New Presbyterian Light Springing out of Independent Darkness, Text
New Presbyterian Light ſpringing out of Independent Darkneſs. or VI. important new QVERIES propoſed to the ARMY, And their Friends and Party of the Houſes; concerning the late Ordinance for Repeal of the New Militia of London, ſetled by an Ordinance of both Houſes, when full and free, for an whole year, (not yet one Quarter expired;) and other late Repeals of Ordinances and Votes; and the high Declaration againſt the intended Petition and Engagement of the Londoners and others, For the ſpeedy ſettlement of the Kingdomes Peace: occaſioned by the Debates thereof in the Common Councel in the Guildhal on Saturday laſt, the 24 of this inſtant Iuly.
Diſcovering the dangerous conſequences of repealing Ordinances and Votes, and the Independents, Sectaries, and Armies PLOTS, to blaſt the Honour, Juſtice, and reputation of this Parliament, thereby to diſſolve it and all others in in their falſe pretences of Peace, when they intend naught leſſe; and their ſtrange Injuſtice and malice againſt Presbyterians, which will end in their own diſhonour and downfal.
LONDON, Printed in the Year 164…
NEW PRESBYTERIAN LIGHT ſpringing out of INDEPENDENT DARKNES OR Six important new Queries, propoſed to the Army and their friends and Humble ſervants of the Houſes; concerning the late Ordinance for Repeal of the New Militia of London, ſetled by an Ordinance of both Houſes, when full and free, for an whole year (not yet one quarter expired) and other late Repeals of Ordinances and Votes; and the high Declaration againſt the intended Petition and engagement of the Londoners and others; for the ſpeedy ſettlement of the Kingdomes Peace, &c.
IT is a common Obſervation, that New Laws ever beget new doubts and Queſtions: ſo have ſome New Ordinances and Declarations concerning the Militia, Petition and Engagement of London, in the Common-Councel an Saturday laſt; reducible to the enſuing ſix Queries.
1. Whether Ordinances and Votes of both Houſes, paſſed with mature deliberation in a ful and free Parliament, over-awed by no armed power, may or can in point of Honor, Law, or Juſtice, be retracted or repealed on a ſuddain, upon the requeſt or demand of a mutinous Army, by any contrary Ordinances or Votes, made upon leſs debate or conſideration; when the Houſes were neither ſo ſul nor free as befo…e, and divided in the later, but not in the former Ordinances and votes, and that in the ſame ſeſſion of Parliament? And whether the Armics and Independents end in putting the Houſes now upon ſuch repealing Ordinances and Votes, (for which they have ſufficiently jeered and abuſed them in print, and manifeſted the diſhonor and prejudice of it, in their Humble Remonſtrance of Iune 23. P. 8. 9.) is not to render Parliaments vile and odious to the people; and thereupon to aboliſh them, and change the whole frame of Government of this Kingdom, into a Councel of war, and Agitators for the preſent, and a popular Anarchy for the future? But we truſt all wel-affected intelligent people wil be ſo diſcreet, as to turn the blame and odium only upon the cheif plotters, and drivers on of this deſign; and never grow weary of Parliaments, but of that factious Army & their confederates, who thus pervert and abuſe them, and deſerve exemplary puniſhment for it.
2. Whether ſuch a manner of revoking Ordinances, and eating or repealing former Votes, wil not render all Ordinances and Votes contemptible, ridiculous, and of little or no validity; and ſhake all the Ordinances and Votes of both Houſes, either for the Souldiers and others Indempnity, in acting for the Parliament, upon any Ordinances; or for the ſecurity of moneys advanced for the Publique ſervice, upon the Exciſe, Goldſmiths Hall, Sale of Biſhops Lands &c. and make all ſuch ſecurity invalid, ſince revokable at pleaſure, if the Army or Independents ſhal but propound it? And then in what ſad condition are the poor Preſbyterians, who have engaged all their Eſtates upon the faith of ſuch Ordinances and Votes, to raiſe, maintain, and gratify Independent forces, Officers, Members (who have contributed leaſt of any, and received moſt) who may daſh and null all their ſecurities in a moment, if they comply not with them? And whether the Citie, Common-Councel, and all others who have advanced moneys, or acted upon any Ordinances, have not juſt cauſe to queſtion the validity of ſuch repealing Ordinances and Votes, which may endanger their very lives, Liberties and Eſtates, and expoſe them to all kind of extremities; notwithſtanding their oft promiſed protection and indempnity?
