A SHORT DECLARATION BY Colonell Edw. Maſſey, &c.

COuld I have ſatisfied my thoughts in that Manifeſtation of my faithfulneſſe and zeal to Gods Cauſe, the King, Parlia­ment, and Kingdome, which hath ſufficiently been held forth, and witneſſed as well by my former Actings, as late ſuffe­rings in, and for the ſame, I ſhould gladly have reſted therein con­tent: And although to the late Aſpertions caſt joyntly upon us the impriſoned and ſecluded Members of Parliament, by a paper Intitu­led An humble Anſwer of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army under His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, to the Honorable Houſe of Commons, concerning the Impriſoned and ſucluded Members, &c. We have joyntly Anſwered, not doubting (if may paſſe the Preſſe) but it will ſufficiently ſatisfie all un-byaſſed and indifferent Readers, and return thoſe Scandalls upon their own Heads, ſhewing themſelves to be the Traytors, Apoſtates, Self-ſeekers, corrupt Members, &c. which they would fain Charge upon us.

And yet, becauſe there lyeth not only an obligation upon me in common, with thoſe my Fellow-members. (as with them borne under one King of the ſame Nation, brought up in, and profeſſing one and the ſame glorious Faith, called to the ſame truſt in Parlia­ment; further, tyed by ſeverall Oathes of Alegeance, Supremacy, Pro­teſtation, and Solemne League and Covenant together in Conjunction and Brother-hood:) But further alſo, ſomething as a Souldier, (be­fore I was called to the Honour of being a Member of Parliament) wherein I may ſeeme more concerned, as one that with his Sword hath openly, and before the face of the world Juſtified and Vindica­ted (according to what God enabled me) that, the beſt of Cauſes which the Parliament then Aſſerted, Declared for, and bound them­ſelves3 by a ſolemne Oath and Covenant to follow and purſue.

1. I ſhall therefore, firſt in that my undertaking, deſire to clear and vindicate my ſelf from any falſe aſperſions which are, or may, by malice it ſelf, be unjuſtly caſt upon me, for the blaſting of my Repu­tation.

2. And next, I ſhall give my reaſons of my freeing my ſelf from the hands of my unjuſt Adverſaries, and Gaolers.

And being by Gods great mercy and goodneſſe at preſent from under their hands, I ſhall proteſt againſt both them, and all their ad­herents as Actors of violence, and as Ʋnlawfull, Diſloyall, Covenant-breakers, and Perjured perſons, if they ſhall perſiſt in their treaſonable Deſinnes.

In the beginning of theſe unhappy and ſad differences betweene the KING and His Parliament, I beheld the Tranſactions, and read the ſeverall Declarations of them both, (with the beſt dilligence and circumſpection I was able;) And finding both Parties profeſſing much the ſame thing, (as to the peace and welfare of the Church and Kingdome, (only differing in the way) I was not a little at a ſtand; but after a longer conteſt, and that the Royall Standard was ſet up at Nottingham, And finding that the Parliament in their ſeve­rall Addreſſes to His Majeſty, ſtill continuing their former Profeſ­ſions of duty to Him, &c. According to their former Proteſtation, and many Declarations, that they never intended, either co alter the Fundamentall Government of the Kingdome, by King, Lords, and Com­mons, &c. But that their taking up the Sword was only for the De­fending of His Majeſties Perſon and Authority, for the removall of the evill Councellours, that ſo His Throne might be eſtabliſhed in Righteouſ­neſſe, and for the bringing of His Majeſty to the Parliament, and to make Him a glorious King, and the like. As alſo for the Defence of our Religion, and ſetling a happy Reformation in the Church (which by ſome Superſtitious Biſhops had received ſome blemiſhes in their Diſcipline, not becomming the purity and ſimplicity of the Goſpel:) The bringing Delinquents to condigne Puniſhment, and laſtly (a­mongſt many others) the preſervation of themſelves, and Priviledges of Parliament from Ruine and Deſtruction, of that Sword threatned againſt them for doing of their duty in the performance of the Kingdomes Truſt, &c.

