The bloody proiect, or a discovery of the new designe, in the present war. Being a perfect narrative of the present proceedings of the severall grandee factions, for the prevention of a just peace, and promoting of a causelesse warre, to the destruction of the King, Parliament & people. Whereunto is annexed several expedients for an happy accommodation tending to the satisfaction of all parties, without the further effusion of blood. / By W.P. Gent.

The Bloody Project. OR New deſign in the preſent War diſcovered.

IN all undertakings, which may occaſion war or bloodſhed, men have great need to be ſure that their cauſe be right, both in reſpect of themſelves and others: for if they kill men themſelves, or cauſe others to kill, without a juſt cauſe, and upon the extreameſt neceſſity, they not only diſturbe the peace of men, and familyes, and bring miſery and poverty upon a Nation, but are indeed abſolute murtherers.

Nor will it in any meaſure ſatisfy the Conſcience, or Gods juſtice, to go on in uncertainties, for in doubtfull caſes men ought to ſtand ſtill, and conſider, untill certainty do appear, eſpecially when killing and ſleying of men (the moſt horrid worke to Nature and Scripture) is in queſtion.

Far be it from any man haſtily to engage in any undertaking, which may occaſion a War, before the cauſe he is to fight for, be rightly, and plainly ſtated, well conſidered, and throughly underſtood to be juſt, and of abſolute neceſſity to be maintained; nothing being more abom • nable in the ſight of God or good men, then ſuch perſons who run • e out to ſhed blood for money, or to ſupport this or the other Intereſt, but neither conſider the cauſe for which they engage, nor ought el • e, but pay, intereſt, honour, &c. ſuch are they who ſo eagerly endeavour to ſupport the intereſt of a King▪ by the deſtruction of the Peoples Intereſt, the Intereſt of the Scots againſt the Intereſt of the Engliſh, the Intereſt of the Independents, by the ruine of the Presbyterians▪ and becauſe it beſt conſiſts with their preſent honour, profit or humours, make it their buſines to pick quarrels, and encreaſe diviſions and jealouſies, that ſo they may fiſh in the waters which they themſelves have troubled.

But let ſuch know, who ever they be, that though they may and do for a while brave it out, and flouriſh, yet a time is comming, and draweth on apace, when for all the murthers they have cauſed, and miſchiefs they have committed, they ſhall come to judgement, and then their Conſciences will be as a thouſand witneſſes againſt them.

But eſpecially let men pretending conſcience take heed how they either engage themſelves, or perſwade others to engage to fight and kill men, for a cauſe not rightly ſtated, or not throughly underſtood to be juſt, and of neceſſity to be maintained; for it is one of the moſt unreaſonable, unchriſtian, and unnaturall things that can enter into the mind or man, though it be to be feared that more then a few that have of late both in the Citie and Country, (and at preſent) are active to engage in killing and ſleying of men) cannot acquit themſelves of this abomination.

I beſeech you, (you that are ſo forward and active to engage in the defence of the Kings, Presbyterian, or Independent intereſt, and yet know no juſt cauſe for either) conſider, was it ſufficient that the King at firſt invited you in generall termes to joyn with him, for the defence of the true Protestant Religion, his own juſt Prerogatives, the Privileages of Parliament, and the Liberty of the Subject; but never declared in particular what that Proteſtant Religion was he would have defended, or what Prerogative would pleaſe him, what priviledges he would allow the Parliament, or what Freedoms the People?

Or was it ſufficient thinke you now, that the Parliament invited you at firſt upon generall termes, to fight for the maintenance of the true Proteſtant Religion, the Libertyes of the People, and Priviledges of Parliament; when neither themſelves knew, for ought is yet ſeen, nor you, nor any body elſe, what they meant by the true Proteſtant Religion, or what the Liberties of the People were, or what thoſe Priviledges of Parliament were, for which yet nevertheleſſe thouſands of men have been ſlain, and thouſands of Familyes deſtroyed?

