A BRIEF MEMENTO To the present unparliamentary JUNTO Touching their present intentions and Proceedings to Depose and Exeute, CHARLES STEWART, their lawful KING By William Prynne Esquire: a Member of the House of Commons, and PRISONER under the Army's Tyranny; who it seems, have leavyed War against the Houses of Parliament, their quondam Masters; whose Members they now forcibly take and detain Captives, during their lawless Pleasures. Proverb 24. 21, 22. My Son, Fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with those who are given to Change: for their calamity shall RISE SUDDENLY, and who knoweth the ruin of them both? Gal. 1.10. If I yet pleased men, I should not be the Servant of Christ. LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1649. Die Veneris 20. Aug. 1647. An Ordinance for declaring all Votes, Orders, and Ordinances passed in one or both houses, since the force on both Houses, July 26. until the sixth of this present August, 1647. to be nul and void, Whereas there was a visible, horrid, insolent, and actual force upon the Houses of Parliament, on Monday the 26 of July last, where upon the Speakers, and many Members of both Houses of Parliament, were * And yet never a Member forcibly imprisoned or secluded the House as above 200. are now by the Army. forced to absent themselves from the service of the Parliament, and whereas those Members of the House could not return to sit in safety, before Friday the sixth of August. It is therefore declared by the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled that the Ordinance of Monday the said 26 july, for the repealing & making void of the Ordinance of the 23 of the said july for the settling of the Militia of the City of London, being gained by force and violence. And all Votes, Orders, Ordinances, passed in either or both Houses of Parliament, since the said Ordinance of the 26 of july to the said sixth of August, are nul and void, and were so at the making thereof, and are hereby declared so to be, the Parliament being under a force, and not free. Provided always and be it ordained that no person or persons shall be impeached or punished for his or their actions by, or upon, or according to the aforesaid Votes, Orders, or Ordinances, unless he or they shall be found guilty of contriving, acting, or abetting the aforesaid visible and actual force, or being present at, or knowing of the said force, did afterwards act upon the Votes so forced; or were guilty of entering into, or promoting the late Engagement for bringing the King to the City, upon the terms and conditions expressed in his Majesty's Letter of the 12. of May last. john Brown Cler. Parliamentorum. A brief Memento to the present unparliamentary junto, touching their present intentions and proceedings to depose and Execute CHARLES STEWARD their lawful King of ENGLAND, etc. GENTLEMEN. IT is the observation of King Solomon Prov 25.11. That a word spoken in due season, is like Apples of Gold in pictures of silver. And seeing I (and above two hundred Members more) being forcibly secluded from you by the Officers of the Armies unparaleld violence upon our Persons and the House, cannot speak my mind freely to you in, or as the House of Commons, I held it my duty freely to write my thoughts unto you, only as private Persons under the force, consulting in a House, without your Fellow-Members advice or concurrence, about the speedy deposing and executing of KING CHARLES', your lawful Sovereign, to please the General, Officers and Grand Council of the Army (who have unjustly usurped to them the supreme Authority both of King and Parliament) or rather the jesuits and Popish Priests among or near them, by whose Counsels they and you are now wholly swayed, and whose traitorous designs you really execute, in most of your late Votes and Actings. I have only a few words and considerations to impart unto you: Dictum sapienti sat est. First, I shall mind you, that by the * Cook 3 Institut. 1. Stamford's Plea● of the Crown. l. 1. c. 1. ●. Common Law of the Realm, the Statute of 25 E. 3. and all other Acts concerning Treason, it is no less than High Treason, for any Man by overt act, to compass or imagine the deposition or death of the King, or of his eldest Son and Heir, though it be never executed: much more if actually accomplished. That many have been arraigned, condemned, executed for such intended Treasons in former ages; as the Earl of Arundel and others, by judgement in Parliament, 21. R. 2. Plac Coronae. N. 4.6.7. and the Gunpowder Traitors. 