to Popery and taught perhaps by all Brownists Anabaptists Familists and other Sectaries which made way for all that brood to joyn with them They then Ordered that no Minister should take any Oath at his Induction but what should be warranted by Scripture And soon after fell into debate for the Extirpation of Episcopacie Then Ordered that no Service should be Read nor Psalm sung in going pâ—ocession Next Voted that the Government of the Church of England by Archbishops Bishops c. had been found by long experience to be a great impediment to the perfect reformation and growth of Religion and very prejudical to the civil Government of this Kingdom As also that Archiepiscopal and Episcopal Iurisdiction should be exercised by themselves And brought in a Bill for abolishing the Cross in Baptism Surpliss Bowing at the name of Iesus standing up at the Gospel c. Nevertheless to set up Lectures Likewise that whosoever should refuse to take the Protestation should be held unfit to bear Office in the Church or Common-Wealth conceiving it to be a true testimony for that was their expression to distinguish the Ephramites from the Gileadites And within four days after Voted Thirteen Bishops Delinquents with desire that they might be impeached as Authors of Sedition for having a hand in the later Canons What private Conferences they had about this time in order to the Extirpation of Episcopacy whereby for want of Government in the Church they might the sooner bring all to confusion take their own Testimony At an assembly of about an hundred Priests at Mr. Calamie's a London Priest about a Petition against the Bishops it being insisted on that Heresies would farther spread if Bishops were put down the Priests thereupon sent for Mr. Green and Mr. Spenser of the seperate Congregations to desire them for a time they would suspend their open meetings and be more private in their practise in regard that their publique meeting was an obstacle to the suppression of the Bishops but afterwards they might have free libertie of their practise The words were uttered by Mr. Calamine who was afterwards to violent against their toleration And to hasten this universal Confusion they appointed the pulling down of Rayles about Communion Tables and the removing of such Tables giving liberty by a special Order to the Inhabitants any where throughout the Kingdom to erect Lectures whereby Mechanicks and Illiterate-men were set up to the infinite scandal of Religion and increase of Schisme And when the House of Lords discerning these licentious and irreverent courses made a publique Order injoying the due observation of the Book of Common Prayer in all Churches without alteration the House of Commons by means of the prevalent Partie therein in opposition thereto and extenuation thereof declared that but Eleven of the Lords assented to that Order and that Nine refused ordering that their Declaration therein should be dispersed and Read throughout all the Churches in England It can hardly be imagined what strange effects these their practises in the House of Commons did in a short time produce one of their own partie then acknowledging in Print That all Government and Discipline of the Church was lay'd in her Grave and all the putredinous Vermine of bold Schismaticks and frantick Sectaries glory in her Ashes making the fall thereof their own rising to mount the Pulpits c. And another of them crying out in these words Alas your poor Church is oppressed and who layeth hand to help the
Debate resolv'd against In the Case of the Bishops the Lords first Voted that they should retain their Voices in Parliament For taking the Protestation throughout the Kingdom the Lords first cast out the Order And notwithstanding their Order and Declaration for the due Observance of the Book of Common-Prayer the Commons made and set forth a contrary Order thereto appointing it to be dispersed and published in all the Churches throughout the Kingdom Likewise though the Lords refused to joyn with the Commons for Petitioning his Majesty that the Cinque-Ports might be secured Yet were they afterwards by terror constrain'd thereto So Likewise though they refused to join with them in their consent for removing the King's Magazine from Hull yet afterwards through over-awing did it And though they concurr'd not with them in that case of the Militia the House of Commons Voted that they did agree therein Thus we plainly see that the Breach of those antient Priviledges for Freedom of Debate and Vote in Parliament was not made without some difficulty But these subtile Men having by the help of those Tumults from the Londoners opened the gap went afterwards smoothly through with all their unjustifiable Practises which in the end brought Confusion both of Parliament and Kingdome So that by these Devices having effected whatsoever they had a mind to they stuck not to deliver it for a Breach of Priviledge that the Lords should dissent to any thing they had Voted as is manifest from that of the New great Scal wherein the Lords had the same measure put upon themselves as they had offered to the King in joyning with the Commons to Vote his Majesties Dissent to the Bills they tendred to him a Breach of their Priviledges CHAP. XLV BY what hath been already said I doubt not but it is apparent enough that these great pretended Champions for the Protestant-Religion the Laws of the Land the Liberty of the Subject and Priviledges of Parliament made use of those specious pretences for no other end than to Captivate the People and by that means get the Power of the Sword into their Mercyless Hands Now forasmuch as they were not asham'd in the midst of all their Vile Practises to cry out that they sought nothing but that Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdom should be preserved Having already shewed how well they regarded Religion and the Peoples Liberties let us see how much they endeavoured that generally wished for Peace Did they not order that the King's Proclamation of Pardon to all that would lay down Arms and return to their Obedience should not be Proclaim'd in London and Westminster And when divers Cittizens met at Guild-Hall to frame a Petition to present to the Members at Westminster for Peace was not there a Troop of Horse sent amongst them which with their Swords drawn and terrible Menaces caused them to Disperse for safeguard of their Lives And afterwards when a Committee of the Petitioners were by appointment attending the Court of Aldermen and Common Council at Guild-Hall did not more than Twenty Souldiers rush in amongst them with drawn Swords Crying On on strike now or never Let us destroy these Malignant Doggs that would have Peace Let us cut the Throats of these Popish Rogues And accordingly fell upon the Petitioners in a cruel manner beating and wounding divers of them And when the Petitioners being many disarm'd those Souldiers and shut up the Hall Doors was not there then a Troop of Horse which Discharg'd their Pistols in at them threatning to kill any that issued out And did they not presently bring two great Guns and plant them against the Doors so that the Petitioners were constrain'd to fly up to the Common-Council Chamber for Protection and beg for their Lives to be dismissed with safety Which being granted and they let out did not many lye in wait for them with drawn Swords who pursued them with bitter Execrations the Multitude kicking and striking at them in their Passage crying Hang them cut their Throats Whereupon divers of them were sore hurt and some drag'd to Prison Did not their House of Lords refuse a Petition for Peace from the Inhabitants of Westminster and the Suburbs And was not there a Constable in Westminster Committed for having a hand in that Petition And when His Majesties Commissioners of Array in Cheshire and the Parliaments Committee in that County for Exercising the Militia out of an earnest regard to prevent the Miseries of War in those parts had made an Agreement against any farther Hostility and to preserve the Peace of the Country did not they at Westminster make a publick Declaration against the same whereby they Renounced that Agreement as prejudicial and dangerous to the whole Kingdom and declared it void And was not Sir William Brereton thereupon sent down in all hast with a Troop of Horse a Regiment of Dragoons and four Field Pieces for raising new Forces in that County to serve the Parliament And was not the like Revocation and Disclaymer made by those Members at Westminster against the Agreement in York-shire by the Earl of Cumberland and others the Commissioners of Array there for His Majesty and the Lord Fairfax and others for the Militia Was not Mr. Nicholls and Prideaux two of their Members ordered to go down to break the like Pacification made by the Gentry and others in the Counties of Devon and Cornwail notwithstanding that the Commissioners had taken a Solemn Prorestation and received the Sacrament for Observation thereof And when His Majesty had sent a Gracious Letter and Declaration to the Sheriffs and City of London with Direction that it should be read in their Common Hall was not there an Order in the Name of both Houses to forbid their meeting for to hear it Read And divâ—â—s Discharg'd by Order of the Houses who met accordingly Likewise when His Majesty sent a Message to them for a Treaty with free Trade did not the Members in the House of Commons signify to the Lords at a Conference that it would prove destructive to the Liberty of the Subject and to the Kingdom And when the Women came in great Numbers to Westminster to cry for Peace were they not beaten and abused and three of them killed Were not there certain Propositions read in their House of Commons which were found in Mr. Salâ—marsh his Trunk near Hull First that all means should be used to keep the King and his People from a suddain Union Secondly to cherish the War under the notion of Popery as the surest means to engage the People Thirdly if the King would not grant their demands then to root him out of the Royal Line and collate the Crown upon some body else How hard a matter it was like to be to obtain Peace from these Men therefore let Stephen Marshall tell you whom Mr. Case
certain Articles which shall be presented unto him in the Parliament which at his Coronation be swears to observe with Protestation to do nothing contrary to what shall be proposed unto him and ordained by the States As also they swear to Reestablish in all the Counties of the Kingdom their Ancient Priviledges Preheminencies and Liberties 4. As in the fourth Article of the Covenant our Men Swear the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hinding the Reformation c. That they may receive condign Punishment not in any ordinary way of Justice according to the Law of the Land but as the Degrees of their Offences shall require or deserve Or in case they neither require not deserve as the Supream Iudicatories of both Kingdoms or others having Power from them shall think convenient Just so the Leaguers Swear in case there shall be any hindrance or Opposition in the fore-mentioned Particulars preservation of Religion c. by whomsoever it be made all the Confederates shall imploy their Lives and Fortunes for the bringing of all such to Punishment and that either by way of Iustice or of Arms without any respect of Persons 5. The like mutual defence of all that enter into their Covenant and their constant Perseverance in it all the Days of their Lives not to suffer themselves directly nor indirectly to be withdrawn by whatsoever Combination Perswasion or terror c. The promoting of it against all Impediments and revealing of all Designes to the contrary Which our Men Swear in the first Article Just so the Leaguers protest thaâ— if any of their Confederates shall be molested or troubled all the rest shall be bound to Revenge his Cause against any Person whatsoever and to discover whatsoever they shall know Prejudicial to their Association they Swear by Almighty God and promise upon their Lives and Honours to continue in this League even to their last drop of Bloud and not to depart from it or go against it upon any Command Pretence Excuse or Occasion whatsoever 6. As ours profess in each Article to take the Covenant Sincerely c. So each of them Swears that he enters into this Holy League Loyally and Sincerely 7. As our Men in the close of the Covenant did make a general Confession of their Sins and Profeâ—s and Declare before God and the World their unfeigned desire to be bumbled for them and to amend their Lives in all Duties they owe to God and Man and each one to go before another in the example of a real Conuersation and likewise invite other Christian-Churches to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant with them So did the Leaguers in the close of their Declaration intreat all Persons of what condition soever not yet confederate with them that they would fauour them and to their Power assist them in the Execution of so good and holy a work Professing they will receive into their Association all good Men that have a Zeal to the Honour of God and his Church and to the Welfare and Reputation of Religion Concluding thus Seeing of necessity all our help must come from God we intreat all good Catholicks to put themselves in good condition to God-wards and be Reconciled to his Divine Majesty by a thorough Reformation of their Lives so to appease the Wrath of God and to call upon him with an upright Conscience both in publick and private Prayers and Devotions to the end that all our Actions may be referred to the Honour of God and his Glory who is the Lord of Hosts and from whom alone we look for strength and certain deliverance And the Parliament at Bloys though at the first meeting it seem'd to concurr in the same intentions with the King yet the effect was nothing less For it was an Assembly packt up of Persons dissaffected to the present Government the greatest part of the Commissioners of Shires being such as had underhand Subscribed the League and had given themselves up to be guided by the Councils of the Duke of Guise Besides the Knights or Commissioners of divers Counties and the Burgesses of several Cities were either not returned or neglected to come or were departed And therefore the Prince of Conde when certain of their Members were sent unto him with a Message in Writing as from the States-general or Parliament he refused to open the Letters or to acknowledge them to be a Parliament affirming that such a Congregation as that where the Commissioners of so many Cities Shires and Counties were wanting in which they went about to force Mens Consciences to Oppress and Extirpate the Total Line and Violate the Prerogative of the Crown of France to comply with the Humours of some Strangers whose Hearts were set on Fire with an unsupportable and Pernicious Ambition could by no means be call'd a Parliament being indeed nothing else but a Conventicle of a few Suborned Persons corrupted by the Disturbers of the publick Peace If we consider the quality of the Persons engaged in that League we shall find them much of the same make with these of ours They were principally of two much different sorts the first for the most part consisted of Noblemen and Persons of Quality such as were ill satisfied with the Power and greatness of the King's Dominion and could not endure to see themselves past by in the disposal of Preferments and Court-Favours and therefore sided with the Faction partly out of discontent and partly out of hopes of Innovation thinking that by putting down the present that they should raise their private Fortunes to a better condition and at last arrive to the height of their Desires The second sort whereof the League was Composed were Persons who for Quality seemed to be much inferior to the former but for use and profit were not a whit below them For these were they that won the Cities the common People and the Tradesmen generally over all the Kingdom These for the most part were Men of a free and good nature passionately affected to the Catholick Faith and most intestine haters of the Huguenots Some of them believing in good earnest that their Religion was in danger of utter Ruine Other desirous to see the destruction of Heresy did not only readily engage themselves in the League in their own Persons but contributed their utmost endeavours to draw on the common People and to win others to the Faction With these fell on as a third sort some of the long Robe Preachers and Lawyers who under colour of Religion did hide either their fickle and inconstant nature or their Ambitious or Covetous Desires of their own Greatness and Preferment To which we may add a fourth sort of Men which were moved either out of private Spleen against some Court-Favourites or were drawn in to side with the League meerly upon their fair Pretences never dreaming that their aimes were against
the King or the Government With which bait some Wise Men were allured into the snare among whom Villeroy the chief Secretary of State was one and Brissonius Primier President of the Parliament of Paris another the former entring himself one of the League out of a private grudge to the Duke D'Espernon desired the Duke of Guise's Faction might prevail that Espernons might be abated never imagining nor could be ever believe that the League would ever attempt any thing against the King's Person but only had an aim to cashiere his Minions and endeavour to extirpate the Huguenots The later though he had been at first a principal Instrument for the League fell off when he perceived that the ends of the Ring-leaders were not so sincere for the publick good as he at first had fancied And divers other there were as there will be in all Factions where great Men are engaged who adhered to that Party not out of any ends or Inclinations of their own but by reason of their Alliance with or dependence on the House of Lorrein and other chief Men of the League Having thus laid the grounds of their League upon these fair Pretences to gull the People their means of advancing it were such as our Men have transcribed from their Copy Not any thing of moment having been used here which was wanting there to increase their own and undermine the King's Power and Authority They had their Feares and Iealousies of dangerous Plots against their Persons at home of Designs to seize upon the City of Paris to overawe them by armed force and put an hundred of the chief to Death of Practises with Forrein Princes against them and their Religion and of suddain Invasion intended from abroad They had Reports broacht upon on grounds and Tumults raised in the City upon no other occasion than those Reports They had their Preachers h to amaze and fright the People out of their Witts by Strange and Miraculous Stories and out of their Allegiance by traducing and inveighing against the present Government They had their Scandalous Libels and Pictures first Published in the City and thence dispersed abroad to Poison the Countrey They neglected no means of courting and winning the Common-People by rubbing up their sores of new Taxes and Impositions and promising relief unto them by crying up the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the Subject by rendring the King's Person contemptible and his Actions Odious in the Eyes of his People setting forth Declarations and Remonstrances of the State of the Kingdom of such a tenor as it will be no new thing to Translate what they at Westminster have in a manner already done to my hand They wounded the King's Honour through the sides of his Councellers they stained the sincerity of his Professions and Protestations in point of Religion they went about to supplant his just Power and Authority by their new and insolent demands such as those of ours in the Nineteen Propositions Whil'st they seem'd to maintain his Authority they rob'd him of it transferring it wholly to the head of their League And though their Parliament in that point more moderate than ours waived that antient Question and would not contend about it viz. Whether the King or the Estates concerned in Parliament be Superior a point determinable by the very form of holding Parliaments and ever carried by the King in all former times yet they thought fit to Petition the King that for the more expedition and general satisfaction of all differences he would please to make choice of a certain number of Judges such in whom the States might confide who together with XII of their Members might hear and receive the several motions from the several Estates And whatsoever those Judges and XII Commissioners should jointly agree upon to have the force and strength of a Law without any Power in the King to alter or repeal it When this would not be granted by the King upon grave reasons of State which we need not here set down the Heads of the Faction and their Adherents took a new course to restrain the King's Power by proposing that the number of the Kings Council should be limitted to XXIV the very next number which our Lords and Commons in the second of their Nineteen Propositions would limit his Privy-Council to viz. not to exceed XXV and they to be chosen not by the King at pleasure but by every County of the Kingdon They required that all Moneys to be raised upon the Subject by way of Subsidy or Impost should be imployed for the defence of the Kingdom and that by all means at Free-Parliament should be called every three years at the least with full Power to any Man to present his Grievances to the States so Assembled They charged upon the King his Oath taken at his Coronation not only to be obliged to preserve the Antient Laws and Liberties of the Subject but such better Laws and more Commodious as should be presented unto him Their first grand Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom was cast in the same Mould with that of ours Which though it were the Contrivance but of a few chief Men of the League yet was it published in the name of all the Lords and Commons of France only signed by the Cardinal of Bourbon whom they made a Stale to their Ambition By this they declared that France had been miserably tormented by a Pestiferous Sedition raised for the Subversion of the antient Religion of their Fore-Fathers That no Remedies had been applyed but such as were more proper for nourishing than curing the Disease That the Catholick Religion being in great danger it was most necessary to take some speedy prudent course for prevention of the imminent ruine thereof That Agents were sent to practise with the Protestant Princes of Germany for Suppressing the Persons of Honest Men and pulling down the catholick-Catholick-Religion and an endeavour to destroy the great Men who had the principal places of Honour That the King's Favours whose Majesty was and ever should be Sacred to them and Government of the State were engrossed by such who had drained his Coffers and placed Officers in the Exchequer for their own private advantage That though some Rays of hopes appeared by that Assembly of the States-General at Bloys the antient Remedy for all Domestick-Wounds yet after their great Labours and Expences in that meeting no Fruits were Reaped by reason of the evil-Council of those Men so dissaffected to God and the good of the Common-Weal So that the abuses which by little and little at first stole upon them did then burst in like an Impetuous Torrent ready to overwhelm the Kingdom the Church of God being prophaned the Nobility scorn'd and vilified and every day opprest with Innumerable Grievances and Illegal Exactions And that upon these just Causes and Considerations they declared