It is very like that ſome of you that joyned with the King upon his invitation, thought, that though the King had formerly countenanced Popery, and Superſtition,, had ſtretcht his Prerogative to the oppreſſion and deſtruction of his People, by Pattents, Projects, &c. yet for the future he would have been more zealous for the truth, and more tender of his People, and not have perſiſted (notwithſtanding his new Proteſtations) to maintain his old Principles.

And ſo likewiſe many of you that joyned with the Parliament, who had formerly ſeen, felt, or conſidered the perſecution of godly conſcientious people by the Biſhops and their Cleargy, with the reproaches caſt upon them, and their grievous and deſtructive impriſonment, did beleeve the Parliament under the notion of Religion, intended to free the Nation from all compulſion in matters of Religion, and from moleſtation, or perſecution for opinions, or non-conformity; and that all Lawes or Statutes tending thereunto ſhould have been repealed: But ſince you find (by killing and deſtroying their oppoſers) you have enbled them to performe all things that might concern your freedome, or be conducible to the peace of the Kingdome. But do you now find that they do mean that, or the contrary? And will your conſciences give you leave any longer to fight or engage in the cauſe of Religion, when already you ſee what fruits you and your friends reap thereby.

And no doubt many of you underſtood by the Liberties of the People, that they intended to free the Commons in Parliament the peoples Repreſentative, ftom a Negative voyce, in King, or Lords, and would have declared themſelves the higheſt Authority, and ſo would have proceeded to have removed the grievances of the Common-wealth: And when you had ſeen Pattents, Projects, and Shipmoney taken away, the High Commiſſion, and Starchamber aboliſhed, did you ever imagine to have ſeen men and women examined upon Interrogatories, and queſtions againſt themſelves, and impriſoned for refuſing to anſwer? Or to have ſeen Commoners frequently ſentenced and impriſoned by the Lords? Did you ever dream that the oppreſſions of Committees would have exceeded thoſe of the Councel-table; or that in the place of Pattents and Projects, you ſhould have ſeen an Exciſe eſtabliſhed, ten fold ſurpaſſing all thoſe, and Shipmoney together? You thought rather that Tythes would have been eſteem'd an oppreſſion, and that Trade would have been made perfectly free, and that Cuſtoms if continued, would have been abated, and not rayſed, for the ſupport of domineering factions, and enrichment of foure or five great men, as they have been of late times, to the ſorrow and aſtoniſhment of all honeſt men, and the great prejudice of the Trade of the Nation.

Doubtleſſe you hoped that both Lawes and Lawyers, and the proceeding in all Courts ſhould have been abreviated, and corrected, and that you ſhould never more have ſeen a Begger in England.

You have ſeen the Common-wealth enſlaved for want of Parliaments, and alſo by their ſudden diſſolution, and you rejoyced that this Parliament was not to be diſſolved by the King; but did you conceive it would have ſat ſeavn yeares to ſo little purpoſe, or that it ſhould ever have come to paſſe, to be eſteemed a crime to move for the ending thereof? Was the perpetuating of this Parliament, and the oppreſſions they have brought upon you and yours, a part of that Liberty of the People you fought for? Or was it for ſuch a Priviledge of Parliament, that they only might have liberty to oppreſſe at their pleaſure, without any hope of remedy? If all theſe put together make not up the cauſe for which you fought, what was the Cauſe? What have ye obtained to the People, but theſe Libertyes, for they muſt not be called oppreſſions? Theſe are the fruits of all thoſe vaſt disburſtments, and thoſe thouſands of lives that have been ſpent and deſtroyed in the late War.

And though the Army ſeemed to be ſenſible of theſe groſſe juglings, and declared, and engaged againſt them, and profeſſed that they tooke not paines as a mercenary Army, hired to fight for the Arbitrary ends of a State, but in judgement and conſcience, for the preſervation of their own, and the Peoples juſt Rights and Libertyes: Yet when they had prevailed againſt thoſe their particular oppoſers, and accompliſhed the ends by them aymed at, all theſe things were forgotten, and thoſe perſons that appeared for the Peoples Freedoms, by them eſteemed and proceeded againſt as Mutineers, or Incendiaries.