3. Jacobi, to omit others, whose Examples should be others admonitions, the Heads and Quarters of some of them yet hanging on the Houses where you now meet and sit. 2dly That, in the Oath of Allegiance which you have all taken, immediately before your admission into the House as Members; You do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare in your consciences, before God and the World, That our Sovereign Lord King Charles, Is lawful and rightful King of this Realm, and of all other his Majesty's Dominions and Countries, And that the Pope neither of himself, nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome, or by any Other means, Nor any other, hath any power or authority to Depose the King, or to dispose of any of his Majesty's Kingdoms or Dominions, or to discharge any of his Subjects of his Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty, or to give leave to any of them, to offer any violence to His Majesty's Person, State or Government. Note And that notwithstanding any sentence or Declaration of Deprivation made by the Pope, etc. or any absolution of the said Subjects from their obedience, you will bear true allegiance, to His Majesty, His heirs and successors, and him and them will defend to the uttermost of your power. Against all attempts and conspiracies whatsoever, which shall be made against his or their Persons, their Crown and dignity, by reason or colour of any such sentence or Declaration, or otherwise: And do thereby further swear, that you do from your hearts abhor, detest, and abjure as impious and Heretical, that damnable doctrine and position, that Princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, may be deposed or murdered by their Subjects, or any other whatsoever. And that you do belive, and in conscience are resolved, that neither the Pope, nor any person whatsoever, hath power to absolve you of this Oath, or any part thereof; and that all these things you did plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according to these express words and their plain and common sense, without any equivocation or mental evasion or secrèt reservation whatsoever, And that you did make this Rècognition & acknowledgement heartily, willingly, & truly, upon thè true faith of a Christian. Now whether your present actings & intentions against the King, be not diametrically repugnant to this solemn Oath (which most of you have taken since these wars; & some of you since the Treaty, when sworn Sejeants at Law, etc.) let God and the world before whom you swore, and your own consciences, in which you then swore, determine your acting herein the Popes and jesuits designs. * Exact Collections p. 6.19.59.66.6.83.102.103.118.123.125.141.142, 143.173.180. 195.219.259.281.307.380.312.360.376.457. etc. 3dly. That yourselves among other Members, have in above one hundred Remonstrances, Declarations, Petitions, Ordinances and printed papers published in the name, and by the authority of one or both Houses of Parliament, professed, both to the King himself, Kingdom, World, and foreign States, that you never intended the least hurt, injury, or violence to the King's Person, Crown, Dignity, or Posterity: but intended to him and his Royal Posterity, more honour happiness Glory and Greatness, than ever was yet enjoyed by any of his Royal Predecessors: That you will ever make good to the uttermost with your lives and fortunes, the faith and allegiance, which in truth and sincerity you have always horn to his Majesty, that you have proposed no other ends to yourselves, but the performance of all duty and loyalty to his Majesty's Person. That all Contributions, and loans upon the public faith should be employed only to maintain the Protestant Religion; the King's authority, his Person, his Royal Dignity, the Laws of the land, Peace of the Kingdom, and privileges of Parliament, and not to be employed against his Majesty's person or authority. That the * A Collection. etc. 18.13 41, 43, 44 49.51 61.64.96.181.182.310.321.424.425.496.599.623.696.806.807.879. Appendix. p. 15. Armies and forces raised by the Houses were raised for the safety and defence of the King's Person, and of both Houses of Parliament, etc. That his Majesty's Personal safety, honour and greatness, are much dearer to you then your own lives, and fortunes, which you do most heartily dedicate, and shall most willingly employ for the maintenance and support thereof. That the Parliament will ever have a care to prevent any danger which his Majesty may justly apprehend to his person. That both Houses are resolved to expose their lives and fortunes, for the defence and maintenance of the true Religion, The King's person, honour and State the power and privileges of Parliament: That notwithstanding his Majesty's proclamations against the General, and Army, as Traitors, yet to witness their constant and unshaken Loyalty to his Majesty both houses do solemny declare; That upon his disbanding his forces, & return & harkening