THE OXONIAN ANTIPPODES, OR, The OXFORD Anty-Parliament.

  • First, Setting forth who it is that calls that Parliament.
  • Secondly, Who they are that sit in that Parliament.
  • Thirdly, What Parliament it is, when the Members of it are in one body.
  • Fourthly, To what end this Parliament is called.
  • Fifthly, What they are for their Religion, their lives and con­versations, that beare Armes in defence of that Parlia­ment.
  • Sixthly, That the Parliament now sitting at Westminster is the absolute lawfull Parliament.
  • Seventhly, That whatsoever is done against this Lawfull Par­liament, is against God, the Protestant Religion, the Lawes of the Land, and the Liberty of the Subjects.

By I.B. Gent.

LONDON, Printed for Richard Lounds, and are to be sold at his shop neere Ludgate, 1644.

To the Reader.

CURTEOUS READER,

THe inexhausted Treasures of the never-dying vertues of this faith­full Parliament hath incouraged my quaking Pen to salute you, by presenting unto your view, the weake indeavours of a Souldiers Quill; And the rather, to give satisfaction to the world, that I girt not sword to my thigh, till such time I well [Page] weighed the reasons that moved me to it, which were these; To defend the Protestant Religion, this lawfull Parliament, the Lawes of the Land, and my owne liberty, from the violence and op­pression of proffessed Papists, Traitours, and Re­bels. And now having some leisure, being in my Winter quarters, after a sad contemplation of my Countries misery, I thought fit to spend some houres in compiling this undigested fragment, for the better satisfaction of some various conceipts that are amongst us, and for the stopping the mouthes of malignant spirits, who with their stupidity flatter themselves with the bare name of a King, never arguing to themselves how farre a King may command, or what commands of the King the Subject may not obey. Now here is discovered how farre the Kings power doth ex­tend, to Command his subjects; And what Com­mands of the King the Subject may not obey. Here is set forth what the Ruler is by his Coun­sell, and that a good King will not suffer wicked Counsellours to be about him; All I shall adde is one by his request, courteously to accept my [Page] weake labours: And how ever you please to cen­sure, I wish you a contented life, and an honoura­ble death.

Yours faithfully affected, JO. BRANDON Gent.

The Oxonian Antippodes, or the Oxford Anty-Parliament.

KIngs are appointed by God to go­vern the people committed to their charge with wisdome and know­ledge, like Solomon who desired of the Lord to give him wisdome and knowledge, 2 Chron. the 7.10. that he might go out and in before the Lords people: for saith he, who can judge this thy people; as if he should have said that I may govern this thy people with wisdome and knowledge, by establi­shing to them a saveing Religion and wholsome Lawes both which include a comfortable Liber­tie as King Iehoshaphat, 2 Chron. the 17 the 7, 8, 9. ver­ses, in the third yeare of his Reigne, he sent his Princes with divers of his Priests and Levites to Iudah, and with them the booke of the Law of the Lord, to teach the people of Iudah the Lawes that were written in that booke.

[Page 2]Now the Law of God exprest in holy Scripture, is a Law that is written in the conscience of eve­ry man, in the conscience of the King so wel as in the conscience of a Subject, which Law the Phi­losophers call the Law of Nature, and the Law­yers call it the Law of Nations whereof the Law of Moses is a plaine exposition, hence it is that the fundamentall Lawes are grounded upon these Lawes, and the King is sworne at his Coronation to maintaine them to the Subjects, with such Re­ligion and Liberties as the same Lawes do a­low of.

