The Lively character of the malignant partie

THE MALIGNANT PARTIE.

THat there is a Malignant Partie, is confest of all; but who this Malignant Partie is, that hath generated and somen∣ted all the present distempers and distractions of this now languishing Kingdome, His labor, hoc opus est. In the first place, I will demonstrate who these are. According to their common appellation, they are a company of male∣volent, or ill-affected persons to the peace of this Church and State: And these are so many for their multitude, that (like the Devill himselfe) they may be termed Legion, as properly as the wicked man. These Aegyptian Locusts swarme in every corner of the King∣dome; the Hydra of this Malignant Partie doth daily multiply and is now be∣come such an Epidemicall disease, that like a Leprosie, it hath over-spread the whole body of this Nation. I shall onely nominate the chiefe of them. who have been (and are still designed) maine Actors in the fearefull Trage∣die of this lamentable Age.

In the first Sceane, ye may behold if ye please) Papists, persons popishly inclined, their Accomplices and Adherents, all the members of the Anti∣christian Hierarchie, as Jesuites (the incendiaries of all Christendome) and others of that Romish faction; They are alwayes christie after bloud, affe∣cting rapine, torture, oppression, and crueltie; Their machinations have been mischievous, and their designes are still destructive. They have ever plotted the promoting of hortid warre, as the onely meanes to advance the Catholike cause, whose end and marke they ayme at, is to recover and re-establish the Romish Religion here within this Kingdome. Was not the warre with Scotland, and the insurrection there two yeares agoe, incited and fomented by them? Was not the Rebellion in Ireland the last yeare, begun, framed, and contrived by them? And is not this unnaturall, civill warre, now in England, occasioned and maintained by them? But they who have instigated his Ma∣jestie to such a barbarous and bloudy warre against his Parliament and peo∣ple, (which is of a confounding nature to the three Kingdomes at once) what are they but most desperate Traytors to their King and Countrey, most execrable Vipers to God and his Church? they hatch Cockairioe egges, and weave the Spiders web; their workes are workes of iniquitie, and the act of violence is in their hands; their feet run to evill, and they hast to shed innocent bloud; their

thoughts are thoughts of iniquitie; wasting and destruction is in their paths; the way of peace they know not; and there is no judgement in their goings. They have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein, shall not know peace, Isa. 59. 5. Their throate is an open Sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit; the poyson of Aspes is under their lips; their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse; their feet are swift to shed bloud; destruction and misery are in their wayes, and the way of peace they have not knowne; there is no feare of God before their eyes, Rom. 3. 13. They have for many yeares together had an impious designe, to alter Religion, to defile the puritie thereof, and to introduce Popery, superstition, ignorance, the onely way to an arbitrary and tyrannicall Government, and to change the frame and constitution of this Government both in Church and State: The Master-piece of all their Stratagems (a new engine which they have in∣vented to heighten the destruction of this Kingdome) was to prevaile with his Majestie by that Proclamation to leavie forces against the Parliament, and the Kings loyall Subjects, by that meanes to put this Land into a certain combustion, inevitable confusion by civill warre, and perpetuall slavery upon the surviving part of a then miserable Kingdome; For if the power of the sword should come once into their hands (which God forbid) nothing can be then expected, but the most wretched ruine and desolation of this King∣dome, and the savage massacre of the Protestants.

In the next Scean, enters upon the Stage, to be presented to your view, the Prelaticall Partie, who have acted a great part in this Tragicall Story of the Malignant Partie. These Popish Prelates have corrupted the pure fountaine rather then they would be depressed in power; They have brought various innovations into our Church, sundry alterations into our Liturgie and Ru∣brick, (contrary to the Act of Parliament, whereby the Booke of Common Prayer is established) vaine Ceremonies, Altars, and many strange (never before heard of) doctrines into our Church, to make us more consonant to the Church of Rome. Amongst these ye may (if ye please) take notice of Laudles Will of Canterbury, and wretched Wren of Norwich, both fellow-prisoners in the Tower. To these may be added (as a Malignant Partie) all Arminians, an ambitious, dissolute, and male contented Clergie, corrupt and scandalous Ministers, (their creatures) Delinquents obnoxious to the Justice of Parliament; who are so farre from being Pastores, that they are altogether Impostores; not Pastors, but Impostors: Some of them are superstitiously corrupt in their judgements, holding and teaching strange Doctrines; others of them ambitious of preferment; many of them conscious and guiltie of grosse and foule crimes; all of them male contented with the Parliament, and their proceedings, and so vitiated with idlenesse, ease, and plentie, with the cursed love of lucre and covetousnesse, that they would be glad with all their hearts, to see the Parliament dissolved, hoping thereby to recover what they have lost, or at least to hold fast what they have got. They make no conscience to starve the soules of their flocke, so they may pamper their own bodies.

