the profession and preservation both of truth and unitie in Religion.
The next main hinge on which your prosperitie will depend, and move,
is, That of civil Justice, wherein the setled Laws of these Kingdoms,
to which you are rightly heir, are the most excellent rules you
can govern by; which by an admirable temperament give very much to
Subjects industry, libertie, and happiness; and yet reserve enough
to the Majestie and Prerogative of any King, who owns his people
as Subjects, not as slaves; whose subjection, as it preserves their
propertie, peace, and safetie; so it will never diminish your Rights,
nor their ingenuous Liberties; which consists in the enjoyment of
the fruits of their industry, and the benefit of those Laws to which
themselves have consented.
Never charge your Head with such a Crown, as shall by its heaviness
oppress the whole body, the weakness of whose parts cannot return
any thing of strength, honor, or safety, to the Head, but a necessary
debilitation and ruine.
Your Prerogative is best shewed, and exercised in remitting, rather
then exacting the rigor of the Laws, there being nothing worse, then
legal tyrannie.
In these two points, the preservation of established Religion and
Laws, I may (without vanity) turn the reproach of my sufferings, as to
the worlds censure, into the honor of a kinde of Martyrdom, as to the
testimony of my own Conscience. The troublers of my Kingdoms having
nothing else to object against me but this, That I prefer Religion,
and Laws established, before those alterations they propounded.
And so indeed I do, and ever shall, till I am convinced by better
Arguments, then what hitherto have been chiefly used towards me,
Tumults, Armies, and Prisons.
I cannot yet learn that lesson, nor I hope ever will you, That it is
safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the
Laws, in which is wrapt up the publike Interest, and the good of the
communitie.
How God will deal with me, as to the removal of these pressures, and
indignities, which his justice by the very unjust hands of some of my
Subjects, hath been pleased to lay upon me, I cannot tell: nor am I
much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men, while I retain in my
soul, what I believe is right before God.
I have offered all for Reformation and Safety, that in Reason, Honor
and Conscience, I can; reserving onely what I cannot consent unto,
without an irreparable injury to my own soul, the Church, and
my people, and to you also; as the next and undoubted Heir of my
Kingdoms.
To which, if the divine Providence, to whom no difficulties are
insuperable, shall in his due time after my decease bring you, as I
hope he will: My Counsel and Charge to you, is, That you seriously
consider the former real or objected miscarriages, which might
occasion my troubles, that you may avoyd them.
Never repose so much upon any mans single counsel, fidelity, and
discretion, in managing affairs of the first magnitude, (that is,
matters of Religion and Justice) as to create in your self, or others,
a diffidence of your own judgment, which is likely to be always more
constant and impartial to the interest of your Crown and Kingdom then
any mans.
Next, beware of exasperating any Factions by the crossness, and
asperity of some mens passions, humors, or private opinions, imployed
by you, grounded onely upon the differences in lesser matters, which
are but the skirts and suburbs of Religion.
Wherein a charitable connivence and Christian toleration often
dissipates their strength, whom rougher opposition fortifies; and puts
the despised and oppressed party, into such Combinations, as may
most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their
Persecutors, who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration,
which attends all, that are said to suffer under the notion of
Religion.
Provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Laws,
and Government, or Religion established, as to the essentials of them,
such motions and minings are intolerable.
Alwaies keep up solid piety, and those fundamental Truths (which mend
both hearts and lives of men) with impartial Favour and Justice.
Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion
devoure not all, or the best incouragements of learning, industry, and
piety; but with an equal eye and impartial hand, distribute Favours
and Rewards to all men, as you find them for their real goodnesse both
in abilities and fidilitie worthy and capable of them.
This will be sure to gain you the hearts of the best and the most
too: who though they be not good themselves, yet are glad to see the
severer ways of vertue at any time sweetned by temporall rewards.