It remains then that there is a Religion, Lawes, and Liberties belonging to the Subjects of Eng­land, and they are to be maintained unto them by the King, whence is it then that our Religion, Lawes and Liberties, had long ere this been taken from us by him that is sworn to maintain them to us? had not God of his great mercy stird up the hearts of a Parliament to stand for us? by reason his Majestie gave himselfe over to evill Counsellers, he did choose rather to come in a hostile manner to the House of Parliament, to accuse five of his faithfullest Counsellers of high treason, then suffer to be brought to condigne punishment Digby, or Germin, or Windibancke, who are known Traytors to this State and Kingdome, such Counsellours they are ro him as Ahab was, and Ahaziahs mo­ther was to him, she counselled him to do wicked­ly, wherefore he did evill in the sight of the Lord, [Page 3] Chron. 2.22. Chap. 3.4. like the house of Ahab for they were His Counsellours to his destruction; it must needs follow that the Rulers are such as their Counsellours be, that there cannot be a good King that suffereth wicked Counsellours, if Kings be intrusted with Subjects, Lawes, and Li­berties, to the end they should maintain them by the best meanes they can to the losse of life, and inheritance, and yet labour to circumvent them of their Religion, Laws and Liberties, and this be­ing done in a Kingdome, which is governed by a Parliamentary government, and their Priviledges lying ingaged with the Subjects Lawes and Li­berties, its time then for that Parliament to be stir themselves and by all the means they can, defend themselves, their Religion, their Priviledges, with all the faithfull subjects, with their Lawes and Liberties, from violence and oppression, and from being delivered into the over ruling power of pa­pists and Rebels, and Violaters of Lawes and Li­berties but now the word Liberty has taken that possession in the harts of English Subjects, that all the Monarchicall Prerogatives in Oxford, or else­where cannot tell how either by declaring a­gainst it at common Law by the advice of Bankes, and Heath, or by preferring a Bill in Chancery a­gainst it with the advice of Littelton, or by thun­dering sentencies out of the high Commission and Starre chamber by the Arch-Prelates to put it out of possession: when these would not do; [Page 4] to bring their designe to perfection, they have thundred forth Proclamations to terrifie the hearts of His Majesties loyall and faithfull Sub­jects by proclaiming them Traytours and Rebels, for no other cause, then for standing in defence of their Religion, Lawes and Lyberties, And have raised an Army to suppresse their lawfull Parlia­ment: and now they have perswaded His Maje­stie to call a Parliament to sit at Oxford, there to sit in councell (as I conceive) against God him­selfe, for the rooting out of the Protestant Reli­gion, for the destruction of his lawfull Parlia­ment, and the Lawes and Lyberties of the faith­full Protestants in England, Scotland, and Ireland; You may see to what end they call this great Councell, if we doe but looke backe for seven yeares before the sitting of this Parliament of blessed memorie, who seeing what action they have continually beene in, as by private wayes and meanes under pretence of Religion, still bringing in severall Innovations into the Church, by limit­ing the Subjects in their devotion upon Sabbath dayes and others, as if they should have said, God doth not give men the power of prayer, but wee must set them a Forme how they shall pray, and for what; And if they doe not pray thus, God will not heare them, with divers other Cerimoni­all actions to be used in the Church; As to bow to the Table, it being set popish Altarwise, and to bow at the name of Jesus and in many Churches [Page 5] and Chappels there was set up the Death and Passion of our blessed Saviour. And in His Ma­jesties owne Chappell at Whitehall, there was an absolute Altar, with the holy Booke guarded with Tapers, with worshipping of God at that Altar, by singing of Anthems in their popish Coapes; All which being burthens to tender consciences, caused many Ministers of God rather choose to bee silenced, other some to leave the Kingdom, then to give way to such popish Innovations, and to have their consciences limited to such great in­conveniences as these were, and for other godly learned men, whose judgements did foresee what great opposites these mountaines would prove, to eclipse the pure divine worship of God for ever being setled in the Church of England. These men (for the discharging of their consciences to God, as it was his honour that then lay at stake, to the people of this Kingdome, as it was the means of their salvation that lay at stake, by making knowne to the people of this Kingdome, the pri­vate plots these Innovators used under the habit of the Protestant Religion, for the circumventing of the true Protestant Religion,) were some of them pillored and Branded, some of them had their Eares cut, and some wh [...]pt, and all of them had the sentence of perpetuall imprisonment. But it pleased God to raise himselfe Instruments of honour contrary to their expectation, to cast out the Babilonish government which was crept [Page 6] into our Church, and to raise them up againe, who for a long time before, lay under the heavy bur­thens of the prelaticall suppressions, when as the Arch-prelates did see that their Gods and god divices must be throwne downe by a Reforming Parliament, than they conspire once more to ex­asperate the businesse a little further, and that must be done by protesting against all that ever this Parliament had done, to see how it pleased God they should worke their owne ruine. I verily be­leeve that protestation did disable them for ever having Vote in Parliaments any more, or to be so much honoured as to come into the in-side of one or both the Houses, unlesse it be to receive sen­tence for condigne punishment.

