Memoires of the lives, actions, sufferings & deaths of those noble, reverend and excellent personages that suffered by death, sequestration, decimation, or otherwise, for the Protestant religion and the great principle thereof, allegiance to their soveraigne, in our late intestine wars, from the year 1637 to the year 1660, and from thence continued to 1666 with the life and martyrdom of King Charles I / by Da. Lloyd ...

The King of Morocco's Letter to King Charles the First.

WHen these our Letters shall be so happy as to come to your Majesties sight I wish the spirit of the righteous God may so direct your mind, that you may joyfully embrace the message I send; presenting to you the means of exal∣ting the Majesty of God, and your own reward amongst men: the legal power allotted to us, make us common Servants to our Creator; then, of those people whom we govern: So that observing the duties we owe to God, we deliver blessings to the World; in providing for the publick good of our States, we mag∣nifie the honour of God like the Celestial bodies, which though they have much veneration, yet serve only to the benefit of the World. It is the excellency of our bodies to be instruments, whereby happiness is delivered unto the Nations. Pardon me Sir, this is not to instruct, (for I know I speak to one of a more clear and quick sight than my self) but I speak this, because God hath been pleased to grant me a happy Victory over some of those rebellious Pyrates, that have so long molested that peaceful Trade of Europe; and have presented fur∣ther occasion to root out the Generation of those, who have been so pernicious to the good of our Nations: I mean, since it hath pleased God to be so auspici∣ous to our beginnings in the conquest of Salla, that we might joyn and proceed, in hope of like success, in the War against Tunis, Algier, and other places, (Dens and Receptacles for the humane Villanies of those who abhorr rule and government) herein whilst we interrupt the corruption of maglinant spirits of the World, we shall glorifie the great God, and perform a duty that will shine as glorious as the Sun and Moon, which all the Earth may see and reverence; A work that shall ascend as sweet as the perfume of the most preci∣ous odours, in the Nostrils of the Lord; A work happy and gratefull to men; A work whose memory shall be reverenced so long as there shall be any that de∣light to hear the actions of Heroick and magnanimous spirits, that shall last as long as there be any remaining amongst men that love and honour the piety and vertue of noble minds. This action I willingly present to you, whose piety and vertues equal the greatness of your power. That we who are the Servants to

the great and mighty God, may hand in hand triumph in the glory which this action presents unto us. Now because the Islands which you govern have been very famous for the unconquered strength of their shipping, I have sent this my trusty Servant and Embassadour, to know whether in your Princely Wisdom you shall think fit to assist me with such forces by Sea, as shall be answerable to those I provide by Land, which if you please to grant, I doubt not but the Lord of Hosts will protect and assist those that fight in so glorious a cause. Nor ought you to think this strange, that I who much reverence the peace and accord of Nations, should exhort to a War: Your great Prophet Christ Iesus was the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, as well as the Lord and giver of Peace, must al∣ways appear with the terrour of his Sword, and wading through Seas of blood, must arrive to tranquillity. This made James your Father, of glorious memo∣ry, so happily renowned amongst all Nations. It was the noble fame of your Princely vertues, which resounds to the utmost corners of the Earth, that per∣swaded me to invite you to partake of that blessing, wherein I boast my self most happy. I wish God may heap riches of his blessings on you, increase your happi∣ness with your daies, and hereafter perpetuate the greatness of your name in all Ages.

Virtues that had they been sweetned with little circumstances such as theirs are, who observe some minute wayes of obliging, and not reall, solid, and grand actions, had pleased the world while he lived, as they astonished it since he was dead; he aimed at the general good of the Commonwealth, and therefore he was not carefull to be plau∣sible to particular persons, verifying that maxime, That Ordinary Princes are applauded, but Heroick ones not understood. Virtues that make it an Impertinence to tell the world that he was temperate, eating for health, not luxury; and drinking wine mingled with water, excepting when he eat Venison, concluding the greatest entertainment with a glass of water, beer, and wine, seldome drinking between meals: that his Recreations were manly and sober, Chesse,y Books, Limning, excellent Discourse, and Hunting, being the most usuall of them; and that his private converse was free and ingenious, witness his an∣swer to a Presbiterian Minister who inquired for Captain Titus (a per∣son very well-deserving of him and his son) that he wondred after so unhappy a discourse about Timothy he would look for Titus; these be∣ing the inconsiderable Circumstances of his great goodness.

VIII. A King so religious, that his devotion in the Church when young was equal to his gallantry at Court, his mind being no more softned and debauched by his fortune, than his body; a devotion not Popular nor Pompous, but sollid and secret, filling his Soul as God doth the world silently, his Soul being wrapped up in his Prayer not to bez di∣sturbed either by the best or worst accident that could happen.

