Survey of the Annals of King Charles, Part 1 – Part 3
A SUMMARIE, OR SHORT SURVEY OF THE Annalls and moſt Remarkable Records of King CHARLES His Reigne, from the firſt YEARE thereof to this preſent, 1646.
VVherein wee may Plainly ſee how the Popiſh, Jeſuiticall and Prelaticall Malignant Party have indevoured the Ruine of this Church and Kingdom, but was by Gods mercy moſt miraculouſly prevented.
CAROLVS D: G: Magnae Britt: Fra: et Hiber: Rex Fidei Defenſor
Sol Orbem rediens, Sic Rex Illuminat Ʋrbem.
Returne in Peace Great CHARLES, redreſs our Woes:
For-ſake, at length thyne, and the Kingdomes Foes.
Thy Gratious Preſence will more comfort bring,
Then Phoebus ſplendor to a backward Spring.
1 Parliament.
1 IN the firſt year of King Charles his Reign, a Parliament being called at Oxford (the very firſt in his Reign) two ſubſidies were, firſt granted, no grievances removed, but the ſaid Parliament ſoon diſſolved.
2. The ſad effects which this Parliament produced, were the loſſe of Rochell, by the unhappy help of Englands Ships.
3. The diverſion of a moſt facile and hopefull warre from the Weſt-Indies, to a moſt expenſive and ſucceſſeleſſe attempt on Cales.
4. The bloody and unbleſſed attempt on the peace concluded with Spain, without conſent of a Parliament, contrary to a promiſe formerly made to the Kingdome by King James, a little before his death; whereby the Cauſe of the Palatinate was altogether moſt ſhamefully deſerted by us.
6. The Kingdom ſuddenly billetted with Souldiers, and a concomitant project ſet on foot for Germane Horſes to enforce men, by fear, to fall before arbitrary and tyrannicall taxations, continually to be laid upon them.
2. Parliament.
7. The diſſolution of a ſecond Parliament at Weſtminſter, in the ſecond year of King Charles, after a declarative grant of no leſſe than five Subſidies, and the ſad and bad iſſues that followed, yea, flowed on the Kingdome thereupon.
8. As firſt, the violent exacting from the people of that mighty ſumme of the five Subſidies, or a ſumme, equall to it by a Commiſſion for a Royall-Loan, as it was called.
9. Many worthy Gentlemen impriſoned and vexed, that refuſed to pay it.
10. Great ſummes of money extorted from Subjects by Privy Seals and Exciſes.
11. The moſt hopefull Petition of Right, blaſted in the very bloſſome of it.
3 Parliament.
12. A third Parliament called, and quickly broken in the fourteenth year of the King, and therein Parliamentary priviledges extreamly violated by after illuſage of ſome of the beſt and worthieſt Members thereof, who were clapt up cloſe priſoners, denied all ordinary and extraordinary comforts of life, and preſervation of health, which might have proved perpetuall to them, had not a fourth Parliament (which afterward happened) neceſſitated their relief and releaſe.
13. And this third Parliament thus diſſolved, O the moſt miſerable effects that followed thereon alſo.
14. Scandalous and opprobrious Declarations publiſhed to aſperſe and beſmear the proceedings of this laſt Parliament, and ſome of the beſt Members thereof; yea, Proclamations ſet out to thoſe effects, thereby extremely to diſ-hearten the Subjects, yea, and plainly forbidding them once to name a Parliament, or to deſire them any more.
15. Whence, immediately guſhed out (this damme of Parliaments thus being broken down) the violent inundations (even to a deluge of miſeries) of mighty ſummes of money, got by that ſtrange and ſtraining project of Knight-hood; yet, … a faire colour and … of Law for it, and for all the reſt that followed.
16. As, the moſt burthen…o… Book of Rates; the moſt h…avy and unheard of (till …en) taxation of Ship-money; the enlargement of … contrary to Magnae Charta; the injurious exaction of Coat and Conduct … away of the Train'd-Bands Armes; the … into their hands, and keeping it firſt from the … to be had thence, but at moſt exceſſive rates.
17. The deſtruction of the Forreſt of Dean, that moſt famous Magazine, and Timber-ſtore-houſe of the whole Kingdome, which was ſold to Papiſts.
18. The monſtrous Monopolies of Sope, Salt, Wine, Leather, and Seacoal; yea almoſt of all things in the Kingdome of moſt neceſſary and common uſe.