This former consideration being well weighed in an even ballance by every true Protestant, the consequence will be, that sithence they cannot disinherit us of the pure worship of God by fo­menting our Religion, and so consequently to have disinherited us of God himselfe, for where the pure worship of God is, there is God him­selfe, by subverting our Lawes, by protecting of Papists and Recusants, and profest Priests and Je­suits from being brought to condigne punishment according to the knowne lawes of the Land.

It remaines therefore, that they will cast in one bone more, and try if they can pluck up our Reli­gion, the parliamentary government, the Lawes of the Kingdome, the Liberties of the Subject, by [Page 7] the root, striking at the very being of Parliaments. What colour doe you thinke they have for this? They say this Parliament is a pretended Parlia­ment, wherefore they will have an Anti-Parlia­ment called to sit at Oxford, could not His Maje­sties Cabbinet Councell, with their stupid injenu­ous advice, advise him to appoint this Antippo­des to be held at no other place then Oxford? there would have been roome enough for himselfe to have sate with His lawfull Parliament at Westmin­ster, if He had pleased to have come thither, and for His Counsellours too, provided he would br [...]ng them to receive that condigne punishment which justly they have deserved. The place where this Anti-parliament must be held, is at no other place then Oxford, even there, from whence should flow both Milke and Honey, there where the Gos­pell of Jesus Christ should be in its greatest splen­dour; It should be a maine light to the King­dome, a place where Kings should be instructed in the wayes of peace, and not to warre with His own faithfull and loyall Subjects, but to inlarge their Liberties; A place from whence should flow such streames of Soveraigne graces, and spirituall Bal­soms as should purge away all Spanish and French factious Advisers from about His Majestie, and heale up all differences betwixt His Majestie and His faithfull Parliament. But here wee have it quite contrary, for in stead of Milke and Honey, thence proceeds gaule and bitternesse. In stead of [Page 8] giving light to the Kingdome, it yeelds nothing but darknesse: In stead of Instructing the King in the wayes of peace, there he is advised to warre against his lawfull Parliament: In stead of purging streames, to purge away Factious advisers, there are Rivers that increase, and bring them to His Majestie: In stead of healing up the differences that are betweene His Majestie and His Parlia­ment, there is greater differences made: In stead of Advising His Majestie to come and sit with His lawfull Parliament, He is there advised to call an Anti-Parliament in opposition to His lawfull Parliament. This proves the place to be Antip­podes.

Now it remaines,

  • 1. VVHo it is that calls this Anti-Par­liament.
  • 2. Secondly, who they are that are called to sit in this Parliament.
  • 3. Thirdly, what this Parliament in it selfe is, that is called, when the Members of it are in one Body.
  • 4. Fourthly, to what end this Parliament is called.
  • 5. Fifthly, what they are in their Religion, Lives, and Conversations, that beare Armes for the defence of this Parliament.
  • [Page 10] 6. Sixthly, that the Parliament now sitting at Westminster is the absolute lawfull Parlia­ment.
  • 7. Seventhly and lastly, that whatsoever is done against this lawfull Parliament by the Anti-Parliament, is against God, Religion, and the Lawes and Liberties of the Subjects of England.

Question 1. Who is it that calls this Parliament.

Answer.

