Defense of the People of England, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
SInce this whole Controverſie, whether concerning the Right of Kings in general, or that of the King of England in particular, is rendred difficult and intricate, rather by the obſtinacy of parties, than by the nature of the thing it ſelf, I hope they that prefer Truth before the Intereſt of a Faction, will be ſatisfied with what I have alledged out of the Law of God, the Law of Nations, and the Municipal Laws of my own Countrey, That a King of England may be brought to Tryal, and put to Death. As for thoſe whoſe minds are either blinded with Superſtition, or ſo dazeled with the Splendor and Grandure of a Court, that Magnanimity and true Liberty do not appear ſo glorious to them, as they are in themſelves, it will be in vain to contend with them, either by Reaſon and Arguments, or Examples. But you, Salmaſius, ſeem very abſurd, as in every other part of your Book, ſo particularly in this, who tho you …ail perpetually at the Independents, and revile them with all the terms of Reproach imaginable, yet aſſert to the higheſt degree that can be, the Independ…ncy of the King, whom you defend; and will not allow him to owe his Soveraignty to the people, but to his Deſcent; And whereas in the beginning of your Book you complain'd that he was put to plead for his Life, here y…u complain, That he periſh'd without being heard to ſp… for himſelf. But if you have a mind to look into the Hiſtory of his Trial, which is very faithfully publiſh'd in French, it may be you'l be of another opinion. Whereas he had liberty given him for ſome day together, to ſay what he could for himſelf, he made uſe of it not to clear himſelf of the Crimes … to his Charge, but to diſprove the Authority o… his Judges, and the Judicature that he was called before. And whenever a Criminal is either mute, or ſays nothing to the purpoſe, there is no Injuſtice in condemning him without hearing him, if his Crimes are notorious, and publickly known. If you ſay that Charles dyed as he lived, I agree with you: If you ſay that he died piouſly, holily, and at eaſe, you may remember that his Grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots, and infamous Woman, dyed on a Scaffold with as much outward appearance of Piety, Sanctity and Conſtancy, as he did; and leſt you ſhould aſcribe too much to that preſence of mind which ſome common Malefactors have ſo great a meaſure of at their death; many times deſpair, and a hardned heart puts on as it were a Vizor of Courage; and Stupidity, of Quiet, and Tranquility of mind: Sometimes the worſt of men deſire to appear good, undaunted, innocent, and now and then Religious, not only in their life, but at their death; and in ſuffering death for their villanies, uſe to act the laſt part of their hypocriſie and cheats, with all the ſhow imaginable; and like bad Poets or Stage-players, are very Ambitious of being clapp'd at the end of the Play. Now, you ſay, you are come to enquire who they chieſly were, that gave Sentence againſt the King. Whereas it ought firſt to be enquired into, how you, a Foreigner, and a French Vagabond, came to have any thing to do to raiſe a queſtion about our Affairs, to which you are ſo much a ſtranger? And what Reward induced you to it? But we know enough of that, and who ſatisfied your curioſity in theſe matters of ours; even thoſe Fugitives, and Traytors to their Countrey, that could eaſily hire ſuch a vain Fellow as you, to ſpeak ill of us. Then an account in writing, of the ſtate of our affairs, was put into your hands by ſome hairbrain'd, half-Proteſtant, half-Papiſt Chaplain or other, or by ſome ſneaking Courtier, and you were put to Tranſlate it into Latin; out of that you took theſe Narratives, which, if you pleaſe, we'll examine a little: Not the hundred thouſandth part of the people conſented to this ſentence of Condemnation. What were the reſt of the people then that ſuffered ſo great a thing to be tranſacted againſt their will? Were they ſtocks and ſtones, were they mere Trunks of men only, or … Images of Britans, as Virgil deſcribes to have been …ught in …ry?
Purpurea intexti tollunt aulea Britanni.
And Brittains interwove held up the Purple hangings.
