A DECLARATION BY Sir Edward Dering Knight and Baronet. With his PETITION To the Honourable House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT. Juven. Sat. 3. Quid Romae faciam' mentiri nescio.— London, Printed by J. Raworth, for Philemon Stephens, at the golden Lion in Paul's Churchyard. April 1. 1644. TWo months together, I did in my own house enjoy so happy a privacy, as that nothing could add to the sweet satisfaction thereof, but the sight and company of my children, which I wanted: my wife at chosen times came into my study, and made my stolen commons a feast with her society, whilst my servants thought me far from home. This contentment was in May and June, 1642. In this time I received, from some very near, in Place, Trust and Favour with his Majesty, several Expresses to call me unto York; which by several returns of mine I was studious to decline: But they persisted, and used the King's Name unto me, a sure Engine to make me move: It was then a lawful Duty in me to attend; for how great soever our fears then were, yet we were at that time in actual Peace. Ambition (I praise God) did never swell a thought in me. I had too much felicity at home, to exchange my real happiness for guilded hopes: yet those Letters (then received) did hold out that bait fairly to me. If Court-employment had one quiet Sphere, I might possibly have been an endeavourer above twenty years since, when my taste was quicker, the golden Fetters would have seemed lighter, and my access (by means of a powerful hand there) more clear and easy for me: But my desires in that kind were not warm, either then or now. But I found (at that time) my privacy was not like to be lasting, I had intimation that my safety was shaking; and then, between being drawn and driven, I went toward the King willingly; but out of my own house, and from my own Country, the most unwilling man that ever went. Thorough Surrey and Oxford, I went to His Majesty at Leicester, and with him to Coventry, and then to Nottingham, before the Standard was set up; since when, I have been constantly attendant, until I came into the Protection of Parliament on the second of February, 1643. The woeful misery of this Land, the utter ruin of the Church of God in this Kingdom, and the final period of the famous English Nation, I did conceive would prove the undoubted issue of these bloody Wars; which may (as usually) be succeeded by Plague and Famine, unless some blessing from above do send a speedy Close. Now no Close did I think expectable, but by the Sword: For the strength of the Parliament being made up in the Act of Continuation, the three Estates had therein tied us up in a Band indissoluble. Indissoluble indeed, unless by them who made it; or else (as the Gordian knot was loosed) by the Kings Sword. Therefore (God forgive me) I did (as is there too common) execrate that Law, and was not friend enough with King and Parliament for making it. Thus I hated the only Cure, Strength and Security of the Land, being as (in another kind) S. Paul said of himself) exceedingly mad (Act. 26. 11.) Yet again, with S. Paul, from a Persecuter I was made a Convert: for as he (1 Tim. 1. 13.) I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly; that is, God had not opened my heart, but suffered me to go on according to the inward dictates there, which (though erroneous) I followed: but at length I was better blest. Whilst I was there, I had as much as was sit for me to expect: and though I kept the distance of Duty, yet could I make my own admission to His Majesty upon every occasion; such was His gentle goodness toward me: and I was received with that regardfulnesse, which gave growth unto my love, and preserves my love unto His Majesty wheresoever I shall be; though I shall only serve the Parliament in the now great Controversy between them; for I have taken a Covenant for the King and Parliament, I must be faithful to both: But where I cannot serve the King in his personal Commands, and serve him also in his Politic Capacity, wherein he is most eminently in his Parliament, I am resolved to be ruled by the wisest of Kings, who assures me (Prov. 11. 14.) That in the multitude of Counsellors there is safety; and therefore I shall anchor there. No man can with justice and reason expect from me any depth of Discovery, or that I should be the man to open the Mystery of all the Oxonian Designs; I was not of such inward admission. This Declaration therefore cannot speak any high particulars; yet shall it publish to the world some Motives of my Return, being the same wherewith the Honourable House of Commons are pleased to be satisfied; which by way of Petition speaks thus: To the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament: The HUMBLE PETITION OF Sir EDWARD DERING Knight and Baronet. Humbly showeth, THat no force, nor any constraint hath brought me hither, but my own free Choice, pursued with Industry; and this Choice grounded and confirmed in me upon many sad Meditations, which have begotten as many serious Invocations to be directed in the best Way. Some few Motives to manifest the honest reality of my purposes, I ask leave to lay down in this Petition; But beforehand professing myself very sorry for bearing Arms against the Parliament. 1. I considered, That in removing myself hither, I do not forsake my Duty and Allegiance to the King, but really pursue it; and shall actuate it better than before, in a true Obedience, both to him and to the Parliament. 