Basiliká the works of King Charles the martyr : with a collection of declarations, treaties, and other papers concerning the differences betwixt His said Majesty and his two houses of Parliament : with the history of his life : as also of his tryal and martyrdome.

MDCXLII. His MAJESTY's Declaration to all His loving Subjects, after His late Victory against the Rebels on Sunday the 23. of October.

AS We must wholly attribute the Preservation of Us and Our Children in the late bloody Battel with the Rebels to the Mercy and Goodness of Almighty God, who best knowing the Justice of Our Cause, and the Uprightness of Our Heart to his Ser∣vice, and to the good and welfare of Our People, would not suffer Us and this whole Kingdom to be made a Prey to those desperate Persons: so We hold it Our Duty still to use all possible means to remove that Jealousie and Mis-understanding from Our good Subjects, which by the Industry and Subtilty of that Malignant Party (which hath brought this Mischiefand Confusion upon the Kingdom) hath been infused into them; and to that purpose (thugh even those Scandals are sufficiently answered by many of Our Declarations and Messages, and by Our late Protestation made in the head of Our Army, which We shall always by the help of God stedfastly and solemnly observe) We shall take notice of those subtile Insinuations by which at this present (according to that observation We can make, and Information We can receive) they endeavour to poyson the hearts and corrupt the Allegiance of such of Our good Subjects who cannot so clear∣ly discern their Malice and Impostures: First, by urging and pressing that false ground∣less Imputation of Our favouring Popery, and Our imploying many of that Religion now in Our Army; secondly, by seducing Our good People to believe that this Army raised and kept for Our necessary Defence (and without which in all probability, the Malice of these Men had before this taken Our Life from Us) is to fight against and subdue the Parliament, to take away the Privileges thereof, and thereby to root out Parliaments. If either of which were true, We should not have the courage with an Army much greater than Ours to hope for success.

For the First, for Our Affection to that Religion, Our continual Practice, Our con∣stant Profession and several Protestations will satisfie all the World, against which Ma∣lice and Treason it self cannot find the least probable Objection: We wish from Our heart the zeal and affection of these Men to the true Protestant Religion were as appa∣rent as Ours. For the imploying Men of that Religion in Our present Service in the Army; whosoever considers the hardness and streights the Malice and Fury of these Men have driven Us to, their stopping all passages and ways that neither Men nor money might come to Us, their declaring all such to be Traitours who shall assist Us, their entertain∣ing Men of all Countries, all Religions, to serve against Us, would not wonder if We had been very well contented to have received the service and assistance of any of Our good Subjects who had Loyalty enough (whatsoever their Religion is) to bring them to Our Succour. All Men know the great number of Papists which serve in their Army, Commanders and others, the great Industry they have used to corrupt the Loyalty and Affection of all Our Subjects of that Religion, the private Promises and Under∣takings they have made to them, that if they would assist them against Us, all the Laws made in their prejudice should be repealed: yet neither the weakness of Our own condition, nor the other Arts used against Us, could prevail with Us to invite those of that Religion to come to Our succour, or to recal Our Proclamation which forbad them to do so. And We are confident (though We know of some few whose eminent Abilities in Command and Conduct, and moderate and unfactious Dis∣positions, hath moved Us in this great Necessity to imploy them in this Service) that a far greater number of that Religion is in the Army of the Rebels than in Our own. And We do assure Our good Subjects, though We shall always remember the particular services which particular Men have or shall in this Exigent of Ours perform to Us with that Grace and Bounty which becomes a just Prince; yet We shall be so far from ever giving the least countenance or encouragement to that Religion, that We shall always use Our utmost endeavour to suppress it, by the execution of those good and wholsome Laws already in force against Papists, and concurring in such further Remedies as the care and wisdom of Us and both Houses of Parliament shall think most necessary for the Advancement of God's Service.

