The Bloody Project, Or a discovery of the New Design, in the present War.  
BEING A perfect Narrative of the present proceed of the several Grandee Factions, for the prevention of a just Peace, and promoting of a causeless War, to the destruction of THE KING, PARLIAMENT & PEOPLE.  
Whereunto is annexed Several Expedients for an happy Accommodation tending to the satisfaction of all Parties, without the further effusion of blood.  
By W. P. Gent.  
Printed in this Year of dissembling, 1648.   

The Bloody Project. OR New design in the present War discovered.  
IN all undertake, which may occasion war or bloodshed, men have great need to be sure that their cause be right, both in respect of themselves and others: for if they kill men themselves, or cause others to kill, without a just cause, and upon the extremest necessity, they not only disturb the peace of men, and families, and bring misery and poverty upon a Nation, but are indeed absolute murderers.  
Nor will it in any measure satisfy the Conscience, or God's justice, to go on in uncertainties, for in doubtful cases men ought to stand still, and consider, until certainty do appear, especially when killing and slaying of men (the most horrid work to Nature and Scripture) is in question.  
Far be it from any man hastily to engage in any undertaking, which may occasion a War, before the cause he is to fight for, be rightly, and plainly stated, well considered, and throughly understood to be just, and of absolute necessity to be maintained; nothing being more abominable in the sight of God or good men, than such persons who run●e out to shed blood for money, or to support this or the other Interest, but neither consider the cause for which they engage, nor ought el●e, but pay, interest, honour, etc. such are they who so eagerly endeavour to support the interest of a King▪ by the destruction of the People's Interest, the Interest of the Scots against the Interest of the English, the Interest of the Independents, by the ruin of the Presbyterians▪ and because it best consists with their present honour, profit or humours, make it their business to pick quarrels, and increase divisions and jealousies, that so they may fish in the waters which they themselves have troubled.  
But let such know, who ever they be, that though they may and do for a while brave it out, and flourish, yet a time is coming, and draweth on apace, when for all the murders they have caused, and mischiefs they have committed, they shall come to judgement, and then their Consciences will be as a thousand witnesses against them.  
But especially let men pretending conscience take heed how they either engage themselves, or persuade others to engage to fight and kill men, for a cause not rightly stated, or not throughly understood to be just, and of necessity to be maintained; for it is one of the most unreasonable, unchristian, and unnatural things that can enter into the mind or man, though it be to be feared that more than a few that have of late both in the City and Country, (and at present) are active to engage in killing and slaying of men) cannot acquit themselves of this abomination.  
I beseech you, (you that are so forward and active to engage in the defence of the Kings, Presbyterian, or Independent interest, and yet know no just cause for either) consider, was it sufficient that the King at first invited you in general terms to join with him, for the defence of the true Protestant Religion, his own just Prerogatives, the Privileages of Parliament, and the Liberty of the Subject; but never declared in particular what that Protestant Religion was he would have defended, or what Prerogative would please him, what privileges he would allow the Parliament, or what Freedoms the People?  
Or was it sufficient think you now, that the Parliament invited you at first upon general terms, to fight for the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion, the Libertyes of the People, and Privileges of Parliament; when neither themselves knew, for aught is yet seen, nor you, nor any body else, what they meant by the true Protestant Religion, or what the Liberties of the People were, or what those Privileges of Parliament were, for which yet nevertheless thousands of men have been slain, and thousands of Families destroyed?  
It is very like that some of you that joined with the King upon his invitation, thought, that though the King had formerly countenanced Popery, and Superstition,, had stretched his Prerogative to the oppression and destruction of his People, by Patents, Projects, etc. yet for the future he would have been more zealous for the truth, and more tender of his People, and not have persisted (notwithstanding his new Protestations) to maintain his old Principles.  
And so likewise many of you that joined with the Parliament, who had formerly seen, felt, or considered the persecution of godly conscientious people by the Bishops and their Clergy, with the reproaches cast upon them, and their grievous and destructive imprisonment, did believe the Parliament under the notion of Religion, intended to free the Nation from all compulsion in matters of Religion, and from molestation, or persecution for opinions, or nonconformity; and that all Laws or Statutes tending thereunto should have been repealed: But since you find (by killing and destroying their opposers) you have enbled them to perform all things that might concern your freedom, or be conducible to the peace of the Kingdom. But do you now find that they do mean that, or the contrary? And will your consciences give you leave any longer to fight or engage in the cause of Religion, when already you see what fruits you and your friends reap thereby.  