IT is the King; and true it is, Kings may Command, and Subjects ought to obey their King so farre forth as hee shall Com­mand them nothing but what is warrantable by holy Writ, and the Lawes of the Land where he Rules. The name of a King that Rules with wis­dome and knowledge, with peace and Tranquili­tie, revives the spirits of his faithfull Subjects, when as the name of an obstinate King, that rules by a Tyrannicall government strikes terrour, and makes them carelesse in their dutie to their Prince. That King who by his ruling in Justice, hath the love of all his faithfull Subjects, seemes glorious [Page 12] in his Throne, and terrible to his enemies; The King is to be ruled by Law, so well as to rule by Law, as by making the Law his guide or rule how to governe his people in love; it is a charge layd upon the King expresly, the 17 Deut. 18.19.20. verses, That when he shall sit upon the Throne of his Kingdome, then shall he write him this Law, and in the next verse, And it shall bee with him, and he shall read them therein all dayes of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, to keepe all the words of this Law, and these ordi­nances for to doe them, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren; whereby is meant, that Kings ought to love their Subjects as nature bind­eth one brother to love another, and Kings are to rule by Law, and the Law is to be grounded upon the word of God, that so it be, what the Law commands, God commands; And what King so­ever he be, that commands any thing contrary to Law, the Subject may refuse to obey. Hence it is that the lawes of England being grounded upon the law of God, the King having already called a Parliament to sit at Westminster according to the Customes the Law doth allow of, and as yet not lawfully dissolved. Bee it to that Sub­jects conscience that shall now obey the Kings Command to sit in his Anti-Parliament, and to disert his lawfull Parliament, before such time as the worke be finisht, to which end they were sum­moned; As to roote out popery out of this King­dome [Page 13] to redeem the Subjects out of oppressions Courts; and out of the hands of oppressions Mo­nopolists, and to bring Offenders and Delinquents to condigne punishment; But if this had been done, there would be no Anti-Parliament at all, unlesse his Majestie would sit by himselfe, there would bee no Inscendiaries left to sit with him, which brings me to the second thing.

Question. 2 Who they are that are summoned to sit in this Anty-Parliament.

Answer.

PArliament said I, the name of a Parliament is the greatest comfort English Subjects, have. Lawfull Parliaments reforme Kings, and their Lawes, if they be not grounded upon the Law of God, they have power to repeal them, and choose such Lawes as shall be rules where­by the King shall rule his people according to the revealed will of God, we cannot expect these comfortable effects from this Anty-Parliament, as might be expected by faithfull and religious Subjects from a faithfull and religious Parlia­mentary Councell, perhaps you will say the King himselfe sits here; Its true he does the presencement, [Page 15] of a gracious Prince does animate a lawfull Par­liament to goe on couragiously for the advancing Religion, Lawes and Liberties for the throwing downe of Antichrist and Antichristian govern­ment, but this must not be expected here, al­though the King be there in person, for by this you may see of what value his Protestations and Declarations have bin all along from the first time he left his Parliament he protested alwayes he aimed at no other then to maintain the Prote­stant Religion the Priviledges of that Parliament, which at that time, and now, sitteth at Westminster, the Lawes of the land and the Liberty of the Subject, he hath called God to witnesse to these his protestations, and yet used all the meanes pos­sible, by blood thursting instruments, to kill and stay all his faithfull and loyall Subjects to fire their houses, plunder their estates, when all this would not doe, hath summoned all those together, who were his advisers to forsake his Parliament, to sit in Councell with him in his Anty-Parlia­ment, where he will be furnisht with Councells of all sorts, there will be Counsellors to advise him how to punish Fomenters of Religion and subverters of the lawes of the Kingdome, and in fringers of the Subjects Liberty, such as will ad­vise him how to thrust out the Spanish and French factions, such as will advise him, how to punish such as shall betray the trust that the faithfull Sub­jects of England have intrusted them with, such as Subjects [Page 16] will advise his Majesty, how to bring to con­digne punishment, all such as have had Articles of high Treason drawn against them, such as shall advise his Majesty how to gaine the love of his Subjects, and to secure his owne Crown and dignity.

