A REMONSTRANCE TO THE KINGDOM, OR AN Appeal to Conscience, As thou wilt answer it at the dreadful day of Judgement: Whether it be lawful to take up Arms? etc.  
Written by J. H. Soldier.  
Read, and Judge.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Watson. 1643.   

AN Appeal to thy Conscience, As thou wilt answer it at the day of judgement, Whether it be not lawful for a Nation to take up Arms, in the defence of Religion Law, and the Office of a King, etc.  
IT is the common discourse, among those that make seeming Loyalty to his Majesty, their pretence of Malignancy to the Parliament, that it is unlawful for a Subject to take up Arms against his Prince, or a Parliament, (as they generally allege) to raise an Army against a King, though never so wicked in his Life: nor never so tyrannical in his Government.  
Under which pretence, they would manifest to his Majesty and to the world, that it is their mere loyalty to his Majesty that doth thus predominate in them, and not any sinister end to themselves, when on the contrary, I will instantly manifest unto you, by an undeniable argument, that it is merely a covetous desire to secure them selves from that charge, which the common calamity of this Kingdom requires, and not love to the King, nor from any cause that they can really ground a hate or dislike to the Parliament, or their proceed.  
You may be pleased to remember, that not many years ago, there was a 〈◊〉 of Ship-money imposed upon the Kingdom, which tax was pretended and avouched to be warrantable by Law, by some that are very active in this War against the Parliament, and and I am certain it was seconded with the King's Authority, yet than you may remember what General muttering there was against the King and Nobility, one cried out, the laws were abused, another wispered, the King was misled by ☞ then these now strong Royalists, were Anti-Rounheads, than their loyalty was not so great, neither were they so forward as they now profess, (though in my conscience they never intent any such thing) to spend their lives and estates in the defence of his Majesty, no, the very thought of parting with a little money, had banished those thoughts out of their Breasts, than God send us a Parliament, etc. Now compare the time past, with the time present, God has been pleased to send them a Parliament who redressed those grievances of which they so much complained, for which they thought themselves deeply engaged, but now the practices of those persons, before mentioned, being grown to such a dangerous head, that the necessity of the Kingdom enforceth the Parliament to levy money for the raising and maintaining of Forces, to bring those to condign punishment, that were the authors of those so much lamented distractions both in Church and State, now they slip their necks out of the Collar, nay think they if they raise war, we must part with money, and therefore we will stand for peace, they could have else no pretence for their malignity, those men that they formerly so much complained of, are honest men, and good Protestants, and the Parliament is now the only obstacle, is not this apparent, canst thou whatsoever thou art clear thyself, where was thy Loyaty to thy King then, why didst thou not apply the lesson to thyself then, which now thou appliest to others, (Give Caesar his due) it is easily proved that he had as much right to that as to many things, which thou at this time pretendest to be due to him.  
To begin with thy main pretence, with which thou wouldst deceive the world, and dost deceive thy own Soul.  
Thou pretendest that it is not lawful for a Nation to take up Arms against a King misled, in the maintenance of Religion, Law, the Office of a King, and safety of the Kingdom, when the Religion, Laws, and Office of a King are abused, and brought to apparent ruin.  
Object. But you will object that you se none of these things in danger, which are pretended.  
Solution. It is not unknown to those that will not declare themselves ignorant or wilful, that there were several Innovations crept into our worship, and doctrine, nay they were enforced, and imposed, by those soul killing Prelates, whose Idolatrous crimes, being neither punished, nor repent of, hath caused God to throw among us these Babel's confusions, this diversity of tongues, and diversity of opinions, each opposing other in the maintenance of that Religion which their Sophistry hath spoiled, and in so doing hath destroyed the whole Kingdom, and if the purging the Church of these innovations, and setting up a true worship, with the endeavouring to bring those to a legal trial, that were guilty of the said misdemeanours, to the end that they may receive the reward of their labour, be not agreeable to the laws of God and the Kingdom, may easily be discerned.  
The like argument may serve concerning the abuse of the laws, but I shall forbear to mention the particulars thereof, only I will appeal to thy own conscience whether the laws were not abused, & leave it to the to consider by whom & whose authority.  
As touching the King's Office, or the Office of the King, I shall insist upon that, as the main thing which concerns this discourse, and upon which this difference is grounded.  
The Kings of England at their Coronation, swear solemnly to maintain the Laws of the Land, and to govern the Land according to the Laws and Govenment thereof, so that it rests not in the King's power to alter the government of the Kingdom, and to bring in a new, for he must maintain the ancient established Laws of the Kingdom, and must govern by them, for the Laws of the Kingdom, are the protection of the Subject, by which it is apparent, that it is the Office of a King, (to which he stands engaged by his Oath taken at his Coronation) to preserve the Laws, and to govern by the Laws, in which consists the health and wealth, ipeace and security both of his Majesty, his royal off spring, and the whole Kingdom.  
