THE RELIGIOUS & LOYAL PROTESTATION, OF JOHN GAUDEN Dr. in Divinity; Againſt the preſent Declared Purpoſes and Proceedings of the Army and others; About the trying and deſtroying our Soveraign Lord the KING.
Sent to a Collonell, to bee Preſented to the Lord FAIRFAX, And His Councell of Warre, this fift of January 1648.
⟨Jan: 15th⟩ London, Printed in the Yeare 1648.
NOt any vanity or oſtentation of bold and unſeaſonable freedomes, (which are not worth the hazards and displeaſures they may contract) but onely duty and integrity, commanding me, reſolutely to looke at Gods glory, and the diſcharge of my owne Conſcience both to God and Man, hath made theſe enſuing Papers become publique, which I lately, with all humility and charity, preſented by the hand of a Colonell (my worthy friend) to his Excellency, and the reſt of the Councell of Warre: Indeed, I am perſwaded that God requires, and looks for (in the generall over-awings of mens ſpirits, who behold the Army more with terrour, than with love and charity, which I doe not) ſome men ſpeedily to aſſert both his righteouſneſſe and their owne uprightneſſe amidſt, and againſt the crooked and perverſe motions of others, in this untoward Generation, which is ready to father upon God and the Chriſtian Reformed Religion, one of the moſt adulterous, deformed, and prodigious iſſues, that ever the corrupt hearts of the men of this world conceived, their unbridled power brought forth, or the Sun beheld.
Wherefore, as not by my aſſent, ſo neither by my ſilence muſt I have any hand in the midwifery of ſo monſtrous productions, which ſeeme to threaten the ruine of the King, and the ſubverting the fundamentall conſtitutions of Parliament, Lawes, and Liberties.
Next, to the betraying and killing of Chriſt, was their ſin, who either denied, or deſerted Him.
The impetuous torrent of preſent power, having broken all banks of Ancient Legall Formes, affaires ſeeme now let out to ſuch generall and popular diffuſions, that they admit no other reſtraints, but thoſe which the common Peoples aſſents, or diſſents, may give to them.
It is hard if among ſuch a multitude of men, all our Oaths, Proteſtation, and Covenants, ſacred and civill ties will not obtaine ſo much of Loyall and religious Subjects, as by a word or two both decently and ſeaſonably to enterpoſe, when (as the Lord liveth) there ſeems to be but a ſtep between the life of our Soveraign Lord the King, and ſome violent death.
Me thinks I heare His Majeſty in His Agony, ſolitude, and expectation of an enforced death, calling to me, and all other His Subjects, You that never believed My Life was ſought after in the bottome of this Warre but My ſafety and Honour, you that never fought for Me, yet profeſsed to abhorre the fighting deſtinately againſt Me, or deſtroying of Me; Cannot you, dare not you now ſpeak one word to ſave My Life, and your own Soules? ſhall your ſilence ſeem to encourage and make up their ſuffrages, who therefore pretend they may, and will deſtroy Me, becauſe it pleaſeth you, and the generality of My people?
For my owne part, as I hope to have communion with God in Chriſt, I dare not have any fellowſhip with ſo foule a ſinne, as the Killing of the King, but rather I ought to reprove it, and fairly conteſt againſt it: whatever His ſin may be, yet I thinke Him not criminall or obnoxious to any Tribunall but that of God, whoſe Deputation, Authority, or Commiſſion they can in no ſort (that I ſee) produce to any ſatisfaction of religious minds, who at preſent undertake to be His Tryers, Judges, Condemners, and Deſtroyers, onely becauſe the KING is in their power. Whereas Gods Commiſſion warranting ſuch an Act ought to have not onely the ſtamp and image of prevalent power on one ſide, (Which the moſt flagitious actions oft have) but alſo the ſuperſcription of his Word, and the expreſſe ſignature: of his will, in the municipall Lawes on the other ſide, by all which, power is derived, limited and warranted to act with moderation and right eouſneſſe.
