Speech 4 December 1648, Speech · Part

Speech 4 December 1648 · Speech · Part

p. 307Mr. Speaker,

HAving thus demonstrated to you the unavoydable destructivenesse and confusion of those Counsels, and pretended wayes of settlement which the Officers of the Army have propounded, and would imperiously and forcibly thrust you upon to the Kings, Kingdomes, Parliaments, Religions, their own, our and Irelands certain and most speedy ruine; I must now crave leave with much sadnesse of heart to unbosome my very soul unto you, and discover you that secret which God hath so clearly manifested to my understanding, that I dare not (under the highest penalty) but acquaint you with; That the Jesuites, and Roman Priests and Catholicks are the originall contrivers and principall somenters of the late and present distempers, and undutifull mutinous proceedings and counsels of the Officers and Army, and chief contrivers of the new Babel, or model of confusion which they have tendred to you in their late Remonstrance as the only way to peace and settlement. And if I shall clearly demonstrate this unto the House, I hope every Member present, and the whole Army and Kingdome, when they know it, will eternally abhor and renounce it, and never henceforth countenance or promote this Jesuiticall and Romish designe: which I am perswaded the Generall, and most of the Officers and Souldiers in the Army, in the simplicity of their hearts (with honest and publick intentions of Justice and common Freedom) have been ignorantly drawn into, by over-reaching pates and Machiavilian Policies of these cunning Iesuites, who can metamorphose themselves into any shapes, and invisibly infinuate themselves into their counsels and actings, to promote their own interest and our destruction.

I do not prosesse my self to be any great Statesman, or exactly to know what ever is secretly transacted among us: But this I can say, without disparagement to others, or p. 108vain-glory to my self, That I have for many years last past been as curious an observer of all the great transactions of Affairs in Church or State, and of the instruments and means by which they have been covertly contrived and carried on, as any man in this House or Kingdom: and that God hath honoured me in being one of the first discoverers and opposers of the Jesuites and Papists plots to undermine our Religion, and usher in Popery by degrees into our Church, by making use of our Popish and Arminian Prelates and Clergy-men as their Instruments, and broaching one Arminian and Popish Doctrine and introducing one Popish Superstition and Innovation after another; of which I have given this House and the Kingdome the fullest and clearest discoveries of any man; and likewise of introducing Tyranny, Arbitrary power and civill combustions in our State, of which I likewise made seasonable discoveries and opposition, the ground of all my sufferings, close imprisonment and banishent, to prevent the like detections and oppositions. And since my return from exile, I have in my ROME'S MASTER-PIECE, The ROYALL POPISH FAVOVRITE, HIDDEN WORKS OF DARKNESSE BROVGHT TO PVBLICK LIGHT, The ANTIPATHY OF ENGLISH PRELACY TO VNITY and MONARCHY, and The HISTORY OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBVRY's TRY ALL, and other Writings, given the World such an exact account of the Iesuites and Papists plots and influences upon our Church, State, Court, Councels, Prelates, corrupt Clergy, and all sorts of people to reduce us back to Rome, supplant Religion, subvert Parliaments, set up tyranny and involve us in civill Wars both in England, Scotland, and Ireland, (concealed from most, and scarce known to any before these discoveries) as none else before or since mee have done; all which both Houses have since approved and made use of in severall Declarations and Remonstrance And therefore I may with greater confidence and better grounds adventure on this discovery, of which most here present (who p. 109are little acquainted with mysteries of State or Politicks' and trouble not their heads with such inquiries after them as I have done) are utterly ignorant, and so apt to be deluded, and easily over-reached; the plainest open-hearted men being easiest to be over-witted by Jesuites and their Instruments; especially when they transform themselves into Angels of Light, or become new lights, to broach new strange opinions, or revive old errors under the notion of New-light; as they have lately done, to lead captive silly people.

To make out this discovery so cleerly evident that none can rationally deny, but be sufficiently convinced of its truth, I must minde you of these particulars of undoubted truth and certainty which this House and the House of Lords have joyntly and severally published and remonstrated to the whole Kingdom, King, and World in severall Declarations and Remonstrances, and other printed papers.

1. That the**This is in terminis asserted by the Commons in their Petition to the King at Hampton Court, And, Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom, presented with it 15. Dec. 1641. Exact Collect. Iesuites, and other Engineeres and Factors for Rome, for the alreration of Religion, the setting up of Popery and Tyranny in this Kingdom, and subversion of the fundamentall Lawes and Government of it; did long before the beginning of this Parliament, compose and set up a corrupt, malignant, ill-affected party, consisting of corrupt Bishops and Clergy-men, some great Officers and Counsellours of State and others of trust and neernesse about the King, his Children and Court, to carry on these their designes, who were acted by their subtill practises: and that by this means those Iesuites and Romish Engineers had a very powerfull operation upon his Majesties Counsells,* pag 1 to 20 and the most important Affaires and proceedings of his Government both in Church and State.