2. I did in this honourable House take the Parliamentary Protestation, one Clause whereof is for the Privilege of Parliament: This (as an argument for my Return) came late into my thoughts; but since it came, I have much wondered at myself, how I could be so long transported, to assist in a way, to destroy this very Parliament which I have vowed to preserve. 3. I dare not say, That the King's Promises are forgotten and unperformed: I had rather hid then open so un-Royall failings, if I knew them; But certainly something hath, at some times appeared like unto such break; And, I think, the Petition out of Wilt- shire on Tuesday or Wednesday last, spoke little less to the King Himself. 4. The fear of an anti- Parliament at Oxford; and a particular fear lest I should (as divers of the Members there professed I should) be shortly called into that Convention, made me not only endeavour to come away, but to hasten unto the true Parliament here. 5. Some Clergymen, and others, do speak a language there, as if the King could come no other way to his own dwellings here, unless by Conquest: But that way of prevailing doth carry the terror of desperate Consequences with it; and is likely (I fear) to lead into Arbitrary Government and Popery. And I have been confident, That the King, with forty servants, might come to Westminster, and stay there with undoubted safety to His Person: So I have said at Oxford, and I do still assuredly believe so; and God will bless Him, if He do so. 6. I could never reconcile the Cessation in Ireland, to the Vows made in England. 7. When the first Declarations of this honourable House gave public Caution of a prevailing Popish party, I confess I had then no more but an implicit faith in that sense of the House at that time: It is since explicited unto me: And the first Scene is played home in Ireland, which already is the Popes, denomination being given Ex majore parte. Some late Defections have been to the Romish mis-belief, and divers Papists are daily trusted with Commands. For these Reasons I am come to render myself into the protection of the Parliament; and that with a clear, candid, hearty integrity of Respect and Duty to this honourable House. I am come in, in a happy hour, when the providence of heaven hath brought me in, under the shelter of a Declaration by both Kingdoms; who both have therein promised, That I shall be received into favour, and that with special consideration of the time of returning; wherein I have the honour to be the first Suitor that lays hold on your offered Favours. Most humbly therefore I pray, That your free Reception of me, may seal the full Liberty which is promised; And I shall daily pray for the happy issue of all your Consultations. Hereunto I do only subjoin this, That I observe that in matter of Religion, they are yet in love with those specious, pompous, loud, exterior compliments. One single groan in the Spirit, is worth the Diapason of all the Church-music in the world. Organs, Sackbuts, Recorders, Cornets, & c. and voices are mingled together, as if we would catch God Almighty with the fine air of an Anthem, whilst few present do or can understand. Vbi belluinis strepitibus cantillant, Dum hinniunt discantum pueri, mugiunt alii tenorem, alii latrant, contrapunctum, alii boant altum, alii frendent bassum, faciuntque ut sonorum, plurimum quidem, audiatur, verborum, & oration is intilligatur nihil. In this Devotion made up with noise like the Dionysian Orgies, there is a parasiting part of the Clergy, who love with these lazy performances to amuse the people so much, that they had rather the Kingdom should be blown up, then that the King should forbear to hear the blowing of Organs: Some of these (I doubt not) do think the Cathedral part of this great Contention, worth this War and Blood. One of these hath several Times argued with me, That the King is guilty of Perjury for consenting to the Bill of taking away the Bishop's Votes in Parliament, and disabling Clergymen to officiate in the proper acts of Laymen. This fascinated part of the Clergy, who adore this external pomp, who measure Devotion by the ear, and take Relion in a Tune; these are as apt as ever to ramp up again into all the amplitudes of the power they had, and then will fall again into the excess of all their former sins, and we then are as sure to fall into all our former sufferances. If these gaieties had not been retained, England (since the Reformation) had been more pure and chaste in Religion, then of late it was. Foedera servasset si non formosa fuisset. But God be thanked, who hath given us a living Parliament to watch these misleaders, these Romish backsliders: He hath not yet with-drawn his love from this Nation; nay, he now doth chastise us, therefore he loves us now. Let us therefore be every one careful to amend his ways, so in our new Covenant we vow, and that is the way to mend a Family, to mend a Province, to mend a Kingdom: One Achan may trouble a whole Host. Yet who doth inwardly consider this, though a Heathen could observe it? Hesiod. op. & die. Lib. I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For many times a whole City is punished for one wicked man's sake. Lord grant that Heathen Poets may not rise up in Judgement against the Christians of England. EDWARD DERING. FINIS. IMPRIMATUR. Jo: White. Martii 28. 1644.