B. Ib. p. 403. D. The second Parliament of K. Charles I. dissolved 15. Junii An. 1626. 2 Car. 1. Ib. p. 419. B. C A Loan of money required by the K. Ship-money required Privy Seals Ib. p. 420. A Benevolence proposed Ib. p. 422. An. 1626. Short View of the Life of K. â— Charles impr Lond. 1658. p. 46. An. 1627. Rushw. Coll. p. 428. E. p. 429. 27 Junii Ib. F. * 8 Nov. Ib. p. 469. Life of King Charles by Dr. Perenchef impr Lond. 1676. An. 1627. 3 Car. I. Rushw. Coll. p. 480. C. The third Parliament of K. Charles I. 17 Martii Ib. p. 481. D. Ib. p. 531. B. 26 Junii 1628. Ib. p. 644. B. Ib. D. Short View of the Life of K. Charles p. 26. Rushw. Coll. p. 647. C. Ib. p. 651. C. Ib. p. 656. C. An. 1628. * Febr. Ib. p. 670. F. Short view of the life of K. Charles p. 53. The third Parliament of King Charles the first dissolved 2. Martii Rushw. Coll. p. 672. A. Planting Schismatical Lecturers * Hist. of the Presbyterians by Dr. Heylin p. 11. 12. * Hist. of the life and death of Archbish. Laud. p. 9. Buying in impropriate Tythes for their support * Ib. p. 211. 212. Ib. p. 311 312. The absurdity and ill effects of them Their practising of military Discipline His Majesties Declaration printed at London An. 1639. p. 6. Ib. p. 7. Ib. p. 9. An. 1633. An. 1634. The Inland parts charg'd with Ships for defence of the Realm A usual mask for evil designs Hist. of Arch-Bishop Laud's life c. p. 92. 93. Multitudo ubi religione capta est potius vatibus quam Ducibus suis paret Curtius lib. 4. An. 1637. The Service-book sent into Scotland King Charles his large Declaration p. 16. Ib. p. 17. Ib. p. 18. 19. Ib. p. 19. Ib. p. 22. Ib. p. 23 24 25. 23 Julii 1637. Tumults at Edenborough by reason of the Service-book * Ib. p. 26 27. Ib. p. 31. 17. Oct. 1637. 1638. Ib. p. 35. 18. Oct. Ib. p. 37. Ib. p. 41. Ib. p. 47. * 19. Febr. 1638. Ib. p. 40. Tables of Advice erected The first Covenant by the Scots His Majesties Declaration Ib. p. 40. * Dated at Windsor 20 May 1638. The Marq. of Hamilton sent into Scotland to appease the people there Ib. p. 85. 86. Ib. p. 88. Ib. p. 96. 28. Junii Ib. p. 110. 111. 22 Sept. Ib. p. 137. Ib. p. 147. Ib. p. 156. 24 Sept. Ib. p. 188 189. Ib. p. 195. * 13. Oct. Ib. p. 197. Ib. p. 208. Ib. p. 210. Ib. p. 226. An. 1534. 25. H. 8. Holinsh p. 936. 937. Ib. p. 228. Ib. p. 229. 230. Ib. p. 224. 28. Oct. Ib. p. 248. Ib. p. 264. Ib. p. 281 282 283. Ib. p. 287. 27 Nov. Ib. p. 290. 29. Nov. The Assembly at Glasgow dissolved Ib. p. 294. Ib. p. 317. Episcopal Government abolish'd in Scotland Ib. p. 319. Ib. p. 366. * 18 Dec. Ib. p. 375. Ib. p. 402. Ib. p. 404. The Scots put themselves in Arms. The King raised an Army whereof he made the Earl of Arundel General 27 Martii 1639. * 28 Maii at the Birks The King's Declaration since the Pacification in the Camp near Barwick p. 3. 4. Ib. p. 17. * 17 Junii Articles of Pacification with the Scots * 20 Junii Ib. p. 17. Ib. p. 19. Ib. p. 20 * 2 Julii * 20 Julii Ib. p. 30. August Novemb. * Earl of Dumfermelyn Lord Lowdon * 5 Dec. Ib. p. 41. 18. Dec. Scots raise more forces Jan. 1639. Act. 34. Ib. p. 57. * The King's Declaration printed at Lond. 1639. Ib. p. 8. * Sir Henry Vane junior * Preface to the Memoires of the lives of James and William D. of Hamilton Impr. Lond. 1677. 1640. An. 1640. 13 Apr. The Short Parliament call'd The Short Parliament dissolved 5 Maii. 9 Maii. * 11 Maii. 11 Julii Ad. 38. * 17. Aug. The first Invasion of the Scots * 18 Aug. * 28 Aug. A grand Council of the Peers at York 24 Sept. 9. Oct. Treaty at Rippon The long Parliament began 3. No. Will. Lenthal of Lincolns Inn being Speaker * 9 Nov. * 11 Nov. The Earl of Strafford impeach'd of Treason * 13 Nov. * 18 Dec. * 19 Dec. * 21 Dec. * 14 Jan. * 5 Febr. * 11 Febr. * 28 Nov. * 11 Dec. * 15 Dec. * 16 Dec. * 29 Jan. * 10 Febr. * 11 Febr. 1641. * 10. Martii * 2. Febr. * 16. Martii Tryal of the E. of Strafford * 22. Martii * 23. Martii An. 1641. * 3. Apr. * 5. Apr. * 7. Apr. * 19. Apr. * 12. Maii * 3 Maii Pretended Plots and Conspiracies * 5 Maii. * 7 Maii. * 10 Maii. * 12 Maii. * 13 Maii. * 14 Maii. * 17 Maii. * 17 Junii * 24 Julii * 16 Aug. Posture of Defence Bill for perpetuating the Parliament * 7 Maii. * 9 Junii * Lord Say sworn Master of the Wards 17 Maii. Earl of Leicester made Deputy of Ireland 19 Maii Earl of Essex made Lord Chamberlain 29 Julii Oliver St. John made Sollicitor General The King went into Scotland * 2 Aug. * Will. Strode * 12 Aug. The grand Remonstrance * 19 Oct. * 20 Oct. * 31 Oct. Alderman Penington and others made a Committee for setting up Preaching Ministers 19 Dec. A. 1640. * Dr. Downing * Exact Col. p. 543. * 23 Oct. The Rebellion in Ireland * 22 Junii * 3 Julii * Sir William Parsons one of the Lords â—ustices in that Kingdom and Sir Adam Loftus Vice-Treasurer there persons experimentally known to have much adhered to and furthered the designs of these Rebellious contrivers in England that an Army of a thousand Scots was to arrive in Ireland to force the Catholicks to change their Religion and that Ireland could never do well without a Rebellion to the end the remnant of the Natives might be extirpated wagers being laid at the general Assizes by divers of them that within one year no Catholick should be left in Ireland * See his Majesties Answer to the two Papers concerning Ireland printed with the full and perfect Narrative of the Treaty at Uxbridge p. 212. * See the full Relation of the Treaty at Uxbridge p. 133. 136. * Impr. Londan 1658. p. 86. * 25 Oct. * 30 Oct. * 12 Nov. * 14 Nov. * 15 Nov. * 20 Nov. * Exact Coll. p. 1. * 22 Nâ— * 25 Nov. The King returned from Scotland * 26 Nov. * 27 Nov. * 29 Nov. 30 Nov. 1 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 22. * 11 Dec. * 15 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 532. * 19 Dec. * 26 Dec. * 27 Dec. * 28 Dec. * 29 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 533. * 31 Dec. * 31 Dec. 1 Jan. 4 Jan. See the Articles against them Exact Coll. p. 34. * 7 Jan. * 8 Jan. The King with the Queen Prince and D. of York
31 Aug. * 4 Sept. * 6 Sept. * 11 Sept. Scob. Coll. p. 54. * 13 Sept. * 25 Sept. The solemn League and Covenant fram'd in Scotland taken by the Members at Westminster Archbishop Laud's life p. 510. * See the Remonstrance of the Army in order to the King's Trial dated at St. Albans 16 Nov. 1648. * Covenant with Narrative p. 12. * 21 Sept. Scob. Coll. p. 54. * 2 Oct. * 5 Oct. * 6 Oct. * 7 Oct. * 18 Oct. * 9 Oct. Scob. Coll. p. 57. * 18 Oct. * Articles of the Treaty at Edenborough for bringing in the Scots Army * 29 Nov. * 20 Nov. * 28 Nov. Scob. Coll. p. 59. * 13 Dec. * 25 Dec. Scob. Coll. p. 60. * 9 Jan. Scob. Coll. p. 60. * See the Letter to his Majesty from the Lord Chancelour and divers Lords of that Realm â—ated at Edenâ—â—rough 1 Julii 1643. wherein they promise not 〈◊〉 raise any â—orces without special warrant from the King * His Majesties Declaration to all his Subjects of Scotland â— Jan. 1643. The Scots second Invasion See the Supplication of the Noblemen Barrons Burgesses c. exhibited to the Marquess of Hamilton his Majesties Commissioner an 1638. Wherein by way of Explication of their National Covenant they acknowledge that the quietness and stability of their Religion and Kirk depends upon the safety of the King's Majesty as God's vice-gerent See the Supplication of the general Assembly at Edenborough 12 Aug. 1639. Whereby it appeareth that the whole Kingdom was sworn with their means and lives to stand to the defence of their dread Sovereign his person and authority in every cause which may concern his Majesties Honour with their friends and followers in quiet manner or in Arms as they shall be required by his Majesty See Act 5. of the second Parliament of King Charles concerning the ratification of the Covenant by which their universal Protestation and promise under a solemn Oath and Hand-writing upon fearful pains and execrations is apparent viz. to defend the King's person and authority with their goods bodies and lives against all Enemies within the Realm or without as they desire God to be a merciful defender to them in the day of their death and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. See the Petition presented to his Majesty Jan. 1642 manifesting the promise of the whole Clergy in their National Assembly to keep the people under their charge in obedience to his Majesty and to his Laws confessing it a duty well-beseeming the Preachers of the Gospel See the Petition of the Nobility Gentry Burroughs Ministers and Commons to the Lords of his Majesties Privy-Council of that Kingdom wherein they acknowledged his Majesties zeal for maintaining the true Religion and that to call in question the same after so many reiterated professions and asseverations could not be but an unchristian distrustfulness and in them the height of disloyalty and ingratitude confessing themselves bound in duty to God by whose great name they had sworn to defend and maintain the person greatness and authority of their dread Soveraign as God's Vicegerent to the utmost of their power with their means and lives in every cause which might concern his Honour professing themselves fully satisfied and perswaded of his Majesties royal zeal and resolution and that malice and detraction could not prevail to make the least impression in their loyal hearts of jealousy and distrust or their intending any thing to the prejudice of that Brotherly and blessed conjunction of the two Nations attesting God the searcher of all hearts of their dutiful intentions towards his Majesty their dread and native King strictly bound thereto by all the ties of Nature Christianity and Gratitude 22 Jan. 27 Jan. * Dated 30 Jan. 3 Martii 9 Martii * 22 Jan. Scob. Coll. p. 61. * 20 Febr. Scob. Coll. ut supra Anno 1643. a 26. March b 29. March c 3. April d 6. May. * 16. May. f 18. June g 22. June h 30. June i 1. July k 2. July l 5. July m 13. July n 24. July o 26. July p 2. Aug. q 5. Aug. r 10. Aug. †20. Aug. t 28. Aug. v 1. 3. Sept. x 4. Sept. y 6. Sept. z 17. Sept. a 20. Sept. b 6. Oct. c 4. Decem. d 9. Decem. * 12. Decem. f 21. Decem. g 25. Decem. h 28. Decem. i 25. Jan. k 13. Feb. l 18. Feb. m 21. Mar. n 21. Mar. o 23. March p 16. April q 26. April r 8. May. †21. May. t 5. June v 6. July x 30. July y 2. Aug. z 10. Septem a 16. Septem b 20. Octob. c 3. Jan. d 22. Jan. The Scots Invasion Anno 1644. * 26. March Scab coll p. 65. f 8. July Ibid. p. 73 g 2. July The Battle at Marston-moore h 13. July i 4. July The King's Message from Evesham k 1. Septemb. l 5. Septemb. from Tavestoke m 23. Nov. f 26. Nov. g 2. Decem. Scob. Coll. p. 75. h 9. Decem. The self-denying Ordinance The Book of Common Prayer Abolisht The Directory Establisht i 4. Jan. k 10. Jan. Arch. Bp. of Canterb. beheaded Treaty at Vxbridge l Impr. Oxon. 1645. m Ibid. p. 31. n Ibid. p. 144. 145. o 3. Apr. p 6. Apr. q 25. May r 27. May †28. May t 12 Iune u 20. June x 30. June y 3. July z 15. August * 1. Septem a 14. Sept. b 25. Octob. c 7. Novem. d 17. Nov. * 23 Febr. f 1. March g 29. March h 2. July i 23. July k 19. Octob. l 27. Octob. The second Battel of Newbery * 9. Decemb. The self-denying Ordinance m 31. Dec. n 31. Dec. o Heath's Chron. p. 68. p Ibid. 23. Decemb. q Ibid. p. 18. * cap. 8. r 1. Jan. See the King's observation thereon in his Eikâ—n Basilike cap. †10. Jan. Anno 1645. a 22. April b 31. May. c 25. March d 24. April * 22. May. f 23. May. g 26. May. h 1. June i 14. June k 18. June l 27. June m 28. June n 21. July o 23. July p 25. July q 31. July r 15. August †17. Aug. t 21. Aug. v 22. Sept. x 26. Sept. y 1. Oct. z 14. Oct. a 15. Octob. b 5. Nov. c 16. Nov. d 4. Decem. * 17. Decem. f 17. Jan. g 19. Jan. h 2. Feb. i 3. Feb. k 16. Feb. l 25. Feb. m 28. Feb. n 29. Feb. o 3. March p 14. March q 21. March p 23. Aug. Scob. Col. p. 97. Message from the King for peace q 5. Decem. r 15. Decem. †26. Decem. t 29. Decem. u 15. Jan. x 17. Jan. y 24. Jan. z 29. Jan. a 26. Feb. b 23. March c 22. Octob. Anno 1642. Anno 1646. d 7. Apr. * 8. Apr. f 13. April g 15. April h 25. April i 26. April d The King's Letter to the Marquess
having form'd sundry congregations as at Francfort Strasburg Geneva and other places they devised such new models of Discipline but all of them more or less favouring of those Tenets as upon their return after the death of that Queen not a few both of the Clergy and Laity were unhappily tainted therewith And at length through the countenance of some chief Ministers of State who then seemed to favour them for certain private respects became dangerous Enemies not only to the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church but to the very temporal Government of the Realm as by their heterodox opinions which they boldly promoted and spread under the specious Title and name of the Gospel will evidently appear of which I have here thought fit out of their own Books and Writings to give a Taste Lay men may teach to get Faith Lay men may preach to Congregations to exercise their abilities Every member of the Church hath power to examine the manner of administring the Sacrament That to have a Liturgy or form of prayer is to have another Gospel Some Protestants are of opinion that Ordinances cannot be performed but by a Prelate or at least by Ministers only without whose Imposition of Hands it were no Ordination as if it did confer such an order whereas the prime and proper conferring of this Order is by Christ himself inwardly calling and gifting a man for the work of the Ministry To the people belongeth the laying on of Hands as a token of their approbation and confirmation of him that is chosen Arch-Bishops and Bishops are superfluous members of the Body of Christ. They are unlawful false and bastardly Governours of the Church they are the ordinances of the Devil yea they are petty-Popes petty-Antichrists Bishops of the Devil and incarnate Devils If the Hierarchy be not removed and the Scepter of Christ's Kingdom namely his own Discipline advanced there can be no healing of the sore If the Parliament do not abrogate the government of Bishops they shall betray God the Truth and the whole Kingdom Though the Parliament be for Bishops yet all the Godly and Religious will be against them If the Brethren cannot obtain their wills by Suit nor Dispute the multitude and people must work the feat Reformation of Religion belongs to the Commonalty Christian Sovereigns ought not to be called Heads under Christ of the particular invisible Churches within their dominion They ought not to meddle with the making of Laws Orders and Ceremonies for the Church The people may well enough be without Kings for there was none till Cain's days These therefore being their Principles that their continued Practises have been sutable thereto is not unknown to many viz. to subject all Princes and Governours to their own Rule and Authority and in ordine ad Spiritualia to determine in temporal matters Hence I shall proceed a little farther and out of their own Writings make manifest what a noise they have made that their Discipline founded on these Principles might be firmly setled The establishing the Presbytery saith T. Cartwright is the full placing of Christ in his Kingdom The Presbyterian Discipline is the Scepter of Christ swaying his own House according to his hearts desire the Soul the Cheif Commander in the Camp Royal. Huic Disciplinae omnes orbis Principes Monarchas fasces suas submittere parere necesse est There is a necessity that all Princes and Monarchs should submit their Scepters and obey this Discipline This Discipline ought to be set up and all Princes ought to submit themselves under the yoke of it Yea what Prince King or Emperor shall disanul the same he is to be reputed God's Enemy and to be held unworthy to reign above the people This Discipline is no small part of the Gospel it is the substance of it This Discipline is the Gospel of the kingdom of God They that reject this Discipline refuse to have Christ reign over them and deny him in effect to be their King or their Lord. This Discipline is the eternal Council of God If any refuse to have the Lord Jesus set up as Lord i. e. to submit to this Discipline let him be Anathema Maranatha Aut hoc aut nihil is their Ensign They who hinder Discipline bring the Estate at length to an extreamly desperate point None but Enemies to Christ are Enemies to this Government Strike neither at great nor small but at those troublers of Israel Smite that Hazael in the fifth rib Yea if Father or Mother stand in the way away with them Down with the colours of the Dragon Advance the standard of Christ. Those mine Enemies who would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Strike the Basilic vein Nothing but this will cure the Pleurisy of our State And Gibson threatned King Iames that as Ieroboam he should be rooted out and conclude his race if he maintained Bishops Which dangerous positions being thus maintained by this sort of men occasioned Mr. Perkins an eminent Divine of those times thus to express There is in England saith he a Schismatical and indiscreet Company that would seem to cry out for Discipline Their whole talk is of it and yet they neither know it nor will be reformed by it They are full of pride thinking themselves to be full when they are empty to have all knowledg when they are ignorant and had need to be catechised The poison of aspes is under their Lips They refuse not to speak evil of the blessed servants of God And as the German Sectaries upon the Principles before mention'd did act in those parts so did the Scots upon those Documents they had received chiesly from Iohn Knox who told his Countrymen in print that the Nobility and Commonalty ought to reform Religion and in that case might remove from Honours and punish such as God hath commanded of what estate condition or honour what soever Hereupon taking an Oath of confederacy and Subscription under hands to some agreement for a Reformation much strength was added thereunto by the Sacrilegious hoping thereby to swallow up the Church-Revenues Next without the authority of Sovereignty or knowledg of it those Confederates prescribed orders for Reformation of Religion to be observed and practised throughout the whole Kingdom Then preach'd against the Queen-Regent and Parliament and wrote to the Bishops and Clergy that except they did desist from dealing against them they would with all force and power execute just vengeance and punishment upon them likewise begin the same war which God commanded Israel to execute against the Cananites And lastly arriving at the highest pitch of Rebellion they deposed their Queen By that which hath been said it is no less apparent what those Disciplinarians in Queen Elizabeth's days did also aim at had their
the same subject which under colour of a desire to search after his death for some Writings in his Study were by certain Clergy-men who stood disaffected to the Discipline of the Church unhappily lurch'd away they did at length gain those very Books into their hands and not long after the beginning of this late unparallel'd Rebellion for the better accomplishing their long studyed ends most shamefully corrupted them in sundry places omitting divers passages which were unsutable to their purposes and instead thereof inserting what they thought might give countenance to their present evil practises amongst which was this in terminis that though the King were singulis major yet he was universis minor and having so done caus'd them to be publish'd in Print By which fallacy divers well meaning people were miserably captivated and drawn to their Party And at length were not ashamed in that Treaty which they had with his Majesty in the Isle of Wight to vouch the authority of this venerable man in derogation of his Supremacy and to place the Soveraign power in the People that great Antimonarchist William late Vicount Say and Sele being the person who boldly urged it Whereunto the good King answered that though those three Books were not allowed to be Mr. Hookers yet he would admit them so to be and consent to what his Lordship endeavoured to prove out of them in case he would assent to the judgment of Mr. Hooker declared in the other five Books which were unquestionably His. But as to these their indirect dealings in thus corrupting the works of that excellent man whose memory for his profound learning singular piety and most exemplary life will be ever precious to succeeding ages and his necessary vindication therein I shall for more full satisfaction to my Reader refer him to that seasonable Historical discourse lately compiled and published with great judgment and integrity by that much deserving person Mr. Isaac Walton containing a perfect Narrative of the life and death of this right worthy person Of which I hold it necessary that special notice should be taken by reason that since the happy Restauration of our present Soveraign K. Charles II. Dr. Gawden then Bishop of Exeter upon the reprinting those five genuine Books of Mr. Hooker together with the other pretended three taking upon him to write a Preface to the whole and therein to give an account of Mr. Hooker's life hath not only with great confidence used divers Arguments to satisfie the world that those three Books were penn'd by Mr. Hooker notwithstanding those poysonous assertions against the Regal power which are to be found therein but much misreported him in the Narrative of his life representing him to have been a single man with many other gross mistakes as whoso compares it with Mr. Walton's History of him may easily see Moreover well knowing that the City of London in respect of its Riches and Populousness must be the principal stage for this Tragic-Action there was no small care taken for fitting all places of Authority therein especially the Common-Council with such active men as might advance this blessed work Wherein having made a fair and succesful progress but discerning that the Sword must at length be made use of they then began to frequent the Artillery-yard and to be diligent Practisers of military Discipline in which they grew in a short time so great Proficients that most of the cheif Officers in that School were men of that stamp and got into their hands the best and choicest Arms. And that they might make the more secure progress in this their long studyed design they laid the Scene at first in Scotland the Subjects of that Realm being most tainted with Presbytery so that in case this their contrivance should speed there they might the more boldly adventure upon the like here The first thing therefore that was made use of towards their Master-piece in Scotland was an exception or rather cavil by divers eminent persons in that Kingdom at his Majesties Revocation of such things as had been passed away in prejudice of that Crown especially by some of his Progenitors in their minorities though not without example This being advised by those that were then his Majesties Privy-Councellers and Officers of State in that Realm whose late Actions have sufficiently manifested what effect they desired it should produce did accordingly occasion much repining by divers principal persons who thereupon infused into his Subjects a distaste of his Government And though the King was pleased to wave his interest therein and to remit as well the Equity as rigour of the Laws in that point the Male-contents would not be satisfyed but still endeavoured to work a disaffection in the people thereto And whereas his Majesty out of his pious care of the Clergy who had been much opprest by the Laity that pay'd Tythes being pleased to grant out Commissions in their behalf had so good issue therein as that both Parties were abundantly satisfyed the maintenance of the Clergy being thereby improv'd and the Laity freed from a dangerous dependance upon Subjects yet the Nobility and Lay-Patrons fretting privately for being rob'd as they conceiv'd of the dependance of the Clergy and Laity bent their envy against the Bishops under pretence that they were the principal causers thereof To quiet therefore these discontents in the year 1633 his Majesty made a progress into Scotland and was there crowned having not been personally there till then since the death of his Royal Father at which time he also held a Parliament in that Realm wherein great suggestions were made of fears that dangerous Innovations in Religion would be attempted as also instead of acceptance of an Act for Ratification of all other Acts concerning the Religion professed and established it was dissented to by divers of the after-chiefest Covenanters And no sooner was he returned back into England but that infinite Libels were disperst abroad to impoyson the People with his Majesties proceedings at that Parliament Of which Libellers amongst others the Lord Balmerino was found guilty by his Peers and accordingly should have receiv'd sentence of death for it nevertheless through his Majesties goodness was not only pardoned but enlarg'd and afterwards became an eminent Covenanter Which Insolency of the Scots did not a little animate and encourage the Puritan-faction here who loudly declaimed against the Discipline of the Church as it then by Law stood establish'd and to beget a greater contempt thereof in the generality of the people represented it to be superstitious and like to usher in Popery dispersing many scandalous seditious and libellous Pamphlets to that purpose infusing likewise into them strange apprehensions that their Liberty and Property were in no little danger and the better to give colour to their pretended fears of these approaching Evils they took ready hold of this following occasion The Soveraignty of the Brittish-Seas by antient right justly appertaining to the Crown