Upon theſe Grounds, conſidering that it was poſſible for His Majeſty by ſome about Him (who only aimed at their own Advan­tage and Deſigne) to be miſled, and drawn aſide, to the danger of4 the Kingdome, and His own prejudice, which he might not fore­ſee, much leſſe intend.

And next, looking upon the Parliament, the Kings Greateſt Coun­cell, the Collective body, and Truſtees of the People, and by His Ma­jeſties own free Act confirmed to be a Parliament of Power, and ſo their Ordinances made Authentick and of Force, notwithſtanding the deniall of His Majeſties preſence, being both knowing men and Re­ligious, I ſuppoſed they would not poſſibly be ſo mad or wretched, as not to ſee the things they proſecuted firſt, to be Juſt; and next, the way thereunto to be warrantable and lawfull, ſuppoſing none of them could have any thought or aime beyond the Publick good (which is the beſt Good) eſpecially having ſo largely declared to the world, they intended nothing beyond what they had profeſſed to His Majeſty (as before) I was (with diverſe other faithfull Gentle­men) induced to receive a Commiſſion, as Lieutenant Colonell, to the Right Honourable the Earl of Stamford, under the Hand and Seal of His Excellency the Earl of Eſſex, (ever of beloved and re­nowned Memory) in which was ſpecified the ground of my taking up Armes, to be for the Defence of the true Proteſtant Religion, the ſafety of His Majeſties Perſon, and of the Parliament, the Preſer­vation of the Lawes, Liberties, and peace of the Kingdome, and the Protection of His Majeſties Subjects, from violence and oppreſ­ſion, &c.

In which, and according to the Tenor of which, I ſerved in the ſincerity of my heart, without any Equivocation, or further Intenti­ons, according to that little skill God had indued me with, how faithfully, and to how much advantage to them, and their Cauſe, in the midſt of all diſcouragements; the Parliament and Kingdome cannot be ignorant; and how little perſonall advantage I have made by the ſaid ſervice (more then that content I have had in my ſelf and Conſcience, making it my delight to doe, and performe my Truſt to the Parliament and Kingdome) I do not appeal to thoſe Of­ficers and Souldiers that ſerved with me, as alſo thoſe Parts and Countries wherein I moſt ſerved, and through which I Marched: And therefore need not deſpaire to hope that when God in mercy ſhall pleaſe to ſettle the Kingdome in Peace, I ſhall find from the Parliament and Kingdome that Juſtice, in their care for the paying unto me my Arreares (which is great) which they have not denyed to diverſe, whoſe faithfulneſſe or ſervices have not ſpoken louder for them, then mine have done for me; Nor whoſe expences for5 the advantage of their ſervice came in competition with mine, which thoſe Votes and promiſes of 1000 l. per an. (not yet performed unto me) put me upon. And now having thus faithfully ſerved the Parl. & Kingdome, finding my ſelf for the ſame (only) rewarded with a Priſon, my complaint of the ſame is the more; For I dare appeal to the very Hearts and Conſciences of my greateſt enemies. (who falſly lay upon me the enjoying of Sir Ioh: Winters Eſtate, which he himſelf enjoyeth by their ſpeciall favour, and for their particular ſervice) ei­ther now ſitting in the Houſe of Commons, or in the General Coun­cell of the Army, (as they create, and ſo ſtyle themſelves) or any other: That they have nothing either worthy of Reſtraint, or bones to lay to my charge, only their own ſinfull fears, which to their own ſouls they have contracted by their own horrid Apoſtacy, from all their former profeſſions of Zeal to Gods Glory and Church, of Honour and Safety to the King, and His Poſteriiy, and of faithfullneſſe and Obedience to the Parliament, and in them to the whole Kingdome for their peace and welfare. And therein, and in order to their fur­ther Deſignes, (by bloud and cruelty) to over-turne all the founda­tions of Government, both in Church and State; And to enſlave the Kingdome, by bringing it under their Vaſſellage and iron Yoak; the ſatisfying of their own Luſts, Covetouſneſſe, Pride, and Ambi­tion.