I have, You see, conflicted with different and opposite Factions
(for so I must needs call and count all those that act not in any
conformity to the Laws established in Church and State;) no sooner
have they by force subdued what they counted their common Enemy (that
is, all those that adhered to the Laws, and to Me) and are secured
from that fear, but they are divided to so high a rivalry, as sets
them more at defiance against each other, then against their first
Antagonists.
Time will dissipate all Factions, when once the rough horns of private
mens covetous and ambitious designes shall discover themselves;
which were at first wrapt up and hidden under the soft and smooth
pretensions of Religion, Reformation and Liberty. As the Wolf is not
less cruell, so he wil be more justly hated, when he shall appear no
better then a Wolf under Sheeps cloathing.
But as for the seduced Train of the Vulgar, who in their simplicity
follow those disguises; My Charge and Counsell to You, is, That as you
need no palliations for any Designes, (as other men) so that you study
really to exceed [in true and constant demonstrations of goodness,
piety, and vertue towards the people] even all those men that make the
greatest noise and ostentations of Religion; so you shall neither fear
any detection (as they do who have but the face and mask of goodness)
nor shall you frustrate the just expectations of your people; who
cannot in Reason promise themselves so much good from any Subjects
novelties, as from the vertuous constancy of their King.
When these mountains of congealed Factions shall by the Sun-shine
of Gods Mercy, and the splendor of your Vertues, be thawed and
dissipated; and the abused Vulgar shall have learned, that none are
greater Oppressours of their Estates, Liberties, and Consciences, then
those men that intitle themselves The Patrons and Vindicators of them,
only to usurp power over them: Let then no passion betray You to any
study of revenge upon those, whose own sin and folly will sufficiently
punish them in due time.
But as soon as the forked arrow of factious emulations is drawn out,
use all Princely arts and clemency to heal the wounds; that the smart
of the cure may not equall the anguish of the hurt.
I have offered Acts of Indemnity and Oblivion to so great a latitude,
as may include all, that can but suspect themselves to be any way
obnoxious to the Laws; and which might serve to exclude al future
jealousies and insecurities.
I would have You alwaies propense to the same way, when ever it shall
be desired and accepted, let it be granted, not only as an Act of
State-policie and necessitie, but of Christian charitie and choice.
It is all I have now left Me, a power to forgive those that have
deprived Me of all; and I thank God, I have a heart to do it, and joy
as much in this grace, which God hath given Me, as in all My former
enjoyments; for this is a greater argument of Gods love to Me, then
any prosperitie can be.
Be confident (as I am) that the most of all sides, who have done
amiss, have done so, not out of malice, but mis-information, or
mis-apprehension of things.
None will be more loyal and faithful to Me and You, then those
Subjects, who sensible of their Errors, and our Injuries, will feel
in their own Souls most vehement motives to repentance, and earnest
desires to make some reparations for their former defects.
As Your qualitie sets You beyond any Duel with any Subject, so
the Nobleness of Your mind must raise You above the meditating any
revenge, or executing Your anger upon the many.
The more conscious You shall be to Your Own Merits upon Your people,
the more prone You will be to expect all love and loyalty from them,
and to inflict no punishment upon them for former miscarriages: You
will have more inward complacency in pardoning one, then in punishing
a thousand.
This I write to You, not despairing of Gods Mercy, and My Subjects
Affections towards You, both which, I hope You will study to deserve,
yet We cannot merit of God, but by his own mercy.
If God shall see fit to restore Me, and You after Me, to those
enjoyments, which the Laws have assigned to Us, and no Subjects
without an high degree of guilt and sin can devest Us of, then may I
have better opportunity, when I shall be so happy to see You in peace,
to let You more fully understand the things that belong to Gods glory,
Your own honor, and the Kingdoms peace.
But if You never see My face again, and God will have me buried in
such a barbarous Imprisonment & obscurity, [which the perfecting some
mens designs requires] wherin few hearts that love Me are permitted
to exchange a word, or a look with Me; I do require and entreat You as
Your Father, and Your KING that you never suffer your heart to
receive the least check against or disaffection from the true Religion
established in the Church of _England_.