to all Kings from their Subjects and from them to their dread Soveraign after a more special manner but meerly to preserve their Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom and that whatsoever course they should take it should be no imputation to them being constrain'd thereto for best securing that Kirk and Kingdom from the Extremity of confusion and misery taking God and man to witness that they would be free of all outrages and Insolencies that should be committed in the mean time And then they began again to levy and raise Forces in several parts of the Realm in great numbers excercised train'd and assign'd them a Rendezvouz as also a day to be in readiness to march making Provisions of Artillery Amunition and Armes in great quantities from forreign parts laying Taxes and Impositions of ten marks in every hundred upon all the Subjects of that Kingdom according to their several Revenues for support of their Rebellion exacting the same with the greatest rigour that could be imagined spreading sundry Papers and Pamphlets scandalous to the King's proceedings block'd up the Castle of Edenborough and fortified divers places imprisoned the Earl of Southeske one of his Majesties Privy-Council there and sundry others of quality for not adhering to them in their Rebellious courses endeavouring to settle Intelligencers in parts beyond-Sea and practising to let in forreign power inclining rather to prostitute themselves to a forreign Government and different in Religion than yield obedience and conformity to his Majesty their natural Soveraign as appears by their Addresses and Letter to the French King By what hath been said it appearing that the first glimpse of this grand and destructive Rebellion shew'd it self at Edenborough upon the three and twentieth of Iuly an 1637 the scum of the people then taking fire at thâ— reading of that Service-book which was sent over by his late Majesty of blessed memory as a proper Liturgy for the Church of Scotland and most nearly suting with this of England Forasmuch therefore as from those Sparks the ensuing flames arose which from and after that time continued burning for the space of many years until they had overspread and much wasted the cheif parts of this great Isle to make the Bishops of both Kingdoms odious there are not a few who either out of malice to their sacred function or ignorance as to matter of fact have imputed the original of all this mischeif unto them as the first Authors or procurers of that Book which they would have believed to be the first rise thereof To the end therefore that those reverend persons soon after ruin'd and since dead may be fully vindicated from being primarily instrumental therein though had they so been no person of upright judgment could justly have blamed them from endeavouring an uniformity in the service of God in both Kingdoms I shall desire my Reader to cast his eye upon that faithful Narrative written by the command of our late Soveraign King Charles the first and corrected throughout with his own hand as many yet living can testify whereby he will clearly discern that the then Lords of the Privy-Council of Scotland were the men who advised the King to commend a Service-Book to be received and used in all the Churches of that Realm of which there was no little want every man being left to his own giddy fancy Now whether this advice of those Lords was not with purpose to trepan his Majesty to do that which as they resolv'd to order the business should occasion a tumultuous Insurrection by the rabble whence their grand Design of raising a general flame of war might ensue let the Reader judge when he looks back upon their discontents upon his Majesties Revocation of such things as had been passed away in prejudice of that Crown especially by some of his Progenitors in their minorities though not without advice of those who were then his Privy-Councellors in that Realm as hath been already observed And withall consider what combinations were driven on divers years before betwixt the most considerable persons of the Puritan-party in England and the Grand-Contrivers there Mr. Knightley's house in Northampton-shire being the chief place where that restless faction had their frequent meetings whence a Gentleman of quality was sent into Scotland afterwards a great Parliament-man here who residing there for some time before the troubles broke out represented to those which had the chief Interest there that the business of the Ship-money and Habeas Corpus with divers other things whereof there was much noise made afterwards had so irritated the greatest part of the English Nation that if they made sure work at home they needed not to fear any thing from England Moreover how earnestly and eagerly after that Tumult at Edenborough was so raised all sorts of people took advantage thereof the Kirkmen laying about them in their Pulpits so that the Citizens Gentry and Nobles speedily put themselves in Armes entring into a rebellious Confederacy called the Covenant And lastly that when his Majesty most gratiously offered to recall the Service-Book which was the great business at which they seem'd to take offence they were no whit lenified It will be visible enough to any person of judgment who doth not wilfully shut his Eyes that the hatching of this Rebellion was of a much elder date than that Service-Book But I now return to England CHAP. VI. HIs Majesty thus seeing his danger from Scotland and hoping of help from his English Subjects resolv'd of calling a Parliament here But no sooner were Writs out for that purpose than that the Schismatical Party used all possible endeavour to strengthen their side by choosing of their own faction for Knights and Burgesses And to accomplish the same spared for no pains in packing of Voices and making parties wherein their Seditious Pulpit-men bestir'd themselves to purpose such being then their fury that those meetings for Elections appeared more like riotous tumults than orderly conventions nevertheless the Nation was not then so generally tainted but that many good men were chosen Which Parliament began at Westminster upon the thirteenth day of April wherein his Majesty declared to both Houses the indignities receiv'd from his Scotish Subjects and to suppress their Rebellion proposed a Supply of twelve Subsidies in lieu whereof he was content to forbear Ship-money than which nothing seem'd so grievous Had not that Parliament been broke by the subtile artifices of the Grand-Contrivers in the immediate Rebellion no doubt but all those miseries which were thereby soon after brought upon this Realm might have been easily prevented and that the breach thereof was wrought by them is plain enough For Sir Henry Vane Senior a member of the House of Commons at that time and one of his Majesties principal Secretaries of State having by the King's appointment moved for a Supply of twelve Subsidies yet with power to stoop to eight when he saw an inclination
in the House tending thereto first by a Proposal of four then five nay six were mention'd and the motion not dislik'd told them peremptorily that it was in vain for them to think of less than twelve in regard he knew under that number would not be accepted And having by that sinister dealing kept such distance betwixt his Majesty and his good Subjects was by some other of the faction so seconded with a hideous representation of their Grievances together with dangerous Innovations in Religion and fears of introducing Superstition besides certain motions as did not without cause put strange apprehensions in the Queen of peril to her person or at least some others very near unto her that his Majesty was constrain'd to dissolve that Parliament And taking consideration of the Scots rebellious Insolencies which every day increased proposed the business of money to his Privy-Council who contributed a considerable sum to his aid his domestic-Servants and Officers making good addition thereto The Earl of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland speedily hasting into that Kingdom where he call'd a Parliament raised an Army of eight thousand men with money to maintain them and within the space of six weeks return'd into England That the meeting of these Members of Parliament from all parts of the Realm being many of them men of turbulent Spirits and principles totally Antimonarchical gave opportunity for those contrivances which afterwards were put in Action there is nothing more sure For in the first place they took care to infuse Fears and Iealousies into the people every where that the Government was then design'd to be Arbitrary and Popery like to be introduced to promote which Scandals many seditious Preachers took no small pains in their Pulpits especially in and about London Whereupon several tumultuous meetings were made in divers parts of the Suburbs and a Paper set up in the night at the old Exchange animating the Apprentices to sack Lambeth House Which took such effect that two nights following it was beset with above five hundred of the rascal multitude and an attemt made thereon though without success some of them being taken and imprisoned in Southwark But here they rested not for within a few nights after they broke open the White-Lion and King's-bench Prisons and let out their fellows The Scots also having made such preparations for a second Rebellion continued likewise their Parliament according to the Fundamental Laws as their phrase was having enacted a Band to be subscribed by all men before the first of September to maintain it to be a free and lawful Parliament whereupon they form'd another Army and knowing certainly what store of well-wishers they had in this Kingdom as also how easy the work was like to be made through the subtile contrivances of the factious party here from whom they were sufficiently instructed and animated by private Invitations and large promises invaded this Realm passing the Twede at Barwick But the King being slow to believe what they designed was not so forward as to encounter them upon the Borders his Army which he rais'd that Summer lying at that time about New-Castle of which the Earl of Northumberland was made General who alledging himself to be then ill in health staid in London His Majesty therefore having certain advertisement that the Scots were ready to enter Northumberland intended to have made the Earl of Strafford General who declin'd it out of an honoured respect to the Earl of Northumberland but being much pressed in regard of this present occasion desired to serve as Lieutenant general under him and had his Commission accordingly On Thursday the twentieth of Aug. the King set forwards from London towards the North and on Munday following the Earl of Strafford having in that short time fitted himself for his journey posted from London by Coaches and arriving at York the Wednesday after though then much troubled with the Stone rode to Topcliffe on Fryday At that time the Lord Conway was General of the Horse and at Newcastle with the Army Where by reason of the General 's and Lieutenant-General's absence he had the cheif command thereof but made such slender resistance that the Scots forc'd their passage over the River of Tine at Newburne that very Friday and entred Newcastle without opposition himself then retreating with the Army towards York and in some confusion And now that the Scots had thus possess'd themselves of Newcastle they began to strengthen that place and bring all those Northern-parts under contribution Which strange passages made most men amazed scarce any man knowing whom to trust or speak freely to Much labour indeed there was to make the people believe that all this did work for their good and that the Scots were their surest friends this being the certain way to have a Parliament and that the undoubted cure of all things amiss both in Church and State And truly such a burthen was Ship-money then esteem'd to be and some few other extraordinary Impositions so wanton were many grown being surfeited with that plenty which long peace had produc'd that the Scots then had not a few well-wishers in all parts of this Realm their piety and goodness being so cried up by the whole Puritan-party His Majesty therefore in this difficult Labyrinth took resolution to summon a meeting of the Peers at York a course which had anciently been used especially when exigencies were so great that the Convention of a Parliament could not be staid for and at the meeting of this grand Council represented to them the present danger of this Invasion with desire of their advice touching the maintenance of his Army as not safe to be disbanded whilst the Scotish-Forces were on foot as also what course was fittest to be taken to get them out Whereupon without long deliberating a Treaty was determin'd on and for that end sixteen of the Lords then present were assign'd on the King's part to meet with Eleven of the Scots with power to compose and conclude all differences Whereunto the Scots assented upon condition that the King should first revoke his Proclamation whereby he had declared them Traitors COMMISSIONERS Of the English these Francis Earl of Bedford William Earl of Hertford Robert Earl of Essex William Earl of Salisbury Robert Earl of Warwick Iohn Earl of Bristol Henry Earl of Holland Thomas Earl of Berkshire Philip Lord Wharton William Lord Paget Edward Lord Kymbolton Robert Lord Brook Iohn Lord Paulet Edw. L. Howard of Escrick Thomas Lord Savile Francis Lord Dunsmore Of the Scots these Iohn Earl of Rothess Ch. Earl of Dumfermeling Iohn Lord Lowdon Sir Patrick Hepburne of Waughtone Sir Will. Douglas of Cavers William Drummond of Riccarton Iohn Smith Bailiff of Edenborough Alexand Wedderburn Clerk of Dundee Hugh Kennedy Burgess of Aire Alexander Henderson Archibald Iohnstone Which Treaty began at Rippon upon the ninth of October but what good effect it was like to produce we
that place and the Magazine there by his Majesties authority Nay so diligent were they now to lose no time that they procured the Essex-men to deliver a Petition to them setting forth their fears and jealousies with desire that the Tower of London might be committed to safe hands the Arms of the Trained Bands trusted with approved persons and the Priviledge of Parliament asserted Likewise another from Colchester against Bishops and for liberty of Conscience desiring that Church-discipline might be established according to the word of God and their Town better fortified And well knowing how fair a countenance these Petitions thus framed by themselves carried to further their designs they caused more from Devon Somersetshire Middlesex and Hartfordshire for putting the Kingdom into a posture of Defence and the Forts into safe hands excluding Bishops Popish Lords c. As also another from the City of London signifying their inability to lend an hundred thousand pounds desired by the Houses for the service of Ireland by reason that the Cinque Ports were not put into safe hands the Kingdom not put into a posture of Defence the Lieutenant of the Tower not removed Priviledges of Parliament not vindicated Delinquents not punished and the Bishops and Popish Lords not put out of the House of Peers Whereupon it being the same day voted that the Cinque-Ports should be secured and the Tower of London put into such hands as the Parliament might confide in the very next day they brought down the Apprentices and Seamen with the like Petition for putting the whole Kingdom into a Posture And being now resolv'd as by their votes and the drift of these Petitions is manifest to hasten the Militia totally into their own power to the end they might the more plausibly effect their design therein they exhibited to his Majesty a Petition desiring that the Tower of London with the other principal Forts and whole Militia of the Kingdom might be put into the hands of such persons as should be by them recommended suggesting withall that without this sure ground of safety and confidence which he should hereby raise unto them they could not be enabled to discharge their duties in the considering of those important things proposed to them by him in his Message of the 20th of Ianuary Nor be so freed from fears and jealousies as with chearfulness to proceed laying a sure foundation of Honour Greatness and Glory to him and his Royal Posterity and of Happiness and prosperity to his Subjects throughout all his Dominions The chief colour and pretence given out to the people for this Posture of Defence being this that without the power thereof in their own hands to maintain the good Laws enacted there was no expectation but that they would be made fruitless to them by the prevalency of evil Counsellors and a malignant Party Whereunto his Majesty answered that though the nomination of those to whom the custody of the Forts and Castles were to be committed was an inseparable flower of his Crown yet that he would leave them to the Justice of his Parliament if through mis-information he had conferr'd such trust upon any undeserving person And that when any particular course for ordering the Militia should be digested by his Parliament and proposed to him he would return such an answer as should be agreeable to his honour and the safety of his people conjuring them not to be transported with Jealousies To this indeed they replyed that they acknowledged it as a principal and inseparable flower of his Crown to dispose the command of the Forts and Castles of the Kingdom and that by Law the Militia was subject to no command but his authority and what is lawfully derived from him But within two days following a Petition being brought into the House from Suffolk calling upon them to put the kingdom into a Posture and another from many thousands of poor Tradesmen in London as they stiled it urging the like alledging a great decay of Trade whereby they wanted Bread and that they believed not any cause thereof to be in the House of Commons but by reason of the Bishops and Popish Lords voting in the House of Peers it was earnestly moved at a Conference by Mr. Hollies that the Lords would no longer delay but now joyn with them to petition his Majesty that the Kingdom might be put into a Posture By which device the Lords who refused to joyn with them in their Petition of the six and twentieth of Ianuary were now so brought about that they did it And to the end they might not want more popular countenance for their grand work which was now in such forwardness they got more Petitions from several parts for putting the Kingdom into a Posture One from the women about London another from Northamptonshire a third from Kent which was brought by five or six thousand that rode through the City in ranks to the Parliament-House Whereby they gave the Lords thanks for concurring with the Commons in the Bill against the Bishop's votes and putting the Kingdom into a Posture of Defence desiring them to go on with the Commons in a thorough Reformation in Religion and to remove evil Councellors The like had they from the Counties of York Oxford and Lincoln So that having laid such a foundation by ensnaring the people with their own Petitions they made an order to enable some of the Aldermen and Common-Council of London with Serjeant Major Skippon to regulate the Militia of the City voting new Lords-Lieutenants throughout the several Counties of England and Wales And to blow up the people into a perfect Rebellion they appointed weekly Lectures to be generally set up which was accordingly perform'd by the most seditious and turbulent Spirits that could be found procuring more Petitions by multitudes of people from sundry parts setting forth great grievances and desiring that the factious party for so they call'd the most loyal of the Nobility might be expell'd the House of Peers Also that the Divine Worship of God might be no longer prophaned and that they might be better furnished with Arms to oppose forreign power Such also came from Wales Ipswich Warwickshire and Sussex the Sheriff of that County and at least fifteen hundred on Horseback accompanying him therewith And least the pretended great dangers for prevention whereof all this stir was made should be forgot a Letter from Lancashire was produced discovering dangerous Plots by the Papists in that County viz. the finding of ten Barrels of powder to make Balls of Wild-fire wherewith to burn divers chief Towns in this Realm Whereupon another Petition was dispatcht to his Majesty then at Dover for ordering the Militia Whereby they desired such a speedy Answer as might raise in them a confidence to use their own words that they should not be exposed to the practises of those
whose endeavours were to kindle that combustion in England which they had in so great a measure effected in Ireland and which nothing could do as they said but the granting that Petition Which Petition together with an Ordinance of both Houses setting forth a most dangerous and desperate design upon the House of Commons and many discoveries importing fears of rebellious Insurrections by Papists and other ill affected persons in this Kingdom they then exhibited Whose answer thereunto being that for the City of London and other Corporations which by any antient Charters had power of ordering the Militia he conceiv'd it unfit to alter their government but that he could not consent to the indefinite time propounded for this Posture Whereupon they forthwith voted this Answer to be a flat denial and that his Majesties advisers thereto were Enemies to the State and mischeivous Projectors against the defence of the Kingdom Also that this denial was of such dangerous consequence that it would hazard the peace and safety of all his Kingdoms unless some speedy remedy were applyed by the Parliament And immediately dispatch'd another Petition to his Majesty then at Theobalds wherein they protested that if he did not speedily pass his assent to the satisfaction of their desires they should be inforced by authority of both Houses to dispose thereof and that they did accordingly so resolve to do Farther voting that the Kingdom should be forthwith put into a Posture of defence by Authority of both Houses that the Navy should be speedily rigg'd and a Declaration of their just Fears and Jealousies speedily drawn up with the grounds of their former votes for putting the Kingdom into a Posture by authority of both Houses to clear the Parliament of all mistrusts And to carry out all this under colour of the Peoples desires New Petitions were brought from several Counties viz. one from Staffordsh pretending such dread of the Papists rising there that every man was constrain'd to stand upon his Guard not daring to go to Church unarm'd Others from Worcestersh Berksh Norfolk Norwich Lynne Royston Salop all of them earnestly desiring this Posture of Defence And the very next day the Ordinance for ordering the Militia of the Kingdom by authority of both Houses sent to his Majesty 22 Febr. was assented to by the Lords and thereupon new Lieutenants were assign'd throughout all England and Wales And having in a grand Committee at Merchant-Taylers Hall contrived the Declaration mention'd in their Votes of March the second wherein they made a very great noise of a design to alter Religion in this Kingdom and that the wars with Scotland and Ireland were framed to that end they presented the same to his Majesty at Newmarket within few days after voting the King's Commissions of Lieutenancies in the several Counties illegal as also that there was an urgent and inevitable Necessity for putting his Majesties Subjects into a Posture of Defence and that the Ordinances of both Houses for the Militia being obliging to the People ought to be obeyed by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom And lastly that the Earl of Warwick should be appointed Vice-Admiral of his Majesties Ships And having now by these their exorbitant courses together with the Tumults so much endangered his Majesties Royal person that he was forced for safety of himself and the Prince to retire into the North they voted that they would go on with their former Votes concerning the Militia Also that when the Lords and Commons in Parliament should declare what the Laws of the Land be to Question it was a high breach of the Privilege of Parliament After this within few days they sent a Petition to York which was there presented to his Majesty by the Lord Willoughby of Parham and others wherein they alledged that his Majesties denial to their petition for disposing the Militia was a great hinderance to their other proceedings and justified the Tumults at Westminster by taxing his Majesty with denial of such a Guard to them as they might confide in aspersing his Government for many continued Acts of violation of Laws c. And to keep the people still awake by allarming them with new dangers they caused Letters to be read in the House which were said to come from Amsterdam intimating intelligence from Denmark of a great Army ready prepared there to be transported for England and to land at Hull upon some dangerous enterprize The like Letter pretended to come from Newmarket then produced and another from France Whereupon having receiv'd a Petition from the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council of London in which great Thanks was given to the House for ordering the Militia of the City as they had done with their resolutions therein signified to obey the same As also another from the Cinque-Ports desiring that those places might be strongly guarded and fortified and the Kingdom put into a Posture they ordered that every of his Majesties Forts and Castles should be presently fortified with an Hundred men of the Trained Bands next adjoining to them and ten pieces of Ordinance to each place Also that no Forces should be admitted into Hull without the consent of the Lords and Commons and that Instructions should be sent thither for the farther fortifying of that place Likewise upon another pretended discovery made by one Mr. Cartwright and the Speaker of the House of Commons that they were advertised by Letters from France of an Army preparing there to come for England or Ireland the Lords sent a message to the Commons to let them know that they had designed the Earl of Warwick Vice-Admiral of the Fleet. Whereupon both Houses joyn'd in a Message to the King to inform him of the grounds and reasons of their sending out that Earl as Vice-Admiral without his Majesties consent The King therefore discerning that they had got the Royal Navy into their hands thought it high time to make sure of his Magazine which had been laid up at Hull about two years before part for the service of Ireland and the rest for the security of the North and accordingly rode from York thither for the disposal thereof But when he came to the Gates of that Town Sir Iohn Hotham a member of the House of Commons being a confiding man with the factious party there and by their contrivance got privately thither with Souldiers refused him entrance affirming that in so doing he had the authority of Parliament to bear him out For which insolent act he was declared traiterous by his Majesty and by a special Message so signifyed to both Houses with demand of Justice against him according to the Laws But instead thereof they forthwith not only publish'd a bold Declaration with Votes and order of assistance in the name of both Houses of Parliament justifying Hotham therein