3. Whether the ſuddain repeal of the Ordinance of Parliament, of the 4 of May 1647, for the Militia of London, ſetled by unanimous conſent of the Common-Councel▪ and both Houſes when ful and free, to continue for a ful year (at leaſt) upon a bare motion from the Army (whom it no ways concerned, and who never motioned it to the City or their Commiſſioners, in any of their Letters or Treaties with their Commiſſioners, for ought appears) only to the Commons Houſe, without any grounds or ſatisfactory reaſons alledged for this ſuddain change, or once hearing or conferring with the City or Militia (as they have uſually done upon all other occaſions of far leſs conſequence then this) by an Ordinance of 23. July 1647. (before three moneths of the time expired) which renders no reaſon at all of the alteration; be not a Jeſuitical device of ſome ſwaying Sectaries and Independents; partly for to alienate and divide the City from the Parliament (who cannot but reſent it as an high diſcourteſie and affront, and a very ill requital of all their former ſervices and fidelity to the Parliament, which hath been ſo oft ſupplied by their bounty, and preſerved by their valour, when few or none elſe ſtood by them to the effuſion of their blood, & advanced no leſs then 80000. l▪ at once for the new-modeling & raiſing of this very ungratful Army, which now thus unworthily puts ſuch an inſufferable diſgrace upon them.) but principally to gain the Tower of London and Magazines in it, into the Independents and Armies cuſtody, to inſlave and Command the City at their pleaſure; they having formerly plotted to ſurpriſe it by ſtratagem, which would have rendred them very odious; and this being a far more plauſible way to gain its poſſeſſion, by color of an Ordinance of both Houſes, who muſt bear all the blame, and envy, whiles the Contrivers of it go Scot-free.
4. Whether this Preſident at the Armies inſtance, of repealing the old Ordinance of the Militia by a new; may not prove a dangerous leading caſe for the Houſes ſodainly to repeal Sir Thomas This Lilburne affirmeth in his Epiſtles p. 13▪Fairfax and all his Officers Commiſſions, which are but durante beneplacito: & quamdiu ſe bene geſſerint; (and therefore all * forfeited by their mutinies and diſobedience:) and the late Votes for putting all the forces in pay within the Kingdom under his command, and for the continuance, pay and eſtabliſhment of the ARMY: with all other late Votes paſſed in their favour and at their deſires, and their very Act of Indempnity? And then what wil become of their Worſhips? Have they not then made a rod for their own tails; and a halter for their own necks, in ſtead of the Cities by this new Ordinance of repeal, made with more haſt then good ſpeed?
5. Whether the Houſe of Lords and Commons have not by their Ordinance for the taking of the Solemn League and Covenant, authorized, obliged, and engaged all wel-affected Citizens, Gentlemen, Soldiers, and Subjects of the Kingdom, who have taken it, ſolemnly to unite their heads, hearts and forces together at this preſent (and upon all other juſt occaſions) for the preſervation of Religion and Ʋniformity in Church-Government againſt Hereſie, Error, Blaſphemy and Schiſm; the ſafety of the Kings perſon and authority; the defence of the juſt Rights and Priviledges of Parliament, and of their own Lives, Eſtates, Liberties; (all now endangered by a Schiſmatical mutinous party in the Army and their Confederates) the preſent effectual relief of diſtreſſed Ireland, and bringing his Majeſty to or neer his Parliament, in an honorable and juſt way, for the ſpeedy ſettlement of a firm and happy peace, after all our expenſive and bloody▪ Wars, ſo long delayed ſince the War hath ceaſed, to their great grief and dammage? If not, then they and others are all miſtaken in the words and tenour of the League and Covenant, engaging them thereunto in poſitive terms under pain and cenſure of deteſtable perjury, apoſtacy; neutrality; and that they ſhal not ſuffer themſelves directly or indirectly by WHATSOEVER COMBINATION PERSWASION OR TERROR (be it of an whole revolting Army or a Declaration of high Treaſon either from his Majeſty or any Independent Members of either Houſe, or any Sectaries who have either not taken, forgotten, or abjured the Covenant) to be divided or withdrawn from this bleſſed Ʋnion and Conjunction, either to make defection to the contrary (Prelatical, Sectarian or Independent) Part, or to give themſelves to a deteſtable indifferency and neutrality in this cauſe which ſo much concerns the glory of God, the good and peace of the Kingdoms and honor of the King: But ſhal ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIVES ZEALOƲSLY AND CONSTANTLY CONTINƲE THERIN AGAINST ALL OPPOSITION, AND PROMOTE THE SAME, ACCORDING TO THEIR POWER AGAINST ALL LETS AND IMPEDIMENTS; be it from the Army or any other? If yea, as is irrefragable; then with