2. That the most dangerous divisions, preparations and Armies to make a War between England and Scotland, were made and carried on by the practise and counsel of the Iesuites, Papists, and their Confederates, … Scottish Iesuites being sent from London into Scotland not foment the divisions there; and a Generall Convention of all the principall p. 310Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom, and of sundry Priests and Iesuites (whereof Con the Popes Nuncio was President) being held in London; wherein great Sums of mony were granted towards the raising of the Army against the Scots, & Treasurers and Collectors appointed by them in every County; and Popish Commanders sent for over and imployed in that Service, as was apparently proved before a Committee, and reported to this House soon after the beginning of this Parliament, as your own Journal manifests. And it furthers appears by one who was privy to that plot, sent from Rome as an assistant to Con; who out of conscience revealed all the secrets of it to Andreas ab Habernfeld (Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia at the Hague) under an Oath of secrecy, and he to Sir William Boswel and the King, the Originals whereof are in my custody, and published by me (at your appointment) in my**See Rome's Masters-piece. p. 13. to 26. Romes Master-Piece,) that the …end of he Scottish Wars was to engage the King to cast himself wholly on the Papists and their party, (the Puritans and Protestant party, being averse to this War, and inclining to the Scots, who would not engage to assist him, unlesse hee would condition with them, to grant an universall toleration of Popery, and free exercise of that Religion to the Papists, if their party prevailed: To which if he should shew himself unwilling or averse, then they would presently dispatch him out of the way, and poyson him with an Indian nut, which they had prepared (kept in Con's custody) as they had poysoned his Father King Iames: Not….And the Prince being next Heir to the Crown, educated neer his Mother, accustomed to the Popish party, and easie to be perverted in his Religion, being but young and under age, they would get him into their power, educate him in their Religion, and match him to a Papist; & so all their work accomplished, Popery set up, & the Protestants and their Religion so … extirpated both in England, Scotland, and Irelands In which d…scovery he further relates, that there were under the command of Cardinal Barbarino the Popes Nephew, protector of the English Catholicks, and Con the Nuncio resident in London, four severall Orders of Jasuites most active in these designs and wars, & disturbers of Christian kingdoms.

p. 95The first, Ecclesiasticks, whose office it is to take care of things promoting Religion. The second polititians, whose imployment it is, by any meanes whatsoever to shake, troube, reforme, and alter the state of Kingdoms and Republiks. The third Seculars, whose property it is, to intrude themselves into offices & places about Kings and Princes; and to insinuate and thrust themselves into civill affaires, bargains, contracts, and such like civill businesse. The and fourth, Spyes or Intilligencers, men of inferior condition, who submit and become houshold servants to Princes, Barons, Noblemen, Great men, Gentlemen, Citizens, and others of all protessions, to discover their minds, and make use of them to prom…te their designes. That these Jesuites usually met at one Captaine Reads (a Scotch-man, a Souldier and Lay Jesuit, …ing in Long Acre) in the habits Gentlemen… Souldiers, and Laymen: and many of them followed the Camp as Souldiers in those intended Wars. That there were neere as many of all these severall Sorts of Jesuits residing and lurking privily in and about London, in September 1640. (where were then above 50 Scottish Jesui…s…as were in al Spain, Frat. c: & Italy; who have ever since been promoting the same designes and devisions among us all these Wars, as that which followes will demonstrate. 3 dly. That the dissolving and breaking up al the Parliaments in this Kings Reigne in discontent, proceeded from the councels, and practises of the Jesuits and their Popish confederats to disaffect the King against them, and prevent the calling of Parliaments for the future, the principall obstacle to prevent and counter-worke all their designes, to promote Popry, and subvert our Religion laws, and Government.

4thly. That the Jesuits, Popish Priests, Papists and their Confederats ever since this Parliament, have by pollicy & power endeavoured to dissolve, and put an end to this present Parliament, as the onelyonly basis and support of our Religion and Libertie, the onelyonly Bulwarke betweene and Tyranny, Popery and superstition, ready to over-run the three Kingdomes, the dissolution whereof would not onelyonly deprive us and our posterities of the present, but of the hopes and capacity of any future Parliament:Exact collections, p. 1. 10. 20. 195 to 230. 265. &c. 661. to 666. 907, &c. and that they have indefatigably used and left no means unattempted to dissolve this Parliament: the continuance and close whereof with the King in a happy Peace & settelment, would frustrate all their hopes and Popish-designes; as the Lords & Commons both have most fully p. 96declared in their Remonstrance of M…y, 19. and 26. 1642. in their Declaration of March, 23. 1643. in their propositions of Feb. 1. 1742. and May, 11. 1642. and oft since. That to effect this they have: first standered and traduced this Parliaments proceedings both to the King and people, to render them odious to both.

2. Endeavoured to bring up the Northern Army to over-awe and force the Houses to act according to their dictates and interests, or else for to dissolve and destroy them.

3. Perswaded the King to impeach the Lord Kimbolion & the five Members, & then to come personally with a strong armed guard to demand & seiz upon their persons, which was first plotted in France.

4. Raised up a Rebellion of all the Papists in Ireland, to destroy the Protestants there, and dissolve the Parlia, here, against whom they have publikely declared, and sent over forces to the King to assist him in this war, to suppresse the Parliament by forse of armes.

5. Perswaded the King & many Lords & Commons to desert his Houses of Parl. to dissolve & destroy the Parliament, and then to raise war against them, in w… the Jesuits &… Papists at home and abroad have bin most active, & deepest engaged both in purse & person: they being the principle contrivers, abettors & somenters of this war, to subvert our Religion, Liber. &c. set up Popery & tyranny.