to the advice of his Great Council, They will really endeavour to make both him & his as much beloved at Home, & feared abroad as any Pr. that ever swayed this Sceptre: which is their firm and constant Resolution: from which they will not be diverted for any private or self respects whatsoever: That they will faithfully endeavour to secure his Majesty's Person & Crown, from all dangers: inculcating the apparent danger to his Royal Person among his popish & Malignant's Armies & ill Councelors, & upon that reason, persuading and inviting him to desert them, and close with his Parliament: protesting, that the Parliament hath been, is & ever will be more ready than they, to secure and uphold the authority, Prerogative and Honour of the King, and preserve the safety of his Royal Person, which they have oft times testified by many humble Petitions and Declarations to Him the World and Kingdom: with many other such like expressions. Which whether your present Actings and Counsels do not directly oppose, contradict, and give the lie unto, to your eternal infamy and breach of public faith, as much as in you lies, let both Houses, the world and all men judge; as they will do in due season. 4thly. Consider, That when the * Exact Collection. p. 298.695.696.657.658.991. King and his party did tax the Houses for insinuating, That if they should make the highest precedents of other Parliaments their pattern, there would be no cause to complain of want of modesty or duty in them: That is, they may depose the King when they will, and are not to be blamed for so doing: and that the army raised by the Parliament was to murder and depose the King. Both houses by two solemn Declarations, did most professedly declare and protest against it, as the falsest and most malicious accusation that could be imagined: that the thoughts of it never entered nor should enter into their loyal hearts. That as God is witness of their thoughts, so shall their actions witness to all the world, that to the honour of our Religion; & of those who are most zealous in it, they shall suffer far more for & from their Sovereign than they hoped God would ever permit the malice of his wicked Councillors, to put them to, since the happiness of the Kingdom doth so mainly depend upon hi● Majesty and the Royal Authority of that root. That they hoped the contrivers of these false and scandalous reports, or any that professed the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise such a scandal, especially when they must needs know, the Protestation made by the Members of both houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend and preserve his Majesty's Person, The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both houses upon the Nomination of the Lord of Essex to be General, and to live and die with him, wherein is expressed, That this Army was raised for defence of the King's Person. Their often, earnest and most humble addresses to His Majesty, Which they oft professed both of the Army under the Earl of Essex, & Sir Thom. Fairfax to. Collection of all Orders. etc. 8.13.41.43.44.49.51.61.64.96.99.623.696.879. Appendix. pa. 15. to leave that desperate and dangerous Army wherewith he is now encompassed, raised and upheld to the hazard of his own, and the Kingdom's ruin, and to come in Person to his Parliament, where he should be sure to remain in honour and safety, and their humble petition directed to be presented to him by the hands of the Earl of Essex, before any blow given, to remove his Royal person from the Army: a request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to his person which hath and ever shall be dear unto them. Now put it to your souls and consciences whether yours and the Armies present Counsels and actions, do not really justify the Kings and his parties former suggestions, and give the lie to these Declarations of both Houses? who certainly when ever restored to a condition of freedom and liberty of meeting together again, will crave public reparations and justice against you, if you violate both their Honour, faith, and engagements to the King, Kingdom and foreign States, against these their Declarations and Protestations too. 5thly. Remember, that the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, Octob. 2●. 