As for example the Arch-prelates of Armagh and Yorke, and Doctor Fearn, they will advise his Majesty, how to punish Fomenters of Religion, by Inacting this present Parliament that Episco­pacy with Iuredivino may stand in full force, & ver­tue with the triple Crowne, Justice Bankes, and Justice Heath, and Holborn, will advise his Majesty how to punish Subverters of the Lawes of the Land by Inacting this their present Parliament that all such causes which have been tried and ad­judged at Westminster sithence his Majesties Pro­clamation for the adjurning the Terme to Oxford, the Judgements are of no force nor virtue, but are contrary to the fundamentall lawes of the King­dome, Sir Ralph Dutton and Sir Henry Poole will advise his Majesty to punish Infringers of the Subjects Liberty, by Inacting that Parlia­ment, that no Clothier in Glocestershire shall make any cloath without paying to his Majesty one shilling per peece, and to themselves two shillings. The Earle of Bristoll and the Lord Cottington will advise his Majesty how to thrust out of his King­dom, the French and spanish factions by making an Act this present Parliament, for the establishing [Page 17] the Inquisition, the high Commission I would have said, in this Kingdome, and to keepe an Ar­my one foote, to keepe his Subjects in subiection to the Commission of Aray. Sir Faithlesse Fos­cu and the Lord Littelton, will advise his Majesty how to punish all such as betray the trust that the Subjects of England intrust them withall, by ma­king an Act, that it was lawfull for the one after so many Protestations as he did make to be faith­full unto the imployment which he had underta­ken; yet afterwards to betray the lives of divers men into the hands of their cruell Enemies, and for the other to betray the Kingdomes Seale; from the body of the Kingdome, to be a colour for mercilesse actions. The Lord Digby & the pre­tended Lord Germin, will advise his Majesty how to bring to condigne punishment all those who have had Articles of high Treason drawne against them, by making an Act that it is lawfull for any such person if he make an escape before such time as he hath bintryed upon the said Ar­ticles of high Treason, to betake himselfe to his Majesties Court for Sanctuary, and there to be re­ceived into his Majesties grace and favour, and to be of his Counsell this present Parliament. Prince Rupert and the pretended Lord Byron, will advise his Majesty how to gaine the love of all his faithfull Subjects and for the securing of his owne Crowne and dignity, by making an Act, that it is lawfull for any Commanders and Soul­diers [Page 18] that are now in Armes for the defence of the King and this Parliament, to take plunder, and fire all such Townes, in the Kingom of Eng­land or Scotland or Ireland, as the inhabi­tants thereof shall oppose the Aray govern­ment. Thus having shewed you who they are that are called to sit in this Parliament, I come now to the third Question.

Question. 3. What Parliament this is when the Members of it are together in one body.

Answer.

IT is an Antippodes or Anty-Parliament the ra­ther called Antippodes in regard of the con­trariety of the place where this Councell is held, as I shewed you before, an Antippodes in regard of the contrariety in their severall Councells, as for example, instead of punishing Fomenters of the Protestant Religion, they get Acts for the setting up of Popery. Instead of punishing the Subverters of the Lawes of the Land, they sub­vert the Lawes themselves instead of puntshing Infringers of the Subjects Liberty, they Inact Monoppolies to be lawfull and so it is in all the [Page 20] rest of their proceedings. Wherefore I conceive it deserves not the name of a Parliament, for Par­liaments reforme all things that are amisse, Inact good and wholsome Lawes and Priviledges, whereas on the contrary this Anty-labers all it can to confound wholsome Lawes and Liberties, which brings me to the fourth question.

Question. 4. To what end this Parliament is called.

Answer.

VVHich I shall answer upon this conside­ration, if you please to consider their se­verall proceedings from the first beginning of these unhappy differences, and who they are that sit in this great Councell, you will easily finde to what end this Anty Parliament was called, it was called to this very end and purpose that seeing they could not by all the meanes they have used hitherto, as by the Kings Majesties de­serting his lawfull Parliament by the Arch-popish Prelates protesting against all that ever was done in that Parliament, by their insinuating his Majesty to take up Armes against his Parliament, as also [Page 22] by his Majesties countenancing so many popish Lords and Delinquents to his palriament, in kee­ping them from being brought to condigne pu­nishment, according to the Law of the Land, all this being done, under pretence of monarchicall power and prerogative, when all this would not inforce his parliament absolutely to dissolve, and leave themselves and those Subjects who had in­trusted them with their lives, & Estates, to the mer­cy of tyrannicall government, but have used all just and lawfull meanes to defend their Religion, Lawes and Liberties, even at that very time is this Anty-parliament called, thinking thereby to root, out all at once, Religion, parliament, Law and Liberty. Argue but thus and we shall finde by what the Counsellors are what the Counsells, as if the Counsell be invected with popery, the ad­vice must needs be for popery, if the Counsel­lors be invective with subvertion of Lawes, the advice is for to subvert Laws, if the Councel­lours be invective with Spanish and French factions, the Counell must needs be for Inqui­sition and Aray; f the Counsellors be invective to Monopoliseing, the Counsell must needes be for Monoppolies, if the Counsellors be invective to plundering, the advise must needs be for plun­dering and fireing of Townes, if the Counsellors be invective to Treason, the advice of those Coun­sellours must needes be Treachery: Now heare you may see to what end this Anty-parliament was [Page 23] called. Now English faithfull Subjects looke to your selves, for if this Anty-Counsell goe on here is treachery a plotting to take away your Religion, to subvert your Lawes, to In­fringe your Liberties, and to roote up the being of parliaments, all these to be blasted by this Anty-parliament (if it hold) at one time. Thus have I answered the fourth question and now come to the fifth.

