THE Charge OF THE ARMY, And COUNSEL of WAR, Against the KING. With a brief ANSWER thereunto by some of the Loyal Party.  
Printed in the Yoer. 1648.   

The Charge of the ARMY against the KING.  
I. 
THat his favourite, (the Duke of Buckingham) by his consent, laid a Plaster to King james, and gave him a Drink, when he was sick of an Ague, although the sworn Physicians had forbidden any to presume to give the King any thing without their Directions; of which Plaifter and Drink applied to him, he died not long after, his body presently blistering and swelling up with the poison thereof: being an Act of a transcendent presumption, and of the highest Treason, and cannot be judged by us any other then Murder and Patricide.  II. 
That he hath betrayed his Trust reposed on him by the People; Broken his Coronation Oath, raised Moneys unjustly by privy Seals, Monopolies, Ship-money; unjustly imprisoned Sir Dudley Digges and Sir John Eliott, and caused new Oaths Ex Officio, etc. to be imposed, and forced on the People.  III. 
That he hath complied with, and favoured Papists, as may appear by his Letter to the Pope, carrying on a D sign to introduce Innovations, Seperstition and Popery into the Church, and Tyranny into the State, that the whole Kingdom might be brought into irrecoverable slavery.  iv 
That he kept back supplies, from going to relieve Rochel, so that many Protestants were betrayed to famine, and the sword of the Enemy.  V 
That he occasioned the bringing in of the Spanish-Fleet into England.  VI 
That he raised a War upon his Parliament, to destroy the very beings of Parliaments for ever after.  VII. 
That he endeavoured to bring over the Irish to destroy the parliament; and gave Commissions to the Rebels in Ireland; and made stop of the Ammunition sent by the Parliament for the relief of that languishing Kingdom.  VIII. 
For his guilt of shedding all the innocent Blood in the three Kingdoms.  IX. 
For his late inviting in the Scots to invade this Kingdom.   
FOr these Reasons, it is concluded by the General Counsel of the Army, That all such shall be proceeded against as Traitors, who shall act or speak in the King's behalf till he shall be accquitted of all these Charges against him, and of the guilt of shedding Innocent Blood.   

A brief ANSWER to the Charge against His MAJESTY.  
WHo can behold the Pride and aspiring Ambition of these Martial Tyrants, their deep Plots and Treacheries against God and Man, Gospel and Law, Nature and Reason, King, Parliament and Kingdom, without being palsie-strook at the sad consideration thereof; especially considering, That a Freeborn People but lately complaining of their slavish servitude under the King, and his Cavalry, and the cruel Bondage they groaned under, by this present Parliament, their griping Committees, and the rest of their Tormentors, should now without any distrust, so willingly lay down their necks to be trodden on by an audacious, mal●ipart overruling Army of Independents, who having usurped a Power, contemn and control King and parliament, City and people, gulling and decoying them into a belief of Liberty and Freedom, (the better to colour and drive on their Designs) when really they intent nothing less than to link and yoke the deluded people to Slavery and Bondage, whilst their Estates, Lives, Fortunes, Liberties and Resigion must all be forced to prostrate themselves to the glittering of a Naked Sword, all being at the Army's command, and disposeable at their pleasure, who mean still to persist in cruel murders and unnatural Discords, as if the spirit of Discord had quite vanquished the Spirit of PEACE and Love; and nothing could be concluded of, but by Blood and Rapine, Mutinies, and Treacheries, the subvertion of the KING, and his Posterity, Parliament, City and Kingdom, and the utter extirpation of all Law, Government & Religion, changing or converting a well-regulated Monarchy into a Military Anarchy, choosing a popular Parliament of unquallified Commons, unexperienced in the Laws of the Land (such as many of them cannot write nor read) to Rule and Govern us; which New parliament shall always be at the beck of the Army; for what can be else expected, but a continual trade of War and Tyranny, so long as the Sense of the Army shall be the Supreme Law of the Realm. Besides, how strange will it be to the People, that were lately Governed by one KING, now to be governed by above 400 Tyrants; and they but lately ruled by a well regulated Monarchy, now to be governed by a Military Anarchy or Democracy, that were once gently chastised with rods, now to be scourged with scorpions. O ye deluded people, be not deceived by these Deceivers; who not long ago in their Declarations, Remostrances, Proposals, and Letters protested, They would endeavour to preserve the Prerogative and Honour of the King, and settle him in Peace and happiness in his Throne; maintain the Privileges of Parliament, the Liberty of the Subject, establish a true and sound Religion, and settle a firm and lasting Peace in this Kingdom: and are they not as good as their words, when they go about to murder their Sovereign? Is this their way to set him on his Throne in peace? It is indeed, to settle him in his Throne in heaven: Is it to uphold the Privilege of Parliament, to seize on 11. Members upon a mere pretence of some great thing laid to their Charge, when nothing could be proved against them, and under the same pretence to carry away above 40 more, all being rightly elected? Is this their way to uphold the Privileges of Parliament? surely it is the way to dissolve the Parliament, and the Privileges thereof. Is it for the Liberty of the Subject, to rob and plunder Halls, or prey on any that are well-affected to the King and parliament? Is it to settle sound Religion, to make God's House a stable, nay a Jakes; and to tolerate all religions but the Catholic. And are we not like to enjoy a lasting Peace, when we and all we have are at the mercy of their Swords? O the delusions of these Deluders! Cursed be their Rage, for it is fierce, and their Policy, for it is Devilish.  
