England & Scotland: OR, The proceed of the Parliament of England, The Confession of the Church of Scotland. ALSO Several Advertisements 1. To the City, and to the Associated Counties. 2. To those who engage themselves 1. For Liberty. 2. For Religion. 3. For Gods, and Christ's Cause. LUKE 19 41, 42. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes. OXFORD, Printed by H. HALL.. 1644. TO THE READER. Reader, AFter many & too many Pamphlets which have obscured the Truth, I here present thee with a short Abstract of the proceed until the taking up of Arms; thereby to inform thee of the true state of the present difference, and from hence must thy conscience be regulated; and not from the after carriage and success of the War. Vale. An Abstract of the Proceed of Parliament from the first Convention (Nou. 3. 1640.) unto the taking up of Arms, which was June 10. 1642. According to three distinct periods of time. The first Period, containing several Acts passed by the King and both Houses of Parliament. 1 FOr a Triennial Parliament. 2. For the Abolition of the Star-Chamber. 3. For taking away the High-Commission court. 4. Against Ship-money. 5. Against Co●t and Conduct-money. 6. Against Monopolies. 7. For bounding all the Forests in England. 8. Concerning Tonnage and Poundage. 9 For regulating the office of the Clerk of the Market. 10. Concerning the business of Knighthood. 11. For the continuance of this Parliament. By which Acts, the several Grievances were remedied, which the Lords had set forth in their Petition, lately presented to His Majesty at York. A● also by the first, and the last of those Acts, assurance was give● of farther remedies in that kind, both for the present, and for the time to come, as is set forth in the Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom, Decemb. 15. The second Period, containing the proceed of both Houses of Parliament, before the Tumults. 1. A Bill for removing the Bishops from their Votes in the 1641. Bishop's Votes. Lord's House passed the House of Commons: In the House of Peers, after several long free debates, it was by very much the major part absolutely rejected. 2. A Bill was brought into the House of Commons for the extirpation Root and branch. of Bishops, and of Deans, and Chapters, but it passed not. 3. Sir Arthur Haslerig brought in a Bill to place a General at Land, and an Admiral at Sea, with absolute power over the Subject; and it was rejected. 4. The House of Lords published an Order for the due observation Public worship. of the Laws concerning the public worship of God, 9 Sept. 5. A Vote passed in the House of Commons for the Book of Book of Common prayer. Common Prayer, in Novemb. The third Period containing the proceed between the King and the Houses of Parliament, since the Tumults. 1. In Decemb. the House of Commons published a Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom, setting forth all the Errors of His Majesty's Government. Wherein also they declare, That the Party of Bishops and Popish Lords in the House of Peers, have hindered the proceeding of divers good Bills passed Tumul●s. in the Commons House concerning the Reformation of sundry great Abuses and Corruptions both in Church & State. And thereupon the Tumultuous People in and about London resort to Westminster with clubs and swords, crying through the streets, Westminster-Hall, and between the two Houses, No Bishops, No Bishops, No Popish Lords; and misusing the several Members of either House, who, they were informed, Bishop's Votes. favoured not their ends; and using seditious and traitorous speeches against His Majesty himself. The Lords twice moved the House of Commons to joyn● with them in an Order against Tumults. His Majesty also sent a Message to the Lord Mayor for preventing the like tumultuous Assemblies. 2. jan. 4. The King exhibited Articles of High-Treason against The Members accused. the Lord Kymbolton, and the five Members; as for other matters, so for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws and Government of this Kingdom; and to deprive him of his Regal power, and to place an Arbitrary, and Tyrannical power in Subjects: and for raising and countenancing Tumults, thereby to compel the Parliament to order, limit, and dispose their Proceed as might concur with their Designs. Upon an Order published by the House of Commons against the Arresting of their Members, the King goes in Person to demand them. The Houses thereupon adjourn themselves into London, and the City takes the Members into protection, under pretence of maintaining the privilege of Parliament. The neighbouring Counties also do the like, as appears by their several Petitions. And jan. 11. the accused Members are guarded to Westminster with a great force both by water and land. To compose these distempers, his Majesty sent a Message to both Houses, jan. 20. Advising them to take into consideration all such particulars as they held necessary for upholding his just Regal power, and settling his Revenue; as also for establishing Religion (with due regard to tender consciences in point of Ceremonies) and for securing their Privileges, and the liberty of the Subject. 3. For their better security whilst they should debate & pursue The power of the Kingdom. this Message, the House of Commons Petition his Majesty, that the Militia, and the forts and Castles may be put in the hands of such men as they did conside in, jan. 27. Because the Major part of Lords would not concur with the House of Com. in the business of the Militia, the poor people in The Militia. and about London, petition the House of Commons against those Lords, as Malignants, and as disturbers of their peace, and threaten to remove them (jan. 31.) so they withdrew themselves; and the Militia was carried by the remaining party of the Lords. In Febr. and March, Both the Houses petition the King about the Militia: His Majesty condescends to commit the Execution of the Militia (in the several Counties) to such men as they should recommend unto him. But this satisfied them not: and they vote his Majesty's Commissions of Lieutenancy to be Illegal; and they settle the Militia by an Ordinance; excluding his Majesty from any power in the disposition or execution of it. In April, when his Majesty sent them the Message of his intention to go into Ireland, he sent them also a Bill for settling the Militia of the whole Kingdom for one year in the hands of those men they had recommended unto him; so that himself should not be able to execute it without the advice of the Parliament, and when his Majesty should be out of the Kingdom, the sole execution to be in them. They on the contrary offer him a Bill for settling it absolutely in the hands of some men, excluding his Majesty altogether, for two years. In May, They Declare against the King's Negative Voice The King's negative Vote. (even in the business of the Militia; without which his Majesty cannot discharge his Kingly Office, and protect his people) Also they say, that they should not want modesty, or duty, if they followed the highest precedents of other Parliaments. 