In like manner, the preſent Ruling Party of Presbyterians make a great ſhew of their apprehenſions of the great ſlavery and ſervitude brought upon the People, by the exerciſe or an Arbitrary power in the Parliament, and by the jurisdiction of the Sword in the hands of the Army: They tell us that by this meanes the Trade of the Nation is deſtroyed, and that without the removall of theſe things, the peace of the Nation cannot be ſecured: And it is exceeding true: But I beſeech you conſider, whether they do not revive the ſame Play, and drive the ſame Deſigne, which was acted by the Parliament at firſt, and by the Army the laſt-Summer.

Firſt, they cry out againſt the exerciſe of an arbitrary power in the Parliament, and yet labour to inveſt it in the King, nay challenge the exerciſe of it by themſelves: for what greater arbitrary power can there be in the world, then that a Prieſt or two, and a few Lay Elders, under the name of a Presbytery, ſhould have power to bind or looſe, bring in, or caſt out, ſave or deſtroy at their pleaſure, and enforce all perſons within the limits of their jurisdiction, to beleeve as they beleeve, and ſubmit to whatever they command, or elſe to be by them delivered over to Sathan.

Nay if you looke into thoſe of that party of the Magiſtracy of this City, that are the great promoters of the preſent worke: do there any men in the wo • ld exerciſe a more arbitrary power? Do not many of them act only by the Rule of will and pleaſure, and have they not openly proſeſſed themſelves to be obliged to obſerve no other Rule then Diſcretion.

And though they decry agaitſt the power of the Sword in the hands of the Independents, yet do they not with all their might, labour to get it into the hands of the Presbyterians? and being there, will they not do that themſelves, which they complain of in others? will they not ſay that there are gain-ſayers whoſe mouthes muſt be ſtopt, and with the Sword rather then faile, and though Royal ſts or Independents may not uſe the Sword to enforce their Principles, yet Presbyterians may, as if all knowledge of the truth were centred in a Presbytery, conſiſting of halfe Scotch, halfe Engliſh, part Puritan, part Cavalier, luke-warm chriſtianity, neither hot nor cold zealous for the truth which they know not, only by heare-ſay, and only becauſe they love not Jndependency, that being to pure, nor Epiſcopacy, that being too prophane, they will be between both, (but not in a golden Meane, for that were well) but more zealons then either in outward performances, but for the power of godlines.— I ceaſe to judge, but we ſay we may know the tree by the fruit, and certain I am that Thiſtles never bore Figgs.

But if you ſhall examine what grounds of freedome they propoſe in all their Papers; what equall Rules of juſtice they offer to be inſiſted on as a ſure foundation for a laſting peace? Surely if you looke bur ſeriouſly into the bottom of their deſign, you will find that the peace they aime at is only their own; not the Nations, and that their own eaſe, honour and dominion, is the only thing they purſue, and ſo they could enjoy eaſe and plenty and ſtretch themſelves upon Beds of Down, they would never care what the poor Country ſhould ſuffer.

To be ſhort, all the quarrell we have at this day in the Kingdome, is no other then a quarrel of Intereſts, and Partyes, a pulling down of one Tyrant, to ſet up another, and in ſtead of Liberty, heaping vpon our ſelves a greater ſlavery then that we fought againſt: certainly this is the Liberty that is ſo much ſtrove for, and for which there are ſuch freſh endeavours to engage men; but if you have not killed and deſtroyed men enough for this, go on and deſtroy, kill and ſley, till your conſciences are ſwoln ſo full with the blood of the People, that they burſtagen, and upon your death-beds may you ſee your ſelves the moſt horrid Murtherers that ever lived, ſince the time that Cain kild his brother without a juſt Cauſe; for where, or what is your cauſe? Beleeve it yee have a heavy reeckoning to make, and muſt undergo a ſad repentance, or it will go ill with you at the great day, when all the ſophiſtry of your great Reformers will ſerve you to little purpoſe, every man for himſelfe being to give an account for the things which he hath done in the body, whether they be good or evill: Then it will ſerve you to little purpoſe to ſay, the King, Parliament, Army, Independents, Presbyterians, ſuch an Officer, Magiſtrate, or Miniſter deluded me▪ no more then it did Adam, to ſay the woman whom thou gaveſt, &c. It being thus decreed in heaven, the ſoule which ſinneth ſhall ſurely dye.