And no doubt many of you understood by the Liberties of the People, that they intended to free the Commons in Parliament the people's Representative, from a Negative voice, in King, or Lords, and would have declared themselves the highest Authority, and so would have proceeded to have removed the grievances of the Commonwealth: And when you had seen Patents, Projects, and Shipmoney taken away, the High Commission, and Starchamber abolished, did you ever imagine to have seen men and women examined upon Interrogatories, and questions against themselves, and imprisoned for refusing to answer? Or to have seen Commoners frequently sentenced and imprisoned by the Lords? Did you ever dream that the oppressions of Committees would have exceeded those of the Councel-table; or that in the place of Patents and Projects, you should have seen an Excise established, ten fold surpassing all those, and Shipmoney together? You thought rather that Tithes would have been esteemed an oppression, and that Trade would have been made perfectly free, and that Customs if continued, would have been abated, and not raised, for the support of domineering factions, and enrichment of four or five great men, as they have been of late times, to the sorrow and astonishment of all honest men, and the great prejudice of the Trade of the Nation.  
Doubtless you hoped that both Laws and Lawyers, and the proceeding in all Courts should have been abreviated, and corrected, and that you should never more have seen a Beggar in England.  
You have seen the Commonwealth enslaved for want of Parliaments, and also by their sudden dissolution, and you rejoiced that this Parliament was not to be dissolved by the King; but did you conceive it would have sat seaun years to so little purpose, or that it should ever have come to pass, to be esteemed a crime to move for the ending thereof? Was the perpetuating of this Parliament, and the oppressions they have brought upon you and yours, a part of that Liberty of the People you fought for? Or was it for such a Privilege of Parliament, that they only might have liberty to oppress at their pleasure, without any hope of remedy? If all these put together make not up the cause for which you fought, what was the Cause? What have ye obtained to the People, but these Libertyes, for they must not be called oppressions? These are the fruits of all those vast disburstments, and those thousands of lives that have been spent and destroyed in the late War.  
And though the Army seemed to be sensible of these gross juggle, and declared, and engaged against them, and professed that they took not pains as a mercenary Army, hired to fight for the Arbitrary ends of a State, but in judgement and conscience, for the preservation of their own, and the People's just Rights and Libertyes: Yet when they had prevailed against those their particular opposers, and accomplished the ends by them aimed at, all these things were forgotten, and those persons that appeared for the People's Freedoms, by them esteemed and proceeded against as Mutineers, or Incendiaries.  
In like manner, the present Ruling Party of Presbyterians make a great show of their apprehensions of the great slavery and servitude brought upon the People, by the exercise or an Arbitrary power in the Parliament, and by the jurisdiction of the Sword in the hands of the Army: They tell us that by this means the Trade of the Nation is destroyed, and that without the removal of these things, the peace of the Nation cannot be secured: And it is exceeding true: But I beseech you consider, whether they do not revive the same Play, and drive the same Design, which was acted by the Parliament at first, and by the Army the last-Summer.  
First, they cry out against the exercise of an arbitrary power in the Parliament, and yet labour to invest it in the King, nay challenge the exercise of it by themselves: for what greater arbitrary power can there be in the world, then that a Priest or two, and a few Lay Elders, under the name of a Presbytery, should have power to bind or lose, bring in, or cast out, save or destroy at their pleasure, and enforce all persons within the limits of their jurisdiction, to believe as they believe, and submit to whatever they command, or else to be by them delivered over to Satan.  
Nay if you look into those of that party of the Magistracy of this City, that are the great promoters of the present work: do there any men in the wo●ld exercise a more arbitrary power? Do not many of them act only by the Rule of will and pleasure, and have they not openly processed themselves to be obliged to observe no other Rule then Discretion.  
And though they decry agaitst the power of the Sword in the hands of the Independents, yet do they not with all their might, labour to get it into the hands of the Presbyterians? and being there, will they not do that themselves, which they complain of in others? will they not say that there are gainsayers whose mouths must be stopped, and with the Sword rather than fail, and though Royal sts or Independents may not use the Sword to enforce their Principles, yet Presbyterians may, as if all knowledge of the truth were centred in a Presbytery, consisting of half Scotch, half English, part Puritan, part Cavalier, lukewarm christianity, neither hot nor cold zealous for the truth which they know not, only by hearsay, and only because they love not Jndependency, that being to pure, nor Episcopacy, that being too profane, they will be between both, (but not in a golden Mean, for that were well) but more zealons then either in outward performances, but for the power of godliness.— I cease to judge, but we say we may know the tree by the fruit, and certain I am that Thistles never bore Figgs.  