For the Second, of Our Intention to make War upon Our Parliament, and so to root out Parliaments; the Scandal is so senseless, when Our Accusation of a few particular Persons for particular Crimes notoriously committed, adjudged by the known Laws of the Land to be Treason, is evident, that no Man can be moved with it, who doth not be∣lieve a dozen or twenty Factious, Seditious Persons to be the High Court of Parliament, which consists of KING, Lords and Commons. And for the Privileges of it, who∣ever doth not believe that to raise an Army to murther and depose the King, to alter the

whole frame of Government and established Laws of the Land by extemporary, extra∣vagant Votes and Resolutions of either or both Houses, to force and compel the Mem∣bers to submit to the Faction and Treason of a few, and to take away the Liberty and Freedom of consultation from them, be the Privileges of Parliament, must confess that the Army now raised by Us is no less for the Vindication and Preservation of Parlia∣ments than for Our own necessary Defence. We have often said, and We still say, that We believe many Inconveniences have grown upon this Kingdom by the too long intermission of Parliaments, that Parliaments are the only necessary sovereign Reme∣dies of the growing Mischiefs which Time and Accidents have and will always beget in this Kingdom, that without Parliaments the Happiness cannot be lasting to King or People; We have prepared for the frequent assembling of Parliaments, and will be always as careful of their just Privileges as of Our Life, Honour or Interest: But that those Privileges should extend so far as hath been lately declared, that it should not be lawful for Us to apprehend the Lord Saint-John, Captain Wingate, or Captain Walton, when they came to destroy Us, because they were Members of Parliament, without the consent of that House of which they were Members, is so ridiculous, that there need no more to be said in this Argument than the giving these instances. In a word, as whoever knows in what Danger Our Person was on Sunday the 23. of October, can never believe that the Army which gave Us Battel was raised for Our Defence and Pre∣servation: so when they consider how much the Liberty of the Subject is invaded by their Rapine and Imprisoning, and that four parts at the least of five of the Members of both Houses are by Violence driven from being present in that Council; that the Book of Common-Prayer is rejected, and no countenance given but to Anabaptists, and Brownists; they will easily find the pretences of care of the Protestant Religion, the Liberty of the Subject, and of the Privilege of Parliament, to be as vain and pretended, as those which refer to the Safety of Our Person and preservation of Our Posterity.

We cannot omit the great pains and endeavours these great pretenders to Peace and Charity have taken to raise an implacable Malice and Hatred between the Gentry and Commonalty of the Kingdom, by rendring all Persons of Honour, Courage and Reputa∣tion odious to the Common People under the style of Cavaliers; insomuch as the High-ways and Villages have not been safe for Gentlemen to pass through without Vi∣olence or Affronts: and by infusing into them that there was an intention by the Com∣mission of Array to take away a part of their Estates from them; a Scandal so sen∣seless and impossible, that the Contrivers of it well know that they might with equal Ingenuity have charged Us with a purpose of introducing Turcisme or Judaisme amongst them: and We hope when Our good Subjects have well weighed the continual Pra∣ctices of these Men to reject all offers of Treaty, and to suppress Truth, and to mis∣lead them by bold and monstrous Falsehoods, they will not think such arts and ways to lead to Peace and Unity. And We desire Our good Subjects of all Conditions to believe that We hold Our Self bound no less to defend and protect the meanest of Our People (who are born equally free, and to whom the Law of the Land is an equal Inheritance) than the greatest Subject; and that as the Wealth and Strength of this Kingdom consists in the Number and Happiness of Our People, which is made up of Men of all Conditions, so We shall, to the utmost of Our Power, endeavour without distinction to give every one of them that Justice and Protection which is due to them: and We do exhort them all to that charitable and brotherly Affection one to∣wards another, that they may be reconciled in a just Duty and Loyalty to Us, which may enable Us for that Protection.

To conclude, We would have all the World know, that We shall never forget the Protestations and Vows We have made to Almighty God in Our several Declarations and Messages to both Our Houses of Parliament. And We are too much a Christian to believe that We can break those Promises, and avoid the Justice of Heaven.

CHARLES R.

Our express pleasure is, That this Our Declaration be published in all Churches and Chappels within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, by the Parsons, Vicars, or Curates of the same.