A narrative of the causes and events of civil-war between princes and people together with the manner how the people of Rome and of the Netherlands rejected and abjured their king and kingly government, with the form of their oaths of abjuration : extracted out of the Roman and Netherlands history : as likewise some objections now in contest concerning the taking of the like oath in this Common-Wealth examined and answered, if not for satisfaction at least for information of such as are concerned / by F.M.

Thus Reader thou hast a short Narrative of the Cause and Manner of the Banishment of the Kings of Rome, and what course the Romans took to keep them out from ever returning. Now followeth that of the Netherlands, in freeing themselves from the yoak of Philip the King of Spain, as it is extracted out of the Edict or De∣claration of the General Estates of the Nether∣lands, dated at the Hague the 26th of Iuly, 1581.

TO all those that these Presents shall see, read or hear, Greeting; As it is well known unto all men, that a Prince and Lord of a Country is ordained by God to be Soveraign & Head over his Sub∣jects, and to preserve and defend them from all injuries, force and violence, even as a Shepherd for the defence of his sheep, and that the Subjects are not created by God for the Prince to obey him in all he shall Command, be it with God or against him, reasonable or un∣reasonable, nor to serve him as Slaves and Bond men; but rather the Prince is ordained for his Subjects (without which he cannot be a Prince) to Govern them according to Law, Equity and Reason, to take care for them and to love them, even as a Father doth his Children, or a Shepherd his Sheep, who putteth both his body and life in danger, to defend and preserve them; If the Prince there∣fore faileth herein, and instead of preserving his Subjects, doth out∣rage and oppress them, depriveth them of their priviledges and an∣tient Customs, commandeth them and would be served of them as of slaves, they are no longer bound to respect him as their Soveraign Prince and Lord, but to esteem of him as of a Tyrant; Neither are the Subjects (according unto Law and Reason) bound to ac∣knowledge him as their Prince, so as without any offence being done with Deliberation and Authority of the States of the Countrey, they may freely abandon him, especially, when as the Subjects by humble Suite, Entreaty and Admonitions could never mollifie their Princes heart, nor divert him from his Enterprise and Tyrannous designs, so as they have no other means left them to preserve their antient Liberties, their Wives,

Children and Posterity, for the which (according to the Law of Na∣ture) they are bound to expose both Life and Goods, as for the like occasion we have seen it to fall out often in divers Countreys, whereof the examples are yet fresh in memory, which ought especially to be of force in these Countreys, who have alwayes been and ought to be Governed according to the Oath taken by their Princes, when they receive them, conformable to their Priviledge and antient Custome, having no power to infringe them; besides, that most part of the said Provinces have alwayes received and admitted their Princes and Lords upon certain Conditions and sworn Contracts, which if the Prince shall violate, he is by Right fallen from the Rule and Superiority of the Countrey, &c.

And after they have made a Recital of his Cruelties, Oppressions and Tyrannies, they further proceed.

THat having duly considered all these things, and being prest by extreme necessity, We have by a General Resolution and Consent, Declared, and do Declare by these Presents, the King of Spain (ipso jure) to be fallen from the Seignory, Principality, Ju∣risdiction and Inheritance of these Countreys; and that we are Resolved never to acknowledge him any more in any matter concern∣ing the Prince, Jurisdictions or Demean of these Netherlands, nor to use hereafter, neither yet to suffer any other to use his Name as So∣veraign Lord thereof, according to which we Declare all Offi∣cers, private Noble men, Vassals and other Inhabitants of these Countreys, of what Condition or Quality soever, to be from hence∣forth discharged of the Oath which they have made in any manner whatsoever unto the King of Spain, as Lord of these Countries, or of that whereby they may be bound unto him, &c. Enjoyning and Commanding all Judges, Officers and all others to whom it shall appertain, That hereafter they forbear to use any more the Name, Titles, great Seal or Signet of the King of Spain, and have Injoyn∣ned and Commanded, and do Injoyn and Command, that all the King of Spain▪ Seals which are at this present within these Ʋnited Provinces, shall be delivered into the Sates hands, and that from henceforth the Name and Armes of the King of Spain, shall not be

put nor stampt in any Coyns of these Ʋnited Provinces, but that there shall be such a figure set upon them as shall be appointed, &c. In like sort we Injoyn and Command the Presidents and Lords of the Councel and all other Chancellours, Presidents, Provincial Counsuls, and all Presidents & chief Masters of Accounts & others of all Cham∣bers of Accounts, being respectively in these Countreys, and also all other Judges and Officers, as holding them discharged of the Oath which they have made to the King of Spain, according to the Te∣nure of the Commissions, that they shall take a New Oath in the hands of the States of the Provinces where they are, or to their De∣puties, whereby they shall Swear to be faithful to us against the King of Spain and his Adherents, according to the Form set down by us; which Oath accordingly was taken by the Publick Officers and Magi∣strates of every Town and Province, and is as followeth:

I Swear, that hereafter I shall not serve nor yield obedience to Philip King of Spain, nor acknow∣ledge him for my Prince and Lord, whom I do Renounce by these Presents, and do hold my self Free from all Oaths and Bands by the which I might be formerly tyed unto him. Whereof find∣ing my self presently Freed, I Swear anew, and bind my self to the United Provinces, and namely, to them of Brabandt, Guelder, Hollandt, Zealandt, and their Allies, and to the Soveraign Magistrates that are appointed, to be Faithful and Loyal unto them, to yield them all Obedience, aid and Comfort with all my Power and means, against the King of Spain and his. Adherents, and against all the Enemies of the Countrey, promising as a good Subject of the Countrey to carry my self Faithfully and Loyally, with shew of all Obedience to my Superiors; So, help me the Almighty God.

Many notwithstanding made great difficulty to Abjure the King and to take the New Oath, among others a Councellour

of Frieslandt, a man of great Judgement and Experience, called Raa••da, hearing the Abjuration propounded in open Councel at Leuwarden, and the renewing of the Oath (whether it were through a sudden amazement, or for the affection which he bare to the King of Spain) was so troubled, as he fell in a Convulsion and died presently.

Now impartial Reader, that you have seen a short and true Narrative extracted out of antient and modern History, where∣by you may receive satisfaction of the causes wherefore the Romans and our Neighbours of the Netherlands Rejected and Renounced their Kings and kingly Office, and how they pro∣vided against their ever returning to Rule over them; upon the whole matter it may be queried, whether the Parliament and good People of England, after God had so signally and mi∣raculously owned their Cause against the late King and Fami∣ly, have not had an equivalent or far greater Cause to Free these three Nations of the yoak of Monarchs and Monarchy, then the Romans or the States of the Netherlands had, which any one may easily be convinced of, if he will but take the pains and time to read the History of the Reign of the Kings of Eng∣land, Scotland, &c. but especially from the coming of that Bastard brood to the late Tyrant; What murthers, rapines, op∣pressions, wars, devastations, cruelties, ravishments and what not have been acted in the three Nations, during that time? I shall onely hint to some few, as first of King John, of whom the History relates, that when he had endeavoured by force of Armes and by other barbarous cruelties to impose his yoak of bondage and slavery over his People, whom he forced to take up Armes for his own defence, and that after they had obtai∣ned several victories against him, whereby he was reduced to great extreams, yet would not grant them Peace, till he had made Tryal of all manner of cruel wayes to subdue them by force, one whereof was, that rather then grant to the People their Liberties and Freedoms, he sent to the King of the Moors, and made him an offer that if he would send an Army in England, he would deliver up his right and title to him.

But to come nearer our time, what cruel Murtherer and Ty∣rant was Richard the third and Henry the 8th▪ his own Queens

and many of his Nobles could not escape his fury, and that for no other crime but to satisfie his cruelty, lust and pleasure; so notorious was he, that to this day the Proverb remaineth resent of him, That he neither spared man in his fury, nor woman in his lust. Queen Mary another fury, how many pretious Souls she caused to be brought to the stake and burned. King James, so little he esteemed the lives of the People (although no man of War) yet (if by accident) any one hindred his sport in Hunting, or not opened a Gate as soon as he comman∣ded, he would curse and swear, and give express command that such a one should be hanged; And for his Son, what wars, desolations and miseries hath he been authour of in the 3 Nations, how many thousands killed and ruined, how many millions of Treasure exhausted, what Plots contrived by him and his Queen to subvert Law and Religion in these Na∣tions, his inviting of the German Horse in time of Peace, and in time of War pawn the Jewels of the Crown, to bring over whole Regiments of Papists, to kill, destroy, plunder, ravish and barbarously use the Protestant People of this Nation; And moreover of my certain knowledge their sending Sir Kelom Digbys to the Pope for Assistance, &c.

The realty of these unparallel'd actings being seriously cor∣sidered, and all by-ends and self-interest laid aside, and one∣ly that of the Publick eyed upon, then it must needs be ac∣knowledged, that besides those enormities, that many Lu∣cretias have been ravished by those Kings and their Interest, and that their wars, devastations and cruelties have far excee∣ded either those of the Tarquin's, or Kings of Spain at Rome or in the Netherlands; in Rome the ravishing of one Lucretia (by the Kings son) was the principal occasion of the Peoples banishing and abjuring the whole brood of their Kings; and in the Netherlands the oppression and cruelty of the King of Spain occasioned the States of that Countrey to do the like; Weigh but the one and the other together in the Ballance of Justice and Reason, against the cruelties and licentious wills of our Kings, and you will be sure to find them light and in∣considerable; as to what hath been exercised here since the Normans subdued England under their heavy and oppressive

yoak; that in reason it must be acknowledged and granted that for the safety of the People, the Parliament of England have (after their so many signal Victories, and their ownings of God for the same) far more and justifiable reasons, to re∣nounce and cause to be renounced, the whole Line of the Kings and kingship, or other single Persons pretending any right or title of Chief Magistrates over these Nations, then either the Romans or State of the Netherlands had in renouncing and abjuring their King and kingship; against which Oath it may be Objected,

First, That the Oath of Abjuration taken by the Romans and Netherlands could not be advantagious to them as for the keeping out their Kings from returning, and that (say some) because any wicked man to bring his designs to pass, will make no Difficulty nor Conscience to swallow any manner of Oaths.

To which it may be Answered, that this short Narrative extracted out of the History, is sufficient to remove that Obje∣ction; for first, It is not to be doubled, had it not been for the Oath taken by the Romans against the return of their Kings, undoubtedly they had never been kept out.

And secondly for the States of the Netherlands, It was not onely useful to weed out of their Armies and Garrisons all the friends of the King of Spain, and likewise out of the Courts of Justice and other places of eminent trust; and certainly, if the hearing of it read and proposed could have so much power as to kill that Great and Wise Counsellor, how much more dreadful was it to all others of the King of Spains faction and party, who several of them upon refusal of the said Oath were displaced out of their several imployments; and besides it is very remarkable, that after it was imposed upon all Military Officers, there was neither Garrisons nor Forces betrayed to the King of Spain, as formerly before it was daily observed there was; whereupon the King of Spain was forced to make Peace with them.

And thirdly, It is impossible for the rarest Artists of the world to erect any lasting Fabrick upon an old Foundation, unless first the rubish and old ruine thereof be absolutely re∣moved and cast out, so likewise and comparatively it is impos∣sible

of a Monarchical Government to introduce and establish upon a sure basis a Democratical Government, without first casting off and renouncing that old ruinous and rubish Go∣vernment of King and kingship, which if it had been effected in the year 1648 when these Nations were declared a Free State, by imposing an Oath of that nature upon those Persons then e∣minently intrusted in Civil & Military places, there is sufficient ground to believe that Cromwell nor his Adherents would never have attempted to subvert and usurp the Government as they did, which hath in a manner almost ruined both the Cause and Nation; and for want of taking such an Oath, we see what hopes the Family of the Stuarts and other single Persons have had and have still to return, which will never be removed, until (in imitation of our Neighbours the Netherlands) those back-doors be dammed up by taking such an Oath; and moreover doth not at present the Royal Party dare with bold∣ness assert and maintain, laying Wagers to one that the Chief in Parliament and Army will refuse the same, and upon that do openly declare their great hopes, which would be soon o∣ver if those Worthies would be but sensible thereof, and put no further delayes in a business of so great concernment to the settlement of the Nation and Commonwealth.

The second Objection which is found in the mouths of ma∣ny which are no better then kinglings, but would put it off upon a case of Conscience (viz.) That in case God who is the Omnipotent over all Governments of the world, should in his Providence seem good to bring back some of the Line of the late King to be Ruler over these Nations, then say they, if we should take such an Oath of Abjuration or Renunciation, we should be found to have resisted the Will of God.

For Answer, God is Just and Righteous in all his Dispen∣sations and Providences, and for any Person that hath seen and several times returned thanks unto him for his wonderful and miraculous Providences in owning a Cause so much contended for, by giving so many signal and mar∣vellous Victories and Deliverances to this Parliament and their Forces, against the late King & Family in several conflicts, and that at such a time when he was very formidable, and his party

and Armies consisted of most of the Nobility and Gentry of the three Nations, and yet God by making use of a company of men of low Estate and condition, and not brought up in the Military Art, did in such wonderful manner own and prosper them in that War against the King and his Son, that at length the Father was by his Divine Providence brought to the block, and the Sons endeavours all blasted and brought to nought, I say when men have been eye witnesses of such extra∣ordinary Providences, in not onely blasting and disowning Kingship in that Family, but likewise in the late family of the Apostate Cromwells who attempted the same, and that by a Parliamentary way; And besides for such as have made War against Kingship and against that Family, and Voted the King∣ly office uselesse, dangerous and chargeable, making it Treason to promote Charles Stuart or any other to be chief Magistrate of England, selling all the support of Kingship and all other Estate belonging to it; And seeing also the Parliament after several interruptions (during which time several endeavours were used to bring kingship again) to be miraculously restored, & to live to see God take vengeance of all those who had been chief Actors in endeavouring to inthrall us under the yoke of the Crom∣wells, &c. for such I say again after all this not to be convinced of the lawfulness of renouncing or declaiming that whole line and others pretenders to it, is certainly to doubt of Gods con∣stancy and Justice, there being as much conscience or reason to plead the same providence against abjuring, renouncing or declaiming the Popes Supreamacie over these Nations, who for during far longer time had Dominion and Jurisdiction over them, so that upon the whole matter, it cannot be imagined that if the pleasure of God was such as to suffer any of that Family or other, to Rule over these Nations, that it can be to any other end then as a scourge and Plague to the Nations and to those persons in particular who are so incredulous and time∣rous, who with many other in the Nation may be compared to those of the Israelites, who (after their wonderful deliverances from under the yoke of King Pharaoh) did murmure while they were in the wilderness, desiring to return to their former State and condition of slavery and bondage, by reason they could

not enjoy the Garlick and Onions of Egypt, not minding the Land of Caanan and of plenty, towards which they were go∣ing, which is the condition of many murmurers in these Na∣tions who cannot or rather will not see nor dive into the Free∣dom and plenty to be had and enjoyed under a Democratical or Free-state Government, which is the thing now aimed and laboured hard for, and which without doubt had long since been obtained and enjoyed, but for the endeavours and desires of so many in the Nation to return to their Egyptian bondage and slavery.

Lastly, An expedient is by some learned men, proposed and offered in lieu of taking the Oath of Abjuration, Renuntiation or Declamation of the Race of the Kings, &c. say such a Law may be made whereby it shall be declared to be high Treason for any per∣son to propose, help or endeavour the bringing any of that family or others to be chief Magistrates of England, &c.

To which it is answered, that such a Law (without first im∣posing such an oath) cannot oblige any person against the return of any of that line, or the introduction of any other single Per∣son, and that for these reasons▪

First, Such a Law doth not bind the Consciences and per∣sons of any as an Oath doth, which is voluntary and personal∣ly obliging.

Secondly, Because of late there hath been a sufficient expe∣riment of the same in Cromwell and others, assuming to them∣selves the Government of these Nations, although it was here declared high Treason by a known Law so to do.

Thirdly, Because such a Law (although never so strict) may be repealed, which such an Oath can never be.

Fourthly, Because if any one of that family or other should attempt by force to overthrow the Government of these Na∣tions, such a law obliges no man to oppose them, which an Oath doth in ••erminis.

Lastly, Because such a Law cannot discover who that is in the Commonwealth service, that may be an Enemy to it, which an Oath will soon discover, and out all such Kinglings both out of the Courts of Justice, as likewise out of the Army and Garrisons.

FINIS.

Notes

• Vide, The General Hi∣story of the Netherlands, written by Grimeston and Cross, and Printed in the year 1627.
• Vide, The 12 Book, page 659. to page 666.