<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-06-12</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A75596">
<STC T="W">A3716</STC>
<STC T="T">e1000_24</STC>
<STC T="C">R207843</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99866871</BIBNO>
<VID>168722</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE ARMYS PLEA FOR Their pre&s;ent Practice: Tendered to the con&s;ideration of all ingenuous and impartial men.</P>
<P>Printed and publi&s;hed by &s;pecial command.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills,</HI> Printer to the ARMY, dwelling in <HI>Alder&s;gate</HI> Street next door to the <HI>Peacock.</HI> 1659.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>THE Armies Plea, FOR Their pre&s;ent Practice.</HEAD>
<P>_THat the principal end of pu|blick Government (next unto the Glory of God) is the Protection and Pre|&s;ervation of all good men, in their peaceable &amp; quiet living, in all Godline&s;s and Hone&s;ty; and that the Ma|gi&s;trates Duty in all Forms of Government gi&s;trates Duty in all Forms of Government what&s;oever, is to defend all men from all inju|ries, while they &s;o live, will doubtle&s;s be gran|ted by all that con&s;ult the Oracles of God, and Principles of Rea&s;on.</P>
<P>That the late Parliament did alwaies pretend to this great End, in all their publick Expre&s;&s;es, Remon&s;trances, Declarations, and An&s;wers be|tween the late King and them, will evidently ap|pear to all men that &s;hall peru&s;e the &s;ame; the very de&s;ign and tendency of many whereof, was
<PB N="2" REF="3"> to di&s;til into their diligent and con&s;iderate Rea|ders, an undoubted belief and per&s;wa&s;ion there|of: The light of which, hath &s;o &s;hined into the minds and judgments of many &s;ober and di&s;creet men, that neither their former darkne&s;s therein, nor any &s;ubtil endeavours of deceitful Impo&s;tors, to ob&s;cure the &s;ame, will ever be able to extin|gui&s;h that Light.</P>
<P>That the Peoples Safety is the chief Sove|raignty; that Kings, and all that are in Autho|rity, are Gods Mini&s;ters for his Peoples Good; that Governours were made for the People, and not the People for them; that they mu&s;t not reign in the Peoples ruine, and be lifted up in Authority, but what (under God) they have from the People, and for their u&s;e; that uncon|troulable Power, and ab&s;olute Authority, do be|come none but onely Him, who&s;e Nature is per|fect, and can do no wrong; that though the Supreme Magi&s;trates be above every individual, yet are they beneath, &amp; inferiour unto the whole; that they ought not to do their own wills, again&s;t the ju&s;t de&s;ires of tho&s;e that betru&s;ted them; that the Powers, Honors, and Dignities of Go|vernors, do re&s;pect the Peoples Intere&s;t above their own, and therefore being relatives, are al|waies obligatory; that the e&s;&s;ential end of all Kings, Rulers, Laws; and Governments, is the common Peace, Ju&s;tice, and Safety of the Peo|ple; that Laws, Acts, and Statutes, are binding, or not binding, as they are evidently and appa|rently
<PB N="3" REF="3"> relative, and conducing to common and publick Right, or Wrong; that no Governours or Governments are to be continued and tolera|ted, which are directly and plainly de&s;tructive unto the chief End of their Original Appoint|ment, <HI>viz.</HI> Common Good, the Common|wealth being never obliged by any Laws (though made by their own Repre&s;entatives and Tru|&s;tees for making Laws) to their publick de&s;tru|ction, which is contrary to the Laws of God, Univer&s;al Rea&s;on, and Nature it &s;elf; That the Power and di&s;po&s;ition of the publick <HI>Militia,</HI> and of the publick Trea&s;ury, were never ve&s;ted by the People in their Supreme Governors, but for their U&s;e, Peace, and Safety; That what&s;oever Laws, U&s;age, or Cu&s;toms, are again&s;t the Laws of true Religion, Rea&s;on, Nature, and Grace, are irreligious, unrea&s;onable, unnatural, and gracele&s;s, and therefore null and void in their very making, and cannot oblige. The&s;e and ma|ny the like Principles of common rea&s;on have been di&s;tilled into the judgments and con&s;idera|tions of the free People of this Nation, by means whereof it will not be an ea&s;ie matter for any Rulers in any Form of Government what&s;oever, to reduce them again unto their former yoaks of bondage and &s;lavery.</P>
<P>From hence it is, that when tho&s;e in Autho|rity &s;hall neglect the great ends of Govern|ment, and improve all opportunities, and ad|vantages, by means of their power and gran|dure, unto their own per&s;onal and family-inte|re&s;t;
<PB N="4" REF="4"> e&s;pecially when they &s;hall wilfully, and again&s;t common and univer&s;al rea&s;on, act con|trary hereunto; to the apparent danger of com|mon &s;afety, they determine their Authority; and having in &s;uch ca&s;es quitted their care and re|&s;pects to the peoples protection and welfare, they likewi&s;e quit the people from their allegi|ance and obedience.</P>
<P>And as all Laws, Statutes, Acts, and Ordinan|ces, &s;o all Covenants, Engagements, Promi&s;es and Prote&s;tations, all acknowledgements, &s;ub|&s;criptions, Vows, and Oaths, all, and all manner of obligations and expre&s;&s;ions thereof, are only binding unto the publick &s;afety, and not at all to the per&s;ons of the Governours, or forms of Governments, but with reference thereunto.</P>
<P>The&s;e and the like principles of Truth and right rea&s;on, have been brought to light by the late Parliament, in their many Printed Ex|pre&s;&s;es, and publike Di&s;putes, between the late King, and them, with which the apprehen&s;ions, judgements, and con&s;ciences of many thou|&s;ands ingenuous, &s;ober and religious per&s;ons, were occupied and in&s;tructed, and unto the de|fence, and maintenance whereof, again&s;t the &s;aid King and his Party, they devoted their E|&s;tates, Hor&s;es, Arms, Plate, Monies, Ser|vants, Children, their own per&s;ons, blood, limbs, and lives in the Service of the Parlia|ment.</P>