I beſeech God to reſtrain power, to ſoften hearts, and to fruſtrate thoſe purpoſes, which to me ſeem to have ſo much of ſinne, Hell, and honour; that if I hated the Actors the moſt of any men, (which God knowes, I doe not but love and pity them, and pray for them) I could not ſhew my hatred more againſt them, than by wiſhing them ingaged and ſuffering them to go on, and thus to fill up the meaſure of their ſinnes, by deſtroying Him, for whom I have alwaies been taught, and now moſt of all to think it my duty to cry aloud, GOD SAVE THE KING.
So clearly poynting that ambiguous Verſe, which moſt men are afraid to doe:
Your Power and Actions render you terrible, but that candor and affability which you ſay you beare to all, makes you acceſſible, and invites Addreſſes to you, even from thoſe who differ from you. I am one of the leaſt conſiderable of many, as to any contesting with you, or obſtructing your proceedings; yet ſince ſome of you yeſterday invited me, or any man, to a free declaring of our judgements, in order to the great Affaires you are now upon, wherein although your ſelves, as principall, are moſt concerned, yet my ſelfe and others are like to be involved in the ſucceſſe of your actions, both as to my temporall and eternall well-fare if either approve or diſſent. My humble Requeſt to you is, That without contracting your diſpleaſure, I may uſe that liberty which God and Reaſon hath allowed me, and your ſelves have not yet forbiden to me or others in this way.
2Happily I might with more ſafety in ſilence tremble before, and humbly adore the Juſtice and Power of the great God, which he hath by your meanes, and yet may carry on further againſt the ſins of this Nation, yet I conſider not you only, but my ſelfe am highly reſponſible both to God and Man, for what you doe and I ſeem to conſent unto in matters ſo enormous, of ſo vaſt and publique influence, both to the preſent Age and Poſteritie.
You are not ignorant that Succeſſe is a great Bribe and Snare to the Judgement, where the heart is not very watchfull over it ſelfe, and much in Prayer to God for his wiſedom and Grace, which is moſt ſet forth in the uſing Succeſſes humbly, and honeſtly, to the advantages of Piety and Charity.
Proſperous Power is loth to ſtop it ſelfe with moderate bounds, or to ſuſpect it ſelfe, either to want or goe beyond the line and limits of Juſtice; It is compaſſed about with many applauders and flatterers, who eaſilie miſtake the fact it ſelfe, or the confidence of the Agents, for the rule of Righteouſneſſe, and interpret Gods permiſſion of what may bee very wicked and un-juſt, as his approbation and witneſſing to their Juſtice,
The rule and ſtandard of which (that is humane Juſtice) I thinke to be fixed and immovable, either as to thoſe generall expreſſes which are in Gods written word, or thoſe ſetled Lawes of humane ſocieties, by which his Providence (for the good of men) hath in wayes of publique and Nationall conſent, cleerely brought forth that light of common and politick reaſon, which but dimly ſhines in mans heart, ſingly and apart, the divine goodneſſe confining by ſuch publique and ſetled regulations thoſe exorbitant varieties to which mens private Reaſon, Will and Power, are prone to breake forth in the fulfilling of their particular Luſts, to the injury of their Neighbours, and the detriment of the publique good: I confeſſe I am not able to reſolve my ſelfe, by any thing yet ſet forth, as to any grounds of God's or Man's Lawes, or your own ſometime3 time declared Principles, ſo as in the leaſt kind to juſtify what you formerly or lately have done, without and againſt the minde of the two Houſes of Parliament, yet I ſee much of Gods light in their and your darkneſſe, of his Order and Glory in theſe Common Confuſions.
But there are many Perſons of abilities far beyond mine, who in the point of their Priviledges are more Perſonally concerned to vindicate and aſſert them, againſt the impreſſions by force upon them, who were undoubtedly the fathers and fountaine of your Power, as Soldiers, and their Commiſſion, the Limitter as well as Licencer of your Military Actions.
What is paſt upon the Houſes, can only have ſuch a remedy and reparation as Providence ſhall ſee meete to grant.
That which ſtrikes my Soule with the greateſt horror and aſtoniſhment is, how to reconcile your declared purpoſes againſt the King, either with the faire opinion I deſire to retaine of your Perſons, or with that common tenderneſſe and duty which both you, and my ſelfe ought to beard toward his Majeſty.
