A Diſcourſe or Dialogue between the two now Potent Enemies:
The Lord Generall Militia, and his illegall oppoſite Commiſſion of Array.
The firſt, Pleading the Power and lawfulneſſe of his Authority by the Parliament for the benefit of the Subject.
The other, Claiming the Prerogative of the King for the Cavaliers.
⟨Octob: 7th⟩ LONDON, Printed for Thomas Bates. 1642.
THere hath been much diſcourſe about you and I, that is, about the Commiſsion of Array and the Malitia, and you have by the Parliament been formerly adjudged illegall and unlawfull.
Can that be unlawfull which is undertaken for the defence of the King? to whom ſhould the military ſtrength of the Kingdome be ſubject if not to the King.
I allow all this, and my deſire as well as yours is, to ſacrifice my bloud in maintaining the Kings right, againſt all ſuch as would have him invade the priviledges of the Subject, and ſuch as ſeek the diſſolution of the Parliament. In a word, I ſtand for the King and the Parliament, you only for the King as he is carried away by the evill counſell of Malignants.
Theſe Malignants indeed have been ſufficiently railed upon, and under that title have4 been compriſed many well affected Subjects; for if every one led only a loyall ſubjection, did but afar off appeare to encline to the Kings deſignes, he was branded with the marke of a malignant ſpirit, ſo that many have by vulgar opinion been undeſervedly included under that appellation.
Though I know Array, that you are a thing created by Regall Authority, and doe endeavour to affront the Militia, I will ſhew you your firſt beginning and originall, which we ſpread a bluſh upon your cheeke, or rather conſcience, if you have any grace or Religion, while in a briefe Narration I doe give you an account of your owne Pedigree, for you are an upſtart peece of the military ſtrength of this Kingdome.
Tis falſe, I can derive my antiquity from the raignes of many former Kings, wherein I have done very good ſervice, and ſuch hath my valour been, that I have in many Battels cruſhed the inſolent Commons, and brought a glorious victory to the Kings Standard.
You brag on wrong grounds. It is the end of any action that doth merit honour, your confiding in doing ſervice for the King in oppoſing the Parliament, is an argument built on falſe grounds; but you are conformable in your words to your purpoſes and beginning: For when the King through the inſtigation of the5 malignant party conſiſting of Papiſts, prelaticall Clergy, Delinquents, and part of the Nobility and Gentry, who ſerving the Court, had combined to bury the happineſſe of this Kingdome in the ruine of this Parliament, and to cut up the freedome of Parliaments by the root, and to erect in this Kingdome an arbitrary government, then you the Commiſsion of Array were preſently thought upon, and away you were carried into ſeverall Countries by divers Noblemen, there by an illegall power to raiſe an Army for the protection of Delinquents from the hands of Iuſtice, firſt under colour of a Guard for the King, you and your Commiſsion of Array over-running ſeverall Counties, compelling the Trained Bands by force to come in and joyne with you, or diſarming them and putting their Armes into the hands of lewde and deſperate perſons, thereby turned the Armes of the Kingdome againſt it ſelfe, and this was your intention.
I had no ſuch purpoſe but was for the ſafety of the kingdome, and the honour of the King: For it was alwayes thought fit and requiſite that the King ſhould have the ordering and diſpoſing of the Militia of the kingdome; but when you were ſetled and ordered by the Parliament againſt the Kings deſire, and put into ſuch hands as they would confide in then the Commiſsion of Array iſſued out not to diſturbe the6 peace of the kingdome, but to defend it as well as you or any other Militia.
How comes it then to paſſe, that when the deſigne which had bin ſo long carryed on to alter the frame and conſtitution of this government both in Church and State, was now come to ripeneſſe, and the conteiners thereof conceived themſelves arrived to that condition of ſtrength, that they ſhould be able to put it in preſent execution, they have now made the K. raiſe a great army, this was your doings, commiſsion of Aray.
I was ſent abroad indeed to uſe the utmoſt force I could to compell and ſummon them in, but more came in voluntarily then by vertue of my commiſsion; the Gentry and Cavaliers freely engaging themſelves in that ſervice, and ſuch a great confluence of ſeverall perſons flocking unto the King, that they needed no compaſſion, Horſe, Armes and Amunition being daily brought, and beſides the Royall Standard which had a glorious preſence in the field, drew more unto it then the commiſsion of Array.
If you diſdaine the matter already, tis likely you knew that your power was illegall, ſtanding alwayes in defiance of the Parliament, and of the Militia, but I hope to make you know your errour in time. It is fit that Militia being a faithfull ſubject to the King and Parliament, and ſtanding for both againſt thoſe malignants,7 wherewith the King is now environed, ſhould be better eſteemed than nothing of yeſterday. I meane the commiſsion of Array.
Tis falſe, and I will make, thee know thou malicious Militia, thou leader on of leatherne Coates and City Round-heads, that you are but a cracking noiſe to me, what doe boyes but waſte powder in the ſtreets? and ſo are you nothing but an invention to make away powder, carrying a faire ſhew of a concealed affection to your King and Countrey, but are led on by the inſtigation of weekly pay, and a love you beare to oppoſition, ſpeake no more, for Array is accounted with a ſword, which as I weare by my ſide, ſo I dare man age for my King and Countrey.
I regard not your ſword (Array) nor can your threatening language ſtrike a terrour into me, the goodneſſe of my deſigne in defending the King and Parliament, doth give me boldneſſe to appeare in the field againſt you and your ſwaggering Troops of Cavaliers, who having engaged themſelves againſt their Countrey, would now upon cooler bloud be glad with ſafety to retire. I muſt tell you that the name of Array is odious to the people, and therefore your beſt refuge is the countrey, for here in London you would by the common ſort be cut into peeces, for they underſtand you as a direct enemy to the Common-wealth; One that would intrench upon the liberty of the ſubjects, ſo that by the authority of your tyrannicall power, all whatſoever they poſſeſſed ſhould be ſubject8 unto your mercy, and upon any preſent humour, if you ſend for their goods or for money, they muſt deliver them up, and be glad to be undone, and that this could ſtand with Iuſtice was a ſtrange opinion brought up by the malignant party under whoſe colors you ſerve.
You are deceived, my deſire is to ſave the kingdome from ruine, and preſerve the king in a free Monarchy; for the King is reſolved that he will not ſee Religion, the Baſis and foundation of a Common-wealth defaced, and that he will maintaine the rights and liberties of the ſubject, and the priviledges of Parliament; and he doth ſolely claime this power, as being the Defender of the faith; and therefore ſeeing all his actions doe reflect on the good of the Common-wealth, whereunto they ought to be directed, and while the King doth beare this reſolution all true ſubjects are bound to ayd His Majeſty.
But if the King may force his Parliament, they may bid farwell to all Parliaments, and all their Laws wil be cut in ſunder, with the ſame ſword now drawn for the deſtruction of the Parl. therefore let the Militia and Array now agree, and ſtand for God, our K. & Parl. I am not far from you under the command of the E. of Eſſex, but ſhould be glad of this reconcilement.
If the King were ſo pleaſed, I ſhould be glad alſo of ſuch an agreement.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A81518)
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