THE MARTYR Of the People, OR, THE murdered KING.  
Epxressed in several Considerations upon His Sufferings and Death.  
With a Character of His Life and virtues.  Isaiah 57.1. 
The righteous is taken away from the evil to come.  
And they who set up Judicatories, and Courts of Justice, not by Gods authority, but the peoples pretended Power, and proceed not as his Ministers, but as their Officers, do not indeed execute Jastice, and Judgement; but kill, and murder, under pretence of Judgement and Justice.  
O consider this you that forget God. Psal. 50.22.  
LONDON, Printed in the year. 1649.   

The Martyr of the People: Or, the murdered KING.  
TReason, Rebellion, Blood and murder, are inseparable companions; which the loyal people of England hath groaned under these many yeers: not onely with the loss of life, Religion, Laws, Liberties, and Estates; but of our gracious King, and sovereign; whose memory, and sad consideration, pulls up all the sluices of sorrow, and lets in a flood of tears to over-whelm the Land: our calamities like a flood is lifted up above our Earth, and hath covered the highest hills of our temporal felicity; Could Judah mourn for the death of good King Josiah, and shall not England the loss of our virtuous King, charles the Just; murdered by the most inhuman, cruel and barbarous people, that ever professed the title or name of Subjects in the Christian world.  
For a Parliament, called and summoned by their sovereigns Writ and Authority, as the Representative of the Kingdom, for settling of the true Protestant Religion professed amongst us, for establishing the Laws and Liberties of people, and lawful rights and Prerogatives of the King: And contrary to their faith, trust, and Allegiance, to raise Arms against him, and be the first subverters, and violators of Religion; Laws and Liberties; And after the tragical Actors of murdering their lawful King before his own palace. Oh accursed act, oh blood, thirsty and perjured wretches, not to be paralleled by Pagan or infidel.  
We that were a people living in a land that flowed with milk and honey, the most happy under the Sun, happy in our Religion, Laws, and Liberties, happy in the plenty of all earthly blessings that would make us happy; happy under the government of a virtuous and pious Prince, as ever swayed the sceptre, since this Kingdom was a Monarchy: Are now become the most miserable and contemptible people in the Christian world; our loss of such a Prince as he was, is the loss of all that could make a Land or people happy in this temporal life.  
I shall give you a brief Character or Epitome of the personal virtues and graces of this pious Prince, which made him both glorious in life and death. And first, for his piety and Religion, his zeal and devout frequency in Prayer, receiving the Sacraments, his reading the Scriptures, his reverence in Gods House, his attention to Gods Word preached, the esteem of his Messengers, his hatred of heresy, and the zealous care he had to propagate the true Protestant Religion, which in the purity thereof he established by his laws enlarged by his regal authority, and cleansed it from the rust of atheism, Faction, and Ignorance of the Times: His royal Palace was a constant Receipt for pious and learned men, whom he entertained and cherished; so that that which should endear him to his people, drew neglect, by the schism and irreligion of these corrupted Times, who love nothing of christianity but the naked name: He knew, Church-maintenance was the best Nurse of Religion; and therefore no sufferings, or difficulties, could so press upon him, to alienate Gods Portion, the patrimony of the Church; which to preserve from the sacrilegious invasion of the first movers of these Troubles( who thought the best way to shake off Government, was to destroy Religion, and the most effectual and quick course to destroy Religion, was, to take away Church-maintenance) he tendered the sale of so much Crowne-Land, as would amount to the value of Church-Land.  
This shewed him in his life time a second David, a man after Gods own heart, whose conversation was in Heaven. How many invincible Arguments have we of his singular sanctimony? how that in all his greatest trials and Afflictions, did the abundance of his joy, and the riches of his Graces and virtues, shine forth in all his Speeches and Actions; which shewed his contemning a temporal crown, for an immortal and eternal one with the King of Kings.  
