A DECLARATION BY Sir Edward Dering Knight and Baronet.
With his PETITION To the Honourable House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT.
London, Printed by J. Raworth, for Philemon Stephens, at the golden Lion in Pauls Church-yard.
April 1. 1644.
TWo moneths together, I did in my own house enjoy so happy a privacy, as that nothing could adde to the sweet satisfaction thereof, but the sight and company of my children, which I wanted: my wife at chosen times came into my studie, and made my stollen commons a feast with her society, whilst my servants thought me far from home. This contentment was in May and June, 1642.
In this time I received, from some very neer, in Place, Trust and Favour with his Majestie, severall Expresses to call me unto York; which by severall returns of mine I was studious to decline: But they persisted, and used the Kings Name unto me, a sure Engine to make me move: It was then a lawfull Duty in me to attend; for how great soever our fears then were, yet we were at that time in actuall Peace.
[Page 2]Ambition (I praise God) did never swell a thought in me. I had too much felicity at home, to exchange my reall happinesse for guilded hopes: yet those Letters (then received) did hold out that bait fairly to me. If Court-employment had one quiet Sphaere, I might possibly haue been an endeavourer above twenty yeers since, when my taste was quicker, the golden Fetters would have seemed lighter, and my accesse (by means of a powerfull hand there) more clear and easie for me: But my desires in that kinde were not warm, either then or now.
But I found (at that time) my privacie was not like to be lasting, I had intimation that my safety was shaking; and then, between being drawn and driven, I went toward the King willingly; but out of my own house, and from my own Countrey, the most unwilling man that ever went. Thorow Surrey and Oxford, I went to His Majestie at Leicester, and with him to Coventry, and then to Nottingham, before the Standard was set up; [Page 3] since when, I have been constantly attendant, untill I came into the Protection of Parliament on the second of February, 1643.
The wofull misery of this Land, the utter ruine of the Church of God in this Kingdom, and the finall period of the famous English Nation, I did conceive would prove the undoubted issue of these bloody Wars; which may (as usually) be succeeded by Plague and Famine, unlesse some blessing from above do send a speedy Close. Now no Close did I think expectable, but by the Sword: For the strength of the Parliament being made up in the Act of Continuation, the three Estates had therein tied us up in a Band indissoluble. Indissoluble indeed, unlesse by them who made it; or else (as the Gordian knot was losed) by the Kings Sword. Therefore (God forgive me) I did (as is there too common) execrate that Law, and was not friend enough with King and Parliament for making it. Thus I hated the onely Cure, Strength and Security of the Land, [Page 3] being as (in another kinde) S. Paul said of himself) exceedingly mad (Act. 26. 11.) Yet again, with S. Paul, from a Persecuter I was made a Convert: for as he (1 Tim. 1. 13.) I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly; that is, God had not opened my heart, but suffered me to go on according to the inward dictates there, which (though erroneous) I followed: but at length I was better blest.
Whilst I was there, I had as much as was sit for me to expect: and though I kept the distance of Duty, yet could I make my own admission to His Majestie upon every occasion; such was His gentle goodnesse toward me: and I was received with that regardfulnesse, which gave growth unto my love, and preserves my love unto His Majestie wheresoever I shall be; though I shall onely serve the Parliament in the now great Controversie between them; for I have taken a Covenant for the King and Parliament, I must be faithfull to both: But where I cannot serve the King in his personall Commands, [Page 4] and serve him also in his Politike Capacity, wherein he is most eminently in his Parliament, I am resolved to be ruled by the wisest of Kings, who assures me ( Prov. 11. 14.) That in the multitude of Counsellers there is safety; and therefore I shall anchor there.
No man can with justice and reason expect from me any depth of Discovery, or that I should be the man to open the Mysterie of all the Oxonian Designes; I was not of such inward admission. This Declaration therefore cannot speak any high particulars; yet shall it publish to the world some Motives of my Return, being the same wherewith the Honourable House of Commons are pleased to be satisfied; which by way of Petition speaks thus:
To the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament: The HUMBLE PETITION OF Sir EDWARD DERING Knight and Baronet.
THat no force, nor any constraint hath brought me hither, but my own free Choice, pursued with Industrie; and this Choice grounded and confirmed in me upon many sad Meditations, which have begotten as many serious Invocations to be directed in the best Way.
Some few Motives to manifest the honest reallity of my purposes, I ask leave to lay down in this Petition; But beforehand professing my self very sory for bearing Arms against the Parliament.
[Page 7]1. I considered, That in removing my self hither, I do not forsake my Duty and Allegeance to the King, but really pursue it; and shall actuate it better then before, in a true Obedience, both to him and to the Parliament.