the Almighty's providence and protection began his march from Shrewsbury upon the xijth of October Which was no sooner known but that they feircely pursued him having order for that purpose from the Houses at Westminster to march against his Majesties Army and fight with them and to rescue the persons of the King Prince and Duke of York So that on Sunday the xxiijth of October being in view of the King's forces they put their Army in order near Kineton in Warwickshire and bid his Majesty Battel by a signal thereof given with their great Ordinance wherewith they made five shot at his Army before any fire was given on the other part But then began a sharp encounter which continued near three hours Wherein God so preserv'd his Majesty that instead of being utterly destroy'd by these violent Rebels who reckoned all their own their invincible Army as they esteem'd it was so bruis'd and shattered that instead of farther pursuing the King it retreated eight miles backwards where the Souldiers secur'd themselves many days by the advantage of the River Avon under the protection of the Town and Castle of Warwick Of which Battel I purposely omit the Description Nor shall I herein make any farther mention of the course of this war it being a work fit to be handled by it self by some more able pen than in a breif Chronologick way to point at the times of the most memorable Battels and Seiges as also to the Towns Castles and other fortified Places first possess'd or afterwards forcibly gained by either party But instead thereof shall observe the wonderful providence of Almighty God whereby notwithstanding these matchless Conspirators who had by so many subtile artifices arrived to that strength and power and made seizure of his Majesties Forts Ports Navy Magazine and Revenue insomuch as the Lord Say in a publick meeting at Oxford of the Gentry and others thither summon'd by him in September preceding told them upon his Honour that the King had neither Money Power nor Credit his Subjects every where being also not a little tainted with the most Antimonarchical principles that by their seditious Preachers or otherwise could possibly be infused into them Yet that in the space of two months he could be enabled to meet them in open Battel having no Amunition but what came to him from Forreign parts through many perillous adventures the Ports being block'd up by his own Royal Navy then under their command nor having Arms or Moneys but what he obtained by extraordinary difficulties From this day forward purposing to make some brief Remarks upon the ensuing practises of these monstrous men in carrying on that barbarous war to the great devastation and spoil of this late flourishing Kingdom And to shew how opposite all their Actions were to those plausible pretences whereby they did at first most subtilly delude and ensnare a multitude of well-meaning people viz. Religion Laws Liberty and property of the Subject as also Priviledge of Parliament CHAP. XIII TO the end therefore that their party might not be disheartened they always took care not only to suppress any bad tidings but to puff up the people with strange imaginations of Victories and Conquests by producing of forged Letters counterfeit Messengers and the like as was manifest by their commitment of sundry persons to prison which came from Kineton-Battel and reported the very truth of the King's success there viz. Captain Wilson Lieutenant Witney and Mr. Banks who were all sent to the Gate-honse to receive punishment by Martial-Law As also one Mr. Iohn Wentworth of Lincolns-Inne and Sir William Fielding Knight giving twenty pounds to one man by order of the House who came and reported that most that were kill'd in the Battel were of the King's side and that the Earl of Essex commanded him to tell his friends that he with his own hands carried away the King's Standard But to undecieve the world as to the number on both sides slain which were then confidently given out to be five thousand most certain it is that upon strict enquiry from the adjacent Inhabitants who buried the Bodies and took particular notice of the distinct numbers put into each Grave it appears that there were not one thousand complete there interred As the remaining part of the Parliament-Army after this Battel finding not themselves in a condition to encounter the King again without new Recruits and therefore made a fair retreat no less than eight miles backward as hath been observed so did some of them before the fight standing doubtful of the success forbear to adventure themselves therein amongst which the afterfamous Oliver Cromwell was one if some of the most eminent persons of his own party who were in the fight bely him not who being Captain of a Troop of Horse in the General 's Regiment came not into the Field but got up into a Steeple within view of the Battel and there discerning by a Prospective-glass the two Wings of their Horse to be utterly routed made such hast to be gone that instead of descending the Stairs by which he came up he swing'd down by a Bell-rope and ran away with his Troop The King soon after holding a soft march towards Oxford Banbury-Castle then garrisoned by the late Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Foot and Broughton-house the cheif Seat of that great Rebel the Lord Sa yielded upon Summons as he passed But the Rebels that they might not seem to receive a foil in this first great Action the Citizens of London were summon'd to Guild-Hall where the Earls of Pembroke and Holland the Lord Say and Wharton with Mr. Strode made large Speeches to hearten them telling their great Victory at Kineton Battel But the conclusion was to crown their work as their phrase was by farther and speedy Supplies of Men Money and all other assistance To which shadow of their victory to give the better gloss a public Order was made that a gratulatory Present of five hundred pounds should be sent from the Houses to the Earl of Essex for his good service already done in the war And lest any of the deluded people should return to their obedience upon his Majesties gracious Proclamation of pardon they ordered that those Proclamations should not be published But though all these Rebellious forces were hitherto rais'd by voluntary contributions and free offers of many to engage themselves personally in this blessed Cause most of the common sort being really satisfied that they should only go and fetch up the King to his Parliament out of the hands of his Evil Counsellers and a few inconsiderable Cavaliers for by that name they call'd all the Royalists and then return triumphantly without fighting this unexpected brush at Kineton-field could not silence those who had lost their Husbands Children and Friends Seeing therefore their farther Voluntary assistances came in but slowly the Houses at Westminster made an Order
set forth a new Declaration in the name of both Houses of Parliament shewing the necessity of a present Subscription of Money and Plate for a farther supply of the Army Suggesting that his Majesties Popish-Army would proceed with Fire and Sword to root out their true Religion and all that professed it if there were not a good provision of Treasure to maintain and support the Army rais'd by the Parliament To which new Contributions for the better drawing on of others they themselves also subscrib'd And after ordered that such Citizens as had refused to pay the twentieth part should be removed to several Prisons viz. Yarmouth Colchester Norwich c. giving authority that the Collectors made by their Ordinance of the xxixth of November for Assesments should have power to break open Chests Trunks c. and to sieze Money Goods c. for satisfaction of their Taxes And at the same time appointed a Committee for sequestring the lands and estates of all such persons as had assisted the King in his just defence and preservation according to their duty and allegiance calling it a maintaining a war against the Parliament But all this being as yet not enough they passed an Ordinance to incite the City of London to a free contribution towards the sum of sixty thousand pounds for the service of the Army the Houses declaring that they were in good hopes it would be the last money they should have occasion to desire of the City in that kind And therefore that they might be as good as their words and not come often to them in a borrowing way they passed another Ordinance for imposing a Tax for the maintenance of their Army throughout the whole Kingdom of Thirty three thousand three hundred forty eight pounds a week whereof ten thousand pounds weekly was assessed upon the City of London besides Westminster and the Suburbs And to the end that the well affected who had gone forth in their Army rais'd for the defence of the Parliament Religion Laws and Liberties of the Subjects of England for those are the words of the Preamble should be the better encouraged to continue in their service they passed another Ordinance for assessing of all the Parishes in England to the relief of their maimed Souldiers with the Widows and Fatherless children of such as were or should be slain on their part CHAP. XIV I Now come to the military Actings of this present year 1642. In which I find that the Marquess of Hertford and Sir Ralph Hopton Knight of the Bath afterwards Lord Hopton had rais'd considerable forces on the King's behalf in the West and that the Earl of Newcastle afterwards Marquess in the North Colonel Charles Cavendish brother to the Earl of Devonshire Spenser Earl of Northampton and some other persons of quality had done the like in sundry other parts so that with what strength his Majesty himself then had after the taking up of his Winter-Quarters at Oxford the Royalists had possessed themselves of Banbury-Castle in Oxfordshire of Reading and Farringdon with the Castles of Wallingford and Denington in Berkshire of Chichester and Arundel-Castle in Sussex of Winchester and Basing-house in Hantshire of the Castles of Devises and Wardour in Wiltshire of the Castle of Sherbourne in Dorsetshire of some Port-Towns in Devonshire of the Castle of Pendennis and other places in Cornwall of Taunton and Bridgwater in Somersetshire of Sudley-Castle in Glucestershire of the City of Worcester of the the Town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire of Dudley-Castle and Close of Lichfeild in Staffordshire of Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire of the City of Chester of Monmouth in Monmouthshire of Lincoln and Gaynesborough in Lincolnshire of Lynne in Norfolk of the City of York and Castle of Pontfract in Yorkshire of Latham-house in Lancashire and of Newcastle in Northumberland As also that by their activeness there were taken from the Rebels before the entrance of the ensuing year these following places viz. Marlborough in Wiltshire by the Lord Wilmot Colonel Ramsey a Scot and five hundred of his men being there made prisoners Tadcaster in Yorkshire about the same time Liskard and Saltash in Cornwall Belvier-Castle in Lincolnshire Cirencester in Gloucestershire Malmesbury in Wiltshire and Grantham in Lincolnshire Whereunto may be added the safe landing of the Queen 12 Febr. at Burlington in Yorkshire with Arms and Amunition brought from Holland for his Majesties service On the Rebels part I am also to observe that besides the Earl of Essex their Generalissimo they had divers other Petty-Generals viz. Ferdinando Lord Fairfax in the North the Earl of Stanford and Sir William Waller in the West Edward Earl of Manchester Basil Lord Feilding eldest son to the Earl of Denbigh Colonel Brown the Woodmonger Sir William Brereton Baronet Sir Iohn Gell Knight Colonel Massey c. all active men in their respective stations As to the places of strength throughout England besides the Royal Navy given up into their hands by Algernon Earl of Northumberland whom the King had made Admiral of his whole Fleet they had the City and Tower of London all the Eastern-Counties with the Ports and Castles thereto belonging the strong Town of Hull in Yorkshire and in it all his Majesties Magazine of Arms Artillery and Amunition prepared for his Scottish Expedition Manchester in Lancashire in Cheshire Ludlow Bridg-North and Wemme in Shropshire Stafford in Staffordshire the Cities of Bristol and Gloucester the Towns of Leicester and Northampton the City of Coventry with the Castles of Warwick and Kenilworth all in Warwickshire the City of Lincoln the Towns of Notingham and Derby and indeed what not excepting those places I have mention'd wherein the Royalists had first set foot Besides which they took by force the City of Winchester Leedes in Yorkshire the City of Chichester in Sussex about the same time and Sudeley-Castle in Gloucestershire Not much of Action in the Field or otherwise can be expected until the ensuing Spring of the year so that all I find of note was only that at Liskard near Bodmin in Cornwall where Sir Ralph Hopton routed a strong Party of the Rebels in those parts and took above twelve hundred Prisoners Likewise that attempt upon Litchfield-close in Stafford shire made by Robert Lord Brook wherein he lost his life the manner whereof is not a little remarkable which in short was thus This Lord being strangely tainted with fanatic Principles by the influence of one of his near Relations and some Schismatical Preachers though in his own nature a very civil and well homour'd man became thereby so great a zealot against the establish'd Discipline of the Church that no less than the utter extirpation of Episcopacy and abolishing all decent Order in the service of God would satisfy him To which end he became the leader of all the power he could raise for the destruction of the Cathedral
of that Diocess of Coventry and Litchfield In order whereunto when he had march'd within half a mile of Litchfield he drew up his Army and there devoutly pray'd a blessing upon his intended work withall earnestly desiring that God would by some special Token manifest unto them his approbation of that their design which being done he went on and planted his great Guns against the South-East Gate of the Close himself standing in a Window of a little House near thereto to direct the Gunners in their purposed Battery but it so hapned that there being two persons placed in the Battlements of the chiefest Steeple to make shot with long fouling Guns at the Cannoniers upon a sudden accident which occasioned the Souldiers to give a shout this Lord coming to the door compleatly harnessed with Plate-Armour cap a pe was suddenly shot into one of his Eyes but the strength of the Bullet so much abated by the glance thereof on a piece of timber which supported a Pentiss over the Door that it only lodg'd in his Brains Whereupon he suddenly fell down dead Nor is it less notable that this accident fell out upon the second day of March which is the Festival of that sometime famous Bishop St. Chad to whose memory Offa King of the Mercians first erected this stately Church and devoutly dedicated it The next thing whereof I shall take notice is that on the nineteenth day of the same month of March was that feirce Skirmish at Hopton-Heath in the same County of Stafford where the right loyal and valiant Spenser Earl of Northampton encountring Sir William Brereton and Sir Iohn Gell though he had the better of the day being unhappily fallen from his Horse amongst Coney-Burrows was barbarously murthered CHAP. XV. AS to this year's Actions considering that money is the Sinews of war the first thing of note in order to the gaining thereof which the Members at Westminster did was the sequestring of Delinquents i. e. the Royalists estates And finding the poor Country-people very weary of the war and apt to run away having also had so much experience of the Cities forwardness in all things tending to their service to the intent that upon any sudden occasion they might draw out considerable numbers thence they passed an Ordinance that the Committee for the Militia of London and the Suburbs should raise new Regiments of Voluntiers for the better security thereof So likewise for the better support of two other of their Generals viz. Sir William Waller and Sir Arthur Haselrig they passed an Ordinance for engaging the Public Faith to such as should lend either Horse Men or Money unto them in that service But by this time the private Discontents and repinings which these large Exactions caused beginning to make the great Masters in this Tragic Scene to doubt a revolt in the people considering how frequently the King by sundry gracious Proclamations of pardon and all other good means had woed them To carry on the work therefore the more smoothly they were constrained after the example of their Brethren the Scots to make an Engagement by a solemn Oath for continuing their assistance therein And in this as the Citizens of London who in all other occasions had been their principal Instruments did readily tender their service by Sir Henry Mildmay who reported to the House that they would lend the fourty thousand pounds demanded for now they were borrowing again provided that the Holy League and Covenant before spoken of might be made and imposed upon the whole Kingdom And rather than their Blessed Cause as they call'd it should suffer it was moved by the Sub-Committee at Sadler's Hall in Breadstreet that all persons who were willing to promote their own Safety should spare one meal weekly towards the provision of Horse and Arms for the new rais'd Auxiliaries about London Also because they found some slackness in the people to bring in money upon the Propositions they appointed Committees in the several Counties to tax such for their fifth and twentieth part as had not contributed or lent accordingly and passed another Ordinance for taking Horses for the service of the Parliament It is not unworthy of note that this thrifty contrivance for sparing one meal a week was the usher to that then formidable Imposition called Excise never before heard of by many thousands in this Kingdom which the trivers at Westminster durst not shew the people till they were sufficiently tamed under the yoke of other Exactions knowing full well how displeasing it would be to them Nay so fearful were they themselves after they had form'd their first Army lest the people should apprehend any suspicion thereof which might then have endangered a Revolt that when it was but whispered by some what they foresaw would happen they made an Order in their House of Commons for punishing such Malignant persons as had cast aspersions upon that House that they intended to assess any man's Pewter and lay Excise upon that and other Commodities But now that they saw the people by degrees so patiently submit to many other burdens they began to debate in their House of Commons how fit and necessary it would be for them to impose Excise upon Wine Beer Tobacco and such petty Commodities Whereupon Mr. Pym by his Letter to Sir Iohn Hotham signifyed that they had proceeded in the Excise to many particulars and intended to go on farther but that it would be necessary to use the people to it by little and little And because this Ordinance before-mention'd for taking Horses for the service of the Parliament should not pinch upon their friends they passed another by which they appointed certain persons to levy such Horses for the service of the Parliament but with special direction that the Horses taken from the well affected should be valued and repaiment secured upon the Public faith Having thus laid such a sure foundation for the support of more Forces they then sent out a Declaration to their Lord Lieutenants and Deputy-Lieutenants of Kent Canterbury and the Cinqueports that they should associate and raise an Army of a thousand Foot-Voluntiers and one or more Troops of Horse and to appoint a Major General and give Battel to any Forces not raised by authority of both Houses But the Oath formerly mentioned by Sir Henry Mildmay being by this time framed was now thought fit to be set on foot as of high concernment to oblige all those that were well affected and for the better discovery of other well-wishers to the Cause a work therefore of this high consequence being not fit to be brought into the world naked they had a Committee who made report of a treacherous Conspiracy discovered upon the last day of May being the Fast-day viz. of a pretended design to destroy the Parliament and well affected party of the Kingdom to subject Religion
Laws and Liberty of the Subject to establish Popery and to set up an arbitrary Government for prevention whereof both Houses and the whole Realm should enter into a solemn Covenant never to lay down Arms so long as the Popish-party for so they called the King's forces were on foot and Papists and Delinquents protected from the Justice of the Parliament but to assist the Forces rais'd by authority of the two Houses of Parliament against the Forces rais'd by the King Which solemn Oath and Covenant thus drawn up was then taken by both Houses and within ten days following throughout all the Parishes of London And because the poor Country-people might throughout England be all caught upon one day they passed an Order of both Houses that a Public Thanksgiving should be made throughout the whole Kingdom on Thursday the thirteenth of Iuly following for the discovery of the late Plot at which time this Oath and Covenant should be tendred to every man in the several Parishes Also to secure the Pulpit-men the more cordially to them and to make them the more active in stirring up the people upon all occasions they made an Ordinance for calling an Assembly of Divines in order to the setting up of the Presbyterian Government Which Assembly was to consist of ten of the House of Lords and twenty of the House of Commons whose names are therein express'd and the rest Ministers all of the Presbyterian gang excepting three or four whom though for the more credit of that Convention they nominated there was little reason to expect any of their company The Preamble of which Ordinance runs thus Whereas amongst the infinite blessings of Almighty God upon this Nation none is or can be more dear unto us then the purity of our Religion And for that as yet many things remain in the Liturgy Discipline and Government of the Church which do necessarily require a farther and more perfect Reformation than as yet hath been attained And whereas it hath been declared and resolved by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that the present Church-government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellours Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons and other Eccleastical Officers depending upon the Hierarchy is justly offensive and burthensome to the Kingdom a great impediment to Reformation and growth of Religion and very prejudicial to the State and Government of this Kingdom and that therefore they are resolved that the same shall be taken away and that such a Government shall be setled in the Church as may be most agreeable to God's holy word and most apt to procure and preserve the peace of the Church at home and neerer agreement with the Church of Scotland and other reformed Churches abroad c. be it ordained c. 'T was no marvail indeed that they at Westminster bestir'd themselves so hard for by this time the success of his Majesties Armies was such that he had by God's blessing regained the greatest part of the North and West parts of this Realm and did daily so increase in strength that to uphold their Cause they bethought themselves of calling in their Brethren the Scots for aid Wherefore having prepared a Declaration to discover another dangerous Plot to extirpate the Protestant Religion in England Ireland and Scotland they agreed that some of their Members viz. the Lork Grey of Wark Sir William Ayrmia and Mr. Darley should go into Scotland to desire help from thence and prepare Instructions for them with Letters of Credence with promise that they should have allowance for the charge of such forces as they should send and that the debts they already owed them should be paid out of the lands of the Papists and Prelatical party in Northumberland Cumberland and Bishoprick of Durham Which Commissioners did accordingly set forwards upon the xxith of Iuly But about this time the Earl of Essex their General made complaint to them by Letters for want of Horse Arms c. and proposed to them a Treaty for peace Whereunto answer was soon made by the resolution of their House of Commons who debated the same that by their late Vow and Covenant they had bound themselves never to lay down Arms so long as the Papists for so they call'd the King's forces which were then in Arms against them should have protection from the Justice of the Parliament sending him word that they would recruit his Troops according to his desire And to complement their Western General Sir William Waller whose heartiness to the Cause suted so well with theirs they ordered five thousand pounds to be sent down to him and given as a Largess to his Souldiers the more to encourage them in that service But the certain charge of their Rebellious Armies did so vastly increase as was truly foretold by Mr. Green Chairman to their Committee for the Navy upon the sixth of December before viz. that the maintenance of the Lord General 's Army would for the ensuing year amount to above a million of Money that of the Navy having been two hundred and forty thousand pounds for the year passed and that without delay they must of necessity settle a round and constant Tax for maintenance thereof they therefore passed an Ordinance for Excise or new Impost upon Wine Beer Ale Cider Perry Raisins Figs Currans Sugar Spices wrought and raw Silks Furrs Hats Laces Lether Linnen of all sorts Thread Wier c. and for sweetning its relish with the people gave it out that part of its income should pay Debts for which the Public faith was engaged Moreover to raise men as well as money their Western-Army being then destroy'd at Round-way-down the Citizens had a meeting at Grocer's Hall where they made new Subscriptions to set up Sir William Waller again For the better furthering whereof there were new Petitions framed from London Westminster and Southwark and presented to the House of Commons that all the Kingdom might rise as one man against the Common Enemy and that the Parliament would give power to a Committee to list so many of the Petitioners as were willing to go out in their own persons as also to take the Subscriptions of others for the raising a considerable Body of Horse and Foot and that the like course might be taken throughout the Kingdom by a confiding Committee In pursuance whereof both Houses made an Ordinance for raising seven thousand Horse in London Middlesex and the Counties adjacent to be commanded by the Lord Kymbolton afterwards Earl of Manchester and of Eleven hundred Horse in the Counties of Bedford Buckingham Northampton and Hertford to be commanded by Sir Iohn Norwich In Norfolk and Suffolk Eleven hundred by Sir Miles Hobart in Surrey Sussex Southampton and Berkshire fourteen hundred by Colonel Richard Norton And all these thus to be rais'd to resist the Insolencies of the King's Army Certain it is