The third Scene, containes great Personages, part of the Nobilitie and Gentry, that either feare reformation, or else seeke to lay the foundation of their owne honour and preferment, in the very ruine of the Kingdome. They have a long time lived in a dissolute way of libertie, without restraint of their sensuall pleasures, and therefore are now unwilling to admit of such Reformation, the Parliament in discharge of their dutie and conscience, thinke expedient should be imposed upon them. These being temerarious, rash, and unvised in their attempts and actions, (though Protestants, if of a∣ny Religion) have endeavour'd to bury the happinesse of this Kingdome in the downfall and overthrow of the great Counsell thereof. Their precedent intentions (to destroy the Parliament, and with it the whole Kingdome) are manifested and clearely evidenced by their subsequent actions, in over∣running severall Counties, compelling the Trained Bands, executing the il∣legall Commission of Array, enforcing them to come in and joyne with them, or disarming them, and putting their Armes into the hands of lewd and desperate persons, thereby turning the Armes of the Kingdome against the Kingdome: So that by this meanes all we have, all that is neare and deare unto us, our Estates, Lawes, Liberties, and lives, are in danger; nay, that which is the life of our lives, our Religion is in danger; the Kings sacred per∣son, his royall progeny, and his whole Kingdome by this means is in dan∣ger: For who knowes not, that his Majestie is at this time circled and sur∣rounded, environed as it were by those, who carry him upon his owne ruine, and the destruction of his Kingdome, by fomenting and cherishing this un∣naturall and illegall warre against his owne people. This Malignant Partie of the Nobilitie, gather unto them the decayed Gentry of severall Coun∣treys, who have by prodigalitie, riot, excesse, and horse-races, run their pro∣genitors estates out of breath, and thinke hereby to recuperate them, for they conceive civill warre to be the best way suddenly to raise their fortunes e∣quall to their discents; and therefore what care they (being many of them necessitous Courtiers, and giddy brain'd as they are) to satisfie the appetite of their desire, and the insatiate thirst of their ambition, though they sacrifice a whole Kingdome, delighting to behold their native Countrey suffer in the martyrdome of a civill warre. The end that this Malignant Partie doth tend to, is the destruction of the present Parliament, in it all future Parliaments, and together with them, the alteration of Religion, the subversion of the Lawes of this Kingdome, with the utter abolition of the just liberties of the Subjects, and the finall extirpation of the rightfull priviledges of Parliament. They would have all subject to will and power, and betray their Countrey to serve the Court. 'Tis evident by their love (or rather indeed inveterate hatred) they beare to this present Parliament, that they have combined to de∣stroy it, and with it the whole Kingdome. The master-piece of their machi∣nations they ayme at, is to be Masters of our Religion and Liberties, to make us slaves, in altering the government of this Kingdom, and reducing it to the sad condition of some other Countreys, which are nor governed by Parlia∣ments,

and so consequently not by Laws, but by the will of the Prince, or ra∣ther of those who are about him, who of late have studied to possesse the world of an absolute and unlimited power in Princes, so that Voluntas Regis, is Lex populi.