But if you shall examine what grounds of freedom they propose in all their Papers; what equal Rules of justice they offer to be insisted on as a sure foundation for a lasting peace? Surely if you look burr seriously into the bottom of their design, you will find that the peace they aim at is only their own; not the Nations, and that their own ease, honour and dominion, is the only thing they pursue, and so they could enjoy ease and plenty and stretch themselves upon Beds of Down, they would never care what the poor Country should suffer.  
To be short, all the quarrel we have at this day in the Kingdom, is no other than a quarrel of Interests, and Parties, a pulling down of one Tyrant, to set up another, and in stead of Liberty, heaping upon ourselves a greater slavery then that we fought against: certainly this is the Liberty that is so much striven for, and for which there are such fresh endeavours to engage men; but if you have not killed and destroyed men enough for this, go on and destroy, kill and slay, till your consciences are swollen so full with the blood of the People, that they burstagen, and upon your deathbeds may you see yourselves the most horrid Murderers that ever lived, since the time that Cain killed his brother without a just Cause; for where, or what is your cause? Believe it ye have a heavy reeckoning to make, and must undergo a sad repentance, or it will go ill with you at the great day, when all the sophistry of your great Reformers will serve you to little purpose, every man for himself being to give an account for the things which he hath done in the body, whether they be good or evil: Then it will serve you to little purpose to say, the King, Parliament, Army, Independents, Presbyterians, such an Officer, Magistrate, or Minister deluded me▪ no more than it did Adam, to say the woman whom thou gavest, etc. It being thus decreed in heaven, the soul which sinneth shall surely die.  
And though what is passed cannot be recalled, yet it must be repent of, and special care taken for the future, that you sin no more in in this kind, and either stand still or go right for the Future, to which end let these following directions be your guide.  
1. You are to know, that a People living under a Government, as this Nation hath done, and doth, cannot lawfully put themselves, into Arms, or engage in War to kill and slay men, but upon a lawful call and invitation from the Supreme Authority, or Law-making power.  
Now if the Supreme Authority of this Nation were never yet so plainly declared, as that you understand certainly where it is, and who are invested therewith, you have then had no Warrant for what you have done, nor have any Plea in Law for your Indemnity, as some of all Parties have lately found to their costs▪  
And that this point of Supreme Authority was ever certainly stated, is absolutely denied; for according to the common supposition, it is 3. Estates, which till within these few years were ever taken to b● 1. Lords Spiritual. 2. Lords Temporal. 3. The Commons in Parliament assembled.  
Now if these three were essential and equal, as all former Times seem to allow; How could the Lords Temporal and the Commons, cast out the Lords Spiritual? For by the same rule, the Lords Spiritual, and Lords Temporal, might have cast out the Commons, but the casting out the Bishops hath both answered the question, and ended the controversy.  
Since when the supreme Authority is pretended to rest in the King, Lords and Commons; and if so, when did the King assent to your Proceed in this War, which all the art in the world will not persuade him to be for him, but against him, and to ruin him and his? Or when did the Parliament assent to the proceed of you that joined with the King in the late war pretendedly raised for the defence of Religion, the privileges of Parliament, and Liberty of the Subject; and if the supreme power reside in all three, King, Lords and Commons, how can the King justly do any thing without the consent of the Lords and Commons, or the Lords and Commons without the King? May not the King and Lords as justly proceed to make Laws, War or Peace, without the Commons as they without the King? If they are not equal, which of them are supreme, and declared and proved by convincing reason so to be? If any that you are to observe? If none, what have you done? what can you lawfully do?  
That there should be either three or two distinct Estates equally supreme is an absurd nullity in government, for admit two of them agree, and not the third, than there can be no proceed or determination, and if there be but two, as is now pretended, in Lords and Commons, whose Ordinances have served (how justly judge you) to make War and confiscate men's estates: admit they agree not, then also nothing can be done, which in Government is ridiculous to imagine, besides it is now a known case that their Ordinances are not pleadable against the Laws, and give no Indemnity, which were they the known supreme Authority, could not but be effectual. That the King single and alone is the supreme Authority himself never pretended to it, claiming only a negative voice in the Law-making Power, by which rule nothing can be done without him, than which nothing is more unreasonable: The Lords also never pretended to more than an equal share with the Commons, which in effect is a negative voice and as unreasonable as in the King: And when the Commons have been by Petitioners styled the supreme authority, they have punished the Petitioners, and disclaimed the supreme Authority: and as two years since, so very lately they have voted that the Kingdom shall be governed by King, Lords and Commons; which is a riddle that no man understands; for who knoweth what appertains to the King, what to the Lords, or what to the House of Commons? It is all out as uncertain as at first; and if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle? If by all your endeavours you cannot prevail to have the supreme Authority declared and proved, how can you lawfully fight, or upon what grounds with a good conscience can you engage yourselves or persuade others to engage in killing and slaying of men?  