Children with their disposal in Marriage to the vile affections and humours of this hypocritical Generation ¶ That their confidence likewise in carrying all before them with power and force through the aid of the Scots might the more appear I shall now represent unto you Presbytery Triumphant for a while For within six days after they had sent these insolent propositions to the King they voted down the reverend Liturgy by Law establish'd in the Church of England And for a farther encouragement to those their dear brethren on whose assistance they did so much relie which emboldened them to make those high demands they passed an Ordinance for raising the Sum of sixty six thousand six hundred sixty six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence for their supply by way of Loane from such persons as should not voluntarily or proportionably lend according to their estates Which Loane was to be paid out of the Sequestrations of Delinquents But to make the more specious ostentation to the world that all their Actions wholly tended to the Glory of God the publick good and nothing to their own private interests they farther voted that no member of either House should during that war enjoy or execute any office or command military or civil which had been granted or conferred on them by either House or by any Authority derived from either House and that an Ordinance should be drawn up accordingly Next they passed an Ordinance for the utter abolishing the Pious Liturgy commonly called the Book of Common Prayer complied by divers reverend Divines of which some died Martyrs and for the establishing a Directory as they call'd it for the worship of God in the room thereof whereby every conceited person was left at liberty unto his own frothy fancy in framing certain Prayers whereunto the Congregation were to say Amen a thing so absurd and destructive to the true and real service of God as that there needs no observations upon it And the day following to glorify their doings the more they adorn'd their House of Commons with that whole suit of Hangings which were placed in the Quire of the Collegiate Church at Westminster and some other taken out of the King's wardrobe And having proceeded against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury whose memory as a stout Champion for the Church of England against her fierce assaylants the Romanists on the one side and Schismaticks on the other and for his many other great and pious works much beseeming a person of that place will be precious to succeeding ages by arraigning him before themselves upon articles of high Treason as they call'd them wherein they charg'd him with labouring to overthrow the Fundamental Laws and Government of this Kingdome subverting the Religion establish'd to set up Papistry and Superstition they did by an Ordinance passed the very same day with that for abolishing the Book of Common Prayer condemn him to suffer death as a Traytor for the quicker dispatch whereof they brought down the Lords to sit with the Commons and afterwards beheaded him on Tower-hill After which they admitted of a Treaty with certain Commissioners nominated by the King upon those Propositions so sent by them as hath been observed Which Treaty being by them limited to twenty days began at Uxbridge on Thursday the 30th of Ianuary To take notice here of the particular passages in this treaty considering that they are so exactly set forth in print will not be needfull The truth is that though these Grandees at Westminster did then make shew to incline unto a happy composure of all things by that amicable expedient to the end that by this plausible pretence they might the more captivate the people they really intended nothing less as may appear not onely by those unjust and insolent demands whereupon they did so stifly insist which amounted to the uter subversion of the Religion by Law establisht getting the power of the sword into their own hands and carrying on the war in Ireland according to their depraved wills and pleasures but by that seditious and impudent Sermon preach'd in Uxbridge Church upon the first day of that Treaty it being the Market-day there by Mr. Christopher Love after executed by themselves on Tower-Hill who besides many passages therein scandalous to the King's person and derogatory to his Honour stirring up the People against the Treaty and sharply incensing them against his Majesties Commissioners said that they came with Hearts full of bloud and that there was as great a distance betwixt that Treaty and peace as betwixt Heaven and Hell For which malicious expression though complaint was made and Justice demanded no redress could be had Besides when the King's Commissioners desired to treat with them concerning his Majesties speedy return to Westminster they utterly refused so to do though they had ever given it out to the world that the sole reason for raising their Armies was to bring the King to his Parliament CHAP. XIX AS to the military passages of this year the chief on the Kings part were these Longford house in Com. Salop. was rendred by the Rebels to Prince Rupert As also Longe-castle in the same County Likewise Stopport in Cheshire Lathom house in Lancashire being besieged by Sir Thomas Fairfax was relieved by Prince Rupert whereupon Leverpoole and Bolton both in that County were soon taken by him Borstall-house in Oxfordshire taken by Colonell Gage Colonell Shuttleworth defeated at Blackburn in Lancashire by Prince Rupert Sir William Waller with his forces routed at Cropredy-bridge in Oxfordshire the Earls of Northampton and Cleveland being both in that action And York after nine weeks siege by the Scots the Lord Fairfax and Earl of Manchester assisting them reliev'd by Prince Rupert In the next month Lestithiel in Cornwall being then taken by the King the Earl of Essex forfook his Foot and fled in a Cock-boat from Foy to Plymouth with the Lord Roberts the foot then under the command of Major general Skippon delivering up their Arms Ammunition and Artillery and engaging themselves thenceforth never to bear Arms against the King Basing house also being again besieged by the Rebells was reliev'd by Colonel Gage The Earl of Northampton likewise rais'd the siege of Banbury-Castle which had continued from the 19th of Iuly And the next month following the King raised the siege of Donington-Castle in Berkshire as also that of Basing But as to further success on the King's part within the compass of this year 1644. I do not find any thing of note saving the defeat given to Colonel Rosseter near Melton Moubray in Leicestershire by Sir Marmaduke Langdale in his passage from Oxford towards Pontfract And his relief of Pontfract-Castle then besieged by the Lord Fairfax ¶ I now come to the Actions on the Rebels part in this year 1644. wherein they had
make him increase his plagues upon us and to punish us seven times more because we continue to walk contrary unto him 2. That the Lord's hand is still stretched out against us in the Iudgment of the Pestilence which spreads not onely in several parts of the Country but continueth and increaseth in many of the most eminent Cities of the Kingdome 3. The great danger that threatens Religion and the work of Reformation in these Kingdomes for the number power and policy of the Secretaries in England which are like not onely to interupt the progress of uniformity and the establishment of the Ordinances of God in their beauty and perfection but to overturn the foundation already laid and all that hath been built thereupon with the expence of so much bloud and pains And therefore we are earnestly to pray to the Lord that the solemn League and Covenant may be kept fast and inviolable notwithstanding all the purposes and endeavours of open Enemies and secret underminigs to the contrary We are to intreat the Lord on the behalf of the King's Majesty that he may be reconcil'd to God and that he may be now furnished with wisdome and councill from above that he be not involved in new snares to the endangering of himself and these Kingdomes but that his Heart may incline to such resolutions as will contribute for setling of Religion and Righteousness We are also to intreat the Lord on the behalf of the Parliament of England of the Synod of Divines and of all such in that Land as do unfeignedly mind the work of God that they may not be discouraged nor swerve in the day of temptation but that every of them in their Stations and according to their places and callings may be furnished with Light and Strength from Heaven for doing of their duty with faithfulness and zeal We are to supplicate for direction to our Committee of Estates that they may discern the times and know what is fitting to be done for securing our selves and encouraging our Brethren We are to pray for a Spirit of Light of Love unto our Assembly that they may be instrumental in preserving Truth and advancing Holiness amongst our selves and for carrying on the work of God amongst our Neighbours That the Lord would pour out upon all sorts of persons in these Kingdomes a Spirit of Grace and Supplication that it may repent us of all our Iniquities and that we may be reconcil'd unto the Lord that so all tokens of his wrath may be removed from amongst us and he may bless us with the sweet fruits of Truth and Peace It cannot easily be thought but that the Scots did somewhat more than fast and pray considering the desperate condition wherein their Covenanting-Brethren especially at Westminster and in London then stood and that the great work of Reformation as they call'd it lay in such hazard But at such a distance what more could soon be expected than that they should by the help of the zealous Preachers earnestly incite the Covenanters in London to bestir themselves and put more courage into those drooping Members who after the late purge were then left in the House which for certain they under-hand in some sort did and were like enough above board to have done much more considering that by an Ordinance of May the 4th then past the Militia of that great City was established in the hands of such persons as were nominated by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council there To secure themselves therefore against this iminent danger the Army were necessitated by picking a quarrel with the City to wrest the Militia out of their hands and then totally to cleanse the House at Westminster of the remaining Presbyterean-humour by a stronger purge then it formerly had In order whereunto there was a Letter forthwith sent from General Fairfax and the Army together with a Remonstrance to the Houses at Westminster demanding the Militia of the City to be put into their Hands Whereupon the House of Commons tamely and readily voted the repealing of that Ordinance of May the 4th and presently passed a new Ordinance for reviving the old Militia and transmitted it to the Lords Which unexpected change caused the City to meet in Common-Council and to resolve of Petitioning the Parliament again therein within two days following And so they did by their Sheriffs and some of the Common-Council But to second this Petition there followed them within three hours some thousands of Apprentices and other stout fellows with another Petition whereby they claim'd the Militia as the Citie 's Birthright by sundry Charters confirm'd in former Parliaments for defence whereof they alledg'd that they had adventured their Lives as far as the Army and thereupon desired that the Militia might be put again into the same Hands in which it was put with the Parliament and Citie 's consent upon the 4th of May. And this they did in so tumultuous a fashion that the Lords who were then but seven in number presently granted it And having so done and sent it to the Commons slipping out by a postern went themselves away by water But the Commons having no mind to displease the Army refus'd to do the like and angrily bad the Apprentices to be gone intending to rise and adjourn themselves Which purpose of theirs being discern'd by those youngsters was by them soon prevented by shutting up their doors and peremptorily requiring their complyance with the Lords The Commons therefore seeing themselves in this streight did at length with much unwillingness yeild to the importunity of these their bold Suitors and not onely so but were by them forc't to pass a farther vote which was that the King should be admitted to come to London to treat But this uproar being made known to the Grandees of the Army the greatest advantage imaginable was made thereof For the confiding Members being thereupon sent for to the Army fled to the Head-Quarters at Windsore within three days after the Speaker also bearing them Company who having cousened the State of vast sums of Money was threatned with an Impeachment if he did not come with them Of the House of Commons that so fled to the Army the number was said to be above fourty and of the Lords which came after the names were these viz. the Earls of Northumberland Warwick Manchester Salisbury Kent Moulgrave the Viscount Say and Sele the Lords Grey of Warke Wharton and Howard of Escrick Of the House of Lords that stay'd the Lord Willoughby of Parham was made Speaker But of the Commons there was about one hundred and fourty who coming to the House and missing their old Speaker and the Serjeant at Mace which usually attended chose Mr. Henry Pelham to be their new Speaker and another Serjeant to attend him Which number being all of the old Covenanting flock and yet not further illuminated proceeded to doe and act as a Parliament first
falling off again as hath already been observed He became so strangely elated that nothing then to be done could give satisfaction to his ambitious and unlimited desires But here I shall also observe that notwithstanding the strong factions into which these men were then divided had begot a perfect hatred of each to other as the many printed pamphlets then spread abroad do sufficiently shew Nevertheless for the utter eradicating of the Religion by Law establish'd in the Church of England which themselves had at first 3. May 1641. solemnly protested to maintain about this time they all agree'd together in framing an Ordinance for the establishing of Presbytery containing a particular form and order of Church-government in their congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies In which the Lay Elders constituted at that time in all the Parishes throughout the City of London are expresly nominated with direction for the setling of all others throughout England and Wales and limitation of their powers unto the sharp and rigorous penalties whereof all conscientious and orthodox Protestants of the Church of England were to be subject but the Independent brood consisting of all sorts of Schismaticks and Sectaries under the notion of Godly-men and tender conscienced to be at liberty ¶ And now to proceed As I have already taken notice that a personal Treaty with the King was voted by the Members at Westminster I shall here observe that all things being prepared for the same it began at Newport in the Isle of Wight upon the 18th of September the chief persons permitted to attend his Majesty there being these the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earl of Lindsey and Earl of Southampton Gentlemen of his Bedchamber the Bishops of London and Salisbury Dr. Sheldon Dr. Hamond Dr. Oldsworth Dr. Sanderson Dr. Turner and Dr. Heywood Chaplains Sir Thomas Gardner Sir Orlando Bridgman Sir Robert Holburne Mr. Gessrey Palmer Mr. Thomas Cooke and Mr. Iohn Vaughan Lawyers The Members at Westminster imploying these the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Middlesex the Viscount Say the Lord Wenman Denzil Holles and William Pierpont Esquires Sir Henry Vane junior Sir Harbotle Grymston Mr. Samuel Brown Sir Iohn Potts Mr. Crew Serjeant Glyn and Mr. Bulkley These other Divines for the King being afterwards added viz. Dr. Iames Vsher Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland and Dr. Ferne And for the Parliament Mr. Stephen Marshal Mr. Richard Vines Mr. Lazarus Seaman and Mr. Ioseph Caryll But withall as it is now most evident to the world that there was never any real purpose on the part of the Grandees at Westminster that the Treaty formerly at Uxbridge should take any good effect so was there less expectation here the King being then their prisoner and all his forces come to nothing for though they then gave way to this Treaty they were at that very time contriving and framing the formality of his absolute destruction of which the symptoms were visible enough during the whole continuance of that Treaty by sundry Petitions to the Members at Westminster all declaming bitterly against it Which Petitions as 't is well known were first fram'd by the Grandees themselves and then sent amongst the people to be subscribed according to their usual practice In most whereof it was desired that all Delinquents without exception might be brought to condigne punishment one whereof concluding thus from Psalm 149. ver 6 7 8 and 9. Let the high prayses of God be in the mouths of his Saints and a twofold Sword in their Hands to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the Iudgments written This Honour have all his Saints Besides it is farther to be observ'd that after the destruction of this Scottish-Army at Preston and the reducing of Colchester Cromwell went into Scotland where he not onely laid the plot with the Marquess of Argyle for the destruction of the King and extirpation of Monarchy but by his help in the contrivance of that unparalel'd murther agree'd in the formalities conducing thereto ¶ And now as to this Treaty in the Isle of Wight 't is sufficiently known that it was on His Majestie 's part totally and singly managed by himself against all those subtile persons above-mentioned the Houses at Westminster not permitting him to have any assistant therein either Divines or others Also that it was perform'd by him with so much judgment gravity meekness and curtesie as not onely much astonisht but made converts of some that had been his greatest Enemies and were then his Antagonists there Wherein to manifest his earnest desires for the peace of those distracted Realms he was contented to devest himself totally in effect of his own Regal power for life and to trust those insatiable men with the exercise thereof as is apparently to be seen by the particular Articles then assented to by him viz. 1. As to the Militia he consented thereto as 't was required by their Proposition 2. For Episcopacy though he could not consent to the utter abolishing thereof yet he offered that it might be regulated and reduced to the primative usage and so setled and continued in the Church And in order thereto that it might be enacted that the Bishops should not act without the Council and assistance of the Presbyters in the exercises of Ordination and Iurisdiction and therefore desired the consent of the Houses in the one that he might the more freely give his assent unto the other Offering to lessen the extent or multiply the number of the Diocesses as should be agreed upon by both Houses 3. As to Bishops lands that he could not consent to the alienation of them but offred what he had done before for satisfaction of the Purchasers and Contracters which was for the enjoyment of them for a certain time being therein seconded by the opinion of many Divines who differ in other things that the alienation of them would be no less than Sacriledge 4. That he would confirm their Ordinance for the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines 5. That he would confirm the form of Church-government presented to him with the Directory and repeal those Statutes which enjoyn'd the use of Common Prayer and all this for three years provided that a consultation should be had between the Assembly of Divines and twenty of His Majestie 's nomination added to them in the mean time for the farther setling of the Church at the end of those three years and that Himself and His might have the use of the Comâ—â—prayer But for the new Articles of Religion His Majesty haveing not had time sufficient as yet for consideration of so weighty matters as concern Faith and Doctrine desired that that part of the Proposition might for the present be omitted 6. That he would confirm the Ordinance for â—wordsâ— better observation of the Lord's day provided that