<P>And upon the afore&s;aid principles of publick Liberty, Peace, and Safety (and nothing el&s;e
<PB N="5" REF="4"> imaginable) the late Parliament did argue and pleade on behalf of them&s;elves, and their Par|ty, their di&s;charge from all their former prote|&s;tations, engagements, &s;olemn Vows and Co|venants, with hands lifted up to the mo&s;t high God; as al&s;o, their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, when the King engaged him&s;elf again&s;t the publick Rights, and ju&s;t Liberties of the People, and when the keeping thereof was de&s;tructive thereunto, and did al&s;o ju&s;tifie many extraordinary, &s;trange, and (doubtle&s;s in re&s;pect of the Letter of the Law) very il|legal actions, <HI>viz.</HI> their taking up Arms, rai|&s;ing and forming Armies again&s;t the King, fighting again&s;t his Per&s;on, impri&s;oning, im|peaching, arraigning, trying, and executing him, cutting off his head, bani&s;hing his Chil|dren, aboli&s;hing Bi&s;hops, Deans and Chapters, took away Kingly Government, and the Hou&s;e of Lords, broke the Crowns, &s;old the Jewels, Plate, Goods, Hou&s;es and Lands belonging un|to the Kings of this Nation, erected extraordi|nary High Courts of Ju&s;tice, and therein im|peached, arraigned, condemned, and executed many notorious enemies to the publick Peace, when the Laws in being, and the ordinary Courts of Ju&s;tice could not reach them; the&s;e were &s;trange and unknown practices in this Na|tion, and not at all ju&s;tifiable (as is conceived) by any known Laws &amp; Statutes, but only by the light of the afore&s;aid principles of common rea|&s;on, ju&s;tice, and equity, for the con&s;erva|tion
<PB N="6" REF="5"> of the publick quiet and peace of the people.</P>
<P>And for this cau&s;e al&s;o was the Army at fir&s;t rai&s;ed, formed, and commi&s;&s;ionated, namely, for the defence of the ju&s;t, civil, and religious Rights, Liberties, and Safety of the good peo|ple of this Nation; and not as meer Mercena|ries, and Hirelings to &s;erve any Arbitrary pow|er what&s;oever; but were invited, and called to|gether by the late Parliament, and conjured by their &s;everall Declarations, Remon&s;trances, and Expre&s;&s;es, printed and publi&s;hed in the &s;everal Market Towns, Churches, Chappels, and pla|ces of publick Meetings, for the defence of them&s;elves and the people, in the vindication and pre&s;ervation of their &s;aid ju&s;t Rights and Liberties, by which &s;aid publick Expre&s;&s;es, they have been frequently in&s;tructed, as well as by the Dictates of common rea&s;on, that it is no re&s;i&s;tance of Magi&s;tracy to pre&s;erve the publick, natural, and undoubted Rights of the People, again&s;t tho&s;e, the very nature of who&s;e office and place of tru&s;t (as Magi&s;trates) is to pre|&s;erve, and not to de&s;troy the &s;ame; That the Souldiery may lawfully hold the hands of their General, that &s;hall turn his Canon again&s;t them, and the Sea-men the hands of their Pilot, that &s;hall apparently &s;teer the Ve&s;&s;el, wherein they are, upon &s;helves and rocks, for the ruine of all.</P>
<P>And as the Army was fir&s;t rai&s;ed for the ends afore&s;aid, in&s;tructed, provoked, and encoura|ged
<PB N="7" REF="5"> by the Parliament unto the defence and &s;e|curity thereof; &s;o have they a&s;&s;erted the &s;ame, in fields of blood again&s;t all oppo&s;ers what&s;oe|ver, and have not at all declined any hazardous attempts when they have been called thereunto; but from time to time, in <HI>England, Scotland,</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> have jeoparded their lives, in the high places of the field, again&s;t all di&s;courage|ments and di&s;advantages what&s;oever, and, com|mitting them&s;elves and the righteou&s;ne&s;s of their cau&s;e unto the God of their Armies, have fought many bloody battels, with mighty, nu|merous, re&s;olute, valiant and potent Adver&s;a|ries and Armies, who&s;e numbers, &s;trength, and &s;everal advantages (though frequently, and in many re&s;pects) did exceed theirs, yet was the Lord of ho&s;ts continually with them, and the God of <HI>Jacob</HI> their refuge, teaching their hands to war, and their fingers to fight, and covered their heads in the day of battel, giving their enemies as du&s;t unto their &s;word, and as &s;tub|ble unto their bow.</P>
<P>And &s;ince it hath plea&s;ed God to give them the victory over their enemies, they may without vanity affirm that they have &s;till pur&s;ued and a&s;&s;erted their fir&s;t Cau&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> The ju&s;t Rights and Liberties of all hone&s;t and good men in their peaceable and quiet living, and not at all indulged either them&s;elves, or others, in the troubling, &s;uppre&s;&s;ing or abridging any, though keen, and froward again&s;t the Army, in the free u&s;e and enjoyment of their ju&s;t Rights and Li|berties;
<PB N="8" REF="6"> yea though their zeal hath tran&s;ported them, unto the mo&s;t fierce, fiery, and &s;harpe&s;t oppo&s;itions again&s;t them, as their tongues, pens, yea and their hands al&s;o, from time to time, could po&s;&s;ibly make again&s;t them, the charity of the Army inducing them to believe, and hope, that their intentions in the main were good, and hone&s;t, although by the &s;ubtile Ar|tifice of an ill &s;pirited and cunning adver&s;ary, they have been &s;educed, and provoked frequent|ly to attempt the ruine and de&s;truction of the Army.</P>
