COLONELL POWELL And COL. POYERS LETTER To His Highnesse the Prince of VVALES, VVith their DECLARATJON, for Restoring His Majesty, the Protestant Religion, the Lawes of the Land, and the Liberty of the SVBIECT.
To which is Added An exhortation to the People OF ENGLAND And the CITTY of LONDON.
By A Welwisher of His Maiesty, The Kingdomes Peace, and the Peoples Freedome.
Printed Anno Dom: 1648.
May it please your Highness.
WEE Hope our Declaration, (which we have now sent unto your Highnesse) will give you ample satisfaction, as well of our Integrity heretofore, as of our Intentions for the Future, to serve your Royall Father, and Your selfe, as farre as we are able, to make you both greate and glorious, as the Parliament promised, and wee ever intended, and did till of late, conceive that they did so too; but as soone as wee clearely saw that they went cleane contrary wayes, wee addressed our selves to his Majesty, and had a promise to have speedy directions from him, which wee have not yet had: the reason whereof, (as we conceive,) is, because of the close restraint upon him, in regard whereof, wee do now apply our selves unto your Highnesse, wee have sent Propositions, which (wee hope) will prove reasonable to your Highnesse, to confirme us in our endeavours, and that your Highnesse will please to sign them, and some Instructions, concerning our wants and supplies, [Page 4]to which wee hope your Highnesse wil give us a speedy answer, that so, wee may goe on the more cherefully, to restore your Royall Father, to his Greatnesse, that He may long reigne over us, and when it shall please God to give him a Kingdome of glory in heaven, to leave all his Kingdomes on earth to you his successor, in peace and Happinesse, which shall ever be the prayer of
The Declaration of Colonell Poyer, &c
IT is notorious enough upon what grounds this War was by us undertaken, how the faults of Government precedent were laid open, and reformation promised, wherein the true Religion should be advanced, the King made great and glorious, and the Iust priviledges of Parliament, the Lawes of the Land, and the Liberty of the People maintained: But now how much our expectations have failed us, and how we have run into those evills which we fought against, is at last too apparent unto us, who would not at the first believe the things wee now see, insomuch that the Errours of the former Government, are now so farre exceeded both in Church and Common-wealth; that they are either Iustified, or at least so much excused, as that it is desired by the most [Page 5]and best of men, rather to enjoy the former again, then to suffer such a Reformation, wherein the Publique good is pretended, and the particular ends of the Reformers intended.
For although our Party have prevailed almost these three yeares, and the King in the power of the Reformers almost these two yeares; yet the things promised to be reformed, and which wee sought for, are scarce so much as entred into, or debated but cleane contrary things now Acted.
The King instead of comming to his Parliament to treat personally with his two Houses, Jmprisoned; instead of being made Great and Glorious, is become the most infortunate in the World, and great and glorious onely in Piety, Patience, and Pitty: our Religion, Lawes and Lib [...]rties so much trampled upon, and destroyed, and the greatest Tyranny, and Arbitrary Power set over us, that the wit of man, or malice of the Devill can invent, and all this but to satisfie the Avarice and Ambition of a few men, who by accusing their Brethren have already gotten too much power into their hands, and do now labour to disband us, not to ease the Countrey (as is pretended) but as we are able to prove by their owne Letters and words to bring in other Forces, such as may execute their Wils, and make the Gentry subject to Sequestration, inslave the People, and (to use their owne words) Roule the Country before them: and to establish Excise, Taxes, and other intollerable charges, not to be avoided, without the effusion of more bloud, then hath yet been shed in this Quarrell, unlesse God of his infinite mercy please to direct it by some meanes not appearing to us: And that they might (as much as in them [Page 6]lies) destroy our Soules as well as our bodies; They go about to put downe the Booke of Common Prayer in these parts, as they have already done in the rest of the Kingdome, which will be more wanted here, then in other parts, because the Booke of Common Prayer is the sole comfort of the People here, and their way to attaine the knowledge of the Principles of Religion, and to serve God: these things, though evident in themselves, yet we shall be ready to make proofe of, as occasion shall require: And therefore that the whole world may see our integritie, as wel in the undertaking this War in the beginning and our Carriage hitherto, as of our intentions for the future, wee do now declare:
That wee do still continue to our first Principles, to bring the King to a Personall Treaty with his Parliament with Honour, Freedome, and Saftie, that so the just Prerogative of the King, Priviledges of Parliament, Lawes of the Land, and Liberties of the people, may be all established and preserved in their proper bounds, that we will asmuch as in us lyes protect the people from Iniury, and maintaine the Protestant Religion, and the Common prayer as it is established by Law in this Land, and therefore crave the Assistance of the whole Kingdome therein.
An Exhortation to the people of England, and to the City of London.
HEre you have a glorious example before your Eyes. You have a doore opened unto you for the recovery of your peace, your liberty, your Religion, and for the deliverance of your gracious King, from that horrid and Trayterous oppression, under which he hath so long suffered for the maintenance of your rights. VVhose restitution will be the recovery of the Honour of your City, and of this Nation. Neglect not so gracious an opportunity as God hath now offered you, least you have cause to repent it for ever, when it is too late. You see now the vizour of this vile Rebellion pulled off. That you may no longer doate upon such an ugly impiety, you have a cleare discovery of the falshood and treachery of those that with faire promises, and specious pretences drawn over their base and trayterous intentions, seduced many simple and well-meaning people of the Land, and engaged them in the pursuit of their owne ruine, for the serving of the turnes of their Private designes. Do not therefore render your selves so inexcusable as to adhere unto a bare fac't wickednes. least you make your selves bare unto the Judgment of the Almighty. Separate your selves speedily from the Tents of these wicked Korahs and their company, least if you pertake with them anie longer in their sinnes, you be swallowed up together with then in their Judgements. Delay not the prosecution of your owne saftie aad happinesse. Remember those great and high obligations that lye upon you to defend the truth of God, to recover the beauty and order of his Worship to repaire the breaches and Divisions of his CHVRCH. [Page 8]Remember the sacred Oathes of your Allegeance and fidelity to your pious and gracious Prince, and the Common dutie and bond of Conscience that lies upon all Subjects, to protect him whom God hath ordayned to protect them; you find by sad and lamentable experience, how in the ruine of his Throne, and of his regall and just power, Your freedome, Your trade, Your peace, Your security, Your Religion and all are fallen under foot. In his repaire under God, you may repaire them all. If you will be happy by Gods help you now may, your timely and Generall Appearance in this work may prevent the shedding of much bloud, if you will be miserable, thank your selves. You of the Citty have had a late experiment of the kindnes of those towards you, whom you have bin too forward to serve heretofore in their ungodly designes. Be wise now at length, and let it not be your eternall reproach, that you can be valient in nothing but Rebellion; make amends for your former miscariages, and do not lay your necks any more under the feet of such unthankfull Masters. If they use you thus, when the assistance they have had from you is, so fresh in memory: and when their power is yet so questionable. Imagine what they are like to do when your services are forgotten, and they established in full power. Consider what an ease it will be to you to maintaine a perpetuall Parliament and Army. Go then immediatly in the first place unto God; Humble your selves before him for what is past; Implore his pardon, his direction, his assistance; Set his Glory before your eyes. Be of good courage, and let us play the men, for our people, and for the Citties of our God. And the Lord do that which seemeth him Good.