I tell you I have tried it, and after much search, and many disputes,
have concluded it to be the best in the world, not only in the
Community, as Christian, but also in the speciall notion, as Reformed,
keeping the middle way between the pomp of superstitious Tyranny, and
the meanness of fantastique Anarchy.
Not but that (the draught being excellent as to the main, both for
Doctrine and Government, in the Church of _England_) some lines, as
in very good figures, may happily need some sweetning, or polishing,
which might here have easily been done by a safe and gentle hand:
if some mens precipitancy had not violently demanded such rude
alterations, as would have quite destroyed all the beauty and
proportions of the whole.
The scandall of the late Troubles, which some may object, and urge
to you against the Protestant Religion established in _England_, is
easily answered to them, or your own thoughts in this; That scarce
any one who hath been a Beginner, or an active Prosecutor of this late
Warr against the Church, the Laws, and me, either was, or is a true
Lover, Embracer or practiser of the Protestant Religion established
in _England_ which neither gives such rules, nor ever before set such
examples.
'Tis true, some heretofore had the boldness to present threatning
Petitions to their Princes and Parliaments, which others of the same
Faction (but of worse Spirits) have now put in execution: but let not
counterfeit and disorderly Zeal abate your value and esteem of true
piety; both of them are to be known by their fruits; the sweetness
of the Vine and Fig-tree is not be despised, though the brambles and
thorns should pretend to bear figs and grapes, thereby to rule over
the trees.
Nor would I have you to entertain any aversation or dislike of
Parliaments, which in their right constitution with freedom and honour
will never injure or diminish your greatnesse; but will rather be as
interchangings of love, loyaltie and confidence betwen a Prince and
his People.
Nor would the events of this black Parliament have been other then
such (however much biassed by Factions in the Elections) if it
had been preserved from the insolencies of popular dictates, and
tumultuary impressions: The sad effects of which will no doubt make
all Parliaments after this, more cautious to preserve that Freedom
and Honour which belong to such Assemblies (when once they have
fully shaken off this yoak of Vulgar encroachment) since the publick
interest consists in the mutual and common good both of Prince and
People.
Nothing can be more happie for all, then in fair, grave, and
honourable waies to contribute their Councels in Common, enacting all
things by publick consent, without Tyrannie or Tumults. We must not
starve our selves, because some men have surfeited of wholesome food.
And if neither I, nor you, be ever restored to our Rights, but God
in his severest justice, will punish My Subjects with continuance in
their sin, and suffer them to be deluded with the prosperity of their
wickednesse; I hope God will give Me and You, that grace, which will
teach and enable Us, to want, as well as to wear a Crown, which is
not worth taking up, or enjoying upon sordid, dishonourable, and
irreligious terms.
Keep you to true Principles of Piety, vertue, and honour, You shall
never want a Kingdom.
A principal Point of Your honour will consist in Your referring all
respect, love, and protection to Your Mother, My Wife; who hath many
waies deserved well of Me, and chiefly in this, That having been
a means to bless me with so many hopeful Children; (all which, with
their Mother, _I_ recommend to Your love and care) Shee hath been
content with incomparable magnanimity and patience to suffer both for,
and with Me, and You.
My Prayer to God almightie is, (whatever becomes of me, who am _I_
thank God, wrapt up and fortified in my own innocency, and his Grace)
that he would be pleased to make You an Anchor, or Harbour rather, to
these tossed and weather-beaten Kingdoms; a Repairer by Your wisdom,
justice, piety, and valour, of what the folly and wickednesse of some
men have so far ruined, as to leave nothing intire in Church or State,
to the Crown, the Nobility, the Clergie, or the Commons, either as to
Laws, Liberties, Estates, Order, Honour, Conscience or lives.