For you deſcribe no true Britains but Painted ones, or rather Needle-wrought Men inſtead of them. Since therefore it is a thing ſo incredible that a warlike Nation ſhould be ſubdued by ſo few, and thoſe of the dregs of the People, which is the firſt thing that occurs in your Narrative, that appears in the very Nature of the thing it ſelf to be moſt falſe. The Biſhops were turn'd out of the Houſe of Lords by the Parliament it ſelf. The more deplorable is your Madneſs (for are you not yet ſenſible that you Rave?) to complain of their being turn'd out of the Parliament, whom you your ſelf in a large Book endeavour to prove that they ought to be turn'd out of the Church; One of the States of Parliament, to wit, the Houſe of Lords, conſisting of Dukes, Earls, and Viſcounts, was removed. And deſervedly were they removed; for they were not deputed to ſit there by any Town or County, but repreſented themſelves only; they had no Right over the People, but (as if they had been ordained for that very purpoſe) uſed frequently to oppoſe their Rights and Liberties. They were created by the King, they were his Companions, his Servants, and as it were, Shadows of him. He being removed, it was neceſſary they ſhould be reduced to the ſame Level with the Body of the People, from amongſt whom they took their riſe. One part of the Parliament, and that the worſt of all, ought not to have aſſum'd that Power of judging and condemning the King. But I have told you already, that the Houſe of Commons was not only the chief part of our Parliament, while we had Kings, but was a perfect and entire Parliament of it ſelf, without the Temporal Lords, much more without the Biſhops. But, The whole Houſe of Commons themſelves were not admitted to have to do with the Tryal of the King. To wit, that part of them was not admitted, that openly revolted to him in their Minds and Councels; whom, tho they ſtil'd him their King, yet they had ſo often acted againſt, as an Enemy. The Parliament of England, and the Deputies ſent from the Parliament of Scotland, on the 13th of January, 1645. wrote to the King, in Anſwer to a Letter of his, by which he deſired a deceitful Truce, and that he might Treat with them at London; that they could not admit him into that City, till he had made Satisfaction to the State for the Civil War that he had raiſed in the three Kingdoms, and for the Deaths of ſo many of his Subjects ſlain by his Order; and till he had agreed to a true and firm Peace upon ſuch Terms as the Parliaments of both Kingdoms had offered him ſo often already, and ſhould offer him again. He on the other hand either refuſed to hear, or by ambiguous Anſwers eluded their juſt and equal Propoſals, tho moſt humbly preſented to him ſeven times over. The Parliament at laſt, after ſo many years patience, leſt the King ſhould over-turn the State by his Wiles and Delays, when in Priſon, which he could not ſubdue in the Field, and leſt the vanquiſh'd Enemy pleaſed with our Diviſions, ſhould recover himſelf, and triumph unexpectedly over his Conquerors, vote that for the future, they would have no regard to him, that they would ſend him no more Propoſals, nor receive any from him: After which vote, there were found even ſome Members of Parliament, who out of the hatred they bore that invincible Army, whoſe Glory they envied, and which they would have had disbanded, and ſent home with diſgrace, after they had deſerved ſo well of their Nation, and out of a ſervile Compliance with ſome Seditious Miniſters, finding their opportunity, when many, whom they knew to be otherwiſe minded than themſelves, having been ſent by the Houſe it ſelf to ſuppreſs the Presbyterians, who began already to be Turbulent, were abſent in the ſeveral Counties, with a ſtrange Levity, not to ſay perfidiouſneſs, Vote, that that inveterate Enemy of the State, who had nothing of a King, but the Name, without giving any Satisfaction or Security, ſhould be brought back to London, and reſtored to his Dignity and Government, as if he had deſerved well of the Nation by what he had done. So that they preferr'd the King before their Religion, their Liberty, and that very celebrated Covenant of theirs. What did they do in the mean time, who were ſound themſelves, and ſaw ſuch pernicious Councils on foot? Ought they therefore to have been wanting to the Nation, and not provide for its ſafety, becauſe the Infection had ſpread it ſelf even in their own Houſe? But, who ſecluded thoſe ill affected Members? The Engliſh Army, you ſay: ſo that it was not an Army of Foreigners, but of moſt Valiant, and Faithful, Honeſt Natives, whoſe Officers for the moſt part were Members of Parliament; and whom thoſe good ſecluded Members would have ſecluded their Country, and baniſhed into Ireland; while in the mean time the Scots, whoſe Alliance begin to be doubtful, had very conſiderable Forces in four of our Northern Counties, and kept Gariſons in the beſt Towns of thoſe Parts, and had the King himſelf in Cuſtody; whileſt they likewiſe encouraged the tumultuating of thoſe of