66 66 66 66 ways, to render him odious to his good subjects, " and contemptible to all foreign princes; but, like "round dealing men, told him, in plain English, "that they had done him no wrong, because he was not capable of receiving any; and that they had taken nothing from him, because he had never any thing of his own to lose. If that doctrine were true, and that indeed he ought to be "of no other consideration, than they had informed "his people in that declaration, that gentleman was much more excusable, that said publicly, unreproved, that the happiness of the kingdom did "not depend on his majesty, or upon any of the royal branches of that root: and the other, who said, his majesty was not worthy to be king of England language very monstrous to be allowed by either house of parliament; and of which, by "the help of God, and the law, he must have some "examination. But, he doubted not, all his good 66 subjects did now plainly discern, through the "mask and vizard of their hypocrisy, what their design was; and would no more look upon the "framers and contrivers of that declaration, as upon both houses of parliament, (whose freedom "and just privileges he would always maintain; and " in whose behalf, he was as much scandalized as "for himself,) but as a faction of malignant, schismatical, and ambitious persons; whose design was, and always had been, to alter the whole " frame of government, both of church and state; "and to subject both king and people to their own lawless, arbitrary power and government: of "whose persons, and of whose design, his majesty 66 66 66 said, he would, within a very short time, give his good subjects, and the world, a full, and, he hoped, a satisfactory narration. "The contrivers and penners of that declaration (of whom his majesty would be only understood "to speak, when he mentioned any of their undu"tiful acts against him) said, that the great affairs " of the kingdom, and the miserable bleeding con"dition of the kingdom of Ireland, would afford "them little leisure to spend their time in declarations, answers, and replies. Indeed, his majesty said, the miserable and deplorable condition "of both kingdoms would require somewhat else “at their hands: but he would gladly know how they had spent their time since the recess, (then 66 66 almost eight months,) but in declarations, remon"strances, and invectives against his majesty and "his government; or in preparing matter for them. "Had his majesty invited them to any such ex 66 pense of time, by beginning arguments of that "nature? Their leisure, or their inclination, was "not as they pretended: and what was their "printing and publishing their petitions to him; “their declarations and remonstrances of him ; "their odious votes and resolutions, sometimes of one, sometimes of both houses, against his ma'jesty, (never in that manner communicated "before this parliament,) but an appeal to the people? And, in God's name, let them judge of "the persons they had trusted. 66 66 "Their first quarrel was (as it was always, to let "them into their frank expressions of his majesty, and his actions) against the malignant party; "whom they were pleased still to call, and never "to prove to be, his evil counsellors. But indeed nothing was more evident, by their whole pro"ceedings, than that, by the malignant party, they "intended all the members of both houses who 66 agreed not with them in their opinion, (thence "had come their distinction of good and bad lords; "of persons ill affected of the house of commons; "who had been proscribed, and their names listed, "and read in tumults,) and all the persons of the kingdom who approve not of their actions. So “that, if in truth they would be ingenuous, and name the persons they intended; who would be "the men, upon whom the imputation of malignity "would be cast, but they who had stood stoutly and "immutably for the religion, the liberties, the laws, 66 66 for all public interest; (so long as there was any "to be stood for ;) they, who had always been, " and still were, as zealous professors, and some of "them as able, and earnest defenders of the pro"testant doctrine against the church of Rome, as any were; who had often and earnestly besought "his majesty to consent, that no indifferent and unnecessary ceremony might be pressed upon "weak and tender consciences, and that he would agree to a bill for that purpose? They to whose wisdom, courage, and counsel, the kingdom owed as much as it could to subjects; and upon whose unblemished lives, envy itself could lay no imputation; nor endeavoured to lay any, until their "virtues brought them to his majesty's knowledge "and favour? His majesty said, if the contrivers "of that declaration would be faithful to themselves, and consider all those persons of both "houses, whom they, in their own consciences, "" 66 "knew to dissent from them in the matter and language of that declaration, and in all those un"dutiful actions, of which he complained, they "would be found in honour, fortune, wisdom, reputation, and weight, if not in number, much superior to them. So much for the evil coun "sellors. 66 66 Then what was the evil counsel itself? His majesty's coming from London (where he, and 66 many, whose affections to him were very eminent, were in danger every day to be torn in pieces) "to York; where his majesty, and all such as "would put themselves under his protection, might "live, he thanked God and the loyalty and affec"tion of that good people, very securely: his not submitting himself absolutely (and renouncing "his own understanding) to the votes and resolu"tions of the contrivers of that declaration, when they told his majesty, that they were above him; "and might, by his own authority, do with his majesty what they pleased: and his not being contented, that all his good subjects' lives and "fortunes should be disposed of by their votes ; "but by the known law of the land. This was the " evil counsel given, and taken: and would not all men believe, there needed much power and skill "of the malignant party, to infuse that counsel "into him? And then, to apply the argu"ment the contrivers of that declaration made 66 66 for themselves, was it probable, or possible, that "such men, whom his majesty had mentioned, (who must have so great a share in the misery,) should take such pains in the procuring thereof; "and spend so much time, and run so many 66 ' hazards, to make themselves slaves, and to ruin the freedom of this nation? 66 'His majesty said, (with a clear and upright "conscience to God Almighty,) whosoever har"boured the least thought in his breast, of ruining 66 66 66 or violating the public liberty, or religion of the "kingdom, or the just freedom and privilege of parliament, let him be accursed; and he should be no counsellor of his, that would not say Amen. For the contrivers of that declaration, he had not "said any thing, which might imply any inclination "in them to be slaves. That which he had charged them, was with invading the public liberty; and "his presumption might be very strong and vehement, that, though they had no mind to be slaves, they were not unwilling to be tyrants: what is tyranny, but to admit no rules to govern by, but 66 their own wills? And they knew the misery of "Athens was at the highest, when it suffered under "the thirty tyrants. 66 66 66 66 His majesty said, if that declaration had told him, (as indeed it might, and as in justice it ought "to have done,) that the precedents of any of his "ancestors did fall short, and much below what "had been done by him, this parliament, in point "of grace and favour to his people; he should not otherwise have wondered at it, than at such a truth, in such a place. But when, to justify their having done more than ever their predecessors "did, it told his good subjects, (as most injuriously " and insolently it did,) that the highest and most "unwarrantable precedents of any of his predeces"sors did fall short, and much below what had "been done to them this parliament by him, he 66 |