1642. did in the presence of Almighty God [which is the strongest obligation that any Christian, Exact. Collection p. 663.664 666.687.686.907.911. and the most solemn public faith that any state as a Parliament, can give] for the satisfaction of their own consciences, and discharge of that great trust that lies upon them, make this Protestation and Declaration to all this Kingdom and not on, and to the whole world, That no private passion or respect: No evil intention to his Majesty's person, no design to prejudice his just honour and Authority, engaged them to raise forces or take up Arms. That if he would return to his Parliament in peace, and by their counsels and advice compose the distempers and confusions abounding in his Kingdoms, They would receive him with all Honour, yield him all true obedience, subjection, and faithfully endeavour to defend his Person & Estate from all danger, and to the uttermost of their power, establish him, in all the blessings of a glorious and happy Reign, And that they had no intention or desire to hurt or injure his Majesty either in his Person or just power. Which they seconded by many subsequent Declarations. Since which, both Houses and the three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland have entered into * A Collection, etc. p. 327.359 399.404.416.420.10.428.806.887.818.878.879.889. A solemn League and Covenant, For the Honour and happiness of the King's Majesty, and his posterity [among other ends therein specified;] That they shall sincerely, really and constantly endeavour with their estates and lives, to preserve and defend the King's majesty's person and authority, in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with their consciences of their Loyalty; and that they have no thoughts, nor intention to diminish his majesty's just power and greatness. That they will, with all faithfulness endeavour to discover all evil Instruments and Incendiaries * Those who depose or divide his Head from his shoulders must be most guilty of this dividing. A Collection, etc. p. 420. etc. dividing the King from his people, that they may be brought to public trial: and receive condign punishment. And shall never suffer themselves directly, or indirectly, by whatsoever combination, persuasion or terror, to be withdrawn from this blessed union, etc. which so much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the Kingdoms, and the honour of the King, but shall all the days of their lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition. And conclude. This Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts, with a true intention to observe the same, as we shall answer at the great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. This Covenant you have all taken yourselves, (some of you often) and * imposed it on all three Kingdoms: And will it not stare in your faces your consciences, and engage God himself, and all three Kingdoms, as one man against you, if you should proceed to depose the King, destroy his person, or disinherit his posterity? yea, bring certain ruin upon you and yours as the greatest * 2 Tim. 3.3, 4. Covenant-breakers, and most perjured Creatures under Heaven. O think, and think most seriously upon it before you proceed to further perjuries. * Rot. Pet. An. 24. E. 3 m. 2. in. dors. Rot. Pat. n. 25. E. 3. par. 1. m. 17. Cooks. 3. Instit. p 141.223. In 24. E 3. William Thrope, chief justice of the King's Bench, for taking 80 l. bribes of several persons, was by special Commission, indicted, convicted and condemned to be hanged, and to forfeit all his Lands, Tenements Goods and chattels to the King: because thereby Sacramentum Domini Regis quod ergo populum habuit custodiendum fregit, maliciose, falso & rebelliter, quantum in ipse fuit: which Judgement was affirmed to be just and reasonable in full Parliament, where it was openly read by the King's command, as is evident by 25. E, 3. Rot. Parl. nul. 10. If then this chief Justice for breaking his Oath to the King and his people, as a judge, only in taking two or three small bribes, deserved to be hanged, and to forfeit all his Lands, Goods and Life, by the judgement of full Parliament, then what will such Members deserve to suffer, who shall violate, not only their Oaths of Allegiance and Supreamicy to the King and his heirs, but likewise the several Protestations, solemn League & Covenant, and the multiplied public faith, engagements, declarations, Remonstrances, & promises of both houses of Parliament, made to God, the King, the whole Kingdoms & people of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the States of the united Provinces, and all the world; an that maliciously, falsely, and Rebelliously, as much as in them lies, and their own private Faith, Oaths, Vows, and Covenants involved in them, in deposing and executing the King, disinheriting the Prince▪ violating the privileges, usurping the power of the parliament to themselves, when most of the other Members are violently secluded by the army, to the subversion of the freedom & liberties of all Parliaments? this being one article against King Rich. the 2d. in 1. H 4. Rot. Parl. 25 66, 70. when he was deposed. That in the Parliament held at Salop, intended to oppress