Mr. Prynn's last and final DECLARATION To the COMMONS of ENGLAND, Concerning the KING, PARLIAMENT, And ARMY. AND His Remonstrance and Proposals to the kingdom, showing, That it is High Treason, to compass or imagine the deposition or death of our sovereign Lord King CHARLES. WITH The Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty, taken by the Parliament men, before their admission into the House as MEMBERS. By WILLIAM PRYN, of Lincolns-inn, Esq.  
Printed in the year, 1648.   

Master Pryn's Declaration to the kingdom Concerning The apparent danger of his majesty's royal person, and the present proceedings of the Parliament and Army in order to the deposing of Charles Steward, their lawful King of England, &c.  
Gentlemen, and Fellow Commoners,  
Whereas myself, and above 200 Members more being forcibly secluded from sitting in the house of Commons, by the Officers of the Army, I therefore held it my duty, to impart unto you these ensuing Proposals.  
First, That by the common law of the Realm, the stat. of 25 E. 3. and all other Acts concerning Treason, it is no less than high treason for any man 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, and that many have been arraigned, condemned, and executed, for such intended treasons in former ages, as the E. of Arundel, and others, by judgement in Parl.  
Secondly, That in the Oath of Allegiance whlch 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 & the World, That our sovereign Lord King Charles, is lawful and rightful King of this realm, and of all other his Maj. Dominions and Countries.  
Thirdly, That yourselves, among other members, have in above one hundred Remonstrances and Declarations, professed, both to the King himself, kingdom, world, & 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, greatness, and glory, than ever was yet enjoyed by any of his Predecessors, that you have proposed no other ends to yourselves, but the performance of all duty and loyalty to his Maj. person, That his personal safety, honour, & 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 Parl. will ever have a care to prevent any danger which his Majesty may justly apprehend to his person: 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 the world and all men judge; as they will do in due season. The rule in the Old Testament is, not to take any wicked Kings from their Thrones, ●nd behead them: but (Rom: ●3: 1, 2, &c.) 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 Lord's sake: and to make prayers, supplications, and intercessions for them, that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty: for this is good and acctptable 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 welfare of poor England.  
Fourthly, Remember, that no protestant King 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 and Princes, much less of a protestant king or Prince, of a temperate and sober life, as the King is; who never imbrued his own hand 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.  
Fifthly, Consider, that the Scots delivered the King to our Commis. at Newcastle, upon this express condition, That no violence should be offered to his person, &c. according to the Covenant. How then can you unking, depose him, or take away his life upon pretext of Justice, which if you do, you engage both kingdoms to war against you, and to crown the Prince of Wales their King, as being next heir apparent.  
WIL: PRYN.   

A Declaration touching the King.  
AFter mature deliberation upon the proceedings of the Lord General Fairfax, and the General council of Officers, in relation to the establishing of a firm and lasting peace within this bleeding, torn, and tottering kingdom, and the erecting of a pure and sound Government according to the Law of Nature, and the fundamental laws of this Realm, and after several conferences and disputations in order thereunto, divers of the Presbyterian party frequented to Westminster, and other places, where they had several disputations and conferences with the Officers, and other members of the Army; and after some debate upon the Foundation, of the grounds and principles of the Agreement of the People, the Presbyterians declared a great dislike thereof, remonstrating, That it was not founded upon a firm Rock; to which objections, several answers were made, for clearing such scruples and cautions, as seemed difficult to many; And as for the person of the King, they further declared, that notwithstanding the present Ordnance of Attainder against his Maj. yet they conceived it requisite and lawful, that the prayers of the ministry be still continued in every Congregation throughout his Maj. Realms and Dominions; desiring, that he may have a legal trial, and that he may not be degraded of his Titles and Honours: Concerning which, be pleased to peruse this ensuing Letter from Holland, touching the degrading of his Majesty.  
Sir, We are here in a kind of amazement, to hear that your King should be designed for the grave before his time: Believe it, there's nothing more characterizes men wise in the opinion of the wisest mere man, then that they see a far off, not the plague of the body only, though that, but judgements sometimes for evildoing, sometimes for acting indiscreetly in matters that may be done. That which may lawfully be done, it may be absurd to do at some time: The taking away life, which is that prized above all, by him that all account wise, is not just (say some) at any time, unless there be a law that makes the thing done death, and death to him that doth it: The supreme power of England that forbids any to judge of treason in a constructive way, but themselves have retained in themselves a power to judge such and such practices and endeavours to amount to treason or death. In particular, suppose there were law, or it were in the power of the Lords and Commons to take awoy the life of the present King, yet if England, Scotland, and Ireland shall be made more miserable thereby in reason, and the waas renewed, to the probable ruin of the Nations, and chiefly to those who pretend most to piety and justice therein, it were better not. That it's dangerous this may be said: If you cut off, you must set up, vacuities of that nature suddenly introduce confusion: If you set up, it must either be a new King, or a new Government; if a new King, than the next of kin, and if him, then let his ●complyance be what it will, his father's death cannot be ●orgot; no, the danger of his mother's influence, who will remain in banishment, be easily got over, refuse he to come in, as it's most like, he hath the afore-named written upon his breast, hesides his hereditary claim, his marriage, which no man that hath a purse, but will endowry with a daughter, raise an army of 20000 to restore a son in law, and make his daughter Queen of 3 kingdoms, which by reason of situation, and inherent accommodations may (well managed) be the balancing power of Christendom. If any other, or a new Government, the objections are the same, & all the line & that successively are made enemies to boot; besides hath the Parl. or army yet got so much love? are they so deep in the hearts of the people, that they can assure themselves the neutrals, or those who have gone far with them will quiesce? But the answer is ready, we have an Army that cannot be over come, neither by what can rise here, or come from abroad. So had Alexander, but Alexander was poisoned, and what then became of his Army? ruin approached. Some will boast they fear no colours, nor danger, for they have the swiftest horse in the Kingdom; but what if that horse stumble, and throw his Rider: where's the man, the horse wandering up and down, as the fed hawk for food, comes to the hand of a child?  
Hague 2 Jan. 1648.   

The Heads of the army's Deolaration.  
1 That they were great promoters of the King's design. 2 Of promoting the King's design in Scotland, obstructing the Lord Lisle, and promoting the L. Inchequin. 3 That they encouraged the force that was set upon the Houses by the London apprentices, hindered and obstructed such things a● tended to the settlement of the Kingdom, &c. That therefore to the end that there might be a speedy way for settling the same, they excluded them the House, and intend very speedily to send in the Charge against them.   
FINIS.