what conſcience, face or Juſtice can ſuch be declared Traytors, or guilty of Treaſon, who ſhal now re-engage themſelves to make good this League and Covenant, and that by thoſe very Houſes (perchance not perſons) who formerly enjoyned and earneſtly preſſed them to take it, and proclaimed them treacherous and perjured if they brake it? Was ever ſuch a ſtrange contradiction as this, heard of in the world before? The King proclaimed thoſe Traytors heretofore, who ſhould adventure to take it by the Houſes command; and the Independents in the Houſes muſt now declare thoſe, who have taken it by their order, Traytors, becauſe they conſcionably keep it againſt a perfidious Armies mind, who have highly violated it in every particular branch. But to requite their kindneſs, thoſe honeſt Covenanters wil inforce them and make it good at their utmoſt perils before all the world: That thoſe who wilfully and treacherouſly break this League and Covenant, are Traytors; not thoſe who zealouſly and conſtantly continue therein: and if their decryed Petition and engagement be Treaſon; the Armies ſeditious, mutinous Petitions, Declarations, Demands and Letters, and ſeiſing and detaining of the King from the Parliament againſt their Votes and Covenant, is much more Treaſon: And therefore this ſtrange ſubitane Declaration of their Friends and Party ſerves only for this good uſe, implicitely and by way of neceſſary ſequel; to proclaim the Generals, Officers, Agitators and Armies Declarations, Proceedings and Demands High Treaſon at the leaſt; ſeeing they reſolve and declare (by what Law is queſtionable) the very ſigning of this new harmleſs ingagement, (warranted by the Solemn League and Covenant) to be ſuch; which they had neither juſtice nor courage to do before in direct and poſitive terms, as they ought and ſhould have done: which Declaration is as juſtly revocable no doubt as that, and may be more reaſonably excepted againſt, then that againſt the Armies See Lilburns Letters to Cromwel, and the Armyes Solemne Engagement.ſeditious Petition, & Engagement, the* ſeminary and ground-work of all their undutiful and treaſonable proceedings ſince, againſt the King, Parliament, and poor dying Ireland.
6. What Reaſon or juſtice is there, that Sir Thomas Fairfax, Cromwels, Cornet Joyce, the Agitators and Armies confederacy Of Iune 8. 14. 20▪ 23.and * ſolemn Engagements to ſeize the Kings perſon; march up to London to enforce the Houſes, impeach and demand XI. eminent Members at once, without juſt cauſe; ſubvert the Rights and freedom of Parliaments; propoſe very high and unreaſonable demands, to which they muſt receive a preſent anſwer, or elſe be enforced to take extraordinary courſes; draw all other forces in the Kingdom, and thoſe deſigned for Ireland to combine with them againſt the Parliament; their ſeizing of General Poyntz, and ſending him to the Army to be tryed by a Councel of War for his life, only for diſſwading his Officers to joyn with the Agitators and Armie in theſe Treaſons; ſhould never be declared nor proclaimed Treaſon by the Houſes all this while; and yet the poor faithful Citizens (to whom the Houſes owe their lives and preſervation more then to the Army) be ſodainly declared Traytors by them, only for reingageing themſelves according to their Covenant, to defend the King, Parliament, and City, againſt theſe revolters, and to endeavour a ſafe & ſpeedy Peace; which the world wil beleive the Army and their freinds in the Houſes never cordialy intended, but pretended, only to delude the people; becauſe they declare the Citizens deſire and engagement Yea high treaſon, puniſhable with the forfaiture of life and eſtate, ſo are the words of the Declaration.to effect it, to be no leſs then * Treaſon, and a very dangerous deſign, diſcovered to the Speaker, in a Letter by Col. Harvey, with the names of the chief Conſpirators, from his Biſhoprick of Fulham, the purchaſe whereof, and ſomething elſe hath made him lately Independentiſh: And why was H. M. that Chaſt and Saint-like Independent, (who hath ſo much honeſty as never in two years ſpace, after divers ſummons, to give an Account of the States money he received, and ſo much piety, as to plead for that moſt damnable Heretick and Blaſphemour, Beſt and his Books) imployed to draw up this Declaration againſt the Citizens Petition and Engagement; who pleaded ſo violently for the revocation of the Declaration againſt the Armies Petition, as an high Breach of the Subiects Priviledg… and Birthright, fit to be revoked? Surely it ſeems it is either becauſe ſome Independent Grandees of the Houſes were privy and conſenting to all theſe Trayterous Actions and Proceedings of the Army and ſo would not declare againſt them▪ for fear of proclaiming themſelves Traytors, as wel as Joyce and the Army; or becauſe the times are now ſo metamorphoſed, and the Independent party become ſo ſtrong by the Impeachment and d…iving