An epitomy of English history wherein arbitrary government is display'd to the life, in the illegal transactions of the late times under the tyrannick usurpation of Oliver Cromwell; being a paralell to the four years reign of the late King James, whose government was popery, slavery, and arbitrary power, but now happily delivered by the instrumental means of King William & Queen Mary. Illustrated with copper plates. By Tho. May Esq; a late Member of Parliament.

THE INTRODUCTION.

OF late, since the Spirit of Discontent hath possessed a great part of this Nation; nothing more hath been discoursed of and feared, next to that of the Alte∣ration of the Protestant Religion, than Arbitrary Govern∣ment; which I suppose is the Rule of any Person or Persons, by their own Will and Authority, without being tyed to the Rules, Methods, and Directions of the Laws of the Land, and a Converting of this most glorious Monarchy, into Tyranny. The fear and Jealousie of this Government, hath been ex∣ceedingly, of late, fomented, among the discontented People, by the sly Arts of those, who are, and ever will be, Ene∣mies to the Religion, Peace, and Tranquility of this Nati∣on; and no doubt, but the Machivilian Jesuite, and the Zealous Papist, have been the cause of all the imbroils of England, hoping by that Gate, to bring in their own Reli∣gion, and Arbitrary Government: The thing so much feared by the People of England. And truely in this Cas•• they are not to be blamed, Religion and Liberty, being the two chiefest, and most valuable Jewels, belonging to the Crown of Life. And when they cast abroad their Eyes, and behold the Arbitrary, Despotical and Tyrannical reign of the Princes of other Countries, they may well be desirous of Con∣serving their own happy Government, in the Monarchy of this Nation; which is so equally divided, betwixt King and People, That the one cannot do injury, or wrong to the other, unless the one become Arbitrary, and the other Rebellious.

The Constitution of the Government of England is so sound, as it is not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be shaken or altered, with every small Occasi∣on, for it must be absolute Tyranny on the one Hand, or abso∣lute Rebellion of the other, that must break it to Pieces, and bring in the so much feared Arbitrary Government. And

therefore, it is against the Interest both of King and People, to intrench upon one the other, the one to invade the Prerogative of the King, the other the Priviledges of the People: For so e∣qually bangs the Ballance between them, that as it is the Envy and admiration of all other Nations, so is it the Happiness and strength of our own; for the one side cannot Preponde∣rate or weigh down the other, without breaking the just and equal Constitution of our Government. If therefore the Kings of this happy Nation, should at any time, thorow the Evil advice of their Councellors, go about to invade the peoples Liberties, and to think or hope to bring in Arbitrary Govern∣ment, it would not be so easie a thing to effect it, since the mutual Bonds and Obligations, between the King and Peo∣ple are already so strong, as it is almost impossible to attain to that end, whilst the three Estates of the Land have a be∣ing, and without whom no alteration can be made. The peo∣ple therefore, need not be in those Fears and Agonies, on eve∣ry the least Occasion, of the evil Ministration of some of the chief Officers of State, of their Kings Intentions of bringing in of Arbitrary Government; for no doubt the Kings of England, are as great and Imperial Monarchs, holding their Crowns of God only, and so account themselves, as any other Monarch whatsoever: Nor can we see, how a lawful Monarch can any ways better himself, or become more great, by such unlawful Arbitrariness, who by the Laws of the Land, and the Love of his People, wants neither Power nor Money, the only things a Tyrant can pretend to. It is therefore the Cunning Arts of the Enemies to Englands peace, who so needlesly, seek to bu•• it into the Ears of the People, that their King intends to bring in Arbitrary Government, upon every Occasion, given by any of his Ministers of State, in the management of those Affairs, they cannot see into the Bottom. But since the great∣est Ministers, are Accountable for their male-Administration to Parliaments, there is, and can be no such Fear, I say of ever attaining that end, so long as Parliaments have a being, and without which our happy Monarchy cannot subsist totally. But many cry out against Arbitrary Government, and know not what it is, not being sufficiently sensible; of their living under, and being ruled and governed by a legal Monarch:

Tho some Faults and Miscarriages may be sound, or appear in his Ministers; for the King himself can do no wrong, since he Acts nothing of himself, but by Ministers, who are all Responsible for their Actions. Yet the People are not to be blamed, for their abhorrency of Arbitrary or Tyrannick Government, which always attends Usurpation, since it is not so many years, that they have felt the burthen thereof; and if we look back, into all the Actions, of the most Arbi∣trary and Tyrannick, the lawful Kings of this Nation, we shall find the Arbitrary Government, attending Usurpers, in the little time of their Usurpation, to be more horr••d and dreadful, and brought on this Nation more Misery, Blood, and Persecution, than any of them; nay, all of them toge∣ther. I cannot think therefore, that any are serious, who cry out on the Phanaticks, as indeavouring or desiring a Common-wealth, for I do think there are none of them, so really mad, as to desire any such thing, that would bring on them the dreaded Arbitrary Government, they so much Fear; since they found it by so late Experience, to be no reme∣dy to their Evils, and cured their Fears and Jealousies with a Plaister of Poyson. And this also, I look upon to be••a Stra∣tagem of the same Enemies, on the other side, to Create a Jealousie in the Head of the Prince, and his Ministers, and to make them Construe every Action of the People, tending to that end, which may be, and no doubt is, as far from their thinking, as it is from that of the other, in bringing in of Arbitrary Government. Since the Fears and Jealousies of either side, are alike much heightned, by the indeavours of several sorts of evil Persons, and by some well meaning People, by being too severe in uncomely and bitter Expressions, and thorow the Toleration of the many Licentious, and Scan∣dalous Papers, which daily fly abroad, the Author of these true Collections, of the Miseries this Nation suffered, under the Arbitrary Government, of Tyrannic Usurpers, Exposes it to the Abhorrency of the Nation, that they might behold it in a Glass; and that the Governours of our Common-wealth, may not run upon the same Rocks: Nor the People, into the like Rebellion, in seeking to avoid Arbitrary Government, or some Shadows of it, bring it upon themselves totally, to

the subverting the Monarchy and the Fundamental Laws of the Land.

To the intent then, that they may see the difference, be∣tween the happy Reign of lawful Kings, and usurping Ty∣rants, we have Collected the illegal Acts, and bloody Perse∣cutions, of those Usurpers of Arbitrary Government, the Rump and Oliver, that by the matter of Fact, the People may be convinced and deterred from thinking of Rebelling against their lawful Prince, since 'tis the only way to bring in Arbitrary Government, whose most horrid Pic∣ture, is display'd in the following History.