The Juſtice you pretend to doe againſt him, ſeemes to mee moſt queſtionable both for the matter or merit, as alſo for the manner and forme of the doing it: Since no power, that I know, hath; or can under Heaven, inveſt you with any Authority to doe what you ſeeme to intend.
The Lawes of this Kingdom (I preſume your ſelves confeſſe and others have evidently evinced) are fully againſt you, giving no Subjects, in any Caſe, Judiciall power over the life of their King, or his Soveraigntie.
The Word of God (ſo farre as he hath given me to underſtand it, neither affords any Precept, nor commends any example, in this kinde, to your imitation, but in both is abſolutely againſt you: you cannot be ignorant of Davids both Conſcientious and Generous reſpect to Sauls ſafety and life, whom he leaves to Gods Juſtice, by no uſurpation of power, ſucceſſe, or oportunities of revenge, ſuffer himſelfe to bee8 tempted to prevent the hand of God.
Never any man in the Church of God, of any name for piety and holyneſſe, are recorded to have done any ſuch Act of violence againſt their lawfull Kings, ſuch as ours is confeſſed to be; never did Chriſt or his Apoſtles, by practice or precept, give the leaſt intimation of the will of his father, as agreeing to what you declare to bee your purpoſes; yea, I am fully perſwaded in my Soule, that if my Saviour Jeſus Chriſt were now living upon Earth, he would bee utterly againſt your Councels and Actions in this point; agreeable to whoſe moſt holy minde, doctrine and example, all Chriſtians that have truly feared God, have alſo honoured their Kings.
Such hath beene the violence of pretorian Souldiers, Janiſaries and Mamalukes, ſuch as have followed a Caſar, or a Scilla, or a Marius, not knowing the minde of God in Chriſt: But never of any Chriſtian Souldiers, living in the power of Godlineſſe.
So that being thus wholy deſtitute of any ſupport from God's word or Man's Lawes, either for rule or example, to gaine my approbation to what you meane to perpetrate in a way expoſed to ſo many horrid aggravations: Truly I ſhould thinke it not only my infinite ſinne to declare for you, but even by my ſilence to betray you (in other things ſo gallant men) as much as in mee lies, to ſo great, and almoſt unexpiable a ſinne; where you being deſtitute of any cleere grounds muſt needs ſin more againſt the cleere light which ſhines upon you, and againſt your proceedings; ſince to your Soules, I awe and beare a great Charity, next to the ſalvation of mine owne.
Furthermore, by ſilence, I ſhould faile of that poore remainder of duty which yet lies as the laſt point of my power to expreſſe to my Soveraigne Lord and King, being one of his Subjects, and upon whom the many Oathes of God doe by obliegeing mee to deſire, and in7 all faire wayes to promote his hoth honour and ſafety.
You ſeeme to take the firſt and greateſt riſe, for the juſtification of your proceedings from thoſe advantages of meere naturall or martiall power which are in your hands: of which you can have no comfort, as any token of God's gracious and ſpeciall favour to you, though never ſo proſperous, unleſſe you have his feare before your eyes, which teacheth you to refraine, and depart from doing evill: by keeping the exerciſe of your Power within thoſe bounds of morall and politicall good, to which God calls you by his Word, the Lawes of the Land, and moſt particularly by your owne derived Commiſſion: To all which, not only the prime ties of Conſcience to God, and Allegeance to the King, but thoſe alſo of Honour, Faithfulneſſe, Modeſty, and limited Truſt from the Parliament, ſhould obliege you as men of true worth and ſober valour, whoſe will ſhould never bee the meaſure of their Power (as is in Pyrats and Robbers) but their Power is and alwaies ought to bee conteined in thoſe Religious and Honourable bounds, wherein Godly men allwaies keepe their mortified and ſubdued wills, as David did, when hee had to the perſonall in juries offer'd to him, the advantages added both of Power and Oportunity againſt King Saul; for that of Samuel's ſeverity againſt Agag, you know that neither is the King an Agag to you, nor you as Samuel to him.