And though what is paſt cannot be recalled, yet it muſt be repented of, and ſpeciall care taken for the future, that you ſin no more in in this kind, and either ſtand ſtill or go right for the Future, to which end let theſe following directions be your guide.

1. You are to know, that a People living under a Government, as this Nation hath done, and doth, cannot lawfully put themſelves, into Arms, or engage in War to kill and ſley men, but upon a lawfull call and invitation from the Supream Authority, or Law-making power.

Now if the Supream Authority of this Nation were never yet ſo plainly declared, as that you underſtand certainly where it is, and who are inveſted therewith, you have then had no Warrant for what you have done, nor have any Plea in Law for your Indempnity, as ſome of all Parties have lately found to their coſts▪

And that this point of Supream Authority was ever certainly ſtated, is abſolutely denyed; for according to the common ſuppoſition, it is 3. Eſtates, which till within theſe few yeares were ever taken to b • 1. Lords Spirituall. 2. Lords Temporall. 3. The Commons in Parliament aſſembled.

Now if theſe three were eſſentiall and equall, as all former Times ſeem to allow; How could the Lords Temporall and the Commons, caſt out the Lords Spirituall? For by the ſame rule, the Lords Spirituall, and Lords Temporall, might have caſt out the Commons, but the caſting out the Biſhops hath both anſwered the queſtion, and ended the controverſie.

Since when the ſupream Authority is pretended to reſt in the King, Lords and Commons; and if ſo, when did the King aſſent to your Proceedings in this War, which all the art in the world will not perſwade him to be for him, but against him, and to ruine him and his? Or when did the Parliament aſſent to the proceedings of you that joyned with the King in the late war pretendedly raiſed for the defence of Religion, the priviledges of Parliament, and Liberty of the Subject; and if the ſupream power reſide in all three, King, Lords and Commons, how can the King juſtly do any thing without the conſent of the Lords and Commons, or the Lords and Commons without the King? May not the King and Lords as juſtly proceed to make Laws, War or Peace, without the Commons as they without the King? If they are not equal, which of them are ſupream, and declared and proved by convincing reaſon ſo to be? If any that you are to obſerve? If none, what have you done? what can you lawfully do?

That there ſhould be either three or two diſtinct Eſtates equally ſupream is an abſurd nullity in government, for admit two of them agree, and not the third, then there can be no proceedings or determination, and if there be but two, as is now pretended, in Lords and Commons, whoſe Ordinances have ſerved (how juſtly judge you) to make War and confiſcate mens eſtates: admit they agree not, then alſo nothing can be done, which in Government is ridiculous to imagine, beſides it is now a known caſe that their Ordinances are not pleadable againſt the Laws, and give no Indempnity, which were they the known ſupream Authority, could not but be effectual. That the King ſingle and alone is the ſupream Authority himſelf never pretended to it, claiming only a negative voyce in the Law-making Power, by which rule nothing can be done without him, then which nothing is more unreaſonable: The Lords alſo never pretended to more then an equal ſhare with the Commons, which in effect is a negative voyce and as unreasonable as in the King: And when the Commons have been by Petitioners ſtiled the ſupream authority, they have puniſhed the Petitioners, and diſclaimed the ſupream Authority: and as two years ſince, ſo very lately they have voted that the Kingdom ſhall be governed by King, Lords and Commons; which is a riddle that no man underſtands; for who knoweth what appertains to the King, what to the Lords, or what to the Houſe of Commons? It is all out as uncertain as at firſt; and if the trumpet give an uncertain ſound, who ſhall prepare himſelf for the battel? If by all your endeavors you cannot prevail to have the ſupream Authority declared and proved, how can you lawfully fight, or upon what grounds with a good conſcience can you engage your ſelves or perſwade others to engage in killing and ſlaying of men?