4. To compose the differences arisen, & to satisfy their fears, The 19 Propositions. and jealousies, they offer to his Majesty 19 Propositions, june 2. which strike at Regal power itself; and would transfer it to, and settle it in, the Houses of Parliament for ever● and so of a Monarchy would make this an Aristocracy and Democracy; (suitable to the Government they intent in the Church, the Presbytery:) and upon the King's refusal of them, they publish Propositions for bringing in of money, etc. to raise an Army. june 10. 5. From the premises it appears; that the public grievances The result. of the Kingdom were all remedied at the beginning of the Parliament: And that presently there was an attempt (by some) to alter the government of the Church and State: And when they could not compass it in a free Parliamentary way, that they attempted it first by Tumults, forcing the Parliament; and afterward by Arms to force the King. And in this case I would have every one, complying with them, to consider the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland concerning the Civil Magistrates, delivered in these following words; We confess, and acknowledge, Empires, Kingdoms, Dominions, The Scottish Confession. and Cities, to be distincted, and ordained by God. The powers, and Authoritits in the same (be it of Emperors in their Empires, Kings in their realms, Dukes, and Princes in their Dominions, and of other Magistrates in their Cities) to be Gods Holy Ordinance; ordained for the manifestation of his own Glory, and for the singular profit, and commodity of mankind: so that whosoever goeth about to take away, or to confound the whole State of Civil policies now long established, we affirm the same men not only to be enemies to mankind, but also wickedly to fight against Gods expressed will. It being evident, how, and by what means the Power of the Kingdom was seized on, and why and to what end Arms were taken up, on the one side; 'tis thereby manifest also wherefore they are taken up on the other side: 1. To maintain the Liberty and Freedom of Vote in Parliament Why the King taketh up Arms. against Tumults. 2. For recovery of his Majesty's Rights and Prerogatives. 3. For redemption of the subject in point of Propriety, and Liberty, from new and illegal impositions and imprisonments. 4. To reduce the subject to obedience in point of the Militia, and of the Laws concerning Religion. So the King and his forces come amongst you to Right the Parliament, The advertisements. and himself, and to reduce you and to take you into his protection, and to require aid, and comfort of you. And (saith the confession of the Church of Scotland, which by the Covenant you To the City and Countries. have sworn to maintain) They who deny comfort and aid to Kings and Princes, travelling vigilantly in their office, as his Majesty doth, even to the hazard of his life: deny aid and comfort to God himself, who requires it of them by his Lieutenant. Besides we have all a special obligation upon us (by our Oaths of Allegiance, and Supremacy) to defend the King's Person, his Crown, and Dignity; and to maintain and defend all his Preeminences, Privileges and Prerogatives whatsoever. Nor do his Majesty's forces come (as you conceive) to invade, spoil, kill, and slay, nor to exercise any hostility, unless opposed by you; and opposing in this case, doubtless you cannot but be guilty of resisting the Ordinance of God. (Rom. 13.) and of all the bloodshed and rapine, and devastation that shall happen upon your resistance. And whereas men ordinarily engage themselves for Liberty, and for Religion; I would have them to consider (as I conceive) 1. That our Liberty, as it was sufficiently asserted, and settled by Of Liberty. divers Acts in the beginning of the Par● so it might have been kept inviolate by the authority of the Parl. sitting so long as they please; and by the power of the Militia settled in the hands of those men whom they had recommended to His Majesty: But (I fear) Liberty with subjection doth not suffice now: and the affectation of Liberty without Subjection is no less than Rebellion. 2. That our Religion by Law established might have been preserved Of Religion. also by the same Authority and Power; and by the same means their Privileges also might have been preserved and secured. Besides, his Majesty by his Proclamation had required the due observation of the Laws concerning Religion; and it is a cause in part of his Majesty's taking up Arms, to maintain the Religion by Law established. And (as concerning Popery) to suppress the growth thereof Of Popery. his Majesty had by a Proclamation required the Laws against Popish Recusants to be put in execution without favour or connivance. And (to root out Popery) his Majesty offered to join with the two Houses in any further Act against Priests, and Jesuits disturbing the State, and against Papists eluding the Laws by trust: and for the education of the children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion. But their extirpation must be Military, not Parliamentary; And they are not content with preserving, but fight for altering Religion by Law established; if not in Doctrine (as I doubt whether the Doctrine of the Church of England, concerning Active and Passive Subjection, delivered in the books of Homilies will stand, or no) yet in the form of Worship, and frame of Church Government, and that against the Laws, the King, the Order and Vote of the Houses before the Tumults. Lastly, whereas men flatter themselves, that they fight for God's cause, and for Christ's cause. (i. e.) For the Presbyterian Discipline, O● Christ his cause. and Government, which they conceive to be of Gods and Christ's own institution; I would have them inquire and inform themselves, whether the House of Commons have not voted that Government, and Discipline not to be of Divine Right; and whether Of the Presbytery. they have not resolved, and professed that they will admit no Church Government to be of Divine Right, that they may order and alter it as they please; and whether this be not the chief reason wherefore they deny the Divine Right of Episcopacy. PROV. 24. 21, 22. My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both? FINIS.