Next, for his wisdom and Prudence, morally considered, acting in human affairs by the ordered rules of Reason, His majesty was nobly accomplished: He was furnished with a good memory of things past, with a sound judgement, in their reference and relation to things present, and of a clear and quick apprehension, to discern occurrences for the future; which were both honourable and worthy in so great a Prince as he was. In sum, he was a sober, grave, and wise Prince, as appears in all his sufferings; when he was confined; and closely imprisoned, where he could have no counsel but what be fetched from Heaven, that in all the transactions betwixt Him and the Parliament he appeared the wisest King in christendom; nay, he better understood the constitution and affairs of his kingdoms then any man now living: This Age shows not a man of ability to take up his Princely Pen, whose style and eloquence may be the object of their wishes, but never of their imitation.  
again, whoever looks upon the sweet influence of his Justice upon all, will appear in the peace of his kingdom, the serenity of his people, the tranquillitie of public affairs, the increase of Trade, the growing riches of his Subjects, and the universal happiness of his Government; which made these three kingdoms thrice happy, until the helm of Government was wrested out of his sacred hands by these State-Empericks, usurping a Power by Blood, murder, and destruction of their King and fellow subjects.  
look upon his Christian fortitude and magnanimity, with what patience he did undergo his Afflictions, and compose his greatest pressures in the hottest flames of adversity, with that meekness and comfort, being for Gods Cause, and his peoples Rights, that he came to the Scaffold like a lamb to the slaughter; so cheerfully he laid down his life to the violence of his cruel Adversaries.  
Observe likewise his Temperance, being free from all disguise in drink, or surfeiting; a matchless virtue in the best of Princes.  
Also his mercy and clemency to the bloody and cruel rage of his Enemies, in freely forgiving them, followed his Saviours rule, prayed for his persecutors.  
These Divine Graces in so glorious a King, was a firm Rock against the popular rage and swelling malice of his insulting Adversaries( witness that golden Manuel, or heavenly Meditations penned by his own royal hand) whose pious Devotions, and Religious life, declare him to be the Temple of the holy Ghost.  
From the view of his virtues, look upon his Sufferings, and you shall find envy ever maliciously attending upon virtue; and by how much the more illustrious it is, the greater hatred persecutes it: you know, the troubles of the righteous are many; behold then, what sorrows were like unto his: Consider his Sufferings from his departure from White-hall to his death, before his said Palace; and you may conclude, the Glory of England is taken from us: Remember first, how he was forced from us by tumults; his towns, Cities, Castles, navy, and Magazine seized upon; An Army raised against him, and his faithful Subjects: into how many dangers was he exposed too, chased from place to place( not having any to hid his head with-safetie) pursued with that violence, when thousands of his loyal Subjects lost their lives, yet the Lord was his preserver in the day of trouble.  
I shall pass by those eminent dangers the destroying Sword threatened against his Person; And tell you of his leaving his City of Oxford, and going to the Scotch Army at Southwell, his remove to Newcastle, and continuance there with them, until he was delivered to the Parliament and Army( I may say, sold) his restraint at Holmby, and after hurried away from place to place as the Army moved, and so to Hampton Court, where it was the expectation of the Kingdom to see him established in his Throne, according to their League and Covenant; But by the policy of a prevalent party in the Parliament and Army( whose tralterous acts, and rebellious practices shall brand them with infamy to all ages) he was conveyed privately to Isle of Wight, under the pretence of poisoning, whereby the people were deluded, and their hopes frustrated. In Carisbrook Castle he was confined to close imprisonment; In which time of durance observe his patience in his greatest tribulations, and then consider, one of the most potent Monarchs of Europe, loved at home, feared abroad, most cruelly and strictly imprisoned, debarred from his wife, and hopeful children, from the attendance of any of his servants, from Gods house, and public worship, from his Chaplains, all his friends and loyal subjects; to lie under the weight of scandals, reproaches, wants, and miseries, tortured with unreasonable Propositions, and insolent Demands, tormented( if possible) unto perjury, sacrilege, and atheism, no conditions propounded but for surrendering his Crown and Kingdoms into their hands: these were the terrible trials of this good King in the jaws of his cruel Enemies, who finding him like a rock, unmovable, they contended unto blood: These were they that appeared in the likeness of an Angel of light: These were the Patriots of their country that drive on their hellish designs under the show of godliness: These are the Grandees of the Kingdom that would preserve His Majesties Person, an● maintain his lawful rights, Crown, and Dignity, by murdering him; and after make an Act for abolishing all Kingly Government in this Kingdom.  