But now we will briefly Answer your several Charges against his Majesty. First, for his PERSON it is well known to most of his Subjects, That he hath always been as Virtuous God'y and temperate a Prince as ever Reigned in England; an Example to all his Subjects for his constant Devotions to God; Wise, Just, Merciful, and prone to Clemency & goodness.  
For his consenting to the poisoning of his Father, we shall not need to take much pains to Answer, it being but an ugly vizard they put upon His Majesty, to make him look deformed in the eyes of his Subjects, not any Natural Deformity in his Countenance or Mind; for which supposed crime, and the raising of a War upon his Subjects, His Majesty said, he would never ask God forgiveness, for the least thought of either never entered into his Princely breast: But it seems Buckingham applied a plaster, and gave King james a Drink when he was sick of an Ague: this may be true, But doth this argue, that it was by consent of the Prince, with intent to murder his Father; (the poison of Asps is under their tongues,) was he not Heir apparent to the Crown, and by consequence of time, it could not be long before he enjoyed it; neither could a son be more dutiful to a parent, than this Prince was to his Royal Father.— Indeed King james forbearing his accustomed exercise, betook himself to drink more than his accustomed use was to do, which occasioned a Feavorish Ague, and a droppicall humour to predominate; whereupon, (impatient of pain) he resolved to make trial of that plaster and Drink that he knew but a while before had cured a great Person of the same Discase; besides the Physicians and Apothecaries knew all the Ingredients to be good. The King's body being opened, was found fair and clear; Neither had Prince Charles knowledge of applying the said plaster and Drink, and yet is adjudged by them to be guilty of murder and patricide.  
For betraying his Trust, breaking his Coronation Oath, or raising money etc. What hath he suffered for these 7. years, but for maintaining his Oath, the established Religion, and known Laws and Statures: Had his subjects been half so conscientious of Periury, as his Majesty, England had not been at the pass it now is. For Shipmoney, Monopolies, Oaths, etc. What was it then to this now? have we not Loans extorted, Customs increased Exize, Contributions, Sequestrations, Fift parts, Twenty parts, Meal-mony, sale of plundered Goods, Benevolences, Collections on Fasts. Fifty Subsidies, Compositions, sale of Bishop's Lands Impositions on all Merchandizes; and contradicting Oaths & Covenants: then pray who is most guilty, His Majesty, or you?  
But he complied with Papists— Else he had not known his Wife: But were not the Laws and Statutes duly executed against Papists, and popish Recusants; impudence cannot deny it. For his Answer to the Pope's Letter, What he did in a strange Country was for safety of his person. For his Religion, I refer you to His Protestation.  
But Rochel was betrayed for want of aid: the Winds were the Traitors then; yet they were so really a yded, that Cardinal de Richilieu had cause to remember it: besides it was a foreign war, so as what his Majesty did, he might do lawfully, and no doubt, But justly in respect of his own Conscience.  
For the Spanish Fleet; If the King's ships had joined with them, where had the Hollander been then? but his Majesty was so fare from the least intention thereof, that he suffered a great affront in his own Harbours; not for want of strength.  
For raising war against his Subjects; it could not be, for the King knew, That his strength lay in the number of his People, and to destroy them, was to destroy himself; he was not the first that raised Forces, and when he did, it was to defend himself, first using all fair means to prevent the shedding of innocent Blood, on any conditions as might stand with his Honour, with out breach of his Coronation Oath, conjuring them by all the bonds of Duty, to desist from their unnatural Rebellion; but they would not, Therefore he calls Heaven and Earth to witness, That He would wash his hands from all the Innocent Blood that must necessarily be spilt in that Quarrel.  
For Ireland, It could never be proved, that ever he gave the least countenance to that Rebellion, much less ever granted them Commission, as is by some idly suggested, and by Mr. Peter's was so laboured to prove; Indeed when his Majesty's Honour was trodden down here, they had an Evidence, and example to Rebel there; and when their own party were used so rigerously here, to use the like cruelty, or worse there over our Protestant Brethren.  
For His Majesty's having a hand in bringing in the Scots, I believe is as true as the rest; and better known to his Majesty's Jailers then myself.  
Thus you make the King the foil, to set off you brightness, and yet you prove but the cloud that darkens his Light.  
FINIS.