9. Plotted the**A Collect &c. p… 95. 97. 101. 203. 204. 205. 227. 252. 253. 287. 457. 148. 704. 705. 752. seizing and apprehendig of some eminent leading Members by a confederacy and commission here in London, for which Tomkins and others were executed, as the Lords and Commons in their Declaration of October 22. 1642. and March. 23. 1643. and humble de…es, Feb. 1. 1642. with other Declarations since, remonstrate.

7. That these Jesuits and their party have**Appendix page 1. obstructed, diverted, prevented the reliefe and supply of the Protestants in Ireland, with men and mony, to betroy us into the powr of the Irish Rebel…s, and extirpate the Protestants and their Religion there.

All these are remonstrated & cleared to al the world by near one hundred of your owne **Exact … lect…o. &c. p 28 &… Exact col… lect. p. 10 to 20 61. 65. 69 70. 78… 8. 84. 88… 89… 93… 94. 95.Declarations, & every mans reall experience. All w… the army in their late proceedings have punctually persued & exceeded & therefore certainly are acted by the selse same counsels & principles contrarily, it is as evident by your own Declarations: That this army & all your other forces, were purposely raised & engaged both by Commission, Oath, Covenant, & their own sol…mn Protestations & Remonstrances,**A Collection, &c… p 30. 49. 79. 167. 169. 181. 187. …03. 204. 211. 216. 217. 218. 227. 244. to 267. 275. 283. 3…9. 313. 354. 360. 363. 370. 379. 412. 4…7. 424. 412. 457. 458. 470. 489. 504. 5…6. 537. 548. 576. 627. 620. 20…. 64. 87. 624. 666. 704. 7…5. 70…. 724. 7…0 &c. 795. 8…2. 803. 806. 811:. to 829. 832. 873. 882. 883. Appendix p. 7. …1. 15. To defend the Kings person, in the maintenance of our Religion, Lawes and Liberties; to maintain the ancient p. 97**A Collect on, &c. p 8. 13. 34. 41. 43. 44, 49. 51. 61. 64 75 96. 97 99. 18… 187. 201. 204. 205. 210. 227. 257. 300. 32…. 310. 458. 424. 425. 496. 537. 599. 623. 686. 696. 807. 808. 879.Government of this Kongdome, by King, Lords, and Commons, The Right and Priviledge, and Members of Parliament, against all force and violence to them, and the Fundamentall lawes of the Realme, and to exterpate (as much as in them lay) all Popery, idolatry, error, superstition, schisme, and what ever is contrary to sound Doctrine.

This ingagement they really performed in the field till all the Kings Popish and Prelaticall party in armes were utterly routed & broken in peeces, & their garrisons reduced to the Parliament, till which time the Prists, Iesuits, & Papists, joyn'd all the focre and power they could raise, with the Kings forces against the houses & this Army to conquer & distroy them. But their hopes & designes being wholy frustrated by the Kings totall defeat, these Jesuits & their Engineers who transforme themselves into all shapes and leave no means unattempted to compasse their ends, then faced about from the Kings party, and secretly insinuated themselves into the Parliaments Army, to mutiny and deboyst them against the Parliament,**Appendix p. … 15. 23. and engage them to put a speedy period and dessolution to it. To this end they attempt to hinder and disswade them from disbanding and going over to releive distressed Ireland, according to the Houses votes, and to ingage them against the houses in March, Aprill and May, was twelvemoneth, till which time the Army had ever shewed themselves most dutifull and obedient to the Houses commands. But then to divert and hinder all reliefe of the Protestaant party in Ireland, then broughtlow, and ready to be swallowed up, when we had no need at all of above seaven or eight thousand standing forces in England, where there was no visible enemy, & might have spared ten thousand men for Ireland, who would soon have quelled the Robles & Papists there. These Iesuits and their popish instruments at that very instant (which is very observable) of porpose to preserve their party in Ireland, and destroy the protestants there, not only diswaded those of the Army who were ingaged and drawne off for Ireland from going thither, but discouraged and inforced them to desert that service, yea hindred other forces from going over for their reliefe, perswading the Army, that this dividing of them was but a plot of Mr. Hillis & other Members to distroy them: & then by somenting this jealousie, & raising up a new order & Councell of Agitators of the Army (some whereof were verily suspected, if not knowne to be Jesuits) they caused the Army at a generall randezvous to enter into a soleme… p. 98engagement not to disband, but to march up to London to force the the houses to alter, null, repeale divers Votes and ordinances they had passed; published divers scandalous Declarations and Papers against their proceedings, to disingage and draw off the City and Countrey from their defence: impeached no lesse then eleven of their MEMBERS at once (when as the KING impeached onelyonly five) demanded their present suspention from the House before any legall charge or evidence, else they would march up to the Houses doores, & pul them out by violence; as the King would have done: After which, they fall to seclude & drive away more Members by a New ex officio proceeding, enforcing them now at last to accuse themselves, and draw up their owne cases; & in Aug. 1647 drive away most of the house by their open force &**The Generals & Armies Remonstrance, Aug 8. 1647. high Menaces. Then they set up severall Counsells of Sate in the Army: and waving their demands as Soulders, formerly insisted on, fell to new modle the State (contrary to their former ingagements) to set up a New modle of Governement, to put a speedy and limited time for the period of this Parliament, & a new & more equall election of Members & representatives, & beginning & ending of Parliaments for the future; receive Petitions, order all matters of Church & State without the Parliament, who must onelyonly ratifie and confirme their Votes! & fell to treat with, and tender proposalls of their owne to the King, without the houses privity. Besids, to pick a quarrell with the City of London (who had first raised, and were so cordiall to the Army & Parliament) and make a irreconcileable breach betweene the City & Houses, to destroy them both by degrees: they caused the houses on a suddain, upon a Letter from the Generall, in one afternoone, without having the City or giveing them the least notice of it, to recall the New Ordinance for settling their Militia: wherewith they being justly offended, thereupon on Iuly 26. 1647. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, & Common-Councel, presented a Petition to both Houses, to resettle their Militia as before, being in a ful and free house setled withont any dissenting Votes, by al their consents; which was seconded by a Petition from the Apprentises; who being over-earnest, offered some unarmed violence to the Houses; and got the Ordinance of repeal nulled, and the Militia resetled as formerly: Hereupon, they perswaded the Army to March up speedily, to London (not onelyonly without, but against the Houses Order, not to Quarter within forty miles of the City) to protect the Houses from any further violence; to bring the Authors of p. 99this force to speedy and exemplary punishment, and**See their Remonstrance, Aug. 18. 1647. restpre the Houses to a condition of honour, freedome and safety: and that by offering a greater force to the Members, who continued sitting in the absence of those who repaired to, and ingaged with them, then that of the Aps prentises: driving the eleven Members formerly impeached out of the House & Kingdom, expelling them, & others out of the House, forceing away most of the Commons, nulling al Votes, Orders and Ordinances, from Iuly 26. to August 6. & after that marched through London in Triumph, broke down all their Forts and works about the City, tooke the Tower out of their possession, divided the Militia of Westminster and Southwarke from them, impeached & imprisoned sundry Aldermen and others, who appeared most active for the Parliament from the beginning, impeached, suspended & imprisoned seven Lords at once for sundry months together; afterwards released without any prosecution. And by this meanes raised such a breach between the City and Houses, sets the Members one against another, and put such a stand to their proceedings, by these disturbances in the Parliaments Army, as they could never effect before by all their military power & forces. Now lay al these distempers & procedings together, & compare them with the Armies late Remonstrance, Declaratiō, Menaces & present March to London, to force and levy War against the Houses, & their Members, in case they concurred not with them, in their Jesuiticall whimsies and desingnes: and we shal find them all so opposite & repugnant to the Armies former obedience, professions and principles, so sutable to the Jesuites practises in every particular; al tending onelyonly to force and dissolve this present Parliament, to null and invalid its proceedings, and weaken al its interest, both in the City and Country: And then every rationall man must needs acknowledge, they all originally spurng from Jesuitical suggestions and Counsels? and that Ignatius Loyala then and now rode in an open and triumphall Chariot in the Van of these, and all their late actions of this nature.