2. I did in this honourable House take the Parliamentary Protestation, one Clause whereof is for the Priviledge of Parliament: This (as an argument for my Return) came late into my thoughts; but since it came, I have much wondered at my self, how I could be so long transported, to assist in a way, to destroy this very Parliament which I have vowed to preserve.
3. I dare not say, That the Kings Promises are forgotten and unperformed: I had rather hide then open so un-Royall failings, if I knew them; But certainly something hath, at some times appeared like unto such breakings; And, I think, the Petition out of Wilt- shire on Tuesday or Wednesday last, spake little lesse to the King Himself.
4. The fear of an anti- Parliament at Oxford; and a particular fear lest I should [Page 8] (as divers of the Members there professed I should) be shortly called into that Convention, made me not onely endeavour to come away, but to hasten unto the true Parliament here.
5. Some Clergie-men, and others, do speak a language there, as if the King could come no other way to his own dwellings here, unlesse by Conquest: But that way of prevailing doth carry the terrour of desperate Consequences with it; and is likely (I fear) to lead into Arbitrary Government and Popery. And I have been confident, That the King, with fourty servants, might come to Westminster, and stay there with undoubted safety to His Person: So I have said at Oxford, and I do still assuredly believe so; and God will blesse Him, if He do so.
6. I could never reconcile the Cessation in Ireland, to the Vows made in England.
7. When the first Declarations of this honourable House gave publike Caution of a prevailing Popish party, I confesse I had then no more but an implicite faith in that sense of the House at that time: It is since explicited [Page 9] unto me: And the first Scene is plaid home in Ireland, which already is the Popes, denomination being given Ex majore parte. Some late Defections have been to the Romish mis-belief, and divers Papists are daily trusted with Commands.
For these Reasons I am come to render my self into the protection of the Parliament; and that with a clear, candid, hearty integrity of Respect and Duty to this honourable House. I am come in, in a happie hour, when the providence of heaven hath brought me in, under the shelter of a Declaration by both Kingdoms; who both have therein promised, That I shall be received into favour, and that with speciall consideration of the time of returning; wherein I have the honour to be the first Suiter that layes hold on your offered Favours.
Most humbly therefore I pray, That your free Reception of me, may seal the full Liberty which is promised; And I shall daily pray for the happy issue of all your Consultations.
[Page 10]Hereunto I do onely subjoyn this, That I observe that in matter of Religion, they are yet in love with those specious, pompous, loud, exteriour complements. One single groan in the Spirit, is worth the Diapason of all the Church-Musick in the world. Organs, Sackbuts, Recorders, Cornets, & c. and voices are mingled together, as if we would catch God Almighty with the fine ayre of an Anthem, whilst few present do or can understand. Ʋbi belluinis strepitibus cantillant, Dum hinniunt discantum pueri, mugiunt alii tenorem, alii latrant, contrapunctum, alii boant altum, alii frendent bassum, faciunt (que) ut sonorum, plurimum quidem, audiatur, verborum, & oration is intilligatur nihil. In this Devotion made up with noise like the Dionysian Orgy's, there is a parasiting part of the Clergie, who love with these lazie performances to amuse the people so much, that they had rather the Kingdom should be blown up, then that the King should forbear to hear the blowing of Organs: Some of these (I doubt not) [Page 11] do think the Cathedrall part of this great Contention, worth this War and Blood. One of these hath severall Times argued with me, That the King is guilty of Perjury for consenting to the Bill of taking away the Bishops Votes in Parliament, and disabling Clergie-men to officiate in the proper acts of Lay-men.
This fascinated part of the Clergie, who adore this externall pomp, who measure Devotion by the ear, and take Relion in a Tune; these are as apt as ever to ramp up again into all the amplitudes of the power they had, and then will fall again into the excesse of all their former sinnes, and we then are as sure to fall into all our former sufferances. If these gayeties had not been retained, England (since the Reformation) had been more pure and chaste in Religion, then of late it was. Foedera servasset si non formosa fuisset. But God be thanked, who hath given us a living Parliament to watch these misleaders, these Romish back-sliders: He hath not yet with-drawn his love from this [Page 12] Nation; nay, he now doth chastise us, therefore he loves us now. Let us therefore be every one carefull to amend his wayes, so in our new Covenant we vow, and that is the way to mend a Family, to mend a Province, to mend a Kingdom: One Achan may trouble a whole Host. Yet who doth inwardly consider this, though a Heathen could observe it?
[...]
Lord grant that Heathen Poets may not rise up in Judgement against the Christians of England.
IMPRIMATUR.