The fourth Scene in this Tragedie of the Malignant Party, consists of De∣linquents to the Parliament, and Fugitives from the Parliament. These for the most part have had their dependance, countenance and encouragement from the Court, where they have flatter'd and seduced the King, calumniated and traduced his Councell, abused and injured his people. They have endea∣vour'd to undermine the Peace of the Kingdom; and their constant practise hath been to set at variance not onely the Princes of severall Nations, but each Kingdom against it self, dividing betwixt Prince and people, and in∣censing subject against subject, that so they might with more facility accom∣plish their impious intentions in our divisions. They have invited and encou∣raged the enemies of our Religion, and the State in forrain parts, to the at∣tempting and acting of their evill designes and determinations towards us. These persons are guilty, not Parliament-proof but such as fear the Justice of that high and Honorable Assembly in the due execution of Laws against them, for the evils and mischiefs the Common-wealth hath sustained and suffered by them; therefore to secure themselves from condigne punishment, they are willing to put themselves under the Kings protection, and under the specious (but unjust) pretence of defending the Kings Right and Prero∣gative, to engage themselves, their lives and fortunes in a bloody warre; thereby to set the whole Kingdom in a generall combustion. These are the Enemies to the peace of this Kingdom, and justly to be suspected to favour the Rebellion in Ireland. They have often attempted to fetch in fotrain forces to invade us, and provided great supplies of Ammunition beyond Seas to de∣stroy us. Their complying, contriving and plotting with Papists, Atheists, Run-awayes, and other notorious Delinquents, are not onely evidences of their designes, but do firmly testifie that they have been visible Actors in them. Such a one was the Lord Digby, who at first perswaded the King to retire himself into some strong place, and in the mean time promised to do his Majestie service abroad, having procured store of Arms, with which he came in the ship called, The Providence. I could nominate more of that party, but I now will not; for there is none so great a peregrine in our Israel, as is ignorant who they are.

The fifth contains evill Counsellors, accompanied with corrupted Judges, and ambitious Lawyers, whose fears and jealousies do arise out of a guilt of their own vile actions, and just fears of their deserved punishment. These are the onely bones of our unhappy divisions. They have endeavour'd to beget and increase distrust and disaffection between the King, and his Parliament, and his people. These wicked spirits of division, and mischievous instruments

of dissention, have advised the King to suffer divers unjust scandals and im∣putations upon his Parliament; And (which aggravates their impietie) these evill Counsellors have fixed their dishonour upon the King, by making his Majestie the author of those wicked actions, which are the effects of their own impious counsels. They have advised the King to absent himself from his Parliament, whose malicious designes and practises are maskt and dis∣guised with the false colour of their earnest zeal to vindicate his Majesties Prerogative from the supposed oppression of the Parliament. These unfaith∣full Ministers have often plotted to break the neck of this honorable Assem∣blie; for which purpose they have made such an unpleasant breach as now is between the King and his great Councell. They have most injuriously taken all occasions to multiply grosse calumnies upon the Houses of Parliament, to defame, and indeed to arraign the proceedings of both Houses. Through their deceitfull suggestions and fraudulent insinuations, they have engaged the King in desperate designes, and pernicious practises: Their private coun∣sell hath incensed, mis-informed, and mis-led his Majestie against his gene∣rall Counsell, conspiring unanimously to ruine the very being of Parliament, (which is the fountain of the Law) making it contemptible and of lesse esteem then the meanest Court, to which all other Courts are inferiour. Hence it is that they have dar'd to cast upon this Parliament such a charge as is incon∣sistent with the nature of that great Councell: They have caused a great in∣terruption in, and obstruction to the proceedings of Parliament: They have struck at the very being both of the Head and Body, depriving his Majestie in his own apprehension of their fidelity, and them of his protection, which are the two mutuall bands of Government and subjection. By secret plots, and open force, they have bred all the late uprores, mutinies and disturbances in most of the Counties of this Kingdom, especially in the Northern parts: The besieging of Hull not long since was an egge likewise of their hatching. Their plots failing, they have attempted (what no age will ever beleeve, un∣lesse it be as impious as this) to render odious and suspected to the people, the Parliament, which is the onely sanctuary of their Religion, Laws Liber∣ties, and properties. They have betrayed Church and State, by corrupting the Doctrine and Discipline in the one, and subverting the Laws and form of Government in the other. Their greatest influence is upon the Kings Councels; And such is the malignitie of these lewd Counsellours, (being ar∣rived at the very height of impudence) that they are not ashamed to engrosse and monopolize his Majestie to themselves altogether from his Parliament, by whose mischievous counsels he is wholly diaffected from his Parliaments faithfull advices and counsels, which by the constitution of this Realm is his greatest and best Councell. Thus as Christ our Lord and Saviour was led aside into the wildernesse to be tempted; so Charles our Lord and Soveraign is mis-led from his great Councell, (in which there is strength, prudence and safetie) into a wildernesse of weaknesse, errors, and dangers.