When they have destroyed me, (for I know not how far God may
permit the malice and crueltie of my Enemies to proceed, and such
apprehensions some mens words and actions have already given me) as
_I_ doubt not but my bloud will cry aloud for vengeance to Heaven:
so I beseech God not to pour out his wrath upon the generality of the
people, who have either deserted me, or engaged against me, through
the artifice and hypocrisie of their Leaders, whose inward horrour
will be their first Tormentor, nor will they escape exemplary
judgements.
For those that loved me, I pray God, they may have no miss of me,
when I am gone; so much I wish and hope, that all good Subjects may be
satisfied with the blessings of your presence and vertues.
For those that repent of any defects in their duty toward me, as I
freely forgive them in the word of a Christian KING, so I beleeve you
will find them truly Zealous, to repay with interest that loyalty and
love to you, which was due to me.
In summe, what good I intended, do you perform, when God shall give
you power; much good I have offered, more I purposed to Church and
State, if times had been capable of it.
The deception will soon vanish, and the Vizards will fall off apace;
This mask of Religion on the face of Rebellion (for so it now plainly
appears, since my Restraint and cruell usage, that they fought not
for me, as was pretended) wil not long serve to hide some mens
deformities.
Happy times I hope, attend you, wherein your Subjects [by their
miseries] will have learned, That Religion to their God, and Loyalty
to their King, cannot be parted without both their sin and their
infelicity. I pray God bless you and establish your Kingdoms in
righteousness, your Soul in true Religion, and your honour in the love
of God and your people.
And if God will have disloyalty perfected by my destruction; let my
Memory ever, with my Name, live in you; as of your Father, that loves
you, and once a KING of three flourishing Kingdoms; whom God thought
fit to honour, not only with the Scepter and Government of them, but
also with the suffering many indignities and an untimely death for
them; while I studied to preserve the Rights of the Church, the Power
of the Laws, the Honour of my Crown, the Priviledge of Parliaments,
the Liberties of my People, and my own Conscience, which, I thank God,
is dearer to me then a thousand Kingdoms.
I know God can, I hope he yet will restore me to my Rights. I cannot
despair either of his mercy, or of my peoples love and pitie.
At worst, I trust I shall but go before you to a better Kingdom, which
God hath prepared for me, and me for it, through my Saviour Jesus
Christ, to whose mercies I commend You and all mine.
Farewell, till we meet, if not on Earth, yet in Heaven.
* * * * *
28. _Meditations upon Death, after the Votes of Non-Addresses, and
His_ Majesties _closer Imprisonment in_ Carisbrook-Castle.
As I have leisure enough, so I have cause more then enough, to
meditate upon, and prepare for My Death: for I know, there are but,
few steps between the Prisons and Graves of Princes.
It is Gods indulgence which gives me the space, but Mans cruelty that
gives Me the sad occasions for these thoughts.
For, besides the common burthen of mortalitie, which lies upon Me,
as a Man; I now bear the heavy load of other mens ambitions, fears,
jealousies, and cruel passions, whose envie or enmity against Me,
makes their own lives seem deadly to them, while I enjoy any part of
Mine.
I thank God, My prosperitie made Me not wholly a stranger to the
contemplations of mortalitie.
Those are never unseasonable, since this is alwaies uncertain: Death
being an eclipse, which oft happeneth as well in cleer as cloudy
dayes.
But My now long and sharp adversity hath so reconciled in Me those
natural Antipathies between Life and Death, which are in all men, that
I thank God, the common terrors of it are dispelled; and the special
horrour of it, as to My particular, much allayed: for although My
Death at present may justly be represented to Me with all those
terrible aggravations, which the policy of cruel and implacable
enemies can put upon it (affaires being drawn to the very dregs
of malice) yet I bless God, I can look upon all those stings, as
unpoysonous, though sharp; since My Redeemer hath either pulled them
out, or given Me the Antidote of his Death against them, which as to
the immaturity, injustice, shame, scorn, and cruelty of it, exceeded
what ever I can fear.