And if you ſhould have the ſupream Authority rationally proved and declared to be in the Commons diſtinct from any other, as being the ſole Repreſentative of the people; you muſt note that you are a free people, and are not to be preſſed or enforced to ſerve in Wars like horſes and bruit beaſts, but are to uſe the underſtanding God hath given you, in judging of the Cauſe, for defence whereof they deſire you to fight, for it is not ſufficient to fight by lawful authority, but you muſt be ſure to fight for what is just: Lawful authority being ſometimes miſtaken, and many times ſo perverted and corrupted, as to command the killing and impriſoning men for doing that which is juſt and commendable, and for oppoſing what is unjuſt and deſtructive. Therefore as you are to forbear till you ſee the ſupream Authority diſtinctly and rationally ſtated; ſo alſo you are not to engage till the Cauſe be expreſly declared, leſt after your next engagement you are as fa • to ſeek of a juſt cauſe as now you are; and after you have prevailed in ſtead of finding your ſelves and your aſſociates freemen, you find your ſelves more enſlaved then you were formerly. For by experience you now find you may be made ſlaves as effectually by Parliament, as by any other kind of Government; why then perſiſt you to divide and fall into Factions? to kill and ſlay men for you know not what, to advance the honor and intereſt of you know not whom; the King, Parliament, great men in the City and Army can do nothing without you, to diſturb the Peace of the Nation, upon you therefore both Soldiers and People, who fight, pay and disburſe your eſtates, is to be charged all the evil that hath been done; if you on all hands had not been and were not ſo haſty to engage for the advancement or Intereſts to the prejudice of the Nation, it is very likely we had not only eſcaped thoſe late bloody turmoils that have happened among us, but alſo might prevent greater threatned dangers, which like an inundation begin to break in upon us: And if you now ſtop not, your Conſciences will be loaded with all that is to come, which threatneth far worſe then what is paſt; Therefore, if ye are either men or Chriſtians, hold your hands till you know what you fight for, and be ſure that you have the truth of Freedom in it, or never medle, but deſiſt, and let who will both fight and pay.

Certainly there is none ſo vile, conſidering what hath been ſaid, that will again incur the guilt of murtherers, and fight before the Cauſe be plainly ſtated and publiſhed, and if that were done as it ought to be, poſſibly it may be attained without fighting, and might have been all this while, the difference not being ſo great as was imagined; Beſides, where is the man that would fight againſt the ſupream Authority, and a just Cauſe? and certainly there is none of you (whether Royalists, Presbyterians or Independents) ſo wicked as to deſire to kill men without exceeding just grounds and upon the greateſt neceſsity, it being the ſaddeſt work in the world.

For the preventing whereof, let us, I beſeech you, examine what good things there are wanting, that are eſſential to the Peace, Freedom, and happineſs of the Nation, that may not be obtained without fighting.

1. Is there wanting the certain knowledg where the ſupream Authority is, and of right ought to be; It is confeſt no one thing is more wanting, nor can the Nation ever be quiet, or happy without it.

But can it be any where juſtly and ſafely but in the Houſe of Commons, who are choſen and truſted by the People? Certainly did men conſider that in oppoſing thereof▪ they renounce and deſtroy their own freedoms, they would not do it for any thing in the world.

If the conſideration of the manifold evils brought upon us by this Houſe of Commons, deter them, the next thing that is wanting is, That a ſet time be appointed for the ending of this Parliament, and a certainty for future Parliaments, both for their due elections, meeting, and diſſolving: And who will be ſo unreaſonable as to oppoſe any of theſe? certainly the number cannot be conſiderable.

Is it alſo neceſſary that That Parliaments be abridged the power of impreſsing men, to ſerve as bruit beaſts in the Wars, who will be againſt their being bounded therein? a good Cauſe never wanted men, nor an authority that had money to pay them.

Hath it proved deſtructive in Parliaments to meddle in Religion, and to compel and reſtrain in matters of Gods Worſhip? Are they evidently ſuch things as cannot be ſubmitto Judgment? Doth every man find it ſo that hath a living Conſcience? Who then will be againſt their binding herein, though they be entruſted to eſtabliſh an uncompulſive publike way of worſhip for the Nation?