his people, he did subtly procure and cause to be granted, by consent of all the States in the kingdom (which you have not) that the power of the Parliament should remain with certain persons (persons Lords and Commons) to determine certain Petitions then delivered, but not dispatched, after the Parl. ended; 21. R. 2. c 16. by colour whereof? the said deputed persons proceeded by the King's pleasure and will, to other things generally concerning the said Parliament, to the great derogation of the State and privileges of the Parliament, and the great inconveniences & pernicious example of the whole Realm, and to gain some colour and authority to their doings, the King caused the Parliament Rolls to be altered and deleated according to his Vote, contrary to the effect of the foresaid Confession; as you have presumed to nul repeal, and unvote divers Votes, Orders and Ordinances of both Houses made in pursuance of the foresaid oaths, protestations, the solemn League & Covenant, Remonstrances, Declarations of both houses & the treaty, when the houses were full, & not under the Army's force or violence: And if their proceedings & the whole Parliament of 21. R, were declared * L. 1. H. 4 c. 3. null and void, and the King worthy to be deposed, for such proceedings then; let Sergeant Thorp, and other Lawyers now acting with you, consider and inform you what punishment you deserve for such breach of faith, privilege of Parliament, & usurpation of a monopoly of parliamentary power to yourselves now, whiles under the Army's force, and most Members forced thence: in which case you ought not to sit, vote, or conclude any thing, but only to * As the House did in the case of the five Members, Exact. collection, p. 35.10.36. adjourn till the force removed & all Members may freely meet in full Parl. as is clear by that memorable Record of 6 E. 3. Par. apud Ebor, n. 1.2. Dor. claus 6. E. 3. m. 4.6. E. 3. apud West. parl.. 2. n. 1.13.3. parl. 2. n. 4.15. E. n 5.17. E. 3. n 2.6.18. E. 3. n. 1.2.5 2●. E 3. n. 5.21. E. 3. n. 4.22. E 3. n. 1.25 E. 3. n. 1.29. E. 3. n. 4.36. E. 3. n. 1.37. E. 3. n. 1.42. E. 3. n. 1.50. E 3. n. 1.51. E. 3. n. 3.1. R. 2. n. 1.3. R. 2. n. 1.4. R: 2 n 1. R. 2. n. 1, 4. R. 2. n. 1.5. R 2. parl. 1. n. 1. parl 2 n 1.6. R. 2 parl 1. n. 1. parl. 2. n. 18. H. 4. n. 28.30.54. 9 H. 4. n. 1.13. H. 4; n. 1. and many more rolls: where the Par. when any considerable number of the Members of either house were absent, was constantly adjourned, & refused to sit or do any thing, [though not under any force] till the houses were full, much more than when under the Army's sword: it being against Magna, Charta, as the * Matthew Paris. p. 882.885.818. Dan. p. 172. Barons declared in Parl, Anno Dom. 1257: in the reign of K. H. the third for a few Members to sit when the rest are absent. 6thly, Consider, that though many of the Kings of judah and Israel were extraordinary sinful and Idelatrous bloody and tyrannical great oppressors of their people; yea shedders of Priests; of Prophets, and other good men's innocent blood, not only in the wars but in peace: yet there is not one precedent in the old Testament of any one King ever juditially impeached, arraigned, deposed, or put to death by the Congregation, Shanhedrin, or Parliaments of judah or Israel. That those who slew any of them in a tumultuous or treacherous manner, were for the most part slain themselves, either in a tumult, or * 2 Kings. 14.6. c. 15.30. c. 21.10.14.25.24. else put to death by their Children who succeeded to the Crown, or people of the Land: & that the Israelites after their revolt from Rehoboham: had never any one good King, or good day almost among them: but were overrun with Idolatry, profaneness, tyranny: invaded by enemies, involved in perpetual Wars, Civil or Foreign; and at last all destroyed and carried away Captives into Babylon: as the Books of Kings and Chronicles will inform you: That the rule in the Old Testament is, not to take any wicked Kings from their Thrones and behead them: Prov. 25.5 but * Rom. 13 1.2. etc. Tit. 3.1.2. 