Adde to this, that the Monstrous opinions broached publiquely and privately in the Army,See Mr. Edwards Gangrena, &c. and their quarters, against the Divinity of the Scriptures, the Trinity, the D…ity of our Saviour; That Antichrist is only within us: That conscience ought to be free, and all Religions tolerated: That every man is a Minister, and may lawfully preach without ordination: That the civill Majestrate hath no legislative nor coercive power in matters of Religion; That p. 100titles are Antichristian, and the like, seconded with publique affronts to our Ministers, climing up into their Pulpits interruping them publiquely in their Sermons, and making our Churches common Stables in some places, and receptacles of their excrements, their open revilings at the proceedings of Parliam, and their Members, and all to render our Religion and the professors of it odious to the people, to make them readier and better inclined nnto Popery, disgrace and undoe our Ministers, and render them and their preaching in effectuall: subvert the power of our Magistracy, make the houses odious to all, and put all things into a present confusion; I am confident all these were nothing else but the projects and practises of Jesuits and their agents, who crept into the Army to feduce and distemper them, being so diametrically contrary to the Generalls, Officers and Soldiers former practises, principles, professions, and that piety they have professed.

But that which further demonstrates it is this; That after the Generall & Officers of the Army had confessed their error *in medling with *State affaires, & settling & reforming the Common-wealth, in the *General Councell at Putney [where they voted & acted more like a Parliam. then a Councell of War) & promised to proceed no futher in it, but acquiesce with the houses determinations: these Jesuits, by the help of their instrumēts the Agitators, to carry on their design of putting a speedy period to the present & all future Parliaments, draw up a moddle of a new Representive, which they intituled The Agreement of the people, subscribed by divers Regiments of the Army (9 of horse and 7 of foot) and then caused it to be presented to the house of Commons in November 1647. The matter end, and time of it conpared together, and the houses votes upon it, are very considerable; and discover a Jesuit in the front and reare of it: We all know, that the Jesuits and their popish confederats, ever since Queen Elizabeths Reign, when so many strict laws were made against, have had an aking tooth against Parliaments, Their first and most disperate attempt was in the third year of King Iames, to blow up the K. and both houses of Parliament with Gunpowder, the orginall plotters of this horrid Treason, were the Pope and Jesuits: as is clear by, Del Roi. his book, & other printed papers almost a year before: the chiefe actors in it, were discontented Gentlemen and Souldiers, Catesby, Percy, Winter. Faux, and others, as our stories**See the arraignment of Traytors, Mr. Vicars History, Speeds Chronicle and others relate, fit instruments to blow up Parliaments: The p. 101day when this was to be executed, was the fift of November: but this treason, being through Gods great mercy discovered on that day, the King and Parliament adjudged these Iesuits, and Popish Traytors to be executed, and that day by Act of Parliament to be perpetually observed for a Thanksgiving day of this happy deliverance from that treason. The Jesuites who have broken off all former Parliaments in this Kings reigne till this, and would eternally dissolve this, and all succeeding Parliaments, by way of revenge for their ill successes then, have these two last yeares together, in this very monethmonth of November, conspired to blow up or pull down this and all other Parliaments; so as the very circumstance of the monethmonth and time, discovers in my apprehension, the Jesuites to be chiefe actors in this tragedy. The first attempt of this kind was on the fift of November, 1647. the very day of the powder plot, but by the Houses occasions put off till the 9th. Then the Agreement of the People was ushered into the House of Commons, with a Petition by the Agitators: when this Agreement of the people and Petition was presented, Gifford a Staffordshire Gent. and a Jesuite (a yeare before sent from beyond the Seas, who at first seigned himselfe a convert to our Religion) was present in the lobby with the Agitators, and promoted it all he could, expressing his approbation of it, being gotten into the Generalls owne life Guard, and the next man to him, when he came to bring the Speaker unto the House of Commons, August, 6. 1647. He was afterward very active to perswade the Staffordshire supernumerarie forces not to disband, and prevailed so much with them, that there were severall orders from the house & General ere they wovld obay: therefore its propable he and they perswaded the Army at first not to disband, or to goe for Ireland After which he was taken this summer at a meeting in Ramme-alley to raise a new Warre, and being carried prisoner to the Committee of safety, made an escape from thence, by bribing his Keepers, as is conceived, having offered fifty peeces to a Captaine to suffer him to escape. This Petition and Agreement of the People, thus presented by the Agitators, and this Jesuite, Upou reading and debate thereof this House passed these Votes against it.

Die Martis 9. Novemb. 1647. A paper directed, To the supream authority of the Nation, The Commons in Parliament assembeld, and stiled, The just and earnest Petition of those whose names are subscribed, in behalfe of themselves, and all p. 102the free born people of England, together with a printed paper annexed, intituled, All Agreement of the People for future and present peace, upon grounds of common right, avowed.

Resolved &c.

That the matters contained in these papers ARE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE BEING OF PARLIAMENTS,NOTA. and TO THE FUNDAMENTALL GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM.

Resolved, &c.

That a letter should be sent to the Generall, and those papers inclosed, together with the Vote of this house upon them, and that he be desired to examine the proceeding of this businesse in the Army, and returne an account hereof to this House.

By which Votes is apparant, That the house then deemed this Agreement of the people, a second Gunpouder Treason, Destructive to the being of Parliaments: That some Iesuites, or ill affected persons in the Army, had put these Agitators upon it, and therfore desired the Generall to examine and give them an account of it.

The Generall and Councell of Warre in pursuance of this vote, condemned one of the Agitators who fomented it, and shot him to death at Ware: wherewith they acquainted the house, and by this meanes this Iesuites brat and Engin to blow up this and future Parliaments, was no further prosecuted in the Army, but some of their confederates in the City, on the 23. of the same November, most audatiously sent it into the house, to the Speaker, inclosed in a Letter with a petition: wherupō the House unanimously passed these votes concerning this agreement, for the committing and prosecuting those who presented it, & giving the Generall thankes, for the Execution done at Ware, & desiring him to prosecute the businesse further, to the bottome, where they thought they should find a litter of Iesuites, and a Garnet, a Catesby and Faux, together in the Vault.

Die Martis, 23. Novemberis 1647. A Petition directed, to the Supreame Authority of England. A Title now owned by them thogh then disclaimedThe Commons in Parliament assembled, and intituled, The numble Petition of many free borne People of England, sent in a Letter, directed to Mr. Speaker, and opened by a Commitee thereunto appointed, was read the first and second time.

Resolved vponupon the question

That this Petition is a seditious and contemptuous avowing, and prosecution of a former Petition and paper annexed, stiled an Agreement p. 105of the people, formerly adjudged by the House to be distructive to the being of Parliaments, and fundamentall government of the Kingdoms.

Resolved, &c.

That Thomas Prince Cheesemonger, and Samuel Chidly, be forthwith commtted prisoners to the prison of the Gate-house, there to remaine prisoners during the pleasure of this House, for a seditious and contemptuous avowing and prosecution of a former petition, and paper annexed, stiled An Agreement of the people formerly adjudged by this House, to be Distructive to the being of Parliaments and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome.

Resolved, &c.

That Jeremy Ives, Thomas Taylor, ani William Larner, be forthwith committed to the prison at Newgate, there to remaine prisoners during the pleasure of this House, for a seditious and contemptuous avowing, and prosecution of a former petition and paper annexed, stiled, An Agreement of the People, formerly adjudged by this House to be Destructive to the being of Parliaments, and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome.

Resolved &c.

That a letter be prepared and sent to the Generall, taking notice of his proceedings in the execution according to the rules of War [of a mutinous person] at their Randezvouze neare Ware, and to give him thanks for it, and to desire him to prosecute the examination of that businesse to the bottome, and to bring such guilty persons as he shall think fit, to condigne and exemplary punishment.

Resolved &c.

That the Vots upon the former Petition and Agreement annexed, and likewise the Vots and proceedings upon this Petition, be forthwith printed and published.