A Devotion to which he made his pleasure (witness his constant cal∣ling for Prayers before Hunting, though before day) and his business, witness his ordering of Prayers to be made to God, before he Ingaged the Rebels at Brentford (valuing his duty before his safety) whereupon his private Prayers in restraint, were admired by his Enemies, and his constant attendance on, and hast to Divine Service whereever he was, by his friends. At Bishop Lauds request he came to Church in the beginning

of Divine Service to prevent any interuption might happen in the publick Devotion, and of his own accord he continued to the end to avoid all Contempt of it. Where his eye was in the beginning of Sermon, there it was in the end; his attendance edifying as much by the Example, as the Preacher did by his Doctrine: The established way of the Church of England was his profession, not so much by Education, as by Choice, not as a profession he liked, but understood the best in the world: No∣thing more usuall than to defame him and others for Inclination to Po∣pery (for to the great shame of our Profession, and honour of the Ro∣man, all the Reason, Order, Discipline, Laws and Religion that was in the world, was then reckoned Popish) and yet nothing rendred him a more conspicuous Protestant than the late Rebellion, wherein besides his Constancy in Spain against the temptations of that Court, the solli∣citations of the Pope, and the restless Importunities of Priests and Fry∣ers, he added these Arguments of his sincerity in Religion, viz. That in his private Indearments to the Queen when he had most need of her assistance, he saith Religion was the only thing in difference between them; And in his Legacy to his Children, he bequeatheth them not only Bishop Andrews Sermons, and Mr. Hookers Policy that might con∣firm them in the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church, but Arch-bishop Lauds book against Fisher the greatest and strongest Argument and Antidote against the Romists, insomuch that if the faction had not overthrown his Government, the Papists as appears by Habernefields discovery had ruined his Person; as afterwards many of them obstructed his Restauration, and his Sons, for no other reason, but that he was Heir of his Fathers Faith, as well as his Throne.

Religion had the whole power of his soul, as he should have had of his subjects, whom he desired no further subject to him, than he was to God. How tender his Conscience! that was resolved (as he in∣joyned the most Reverend Father in God, G. now Arch-bishop of Canterbury, then his Chaplain, if ever he saw him in prosperity, to put him in mind of it) to do publick Pennance, for consenting to the E. of Strafford's death (a deep sence of which action went with him to his grave) and to the injuries done the Church in England and Scotland. How careful his heart! in that, when the Commissioners at the Isle of Wight, urged him to allow the lesser Catechism of the Assembly, (that being, they said, but a small matter) he said, Though it seem to you a small matter, yet I had rather part with the choicest flower in my Crown, than permit your Children to be corrupted in the least point of their Religion. How great his Integrity! when the Commissioners urged the abolishing of Episcopacy in England, because he had consented to the abolishing of it in Scotland; and it was replyed, That in Scotland, the Act made to that purpose, in the minority of King Iames, was not re∣pealed; and that his consenting to that, was only leaving them where the Law left them: He said, That Reply was true, but it was not all, for the truth is (they are his own words) and tell them so the next time they urge that, When I did that in Scotland, I sinned against my Conscience, and I have often repented of it, and I hope God hath forgiven me that great sin; and by Gods grace, for no consideration in the World, will I do so again. Neither was he thus exceedingly religious as a man only, but as a King: Neither

was Religion only his private Devotion, but his publick Government, wherein he aimed at, 1. The peace of the Church, (wherein those parts and abilities that he saw lost in malice and dissentions, might be very useful to the promoting of Religion and Godliness) And 2. the honour, maintenance and splendour of the Church: For the first of which, he consulted sufficiently, in his favours to Arch-bishop Laud, Bishop Neile, Bishop Iuxon. For the second, by his endeavour to re∣cover the Patrimony of the Church in England, Ireland and Scotland, where his religious intentions gave occasion to their rebellion, who, rather than they would part with their private sacrileges, resolved on the publick ruine. And for the third, by his great charge in the repair of St. Pauls, and other places. To say nothing of his godly resolution to buy all Lands and Tythes, alienated from the Church, with his own Estate, by such degrees as his other expences would give him leave; the greatest testimonies of a design to make Religion as universal of his Empire, next those from his own mouth.

First, Before God.

Notes

• y

  There are methodical and si••••wy extracts of his draw•••• out of Bishop Laud, Mr. Hooker, and Bish Andrews, therein he draw together all the argu∣ments giving light and strength to them even while he ••••tomised them.
• z

  Witness his ••••um vednass at Prayer when ••he sad News of the Duke of Buckinghams death was brought to him: bidding the Chaplain go on, when he stop∣ped at the di∣sturbance.