1 Pet. 3.13 14, 17.1. Tim. 2.1.2.3, Take away the wicked from before the King, and his Throne shall be established in righteousness. And the rule in the New Testament, To be subject to Kings and the Higher Powers, and to submit unto them even for Conscience and the Lords sake: and to make Prayers, Supplications, and Intercessions for them, that under them we may lead a peaceable and quiet life, in all Godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour: not to depose or shed their blood, for which there is no precept. And is not this plain way of God the safest for you and the Army to follow, yea the only short cut to Peace and settlement? Ruminate upon it, and then be wise, both for your souls good, and the Kingdoms too: 7thly. Consider that you now meet, and sit under the armed force and violence of a mutinous Army, who have leavyed War against the houses to dissolve them, imprisoned many of your Members forcibly secluded more, and driven away almost all from the Houses, That till the removal of this horrid force, & reassembling of all your scattered Members with freedom and safety in the Houses all you Vote: Act, Order or Ordain, by the Armies own Doctrine in their Remonstrance of August 18 and the Declaration and Ordinance of both Houses (made at the Army's instance) August 20 1647. is nul and void, even at and from the time it was voted, acted, ordered, ordained, and so declared by yourselves even by this unrepealed Ordinance and by former Parliaments to, as 21. R. 2. c 12.1. H, 4 c, 3.31. H 6 c 1 39 H 6, c 1. And however you may take upon you the name and power of the Houses of Parliament, and unvote, vote order and ordain what you please: yet take it for an infallible Truth, that none of the * See their protestation. Dec. 11. 1648. secluded and absent Members, none of the Counties, Cities and Burroughs, for which they serve; not those for whom you serve and represent: nor yet the Kingdoms of England, Sco●land and Ireland (who have as great or greater shares and interest in the person of the King, as their lawful Sovereign, and are engaged by Oaths, Covenant, and all the forecited premises to protect his person and Crown with their lives and estates against all violence & danger) with Queen, Children and Allies in foreign parts of what Religion soever, will never own you (in your present condition and constitution) to be a Parliament, but rather a Conventicle or juncto nor any thing you vote, order, or ordain to be * See A Collection etc. p. 9.3.2.21.2.22 2.25.2.53. vailed. And therefore what ever you vote, Order, or Ordain concerning the Treaty, the deposing or executing the King, the Disinheriting or Banishing the Prince, dissolving the present Parliament, setting up a new confused Representative, or new form of State Government, only to please the Officers and Army, or rather those Jesuits and popish Priests, who have overreached, & instigated them forcibly to prosecute these their treasonable designs, and accomplish this their long expected desire & work; you must do only as private men, not as a Parliament: and if so, what lesser offence then High Treason, against the King, Parliament and kingdom, your present actings and proceedings will prove in the conclusion, if you persevere and persist in them, I leave to a free Parliament, the learned Judges, and all Lawyers now sitting and voting among you, to consider and resolve. Which the Officers and Council of the Army considering, would cast the Odium, and danger of all upon you, the better to exempt and acquit themselves if after reckonings should come, as probably they may, and certainly will in Gods due time, if you and they repent not, give over, and crave pardon ere it be over late. 8ly Remember, That no protestant Kingdom or State, ever yet defiled their hands, or stained the purity and honour of their Reformed Religion, with the deposition, or blood of any of their Kings or Princes, much less of a protestant King o● Prince, of a temperate and sober life, as the King is, who never immediately imbrued his own hands in any one man's blood, in any tyrannical or bloody way before or since the wars; (for aught I can hear) but only in a Military, And for a Reforming protestant Parl. pretending the most of any to piety & religion, to slain their profession or honour by the deposition, or defile their hands with the blood of a protestant King, or for an army of Saints to do it, or they to please a Saint-seeming Army, and that against so many forementioned oaths, protestations, declarations, Remonstrances, Solemn League; and covenants one after another to the contrary, would be such an unparall'd scandal to the protestant Religion & all professors of it (who have upbraided the jesuits and papists with this perfidious & treasonable practice, of which they have been deeply guilty, & themselves innocent) both in our own 3 kingdoms and the whole Christian world, as would give the greatest occasion, advantage, and encouragement to the Jesuits, papists, and all licentious persons to join their hands heads, purses to suppress and extirpate it, and all the professors of it, both at home and abroad, that ever yet they had, and make Parliaments for ever hereafter execrable and detestable, both to Kings and people. 