The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods True Saints Part 1 and 2, To the reader
To the Courteous and Ingenuous Reader.
THe Original occasion of the Collections comprised in this Treatise, with the general causes of its present publication, are at large related in the first six pages; to which I shall accumulate one special motive (more particularly reflecting on my self) ne…essitating me thereunto.
It hath been my portion (as well as the(a)See here, p, 1. 2. and ch. 4. throughout. Primitive Christians before me) to be frequently accused, and publickly slandered, as a professed Enemy to the late Kings Person, to Kingly Government, and a justifier, an encourager of REGICIDES, and exciter of Subjects, to lay violent hands upon their Princes sacred persons in some cases.
This calumny was first raised and fixed on me by Dr. Heylin and Bishop Laud, and by their procurements, inserted into the Information exhibited against me by M. Noy (then Kings Atturney) in the starchamber, in June 1633. for my Histriomastix (licensed by Dr. Backner Houshold Chaplain to Archbishop Abbot) and indeavoured to be proved by some wrested inferences, and expressions of Fathers, approved Historians quoted by me in that Book, tho…gh(b) Histriomap. 825. E. 26. 943. 516. to 520. I had in expresse terms therein condemned these disloyal Practises & Positions they aspersed me withall, as Jesuitical, treasonable and Rebellious; & disclaimed them in my answer thereunto upon Oath, a… never once entring into my loyal heart, being repug…ant to the Oaths of Supremacy & Allegiance I had taken … has a a Graduate in the University of Oxford, and Barrester in the Innes of Court; and to the principles of the *See The Homelies against Rebellion, and on Whitsunday, Deus & Rex, 3 Jac. c. 1. 4.Protestant Religion I professed.
After this I was again scandalized and traduced by some of our Prelates to the late King himself, in the year 1641. out of meer malice, who would needs strain a passage in my Epistle to the High Court of Parliament prefixed to my Antipathy, &c. or, Historical Collection of the EXECRABLE TREASONS, Conspiracies, REBELLIONS, &c. of our English, British, French, Scotish and Irish Lordly Prelates, against our Kings and Kingdomes, then published, against the very letter and meaning of my words, and the scope of my whole Book, as the King himself then answered mine Accusers upon the reading thereof, rejecting their Accusation as a false and groundlesse calumny.
Upon the publishing of my Soveraign Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes, in the year 1643. I was again calumniated in the self same kind, though therein I at large dicovered, censured the Treachery and disloyalty of Papists to their Soveraigns, botb in their Doctrines, and Treasonable practices, which they since would charge me with; whereupon I fully and particularly vindicated my self from this accusation afresh, in my Mr. Pry…ne the Member reconciled to Prynne the Barrester, and other Treatises.
Having sufficiently cleared my innocency against all these reiterated aspersions, coming into the House of Commons, in November, 1648. as a Member, much against my will, I did then in three several extemporary Speeches in the House, upon the Armies presenting their treasonable Declaration from Saint Albans November the 20. demanding the King to be brought to publick Justice, and the Prince and Duke of York to be banished and disinherited, &c. and upon the Kings seisure by the Army, and removal from the Isle of Wight, to bring him to his Trial and Execution; declare my judgement at large against these their Demands & Proceedings, not onelyonly as illegal and seditious, but as TREASONABLE and PERFIDIOUS in the highest degree.
Whereupon on the 4. of December 1648. some implacable Enemies to the King, endeavouring his destruction (highly incensed against me for my zealous loyalty to preserve both his Royal Person and Dignity from their intended violence) falsely and maliciously published and Printed a CHARGE against the King in my name, purposely to defame me, and stop my mouth from speaking my conscience freely in the great debate then on foot, touching the satisfactoriness of the Kings Answer to the Propositions of both Houses, upon the conclusion of the Personal Treaty with him in the Isle of Wight: which false Imposture I meeting with that morning going to the House, did there openly complain against it, as a malicious Forgerie, the very stile, frame and expressions in it, evidencing it to be none of mine. After which I particularly disowned it in the *Page 27.beginning, and refuted the whole scope of it, and the Armies Declaration to bring the King to Justice, &c. in the end of my Speech that very day Dec. the 4. 1648. as A MEER destructive, JESUITICAL and POPISH DESIGN, by sundry Arguments from Scripture, Policy and our Laws, the manifold Declarations, Remonstrances of both Houses, and the Army officers themselves, the Oaths of Supremacy, Allegiance, Protestation, Vow, Solemn League. Covenan…, and other Topicks: which Speech I soon after published in print at the earnest request of the Members, secured and secluded with me by the Army, Dec. 6, and 7. for their Vote touching the Kings Concessions; all the grounds and Reasons of this Vote, and answers to all objections made against it by the Dissenters from it, during the whole Debate, being comprised in it. Hereupon this forged Charge was branded by all sorts for a meer spurious Brat, fit for nothing but the Jakes: yet notwithstanding one William Sunderson Esquire (a person I never saw nor injured to my knowledge) hath inserted this gross Imposture at large into his Compleat History of the life and Reign of KING CHARLS, from his Cradle Page 116.to his grave, Printed in London, 1658. reviving its memory afresh, and fathering it upon me as my genuine Issue, p. 1116, 1117. and that with so much confidence, and reduplicated Positive, invective asseverations (at least ten years after its general Disclaimer, as a most false and malicious Forgery) that some of my friends begin to suspect, and others now believe, report it generally to be penned and published byme, which all succeeding ages will undoubtedly credit for truth, if not now afresh disownedby me in Print, & retracted by this calumniating Historian: Who having read my former disclaimer and refutation thereof, the very day of its publication in my Printed Speech, and finding it by the stile, texture and close, to be collected by some other Author, out of my Royal Popish Favourite, and other Books, as he pretends therein, purposely to traduce me; hath discovered his undemerited malice, as well as his injudiciousness & disingenuity, in fathering that Bastard upon me in such a confident, scurrilous, invective manner as he hath done: for which I demand publick reparations from him, by a Printed Retractation and obliteration of it, out of his Hist…ry, which it doth much disparage, defile and discredit as well as himself, and the late King, whose life and death he hath recorded to Posterity.
His Readers may observe, that a great part of his History is borrowed from Mr. Clement Walker his History of Independency; wherein he finds his & my joint Protestation, under both our hands, then published to the world against the Kings impeachment and … riall; together with the joint Protestation and disswasion of all the secured and secluded Members against it, in their Vindication, Jan. 20. 1648. to which I was a subscriber: whereby his malice and want of ingenuity herein appear most plainly; but more particularly by this, that himself immediately…age 1117. 1118. after this seigned Charge, in the same* page of his History mentions and misreci…es my MEMENTO, to traduce a…d abuse me, willingly concealing the Title, Argument and scope thereof, which would have convicted him both of Calumny, and Forgery, in fathering this pretended Charge against the King, upon me, and making me the prime Actor in the Kings Trial and Tragedy, when as the whole House of Commons and most then living knew, I was the very first of all others, who sp…ke, writ, and protested publickly against it, as my Printed Speech and Memento, with other Publications both before and since abundantly evidence.
Let the Title and Argument of my Memento alone, and one Foreiners Testimony of special Note concerning it (to omit others) display both the malice and falsity of this Historians calumny. The Title of it is, A brief Memento to the present Unparliamentary Juncto, touching Their present Intentions and Proceedings to depose and execute CHARLES STUART their Lawful King. By William Prynne Esquire, a Member of the House of Commons, and Prisoner under the Armies …: Jan. 1. 1648. The subject and scope thereof was this, that (being debarred by my imprisonment under the Army from speaking to those then sitting in the House) I sent them ten Reasons in Print, drawn from our Laws, the Declarations and Remonstrances of Parliament, the Oaths of Supremacy, Allegiance, Protestation, So…emn National League and Covenant, Scriptures, the practice of Gods own people of Israel, of all Protestant Realms and Subjects; the Relations of the late King to Scotland, Ireland and Forein Princes; the unl…wfullnesse, Treasonableness, and dangerous Consequences of the Kings Trial and Execution, and other Topicks, to disswade them from their intended Charge and Proceedings against him, onelyonly to satisfie the Army-Officers under whose force they sate: Which to. Reasons, as they were highly approved by most, and never yet answered by any at home; so they satisfied the Protestant Ministers, Churches and States abroad, being translated into several Languages. Among others,*See my Plea for the Lords and House of Peers, p. 461. 462. Samuel Bochartus (one of the eminentest and learnedest Protestant Divines in France) in his Latin Epistle to Dr. Morley (one of the Kings Chaplains) Printed Parisiis 1650. sect. 3. De jure & potestate Regum p. 145. having proved the unlawfulness of the Trial, Proceedings, Sentence and Execution of the King, by Scripture, Fathers, and other Authorities, and manifested the English Presbyterian Ministers, and Members professed opposition against and dislike thereof, subjoins, Ex hoc numero PRYNNIUS, vir multis nominibus insignis & PARLIAMENTI DELEG ATORUM UNUS, è carcere in quo cum pluribus aliis detenebatur, Libellum composuit Parliamento oblatum, (to wit my Memento) in quo decem rationibus, eisque validissimis, contendit, eos rem illicitam attentari, (in impeaching and proceeding capitally against the King) reciting the heads of my ten Reasons; then concluding, Haec ille, & multo plura: Seriptor mire nervosus, cujus verba sunt stimuli & clavi in altum defixi: Therefore that Mr. Saunderson should brand me for my Memento, imprisonment by the Army, and forcible seclusion from the House, and make it a Divine Judgement inflicted on me for this forged charge against the King; though this Memento was written professedly against the Kings charge, trial and Execution, as UNLAWFUL and UNCRHISTIAN, as Bo…hartus, a Foreiner, thus signally attests, must be the extremity of malice, and calumny, subjecting him to his own friends, Mr. James Howels censure, in his Epistle to him prefixed to this H…story, That A FALSE ERRONEOU… CHRONOLOGER, is one of the WORST MEMBERS that can be in a COMMONWEALTH, and INDEED OF MANKIND IN GENERAL; for he wrongs, the time past, the time present, and the time to come: as he hath done, by fathering this Charge upon me, and his misrelation of my Censure too, p. 218, 219. after it was nulled by both Houses of Parliaments unanimous Vote, as*A new discovery of …he Prelates tyranny. p. 141. 142. &c. Causelesse and Illegal; All which I pray God to give him grace to repent and retract.
Having thus vindicated my Innocency from his false calumnies, I shall onelyonly recommend the confideration of the duties pressed in this Treatise, to the daily practice of every Reader, of what party soever, in these divided factious times.
Art thou a professed Enemy to the exiled King and Royal Family, conceiving them to be Enemies or opposites unto thee, thy Interest; or party; or such who probably may prove enemies or persecutors to thee and them, if restored to their Rights and Powers: then pray for them under this Notion, according to Christs own precepts and example, Mat. 5. 43. to 48. Luke 6. 27. c. 23. 34. Acts 7. 62. Rom. 12. 20, 21. the Presidents of the Primitive Christians here ch. 4. and …n the Liturgie of our Church, That it would please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors and slanderers, and to turn their hearts. And the Collect on Saint Stephens d…y, Grant us O Lord, to learn to love our enemies, by the example of thy Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his Persecutors. Dost thou repute th…m persons of little or no real affection to the Protestant Religion, and the sincere Professo…s therof as • Int…rest will not lie.Nedham represents them;) or as bad as Turks, Pagans O… …, and some (I hear) esteem them, because themselves a…e such yet since thou art commanded by God to make supplications, prayers, and intercessions for ALL MEN, yea, for the very worst of Turks, Jews, Idolaters, Pagans, Infidels, as our Church doth on Good • Co…lect. ….Fryday, that they may be converted, Reformed, saved & becom Members of, or Nursing-Fathers to the Church; (if Kings) let them have as large a share in thy prayers, as any of these have or ought to have by Gods Command. And if thou esteem them as thy lawful Hereditary Kings Pri…ces, Superiors, professing the tru… Reform…d Religion, and M…mbers of the true visible Church of Christ, let them en…oy thy daily fervent prayers, intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings to God for them, especially when they need them most, during their exiled, afflicted and distressed condition, amidst Papists, and s…ucers: and let me have a share in thy devotions for a blessing on this Treatise, and me.
Lincolns Inne Jan. 30. 1659. William Prynne.
The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods true Saints and Pious Christians towards their KINGS, in all ages, &c.
WHat was once the false malicious Calumny, cast by *Tertulliani Apologeticus, c. 30. to 38. Athenagoras Apologia pro ChristianisPagan Idolaters upon the Primitive Professors of Christianity, living under persecuting Heathen Emperors, to exasperate their fury against them, as the worst of Traytors, and publike Enemies, unworthy to live within their Dominions; That they did neither pray, nor offer sacrifices publikely to the Gods for their health and safety, nor celebrate their solemnities with that outward pomp and ostentation as others did; is of late years become the just Accusation, and Treasonable Impeachment of many degenerate Saints, and Apostate Christians within our Realms: who have not only totally discontinued, but finally abandoned, prohibited under pain of High Treason, all publike (if not private) Solemn Prayers, Supplications, Intercessions and Thanksgivings, not for persecuting, Pagan, or Popish Emperors, Princes, but even for their own undoubted Hereditarie Protestant Kings and their Royal Posterity, in direct contradiction to Gods own Evangelical precepts, 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2, 3. Rom. 13. 1, to 9. Mat. 22. 21. Mar. 12. 17. And not only falsified that excellent large Apology which Tertullian made for the transcendent Loyalty of the Christians in his age towards their persecuting Pagan Emperors, by their publike and private Zealous Prayers and Petitions to God on their behalfs, and freedom from the least Conspiracies, rebellions, attempts against their Persons, Crowns or Dignities, of which none but those who were not Christians, & gave Christians the name of publike Enemies were then guilty; but quite inverted this elegant passage of his, and translated it both from the Pagan and antichristian Romans, on those who pretend themselves the most transcendent Christians. *see Beatus Rhenanus, & la Cerda on the place.Unde Cascii, & Nigri & Albini? Unde qui inter duos lauros obsident Caesarem? Unde qui faucibus ejus exprimendis palestricam exercent? Unde qui armati palatium irrumpunt omnibus Stephanis atque Partheniis audaciores? de Romanis ni fallor, id est de non Christianis. Atque adeo omnes illi sub ipsa usque impietatis eruptione et sacra faciebant pro salute Imperatoris, et genium ejus deje…abant, alii foris, alii intus. Et utique publicorum hostium nomen Christianis dabant. Sed et qui nunc scelestarum pa…tium socii aut plausores quotidie revelantur, post vindemiam parricidarum racematio superstes, quam recentissimis et ramosissimis laureis postes praestruebant? Quam elatissimis, & clarissimis lucernis vestibula enubilabant? quam cultissimis et superbissimis thoris forum sibi dividebant, non ut gaudia publica celebrarent, sed ut vota propria jam ediscerent, et in aliena solennitate exemplum atque imaginem spei suae inaugurarent, nomen Principis in corde imitantes &c And that which is most detestable, the generality both of our people and Ministers under our Republican Tyrants, have not only wholly laid aside all publike and private Prayers for their own and other Christian Protestant Kings, against Gods positive precepts, and the practice of Christians, Saints in all former ages, Churches; but some Ministers in their very Sermons themselves have (out-of base carnal fear of men, and unchristian compliance with our late Usurpers) not da…ed to read or mention the word King, or Kings in the very Texts of Scripture which they have quoted, but skipped over it as dangerous or superfluous, for fear of incurring the guilt of high treason, or displeasure of some …ormidable new Grandees: Whereof I shall relate one memorable instance in perpetuam rei infamium, the principal occasion of these Collections.
When I was removed by John Bradshaw's and his Whitehall Associates Order from my close imprisonment at Taunton to Pendennis Castle in Cornwal, without any cause, examination, hearing, and conducted thitherwards by several Troops, on the first Lords day in July 1651. resting at Lanceston in Cornwall, I repaired to the Church there (with 6. Troopers of Major Blackmores troop who conducted me) in the morning; where the Minister of the Town,*A great Republican at first; afterward a greater Protectorian, christning one of his Sons by the name of Cromwel Hull. Mr. Hull, an antient man (formerly in New England) preaching upon the 1 Pet. 2. 8. A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; handled the Common place of Scandals, raising this Proposition from the words: That it is the duty of all Christians to be very carefull to avoyd scandals. In the prosecution whereof he prescribed certain rules, how Christians might avoyd and prevent scandals: the first whereof was, chearfully to submit to all Lawful Powers and Governours under whom they lived: Particularly prescribed by the Apostle Peter in the 12, 13, 14 verses, which he read thus. Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorifie God in the day of visitation: Submit your selves (therefore) to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake; unto Governours, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well; for so is the will of God; that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, &c. Omitting the very first and principal clause in the Text, which he durst or would not read: Whether it be to the King, as Supreme; and the disjunctive Or, (unto Governours:) which not only mangled, but marred the words and sence of the place. After which he immediately added, that the selfsame rule was prescribed by the Apostle Paul, 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2, 3. which he thus read & maimed as he did the former text. I will therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercesstons and thanksgivings be made for all men; skipping over the principal words (For Kings, and) reading only the next words, All that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Which double omission and preterition of these two chief clauses in both these quotations one after another, in this very Doctrine, to avoyd scandals, did so much scandalize me, that I presently said to the Soldiers fitting in the same seat with me; This old temporizing unworthy Minister in mangling and perverting both these Texts one after another in this strange manner, by omitting and not reading the principal clauses in them, in the very Pulpit and presence of God himself, and directions to his Auditors, hath given me greater scandal and juster offence, than any Minister I ever yet heard preach in all my life, not only by imitating, but exceeding the very Devil himself when he tempted our Saviour: For he when he tempted Christ to cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple: Mat. 4. 6. cited only one Text to induce him to it, omitting the last words thereof. Ps. 91. 11, 12. For it is written, he shall give his Angels charge over thee; passing over this material clause, to keep thee in all thy wayes; and reciting only the subsequent words; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Wherein the Devil acted his own part only both as a Tempter, Lyer, Prevaricator, and that in private. But this old Minister (if he deserve the Title) alleged two several Texts one after another publikely to the whole Congregation in the very Pulpit, as the Embassador of Christ himself, both which he mangled and prevaricated in the prime Clauses which he omitted: wherein he neither acted the part, nor discharged the duty of a faithfull Minister, but Devil, or diabolical Prevaricator; fearing, pleasing those Anti-royallists in present power, and those who could but kill the body, more than God himself, who could cast his soul and body into hell, and had under severest penalties enjoyned all men, but Ministers more especially, Deut. 4. 2. &c. 12. 32. not to diminish ought from the word which he hath commanded them: Not to turn from it either to the right hand or to the left, Josh. 1. 7. For, if any man shall take away from the words of this Book, God shall take away his part out of the Book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things that are written in this Book, Rev. 22. 19. All which texts this timorous wretched Minister regarded not at all, dreading the Menaces, Commands, Power of our Republican Grandees, more than the Threats, Precepts, and Omnipotency of God himself. Whereupon the Soldiers confessed to me, That it was very ill done of the Minister thus to mangle Scripture, and that they were as much offended with him for it as my self. Upon further discourse hereof after Sermon, I told the Troopers, They might now discern the sad effects of abolishing our Kings and Kingship, and how formidable our new Republican Grandees who succeeded them, were already become, not only to the Common people, but also to Ministers of the Gospell, that some at such a great distance from them as Lanceston, dreaded them more than God himself, and that in the very Pulpit and House of God, not daring to read the word KING, or KINGS, in the very Texts they quoted, for fear of incurring High Treason, against the new more than Kingly Governors, and Legifers at Whitehall and Westminster; who to prevent this mischief, might do well, to make an Additional Knack to those Knacks they had formerly published against Kings, and Kingship, and the Ingagement against them, that the words KING and KINGS should be expunged out of these two Texts of 1 Pet. 2. 13, 17. 1 Tim. 2. 2. and all other Texts of the Old and New Testament, in all Bibles to be henceforth printed or read within their New Commonwealth; and all old Bibles prohibited, lest Ministers or people should incur the guilt of High Treason, by reading, or obeying these Scriptures to the pr…dice of their Republike: and if others were afrayd to … i…, I would in my next Letters to their President John B…dshaw and his Associates at Whitehall, acquaint them with this passage, and hint thus much to them. Which I did accordingly when I came to Pendennis Castle.
Upon this and other occasions, I made a Collection of such Scriptures and Antiquities in all ages, both before, and under the Law and Gospel, as most clearly evidenced both the practice and duty of the Saints, Churches and People of God (and of Pagans too) in making publike and private prayers for the lives, healths, Prosperity of their Kings, Emperors, and their royal Posterities, whether they were Good or Bad, Christian or Pagan, Orthodox or Heterodox, Protectors or Persecutors of Christianity and the professors of it. Which being a Subject not particularly treated of at large by any Writers I have seen or heard of, very seasonable, usefull to inform the ignorance, and reform the neglect thereof in this Apostate age, wherein this Christian duty hath been so long neglected, decryed, prohibited in all our three Kingdoms; I thought it not only convenient, but necessary to make them publike; and communicate them to posterity, for the glory of God, the Honor of Religion, and the benefit of all Christian Kings, Emperors, Princes throughout the world.
In the Marshalling of these Collections, I shall observe a meer Chronological Method, as most usefull and perspicuous, digesting all Presidents and Proofs pertinent to this Subject into distinct Chapters, beginning with those that are most antient.