And if you should have the supreme Authority rationally proved and declared to be in the Commons distinct from any other, as being the sole Representative of the people; you must note that you are a free people, and are not to be pressed or enforced to serve in Wars like horses and bruit beasts, but are to use the understanding God hath given you, in judging of the Cause, for defence whereof they desire you to fight, for it is not sufficient to fight by lawful authority, but you must be sure to fight for what is just: Lawful authority being sometimes mistaken, and many times so perverted and corrupted, as to command the kill and imprisoning men for doing that which is just and commendable, and for opposing what is unjust and destructive. Therefore as you are to forbear till you see the supreme Authority distinctly and rationally stated; so also you are not to engage till the Cause be expressly declared, lest after your next engagement you are as fa● to seek of a just cause as now you are; and after you have prevailed in stead of finding yourselves and your associates freemen, you find yourselves more enslaved than you were formerly. For by experience you now find you may be made slaves as effectually by Parliament, as by any other kind of Government; why then persist you to divide and fall into Factions? to kill and slay men for you know not what, to advance the honour and interest of you know not whom; the King, Parliament, great men in the City and Army can do nothing without you, to disturb the Peace of the Nation, upon you therefore both Soldiers and People, who fight, pay and disburse your estates, is to be charged all the evil that hath been done; if you on all hands had not been and were not so hasty to engage for the advancement or Interests to the prejudice of the Nation, it is very likely we had not only escaped those late bloody turmoils that have happened among us, but also might prevent greater threatened dangers, which like an inundation begin to break in upon us: And if you now stop not, your Consciences will be loaded with all that is to come, which threatneth far worse than what is past; Therefore, if ye are either men or Christians, hold your hands till you know what you fight for, and be sure that you have the truth of Freedom in it, or never meddle, but desist, and let who will both fight and pay.  
Certainly there is none so vile, considering what hath been said, that will again incur the guilt of murderers, and fight before the Cause be plainly stated and published, and if that were done as it ought to be, possibly it may be attained without fight, and might have been all this while, the difference not being so great as was imagined; Besides, where is the man that would fight against the supreme Authority, and a just Cause? and certainly there is none of you (whether Royalists, Presbyterians or Independents) so wicked as to desire to kill men without exceeding just grounds and upon the greatest necessity, it being the saddest work in the world.  

For the preventing whereof, let us, I beseech you, examine what good things there are wanting, that are essential to the Peace, Freedom, and happiness of the Nation, that may not be obtained without fight.  
1. Is there wanting the certain knowledge where the supreme Authority is, and of right aught to be; It is confessed no one thing is more wanting, nor can the Nation ever be quiet, or happy without it.  
But can it be any where justly and safely but in the House of Commons, who are chosen and trusted by the People? Certainly did men consider that in opposing thereof▪ they renounce and destroy their own freedoms, they would not do it for any thing in the world.  
If the consideration of the manifold evils brought upon us by this House of Commons, deter them, the next thing that is wanting is, That a set time be appointed for the ending of this Parliament, and a certainty for future Parliaments, both for their due elections, meeting, and dissolving: And who will be so unreasonable as to oppose any of these? certainly the number cannot be considerable.  
Is it also necessary that That Parliaments be abridged the power of impressing men, to serve as bruit beasts in the Wars, who will be against their being bounded therein? a good Cause never wanted men, nor an authority that had money to pay them.  
Hath it proved destructive in Parliaments to meddle in Religion, and to compel and restrain in matters of God's Worship? Are they evidently such things as cannot be submitto Judgement? Doth every man find it so that hath a living Conscience? Who then will be against their binding herein, though they be entrusted to establish an uncompulsive public way of worship for the Nation?  
Is it unreasonable that any person should be exempt from those proceed of Law, unto which the generality of the People are to be subject? Who is there then that will not willingly have all from the highest to the lowest bound alike?  