Yea, the houses were so sensible of the treasonablenes and danger of this agreement, that in an Ordinance of the 17. of Decem. 1647. For electing of Common Councell men, and other Officers in London, they expresly ordained, that person who hath contrived, abetted, perswaded, or entred into that engagement intituled, The agreement of the people declared to BE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE BEING OF PARLIAMENTS, AND FUNDAMENTALL GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM be elected, chosen, or put into the Office or place of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Sheriffe or Alderman, Deputie of a Ward, or Common Councell man of p. 102duplicate page p. 105duplicate page p. 106the said City, nor shall have any voice in the electing of any such Officers for the spase af one whole year, and be made uncapable of any of the said places. VponUpon this treable sentence of condemnation that passed against this Agreement of the people by these Votes & Ordinances, this stratagem of the Iesuits to blow up this and future Parliaments, by putting a certanperiod to this Parlaments dissolution on the last of Sept. 1648. and setling a more equal Representative for the future, with a fixed time for its beginning and ending, and of a new Parliament of Commons alone without King or Lord… [the substance of this whol agreement] was for that year trustrated, and totally laid aside till the beginning of Novem. last. At which time the Iesuits and the Agitators, to hinder Irelands reliefe, and our settlement, prosecuted it againe a fresh in the Army, & the better to disguise & carry it on more closely, they inserted it verbatim into their Remonstrance to break off the Treaty with the King, & prevailed so far with the General and his generall Councell of Officers [who formerly condemned it, and shot one to death for abetting it but in Novemb. before] as unanimously to approve it, at St Albans the sixtenth of November 1648. and sent it to this House the twentieth of that monethmonth to break of the Treaty presently, and to be forthwith considered and confirmed, and which is most observable; ushered it in with this Iesuiticall preface, and these disloyall popish demands.

**Remonst. p. 62, 63. &c.That the Capitall and grand Author of our troubles, the person of the King by whse commission, commands or procurement and in whose behalfe, and for whose interest onelyonly [of will and power] all our warres and troubles have been, with all the miseries attending them, may be speedily brought to Iustice, for the Treason, blood and mischiefe he is therein guilty of.

That a timely and peremptory day may beset for the Prince of Wales, and Duke of York to come in, and render themselves, or else immediatly made uncapable of any Government, or trust in this Kingdome, or the Dominions thereof, or of any right within the same, and thenceforth to stand exiled for ever, as Enemies and Traytors, and to dye without mercy, if ever hereafter found therein, or if they render themselves, then to be proceeded against for their Capitall Deli…quency, in justice, or remitted upon satisfaction given. But however the land and revenue of the Crowne to be presently sequestred &c.

Then followes this Agreement of the People, for setting some reasonable and certain period to this Parliament, to be assigned as short, p. 107as may be, with safety to the Kingdome and publike interest thereof, and for feeling the new Representative &c.

And because it was twice voted down in November 1648. by the house, it is twice repeated and insisted on in this long-winded Iemonstrance page 14, 15, 16. and page, 65, 66, 67. (so much are they in love with the Iesuits Dalila) that so it might now be twice confirmed and setled by the house, in approving this Remonstrance.