Theſe are the true Grounds of their Impriſoning my ſelf, with the other faithfull Gentlemen, my Fellow-members, who have ever ſtood firme to our firſt Principalls, and hated to joyne hands with them in their ſuch horrid and Treaſonable Deſignes, and Actings againſt either the Kings Perſon, the Parliament, the Conſtitutions and Lawes of the Kingdome, or the welfare of the People: All which, by diverſe Oathes, and our Covenant, we are ſworn to Pre­ſerve and Maintaine.

And now they ſeeing that my ſelf could not be brought (by Gods mercy to me) unto any complyance with them in their ſinfull waies, by all their temptations and allurements; but on the contrary, found my expreſſions and reſolutions to oppoſe them therein, according to my duty and truſt, (which God enabling me, I ſhall ever doe) They, for the expreſſion of their malice, as well as the manifeſtation of their feares, moſt injuſtly and illegally ſecured my Perſon (with di­vers other Gentlemen) and made me a Priſoner to their treacherous and tyrannicall Sword: In the meane time, aſperſing me with all man­ner of ſcandals, lies, and falſe reports of their owne forging, That ſo6 the unknowing credulous, might be ſurpriſed by them, in giving credit to ſomething thereof, (at which ſuch as know me would laugh to ſcorne at the reporting) poſting me from place to place, and from Priſon to Priſon, detaining me full 6 Weeks without aſſigning or ſhewing Cauſe thereof, or laying any particular Crime to my particular Charge, againſt their owne ſentance and Maxime (as a matter of great injuſtice to others (of their Faction, though Legally Impriſoned) to be detain'd Priſoner above 48 howers, without giving in a particular Charge againſt them; ſo that I having been kept ſo long, and ſaw that my Impriſonment was onely by a forceable hand, and no Legallity in it (as at our Proteſt given in at the Kings-head in the Strand it was confeſſed by Marſhall Generall Lawrance; and ſince alſo confeſſed by the Generall Councell of the Army in their humble Anſwer to the Houſe of Commons before cited. And that I could expect no Legall triall or Juſtice no more than he that's fallen into the hands of Thieves and Murtherers, (the Caſe being the ſame, or worſe) as alſo upon good conſideration had of the little advan­tage my ſtay would be, and what advantage by Gods mercy my free­dome (from thoſe hands of violence) might prove to a future juſti­fying not onely of my ſelfe, but of all the reſt of the injuriouſly im­priſoned Members, and our joynt Cauſe: I ſuppoſed, ſeeing the Al­mighty opened a dore for my delivery, it had been a denying of his mercies to me, and a tempting of the Lord to have given me over to the luſts and malice of thoſe mine, and the Kingdomes Enemies; and therefore, by Gods leave, I gave my ſelf a Habeas Corpus to enjoy as much of that freedome that was my owne, as that it ſhould pleaſe God to give me for the good and advantage of his Cauſe & People; which Covenant-breakers, and Perjurers, have ſo villified and trodden under feet: And notwithſtanding my freedome taken, yet doe I hereby profeſſe, that if at any time, I ſhall by a Legall Authority be Called to Anſwer any thing that may be laid to my Charge, I ſhall willingly and readily doe the ſame, as well for the Vindication of my ſelfe, as the ſatisfaction of all men whatſoever; although I, and all honeſt men muſt proteſt againſt that Juriſdiction this Army hath uſurped to themſelves, as not onely Illegall, but Tyrannicall, and Tre­cherous; as alſo againſt that part of the Houſe of Commons, now ſit­ting under the Power of the Sword; as no Houſe, nor competent Judges over my ſelfe, or any other Member of Parliament or other, untill the Houſes be freed from all violence and force, and all the Members be reſtored.

And laſtly, ſince above all brands of Infamy, the name of Hypo­crites, and Traytour, ſtriketh and woundeth deepeſt at the heart of any Perſon, if but under a common or civill capacity, much more ſuch as are truly Engliſh-men and Chriſtians, and farre more yet, of ſuch as not only have made profeſſion of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, but ſworne, and Covenanted to maintaine the ſame, the glory thereof; That I may cleare my ſelfe before men (as I hope I have approved my ſelfe to God, I doe in his preſence, who is the ſearcher of all hearts, in all humility make this following Profeſſion and Proteſtation: