A briefe answer to a booke called The declaration of the kingdomes of England and Scotland.: Sent in a letter from a Member of the House of Commons.

A Briefe Answer to a Booke called [The Declaration of the Kingdomes of England and Scotland.]

Sent in a Letter from a Member of the House of COMMONS.

SIR,

I Have looked over the Booke you sent me, intitled, [The Declaration of the Kingdomes of England and Scotland, &c.] And send you what occurred into my mind upon rea∣ding the orders of these new States, who give loyalty and allegiance the reward of villany and treason, and evidence their seeking of truth and peace by condemning the Kingdom to Anarchy, the Church to Schisme, giving the lives of the Subjects for victims, their estates for a prey to lawlesse rage and rapine: an unlikely way to stop or dry up these streames of bloud, that have covered this nation with a prodigious inunda∣tion, but a meanes to feed that unnaturall fountaine, that the children unborne may be bathed in bloud, and inherit the misery of their parents; for it's not imagi∣nable, that the oppressing of a lawfull King, disherison of a royall Progeny, to whom the right of a crowne hath beene transmitted through a race of so many vi∣ctorious Princes, the cheating and dispossessing of a glo∣rious nation of their Religion, Lawes and Liberty, can

produce other, then perpetuall divisions, betweene the just demands of right by an injured King and people, & the continuall feares and plots of guilty usurpers to se∣cure themselves, and confirme their stolne Soveraignty.

If any man doubted heretofore of the intentions of these men, this book leaves no place to any, but the will∣full: have any in a blinde confidence perswaded them∣selves that these men meant not to take away the King's Rights? the Title of this booke is a Declaration of the Kingdomes, against the will of the King. And surly who∣ever undertake to binde the whole Kingdome without him, exclude him from being the Head of the King∣dome, that is, a King; and they that exclude him for an houre, may by the same reason exclude him for ever: and they have by their practice and former Declarati∣ons told us a King consenting not to what they thinke necessary for the Kingdome is to be reputed as a minor, or incapable, and that they may assume the royall po∣wer and allow the King no more liberty but submissi∣on to their decrees. They claime a power under the name of States, without limitation of time or power, no appeale permitted from them, no possibility of addres∣ses for the greatest injury or injustice done by them, and you may now see they set themselves in the Throne, and admit the King to no other, then a private condition. Englishmen have beene accustomed to other language, their stile being the King's Kingdome, People, Lawes, Peace, Armes; And I doubt not but they abhorre this Title, as an impudent forgery, which would involve them in a disloyalty to their King, and expose them to the scorne of forraigne nations, and subject themselves to usurpers, to whom they owe not allegiance; and from

whom they must not expect protection, but the dissolu∣tion of their Lawes, and an absolute Tyranny and arbi∣trary government by them, who have broken their trust and faith with their King and Country.

Surely the Commons of England gave no power to their Knights and Burgesses to depose their King, or de∣stroy their Lawes; they chose them for the Kings Coun∣sell, not for Kings over him and them; to advise him, not to treate or advise with forraign nations, much lesse to invite strangers to the bloud and desolation of the whole Kingdome, which is herein avowed and whereby all men may see as themselves phrase it, our Religion, Liberty and Lawes, which have stood against the grea∣test assaults of forraigne power envying our happinesse, are oppressed and troden under foot by the craft and cruelty of our owne neighbours and Countrymen.

I wonder our brethren the Scots are so soone weary of that amiable title and their owne peace, and not one∣ly as Ameleck, whose name God threatned to blot out from under heaven, that sell upon his weary brethren, & cut off the hindmost of them, but rake in the wounds of their languishing brethren, and adde smart and death to their hurts: and they would perswade us that their oppressions of us are out of affection to us, and for our liberty, their distressing the King, for his honour and safety; and we may beleeve them in that, aswell as the lawfullnesse to unite themselves in this warre without their King, in whom they are united with this nation, without consent of their owne Parliament, without which it's treason and a breach of the Act of Pacificati∣on, so solemnely vowed by them to be kept, as if they would tell the world no lawes, loyalty, oathes, or duty

can hold them longer, then it stands with their advan∣tage.

And for their taking up armes, for which they bring neither law, Soveraigne command, nor former practice of any but Traytors, never were any borne more oppo∣site to our duty to God, Scandalous to our Christian Profession, more unnaturall to our native Country, more dishonourable to His Majestie, more offensive to God, more injurious to men. Then these that fight against all whom the King commands to come to His defence, or that assist him, under the name of a Popish, Prelaticall, and malignant party: it's treason without contradiction to assault the King in any pretence; and can. He be killed by His Subjects through the sides of others, or assaulted in the head of an Army? surely vastantia peccata, sinnes that lay wast the conscience, corrupt the judgement, and deface all shame and modesty, and where men have cast off loyalty and falsified their oathes, they grow bold with God, and pretend feares and dangers they never beleeved, Honour to His Majesties Person they pursue and reproach, preservation of His Rights they take Armes to destroy.

The successe of their many Petitions, Declarations, and Remonstrances, hath beene sutable to the merits of them, and have very well served to informe the people how much they were deceived, if they expected peace and unity from them, that would sever the Body from the head in the state, set up Schismatikes to alter the do∣ctrine and discipline of the Church, confederate them∣selves with Strangers, impose Religion and Law upon King and People, and authorize murder, theft, as war∣ranted by law and conscience, as those barbarous nati∣ons

that enacted the most odious oppressions for Hero∣icke vertues.

This pressing and patheticke Declaration, which they say they are put to, wanting truth and right, cannot with adulterate language, legitimate such horrid crimes, win credit to such incredible untruths, nor consent to such unnaturall courses, which would rather have the Sub∣jects of England drench themselves in each others bloud, that the worst of miseries a civill warre, be per∣petuated upon the Kingdome to it's finall destruction, which must inevitably follow; then that their positions be not received, the Church destroyed, the Lawes sub∣verted, and all men enter into a new Covenant, against Religion, Law, and Loyalty; and this they call truth, without which they defie peace till there be no man left to enjoy it.

The summe of this Declaration is a denunciation of warre against all that enter not into this new Covenant, and which they say God would never have put into their hearts, if he had meant to destroy them. It seemes they shake hands with their brethren the Anabaptists, in re∣lying on their fanaticke enthusiasmes. True Christian humility is farre from these presumptions, and guides it's wayes by the light of Holy Scripture, trying the spi∣rits whether they be of God, or no, and trusting not these injections, which the Prince of darkenesse casts in∣to unstable mindes; it were strange presumption to pre∣tend particular divine inspirations to any Politicke though just Constitutions, but to those that are against duty to God and his Vicegerent, can have no other esti∣mation then of grand imposture, sacrilegious usurpation and prophanation of the name of God, who is thereby

endeavoured to be made patron of such works of dark∣nesse. The ends of Lopez, Faux, and other assassinats might strike men with horror when they goe about to intitle God with auspications so opposite to his truth and holinesse, and their Covenant being no better then the Vow of the Jewes, not to eate or drinke, till they have killed Paul, their prayers and fastings for the suc∣cesse of it, are no other in Gods account, then Jezebells fast, and Absolon's sacrifice, the one the disguise of an horrid murder, the other of unnaturall rebellion.

They declare the taking of their Covenant is the one∣ly way to their favour, and doe not tell where it's ex∣pressed or implyed in the word of God, or enjoyned by the Lawes of the Land; and yet the not taking of it, drawes the losse of Life, Liberty, Propriety, and Privi∣ledge of Parliament, which the authors perswade men they fight for, and which they have solemnly protested to defend; and how can they satisfie any man, or them∣selves, that they observe their oathes, while they destroy that which they swore to preserve?

And as God put it into their hearts to enter into their Covenant, so they tell us he hath displayed their ban∣ner. The cursing Assyrian told Gods people he was come up in the name of the Lord against Jerusalem; and this presumption of these authors of our troubles, truly entitles them to be successors of these unhappy troub∣lers of Kingdomes and States, who fighting the Devill's quarrell under Gods colours, and seducing the credu∣lous multitude into the lewdest opinions, and most exe∣crable actions under the false pretences of divine reve∣lations, have subverted the foundations of peace and government in most flourishing nations.

And they hope to affright all men from their consci∣ence by these new edicts, whereby the King hath nei∣ther right nor forfeiture, nor power of pardon; and they that fight for law, judge crimes and inflict punishment against law, and allow no man life, liberty, or estate but at pleasure.

They proclaime some favours so they be taken in time, but it is upon the condition of future good beha∣viour, that they may possibly obtayne mercy for their lives, that have no estates to loose by adventuring their lives and soules in defence of this Covenant. But E∣states they are loath to part with, lest their owne occasi∣ons, whereunto all their proffers and promises are sub∣servient, should need them, or such as have beene most eminent in this Rebellion loose the reward of their Countryes ruine, and therefore these are reserved to discretion: neutrality is odious to them, and they may perhaps be instruments to punish the coldnesse of some that preferre their private ease before their loyalty and love to their Country, and a good conscience; though they want not guilt, who having no Commission from God or his Vicegerent inflict it on them.

Papists are not to have mercy for any loyalty to their King, their Religion is not the object of the hatred of these Legislators, but a crime more unpardonable, their abstinence from Treason. Such as have misguided the Kings counsells are joyned in the same list with Papists, and these must be taken into consideration by these States or their Committees: surely where Rebells judge their Princes Counsellours, fidelity must be a crime, and no man that hath had courage enough to preserve his conscience, but may come within this pale, and be∣come

an example of this arbitrary power; and where onely a false finger must guide the Counsells they ap∣prove, it's apparent what misguiders they intend.

Hereby you may rightly state the question, touch∣ing the present differences; which is not, whether these men fight for Religion and Lawes; but whether their taking Armes against the command of the King to alter Religion, and Lawes, be Treason or not: they never yet afford Petitions of right, but Propositions against Right; and their present edicts against Law, Loyalty, and Liberty of the Subject, is a convincing evidence of this truth.

If the truth they so much desire be divine, they would not maligne our Church which rejects none, and hath had the concurrent Testimonies of the best Reformed Churches for the truth of her Doctrines, which were never denied by any but Atheists, Papists, or Sectaries; Some truths may safely be unknowne, wherein the best Reformed Churches and Orthodox professors have not beene of one judgement, yet have kept the unity of the spirit in the band of peace, and were never the creed of the Church of God in any age, but that the sword might be taken up by Subjects against their King to im∣pose such opinions, as necessary to be beleeved, had ne∣ver lesse censure amongst sober Christians, then of Ty∣ranny upon the conscience, disturbance of the Church∣es peace, scandall to Religion, and Rebellion against the Lords Anointed: but it seemes that which they call their Religion is a heape raked together our of the in∣consistent dictates of disagreeing Sectaries, which con∣spire in the Churches ruines to establish their tumultu∣ary licence, and though their Babell laid in Rebellion

against God and his Vicegerent, and built in such divi∣sions of languages, cannot possibly preserve truth and peace, yet these men that have thus taken up the sword, will either finish the desolation of their native Country, or erect this monument of confusion. Surely Sir, if these men regarded the teares of age, or bloud of innocents, the penury, exile and distresse of men of all estates, the decay of the beauty, honour and strength of this nati∣on, the fainting of all arts, learning and industry, the losse of trade, increase of Widowes, Orphans and mai∣med poore, if they had any feeling of the miseries of sickenesse, sword and famine, if any tendernesse of their brethren or Country, if any respect of honour to their King, reverence to the Church of God, or glory of his name, they would not preferre uncertaine opinions of unnecessary truths before the certaine ruine of Church and State.

The worst dayes we formerly saw were a golden age to the present, and we may rather desire then expect a restitution of our former happinesse, which these men are not affected to, that will not admit it without the satisfaction of their owne inordinate passions; and as if they were afraid of their owne affections, they fetter their consciences to shut out all considerations that may incline them to peace.

I hope if you were not you are satisfied, that the same men that caused the warre are enemies to peace, and that the Authors of this Declaration are the Authors and Maintainers of our troubles; for if they meant to have conditions, which they give as Conquerors, ac∣cepted, they would at least spare the conscience, though they devoured the State: I commit it to your judgment.

FINIS.