<P>With what &s;implicity, impartiality, and up|rightne&s;s of heart, this Army hath alwaies pro|&s;ecuted the afore&s;aid great end of their fir&s;t e|rection, and formation, <HI>viz.</HI> The publique peace, and quiet of all men in general, and the ju&s;t Rights, and Liberties of pious people in &s;pecial, though of &s;everal forms, judgements and apprehen&s;ions in &s;ome points of Religion, (if of hone&s;t and peaceable conver&s;ation) is &s;ufficiently known, as by their con&s;tant, and uniform endeavours in this particular, again&s;t all di&s;couragements, &s;candals, and reproaches, which the &s;harp and virulent tongues, and pens of &s;ome men could reflect upon them for the &s;ame; &s;o al&s;o by their con&s;tant refu&s;al to joyn, and clo&s;e with any one party, or intere&s;t what|&s;oever, though tempted by the mo&s;t prevailing allurements of honours, profits, preferments, and incouragements, whereof the officers and &s;ouldiers could imaginablely be capable: and
<PB N="9" REF="6"> whether, if even at this time, they could di&s;pen&s;e with their con&s;ciences, and accept of the wages of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and for their own ends and in|tere&s;t &s;akes, quit that good end and cau&s;e of their fir&s;t undertaking, and fall in with &s;ome &s;in|gle intere&s;t again&s;t the re&s;t, they might not have all the incouragements of profits and prefer|ments, that could be offered, or received by an Army in this kind, is tendred unto the con&s;ide|ration of all ingenuous and impartial men.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e this Army, (what ever defection hath been made by others) neither can, nor (through the implored a&s;&s;i&s;tance, and grace of God) ever will fall away from that good cau&s;e, which at fir&s;t they undertook, and in the defence whereof, they have alwaies experienced the pre|&s;ence and a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the mo&s;t High, carrying them through all difficulties and dangers, brea|king the forces of their enemies, and making all mountains to become plains before them; the memory whereof is &s;till fre&s;h upon their hearts; and the prai&s;e and glory whereof, they mo&s;t fee|lingly and heartily a&s;cribe unto God; therefore it is, that all po&s;&s;ible endeavours (that the ma|lice of their adver&s;aries could imagine, or invent) have been u&s;ed to divide, break and de&s;troy this Army, though the Lord, that knoweth their hearts, hath hitherto mercifully prevented their de&s;ired i&s;&s;ue, cau&s;ing all hands that have been &s;tretched out, or lifted up again&s;t them, to wither, and all contrivances, plots, and projects what&s;o|ever, to fall upon their own heads.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="7">
<P>Hence it hath been, that &s;ome have &s;harpned their pens, and whet their tongues like &s;words, bent their bowes, and &s;hot out their arrows, even bitter words, &s;candals and reproaches again&s;t them, as if their de&s;igns were to throw down the Mini&s;ters, de&s;troy Learning, countenance and promote all manner of errors, here&s;ies, and bla|&s;phemies, depo&s;e Magi&s;tracy, and all civill Go|vernment, and ravel all into confu&s;ion; though God, the di&s;cerner of the &s;ecret thoughts and in|tentions of men, knoweth, that the&s;e are all fal&s;e and &s;candalous, and as far from the thoughts and purpo&s;es of their hearts, as the Ea&s;t is from the We&s;t, and all ingenuous, and impartial men, that without prejudice have ob&s;erved them, cannot but judge tho&s;e charges again&s;t them to be fal&s;e and frivolous. For, as for the Mini&s;try, they have as able, and as hone&s;t mini&s;ters of their Regi|ments, as they could procure, and who have re|ceived Commi&s;&s;ions from the late Parliament, for that purpo&s;e, and they could heartily wi&s;h, that they had more &s;uch among them; they ne|ver had it in their hearts to di&s;courage, much le&s;s to de&s;troy Learning; and they do challenge any to prove what words, or actions did ever proceed from the Army, or any con&s;iderable Members thereof, to ju&s;tify &s;uch a charge again&s;t them; neither doth the Army countenance, much le&s;s promote &s;uch errors, here&s;ies, and bla&s;phe|mies, as the malicious tongues, and pens of evil minded and peevi&s;h &s;pirited men, have &s;ugge|&s;ted; though they do not judge it their duty, to
<PB N="11" REF="7"> di&s;countenance well di&s;po&s;ed, and pious men a|mong&s;t them, differing from one another in &s;ome points of Religion, whil&s;t they demean them|&s;elves in their places, as becomes them, and the known di&s;cipline of the Army; and their &s;evere proceedings again&s;t open, and prophane &s;wea|rers, and bla&s;phemers, as al&s;o again&s;t known wic|kedne&s;s among&s;t them, will &s;ufficiently vindi|cate their innocency in that re&s;pect. Neither can they ju&s;tly be charged to depo&s;e Magi&s;tra|cy; for although they cannot in judgement and con&s;cience permit (much le&s;s a&s;&s;i&s;t) Governors, to de&s;troy the very end of civil Government it &s;elf, <HI>viz.</HI> the ju&s;t intere&s;t, and rights of good men; yet did they never a&s;&s;ume the power and exerci&s;e thereof to them&s;elves, but left it to o|thers; &s;ome of the Army perhaps, as well as o|thers, being in like manner with others, called thereunto, have acted therein, there being no rea&s;on to the contrary; it is not Government, but the evils thereof, that the Army hath oppo|&s;ed. To rectifie Governors in the admini&s;tra|tion of common right and ju&s;tice, is to fa&s;ten the crowns of Government upon their heads; for although it is better to have any government then none; yet doth the Army judge it better, to alter &s;uch Governours, or Governments that &s;eek the ruine and de&s;truction of the very end of Government, then not to relieve the common &s;afety of good men, to avoid the &s;candall of di|&s;turbing &s;uch Governors or Governments in that ca&s;e. Better it is to alter and remove de|&s;tructive
<PB N="12" REF="8"> powers, then to permit the de&s;truction of the people in their ju&s;t rights by them.</P>