That Parliaments should have no power to punish any person for doing that which is not against a known declared Law, or to take away general property, or to force men to answer to questions against themselves, or to order trials, or proceed by any other ways then by twelve sworn men, who would not rejoice to have such boundaries?  
Then, that the proceed it Law might be rectified, and all Laws and the duty of Magistrates written and published in English: That the Excise might have a speedy end, and no Taxes but by way of subsidies: That Trade might be free, and a less burdensome way for the maintenance of Ministers be established, then that of Tithes; and that work and necessaries be provided for all kind of poor people. Certainly for the obtaining of these things a man may justly adventure his life; all these being for a common good, and tend not to the setting up of any one party or faction of men.  
These than are the Causes to be insisted on, or nothing: And if the supreme Authority adhere to this Cause, they need neither fear Scotch, French, nor English Enemies; but if they decline this Cause, they are to be declined, the just freedom and happiness of a Nation, being above all Constitutions, whether of Kings, Parliaments, or any other.  
For shame therefore (Royalists, Presbyterians, Independents,) before you murder another man hold forth your Cause plainly and expressly; and if any Adversaries appear either within or without the Land, reason it out with them if it be possible deal as becometh Christians, argue, persuade, and use all possible means to prevent another War, and greater bloodshed; your great ones, [whether the King, Lords, Parliament men, rich Citizens, etc. feel not the miserable effects thereof, and so cannot be sensible; but you and your poor friends that depend on Farms, Trades, and small pay, have many an aching heart when these live in all pleasure and deliciousness: The accursed thing is accepted by them, wealth and honour, and both comes by the bleeding miserable distractions of the Commonwealth, and they fear an end of trouble would put an end to their glory and greatness.  
Oh therefore all you Soldiers and People, that have your Consciences alive about you, put to your strength of Judgement, and all the might you have to prevent a further effusion of blood; let not the covetous, the proud, the bloodthirsty man bear sway amongst you; fear not their high looks, give no ear to their charms, their promises or tears; they have no strength without you, forsake them and ye will be strong for good, adhere to them, and they will be strong to evil; for which you must answer, and give an account at the last day.  
The King, Parliament, great men in the City and Army, have made you but the stairs by which they have mounted to Honour, Wealth and Power. The only Quarrel that hath been, and at present is but this, namely, whose slaves the people shall be: All the power that any hath, was but a trust conveyed from you to them, to be employed by them for your good; they have misemployed their power, and instead of preserving you, have destroyed you: all Power and Authority is perverted from the King to the Constable, and it is no other but the policy of Statesmen to keep you divided by creating jealousies and fears among you, to the end that their Tyranny and Injustice may pass undiscovered and unpunished; but the people's safety is the supreme Law; and if a people must not be left without a means to preserve itself against the King, by the same rule they may preserve themselves against the Parliament and Army too; if they pervert the end for which they received their power, to wit the Nation's safety; therefore speedily unite yourselves together, and as one man stand up for the defence of your Freedom, and for the establishment of such equal rules of Government for the future, as shall lay a firm foundation of peace and happiness to all the people without partiality: Let Justice be your breastplate, and you shall need to fear no enemies, for you shall strike a terror to your now insulting oppressors, and force all the Nations Peace to fly before you. Prosecute and prosper. Vale.    

Postscript.  
CAn there be a more bloody Project then to engage men to kill one another, and yet no just cause declared? Therefore I advise all men that would be esteemed Religious or Rational, really to consider what may be done for the future that is conducible to the Peace of the Nation; If the Peace of the Nation cannot be secured without the Restauration of the King, let it be done speedily and honourably, and provide against his misgovernment for the future; let his power be declared and limited by Law.  
If the Peace of the Nation cannot be secured by the continuance of this Parliament, let a Period be set for the dissolution thereof, but first make certain provision for the successive calling, electing and sitting of Parliaments for the future; let their Privileges be declared and power limited, as to what they are empowered and what not; for doubtless in Parliaments rightly constituted consists the Freedom of a Nation: And in all things do as you would be done unto, seek peace with all men.  
But above all things, abandon your former actings for a King against a Parliament, or an Army against both; for the Presbyterians against the Independents, etc. for in so doing you do but put a Sword into your enemy's hands to destroy you, for hitherto, which of them soever were in power, they played the Tyrants and oppressed, and so it will ever be, when Parties are supported: Therefore if you engage at all, do it by Lawful Authority, let your Cause be declared, and just also and let it be for the good of the whole Nation, without which you will not only hazard being Slaves, but also contract upon yourselves, and Posterities the guilt of Murderers. vale.  
FINIS.