Now compare this third gunpowder plot with the two former in November last, to blow up King, Prince, Duke, Lords, Commons, this present and all future Parliaments at one attempt, to destroy the King, and Parliament disinherit his royall posterity, unpeer all the Lords & levell them with the dust, to root up them & all Parliaments root and branch at once, against all our Oathes, our Covenats, our Remonstrances, our Declarations, our Lawos, our Protestant Religion, all here devoted to ruine together, as the onelyonly safe and speedy way to settell peace and safety in Church and State [to omit the horrid equivocations, dispensations with oathes & Covenants, and Ieuiticall distinctions, in that Remonstrance, they are such clear visible Characters of a Jesuites pensill, hand and head in this Remonstrance, so abounding with their bloody disloyall Tenents & parctises of killing and deposing Christian Kings who wil not do homage to their Roman Pontif: & blowing up Protestant Stats, Kingdoms, Parliaments] so abhorent to al**See the Homilies against rebellion, Deus & Rex Iohn Whites Defence of the way, c. 6. 10. Dr. Bilson of Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion pat 3. Bishop Ic… els View of a seditious Bull Protestant Principals, Professions practises, who never yet embrued their hands in, nor stained their religiō with the blood of any King or actual deposition of any Protestant or Popish Pr. who was their lawful King, or disinheriting of his lawful heirs, or puling downe a Protestant Reforming Parliament, that none but Jesuits and Jesuited Papists could possibly invent, or spur on the Generall, Officers and Army so violently and madly to prosecute them, as they do by a subsequent high Declaration discovering a very Jesuitical spirit in the pen-man, distinguishing the Memb. of the house dissenting from them in these Treasonable practises into a treasonable brach of trust, & usurping to themselves a power ro judge, censure, and exclude them, and make those Members who shall confedrate with them herein, though never so few, materially a Parliment, though formerly and essentially no Parliament at all, and mooving them to depart the house and joyn with them in these Jesuiticall designes. Which they have since agravated and backed by their disobedyent p. 108march to Westminster and London against our commands, by force and open violence to over-awe us, & by our votes in Parliament to put all their treasonable Romish demands in present execution, to justifie these very traiterous doctrines and practises of theirs, which our Parliaments have in direct terms in**…Iac. 1. 4. 5.Jas 1:4Jas 1:5 sundry Acts condemned, and every one of us solemnly abjured in the oath of allegiance, w^ch he must take immediatly before his sitting in the house, & without taking wherof he neither is nor can be enabled to sit as a Member. I shall further offer this to your consideration, that as soon as ever this Agreement of the people was suppressed in Novem. 1647. and the king perswaded to reject the propositions tendred him by both Houses, by some officers in the army, of purpose to treat on their proposals: The agitators & Jesuits in the army, opposed these Proposals and threating to offer some violence to the Kings person, caused him secretly to withdraw himself from Hampton Court, into the Isle of Wight, where they shut him up close prisoner, without the Houses privity: which done, they caused their confederates (when most of the Members were sent into the Country to disband the supernume…aries) to passe a vote in the Commons house, to make no more addresses to the King, not to set him aside, (as they then professed to many dissenting members) but only to induce the K. to seck first to them; without, which protestation, they had never caried this vote; which passed, & most of the Membrs departing, the 2. ensuing Votes were set on foot, & passed at an unseasonable hour, & gotten by surprize. The very next morning there came a Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the Gen: Councell of the Army, Ian. 11. 1647. signifying their resolutions, to adhere to the Houses, for settling and securing the parliament and kingdom, without the King and against him, or any other that shall hereafter pertake with him. But the Lgrds sticking at these Votes, there was a regement or two of foot sent from the Army to garrison White hall; and a regiment of horse bilited in the Mues, to fright and force the Lords to a Concurrence. And some few dayes after, a Book written by Dolman, (alyas Parsons the Jesuite) against King Iames his Title to the Crown; and concerning the lawfulnesse of Subjects & Parliaments deposing & chastising of their Kings for their misgouernment, & the good & prosperous secceesse that God commonly hath given to the same [printed out of Dolmans own printed Copy verbatim, except the word Parliament added to it now and then, was published to the p. 109world, with this Title: Severall Speeches delivered at a conference, concerning the power of Parliaments, to procéed against their King for misgovernment: which Book with this false new title published at this season, intemated to the world, that this discourse of a lesuite (for which he was condemned of high treason) was nothing else, but speeches mad by some Members of the Commons house, at a conference with the Lords, The highest dishonour & affront ever put upon a protestant Parliament, to have the book and doctrine of a lesuit thus falsly fathered on them: of which, though I may self and others