Your next ſupport, ſeemes to bee ſetled upon the Peoples Petitioning, and ſeeming to aſſent, to what you intend to doe: when as I am very confident; and your ſelves cannot be ignorant of: that if free ſuffrages, or ſubſcriptions of all the People were taken in the three Kingdomes; you would find twenty to one againſt your Judgment, and Proceedings; and this of very grave, ſober, and conſiderable men.
So that I cannot in oder to my owne, and others eternall peace with God; but in all freedome; yet with all meekeneſſe, and due reſpects, but exhibit to you, as the chieſe Councellors, & Mannagers of eht preſent deſignes againſt the8 King, this my Loyall and Religious proteſtation againſt it, and earneſt obteſtation of you; not to bring upon your ſoules, and the Kingdome, as much as in you lyes, the blood of His Majeſty, the Lords Anoynted.
That I may at leaſt, as Joſeph of Aremathea, keepe my ſelfe unſpotted from it; whoſe voice cannot but cry as much louder, then any other mans unjuſtly ſhed; as the blood of Adam would have done if Cain had ſlaine him being his father, inſtead of Abel his brother.
You know the Caveat of the wiſe King Solomon, given and repeated: There is a way which ſeemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the wayes of Death. [Prov. 14.12. & 16.25.]
I beſeech you therefore, in the name of God, and for the love of Jeſus Chriſt, let not your being advanced ſo farre be any hindrance to your penitent and juſt retreat; to which I thinke God cals you, as by many others worthier and ablet then my ſelfe: ſo by this my humble Remonſtrance; in which my unfeigned charity to your ſoules eternall good; as well as the Kings and Kingdomes temporall welfare, may and will with men that have any touches of Gods Spirit in them, plead my excuſe, for my thus preſuming to contradict your Councells, or intercept your proceedings.
Matters of ſo high a nature, ſhould either not be attempted, or publiquely argued, with the greateſt calmeneſſe, clearneſſe and freedome; the laſt of which you have ſo obſtructed, that moſt of thoſe Lords, and Gentlemen, who are as much related to the King and intereſſed in the Affaires of the Kingdome as your ſelves, are denyed to uſe or injoy it.
I beſeech you to remember what mercies you proclaime to the world, God hath already ſhewed you, & what mercies you may yet ſtand in need of; what pretentions and aſſurances of Moderation and Loyalty, you ſometimes made to the King: O let not the World find in the event; that your pretended mercies were intended cruelties.
9After ſo long and ſo hard a reſtraint which the King hath ſuffered with ſo much patience, after ſo many Conceſſions to his own diminutions, in order to the ſatisfaction of the Parliament, the Kingdomes, and the Armies Intereſt, both joynt and ſeverall: how can you in coole bloud, without any colour of due Authority from God or Man, deſtroy your and our King; who caſt himſelf into His Subjects Armes, and was received with all aſſurances of ſafety and Honour?
If His Majeſty erred in His Judgment or Councell, which put Him, and He thought, upon the neceſſary vindication of His juſt Rights againſt thoſe, whom He was jealous went about to deprive Him of them, yet can no leſſe revenge ſerve Subjects upon their King, or Sons, towards their miſtaken Parent, then after long and many heavy Afflictions, utterly to deſtroy Him, and His?
Forget not (as I hope you doe not) the common Errours, to which all men are ſubject; and thoſe notorious ones, with which, mutuall re-criminations have aſperſed both Parliament and Army, and with which we have all cauſe to fear, the moſt juſt Judge of Heaven and Earth will charge the moſt preſuming Innocence of us all.
O do not ſtain the Renown of your valour by ſo mercileſſe an Act, as the deſtroying your King; Renowned even by ſome of you ſelves, for the greatneſſe of His underſtanding, and many other Princely vertues, and incomparable endowments.
You are Gentlemen that pretend to walk by the rule of a good Conſcience before God & Man; which muſt needs fail you, when God hath not given you either any Scripturall command, or any Magiſtratick power, over or againſt the King; nay, you cannot but feel (I think) many checks and ſcruples, if not ſtrict ties to the contrary upon you, as well as other Subjects, by no failings of the King, or any earthly Power to be diſpenſed with.