Question 5. Who and what they are in their lives and conver­sations that take up Armes in defence of this Anti-Parliament.

Answer.

AS for their Generall Prince Rupert, it is well knowne what hee is, both for his life and conversation, glorying in nothing but lisentious luxuries, and plundering His Majesties loyall and faithfull Subjects: all his Ambition is to get him­selfe an inheritance by the destruction of our Lawes and Liberties, by an over-ruling power, with his Majesties assent, witnesse so many Towns, as Banbury, Brummidgham and others, which he hath fired and plundered. So likewise for the rest of the Commanders that are joyned with him. How many knowne Papists are there that [Page 25] have taken up Armes in this unnaturall Warre. What else can we expect from such whose Reli­gion is a blood-thirsty Religion; It allows them to massacre those that professe the Protestant Re­ligion, and can we thinke they will fight for the Protestant Religion. Oh! let us not sooth up our selves with such foolish fancies; As for those of their Commanders that are not profest Papists, as the pretended Lord Byron, the Lord Wilmoi, and Neale that was their Scout-Master, they are worse then those who are profest papists; They are like to subtile Woolves, who devoure Lambes in sheeps cloathing, who pretend they fight for the prote­stant Religion, when indeed they labour all that in them lyeth for to destroy it. As for Neale, hee hath beene one of the greatest high-way rob­bers this day in the Kingdome, yet now Knighted by his Majestie. Is it possible for those men to fight for the Protestant Religion, who joyned in Commotion with profest Papists, English and I­rish Rebels, and fight for one and the same cause with them, and plot and contrive how they shall destroy such a Parliament as shall be lawfully cal­led for the defence of the protestant Religion. The protestant Religion cannot be maintained by such unjust meanes. If such are the Commanders what are the inferiour Officers and Souldiers? as for them there are a great many profest Papists and Irish Rebels, Patentees and Serving-men, broken Tradesmen, Proctors and Officiates, Stage-players, [Page 26] Fidlers, and Highway men, and a great many of ignorant Welchmen. The papists and I­rish Rebels they will fight in defence of this Anti-parliament, against the lawfull Parliament, because they know that if the parliament get the day, there will be a reformation of the protestant Religion, and popery should downe quite, and the Irish Rebels would be quailed, and therefore they will fight it out to the last, for their Religion lyeth at stake as well as their selves. The Patentees they will fight, they will joyne with the rest, they know if the King with his Anti-parliament get the day, they shall renew their Patents, which if the lawfull parliament get the day, their hopes will bee fru­strate forever Monopolizing more. The Serving­men they will fight too in defence of this Anti-parliament, because their Masters doe; as if their Masters goe to hell, they will goe too for compa­ny. There are broken Tradesmen in this Army that will fight against the lawfull parliament, be­cause they will not alow them Protections where­by they might walke the streetes in despight of their Creditors. The Proctors they will fight a­gainst this parliament, in hope his Majestie and his Anti-parliament will get the day, and then there will be Trading enough at Doctors Commons, for there would bee more Holy-dayes then ever there was, and Etcetera as common as ever it was, and therefore they will fight and make as strong a party as they can against that parliament, that hath [Page 27] beene the cause of their downfall. The Stage-players they will fight against the Reforming parliament, for they reforme Church and people, they will not suffer more Stage-playes, and by this consequence their trading is quite put downe, but yet if there could be but a putting downe of this parliament, the King would set their Trade in as great estimation as ever it was, and there­fore they will joyne also with the rest, and try if they can beate this Reforming parliament out of all. The High-way men they will fight in this cause, for that the King alloweth his Souldi­ers good store of plunder, and then they shall not need to feare hanging for robbing their neigh­bours. The ignorant Welchmen they will fight too, but it is for no reason at all, but because hur King is in the field, tell not hur of Religions nor Lawes, nor of a Parliament, for hur fight for hur King against them all.