complained, there was nothing done to vindicate the houses from this grosse imputation: And about the same time, there was another book intituled, Royal tyranny discovered: Discovering the tiranny of the Kings, of England from William the invader and robber & Tyrant, alias the Conqueror, to this present King Charles; who is plainly proved, to be worse and more tyrannicall then any of his predecessors, and deserves a more severe punishment from the hands of this present Parliament, then either of the dethroned Kings, Ed. 2 or Rich. 2. had from former Parliaments which they are bound by duty and Oath, without equivocation or collution, to inflict upon him, he being the greatest delinquent in the three kingdoms, and the head of the rest; so the title. In the Table, there are these passages amongst others, Charles Steward guilty of this treason. p. 92, 93, 94, 95, 97. C. R (Charls Rex) Ought to be executed, p. 57. where the houses are not only pressed to depose and execute him but his execution [in their neglect] foretold, & that in An exemplary manner, in dispite of all his protectors and defendors. Which Iesuitical books and counsels published at that instant, discovered clearly to my apprehension, their votes for laying the King then aside, & the deposing & executing of him to be then intended, [only interrupted by the Scots invasion & the last summers commotion, occasioned by those votes of Non addresses] and the forceing on of them then & now by the army, with the violence they use, to be no other but a very plot and project of the Iesuits to ruine and distroy the King and us.

I shall only add to this, what I manifested but now, that it was the Iesuits plot when they engaged and assisted the King in his warre against the Scots, to dash the protestants in both nations in peeces one against another, & so be masters of both kingdoms, & extirpate our religion in both; and that if the King consented not to grant them a generall free exercise of their religion throughout all his p. 110realms & Dominions, or did but sticke at it, that then they would presently poyson & dispatch him, possesse themselves of the Prince, next heire to the Crowne, & then by flattery or menaces draw him to their Religion, match him to a Papist, and then all three Kingdomes would soon turn Papists, and all Protestants be murthered, or burnt for Heretiques. Now these Papists and Iesuits understanding, that the King [beyond & contrary to their expectatiō] bath granted all or most of our Propositions in the Isle of Wight, and fully condescended to five New bills, for the extirpation of Masse, Popery, and Popish innovations out of his Dominions, and putting all Lawes in execution against them, and for a speedier discovery and conviction of them then formerly, and that their good friends and Confederats our Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Deans and Chapters, and other branches of the hierarchy, are tobe wholly routted out, both in England and Ireland, so as they are never likely to have any more footing in them againe, after all their late warres, charges, hazards, plots and designes, to set up their Catholique Religion & party are so inraged with the King, & so inexorably incensed against him both at home & abroad [as I am credibly informed] that now they are mad against him, & thirst for nothing but his blood; which they think they cannot advantagiously & effectually accomplish, but by engaging the Army to dessolve the Treaty, & force the Parliament, in case they vote his answers satisfactory: and then by themselvs, are a confederate party in the House, to depose & cut off his head. Which done, the Prince being now beyond Seas in their power, destitute of his hopes of succession to this Crown, banished, and declared a Traitor and to dye without mercy if he returne hither, & to lose his head as well as his father, upon such high affronts put upon his Father & himself, & that by a Protestant Parliament, & Army of Saints, will be so inraged against all professors of our religion that he will probably professe himself a Roman Catholique (and his brother too) match with a Catholique Princes, & then ingage all the Papists in forraign parts, England, Scotland and Ireland, to unite their forces, purses & councels by way of revenge, to cut all the Protestants throats in all three Kingdomes, who have adhered to the Parliament, and hew the Army it selfe in peeces, when they have thus accomplished their designes: which will render them and the Parliament execrable and infamous to all posterity, and then farewell all Parliaments, and our Protestant religion for ever, not onelyonly here, but p. 111throughout all Christendome, where the Popish Princes will presently massacre the Protestants, lest they should fill to the like perfidious practises. This I am most confident is their designe, by what I have met with in their papers, and in the Jesuit Con…zens politiques and others, who have chalked out a way by degrees insensibly to crue Popery into any Protestant Church: by those very steps which our Prelates followed, who were directed by them, and to alter and subvert any Protestant State and Kingdom, by this new modelling of them into such a popular Anarchy, as is now suggested and presented in the Armies Remonstrance. This I am assured will be the unavoydable, desperate and deplorable issue, if we comply with them and the Army in it, unlesse God in his infinite mercy shal hold off their hands, and turn their hearts, from prosecuting their present designes.

