A Resolve of the Person of the KING. OR A CORRECTOR OF THE Answerer to the speech out of doors.  
IVSTIFYING THE WORthy Speech of Master THOMAS CHALONER a faithful Member of the Parlement of England.  
EDINBURGH. As truly Printed by Evan tiler printer to the Kngs most excellent majesty, as were the Scotish papers. Anno. 1646.   

A Resolve of the Person of the KING. OR A Corrector of the Answerer to the Speech out of doors.  
justifying the worthy Speech of Mr. THOMAS CHALONER a faithful Member of the Parlement of England.  
Courtly Sir:  
YOu are much mistaken: the answer you make to your own questions do not satisfy; there are indeed that ask who you are? and what you mean? and they conclude you to be one that was an earwitnesse of that worthy gentlemans speech, else, what means that parenthesis in the 12. line, of the second page., of your paper, and the rather because you seemed to be bitten by the dog that is not worth the whisling after, and make an out-crie upon't? but deal as clearly as you can; is it not an ill dog that is not worth the whisling after? Or is there any but children, mad-men or worse, that take care for such as bite, destroy, do mischief, or foul the house? As for the debate at the Comoedie in Oxford, concrening the fittest place for the Kings Throne, the determination whereof was so difficult, that some thought it best to erect none at all; it is a very instructive passage, and may teach to purpose, though your grand Master will give you small thanks for declaring thereof without doors: if a just application be made thereof, what thankes you deserve, you shall be sure of; shall you not?  
You say you are one that hath adhered to the Parlement all along,( it were well if all alike) from the beginning of the war; what a thousand pities, it is your name was forgotten! had you only affixed that to your paper; every man would have recounted the great service you have done: were you a shamed of your name? or were you not? You know it is not faire to answer a thing that hath a name, without a name.  
You say you have served the Parlement faithfully in their lowest condition; twas pitty you had not goodness sufficient to hold out to the end; but it seems you did( as some others) about the time of Branfords-Skirmish, dis-relish the exigent;& though you faced not quiter about to Oxford, yet you faced to Kingston,& have look't on ever since, and sometime have cast an eye as far as Uxbridge, have you not?  
Nay, you are a Champion for the Parlement, Resolving to be still for them in that which is just& right, against any Person or Nation in the World: By any means make your name public: there may be uses for you that you cannot imagine: but stay a little, may you not carry two faces under one hood? Who do you intend shall be judge of what is right& just in this your resolution? believe it; by your writing good men fear, that either your understanding is very erroneous, or your conscience very dead or corrupt: and then if you will be judge yourself; the Parliament were better to be without your service& resolution: and indeed; for all your boasting, 'tis thought you have been and are but a back-friend, that you row one way and look another; which in plain English( if not in Scotch) is to play the dissembling hypocrite, is it not?  
You mightily over value your own art and Sophistry, and as much under value the judgements of others; if you imagine your delusion is not espied by every common capacity: you writ not in defence of the Scotch papers, but of the honour of the Parlement: Oh that Englands Parlement were advised of Joabs treachery, who while he saith; art thou in health my Brother, and salutes it with a pretended kiss, sheds out the very bowels of it on the ground. 2 Samuel 20, 10. either be what thou seemest, or seem what thou art: this sneaking in the head, and biting by the heel, manifests a Serpent, and that the poison of asps is under your tongue: if there were no more; this large machiavellian preface of yours( if well weighed) would sufficiently declare.  
You presume not to examine, or at all to intermeddle with any thing spoken within those walls; is that true? But how comes that passage without doors to escape your examen, which is placed immediately before the Argument, page. the third, of Mr. Chaloners Speech; can you give an, account of your silence therein? your descanting upon the parts of the speech and passing over that passage in silence, gives just ground to think that your most politic observation could not reach to defend your checks from collusion, and eminent receding from their Covenant therein.  
If you writ not in defence of the Scotch papers; what means then your strong conceited syllogism? If your juggling be not palpable to yourself, you have indeed lost your judgement; but it's rather to be feared you have sold both judgement and conscience for worldly respects.  