their own Faction, who did more than threaten the Parliament, both in City and Country, and through whoſe means not only a Civil, but a War with Scotland too ſhortly after brake out. If it has been always accounted praiſe-worthy in private Men to aſſiſt the State, and promote the publick Good, whether by Advice or Action; our Army ſure was in no fault, who being ordered by the Parliament to come to Town, obey'd and came, and when they were come, quell'd with eaſe, the Faction and Uproar of the King's Party, who ſometimes threatned the Houſe it ſelf. For things were brought to that paſs, that of neceſſity either we muſt be run down by them, or they by us. They had on their ſide moſt of the Shopkeepers and Handicrafts-men of London, and generally thoſe of the Miniſters, that were moſt factious. On our ſide was the Army, whoſe Fidelity, Moderation, and Courage were ſufficiently known. It being in our Power by their means to retain our Liberty, our State, our Common-ſafty, do you think we had not been fools to have loſt all by our negligence and folly? They who had had places of Command in the Kings Army, after their Party were ſubdued, had laid down their Arms indeed againſt their Wills, but continued Enemies to us in their hearts; and they flock'd to Town, and were here watching all opportunities of renewing the War. With theſe Men, tho they were the greateſt Enemies they had in the World, and thirſted after their Blood, did the Presbyterians, becauſe they were not permitted to exerciſe a Civil, as well as an Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction over all others, hold ſecret Correſpondence, and took meaſures very unworthy of what they had formerly both ſaid and done; and they came to that Spleen at laſt, that they would rather enthral themſelves to the King again, than admit their own Brethren to ſhare in their Liberty, which they likewiſe had purchaſed at the price of their own Blood; they choſe rather to be Lorded over once more by a Tyrant, polluted with the Blood of ſo many of his own Subjects, and who was enraged, and breath'd out nothing but revenge againſt thoſe of them that were left, than endure their Brethren and Friends to be upon the ſquare with them. The Independents, as they are called, were the only men, that from firſt to laſt kept to their point, and knew what uſe to make of their Victory: They refus'd, (and wiſely, in my opinion), to make him King again, being then an Enemy; who when he was their King, had made himſelf their Enemy: Nor were they ever the leſs averſe to a Peace, but they very prudently dreaded a new War, or a perpetual ſlavery under the name of a Peace. To … our Army with the more reproaches, you begin a ſilly confuſed Narrative of our Affairs; in which tho I find many things falſe, many things frivolous, many things laid to our charge, for which we rather merit; yet I think it will be to no purpoſe for me to write a true relation, in anſwer to your falſe one. For you and I are arguing, not writing Hiſtories, and both ſides will believe our reaſons, but not our narrative; and indeed the nature of the things themſelves is ſuch, that they cannot be related as they ought to be, but in a ſet Hiſtory; ſo that I think it better, as Saluſt ſaid of Carthage, Rather to ſay nothing at all, than to ſay but a little of things of this weight and importance, Nay, and I ſcorn ſo much as to mention the praiſes of great men, and of Almighty God himſelf, (who in ſo wonderful a courſe of Affairs ought to be frequently acknowledged) amongſt your Slanders and Reproaches. I'le therefore only pick out ſuch things as ſeem to have any colour of argument. You ſay, the Engliſh and Scotch promiſed by a Solemn Covenant, to preſerve the Majeſty of the King. But you omit upon what terms they promiſed it; to wit, if it might conſiſt with the ſafety of their Religion and their Liberty. To both which, Religion and Liberty, that King was ſo averſe to his laſt breath, and watcht all opportunities of gaining advantages upon them, that it was evident that his life was dangerous to their Religion, and the certain ruin of their Liberty. But then you fall upon the King's Judges again: If we conſider the thing aright, the concluſion of this abominable action muſt be imputed to the Independents, yet ſo as the Presbyterians may juſtly challenge the glory of its beginning and progreſs. Hark, ye Presbyterians, what good has it done you? how is your Innocence and Loyalty the more cleared by your ſeeming ſo much to abhor the putting the King to death? You your ſelves in the opinion of this everlaſting talkative Advocate of the King, your accuſer, went more than half-way towards it; you were ſeen acting the fourth Act and more, in this Tragedy; you may juſtly be charged with the King's death, ſince you ban'd the way to it; 'twas you and only you that laid his head upon the Block. Wo be to you in the firſt place, if ever Charles his Poſterity recover the Crown of England; aſſure your ſelves, you are like to be put in the Black Liſt. But pay your Vows to God, and