away of the Presbyterian Members; that High Treaſon in an Independent and Sectary, is become a commendable vertue, at leaſt an irreprehenſible offence, and a Presbyterians meer performance of his Solemn League and Covenant (which this Declaration, it ſeems, would utterly repeal) become no leſs then Treaſon; ſo much are Preſbyterians down the wind, and ſuch is the Independents and Sectaries brotherly affection and Liberty of conſcience towards them, even for doing their conſcience. What may they expect from them hereafter, who are ſo injurious and harſh towards them already? The Independent and Sectarian party now are grown ſo confident, that they think the whole Kingdom and both Houſes theirs, and the Presbyterians quite defunct: And thereupon have newly publiſhed a Libel with this Title: The laſt Wil and Teſtament of Sir John Preſbyter; who dyed of a new diſeaſe, called, The Particular Charge of the ARMY, &c. With his Life, DEATH and BƲRIAL; alſo his Epitaph: (diſcovering their mortal hatred to Preſbyterians, and the Armies deſign to kill and bury them,) which they preſume already done by the Armies Charge: But, Gentlemen, be not over haſty: Sir John Preſbyter, though he hath ſilently ſlept a while, is now awaked; and neither dead nor buried, but alive, and alive will be, when King John of Leyden, the Anabaptiſt, and Saint Ignatius Loyola, the Jeſuited Independent may be ſtrangled at Tyburn, or loſe their Pates on Towerhil for their ſacred Treacheries; the whole ſeries and Hiſtory whereof, with the names, places of meeting, Debates, Letters and Reſolutions of the chief Heads of the Faction from time to time, and thoſe who have Treacherouſly revolted to them for baſe private ends, he wil ſpeedily publiſh to the world to their eternal Infamy, to ſhew he is ſtill alive and unburied, and privy to their deepeſt ſecrets; which he wil not only charge but make good againſt them, in a more honorable and Parliamentary manner, then the ARMY did, or can make good their Charge againſt the MEMBERS they impeached; who dare trie their Innocency by Battle in the open feild (ſo many to ſo many and one to Boote) againſt the Gallant General and Lievt. General, and any 9. or ten Officers of the Army more, that are Gentlemen born, to end the Controverſy and Wars without more expence of blood, as wel as anſwer them at the Commons Bar; and wil prove themſelves more faithful to the ſtate, then any of their greateſt Accuſers, if both ſides may come to a free and fair Tryal. In the mean time he wil pray; that the Armies, Sectaries, and Independents private ends, and ſelf-ſeeking Deſigns; may never be able to obſtruct the ſpeedy ſettlement of our Publick Peace in England, or releif of deſperate Ireland, now gaſping out it's laſt breath; whoſe loſs and blood muſt onelyonly reſt on their ſcore. Whom their great Friend and Patron John Lilburn in his new-printed Epiſtles to Cromwel thus paints out in their Saint-like colours; p. 9, 10. You have robb'd by your unjuſt ſubtilty and ſhifting tricks the honeſt and gallant Agitators of a…l their power and authority, and ſolely placed it in a thing called a Councel of War or rather a Cabinet Juncto of 7 or 8 proud ſelf-end d fellows, that ſo you may without controul make up your own ends: The chiefeſt of them are as baſe as baſe may be; and wil ſel Chriſt, their Country, Friends, Relations, and a good Conſcience for a little money or worldly riches. And are ſuch Saints to be truſted by Parliament or King?
In fine, if Parliament Members out of by-ends, or fear of, or compliance with any particular Party whatſoever, wil paſs any unjuſt, diſhonorable or inconſiderate Votes or Ordinances; it is a juſt judgment of God upon them, that they ſhould be enforced and induced publiquely to retract them with ſhame and diſhonor, even by the meaneſt of the people: whoſe late tumultuous proce… dings, though no ways juſtifiable or excuſable, but deſerving exemplary Cenſure, and carefully to be prevented, ſuppreſſed on all hands by the Militia and other Officers appointed for that purpoſe, for the future: yet they muſt be looked upon by all wiſe conſcientious people, as fruits of the Armies pernicious diſobedience and exorbitancies, and permitted, ordered by Gods providence to puniſh & correct, if not reform, the obliquity and iniquity of ſuch timerous▪ ſelf-ſeeking, or time-ſerving warping Members, who out of fear, ſelf-intereſts, or to pleaſe a prevailing party or Army, care not what they paſs or Vote, to the Parliaments diſhonor, and the publick prejudice, or hurt of thoſe who ſide not with them; the late ſad effects and dangerous conſequences whereof, may (through Gods bleſſing) convince them of their former Errors in this kind, and engage them to vote and act with more ſyncerity and publique generous ſpirits for the future; aiming only at the Common good, Peace and ſpeedy ſettlement of our diſtracted and almoſt ruin'd Kingdoms.