You cannot but know, what may be, and what hath been said and maintained too, of contrivances and contracts, conducing to the Kings address to the Scots so much is avoucht, believed, and commonly discoursed of, as dissolves the knot in your argument, the Covenant itself being first cut in the midst with a dudgeon dagger, whether the English would or no: assure yourself, the foundation of your syllogism ought to have been the Kings voluntary uninvited, uncontracted going to the Scots; If you will have it of any force with the People: for most men do confidently believe, there was all the parts of a real bargain in the business, and must have more then the Scots word, or the ambassadors faith, or the Kings Oath to prove the contrary, and then what, becomes of the weight you layupon the Covenant, Treaty, or Law of the Nations?  
But admit your syllogism held good in all partse and that the King were his own man a midst the, Scots, what's the issue? why then say you His person is not to be disposed of but by joint consent of both Nations? Well; be it so, nevertheless both Nations are bound to agree in what is just,* neither Covenant nor Treaty, nor Law of Nations, can bind in any thing that in itself is evil and sinful; concerning the Kings person then; should both Nations consider what in justice is to be done? In the first place, would they not consider what the King had done both before the war and since the war? would they not consider what the proper-difference is between a King and a Tyrant, and finding the latter character upon him, how then ought they to dispose of his Person? What punishment would appear sufficient for himself? What would become of his posterity, Justice impartially being agreed upon by both Nations And if they should not propose justice as their end in this His case, that hath so general an influence upon all Nations they shall certainly perish.  
Shall a poor indigent wretched, inconsiderate man suffer death& for feit the well-being of his posterity, for a particular offence, against a particular Law? and shall He and His escape scotfree that for sixteen yeares without intermission broke the Law, turned the government up-side-downe; nulled Parlements, and when craft and cruelty would not suffice, raised a most unnatural war against this Parliament, intermixing the most devilish plots that ever were to destroy both Parlement and City, murdering and destroying the most Religious and peaceable People in all places and never by all entreaties, treaties, Covenants[ and indulgence in all these] could be drawn to give over his violent and inhuman courses, till necessity enforced, and then by a most unparalleled contrivance to entangle this Nation more then ever? What can the true servants of the most just God say unto such a Person, but as thy sword hath made so many thousand thousands of women childless, so shal thy Mother be childless amongst women?  
That our records might instruct posterity with such a memento as this, and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal: Your toy's of evil council, and the King can do no wrong, would not serve Agags turn: nor Adonibezeck, nor the five Kings that Joshua hung up: who all might have pleaded evil council and the like; but before just Judges; such things are vanities, for they know God will not so be mocked. And if both Nations do justly; thus they ought to dispose of this Kings Person; and then there is an end of this controversy.  
That our English Parlement inclines to such a disposition, appears by voting of his Person to Warwick Castle; but the Scots agree not to this vote; but fall to an evident Treaty on His behalf, and not only for his immunity( which with what conscience they can do, their death-beads will tell them, and the blood of the slain) but for a necessity of restoring Him to his greatness and honour; to justify which their doings; their and our Covenant with, the most just God, is by them insisted on; to compel us to the same injustice, if this be not the highest mockery that ever was offered unto God: what is? Yet this is that you glory to maintain in them: accounting of all the miseries of this Nation, but as a hunting-match, or horse-race: But you and they, and their King whom they now stalk with all; will one day find that wilful murders must have another reckoning; maugre all King craft, Clergy-craft, and Court-craft in the world.  
But if it were agreed, they had a joint and equal interest in the Person of the King: and that they should differ about disposing of him: the Parliament of England justly resolving to punish him, and the Parliament of Scotland resolving to restore him to his honour and Authority: admit the Parliament of England should understand that they were no ways bound to preserve his Person, further then they found his Person in the defence of the true Protestant Religion, the liberties of the People, and privilege of Parliament, as the Covenant doth manifestly imply( and could be justly taken in no other sense) but if they found him in the opposition of all those, and in the violent prosecution of all kind of tyranny, oppression and cruelty, are they not plainly bound by the same Covenant to bring him to condign punishment, as the chief of all delinquents? can the death of Strafford, Canterbury or any of the rest be justified, if he escape that set them on work, and hath infinitely transcended them in Treasons against the Commonwealth?  