<P>And as &s;ome have imployed their tongues and pens again&s;t this Army, to render it odious unto the people; &s;o others have imployed their &s;everal capacities, opportunities, and advantages which they have had in the &s;everal late Coun|cils and Parliaments, to break the Army in pie|ces, and thereby (that &s;till being the great ob|&s;tacle and block in their way) to bring about their particular de&s;igns, according to the various principles, by which they have been acted: &s;ome for one intere&s;t, others for another, and both a|gain&s;t the intere&s;t propounded and pretended, as the main cau&s;e of the fir&s;t quarrel between the late King and Parliament.</P>
<P>As it would be too tedious to in&s;i&s;t upon all the particular tran&s;actions (with their circum|&s;tances) that (within &s;ome few years la&s;t pa&s;t) have pa&s;&s;ed between tho&s;e that have exerci&s;ed the &s;upreme civil powers and the Army, and the &s;everal revolutions, changes, and alterations that have fallen out thereupon; &s;o the Army takes no plea&s;ure to revive the memory, and mention of tho&s;e things, which it were to be wi&s;hed had never had their being, both in their unhappy cau&s;es, and unde&s;ireable effects, and wherein the Army do not plead a ju&s;tification of all, and eve|ry particular act, done by them, nakedly con&s;ide|red without their circum&s;tances; having been nece&s;&s;itated &s;ometimes, to walk in untrodden paths in their way, as the Parliament did al&s;o in
<PB N="13" REF="8"> theirs. But in this particular, <HI>viz.</HI> their con|&s;tant aim, and endeavor to pre&s;erve and &s;ecure the great end and cau&s;e of their fir&s;t underta|kings, <HI>viz,</HI> the ju&s;t, civil, and religious rights of the good people of this Nation, in danger to be quite lo&s;t and de&s;troyed, according to the be&s;t of their perceptions, in this their hearts do not con|demn them, and therefore have they boldne&s;s before God, and a&s;&s;urance of his favor, in pardo|ning their ignorances, and infirmities, and to im|plore his pre&s;ence, direction, and a&s;&s;i&s;tance, in pre|venting, guiding, and ble&s;&s;ing them in their fu|ture undertakings.</P>
<P>When the common adver&s;ary perceived that all their endeavors to break this Army by their friends and allyes, in the &s;everal Councils and late Parliaments, were &s;till fru&s;trate, and without effect (God turning all their coun&s;els therea|bouts into fooli&s;hne&s;s) they then betook them|&s;elves unto their Arms (not to &s;peak of their at|tempts to engage one part of the Army again&s;t the other, a little before the di&s;&s;olution of the Parliament, in the la&s;t Protectors time, and the great hopes they had thereof, by the pre&s;umed power and intere&s;t of Major General <HI>Brown,</HI> to get a&s;&s;i&s;tance from the City, &amp;c.) And that they might not be di&s;covered in their intended expedition, until the prevention thereof (in all conjecturable probabilities) were altogether im|po&s;&s;ible, they managed their de&s;ign with &s;uch &s;ubtiltie and &s;ecrecy, as if they had con&s;ulted the politick wits and heads of the cunning contri|vers
<PB N="14" REF="9"> of the fir&s;t rebellion in <HI>Ireland,</HI> hardly &s;uf|fering their left hand to know what their right hand did; in&s;omuch that their con&s;piracy had reached the ears, and &s;ummoned the appearance of their great and numerous parties in all parts, Towns and Counties of the Nation; Officers commi&s;&s;ioned, Armies concluded upon, their generals, field Officers, and Captains appointed; their particular &s;tations and work de&s;igned; their whole party, Noble men, Knights, Gentle|men, Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;ters, and commonpeople, enemies of all &s;orts, both the old Royali&s;ts, and others, were made acquainted therewith, and en|gaged therein; they day of their meeting through|out the whole Nation concluded upon, and al|mo&s;t at hand before the di&s;covery thereof; the &s;ucce&s;s whereof on the adver&s;aries &s;ide was &s;o probable, and promi&s;ing, as that they feared not to i&s;&s;ue out at la&s;t their declarations and expre&s;&s;es in print, inviting the people to joyn with them; their confidence thereupon was &s;o great, as that they &s;pake much after the rate of <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and the Egyptians, upon their march after I&s;rael, when they thought they could not e&s;cape, We will pur&s;ue, we will overtake, we will divide the &s;poil, our lu&s;t &s;hall be &s;atisfied upon them, we will draw our &s;words, and our hand &s;hall de&s;troy them.</P>
<P>But it plea&s;ed the Lord, out of his accu&s;tomed mercy and goodne&s;s, by &s;mall parties of his peo|ple, in &s;everal Counties and Cities, to prevent
<PB N="15" REF="9"> the gathering together of the Enemy in mo&s;t places, onely in and about <HI>Che&s;ter,</HI> a great party of them, Hor&s;e and Foot, in good equipage, were met together, formed them&s;elves into a con&s;iderable Army, who were indeed like a black and thick cloud, that threatned to vent it &s;elf in di&s;mal &s;torms of fire and blood upon the Parliament, again&s;t whom they manife&s;ted their keene&s;t re&s;olutions, as al&s;o again&s;t all tho&s;e that &s;till adhered unto their fir&s;t Principles, and that <HI>Old Cau&s;e</HI> wherein they at fir&s;t ingaged with the Parliament again&s;t the late King.</P>
<P>Upon which it plea&s;ed the Parliament to com|mand the Lord <HI>Lambert</HI> with a Brigade to &s;up|pre&s;s the &s;aid Enemy, who with much readine&s;s of mind, chearfulne&s;s and re&s;olution, did un|dertake that Service, and marched away with all po&s;&s;ible expedition; who (through the ble&s;&s;ing of God) managed that Affair with &s;uch Wi&s;|dom, Courage, and Re&s;olution, as that the E|nemy was totally routed, di&s;per&s;ed, and &s;uppre&s;|&s;ed, with very little lo&s;s of blood; his indea|vours being, as much as could be, to prevent the &s;hedding of blood.</P>
<P>The Officers of the &s;ame Brigade, being full of the &s;en&s;e of that &s;ea&s;onable Mercy and Suc|ce&s;s, con&s;idered how they might improve the &s;ame unto the Glory of God, and good of the Nation; and withal, calling to mind how craf|tily their Adver&s;aries and their Abettors in for|mer times, by fair &s;peeches and feigned words, pretences and &s;ugge&s;tions, deceived them, and
