The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

Monday 26. of May, the Lord Keeper at a Conference of both Houses said as followeth:

Gentlemen,

* 1.1 YE that are Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the House of Commons, I have many times this Parliament by command from my Lords, declared the great zeal and affection which my Lords have to maintain and nourish the good concurrence and correspondency which hath hitherto continued between both Houses, that there might be a happy issue in this great business, for the common good of the King and Kingdom. Now that which I have to say this day from my Lords, is, to let you know, this fair proceeding is not a profession of words only, but really and indeed concerning the Petition, which hath been long in agitation, as the weight of the cause required: since the last Conference, my Lords have taken it into their serious and in∣stant consideration, and at length are fallen up∣on a Resolution, which I am to acquaint you with.

The Lords have unanimously agreed with you in omnibus, and have voted, that they will joyn with you in your Petition, with the only altera∣tion of the word [means] to be put instead of the word [pretext] and for the word [unlaw∣ful] to be put out, and in place thereof to add [not warrantable by the Laws and Statutes of the Realm.] Which two alteratio•••• your selves consented unto.

So that concerning this business there remains nothing now, but that having the Petition in your hands, ye will (if ye have not already) vote it as they have done, and so prepare it for his Majesty; and ••y Lords will take order, that the King be moved for a speedy access to present the same to his Majesty.

And, after some pause, he said, There rests one thing which my Lords have commanded me to add, that in regard this Petition toucheth up∣on certain Charges raised by the Lords Lieute∣nants, and other Persons, many times for good use, for the service and safety of the Kingdom; That ye take it into your care and consideration, and to provide a Law for Assessing of such Charges, as the occasion of the time shall re∣quire.

The Lords and Commons at last agreed, and the Petition was passed in the Lower-House, and a Conference had with the Lords about the manner of delivery, wherein his Majesties answer thereto was desired in full Parliament.

About this time Mr. Rouse brought in a Charge against Dr. Edward Manwaring, which some daies after was seconded with a Declaration; this Charge is here fully set down (not in the least to justifie Dr. Manwaring) but to give you a taste of the Speakers temper, a notorious Member of the late Rump Parliament.

Mr. Speaker,

I Am to deliver from the Committee a Charge against Mr. Manwaring, a Preacher in Divinity; but * 1.2 a man so criminous, that he hath turned his Titles in∣to Accusation; for the better they are, the worse is he that dishonours them.

Here is a great Charge that lies upon him, it is great in it self, and great, because it hath many great Charges in it; Serpens qui serpentem devo••at fit draco, his Charge having digested many Charges into it, becomes a Monster of Charges.

The main and great one in this Plot and Practice, to alter and subvert the Frame and Fabrick of this Estate and Common-wealth.

This is the great one, and it hath others in it that give it more light. To this end,

1. He labours to infuse into the Conscience of hi•• Majesty, the perswasion of a Power not bounding it self with Laws, which King James of famous memory,

calls, in his Speech to the Parliament, Tyranny, yea, Tyranny accompanied with Perjury.

2. He endeavours to perswade the Conscience of the Subjects, that they are bound to obey Commands illegal; yea, he damns them for not obeying them.

3. He robs the Subjects of the Propriety of their Goods.

4. He brands them that will not lose this Propriety with most scandalous Speech, and odious Titles, to make them both hateful to Prince and People; so to set a di∣vision between the Head and the Members, and be∣tween the Members themselves.

5. To the same end, not much unlike to Faux and his Fellows, he seeks to blow up Parliaments, and Par∣liamentary Powers.

The Fifth being duly viewed, will appear to be so many Charges, and they make up all the great and main Charge, a mischievous Plot to alter and subvert the Frame and Government of this State and Common-wealth.

And now, though you may be sure, that Mr. Manwaring leaves us no propriety in our goods, yet he hath an absolute propriety in this Charge; here himself making up his own Charge. Here he read several passages out of his Book, and then proceeded and said; 'You have heard his Charge made up by his own words, and withal I doubt not but you seem to hear the voice of that wicked one [Quid dabitis?] what will you give me, and I will betray this State, Kingdom, and Common-wealth?

But there are two Observations (I might add a third, which is like unto a three-fold Cord, which cannot easily be broken) will draw the Charge more violently upon him.

The first is of the Time when this Doctrine of destruction was set forth; it was preached in the heart of the Loan, and it was Printed in the beginning of that Term which ended in a Remit∣titur: So that you might guess there might be a double Plot, by the Law and Conscience, to set on fire the frame and estate of this Common∣wealth: And one of these entailed Foxes was Mr. Manwa••ing.

Another note may be taken of the time, that is, the unseasonableness of it; for this Doctrine of the Loan (in case of necessity) was the year after an assent in Parliament to Four Subsidies and Three Fifteens, which might serve for a suffici∣ent stopple for the Doctors mouth, to keep in his Doctrine of Necessity.

A second observation may be of the means by which he seeks to destroy this Common-wealth; his means are Divinity, yea, by his Divinity he would destroy both King and Kingdom.

The King: for there can be no greater mis∣chief to a Prince, than to put the opinion of Deity into his ears; for if from his ears it should have passed to his heart, it had been mortal: You know how Herod perished. Now this man gives a participation of Divine Omnipotence to Kings; and though a part may seem to qualifie, yet all doth seem again to fill up that qualifica∣tion, and very dangerously, if we remember that God saith of himself, I am a jealous God.

He goes about to destroy the Kingdom and Common-wealth by his Divinity; but do we find in Scripture such a destroying Divinity? Surely I find there, that God is a God of order, and not of confusion: and that the Son of God came to save, and not to destroy. By which it seems he hath not his Divinity from God, nor from the Son of God: And that we may be sure he went to Hell for Divinity, he names sundry Jesuites and Fry∣ars, with whom he consulted and traded for his Divinity. But not to bely Hell it self, the Je∣suites are honester than he: for if he had not brought more Hell unto them than he found with them, he had not found this Divinity in them which he hath brought forth; yea, in his quotations he hath used those shifts and falshoods, for which Boys are to be whipt in Schools, and yet by them he thinks to carry the Cause of a Kingdom.

But, for a conclusion, to give the true Cha∣racter of this man, whom I never saw, I will shew it you by one whom I know to be contrary to him: Samuel we know all to be a true Pro∣phet; now we read of Samuel, that he writ the Law of the Kingdom in a Book, and laid it up be∣fore the Lord. And this he did, as one of Mr. Manwaring's own Authors affirms, that the King may know what to command, and the People what to obey; but Mr. Manwaring, finding the Law of this Kingdom written in Books, tears it in pieces, and that in the presence of the Lord in a Pulpit, that the King may not know what to command, nor the People what to obey.

Thus Mr. Manwaring being contrary to a true Prophet, must needs be a false one, and the Judgment of a false Prophet belongs to him.

I have shewed you an evil Tree, that bringeth forth evil fruit; and now it rests with you to de∣termine, whether the following Sentence shall follow, Cut it down, and cast it into the fire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Lords and Com∣mons agree touching the Petiti∣o•• of ••ight.
• * 1.2

  Mr. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 against Dr. Ed. Ma••∣wa••ing.