If the Parliament of Scotland should persist in their interpretation of the Covenant, that they understood the preservation of the Kings Person, His Authority and power to be always consistent with the preservation of Religion and the liberties of the People; it will appear an enforced construction, because sinful. Did you lift up your hand to the most-high high God to bring delinquents to condign punishmen?& can you keep your Covenant if he escape scotfree, who in point of all this blood& cruelty was eminenter causa sine qua non? it could not be just to defend His Person in the opposition and destruction of true Religion, and the liberties of the People, but to destroy Him as any other, nay as the King and the chief captain of the destroyers, and this the People talk of freely one with other; and the contrary being but the fruit of art and sophistry, serveth to no other purpose, but to exasperate them against whosoever useth those delusions, abhominating that the lives of so many precious men, and the ruin of so many honest families should be set at so cheap a rate: the manifold sorrows of their hearts, and their being often deceived, hath opened their understandings that they now see plainly through all those foldings and doublings; and they are but hated that use them.  
But to the point; admit the two Parlements should thus differ; what then becomes of your much laboured syllogism? You see the dispute is begun already: Sir, can you resolve who shall be judge of this coutroversy? if you can propose none;( as certainly you cannot) what then? must Scotlands resolution be a Law to England? Your face indeed; looks some-what that way, and so do the Scotch-papers too, but why so? if the negative voice so much pleaded for by the friends of prerogative, shall now be reassumed by the Scots, in this dispute, it will render the Parlement more incapable of preserving the kingdom now then ever: and while you pretend to avoid perjury, you would enforce the Parlement upon an inevitable slavery.  
If England and Scotland be truly measured, England is by far the greater and much more populous: and in all societies, the mayor part is conclusive, or they can never come to any determination: and then Englands resolution in this cause, ought rather to conclude Scotland: if Scotland thinks this not reasonable; what then? must there be a strife about the Person? why then striven they not who shall be most forward to bring him to justice? Why is there such a coil about his honour and power, that hath sought the ruin of all?  
Sir, what say you to that saying in the speech page. the 13, the King having put himself freely into their hands, they cannot with honour deliver him?( well, let them warm the Snake as long as England did, and they may hap to be yet as well requited) but what man that hath the use of reason, believes the King cast himself freely upon them but upon pre-assurance of protection; therefore talk not any longer of honour, it is but a mere trick, and it is discovered to their shane: 'tis not denied but they may have great use of him in many respects, to make advantages upon this Nation: but they are unjust, and will never prosper: when they have done all they can; they'll find many of those they think they have sufficiently deluded& perverted, that yet will never be alienated fromour English Parlement, nor be wanting to make good their Votes and resolutions, and also their interpretations.  
There are no great number of your perfidious temper that employ your English parts and abilities, to pled for deceit& tyranny,& basely to enthrall your native Country; what hath provoked you to so great a wickedness? or are you by some notorious practices become so obnoxious, that you cannot think yourself safe if justice be prosecuted impartially? do you fear it will at last arrive at you? it can be no other, if so, yet be advised, repent, and make amends, add not evil to evil, lest to escape the pan you leap into the Fire: with the just you may find mercy, happily your evil is over and past hurting, and will never be remembered: if you cast yourself on strangers th●y know wherefore you do it; and when you have dontheir work, will cast you off, loving the work but abhominating the instrument: besides; your labour falls upon a knowing People, and makes no impression: when judicious men red your inference upon the Covenant, defending therein the affirmations in the Scots papers touching the Kings Person: and after red over that brief passage of M. Chaloners speech: all that you have said comes to nothing, and you and your Master are great losers, so unadvisedly occasioning the receiving of that worthy and effectual passage, which, in due thankfulness to that faithful judicious and true lover of his Country, shall be here recited word for word; deserving indeed to be engraven in Marble, and to remain in the Commons House to all posterity.  