19. Reſtraint of Subjects Liberties in their Trades and Habitations; for refuſall of which foreſaid heavy preſſures, O what great numbers of the Kings moſt loyall Subjects, were vext with long and languiſhing ſuites, ſome fined and confined to priſons, to the loſſe of health in many, of life in ſome; Some having their houſes broke open, their goods ſeized on, their ſtudies or cloſets ſearched for writings, books and papers to undoe them; Some interrupted alſo in their Sea-Voyages, and their ſhips taken from them, in an hoſtile manner, by Projectors, as by Pirates, or common Enemies.
20. And, O the cruſhing cruelties of the Star-Chamber-Court, and Councill Table, in thoſe dayes, chiefly, for the fomenting and increaſing of thoſe and ſuch-like moſt exorbitant, and extravagant taxations, preſſures, and unjuſt ſuites againſt the Subject.
21. Theſe, thus farre for the miſeries of the Common-wealth; now alſo for the Churches danger, and diſtreſſe. O the wonderfull and amazing miſeries of the Subjects Conſciences alſo! by King Charles his conniving at, countenancing and encouraging the intolerable burthen of Popiſh Ceremonies, Romiſh Innovations, and ſuch like other outrages of the Arch-Prelate of Canterbury, and his Prelaticall Agents and inſtruments, over the whole Kingdome, in matters of religion, Divine worſhip, and ſpirituall caſes of Conſcience.
22. The moſt palpable and abominable Romiſh Ceremonies uſed at the Kings Coronation, and inſolent and impious, falſe and deſtructive additions in the Oath adminiſtred to the King, at his ſaid firſt Inauguration to the Crown, by that moſt arrogant Arch-Biſhop.
23. And the manifold other impious impoſitions in matters of religion, divine worſhip, and ſpirituall caſes of Conſcience; for refuſing and oppoſing of which, O how was the honeſt-hearted and tender-conſcienced ſubject, grievouſly oppreſſed by fines, impriſonments, ſtigmatizings, mutilations, whippings, pillories, gagges, confinements and baniſhments; yea, and that, into perpetuall cloſe impriſonments in the moſt deſolate, remote, and (as they hoped and intended) remorſleſſe parts of the Kingdome.
24. The putting down, yea, utterly ruinating of that moſt famous and honourable work, that ever this Kingdom ſaw, in a private way, for the advancement of Gods glory in the propagation of the Goſpel, I mean, the Feoffees for buying in of Impropriations; Noy, the (then) Atturney-Generall, openly in Court, accuſing that bleſſed work to be a worſe plot againſt the Church (he meant the Prelaticall Church ſure,) than the Papiſts Powder plot.
25. The advancing (for the moſt part) none, to Eccleſiaſticall Dignities and Livings, but Arminians; yea, Popiſh-hearted Pontificians; Suſpending and ſilencing with deprivations, degradations, and excommunications, almoſt all the moſt pious, painfull and Orthodox learned Paſtours over the kingdom, whom they could catch in their ſnares, and all this under a pretence of peace, unity and conformity; in which foreſaid caſes, the High-Commiſſion (like the Spaniſh- Inquiſition) with its moſt pragmaticall pranks, was, all along, moſt intolerable and abominable.
26. Printing-Preſſes, ſet open for the printing and publiſhing of all ſorts of Popiſh and Arminian tenets; but, ſhut up and reſtrained from Printing, ſound and Orthodox Doctrines.
27. Nay, not onelyonly thus lamentably moleſting us at home in England; but attempting the like on our Brethren of Scotland, indevouring to impoſe upon their conſciences alſo, a New Liturgye, and a book of Canons, upon the firſt introducing whereof into their Church, they not induring them, threw ſtones and ſtooles at the Arch-Biſhop of St Andrews head, and beat him out of the Church, crying out, a Pape, a Pape, and ſo rid themſelves of them.
28. Upon which refuſall of theirs, O what foule calumnies and ſcoffes were immediately caſt upon them, and they called and counted rebels and Traytors; yea, ſo proclaimed in all Churches in England.
29. An Army was alſo raiſed to oppreſſe and ſuppreſſe them, for thus reſiſting thoſe the Kings and the Arch-prelates moſt injurious impoſitions on them.
30. Our Brethren of Scotland likewiſe raiſing an Army in their own juſt defence, and by force of armes, inforcing their own peace.
31. A firſt pacification being then made by the King, and ſome of his Nobility, and ratified under hand and Seal twixt them and the Scots; yet was it ſhortly after ſhamefully violated, and broken quite off by the Arch-prelate of Canterbury, and the Earle of Straford.