I shall onelyonly adde one thing more, and so conclude. That many of the Agitators and Armies papers, [especially Putney projects, and some late Declarations] savour of a Iesuites stile or spirit. That I have been credibly informed, that not onelyonly Gifford a Jesuite, was one of the Generals own Life-gard, and a very active man in the Army, but one Thomas Budds, alias Peto (the last Popish Priest, condemned at Newgate) was a Trooper in this Army, and by influence of some great Officers in it, obtained a Reprieve instead of an Execution: That the Papists beyond Seas wish very well to the Army, iu whom now is their chiefest hopes; and that the Iesuits Cels and Colleges in forraign parts, are of late very empty; that many Popish Priests and Iesuits are now in England, not saying Masse, crying up the Pope and Popish Tenents as heretofore [that were to grosse, and they easily discovered:] but using all manner of mechanick Trades, preaching in private corners, as Sectaries, Anabaptists, Seekers, broachers of new Light, or as gifted brethren, that many of them are turned Troopers, Agitators, if not some of them Officers in the Army, or at leastwise have so insinuated themselves into the leading Officers there, [who are much taken with their parts, their new Designs & Tenents to alter & unsettle States] that they have as powerfull an influence now upon the Armies Cou…cels & Officers, as formerly they had upon the King and his Councels, and have now thus deeply ingaged them (beyond all expectation) to accomplish these Iesuiticall designes of theirs, to depose and destry the King… dissolve this Parliament, subvert our Magistracy, Ministry, Religion, Lawes, Liberties, Government, p. 112and establish their Vtopian New modale of confusion, in lieu of Parliaments and regall power, thereby to accomplish that now, which all their Popish conspiracies, armies and confederates from the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign, could never yet effect by all their treachery, policy, power: and how farre they have proceeded and engaged the Army and Officers unwillingly in it, out of honest intentions, we all now sadly behold to our great amazement, even in this instant of time when Ireland is in such eminent danger of being utterly lost, to …eep off all Supplies from thence.

I beseech you Mr. Speaker, let us all lay this speedily to our hearts, and goe about to prevent it, ere it be too late. If we Vote the Kings Answer now unsatisfactory, and so breake off the Treaty with him, our onelyonly means of peace and settlement; we have all our hopes and all these large concessions which the King hath granted both for our present and future security; our Monarchy, Magistracy, Ministry, Parliaments, Laws, Liberties, Kingdoms, and that which is dearest to us, our Religion also endangered, yea lost at once, and such a certain foundation laid to carry on all these Iesuiticall designes I have here discovered, and that by authority of this House, as will staine the honor of this most glorious and renowned Parliam. to all Posterity, and put a dishonorable speedy period to this and all future Parliam. for ever. But if we Vote it so far satisfactory, as I have stated it (and humbly conceive proved it substantially to every rationall mans understanding & conscience) as that we may lay present hold upon it, and proceed therein without delay, to turn all the Kings Concessiōs into Bils (which I have for the most part already drawn) and get the Kings Royall assent unto them, I doubt not but by Gods blessing on our endeavours, we may before this Month be ended, settle such a firme and well grounded Peace between the King & all his People and kingdom; upon such honorable, safe, and advantagious terms for the Publick interest, & such strong securities, as no State, or Kingdome ever yet enjoyed the like since the Creation.

And therefore Mr. Speaker, upon this long and tedious debate (for which I must humbly begge pardon of the House, being a businesse of such infinite concernment to our present weale or ruine) I must and doe conclude, That the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses, are so farre Satisfactory, at the least, as that this House may upon safe and firme grounds, and great advantages, forthwith accept of, and immediately proceed upon them, to the speedy settlement of the p. 113Peace of the Kingdome; and are bound both in honour, prudence, justice, and Conscience so to doe, to preserve themselves, our three Kingdomes and the Army too, from perpetuall bloody wars, and inevitable impendent desolation and confusion.

FINIS.