<PB N="16" REF="10"> the re&s;t of the good People of the Nation, of the benefit of &s;uch Succe&s;&s;es and Victories; and finding the Peoples di&s;affection to be more general than was conceived by the Parliament, did agree upon an humble Petition and Propo|&s;als unto the Parliament, and together with a very &s;ober and Chri&s;tian Letter, &s;ent the &s;aid Petition and Propo&s;als unto the Lord <HI>Fleetwood,</HI> with a de&s;ire that (if he thought fit) it might be communicated to a General Council of Officers, for their approbation.</P>
<P>His Lord&s;hip forthwith communicated the &s;aid Letter and Paper to Sir <HI>Arthur He&s;ilrig,</HI> with a de&s;ire that him&s;elf, Sir <HI>Henry Vane,</HI> and Major <HI>Salwey,</HI> would give his Lord&s;hip a meeting, to con&s;ider what was fit to be done therein. But in|&s;tead thereof, the next day Sir <HI>Arthur He&s;ilrig</HI> (upon what account is unknown) acquainted the Hou&s;e with the &s;aid Paper, and that there was a dangerous de&s;ign among &s;ome in the Army, &amp;c. upon which rumours were &s;pread abroad of new attempts to introduce a Government by a &s;ingle per&s;on again; which was directly contrary to the very &s;cope and de&s;ign of the &s;aid Paper. Whereupon the Hou&s;e pre&s;ently ordered an Ad|monition to be given to the Officers of the Ar|my, reproachfull &s;peeches were ca&s;t up and down, of &s;ending the Lord <HI>Lambert</HI> to the To|wer; that &s;ome of the Chief Officers of the &s;aid Brigade de&s;erved to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, with many the like keen and angry reflections: by all which it did appear to the Ar|my,
<PB N="17" REF="10"> my, that there was a de&s;ign either to divide be|tween the Parliament and the Army, or between the Army and the good People of the Nation, or to make divi&s;ions and contrary parties in the Army it &s;elf. Whereupon, the Officers of the Ar|my that were in Town, being between two and three hundred, met together, and agreed upon an humble Repre&s;entation and Petition, which was delivered to the Parliament, and they had the thanks of the Hou&s;e for the &s;ame, with a pro|mi&s;e that their Propo&s;als in the &s;aid Petition &s;hould be taken into Con&s;ideration, all which have been printed and publi&s;hed.</P>
<P>At the &s;aid General Council of Officers (that nothing might be done by them that were in Power, but that the re&s;t of the Officers that were ab&s;ent, and equally concerned, &s;hould have the cognizance thereof, Directions were given for &s;ending the &s;aid Repre&s;entation and Petition inclo&s;ed in a Letter to their re&s;pective Regiments and Gari&s;ons, one of which Letters being &s;ent to Colonel <HI>Okey</HI>'s Regiment, was brought unto the Hou&s;e by a Member thereof; upon reading of which, the Hou&s;e immediately declared the Lord <HI>Fleetwood</HI>'s Commi&s;&s;ion void, together with the Commi&s;&s;ion of the Lord <HI>Lam|bert,</HI> General <HI>Disbrow,</HI> and of &s;ix Colonels and one Major: and all this, without &s;o much as cau&s;ing them to come before them, and hearing them &s;peak one word for them&s;elves, or exami|ning whether the Names &s;ub&s;cribed therein, were the hand-writings of the &s;aid Officers;
<PB N="18" REF="11"> and all ari&s;ing from that very matter, for which the Army had the thanks of the Hou&s;e but a lit|tle before.</P>
<P>And not only &s;o, but things were &s;o contri|ved, that a Regiment commanded by Colonel <HI>Morley</HI> (who with &s;ix others were appointed to command the Army) was brought for a guard to the Hou&s;e, &s;everal Barrels of Powder laid in, together with provi&s;ion of victuals, in order to the effectual carrying on of &s;ome de&s;igne.</P>
<P>The Officers of the Army having knowledge of the&s;e things, and perceiving &s;uch &s;trange and violent cour&s;es and proceedings again&s;t &s;ome of the chief of them, without any ju&s;t cau&s;e, exa|mination and trial, con&s;idering and expecting that it would be their own ca&s;es the next day, they being all alike concerned in the &s;ame thing: the &s;aid Officers &s;o put out, having done nothing for which they were &s;o cen&s;ured but by their order; And ob&s;erving further the zeal of many in the Hou&s;e for the puni&s;hment of tho&s;e, for no ju&s;t cau&s;e, who (but as ye&s;terday) ven|tured their lives to &s;uppre&s;s a potent and dan|gerous Enemy in the field, and how cold and backward they were unto the trial and puni&s;h|ment of the &s;aid Enemy whom they &s;ubdued; and clearly perceiving a re&s;olution either totally to de&s;troy, or quite change and alter the very &s;pirit and temper of this Army, and to form an|other for their own ends and purpo&s;es: And la&s;tly, di&s;cerning that by &s;uch proceedings a|gain&s;t them, as afore&s;aid, in turning them out
<PB N="19" REF="11"> of their Commands and Tru&s;t for no ju&s;t cau&s;e at all, and that they mu&s;t neither pre&s;ent inno|cent Petitions to them, nor write innocent Let|ters to one another, for the promotion of things hone&s;t, ju&s;t and meet, worthy of their own ac|ceptance and thanks: The Army (perceicing the&s;e things) had little hopes that the publike Liberties and Intere&s;t of this Nation, and the people of God therein, could be long freed from violation and utter de&s;truction, and therefore, they did put a &s;top unto the &s;itting of the Par|liament, concluding it betraying of that tru&s;t and Cau&s;e (for which they were fir&s;t rai&s;ed) which is more precious unto them then their lives, &s;hould they neglect their pre&s;ent oppor|tunity to pre&s;erve the &s;ame. With what pur|po&s;es, intentions, and re&s;olutions the Army did invite the Parliament to &s;it again, after their long &s;u&s;pen&s;ion from their &s;itting; What hopes they had of their doing great and ex|cellent things for the happy &s;ettlement of this poor, harra&s;ed, and di&s;tracted Nation; With what promi&s;es and a&s;&s;urances from many princi|pal Members of them, the&s;e hopes and expe|ctations of the Army were begotten, fed, and nouri&s;hed, are known unto God that judgeth right: But how the&s;e things have been per|formed, the &s;ettlement of the Nation endea|voured and ha&s;tened, how much can be done (if they be plea&s;ed) even in one day, again&s;t their faithful friends, and how little, in &s;ix