They say saith he; meaning the Scots papers) that by virtue of the Covenant they are obliged to defend his Person and Authority. What his Authority is in Scotland, themselves best know; but you only are to judge of it in England, since being not subordinate to any power on Earth, there is no power under Heaven can judge you. The Covenant ties you to maintain, in the first place, the Rights of Parliament, and the liberties of the kingdom; and in the second place, the Kings Person and Authority; and that only in defence of the former, and not otherwise. And whereas they expect the King should be received by you with honour, safety, and freedom; I beseech you Sir, consider whether( as the case now stands) his Reception with Honour can stand with the Honour of the kingdom, whether his safety be not incompatible with the safety of the Commonwealth, and whether his freedom be not inconsistent with the freedom of the People.  
I pray( Sir) take heed lest that bringing him in with Honour; you do not dishonour yourself, and question the very justice of all your Actions; be wary that in receiving him with safety you do not thereby endanger and hazard the Common-wealth: be advised, lest in bringing him home with freedom, you do not thereby led the people of England in thraldom,  
I pray( Sir) first settle the honour, safety and freedom of the Common-wealth: and then the honour, safety, and freedom of the King, so far as the latter may stand with the former, and no otherwise.  
Wherefor●, I shall conclude with my humble desire that you would adhere to your former Vote, that is, that the King be disposed of as both Houses of Parliament shall think fitting; and that you enter into no Treaty neither with the King or your Brethren of Scotland, lest otherwise thereby you retard the going home of their Army out of England.  
Sir, by what you have written, it will appear what your meaning is, you do but flatter yourself, your Conscience will be too strong for you, and condemn you wheresoever you are, it will afflict you in your private, and distracted you in your public occasions: in the end death comes, and what will be the fruit of those things whereof you will be then ashamed, when Mr. Chaloner that true friend to the people shall have peace in the clear discharge of his trust, and be for ever beloved of all good men; both in Parlement and Common-wealth?  
You are justly attended with the common unhappiness of hypocrites, which is to over act, and thereby to discover themselves most, when they intend most to hid themselves: so fareth it with you in the beginning progress and end of your discourse: being professedly for the honour of the Parlement, when nothing, was ever written more manifestly to the dishonour thereof, yet that in the close of all, you might be thought to be a friend; you sing this song to the tune of the old litany, from the plots both of sectaries and Malignants, good Lord deliver us.  
But Sir, are you sure you are no Sectary? It is much to be feared you are, ther is risen up of late a sect called the Scotch paper-sect, a very dangerous sect, a sect that hath plots and designs, and tricks and contrivances; are not you a principal member of this new sect? It is most evident you are: it is not supposed you are zealously of any other sect or Religion what ever you profess, your papers acquit you from all suspicion thereof: for most of those that are called sectaries, are true lovers of Englands interest, and have a care to admit none but honest men into their fellowships, and their plots are to preserve with their lives and estates, those just liberties of this Nation, and privileges of Parliament: whereof you and such as you are, are making an uncleanly conveyance, and selling for some vile and unworthy respects, and bless yourselves from those plots of sectaries.  
But why? shane you to be thought a Malignant, you know, and it is evident you are one: and it is pretty well in fashion, and if you would openly profess it, it would grow in favour: 'tis nothing but your taking and pleading for the Covenant that distinguishes you; and that's now a dayes as much as no thing; what is it, so long as you are your own interpreter? besides, you see it is the most likely to bring in the King your head. Come, it had been il for you& Him and all the Malignants in England, if it had not been for the Covenant; and therefore press it all you can, that it may upon penalty be taken by all men throughout the Nation: for certainly all the Malignants will take it, and then they shall no longer be ●alled malignants, but Covenanters, and if any scruple it, it will be those sectaries that have subdued the King your Master and all his forces,( except before excepted) and let those be called malignants: and then if it were not for this Parlement, ye Covenanters would have a merry world once again: and might take another course to answer such speeches as Mr. Chaloners: you remember what was done in the third year of this King: those were brave courses, and you long to see them again, do you not? Indeed you have cause, for if Gentlemen of his ability in the House( as God be blessed there are very many) do but put forth their parts henceforward as he hath done, all your art and sophistry will compass nothing but your own shane and ruin: which is the Just reward of your Treachery, and most perfidious breach of the trust you have undertaken.  
FINIS.