Parliament in case they were elected ¶ The next thing of Note that hapned was the Proclaiming of Prince Charles at Edenborough in Scotland to be King of Great Britain France and Ireland his Royal Father being thus destroy'd But 't is to be noted that this Proclamation ran thus Whom all the Subjects of his Kingdom are bound humbly to obey maintain and defend according to the National Covenant betwixt the Two Kingdoms with their Lives and Goods against all deadly And that before he should be admitted to the exercise of His Royal Power he was to give satisfaction to that Kingdom in those things that concern'd the security of Religion the Union betwixt the Kingdoms and the Good and Peace of that Kingdom according to the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant And for Establishing the Dominion of these Bloody Regicides at Weâ—tminâ—â—er the Members there Sitting went on Vigorously First Voting the absolute abolition of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy Next in devising and appointing A new Stamp for Coyne And by Erecting a Council of State consisting of Thirty Persons viz. the Earles of Densigh Mulgrave Pembroke Salisbury Lord Grey of Warke Lord General Fairfax Lord Grey of Groby Lord L'isle Son to the Earl of Leicester Lord Chief Justice Rolls Lord Chief Justice St. Iohn Lord Chief Baron Wylde Lord President Bradshaw Lord General Cromwell Major General Skippon Sir Gilbert Pickering Sir William Masham Sir Arthur Haselrig Sir Iames Harrington Sir Henry Vane Jun. Sir Iohn Davers Sir William Armyn Sir Henry Mildmay Sir William Constable Alderman Penington Alderman Wilson Bulstrode Whitlock Esq Henry Martin Esq Colonel Ludlow Anthony Stepeley Esq William Heveningham Esq Robert Wallop Esq Iohn Hutchinson Esq Dennis Bond Esq Alexander Popham Esq Valentine Walton Esq Thomas Scot Esq William Purefey Esq Iohn Iones Esq But the Lord Grey of Warke waving that employment Mr. Iohn L'isle of Hantshire Cornelius Holand and Luke Robinson were added to this Number who were called the Committee of Estates appointed by Parliament ¶ It is not unworthy of Observation that as the Scots and this unhappy Long Parliament at the beginning of their desperate Practises against the King did declare that their whole Proceedings then were according to the Fundamental Laws So these wicked Regicides after their Bloody Murther of the King in answer to an Embassy from the Dutch expressed that these their Proceedings against the King were consistent with the Fundamental Laws of this Nation of England which were best known to themselves Nor was the project for their new Church-Discipline less notable as may seem by this following Petition and Advice which was presented to the General of their Army and the Council of War by many Christians as they call'd themselves dispersed abroad throughout the County of Norfolk and City of Norwich in these words That your Petitioners acknowledge themselves unspeakably engaged to the God of Heaven and Earth for his great Mercy to us in giving you Hearts to offer your selves so willingly among the People in the late Great undertaking of the Nation against the Enemies of the Peace thereof and Blessing your Faithful endeavours with such Glorious and wonderful successes whereby as the Lord hath put great Honour upon you Crowning your Valour with Victory and making you the War-like Glory of the World so hath be no less put great Obligations upon you all to exalt him that hath exalted you and to lift up his Glory in the World where he hath given you a name so Great and Glorious c. Therefore our dayly Prayers shall be for your selves and your Noble Army that you may never stumble at the stumbling-stone nor take the honour to your selves that is due to Christ nor be Instrumental for setting up of a meer Natural and Worldly Government like that of Heathen Rome Athens c. To which end we humbly pray that your selves would enter into Serious and Grave consideration and debate the Particulars in the Papers here humbly offered to you and also present them to the Honourably Parliament that they may be improved so far as shall be found agreeable to the will and word of God Which done we doubt not but God shall have much Glory the Godly Party shall be comforted Natural men enjoying their Estates will be at rest also and much satisfied and this Common-wealth will be exalted to be both an Habitation of Iustice and Mountain of Holiness even such a People as God shall Bless An humble Advice concerning the Government of the Kingdom according to the former Platform or Model 1. That you would stir up Godly Ministers and People throughout the Kingdom to Associate or incorporate into Church-Societies and grant them your special Favour Provision and Protection so shall you be Saints Nursing Fathers 2. That you would please to satisfie the Godly-dissenting Brethren both of Presbytery and Independency by such ways and means as your Wisdoms shall think fit how both their Interests may meet herein that so they may concur with one heart in the work 3. That Sister-Churches over-see such Incorporations and Imbodyings that only such as be of approved Godliness may have the Right-hand of Fellowship given to them 4. That such Churches where more of them are thus Collected and imbodyed in any Division Circuit Province c. may choose and send out some Delegates Members and Officers to Meet in one Sessions Lesser-Parliament Presbytery or Assembly for ordering of all such affaires as there occur according to the word if appertaining alone to that division 5. That all such Churches and the Members thereof have voices in Elections of such as are to sit in General Assemblies or Church-Parliaments so often as occasion is and those Elected to Sit there as Christ's Officers and the Churches Representatives and to determine all things by the word as that Law which God will exalt alone and make honourable 6. That you take special care to send out and encourage Godly Preachers that may go into the rest of the Kingdom to Preach the Gospel that so when others are converted and the Son of God makes them Free they may enjoy the former Freedom with the rest of the Saints And in father order to the utter abolishing of Kingly Government they appointed all those Antick and most Venerable Regalia conserved in the Treasury at Westminster and chiefly made use of at the Magnificent Coronations of the Kings of the Realm and solemn Proceedings to Parliament And also the costly Hangings precious Jewels with other of the Kings Goods and rich Furniture for his several Princely Palaces to be sold. And within few days following caused the Heads of Iames Duke of Hamilton Henry Earl of Holand with that truly Noble Arthur Lord Capel to be cut off Touching whose actings against them having already made some brief mention I shall only take notice of their dealing with Duke Hamilton a little before his Execution which was that in order to his discovery
of such Members of Parliament and Citizens of London as had any Hand in calling him in Cromwel took a Journey on purpose to Windsor and there flattered him with fair promises of Life and though he could get nothing out of him nevertheless he caused Bradshaw to carry a favourable countenance towards him upon his Tryal in Westminster-Hall the Lord Grey of Groby Colonel Wayte and Hugh Peters being likewise imploy'd to him upon the like Errand who told him that they would not much obstruct him Pretended Plea of Quarter from Lambert upon Articles Peters also promising him to witness the same for him though Wayte upon his Report to the House of Commons of the manner how he took him had affirmed that he yielded at discretion and that Lambert was not near him Nay honest Hugh seem'd so zealous in his behalf that he Prayed openly for him as his Lord and Patron and fed him with no small hopes in case he would impeach those whom they suspected But Hamilton in stead of complying with them therein expecting otherwise to save his Head did not only offer them an hundred thousand Pounds for his Life intimating what Service he would do them in Scotland but assured them that he would joyn Interests with Argile and be a Servant to them there Whereupon Messengers were sent Post thither to know Argile's mind who resolving that none should share with him in so Glorious a Work refused any conjunction with him The Wind therefore blowing in that Door Bradshaw used him more roughly upon his Farther Tryal than before and Hugh Peters renounc'd what he had formerly testified insomuch as Sentence of Death was given against him Nevertheless that he might still expect Life and not give that Glory to God in this his Judgment and cast Infamy upon them by a Christian acknowledgment of his own and Argile's mutual Practises they soon cut off his Head And immediately after this they passed an Act for discharging all people from their Allegiance to the late King's Issue and abolishing the Kingly Office Likewise for abolishing the House of Peers as useless and dangerous but with favour to some Lords who had demeaned themselves with honour courage and fidelity to the Common-wealth as the words are so that they might be capable of Voting in Parliament if elected Philip Earl of Pembroke being the first which had the benefit of this Act being admitted a Commoner in this new fram'd Parliament and the Lord Howard of Escrick the Second After whom followed William Earl of Salisbury And wisely considering that as the Preachers had been their chief Instruments for infusing such Principles into the Vulgar sort of People by their Seditious Lecturing Sermons as had at last accomplisht their long studied design for the abolishing of Monarchical Government Lest therefore that by the same Engine the like ruine in time might be brought upon themselves they ordered that no Minister in the Pulpit should meddle with any State-Matters therein pursuing the practise of the Netherlanders who had done so before for the prevention of mischief to their own Common-wealth But now to digress a little let us here behold what a Brain-sick Generation in a short space of time sprung up from this precious root of Presbytery About this time there came Six Souldiers into the Parish-Church of Walton upon Thames in Surrey near Twylight in the Evening Mr. Faucet the Preacher there having not till then ended his Sermon one of which number with a Lanthorn in his hand and a Candle burning in it and in the other Hand four Candles not lighted desired the Parishoners to stay a while saying that he had a Message from God unto them and thereupon offered to go up into the Pulpit But the people refusing to give him leave so to do or to stay in the Church he went into the Church-yard and there told them that he had a Vision wherein he had received a command from God to declare his will unto them which he was to deliver and they to receive upon pain of damnation it consisting of Five Lights 1. That the Sabbath was abolisht as unnecessary Iewish and meerly Ceremonial And here quoth he I should put out my first Light but the wind is so high I cannot kindle it 2. That Tithes are abolisht as Iewish and Ceremonial a great Burthen to the Saints of God and a discouragement of Industry and Tillage and here I should put out my Second Light c. 3. That Ministers are abolisht as Antichristian and of no longer use now Christ himself descends into the hearts of his Saints and his Spirit enlighteneth them with Revelations and Inspirations And here I should put out my Third Light c. 4. Magistrates are abolished as useless now that Christ himself is in purity of Spirit come among us and hath erected the Kingdom of the Saints upon Earth Besides they are Tyrants and Oppressors of the Liberty of the Saints and tye them to Laws and Ordinances meer humane Inventions And here I should put out my Fourth Light c. 5. Then putting his Hand into his Pocket and pulling out a little Bible he shewed it open to the People saying Here is a Book you have in great Veneration consisting of Two parts the Old and New Testament I must tell you it is abolished it containeth Beggarly Rudiments Milk for Babes but now Christ is in Glory amongst us and imparts a farther measure of his Spirit to his Saints than this can afford I am commanded to burn it before your Face So taking the Candle out of his Lanthorn he set fire on it Then putting out the Candle he said and here my Fifth Light is extinguished Nay the stream at that time carryed Multitudes so violently this way that the Souldiers fell to Preaching in many places six of them in one day exercising their Gifts in that kind at White-Hall in so much as that Grand Impostor Cromwel subtilly observing the bent of this Tide ascended the Pulpit there himself pretending that he was called up by the Spirit of God and standing a good while with his Eyes lifted up as it were in a Trance his Head inclining to one side he fetcht many deep Groans spent one hour in his Prayer and near two in his Sermon In which Prayer his Humility was such that in imitation of Moses he desired God to take off from his Shoulders the Government of this Mighty People of England as being too heavy for him to bear And so much did he then pretend to Revelations and Inspirations that when any weighty matter was propounded to him he usually retired for a quarter of an hour or more and declared what was revealed to him But to proceed About this time they passed an Act for supporting of their Military Forces by imposing a Tax of Ninety thousand Pound Per Mensem upon the Kingdom And that the people might be totally confounded as to matter of Religion or have any regard
Instructions he thought convenient to Fortifie the Duke in this violent Assault And knowing how strictly he was guarded from the access of any Protestant his Lordship being by his Lady related to the Abbot went to give him a Visit but his design was soon guessed at and though he obtained access to the Duke he was so carefully watcht that with great difficulty he did unperceived convey to him the Instructions he had prepared for him yet was forc'd to Vary his Stratagems to have farther advices from time to time delivered to him But so narrowly was the Duke eyed by the Popish Spies set over him and the Priests were all the day long so incessantly torturing him with their Pressures to change his Religion that he had no opportunity to peruse any Papers sent to him so that he was constrained to deliver them to his faithful Servant Gryffin who in the night time as he lay in his Bed-Chamber acquainted him what the scope of them was By the advantage of which through the Assistance of Almighty God he did so resolutely withstand all the violent shocks of his Persecuters that thereupon they resolved not only to remove Mr. Gryffin from him but to Imprison the Duke in the Iesuits Colledge Whereof the King his Brother then in Germany receiving advise he did immediately use all possible endeavours for his relief and sent an Expostulary Letter to the Queen his Mother with Commands to all his most Eminent Protestant-Subjects in Paris to be to their utmost aiding and Assisting to him in this his distress Some dayes before he was to have been removed to the Iesuits-Colledge Sir George Ratcliff attempted the delivery of a Letter to him from the King his Brother but though he was admitted to his presence he could not with Privacy do it Whereupon he was necessitated to leave it with Mr. Gryffin to be convey'd to him In which Letter his Majesty minded him of the strict Command he left with him at his parting to continue firm in his Religion as also of the Vanity of their Motives the emptiness of their Promises the last Charge of their dead Father which he solemnly gave him with the entail of his Blessing annexed withal telling him if he suffered himself to be perverted in his Religion by any inticements whatsoever or put himself into the Iesuits-+Colledge he had the last Letter he should ever have from him and must never look to see his Face again As soon as the Duke had with an unexpressible joy received this Letter with all hast possible he transcribed a Copy of it and forthwith sent it to the Queen his Mother begging her leave to come to Paris both upon the account of those commands of the King and the News of his Brother the Duke of York's being return'd from the French Army But her Majesty was pleased to send him word she could not cease wishing his so great and eternal good as the change of his Religion to which she would not force him but advised him to hearken to what Abbot Mountagu should farther deliver to him which was that he should howsoever be willing to go to the Iesuits-Colledge where he should have liberty in all things he could desire To which it was still designed to have forced him had it not been prevented by the arrival of the then Marquess but since Duke of Ormund That great and loyal subject attending on his Majesty in Germany when the news of this attempt upon the Duke of Gloucester came perceiving how much his Majesty was concern'd thereat and how sollicitous he was to rescue him out of the hands of his Persecutors profered to go and fetch him to his Majesty But it was objected how great a hazard it would be to his Person in so ill a season of weather to take so long and dangerous a journey just upon the withdrawing of the Armies into their Winter Quarters the Souldiers having beset all the ways so that no person could pass without much Peril But that Noble Lord who had lost so vast an Estate and so often most Eminently hazarded his Life in the Glorious Service he had done the King and in defence of the Protestant Religion was not to be affrighted from any attempt to do the like for the future And therefore he the more earnestly pressed his Majesty for his leave to go and for his Letters and Instructions to carry with him Certainly the concern was of such high consequence that he or none could accomplish it For had any person of less Authority Interest and renown for his Ability in State-Affairs or Zeal for the Service undertaken it he had probably return'd re infecta For had not his Lordship made all possible expedition and staid but four dayes longer before his Arrival at Paris he had come too late the Duke had certainly been shut up in the Iesuits-Colledge from whence there had been no retriving him For the French Court had so zealously espoused this Affair that his Lordship was necessitated to exert all his prudence that he might accomplish the business he came about As soon as his Lordship was arrived at the Pallace-Royai he did so effectually pursue his Instructions that the Duke had liberty to return to Paris and enjoy the free exercise of his Religion but going sometime after to the French-Court both the Queen-Mother of France and Cardinal Mazarine pressed him with all the allurements they thought might prevail upon him to turn Roman-Catholick Telling him that they look't on him as a Child of France that it was only for his advantage and the opportunity they should have thereby of highlyer doing him good that induced them to move him thereto Adding that since his Father was dead he ought to obey his Mother in all things she commanded To which observing the King his Brother's Instructions not to engage in any dispute he replyed only in general termes that he was resolved to obey his Mother as much as any Son could and ought to do and thereby disengaged himself from any farther pursuit at that time But all the allurements of the French-Court and the severity used towards him by the Queen his Mother could not in the least shake his firmness in his Religion which her Majesty with great Indignation perceiving some few dayes after she took him apart and as he afterwards discovered beginning with all sweetness Imaginable she declared to him how great and tender affection she had for him and how much it grieved her that very love it self should compel her to proceed now with such seeming severity She presumed he was weary of it and truly she was so too and for his ease sake she would shorten his time of Tryal And therefore proposing to him all the good she aimed at in this design the duty he owed her and the disability of the King his Brother to maintain him she commanded him to withdraw himself presently into his Lodging and there give one hearing more to Abbot Mountagu And
Plague of heresie is amongst you and you have no power to keep the sick from the whole The wolves that were wont to lie in the woods are come into your Sheep-fold and roare in the Holy Congregation O thou Shepherd of Israel why hast thou broken down the Hedge of this thy Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted the Boare of the wood and the Wilde-beast of the forest do devour Whereupon many good People beginning to whisper their Fears of that which shortly after hapned these subtile Foxes to drive their great work with the less suspition in their grand Remonstrance of the 15th of December cryed out against certain Malignants as they term'd them who had infused into the People that they meant to abolish all Church-Government and leave every Man to his own fancie for the Service and Worship of God absolving them of that obedience which they owe under God unto His Majesty acknowledging him to be intrusted with the Eclesiastical Law as well as with the Temporal to Regulate all the Members of the Church of England by such Rules of Order and Discipline as are established by Parliament And in the same Remonstrance declared That it was far from their purpose or desire to let loose the golden Reynes of Discipline and Government in the Church and leave private Persons or particular Congregations to take up what forme of Divine-service they pleased holding it requisite that there should be through the whole Realm a conformity to that Order which the Law enjoyns But to the end they might bring the work to pass by others in which they did not then think fit to shew themselves openly as their Brethren of Scotland had done the Tumultuous rabble of Sectaries were by their contrivance brought to Westminster and there violently assaulted the great Church threatning to pull down the Organs and Popish Reliques for so they called those stately Monuments of the Kings and others And after His Majesty was driven from London and that they had got his Navy Forts Magazine c. into their hands they ordered that an Assembly of Divines should meet with whom they might consult for setling of the Church-Government and Liturgy Shortly after which a Petition pretended to have been brought from Cornwall was Read in the House of Commons amongst other things desiring that the Ceremonies and Service of the Church might be abolished But notwithstanding all this left any jealousy of their intentions should so far prevail as to stagger the People whom they had hitherto deluded with their specious pretences especially being then about to raise their Rebellious Forces they declared That their prepararations of Arms was for security of Religion the safety of His Majesties Person c. And having thus form'd an Army the first work wherewith they began was to Deface the most Antient and Chief Cathedral of this Kingdom Soon after which some of their Forces in their first march from London towards Worcester broke open the Church at Aâ—ton four miles from London defaced whatsoever was decent therein tore the Bible and Book of Common-Prayer sticking the leaves of them upon the walls with their Excrements And when their whole Army under the Command of the Earl of Essex came to Worcester the first thing they there did was the Prophanation of the Cathedral destroying the Organ breaking in pieces divers beautiful Windows wherein the Foundation of that Church was lively Historified with Painted Glass and barbarously Defacing divers fair Monuments of the Dead And as if this were not enough they brought their Horses into the body of the Church keeping fires and Courts of Guard therein making the Quire and side-isles with the Font the common places wherein they did their easements of Nature Also to make their wickedness the more compleat they rifled the Library with the Records and Evidences of the Church tore in pieces the Bibles and Service-books pertaining to the Quire putting the Surplices and other Vestments upon their Dragooners who rode about the streets with them Which shameful outrages done by the Souldiers thus early being much taken notice of and observation made of the liberty given to their seditious Preachers caused thereupon a general murmur by most People To cast a mist therefore before their Eyes for a while the Members fitting at Westminster publisht a Declaration wherein they exprest that though they had Voted the utter eradication of Episcopacy yet they intended not to extirpate the Liturgy and Common Prayer but so far to Regulate the same as might agree with the Truth of Gods word To which purpose and that it might bear a fair semblance of Reformation they brought in a Bill for an Assembly of Divines wherein they say that the Parliament doth not intend wholly to abrogate the Book of Common-Prayer and Liturgy But notwithstanding all these fine shews they gave daily Countenance to divers libellous Pamphlets and to all such Schismatical Preachers as endeavoured to deprave the same commanding Dr. Duek by an Order of the House dated Aug. 3. that he should not put by a Minister from Institution and Induction though he had scandalized the Liturgy of the Church calling the Book of Common-Prayer a great Idol After which it was not long e're they went on towards the suppressing thereof shutting up the Cathedral of St. Paul in London upon Sundays Yet that they might not be suspected in their well-wishes to the Protestant Religion they Voted that it was the design of the King's Army to destroy the Protestant Religion and to bring in Popery All which fair pretences and Votes were made by the Members at Westminster whilst their Forces in divers parts went on with such horrid practises as the like hath not been seen in this Realm since the Pagan-Danes upon their Invasions exercised their Heathenish Cruelties here Sr. William Waller their Western-General about this time entring Winchester where his Souldiers Committed the like barbarous outrages in that Cathedral as was done by the E. of Essex's Men at Worcester tearing likewise in pieces those Chests of Lead wherein were enshrin'd the Bones of divers Saxon Kings Queens devout Bishops and Confessors with which they broke in pieces the Costly Historical Windows there Besides this they battered and Defaced the Brazen Statua's of the King and that of His Royal Father K. Iames which His Majesty as a pledge of his Princely favour had given to that Church hack't and hew'd the Crown on his Head swearing that they would bring him back to the Parliament And having so done seized upon the Rich Hangings Cusheons Pulpit-Clothes and Communion-Plate spoiling or carrying away whatsoever else was of Ornament or worth The like for the most part they did soon after in the Cathedral at Chichester Nor was there any place they came to where they made not the like devastation At Sudeley in Gloucestershire the Seat of the Antient and Noble Familes of the Lords Sudley