Yet to satisfy the deluded people of England, they draw up a Charge against Him, accuse him of murder, Treason, and Tyranny,( try Him after the form of Judicatory proceedings, without Law, or president) in the name of the Commons of England; and those Commons that thirsted after the blood of their King, are comprised in a factious and schismatical Army; these are the men that establish iniquity by a Law; the Jews dealt so with our Saviour, We have a Law, and by that Law he ought to die. As he imitated his Saviour in his sufferings; so they imitated the Jews in their persecution of him. As for instance, when he was brought to his illegal trial in Westminster-Hall, how was he reviled, and spit upon by his barbarous and blood-thirsty Enemies; and when they cried, Justice, Justice, and Execution: He answered not again, but with our Saviours words, God forgive them, for they know not what they say.  
Thus from the Throne to the Block, have they brought the most pious, religious and virtuous Prince in the Christian world.  
They that at first engaged against him, and was the first violaters of their obedience due to His majesty, you see punished: That power they gave to make him glorious, spilled his Innocent blood: Here you may see the fruits of Treason, Rebellion, and usurpation, in varying from Christian principles, to do evil that good may come on it: The national sins of England hath powred this calamity upon us; as the pride, hatred, and plenty of this Kingdom produced these Wars, that faction and rebellion, that the murdering of the King, the most horrid murder that ever the Sun saw: for Subjects to murder their King; and English Subjects, a people renowned for loyalty, and beloved in all parts of the Universe; are now become the most contemptible people upon the face of the Earth.  
But you have made him a glorious King, and proved him glorious in his personal virtues, glorious in his divine Graces, and glorious in suffering for the cause of God, the true Protestant Religion, the Laws and Liberties of his three Kingdoms, and a glorious Saint with the King of Glory. Yet remember for all this you shall come to judgement; for blood, murder, and schism the Land mourns, and Gods heavy Judgements hangs over our heads: betwixt his judgements and the kingdoms sins, our King is taken from us, and his death hath made the wide in-let to all our miseries; our sorrows, like a torrent, over-flowes the Land; and a general calamity is fallen upon us.  
Who can forget the blessed dayes we enjoyed in his reign? the glory and truth of Religion, the just Execution of laws, Peace, Riches, and Plenty, liberty at home, protection and honour abroad; England was the Garden of the World, the perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole Earth: but now our glory is departed from our Israel, England is become a Widow, our Churches turned into Stables, and Temples become Court of Guards; the royal Palaces of our late King, made garrisons; the patrimony of the Church, the Souldiers salary; our laws subverted, and our Religion and Liberty destroyed, and taken from us: we are become a prey to cruel and bloody people, whose daily practise is to destroy, and made slaves to the worst of Heathens, a people without God, without Faith, Law, Reason, and Humanity.  
For the loss of our King, the Land mourns: he that was the Comforter and protector of his people, is become the Martyr, he hath laid down his life for his people, and exchanged this earthly and temporal crown, for an immortal and glorious one; where his eyes shall not see, nor his soul be afflicted with all the evil that shall fall upon us. To conclude, the remembrance of his sufferings and death shall eternize him glorious, so long as the Sun and moon endureth; When the memory of his cruel and blood-thirsty Enemies shall perish from the face of the Earth.  
We have lost the chiefest of all Earthly things:  
The highest, lowest, and the best of Kings.  
FINIS.