<PB N="20" REF="12"> moneths for the common and publick good, is to apparent. The re&s;olution as likewi&s;e the practice of the Parliament, to give all Com|mi&s;&s;ions them&s;elves unto the Officers of the Army, from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t, to con|tinue the publike Revenues of Cu&s;tomes and Exci&s;e but for three moneths, the delay in their Act of A&s;&s;e&s;&s;ements, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> were not without the ob&s;ervation and jealou&s;ies of &s;ome, that the de|&s;igne hereof was their own continuance and per|petuity, creating a nece&s;&s;ity thereunto, or the making void the power and maintenance of the Army. And the inward did-favour, if not (&s;ince their &s;itting, though covertly carried) purpo&s;es of revenge again&s;t the Army, was more then conjecturable, by their backwardne&s;s to &s;et out the Act of Indemnity; Notwith&s;tanding which Act, they pa&s;&s;ed a Vote again&s;t Major General <HI>Harri&s;on,</HI> making him uncapable of future pub|lick employment, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for no new or other of|fence, but his joyning with other Officers of the Army in the interruption of the Parliament, which the Army could not but judge to be again&s;t all Rules of Equity, and Ju&s;tice, and a precedent, threatning all the re&s;t of the Offi|cers that had a hand in the &s;aid interruption, to fare alike, upon the fir&s;t opportunity of politick conveniency thereunto; for that Act did either pardon him, or not; if it did pardon him, then that &s;entence again&s;t him was unrighteous and unju&s;t, becau&s;e again&s;t the publick faith of the
<PB N="21" REF="12"> Parliament declared in their own Act, printed and publi&s;hed by their command, which for|merly hath been the greate&s;t &s;ecurity that the people of <HI>England</HI> could have for any thing: If it did not pardon him, neither did it then pardon any of the Army that had a hand in their fore|&s;aid interruption, and &s;o it &s;ignified nothing at all; If the penning that Act was with &s;uch care, caution, and implicite Liberty left in the Hou&s;e, to puni&s;h any man that had a hand int he fore|&s;aid interruption, then did they only &s;eem to pardon whom they did intend to puni&s;h, and &s;o that Act was a meer collu&s;ion, and not com|porting with that &s;implicity and uprightne&s;s of minde, and good affection to the Army which was pretended thereby, nor yet to that &s;inceri|ty of love to them wherewith the Army did clo&s;e and joyn with them; nor indeed an&s;wer|able to that plainne&s;s of expre&s;&s;ion as might challenge the confidence and belief of the peo|ple in future times to depend upon the &s;ecurity even of an Act of Parliament: And la&s;tly, their apt, forward, and &s;evere proceedings a|gain&s;t the chief of their Army, without any ju&s;t cau&s;e given hereunto, and indeed &s;training and catching at an occa&s;ion of offence when not given, do not a little argue more then a tincture of &s;ecret di&s;contents and purpo&s;es to reckon with them for their fore&s;aid interruption.</P>
<P>The Army is not in&s;en&s;ible of the many an|gry, and impertinent reflections like to be ca&s;t upon them for this Act, by the petulancy and
<PB N="22" REF="13"> frowardne&s;s of &s;ome di&s;contented and incon&s;i|derate per&s;ons, who&s;e &s;elf &s;ame tongues can, and frequently do, both ble&s;s and cur&s;e, commend and condemn the &s;elf fame actions (at &s;everal times performed) as their own intere&s;ts are like to &s;tand or fall thereby: Neither are they much &s;ollicitous or careful about that matter, being &s;ufficiently furni&s;hed with &s;atisfactory rea|&s;ons in their own con&s;ciences, to cut the &s;inews of any material Objection that can be made a|gain&s;t them.</P>
<P>They are not likewi&s;e willing to enter into the controver&s;ie and debate of all that may be &s;aid with reference to the Parliament, for or a|gain&s;t their Parliamentary authority, and the indi&s;&s;olvablene&s;s of them without their own con&s;ent, nor are they altogether ignorant there|of; That which did encourage the Army to invite them to &s;it again, was the con&s;ideration and remembrance of what great things God did do by them, their many years knowledge and experience which they had of the complexion, temper, and &s;tate of the Commonwealth, and their pre&s;umed abilities and di&s;po&s;ition to en|deavour and bring about a &s;afe and happy &s;ettle|ment thereof, to the great contentment of the people, and equitable &s;atisfaction of all hone&s;t intere&s;ts, and the many hopeful promi&s;es and a&s;&s;urances that were given thereof: And the Army was re&s;olved to adhere unto them to the utmo&s;t of their power to a&s;&s;i&s;t them therein, and did therefore judge it their duty to invite them
<PB N="23" REF="13"> to &s;it; but alas, their hopes herein, hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ani&s;h|ed like &s;moak: they looked for peace, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> behold a rent, and for a time of healing, but no good came.</P>