9ly, Consider that Scotland & Ireland are joint tenants at least wise tenants in Common with us in the King, as their lawful Sovereign and King, as well as ours; and that the Scots delivered and left his person to our Commissioners at Newcastle, upon this express condition: That no violence should be offered to his Person, etc. according to the Covenant. How then you can un-king or depose him as to them, or take away his life upon pretext of justice, without their concurrent assents, is worthy your saddest thoughts. If you do it without ask or receiving their consents, you engage both Kingdoms to make a just War against you, to proclaim and to Crown the Prince of Wales their King (though you should lay him aside) as being next heir apparent. And no Ordinance you can now make, will be any legal bar against him, to the Crown of Eng. where he will find ten thousand persons for one, who will join with Scotland and Ireland to set him upon his Father's Throne, as king of England, and avenge his blood, upon all who shall be aiding or assisting to its spillings or his dethroning. And what then will become of you and your army, when thus deserted by most, * Walsingham. Hist. Aug. p. 107.108.109. Polichron. 1. c. 44. Se. Speed Holinshed. Grafton. in Ed. 2. & Rich. 2. Henry the 4th. opposed by all 3 kingdoms▪ & all the Kings, Queens, & Prince's Allies, united forces; where will you, where will your St. Cromwell, St. Ireton St. Pride, Saint Peter, (that fast and loose carnal prophet and Arch Jesuited Incendiary in these present tumults (with other Grand Saints of the Army, [who now force you, the General, Army and whole kingdom, upon such dangerous counsels as these, by the Jesuits principles and practices] then appear, to save either themselves, or you, or your posterities from exemplary justice without mercy, or hopes of pardon? Consider this then seriously, if not as Christians, yet as Politicians and self ended men, and then repent and be wise in time. Tenthly, Remember, that you have neither Law nor direct precedent for what you are going about: * 1. H. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 1. to 60. where the whole proceedings are at large related. Edward the 2d. and Richard the 2d. were forced by Mortimer, and Henry the 4th to resign their Crowns in a formal manner, the one to his Son, the other to his conquering successor neither of them to the parliament, & then deposed by a subsequent sentence in Parliament, as unfit to reign without any formal legal trial, or answer: and that not in an empty Parliament under a force, as now, when most Members were forced away and secluded, but in a full Parliament, wherein the articles drawn up against them were never so much as read; and their depositions made [upon their own voluntary concessions only] to confirm, their precedent Resignations. Besides, neither of these Kings though very bad and Papists, were ever condemned to lose their heads or lives, but were to be well and honourably Treated. And those proceedings were only by Popish parliaments in time of ignorance, who had no such Oaths, Vows, Covenants, Protestations and other forementioned considerations to tie their hands as you and we all have now, Yea this very Parl. hath solemnly & particularly protected, * Exact, Col, p 695 699. that they did never suffer these Precedents to enter into their thoughts, and they should never be their practice what ever they suffered from the King or hi●, and that for the honour of our Religion, and the most zealous in it, But that which is very observable, Roger Mortimer, the principle actor in deposing King Edward the 2. & Crowning his Son Edward the 3. King in his stead, [as you must now Crown the Prince of Wales, in his Father's stead, if you depose the King, else you pursue not this precedent as you should do] in the Parliament of [E. 3. In which I find no record concerning this deposal] was in * 4. E 3. rot, par, n. 1. to 7. a full Parliament within four years after, with some other of his Confederates * 4. E 3. n, 16. impeached, condemned, and executed as a Traitor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom, by the judgement of the Lords, and that by King Edward the third his own assent, without any legal hearing or trial, (just as he had there deposed this King without it) for murdering King Edward in Berkeley Castle after his deposal: and Sir Thomas de Berkeley, in whose Castle he was slain, being indicted of Treason likewise for the same murder before the Lords in Parliament, pleaded not guilty thereunto, & was tried at the Lords Bar in a legal manner, by a jury of 12 Knights there sworn and impanelled, and by them acquitted upon full evidence and trial? 