love your Brethren who have delivered you, who have prevented that calamity from falling upon you, who have ſaved you from inevitable ruin, tho againſt your own wills. You are accuſed likewiſe for that ſome years ago you endeavoured by ſundry Petitions to leſſen the Kings authority, that you publiſht ſome ſcandalous expreſſions of the King himſelf in the Papers you preſented him with in the name of the Parliament; to wit, in that Declaration of the Lords and Commons of the 26th. of May 1642, you declar'd openly in ſome mad Poſitions that breath'd nothing but Rebellion, what your thoughts were of the King's authority: Hotham by order of Parliament ſhut the Gates of Hull againſt the King; you had a mind to make a trial by this firſt act of Rebellion how much the King would bear. What could this man ſay more if it were his deſign to reconcile the minds of all Engliſh men to one another, and alienate them wholly from the King? for he gives them here to underſtand, that if ever the King be brought back, they muſt not only expect to be puniſht for his Father's death, but for the Petitions they made long ago, and ſome acts that paſt in full Parliament, concerning the putting down the Common-Prayer and Biſhops, and that of the Triennial Parliament, and ſeveral other things that were Enacted with the greateſt conſent and applauſe of all the people that could be; all which will be look'd upon as the Seditions and mad Poſitions of the Presbyterians. But this vain fellow changes his mind all of a ſudden, and what but of late, when he conſidered it aright, he thought was to be imputed wholly to the Presbyterians; now that he conſiders the ſame thing from firſt to laſt, he thinks the Independents were the ſole Actors of it. But even now he told us, The Presbyterians took up Arms againſt the King, that by them he was beaten, taken captive, and put in priſon; Now he ſays, this whole Doctrine of Rebellion is the Independents Principle. O! the faithfulneſs of this man's Narrative. How conſiſtent he is with himſelf? What need is there of a Counter narrative to this of his, that cuts its own throat? But if any man ſhould queſtion whether you are an honeſt man or a Knave, let him read theſe following lines of yours: It is time to explain whence and at what time this Sect of Enemies to Kingſhip firſt began: VVhy truly theſe rare Puritans began in Queen Elizabeths time to crawl out of Hell, and diſturb not only the Church, but the State likewiſe; for they are no leſs plagues to the latter than to the former. Now your very ſpeech bewrays you to be a right Balaam; for where you deſigned to ſpit out the moſt bitter poyſon you could, there unwittingly and againſt your will you have pronounc'd a bleſſing. For it's notoriouſly known all over England, that if any endeavoured to follow the example of thoſe Churches, whether in France or Germany which they accounted beſt Reformed, and to exerciſe the publick Worſhip of God in a more pure manner, which our Biſhops had almoſt univerſally corrupted with their Ceremonies and Superſtitions, or if any ſeemed either in point of Religion or Morality to be better than others, ſuch …ſons were by the Favourers of Epiſcopacy termed …ans. Theſe are they whoſe Principles you ſay are so oppoſite to Kingſhip. Nor are they the only perſons, moſt of the Reformed Religion, that have not ſucked in the reſt of their principles, yet ſeem to have approved of thoſe that ſtrike at Kingly Government. So that …hile you inveigh bitterly againſt the Independents, and endeavour to ſeparate them from Chriſt's flock, with the ſame breath you praiſe them; and thoſe Principles which almoſt every where you affirm to be peculiar to the Independents, here you confeſs they have been approved of by moſt of the Reformed Religion. Nay you are arrived to that degree of impudence, impiety and apoſtacy, that though formerly you maintained that Biſhops ought to be extirpated out of the Church, Root and Branch, as ſo many peſts and limbs of Antichriſt, here you ſay the King ought to protect them, for the ſaving of his Coronation-Oath. You cannot ſhow your ſelf a more infamous Villain than you have done already, but by abjuring the Proteſtant Reformed Religion, to which you are a ſcandal. Whereas you tax us with giving a Toleration of all Sects and Hereſies, you ought not to find fault with us for that; ſince the Church bears with ſuch a pros…igate wretch as you your ſelf, ſuch a vain fellow, ſuch a lyar, ſuch a Mercenary Slanderer, ſuch an Apoſtate, one who has the impudence to affirm, That the beſt and moſt pious of Chriſtians, and even moſt of thoſe who profeſs the Reformed Religion, are crept out of Hell, becauſe they differ in opinion from you. I had beſt paſs by the Calumnies that fill up the reſt of this Chapter, and thoſe prodigious tenents that you aſcribe to the Independents, to render them odious; for neither do they at-all concern the cauſe you have in hand, and they are ſuch for the moſt part as deſerve to be laugh'd at, and deſpiſed, rather than receive a ſerious Anſwer.