<P>If this Army, and the continuance thereof be nece&s;&s;ary to pre&s;erve that fir&s;t ju&s;t Cau&s;e, for the pre&s;ervation whereof they were fir&s;t rai&s;ed (there being &s;carce any thing ob&s;tructions unto the ru|ine of it, but the Army) it was then nece&s;&s;ary for them to take that cour&s;e which they have done; for who &s;eeth not, that if &s;o be three of their Chief Officers, and &s;even Field Officers, can be puft away with a breath, for no cau&s;e gi|ven, without hearing, examination, trial, or proof made of any fault committed, and the re&s;t of the Officers remaining every whit as much in the pretended offence as they, and therefore as much obnoxious to be de&s;troyed (in re&s;pect of their &s;tanding in the Army) by the breath of their no&s;trils, as their Superiours and Brethren were; (the ca&s;e being &s;o) who &s;eeth not, but that the Army now mu&s;t take its leave and la&s;t farewell of their old friends, and that Cau&s;e which they have maintained hitherto with good &s;ucce&s;s (through Gods ble&s;&s;ing) or take up new re&s;olutions to try yet what po&s;&s;ibly may be done for the con&s;ervation thereof, and not to deliver up that Sword out of their hands, for the &s;mi|ting of that Cau&s;e, which God by his Providence did put into their hands for its Protection and Defence.</P>
<P>It is not denied but the Officers of the Army
<PB N="24" REF="14"> did promi&s;e and engage to be true, faithfull, and con&s;tant unto the Parliament, which they did with all uprightne&s;s and &s;inglene&s;s of heart: and &s;o did the Parliament when time was, in the &s;o|lemn league and Covenant, in a mo&s;t &s;erious manner, with hands lifted up unto the mo&s;t high God, to defend the Kings per&s;on, honour, and dignity, in the pre&s;ervation of our Liberties and Religion, &amp;c. and yet afterward did arraign, con|demn, and execute him; and yet doubtle&s;s do believe that they have not broken their Cove|nant notwith&s;tanding. In like manner, the Officers of the Army did engage to be true, faithfull, and con&s;tant to the Parliament; but though the Parliament was not plea&s;ed to in&s;ert the Condition of that Engagement, <HI>viz.</HI> in the maintenance of that Old Cau&s;e, the pre&s;ervati|on of the ju&s;t rights and liberties of all the pious and good people of the nation, living a peace|able and quiet life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, yet mu&s;t it be implied and under&s;tood: for ei|ther that condition was intended, or not; if not, then was it unlawful, and &s;o null and void in its very making; and as the making of &s;uch an in|conditionate engagement and promi&s;e, is &s;in; &s;o the keeping thereof is &s;in al&s;o, and &s;o an adding of &s;in unto &s;in. If it were intended, though not expre&s;t, then the Army hath not broken their Covenant with the Parliament, becau&s;e their ve|ry judgements and con&s;ciences (upon arguments very convincing unto them, are &s;atisfied, that (if this Army were out of the way, whereunto tho&s;e
<PB N="25" REF="14"> Votes of ca&s;hiering the chief Officers thereof were praevious) they are per&s;waded upon grounds and rea&s;ons too enforcing, that all the pious and good people of this Nation, &s;hould not en|joy a peaceable and quiet life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, but only &s;ome part of them; and that many thou&s;ands of good people in this Land, that differ in judgement and practice in &s;ome points of religion, and forms of wor&s;hip from others, &s;hould be enforced either to &s;in in con|formity again&s;t their con&s;ciences, or again, as in times of old, to &s;eek their &s;pirituall food, yea, and bodily al&s;o, in de&s;olate places, or el&s;e &s;ubmit them&s;elves unto the intolerable yoak of per&s;e|cution and fiery trials. And what is this, but to give up that Cau&s;e which for &s;o many years hath, by Gods ble&s;&s;ing, been a&s;&s;erted and maintained with good &s;ucce&s;s, though with the lo&s;s of &s;o much trea&s;ure and blood, that hath been expen|ded thereabout?</P>
<P>Again, the fore-mentioned Votes, di&s;charging the &s;aid Officers from their places of command in the Army, were for &s;omething, or for nothing; if for nothing, then were they meerly arbitrary, unrea&s;onable, and unrighteous; yea, and contra|ry to the Parliaments promi&s;e to them, that the Officers of the Army from time to time, &s;hould receive marks of the favor of the Parliament, and countenance an&s;werable to their faithful|ne&s;s and merit; which faithfulne&s;s and merit doth re&s;pect either the time pa&s;t, or to come; if the time pa&s;t, and with an eye to their for|mer
<PB N="26" REF="15"> act of interruption, and leavin a liberty in them, to puni&s;h them for the &s;ame, intending rather their pre&s;umed unfaithfulne&s;s and deme|rit, then their faithfulne&s;s and merit, then that vote was no promi&s;e, but a threatning un|der the vizard of a promi&s;e, and &s;o &s;till a very collu&s;ion.</P>
<P>If it did re&s;pect the time to come, then that Promi&s;e hath not been kept, except ca&s;hiering be a mark of favour.</P>
<P>Again, if their fore&s;aid ca&s;hiering was not an arbitrary act of meer will and plea&s;ure, but for ju&s;t cau&s;e; what then was that cau&s;e? Why were they not called to an account, and heard before &s;entenced? which in all equity (e&s;peci|ally their former gracious promi&s;e of marks of favour con&s;idered) &s;hould have been done.</P>
<P><HI>If it be &s;aid, That the Parliament thought it convenient for publick good to take away the Com|mi&s;sions of tho&s;e Officers, which they gave unto them of their free plea&s;ure; and that they are no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">e el&s;e are the proper Judges of what is convenient to be done for common Intere&s;t in that ca&s;e: and that the &s;aid Officers ought to have &s;ubmitted thereunto:</HI></P>
<P>For An&s;wer; If it be granted, That the being of this Army, and the continuance al&s;o in the vigorous &s;ence of their fir&s;t ju&s;t principles and re|&s;olution to protect all good men of hone&s;t and paceable lives and conver&s;ation, in their civil and religious Liberties, be ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary (which cannot rea&s;onably be denied) then common and apparent rea&s;on mu&s;t be the only judge.</P>