Now if the King be wrought upon by evil Council, so that he is drawn personally to make breach of the Laws, which by his Office and Oath he is bound to preserve, without all question there is a dirivative power from the first Principle of Law, from which the People may claim a lawful authority to use the most effectual means to preserve themselves with the Office of the King, and Laws of the Kingdom, from the violence of the King so sedued and misled, for the Kingdom's safety is the supreme Law.  
Now that the King was misled we may suspect, otherwise how came so many Projects to be granted under the great Seal, which Projects granted by his Majesty were great breaches of the Law, and great oppressions to the Subject, and contrary to the Office of a King, which is to preserve the Subject from oppression, and to maintain the Laws in full force and virtue.  
And the King and Kingdom being thus abused by evil Councillors, to whom could we the oppressed Subject appeal, if we did attempt to petition his Majesty, we should meet with so many bribe taking Courtiers, between the Porter's Lodge and the Presence, that either we wanted money to purchase preferrers, or else through the multiplicity of hands, our Petition was presented to God knows who, and we had an answer God knows when, so that despairing of redress, we were forced to return home to repent, or at least to lament the abuse of Justice. If we petitioned the Judges, (especially the major part of them) they must have a Bribe too, and at last, after four or five Term's attendance, we should have answer returned (contrary to all reason) that the Laws were so, and we must suffer. Thus at all hands the Laws were abused, and most were officious to conceal the complaint of the Subject, the King must not know the truth, all was Law, all was for the good of the Subject, when their chief Design was, at one blow to destroy the Religion, Law, Office, Authority, and Liberty, both of King, Parliament, and People.  
The King and Kingdom being thus involved, and entangled in these destructive Stratagems, the Laws of the Kingdom having lost their power, and all things being become a Chaos of disorder, what 〈◊〉 shall be used to reduce things to their first Order, for certainly (although the King neglect it) the Kingdom may, and aught to take order for its own safety, why surely a Parliament (in which is represented the whole Body of the Kingdom) must be the safest, and most effectual means, to redress former, and prevent future evils, now this Parliament carries with it a near resemblance to the composition of the Government of this Nation, being compounded of three degrees, the King, the Peers, and Commons, all which should join together in the regulating and reforming those things which were so burdensome to the Commonwealth, but if the King shall neglect to join with his great Counsel, the Lords and Commons of the Kingdom, and shall adhere to those evil Counsellors, which have been the authors of those former evils, for reforming of which the Parliament was called, and shall not only neglect the Office of a King, which is to preserve the laws and People from oppression, but shall join with those persons, which have been such apparent Enemies to himself and the whole Kingdom, in the abetting and maintaining those lawless practices against the Parliament, and so consequently against the whole Kingdom: Now speak thy Conscience, without fear or flattery, as thou wilt answer it at the dreadful day of Judgement, where all secrets shall be known, whether thou thinkest it most warrantable to join with a King so misled, in the maintenance of such a cause, undertaken by Papists and their adherents, Projectors, and their dependants, Delinquents and deboist and despicable persons, or to join with a Parliament, which hath reform all those former practices and abuses, and doth endeavour to prevent the like practices for the Future, and doth daily labour to maintain the laws in force, with the just Authority of the King, to the glory of God, and the good of the whole Kingdom, now judge I say whether it be lawful for the Parliament, which is the representative Body of the Kingdom, and was called together to consult and conclude of those affairs which did conduce most unto the security both of King and Kingdom: Now Judge I say whether it be not lawful for them, in the behalf of the King and his just Authority, the Laws of the Land, and the Kingdom in general, (all which are endangered by this abused authority) to raise an Army to oppose those persons who have thus abused the King, in telling him that was Law which was oppression, have caused him to neglect his Office, and abuse his power, in giving way to have an Army raised against himself, his Parliament and People, to protect them from the censure of the Law, making a way to their own security, through the ruin of his Majesty, and the whole Kingdom, and if (as I conceive, thou must be convinced for Conscience must strike a true alarm) thou findest thy own error, banish that covetous desire out of thy heart, and seem not loyal from the teeth outward, let not thy Purse only, be employed in forwarding this acceptable service, but if thou art of ability, let thy Person second thy Purse, for know it for a truth, in so doing, thou shalt do God, thy King, thy Country, and thy Soul good service, & it shall be imputed to the for good, and not for evil, when Haman shall be hanged, than Mordecay shall be clothed in the King's Garments, and the religious Jews, respected by their gracious Sovereign.  
God save the King and Parliament.