The preſage of that deluge of miſeries, likely to follow the ruine of the King in theſe miſerable Kingdomes, doth not ſo much terrifie me, as thoſe ſins which have deſerved and brought upon us, ſo vaſt Judgments. To all which, the Addition of this both grand Sin and Judgment of deſtroying the King; againſt all Lawes of God and Man, of Warre and Peace, of Valour and10 Honour: muſt needs become ſo far the Heavier, as it becomes the more Nationall, by drawing with it the conſent of others.
Wherefore I thought it my duty, being exempted through the love of God, and Charity to your Souſes, from that ſpirit of Bondage, which makes too many ſervilely fear your power; of ſo great a Sin, and ſtand in the gap, both againſt the Sin, and enſuing Judgments: Having no other end in theſe ſudden lines. but to witneſſe to the Truth of God, (as I conceive it) to the Honour of the true Chriſtian Religion, to my particular Duty, and Oaths of Allegiance, as alſo to that Charity and Reſpect I bear to the welfare of my Country, and your own Perſons.
I had rather you ſhould ſee and prevent you ſins in ſuch glaſſes of free and fair Remonſtrances, then hear of them too late by the Clamours, Curſes, and bitter reproaches of others, or in the fearfull Ecchoes of your own moſt troubled and terrified Conſciences, and the juſt wrath of God upon you and the Kingdome.
I earneſtly beſeech God, the moſt wiſe and juſt diſpoſer of all things (whoſe executive power wicked men oft unjuſtly uſurp, but gracious men never either invade or execute, without an orderly Authority derived either immediately from God, or mediately from thoſe politick Lawes, and fetled Magiſtracies which are Gods Ordinances among men;) Him I beſeech to look upon you in mercy, whoſe ſin, with ſucceſſe, will make you infinitely more miſerable then the King, or any man can be, under the greateſt wordly ſufferings, which (I hope) God hath, and will further ſanctifie to him.
That great God and King will (I hope) incline your hearts to thoſe wayes, which are clearly his will; not as to private imaginations, which are various, falacious, and dangerous, but as to thoſe publick and infallible Declarations of his Oracles, and Providence, viz. the Scriptures, and our Lawes.
With regard to both which moſt clear and conſtant lights; that which you call Juſtice againſt the King, ſeemes to me the greateſt and moſt unparallel'd Injuſtice. What I humbly preſent to you in a way of a moſt juſt, and (at leaſt) a mercifull tenderneſſe towards your Soveraign, and your Soules, is not more11 your duty, then it will be both your Comfort, and Commendation for ever.
When the world ſhall ſee your power bounded with Loyalty, ſanctified with Piety, and ſweetned with Pitty, not fooliſh and feminine, which I would have below you, but maſculine, Heroick, truly Chriſtian and Divine: which commands you to adde to your many other Victories, this Crown of our rejoycing, and your triumphs, the Conqueſt of your ſelves: by over-comming what you conceive evill and blameable in another, with ſuch unqueſtionable goodneſſe in your ſelves.
Wherein I humbly entreat the God of mercies to make, you to abound, over-powering all paſſions and frailties in you as men, and perfecting all graces in you, as true Chriſtian Subjects to a Chriſtian King. This I write, and pray, as
Your friendlineſſe and great Civility hath given me ſome encouragement to entreat you, that by your hand theſe encloſed papers may be preſented with my due and Chriſtian reſpects to his Excellency, and the Counſell of Warre, when they next meet, my Motives to them, and the contents of them you will beſt underſtand, when you ſhall pleaſe to communicate them as they are directed, I ſhall not, I hope, ſeeme when you hear or read them, to have made any ſiniſter or uncomely uſe of your favour, in offering to you, and by our mediation to them, ſuch conſiderations as carry with them, the weight, not only of temporall, but eternall lives; and the Concernment of many Souls as well as Bodies.
Sir, I doubt not of your faithfulneſſe in fulfilling my requeſt to you, nor yet of your Candour, in not miſ-interpreting that modeſt freedome I have taken; for which, as I have the greateſt compulſions from within, ſo I had no ſmall invitations from your ſelf, and others of your Company yeſterday; when by your wonted and Commendable Courteſie you added many obligations to thoſe which you formerly had upon
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