4 E 3. n, 35. when as Sir Simon de Bereford was impeached, condemned and executed by a judgement given against him by the Lords alone, without any trial, for murdering this deposed King, and Thomas de Gourney & William Ocle, adjudged Traitors by them for the same offence without any evidence appearing on record. These Precedents then; will be of very hard digestion, and not parall'd to our times, or the King's case: Who, having upon the late Treaty granted us, for the speedy settlement and security of our bleeding Kingdoms Churches and Religion, what ever we could in honour, justice, or reason desire, and far greater advantages and security than any of our ancestors, or any Kingdom under heaven from the creation to this present, demanded or enjoyed from any of their Princes, (as I dare make good to you and all the world:) and that which the Commons House, after two whole days and one whole nights debate, thought and voted, a sufficient ground for them to proceed with the King to the speedy se●ling of the Kingdom's peace: now you, or the army after such large concessions; contrary to the votes of both houses when full and free; can in honour, justice, reason, discretion, or conscience proceed to depose or decapitate the King, as a violater of his faith, a Traitor, etc. Without making yourselves more perjured; treacherous and greater Traitors in all kinds than he; & incurring the same judgement & execution as you shall pass & inflict upon him: I leave to your saddest consultations to advise of. I have thus freely, faithfully and plainly discharged my mind and conscience to you, without fear or flattery, for the Kings, Kingdoms, Parliaments, protestant Religions, (I am certain, Ireland's, almost irrecoverably lost) your own and the Army's weal and safety too, if God in mercy please to give you heads or hearts to make timely use of it, and not suffer yourselves to be Jesuit-ridden any longer. Consider, you have most of you Estates, all of you Heads or lives, and souls to save, or loose both here and hereafter. If this, and all the precedent considerations will not prevail with you to take you off from your present desperate Counsels and proceedings for your own, the Kingdoms, Churches, Religions, Ireland's, Parliaments, your own posterities, and the Army's safety too, Ride on triumphantly still in Ignatius Loyola his fiery chariot like so many young Phaitons, till you fall and perish; It is sufficient for me, hour you digest this present friendly Memento to you, and I can truly say, liberavi animam meam; what ever becomes of you or me. Who do here solemnly protest to all the world against these your proceedings, as altogether nul, void, unparliamentary, illegal, unchristian, if not perfidious and Treasonable in these respects. I shall close up all with that Golden sentence, of God himself, and the wisest of men, King Solomon, which is twice repeated, verbatim, that it might be the better remembered and considered by you, and all others in such Exigences of public affairs, as we are now fallen into. Prov. 22.3. & 27, 12. A prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. And with that which is parallel to it Prov. 14.14, 15, 16. The simple believeth every word, but the prudent man looketh well to his goings. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil, but the fool rageth and is confident, and shall be filled with his own ways: which is thus interpreted, Prov. 1.18.38.32, 33: They lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives, whose feet run to evil, and who make haste to shed others blood. For, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them, But who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. From the King's head in the Strand. Jan. 1. 1648. Your affectionate friend and servant, as far as you appear to be Gods, your Sovereigns, the Kingdoms, the Parliaments, Religions, theirs who have entrusted you, or your own true friends. WILLIAM PRYNNE. Prov. 28.23. He that rebuketh a man, afterward shall find more favour, than he that flattereth him with his lips. A POSTCRIPT. I Am confident that if the Members now meeting at Westminster will but persuade the General, and his Protestant Officers immediately to render the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance, the solemn League and Covenant, and the New Oath of Abjuration, for the better discovery and speedyer conviction of jesuits Popish Priests and Papists consented to by the King in the late Treaty, to all the Officers Agitators, and Soldiers in the Army, they will presently discover an whole Conclave of jesuits, popish Priests, and jesuited Papists amongst them, who have instigated them, to disobey and force both Houses, imprison their Members, to impeach, try, execute the King, dissolve the present Parliament, subvert the present Government, and constitution of Parliaments, betray Ireland to the Rebels, and bring new present confusion; the practices, designs, and studies, of none but jesuits, and Papists; which all true Protestants cannot but abhor. FINIS.