us and another as bad is come in the room Yea this last extremity into which we are fallen is far more high violent and dangerous in many respects c. Have we not a deformation and worse things come in upon us than ever we had before were any of those Monsters heard of heretofore which are now Common among us and denying the Scriptures c. You have broken down the Images of the Trinity Virgin Mary Apostles and we have those who overthrow the Doctrine of the Trinity oppose the Divinity of Christ speak evil of the Virgin Mary and slight the Apostles You have cast out the Bishops and their Officers and we have many that cast down to the ground all Ministers in all the Reformed Churches You have cast out Ceremonies in the Sacraments as the Cross kneeling at the Lords Supper And we have many who cast out the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper You have put down Saints Days and we have many who make nothing at all of the Lords Day and Fast-days You have taken away the superfluous excessive maintenance of Bishops and Deans and we have many that take away and cry down the necessary maintenance of Ministers In the Bishops Days we had singing of Psalms taken away in some places conceived Prayer and Preaching and in their room Anthems stinted forms and Reading brought in And now we have singing of Psalms spoken against and cast out of some Churches Yea all publick Prayer questioned and all Ministerial Preaching denied In the Bishops time Popish Innovations were introduced as bowing at Altars c. And now we have Anointing the Sick with Oyl Then we had Bishopping of Children now we have Bishopping of Men and Women by strange laying on of Hands In the Bishops days we had many unleaâ—ned Ministers and have we not now a company of Jerobam's Priests In the Bishops days we had the fourth Commandement taken away but now we have all the Ten Commandements at once by the Antinomians yea all â—aith and the Gospel denyed The worst of the Prelaâ—es in the midst of many Popish Arminian-Tenets and Popish Innovations held many sound Doctrines and had many commendable practises yea the very Papists hold and keep to many Articles of faith and truths of God have some order amongst them encourage Learning have certain fixed principles of truth with practises of Devotion and good Works but many of the Sect and Sectaries in our days deny all Principles of Religion are enemies to all holy-duties Order Learning overthrowing all being vertiginosi Spiritus whâ—lgigg-Spirits And the great opinion of an universal Toleration tends to the laying all wast and dissolution of all Religion and good manners c. What swarms are there of all sorts of illiterate mechanick Preachers yea of Women and Boy-Preachers What liberty of Preaching Printing of all Errors or for a Toleration of all and against the Directory Covenant Monthly-fast Presbyterial Government and all Ordinances of Parliament in reference to Religion These Sectaries have been growing upon us ever since the first year of our sitting and have every year increased more and more And in his Book from pag. 18. to pag. 36. he instances no less than one hundred seventy six Heretical and Blasphemous Tenets broacht by the Sectaries the Off-spring of the Presbyterian within the compass of the four years next and immediately insuing the Convention of that Long-Parliament But to draw towards the end of this point touching their Preservation and Defence of the Protestant Religion exprest in the Doctrine and Discipline Establisht by Law in the Church of England so much protested declared and voted for at the first I shall be bold to observe after all these Barbarous and Blasphemous Practises That having by their Malitious and Causless Impeachment of that worthy Pillar of our Church the late Arch Bishop of Canterbury kept him a Prisoner for above four Years and had nothing against him by the Law of the Land worthy of Imprisonment much less of Death these Blood-thirsty Harpyes by their own usurped Legislative Power Condemn'd him to Death And the very same day to accompany that Horrid Fact damn'd the Reverend Liturgy of the Church of England Establishing a thing called a Directory instead thereof and within six days following Executed that Bloudy Sentence upon that worthy Prelate whole Memory and Martyrdom for the Protestant Religion as it stood here Establish't by Law will be precious with the best of Men to all Succeeding Ages And having done this they sent Commissioners Scottish and English to treat at Uxbridge with others from his Majesty concerning Peace Where the very first day of their Meeting they countenanced a Bold and Scandalous Person to Preach to the People that they had no Enemy but the King adding that if they had no truth with their Peace they should have God to be their Enemy Bidding them not dote upon that Treaty saying that there was as much distance between that Treaty and Peace as between Heaven and Hell And How can ye hope for truth since there are so many Prophane Lords such an Un-preaching and un-gifted Clergy so many Erroneous Papists perverse Bishops so many Irish Rebels who are the chief Assistants at Oxford I tell you these Lords come hither with Hearts full of Bloud Towards which Blessed Peace as they call'd it a mongst other things to the absolute Ruine of Monarchy they there demanded no less than the utter Extirpation of the Protestant Religion as it stood Establish't by Law with the Patrimony of the Church to boot as a Prey to themselves and the Scotts who would serve God if I may fitly call it a Service in Barnes or Stables at a cheaper Rate which makes me call to mind that Expression of Sir Walter Raleigh in his History of the World Where making mention of the Care which Moses had of all things that concern'd the Worship and Service of God which Care of his all Ages have in some Degrees imitated Says thus it is now so forgotten and cast away in this Superfine Age by those of the Family by the Anabaptists Brownists and other Sectaries as all Cost and Care bestowed and had of the Church wherein God is to be Served and Worshipped is accounted a kind of Popery and as proceeding from an Idolatrous Disposition in so much as time would soon bring to pass if it were not resisted that God would be turned out of Churches into Barnes and from thence again into the Fields and Mountains and under the Hedges and the Offices of the Ministery Rob'd of all Dignity and Respect be as contemptible as those places All order Discipline and Church Government left to newness of Opinion and Mens Fancies Yea and soon after as many kinds of Religion would spring up as there are Parish-Churches within England every Contentious and Ignorant Person Cloathing his Fancy with the Spirit of God and his Imagination with the Gift of Revelation In so much
as when the truth which is but one shall appear to the simple Multitude no less variable than contrary to it self the Faith of Men will soon after dye away by degrees and all Religion be held in Scorn and Contempt CHAP. XLIV FOR the Laws of the Land with the Liberty and Property of the Subject because the first ought to be a Defence to the latter let us see what these great pretended Champions for both did for their Preservation Or rather how manifestly they violated them all by their unjust Practises Was it not for Execution of his Majesties Legal Writ grounded upon the Statute for Suppressing of Tumults that Justice Long was Committed to the Tower And were not Commands laid upon the Judges of the King's Bench that they should not grant any Habeas Corpus the Antient Remedy for the Peoples Security for such as the Members had Committed to Prison by their own Authority And did not Mr. Rigby a beloved Member move twice that those Lords and Gentlemen which were Prisoners for no cause but being Malignants as they term'd them should be sold as Slaves to Argiere or sent to the new Plantations in the West-Indies because he had Contracted with two Merchants for that purpose Though Mr. Pym himself had in a Speech in that Parliament acknowledged it against the Rules of Iustice that any Man should be Imprison'd upon a General Charge when no Particulars were proved against him As these things were most evident so was their Order against Publishing the King's Proclamation contrary to Acts of Parliament then in Force Likewise their Barbarous murther of his Majesties Messenger for bringing a Legal Writ to the Sheriffs of London to that purpose As also Collonel Nathaniel Fienes his causing the King's Proclamation concerning Marriners to be burnt in the open Market-place at Bristol by the Common Hangman he being then Governour there and Imprisoning the Earl of Bristol and Justice Malet for having an hand in the Kentish-Petition And notwithstanding the Statute in force against Loanes and Benevolences grounded upon the Petition of Right and that on Magna Charta which the Lord Say Mr. Pym and Mr. Hampden once held so Sacred that being asked upon occasion in King Iames his time why they would not then Contribute to the King's Necessities by way of Loan They Answered that they could be content to lend as well as others but that they feared to draw upon themselves that Curse in Magna-Charta which should be read twice every Year against the Infringers thereof Nevertheless did not these men Commit Mr. Fountain the Lawyer and divers others which refused to lend Money for advancement of their Rebellion And by a special Order sent those Loyal Citizens Sir George Whitmore Alderman Gurney Mr. Gardner and others to several Remote Prisons viz. Yarmouth Colchester Norwich c. for not submitting to their Lawless and Rigorous Tax of the twentieth part for the support of their Rebellious Forces And give power to their Officers to break open Trunks to search for Money and Plate and to seize the same for that purpose Mr. Strode one of the five Members in Justification of these heavy Oppressions saying that it was no more than they had right to do And that every Man in England had trusted his whole Estate to be disposed of as the Members of both Houses should think convenient For if the Members of both Houses quoth he think fitting to seize the Estate of every Man in England all the whole Kingdom is bound to submit to them And was not their Licentious Boldness such that Mr. Pym a single Member during a recess of both Houses by an Order under his own hand did dispence with the Act of Parliament 1. Eliz. for Uniformity of Common-Prayer And when upon a motion of the House that certain Gaolers should be tryed by Marshal Law by reason of some Prisoners escape and that it was opposed by divers Lawyers as an illegal course the Gaolers being answerable by the Law for the same was it not Replyed that they were not to be tyed to any Forms of Law those being to be laid by at such times as this when Necessity is the Rule by which they must guide their Actions What Misery have many Reverend and Orthodox Divines and others suffered by long Imprisonment some sent on Ship-board and kept under the Deck lying many days upon the hard Boards for no other Offence than their firm Loyalty to the King and Constancy in the true Protestant Religion Establish't by Law His Majesties Servant coming only to them on a Message for Peace being likewise so long Imprisoned that he dyed therein with hard Usage How partially Indulgent have they been to those of their own Rebellious Tribe is evident from sundry Instances as that of Mr. Gryffith one of their Members who was made a Captain of Horse with Silver Trumpets and extraordinary Bravery though he had Ravish't the Lady Sidley and was by her Accused for so doing Mr. Lenthall their Speaker having also six Thousand Pounds given him of that Money which had been raised by Act of Parliament for publick Service Having therefore thus trampled down the Laws and made seizure of the Kings Forts Towns Navy and Magazine whereby he was devested of all Power to protect his good Subjects no marvel that they deprived him of all other Authority declaring his nomination of Sheriffs Illegal and authorizing his Deputy Lieutenants and Trained-Bands to Suppress and Apprehend such Sheriffs Levying Money for Horse and Plate as also the twentieth part and a vast Weekly Tax by Distresses and Imprisonment to say nothing of Sequestrations and Plunders Add hereunto the Hanging of those Loyal Persons Mr. Yeomans and Mr. Bourchier at Bustol Likewise Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Chaloner at London And that the Oppressed People might take no benefit of the Law an Order and Declaration was set forth by Authority of both Houses that the Judges of Assize should forbear to go their Circuits as they would answer their Contempt to the Parliament Moreover to let the Reins of all Government loose they discharged all Apprentices from their Masters Service as would serve in their Rebellious Armies Compelling divers against their Parents good will Nor is it less observable that though by their own Fundamentals they had declared that the Subject was not to be forced unto the Wars against his will except it were by the consent of the King and the Estates in Parliament there being an Act in that Parliament passed also to that purpose Nevertheless they frequently pressed great numbers of Men to serve them in their Rebellious Armies And by a special Ordinance gave Power to any three of the Militia of London to raise and send out Men as also to Fine Imprison and Execute Martial-Law By the like Authority it was that they raised vast Sums upon Merchandize under the name of Tunnage
the Peace and Quiet of his Kingdom he had done it in favour of the Protestants Touching the point of Placing and Displacing Councellors as their Demands and Colour for them were alike with our Mens so was the Kings Answer not much different It was the publick discourse of the Guisards in Paris that the Kingdom could never be setled in Peace nor the Minds of true Catholicks at ease so long as they saw the Kings Person inviron'd with non-confiding Persons and of uncertain resolutions in point of Religion The King made answer he was very willing to any thing that might conduce to the settlement of Religion and that he was heartily inclin'd to the Extirpation of Huguenots there being no Prince in Christendom that more hated and desired the Suppression of Hereticks than himself And that for those about his Person they had never suggested to him any Councils to the contrary That all Kings had ever enjoyed the free Liberty of preserving and favouring whom they pleased and to choose their Companions according to their own Gust Were it not so the liberty of Kings should be chained and limitted to that which private Men enjoy free and without restraint there being no person so mean but hath Power to live and converse with whom he please according to his own Genus and liking But if it should be proved against his Ministers that they had in any thing demeaned themselves with less Sincerity than they ought he would be ready to punish them accordingly to the quality of their Offence but would not Banish them from his Court to humour other Men. When the King by reason of the Tumults in Paris had as was said for his own Security enlarged the number of his Guard the Duke of Guise and his Partisans spread a Rumour in the City that the King had a purpose to put a Hundred and Twenty of the Principal Catholicks to Death and to put Garrisons in the chief places of the City to awe the Citizens and therefore that it was necessary for them to stand upon their Guard Upon this Succeeded the Barricados at Paris when the King was in a manner wholly in the Duke of Guises Power But yet he made a shift to slip away privately from his Palace the Louere attended only with Sixteen Gentlemen The Duke not taking care to prevent the escape whether out of Honesty of which he pretended to be the Protector or that he desired to cloak all his Designs with the Mantle of Piety and Religion or that he intended nothing more but his own safety and Reformation of the Government promising to himself that all would fall into his Lap by means of his cunning Carriage and that he needed not to make use of open Force brought the King to such a low Ebb that he must of necessity yield up himself to his Disposal and condescend to such Conditions as he desired which he doubted not but would be approved by the general consent of the People The King being desirous of an accommodation imploy'd the Queen Mother to treat with the Duke of Guise and his Adherents Which had the like success as his Majesties Message from Nottingham to those at Westminster But the Duke's demands were extream high and Exorbitant more like an absolute Conquerour than a Subject viz. That the King should declare him his Lieutenant-General over all the Provinces of his Dominions That a general Assembly of the States should be called at Paris and this Authority being then confirm'd to him by them that the Taxes and Impositions upon the People should be moderated That for removing all suspition of Innovations all Forms of Government should be setled in such a way as it might not be lawful for the King to make any alteration That the Duke D'Espernon and several other Ministers of State as persons suspected to keep Intelligence with the Hereticks and to be continually hammering out new Projects should be put out of their Places and Commands and for ever Banished from the Court That to remove the Jealousies generally conceived of too remiss Proceedings against the Hereticks the sole managery of that War should be Committed to the Duke That to take away the suspition of any Tyrannical Intentions or Actions srom the King he should dismiss his Guard of forty six and interdict them all his Majesty to return to the Court and content himself with such an ordinary Guard as his Predecessors used to have That Griglion the Captain of the Guard should be displaced and another put in his room in whom the Catholicks could confide That the forts of Provence should be consign'd to the Duke D'Aumarle and others to others of the League and that the King should deposite in the hands of certain Lords of the League six other strong Holds such as they should nominate which should be Garrison'd by them and have such Governours as were to their liking That a convenient Assignment should be made to the Cittizens of Paris for reimbursing the Expenses they had been at And that the Government of the City should be confer'd upon the Count of Brissac the Duke of Mayne made high Admiral and de Chatres Ldâ— Mareschall When the Duke of Guise failed of his Intentions upon the Kings Person by reason of his escape and his Design of obtaining from him as his Prisoner what Conditions he pleased was by that means crushed he bent his thoughts to the securing himself of the Command of the City of Paris For perceiving that he must now go to War with the King he knew very well that he could have no stronger Foundation than the Power and Assistance of the Parisians Therefore to assure himself of the City he got into his Hands the Bastile dispossessing Testate who held it formerly for the King but was now forc'd to surrender it into the hands of the People who instantly made the Duke Governour of it The Duke therefore loosing no time call'd the People together in a Common-Council and caused Hector Perose provost of the Merchants a place answerable to that of Lord Mayor of London to be deposed as a dependent on the King Committed him to the Bastile and made Capello Martell to be chosen Provost in his place he being a Principal Incendiary among the People and chief Minister of the League Just a Pennington for a Gurney The Duke of Guise seeing the King was got out of the toyl and that he could not bring his first Design about endeavoured to make it appear that it was done with his consent the King's Escape though it hapned by his Inadvertence Therefore with many fair words and plausible reasons laid down in several Writings both to the King and People of France he strove to make them believe that all his Actions had no other aim but the benefit of the Kingdom Allegiance and Obedience to the King and Zeal to the publick good That the Tumults in Paris were
for that end promising to refer all difference to his Holiness Which when the Legate moved to the Duke of Maine he refused to hearken to it alledging it to be but a shift of the King to gain time in regard he found himself at present unprovided and unarmed All hopes of accommodation therefore fayling the King being persuaded that he had used all means possible on his part and that not without descending far below the honour of his person began to alter his Opinion And to the end he might not be surprized without assistance by the Power of his Enemies the urgency of his necessities constraining him perforce to look about for some Supplies he began to hearken to an accord with the King of Navarre a Professed Protestant Certain it is that in his own Inclination he was ever averse from such an accord his nature being incompatible with all Commerce with the Huguenots But there being an evident necessity that he could not then do otherwise all his Councillers with one voice told him he must needs resolve and side with one Party unless he would stand alone in the midst of his Potent Enemies one on one side the Loyre and the other on the other side having possess'd themselves of all What Moneys what Friends what Armies what Forces had he sufficient to grapple with such Factions at the same time T is clear which way soever he could turn himself he must have one Enemy before his Face and another behind his back His Kingdom also being divided and Forrein Princes likewise divided betwixt two Religions he a new Example should have both averse both Enemies to him would he continue in this distraction without Forces without Moneys While one side Invades one part another side another part of the Regal Authority He is now what he was always affraid of in the midst of two Violent Torrents He did as much as man could do for Peace He forgot his own Honour to be reconcil'd with the Seditious and gave the Rebels and Despisers of his Authority that satisfaction which they little deserved With unheard of Patience he endured all the Injuries of the People the Invectives of their Preachers the Villanous Insolencies of the Factious Commons and the bold Decrees of the Sorbon submitting his Royal Majesty to the inordinate desires of the Reliques of the Guises He did that which never King before him would have endured to have done What could he do more unless to please the Spaniards he would patiently wait without providing any defence till he were miserably torn in Pieces by his Enemies and the like outrages Committed upon his Person as had been already done to his Statua's both in Paris and Tholouse It is more then time therefore that he shew he hath the Heart of a Lyon and making use of the King of Navarr's Assistance de Inimicis suis vind care Inimicos suos to revenge himself of his Enemies by his Enemies this being no new nor unheard of Course His Brother K Charles many times and himself sometimes when Necessities were less pressing had made Peace with the Huguenots Why should he not therefore seek all just means to restrain the Seditious to recover his own Power and now at last to restore Peace and Rest to his Kingdom Upon this then followed several adverse Declarations of the King 's justifying his own Proceedings The like by the Duke of Mayne in behalf of the League After these Instigations of his Councillers the King beginning to incline to an accommodation with the King of Navarr and the Huguenots Though all his followers desired that he should not come to an accord with them yet such was the obstinacy of the Duke of Mayne and the Leaguers and such the State of the Realm by reason of the present Seditions that none of them could blame him though they all abhorr'd it Seeing therefore that of necessity he must take up some resolution and that his Affairs were in danger of utter ruine if he did not he concluded a Truce for one Year with the King of Navarr upon these Conditions 1. That the publick Exercise of the Catholick Religion should be restored in all places under the Command of the Huguenots without Exception 2. That the Clergy should be restored to their Means and the Prisoners which they had in their hands should be set at Liberty 3. That the King of Navarr should be obliged to serve him in Person with four Thousand Foot and twelve Hundred Horse wheresoever he should be Commanded 4. That all Cities Countries and places of his Party should observe all the Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom obey the Courts of Justice and the Kings Magistrates and receive such Orders as the King had or should hereafter give them On the other side it was agreed that the King of Navarr should have the City of Samur and keep it as a free pass for him upon the River Loyre but be bound to yield it up again at the Kings Pleasure How fully applicable is this to the Cessation made in Ireland by his Majesty Hereupon the King set forth a Declaration against the Duke of Maine and his Adherents who had caused the Cities to revolt and were then up in Arms intimating to them that if they did not return to their Obedience within the space of XV. days and forbear to trouble the Realm by making Levies as also not lay down Arms they should incurr the Crime of Rebellion and all their Goods be Confiscate Like to this was his Majesties Proclamation against the Earl of Essex from York 9. Aug. 1642. Which Writings were attended with Actions sutable as his Majesty did set on foot his Commissions of Array the King granting out Commissions to several Governours in sundry Provinces for making of Levies and drawing the People together in Arms. Nevertheless he still continued his Inclinations to Peace and having excused the Truce which he was necessitated to make with the King of Navarr and promised to persevere constant in the Catholick Religion he intreated the Pope's Nuncio once more to trye the Mind of the Duke of Maine and by conferring with him in Person to labour him to an Accommodation in regard that neither by the Duke of Loreyne's means to whom he had Written nor the Dutchess of Nemurs who had been imploy'd to that purpose he could at all work upon him to lend the least Ear to any Treaty for Peace And to make it evident to the World how desirous he was to be free'd from the necessity of an accord with the Huguenots he delivered to the Cardinal a Paper Written with his own Hand wherein was contained what things he would be content to grant to them of the League Offring to make the Prince of Loreyne Governour of Metz Tul and Uerdun to Marry the Inheritrix of Bullion with the Cities of Games and Sedan to the Count of Vaudemont To the Duke of Mayne he was content to