All this while there is no questioning what Re­ligion they fight for, only by the profest Papists, and all the rest fight for their owne by ends, and yet all against the Protestant Religion, and a law­full Parliament, and the Lawes and Liberties of English Subjects.

Here you see plainly what sorts of men they are, that are in this Army, and as they are drawne up in Battalia they seeme to bee a great many, and who but the profest Papists have more care of [Page 28] foules well-fare then the seeming Protestant, in regard they fight for the advancement of their owne Religion, and the other for the exhausting their owne by-ends and respects, never thinking of the advancement of the Religion they professe but fight against it. Now the next thing is to prove this Parliament the lawfull Parliament.

Question 6. That the Parliament now sitting at Westminster is the absolute lawfull Parliament?

Answer.

TO prove that this Parliament is a lawfull Parliament, I shall not need much to dispute, For that Parliament that is lawfully called, is a lawfull parliament; To prove that this Parlia­ment was lawfully called, is onely thus; His Ma­jestie sending forth His Writs to the Sheriffes of every City, Burrough, County, and Corporation in the Kingdome of England, and Dominion of Wales, giving them full power & Authority to sum­mon the Freeholders of their severall Cities, Burroughs, Counties and Corporations, to meet at their usuall places of meetings, There freely to Elect and choose by voyce or pole, such men for Knights and Burgesses for their severall Cities, Boroughs, Counties and Corporations, as the ma­jor [Page 30] part of them shall choose, and these Knights and Burgesses are to meet at such time and place as shall be expressed in His Majesties Warrant. Thus was this parliament called, and if thus lawfully called, then no question it is a lawfull parliament; If this be not sufficient to prove it so you have [...]is Majesties own Act. For it is enacted by the King, the Lords and Commons in this present parlia­ment, that it shall not be dissolved without a ge­nerall consent of both the said Houses. Thus is this parliament proved to be the absolute lawfull parliament of England. Hence it is that this must be lawfully dissolved, before there can be another lawfully called in England; For it is as possible for two Suns to bee in one Horizon, as two lawfull par­liaments at one instant of time in the Kingdome of England, but it is with them of this Anti-par­ty in this case, as in all the rest hitherto, al­wayes labouring against this Parliament, that if once they could get it downe, it should never rise againe. And seeing they could not prevaile, they will now have some colour for their rebellious a­ctions. They will have an Anti-Parliament to fight for; So by this thinke to m [...]ke good all their acti­ons by having Acts made, that what ever they have done was lawfull, why? because it was done in defence of the King and their Parliament, as it was in defence of those who now are called to sit in that parliament.

Sithence it is so that His Majesty and his Queen [Page 31] band themselves together, with popish Rebells and Traitors, with other Incendiaries to this State and Kingdome, against God, the Protestant Re­ligion, the lawfull parliament of England, the Lawes of the Land, the Liberty of the Subject, let us breake their bonds and cast their cordes from us, and now stand up for the Gospell of Iesus Christ, by standing against those who labour to disinherit us of a faithfull parliament, and of the pure worship of God, and so consequently of God himselfe, this must be done by uniteing our selves together in that faithfull Covenant set forth by order of parliament, covenanting with our selves that we will stand in defence of our lawfull and just reforming parliament, to the losse of Lives and Estates, against all that ever shall oppose it, withall blessing God that ever he sent us such a parliament, to stand soe faithfully for the honour of God, for the advancement of his Gos­pell and for their owne priviledges, and for the Lawes, of the Land and the Subjects Liberty, as this parliament has done, let them not want your prayers, let them not want your persons to inco­rage them, nor your Estates to advance that cause they have undertaken for Gods glory, and for your future comforts, and without all doubt the God of Heaven will stand for you, if you will stand for the advancing of his Gospell, and you shall find that the Conspiracies of papists and Traitors, [Page 33] nor the murmuring of malignants, and the power of Kings shall not prevaile against the Cause of Christ; For God is a light to comfort his people, and a fire to burne his Enemies.

This is licensed and Entered into the Hall-booke according to Order.

FINIS

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