Is it unreaſonable that any perſon ſhould be exempt from thoſe proceedings of Law, unto which the generality of the People are to be ſubject? Who is there then that will not willingly have all from the higheſt to the loweſt bound alike?

That Parliaments ſhould have no power to puniſh any perſon for doing that which is not againſt a known declared Law, or to take away general property, or to force men to anſwer to queſtions againſt themſelves, or to order tryals, or proceed by any other ways then by twelve ſworn men, who would not rejoyce to have ſuch boundaries?

Then, that the proceedings it Law might be rectified, and all Laws and the duty of Magiſtrates written and publiſhed in Engliſh: That the Exciſe might have a ſpeedy end, and no Taxes but by way of ſubſidies: That Trade might be free, and a leſs burthenſom way for the maintenance of Miniſters be eſtabliſhed, then that of Tythes; and that work and neceſſaries be provided for all kind of poor people. Certainly for the obtaining of theſe things a man may juſtly adventure his life; all theſe being for a common good, and tend not to the ſetting up of any one party or faction of men.

Theſe then are the Cauſes to be inſiſted on, or nothing: And if the ſupream Authority adhere to this Cauſe, they need neither fear Scotch, French, nor Engliſh Enemies; but if they decline this Cauſe, they are to be declined, the juſt freedom and happineſs of a Nation, being above all Conſtitutions, whether of Kings, Parliaments, or any other.

For ſhame therefore (Royaliſts, Presbyterians, Independents,) before you murther another man hold forth your Cauſe plainly and expreſly; and if any Adverſaries appear either within or without the Land, reaſon it out with them if it be poſſible deal as becometh Chriſtians, argue, perſwade, and uſe all poſſible means to prevent another War, and greater blood-ſhed; your great ones, [whether the King, Lords, Parliament men, rich Citizens, &c. feel not the miſerable effects thereof, and ſo cannot be ſenſible; but you and your poor friends that depend on Farmes, Trades, and ſmall pay, have many an aking heart when theſe live in all pleaſure and deliciouſneſs: The accurſed thing is accepted by them, wealth and honor, and both comes by the bleeding miſerable diſtractions of the Common-wealth, and they fear an end of trouble would put an end to their glory and greatneſs.

Oh therefore all you Soldiers and People, that have your Conſciences alive about you, put to your ſtrength of Judgment, and all the might you have to prevent a further effuſion of blood; let not the covetous, the proud, the blood-thirſty man bear ſway amongſt you; fear not their high looks, give no ear to their charms, their promiſes or tears; they have no ſtrength without you, forſake them and ye will be strong for good, adhere to them, and they will be ſtrong to evil; for which you muſt anſwer, and give an account at the laſt day.

The King, Parliament, great men in the City and Army, have made you but the ſtairs by which they have mounted to Honor, Wealth and Power. The only Quarrel that hath been, and at preſent is but this, namely, whoſe ſlaves the people ſhall be: All the power that any hath, was but a truſt conveyed from you to them, to be employed by them for your good; they have miſ-imployed their power, and inſtead of preſerving you, have deſtroyed you: all Power and Authority is perverted from the King to the Conſtable, and it is no other but the policy of Stateſmen to keep you divided by creating jealouſies and fears among you, to the end that their Tyranny and Injustice may paſs undiſcovered and unpuniſhed; but the peoples ſafety is the ſupream Law; and if a people muſt not be left without a means to preſerve it ſelf againſt the King, by the ſame rule they may preſerve themſelves againſt the Parliament and Army too; if they pervert the end for which they received their power, to wit the Nations ſafety; therefore ſpeedily unite your ſelves together, and as one man ſtand up for the defence of your Freedom, and for the eſtabliſhment of ſuch equal rules of Government for the future, as ſhall lay a firm foundation of peace and happineſs to all the people without partiallity: Let Juſtice be your breaſtplate, and you ſhall need to fear no enemies, for you ſhall ſtrike a terrour to your now inſulting oppreſſors, and force all the Nations Peace to fly before you. Proſecute and proſper. Vale.