more than they can and leave the Triumph and Conquest of Souls to the Wisdom of God who only forms and Reforms the Hearts of Men as he pleasech and gives the signal to many wandring Souls to bring them into the way of Salvation it being not possible for Men to impose a necessity upon that which God hath left at Liberty the Conscience which should be as free in a State as Thought Where going on he shews by the continued Practice of former times that such Princes as were well advised never killed their Subjects to Convert them nor wasted their Dominions by War to inform their Consciences by the Sword knowing that Religion is an Act of Union and Concord and must be planted by Instruction whereas Wars are all for Division and Destruction And those who in these later times have mingled Heaven and Earth together to compell the Consciences of their Subjects to an Unity in Religion have at last been fayn to give over and let them alone and to reject the advise of those unskilful Physitians who prescribe nothing but Antimony and Letting Bloud for all Diseases Then he proves that the accord made with the Protestants was both just necessary and profitable The whole Discourse is not unworthy the consideration of our times but I shall not trouble the Reader with Transcribing farther Having now dispatch't the Holy-League and made good I hope so much as I undertook that it was for the most part parallel to this of ours One thing only I have not insisted on not knowing whether it be convenient to particularize in it namely the strange Disasters and Unfortunate ends which befell many Eminent Persons of that League Like to which our own Story hath afforded us some Examples already and Posterity may be able to observe more To say nothing of any that were Kill'd in those Wars on either Party nor much of the Tragical ends of many of that Family who were the first Authors and constant Upholders of that League it cannot be forgot that the Duke of Guise and his Brother the Cardinal were both of them suddainly taken away by Trechery when their hopes were at highest And the Duke of Nemure their Brother by the Mother Betray'd by one whom he most trusted Dyed in Despair in the declining of the League Likewise That one of the Duke of Guise his Sons a Person of special note for his Valour was some Years after the Peace miserably torn in peices by a Canon at Arles which burst when he gave Fire to it Shooting at a Mark. The chief of the Duke of Lorreynes Family who thought to have gained the Kingdom of France to his Son from the Father that Son lost all his own Dukedom to the Son The Duke of Merceur who aimed to have had Brittany at least for his share Dyed of the Plague in a Forrein Countrey left no Heir Male so that his whole Estate came to the Duke of Vendosine with his Daughter much against her Will. The Count of St. Paul who had been advanced by the Duke of Mayne to the Title of Mareschal of France was in the time of the League Stab'd by the young Duke of Guise as he came forth of the Church at Remes Villiers the Admiral was basely Kill'd by a Spanish-Souldier in cold Bloud and his Finger cut off by another for his Ring Brisson the Primier President of the Parliament at Paris who had been first most Violent against the King upon suspicion of complying afterwards was with some others Strangled by the Tumultuous Citizens of Paris And the Lord Gomeron Governour of Han in Picardy who sold that place to the Spaniard was Beheaded before the Walls of the same Town a Reward not much Inferior to that of the two Hothums I take no pleasure in reckoning up many of these Instances He that will seek may find more in France and he that will observe I do not wish but fear it in time may discover as many in England One Observation more I shall Intreat the Reader to carry home with him and then I have done with the Holy-League It hath already been shew'd at full that when the Leaguers first took up Armes and bound themselves by Oathes against their King the pretended grounds of the one and the Subject of the other were nothing but the Defence of the true Religion the Laws and Liberties and Property of the Subject with many fair Promises to make the King a Glorious King Where I cannot chuse but observe how the Hand of God by a strange Providence turned all their Vows into Prophecies and their Promises into Predictions by fulfilling them all though in far different sence from what they intended By setling the True Religion they meant the Roman but God fulfilled it of the Protestant And those Armes which they Vowed to the Ruine God Converted to the Advancement of it the Protestants of that Kingdom having upon that occasion obtain'd and ever since enjoyed greater Immunities and a more free and setled course of the Profession of their Religion than ever they had before As to the Laws the Fundamental Laws of France to speak with the French-Man the Salique-Laws touching the Succession of the Crown and Prerogative of the King which they intended to alter they did in the event confirm And as Henry the third was Advanced to a State of Glory by the cruel Hands of Iaques Clement an Instrument of the League and Henry the fourth by Ravilliac one Trained up in the same Principles So was King Charles the first by his bloudy Murtherers here But as it fell out consider what a purchase the Glorious Nobility the Gallant Gentry the Rich Citizens and the Secure Farmer had when by siding with the Leaguers they Exchanged their Loyalty and present Peace which they enjoyed under the King's Protection for the aiery hopes of a greater Liberty and if not bettering at least securing their Estates Did not the long continuance of those Wars so inure the Souldiers to a Military course of Life and the People to Patience under Contributions and Impositions that the former could never since be won to lay the Sword out of his Hands nor the latter get the Yoke shaken off their Shoulders Only the Scene is somewhat altered for whereas before their own Countrey was the Stage of the War they have now removed it to their Neighbours And the Crown of France by reason of their many Victories and Successes is now become justly formidable to a great part of Europe whereby the promise of the Leaguers is fully verified the King is made Glorious but how far they so intended is easy to imagine And how the Liberty of the Subject in general is enhaunted and their Property Establisht by these Glorious Atchievements of the King when their Yearly Taxes for support of his Wars amount almost if not altogether to the value of their Lands let the French if they have any cause make their boast And
Aug. * Ib. p. 57. September The Oath for abjuring the King †9. Septem Mere. Polit. N. 586. p. 721. * History of Indep part 4. p. 59. †Ib. p. 61. * 5. Octob. * Ib. p. 63. †Ib. p. 64. * Ib. p. 65. 66. †12. Octob. 12. Octob. †13. Octob. The Rumpers Excluded †26. Octob. Ib p. 69. * 27. Octob. Ib. p. 71. * 12. Nov. Ib. p. 73. 74. †14. Nov. * Ib. p. 76. †Ib. p. 77. * Ib. p. 78. Petitions from all parts for a new and free Parliament * ult Nov. †5. Dec. * 4. Dec. †10. Dec. Ib. p. 80. * Ib. p. 81. The Rump readmitted * 24. Decem. †26. Decem. General Monke hastned from Scotland * 27. Decem. Ib. p. 83. * 5. Ianuar. Ib. p. 85. * 2. Ianuar. Oath for abjuring the King taken by Members of Parliament †3. Februar * Ib. p. 86. 87. * Ib. p. 86. 87. * 9. Febru †10. Febru 20. Febr. †21. Febr. Ib. p. 93 94. The secluded Members readmitted Gen. Monk voted Lord General Anno 1660. * 26. Mar. Ib. p. 95. The Long Parliament dissolved †11. Apr. * 22. Apr. * 1. May. The new Parliament met 25. Apr. †3. May. * 8. May. †Charles the Second Proclaimed * 9. May. †25. May. He Landed at Dover * 29. May. He came into London Anno 1641. Their Actings against the Protestant Religion a 3. May. b 4. May. c 12. May. d 21. May. e 25. May. f 3. May. g 11. May. h 15. July i 3c July k 3. August l Sacred Synodical Decretal c. for the apprehension of young Martin Mar Priest p. 12. * A Felt-maker m 8. Sept. n 9. Sep. o 28. Sept. p Martins Echo p. 6. Where the Presbyterian is set forth complaining against the Independent in a Sermon of D Burges Novemb 5. 1641. p. 60. q Ephraim Paget Heresig p. 41. r 15. Decem. Exact Coll. p. 19. s 28. Dec. Anno 1642. t 9. April Exact Coll. p. 135. u 22. April x 26. July y The Cathedral of Canterbury Defaced by Col. Edwyn Sandys 26. August z 24. Sept. a 30. Sept. ☞ b 6. Oct. See their Declaration 7. of Ian. 1642. aspeâ—sing His Majesty with endeavouring to destroy the Protestant Religion See their Declaration 20 of Iuly 1643. wherein they charge His Majesty with dissembled pretences and protestations for maintaining the true reformed Protestant Religion And that without any touch of Conscience in defiance of God he had rais'd an Army of Papists c 16. Dec. d 16. Dec. e 29. Dec. f 28. Jan. g Aug. 1644. h 3. May. i Ingulphi Hist. f. 493. â— Ex Epistolâ Aleuini Highbaldo Lindissarnensi Episcopo Antiq. Brit. p. 66. 67. Vestrae Charitatis familiaritas me multum letificare solebat sed versa vice tribulationis calamitas licet absentens me contristuit quod pagani contaminaverunt Sanctuaria Dei fuderunt sanguinem Sanctorum in circuitu Altaris Calcaverunt corpora Sanctorum in Templo quasi sterquiliniuni in plateâ c. Ecce loca sancta à paganis vastatae Altaria perjuriis faedata Monasteria adulteriis violata Terra sanguine Dominorum principum maculata c. k 31. July 1644. l p. 248. 249. m 3. Jan. 1644. n New Directory p 73 o June 1644 p 16. Dec. 1641. q 30. Sept. 6. Oct. 1642. r 25. Sep. 1643. * The Author M. Iehn White a Member of the Long Parliament s 17. Nov. 1643. t 17. May. 1641. Their Doctrine and Practise u That they would dispence with all sorts of Religion so that they might freely exercise their own * Printed at Paris in Fol. 1661. * Exact Col pag. 647. Printed at Lond. 1643. x Mr. Case y Dr. Layton * Impr. Lond pag. 61. z April 1643 * To extirpate Monarchy * Mr. 〈◊〉 land â— June 1643. a 6. July b 13. July c Aug. d Robinson 25. Aug. e 29. Sept. 1643. f Mr. Pearne at St. Dunstans in the West 24. Decemb. g July 1644 h 31. June 1644. i Jan. 1644. k Sunday 1. Aug. 1647. l 22. Dec. 1648. Aug. 8. * Mense Julii An. 1646 Hist. Ant. Univer Oxon p. 367. b. * Ib. p. 370. 371. c. Ib. p. 379. An. 1648. m Published by Authority Oct. 1645. pag. 20. n 4 Jan. 1644. o 10. Jan. p 30. Jan. q Mr. Love who was not punish't by their Commissioners though complain'd of r Lib. 2. Cap. 5. § 1. An. 1642. Their Actings against the Laws of the Land and Liberty of the Subjects a 11. Dec. 1641. b 4. July 1642. c Daniel Kniveton d 4. Mar. 1642. e 12. Oct. 1642. f 23. Jan. 1642. g 3. Febr. h 8. Febr. 1 ... Jan. 1643. k ... March 1642. l Mr. Alex. Hampden m 29. Nov. 1642. n 30. May. 1643. o 5. July 1643. p 10 July 1643. q 15. Sept. 1643. y ... March 1644. s 24. Mart. â— 1641. Exact Coll. p. 121. t Exact Coll. p. 638. u 3. May. 16â—3 x 6. May. y ... June 1643. z 2. Oct. 1643. a Nov. 3. b 11. Nov. c 25. Dec. d ... 20. Jan. e 2. Sept. 1643. f 21. Oct. 164â— g 28. Dec. 1643. h Feb. 1643. i ... Apr. 1644. k 16. Aug. l ... Oct. 1644 m A full Relation of the Passages concerning the Treaty p. 153. Their Violating the Priviledges of Parliament n 11. Nov. 1640. Anno. 1641. o 19. Apr. p 21. Apr. q 29. Apr. r 25 Apr. s 7. May. t 26. May. u 34. Nov. x 3. May. y 29. Nov. z 15. 27 28 29 Dec. a 10. Dec. b 31. Jan. c 27. Jan. d 4. Martij e 4. Aug. 1642. f 3. Dec. 1642. g 4. Aug. 1643. h 5. Aug. 1643. i 7. Aug. k 2. Martij l May. 1644. m 7. Junij 1641. n 30. July 1641. o 9. Sept. 1641. p 28. Sept. 1641. q 25. Jan. 1641. r 2. Apr. 1642. s 15. Martij 1641. Exact Coll. p. 112. t â— July 1643. Their Aversness to Peace u Exact coll p. 587. x 1. Nov. 1642. y 8. Dec. z 12. Dec. a 17. Dec. b Mr. Carr a Barbour c 7. Jan. d 4. Oct. e 11. March f 17. Jan. Exact coll p. 893. g 26. Jan. h 27. Jan. i 13. Martij k 8. Aug. 1643. ☞ l ... March 1643. Merc. Aulic p. 869. m 27. Nov. 1644. n 13. Febr. 1644. The Practises of the Rebellious Barons temp H. 3. a Impr. Lond. 1642. 8o. b Ib. p. 3. c Ib. p. 2. d Ib. p. 4. e Ib. p. 5. f p. 6. g Ib. â— 7. h 〈…〉 11. i Ib. p. 12. k Ib. p. 18. l Ipsius consilio tractabat ardua tentabat dubia finiviâ— inchoata M. Paris p. 998. m Ib. p. 19. n M. parif p. 998. o Ib. p. 20. p Parliam Lond. Ann. 1255. M. Paris p. 904. q M. Paris Ann. 1255. p.
the Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws of his Kingdom of Scotland he did not only agree to the same but should always protect them to the utmost of his power they yielding him in the mean time such civil and temporal obedience as could be justly required of loyal Subjects Upon this Petition therefore Articles of Pacification were concluded on at Barwick whereby his Majesty was contented not only to confirm whatsoever his Commissioner had promised in his name but that all Ecclesiastical matters should be determined by the Assemblies of the Kirk Likewise matters Civil by the Parliament and other inferior Judicatories establish'd by Law Moreover that for setling the distractions of that Kingdom he was willing to grant a free general Assembly to be kept at Edenborough the sixth of August ensuing and after that a Parliament the twentieth of August for ratifying what should be concluded in the Assembly being graciously pleased to declare that upon disbanding of their Forces dissolving all their pretended Tables restoring his Forts Castles and Amunition c. To his good Subjects their Liberties Lands Goods c. detained since the late pretended general Assembly he would recall his Fleet retire his Land-forces and make restitution to them of their Ships and Goods arrested c. Which Agreement was entertained by them with so much outward acceptance that by the Subscriptions of the chiefest of them it was promised they would ever in all things carry themselves like humble loyal and obedient Subjects But instead of performance of their parts at the very publishing the Articles in their Camp a Protestation was made dishonourable to his Majesties Government to the further encouraging of the People in their disobedient and mutinous ways And at the same time they delivered into the hands of some of the English Nobility and spread among others a scandalous Paper intituled Some conditions of his Majesties Treaty with his Subjects of Scotland wherein were contained such untruths and seditious positions and so contrary to what was concluded in the Articles of Pacification that howsoever they pretended a desire of peace yet they intended nothing less and instead of disbanding their Forces within forty eight hours after publication of those Articles they kept great parts of them together and held in pay almost all their Officers continuing their unlawful meetings and conventicles to the great vexation and trouble of all such his Majesties good Subjects as did not adhere to their rebellious Covenant and Act of the pretended Assembly at Glasgow keeping up all their Fortifications Yea such was the fury of the People animated by that Protestation with divers scandalous Papers and seditious Sermons that they deterred his Majesties good Subjects from going to their dwellings threatning them with loss of their lives if they repaired to their own Houses labouring also to pervert them in the choice of the Commissioners for the general Assembly appointed by anticipating their voices in making them swear to and subscribe the approbation of the same Assembly at Glasgow and Acts thereof deterring others from repairing thereto So that by these new disorders the peace and quiet of his Subjects was greatly disturbed great Insolencies being offer'd to the Earl of Kinnowl his Majesties high Treasurer as also to Sir Iames Hamilton Justice-general and other his Majesties Councellors and good Subjects so that the King sorbore to come to Edenborough such of his Loyal Subjects as attended his Person and adhered to him being branded by them with the vile aspersion of Traitors to God and their Country and threatned to be proceeded against with censures accordingly And lastly shaking off all respect due to sacred Majesty protested that all members of the Colleges of Iustice and Leiges were not to attend the Session and that all Acts Decrees and Sentences therein past against any of them should be null void and ineffectual contrary to the King 's express Warrant for the down-sitting thereof and the heavy damage of his good Subjects who were thereby frustrated of Justice And having laid these insolent and seditious foundations for a Parliament it could not be expected but that the structure must be full of confusion as indeed it proved their Actions and demands favouring of nothing but undutifulness and disloyalty for they stuck not to deny to his Majesty the most essential and inherent Prerogatives of his Crown striving by all means to change and alter the constitutions of the Parliament and frame of Government Likewise to restrain his power in point of coinage custody of Castles grants of Honour and Commissions-Justiciary or Lieutenancy And his Majesty by his Commission having allow'd them the liberty of convening and meeting until a certain day for distributing of their pretended charges amongst such as should willingly condescend thereunto they did not only without Warrant continue their Conventicles and Tables since that Commission expired contrary to the positive Laws of that Kingdom the Act of Pacification and their own acknowledgment in petitioning for the aforesaid Commission but urged that all those his good Subjects who adhered to him in defence of his Royal authority against their rebellious commotions should be made equal if not more liable to the defraying of their pretended charges Which might imply his Majesties countenance and justification of all their Rebellions and Treasons The King therefore discerning their persistance in such unsufferable demands return'd to England signifying to the Earl of Traquier his Commissioner that it did evidently appear unto him that their aim was not now for Religion as they always pretended but rather the alteration of the Government of that Kingdom and withall the total overthrow of Royal authority commanding his said Commissioner to prorogate the parliament till the second of Iune next following Notwithstanding which Prorogation they continued their sitting at Edenborough and sent their Deputies over into this Kingdom to make Remonstrance of their doing without knowledg of his Commissioner Whereupon his Majesties Commissioner came over and acquainting him with those Insolencies also by his command relating them at his Council-board the King there proposed to the consideration of the Lords then present whether it were not more sit to reduce them to their duty by force than give way to their demands so much prejudicial to his Honour and safety Which being unanimously voted in the affirmative his Majesty resolved to call a Parliament soon after In which Interim the Scots lost no time but making fair pretences by their Remonstrance protested against this Act of Prorogation and declared that the same was contrary to the Constitutions and practise of all precedent Parliaments contrary to the liberties of that Kingdom and repugnant to the Articles of the late Pacification and that it was ineffectual and of no force to hinder their proceedings professing that it was never their intention to deny his Majesty any part of that civil and temporal obedience which is due
cleared and those difficulties explained to him which he then conceived to be destructive to his just regal power in case he should give a full consent to those Propositions as they then stood Engaging himself to give his chearful assent to all such Bills as should be really to the good and peace of his people and to prefer the happiness of this Kingdome before his own particular And as a farther means to work a confidence in them of his own sincerity in these things he offered again to trust them with his own person conjuring them as they were Christians and Subjects and as they were men who desired to leave a good name behind them so to receive and make use of that his Answer that all issues of bloud might be stopped and those unhappy distractions peaceably setled But as his former gracious and frequent offers so this could not then find any acceptance at all with them by reason that it tended to the composure of those lamentable distractions which tended to the utter ruine of the King and Realm their aims at first and continued resolutions still being to share the spoyl which by their strength and power they had most unjustly got Nay in stead of any kindness or comfort which he might rationally expect from their many and most solemn promises and protestations they perpetually tormented his pious Soul with incessant importunities to take their hypocritical Covenant and sent for several of their most rigid Preachers to terrify him with their Kirk-censures upon his refusal thereof In which sad and disconsolate condition I shall for a while leave him and take a short view of the transactions betwixt the Members sitting at Westminster and those at Edenborough with their respective Commissioners The principal work being now done here in England by the help of the Scots the Grandees here as well as others began to be weary of their dear Brethren and for the sooner riddance of them passed a Vote that a Message should be sent to the Scottish Army that in regard they were not usefull in this Kingdome for the present and that the payment thereof would be a great burthen thereto they should with all convenient speed return into their Country But the Scots never intending to be loosers by their journey hither knowing full well how to make the best use of those advantages they then had gave their dear Brethren very good words telling them in their answer to the demands made in pursuance of that Vote that their earnest desires were the setling of Religion and Church Government which as it was the principal ground of their engagement in this Cause so would the perfecting of it be their chiefest joy and Glory of both Kingdomes it being the constant resolution of that Kingdome against all opposition to strengthen and cherish the Brotherly kindness between the Kingdomes and Peace setled with Truth and those things performed by the Honourable Houses which by Treaty they were obliged unto to recall their Army with as great alacrity as they were ready to send the same into England for the assistance of their Brethren And in another Letter speaking of the Arrears due to their Army they had these words This Kingdome lyeth under the burthen of great and vast expence in raising and entertaining of Armies and hath with the lives of many precious men set their own Houses on fire to quench the flame of yours And seeing by the seasonable assistance afforded by this Kingdome to you and by the late successes wherewith God hath blessed your Armies you are in a great measure freed of your troubles and are in a far better capacity to pay the moneys due to our Armies in England and Ireland than you were at any time since the beginning of these Wars we demand of the honourable houses to make payment of the summs of money duly owing to this Kingdome ¶ The state of things standing thus made the Game now to be play'd betwixt these great Masters not a little difficult to each the chief business of the then predominant party at Westminster being to gain the person of the King into their own hands and in case he should not upon the matter totally quit his Regal power to them by taking their Covenant and assenting to those their destructive propositions before-mentioned then to keep him close prisoner and exercise the same power without him And the design of the Scots not onely to use the like Regal-power in Scotland but to get a large sum of mony to boot considering that having the King in their hands the Grandees there were able to make their own terms on the behalf of themselves as to Riches and Honours There was therefore no means unessayed by each for accomplishing their respective ends But the Arguments and debates about this business continuing no less than six months before all things were fully agree'd I shall reserve my observations upon them till then and in the mean time take notice of what else did occur that is most remarkable in order to the carrying on their main work and divide the same into two parts the one touching their attempts upon the King in relation to the Covenant and Propositions the other towards the advancement of the Scepter of Iesus Christ for by that title they called their Presbyterean Doctrine and Discipline As to the first About the beginning of September Iames Duke Hamilton Lindsey Earl of Craford the Earl of Cassiles and some others from the Estates of Scotland came to Newcastle to the King and there earnestly solicited him to take the Covenant and sign the Propositions To second which motion there was a petition presented to His Majesty from the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland for Reformation of Religion according to the Covenant and uniformity of Church government denouncing God's anger upon him and the hazard to lose the Hearts of his good subjects in case he assented not thereto Soon after which Mr. Andrew Cant Mr. Robert Blayre and Mr. Iames Douglass came thither also to press him to the same purpose To torment him likewise yet more one of these violent men I mean a rigid Presbyterean-preacher besides many rude and uncivil expressions in his Sermon there before the King called for the 52. Psalm to be sung by the congregation which beginneth thus Why do'st thou Tyrant boast abroad thy wicked works to praise Whereupon His Majesty instantly stood up and called for the 56. Psalm beginning thus Have mercy Lord on me I pray for men would me devour Which the people readily sung waving the other Nay the fierceness of these Scottish-presbyters against His Sacred Majesty was such as that upon certain Proposals made to those of them who were Commissioners from the general Assembly viz. If the King shall come into Scotland and that the Kingdome of England shall exclude him of the Government there for his leaving them without granting the Propositions Whether or not