<PB N="27" REF="15">
<P>The Army grants, That in doubtful and di&s;|putable Ca&s;es, the Parliament is the onely Judge, and all mu&s;t &s;ubmit: but if the Parliament judge, and &s;ay that noon-day is midnight, or if they Vote that it is Liberty, and not Bondage, to be tyed in chains, and ca&s;t into dungeons, and there kept, mu&s;t men &s;ubmit in that ca&s;e? Suppo&s;e the Parliament &s;hould make their peace with the Scotch King, upon condition of &s;ecurity of their Lives, Liberties and E&s;tates to them&s;elves, fa|milies and po&s;terity, and for quietne&s;s &s;ake, for the &s;ettlement of the Nation, &s;hould re&s;olve to Enact, That all men what&s;oever &s;hall &s;ubmit and conform them&s;elves in their judgements and practice, unto what doctrines, di&s;cipline and wor&s;hip the &s;aid King and a free Parliament (to be hereafter cho&s;en by his Writs) &s;hall Enact, mu&s;t the Army and all others quietly &s;ubmit, and lay down their heads upon blocks to be cut off without asking any que&s;tion for con&s;cience &s;ake? whatever is the opinion of the late Par|liament in this point now; it is mo&s;t certain, that was not their opinion in 1648. the &s;um then of this is, That as the late Parliament in one of their Declarations &s;pake of their treating with the late King, <HI>viz. A declaration of the Lords and Commons of the</HI> 4th. <HI>of</HI> March, 1647. <HI>in an&s;wer to the Papers of the Scotch Commi&s;sioners;</HI> &s;o may <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">e Army &s;ay of their &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the&s;e Votes, <HI>viz.</HI> that they cannot &s;uffer them&s;elves to be Vo|ted out of all that they have fought for, nor that under the pretence of publick good, Voted &s;o
<PB N="28" REF="16"> to be by the Parliament, for the &s;atisfying of all Intere&s;ts, one Intere&s;t &s;hould be &s;et up, which &s;hould devour all the re&s;t. Surely if this mu&s;t be the i&s;&s;ue of all, after &s;o much expence of the Trea&s;ure and blood of the Nation: The Parli|ament and Army &s;hould have taken this into con&s;ideration, before they had engaged them|&s;elves and the Nation in &s;o much Co&s;t and Blood, which was not onely &s;pent unnece&s;&s;ari|ly, but al&s;o very unlawfully. Who doth not &s;ee that this will bring upon them all the blood that hath been &s;hed in this War? neither do they think they ought to &s;uffer them&s;elves to be Vo|ted fir&s;t out of their Commands in the Army, and next unto the Gallows, with all their friends and Party, for nothing, but their adhering unto that fir&s;t ju&s;t Cau&s;e, whereunto they are Invited, conjured, and &s;worn &s;o to adhere with their lives and Fortunes, even by them that &s;o vote them.</P>
<P>Again, by the Parliament mu&s;t be meant the major part of the Parliament, and not the mi|nor: and if &s;o, it cannot be forgotten, that the&s;e very Gentlemen of Parliament, when they were a minor Party in the Hou&s;e, and could not carry on that great Cau&s;e of publick Liber|ty, which at fir&s;t they a&s;&s;erted, being overpow|red by the contrary Party in the Hou&s;e, through the defection that many of them made from the &s;ame, that then they did re&s;t &s;atisfied in permit|ting the Army to be Judge in the Ca&s;e, and (not to &s;ay, did invite and de&s;ire them to take away &s;everal of the leading Party of the &s;aid di&s;|affected
<PB N="29" REF="16"> Members) did acquie&s;ce and re&s;t &s;atis|fied in the rea&s;ons given by the Army for their &s;o Acting; the very &s;pirit and life of which Rea|&s;ons did con&s;i&s;t in this, that they could not in con&s;cience permit them, (that is, the major part of the Hou&s;e, for a minor part could not) to de&s;troy the Cau&s;e, which they (by commands of Parliament, and in con&s;cience of the Vows and Covenants impo&s;ed upon them by Parlia|ment) did undertake, when they were fir&s;t in|vited into Arms. And if they might be Judge of what was meet to be done to &s;ecure the com|mon Cau&s;e of the good people of the Nation; then why may they not (the ca&s;e being the &s;ame in their very judgements and con&s;ciences) be Judges of what is nece&s;&s;ary for them to do now al&s;o?</P>
<P>For conclu&s;ion, The Army de&s;ire all &s;ober and judicious men, to &s;top their ears again&s;t all uncharitable jealou&s;ies, and unrea&s;onable &s;u&s;pi|cions, which rancorous and evil-minded men may &s;ugge&s;t again&s;t them, and to a&s;&s;ure them|&s;elves, that all pious and ju&s;t Magi&s;trates, all godly, able, and peaceable Mini&s;ters, all hone&s;t, quiet, and &s;ober-minded Chri&s;tians, all the Peo|ple of this Commonwealth, &s;hall find the Ar|my, according to their utmo&s;t abilities, ready to &s;ecure and defend them in their Per&s;ons, Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ions, ju&s;t Rights, and Intere&s;ts, again&s;t all per&s;ons what&s;oever, that &s;hall offer violence up|on them; that through the implored ble&s;&s;ing and a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the onely wi&s;e God, who bring|eth
<PB N="30" REF="17"> light out of darkne&s;s, and good out of evil, &s;uch foundations of Government and hope|full Settlement will be now laid, after the&s;e late Revolutions and Changes: as al&s;o &s;uch a firm Union (not onely in the Army among&s;t them|&s;elves, who have now re&s;olved and engaged, that they will never unadvi&s;edly be &s;educed to divide into parties again&s;t one another, but al&s;o) be|tween the Army and all queit and peaceable people of the Land, as &s;hall for ever henceforth break the hearts and hopes of all tho&s;e adver&s;a|ries, forraign and dome&s;tick, that wait for their confu&s;ion by their divi&s;ions, that Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, Charity, Ju&s;tice, Truth and Peace, and the ble&s;&s;ed Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t may altoge|ther run, and be glorified.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