In the sixt Scene ye may behold with the eye of your Intellect, the Hot∣spurres of the Times, who are call'd the Cavaliers; a name of hatred in the present age by their practises, and fit to be made a terror to future ages by their punishment. Their practises in themselves are as high and as insolent, as any Subjects ever ventured on. They would (if they could) by armes and violence over-rule the judgement and advice of the Parliament, and by force determine the Questions there depending concerning the government of the Kingdom. They have been the chief Actors in the Kingdoms Tragedy, and have presumed to put that dishonour and affront upon both Houses of Par∣liament, to make them the countenancers of Treason; enough to have dis∣solved all the bands and sinews of confidence between his Majestie and his Parliament. They would (if they durst come neer it) besiege London, as they lately did Hull; and long ago have they swallowed up in their thoughts our Religion, Laws, and Liberties; the former by alteration, and the latter by subversion. Amongst these, Captain Leg a Delinquent to the Parliament, now a captive fast enough in the Gatehouse, endeavour'd manibus pedibusque, in that treasonable practise to bring up the Army against the Parliament. Many of these incendiaries and fire-brands of combustion are the same now that were formerly between us and our neighbour Nation, and their designes of confusion of both Nations are the same, altring onely the method, begin∣ning in England now with hope to end in Scotland: whereas formerly they began there, with purpose to end here. Most of them are such mercinarie sword-men, as no Nation nor Age ever expected faith or pietie from; whose continuall assertious are wounds and blood (horresco referens) I tremble to re∣late it, God damme me, sink me, or Heavens refuse 'em, if they be not re∣veng'd upon these rescally Round-heads. Thus they have God of tentimes in their mouthes. but their hearts are far from him. As they are criminous in their lives, so they are penurious in their estates; whose good husbandry is to put all upon their backs, and shift for their bellies, their lands, houses and revenues being above in the aire. Though it be true, that many of them are Gentle∣men well descended, valiant, of good naturall parts, literature, and education, yet for the most part men of mean estates, odious lives, and desperate for∣tunes: whose end is to plunder and pillage wheresoever they come, and en∣rich themselves upon the spoils of any. This covetous desire of rapine, to make a prey of people, hath been the great offence committed by our com∣mon Souldiers of late, as well as by the Cavaliers, who as they first began to practise it, so they are (I suppose) more expert at it; for they have neither fear of God, nor respect of men before their eyes; but would swim through a Sea of blood to their hoped haven; and that they have violently and ille∣gally taken away from his Majesties subjects their goods before their faces, 'tis irrefragably evident. To draw all these lines to their center; from these premisses the Inference is this, These grand Apostates to the Common∣wealth must not expect to be pardoned in this world, till they be dispatched to the other. I could nominate many more of the malignant party, as Pro∣jectors,

Pattentees, and other prerogative parasites. Humanarum calamitatum mercatores, as one ingeniously styles them, who care not to undo a whole Kingdom, so they may get benefit to themselves. As also a giddy-headed multitude in the Land, who are onely Time-servers, and (like weather-cocks) will turn at any time to serve their own turn; in the mean time by reason of ignorance and inability to discern what may be the issue and successe of those beginnings are led on simply to their own ruine. But because I will not trench too farre upon the Readers patience, I here desist.

Thus as in a Map ye may plainly see the Malignant Party, who they are, what they have done, and at what they ayme. For the close of all, let us all shun their persons, abstain from their actions, and hate their intentions. Though they be malignant to the whole Kingdom, yet let not us be male∣volent to our selves; and let us not be so uncharitable to them as not to pray for them, that either God would be pleased to convert or confound them. Pray we therefore to the King of kings, that he would take away those wicked ones from before the King, that his Throne may be established in righteousnesse. To draw this Tract to a period, May they, who have endeavour'd to divide the Head and the Body, (the King and his great Councell, the Parliament) like Strafford, have their heads divided from their shoulders; or like Achitophel, be hang'd up by the neck. This is the wish of one, who is neither Papist, Brownist, Anabaptist, nor Atheist, but a Protestant, and son of his Mother the Church of England.

FINIS.