Indeed, I never did find so much, the life of Religion, the feast of
a good Conscience, and the brazen wall of a judicious integrity and
constancy, as since I came to these closer conflicts with the thoughts
of Death.
I am not so old, as to be wearie of life; nor (I hope) so bad, as to
be either afraid to die, or ashamed to live: true, I am so afflicted,
as might make Me sometime even desire to die, if I did not consider,
That it is the greatest glory of a Christians life to _die daily_,
in conquering by a lively faith, and patient hopes of a better life,
those partiall and quotidian deaths, which kill us (as it were)
by piece-meales, and make us overlive our own fates: while we are
deprived of health, honour, liberty, power, credit, safety, or estate;
and those other comforts of dearest relations, which are as the life
of our lives.
Though, as a KING, I think My self to live in nothing temporall so
much, as in the love and good-will of my People; for which, as I have
suffered many deaths, so I hope I am not in that point as yet wholly
dead: notwithstanding; My Enemies have used all the poyson of falsity
and violence of hostility to destroy, first the love and Loyalty,
which is in my Subjects; and then all that content of life in me,
which from these I chiefly enjoyed.
Indeed, they have left me but little of life, and only the husk
and shell (as it were) which their further malice and cruelty can take
from me; having bereaved me of all those worldly comforts, for which
life it self seems desirable to men.
But, O my Soul! think not that life too long, or tedious, wherein God
gives thee any opportunities, if not to do, yet to suffer with such
Christian patience and magnanimity, in a good Cause, as are the
greatest honour of our lives, and the best improvement of our deaths.
_I_ know that in point of true Christian valor, it argues
pusillanimity to desire to dye out of weariness of life, and a want
of that heroick greatness of Spirit which becoms a Christian in the
patient and generous sustaining those afflictions, which as shadows
necessarily attend us, while we are in this body: and which are
lessned or enlarged as the Sun of our prosperity moves higher, or
lower: whose totall absence is best recompensed with the Dew of
Heaven.
The assaults of affliction may be terrible, like _Sampsons_ Lyon, but
they yeild much sweetness to those that dare to encounter and overcome
them; who know how to overlive the witherings of their Gourds without
discontent or peevishness, while they may yet converse with God.
That _I_ must die as a man, is certain; that _I_ may die a King, by
the hands of my own Subjects, a violent, sodain, barbarous death; in
the strength of my years, in the midst of my Kingdoms; my Friends
and loving Subjects being helpless Spectators; my Enemies insolent
Revilers and Triumphers over me, living, dying, and dead, is so
probable in humane reason, that God hath taught me not to hope
otherwise as to mans crueltie; however, I despair not of Gods infinite
mercy.
I know my life is the Object of the devils & wicked mens malice, but
yet under Gods sole custodie and disposal: whom I do not think to
flatter for longer life by seeming prepared to die; but I humbly
desire to depend upon him, and to submit to his will both in life and
death, in what order soever he is pleased to lay them out to me. I
confess it is not easie for me to contend with those many horrours
of Death, wherewith God suffers me to be tempted; which are equally
horrid, either in the suddennesse of a barbarous Assasination or in
those greater formalities, whereby my Enemies [being more solemnly
cruel] will, it may be, seek to adde [as those did who Crucified
Christ] the mockery of Justice, to the cruelty of malice: That I may
be destroyed, as with greater pomp and artifice, so with less pity,
will be but a necessary policie to make my Death appear as an Act of
Justice, done by subjects upon their Soveraign, who know that no Law
of God or Man invests them with any power of Judicature without me,
much lesse against me: and who, being sworn, and bound by all that is
sacred before God and man, to endeavour my preservation, must pretend
Justice to cover their perjury.
It is, indeed, a sad fate for any man to have his Enemies to be
Accusers, Parties, and Judges; but most desperate, when this is acted
by the insolence of Subjects against their Soveraign; wherein those,
who have had the cheifest hand, and are most guilty of contriving the
publick Troubles, must by shedding my bloud, seem to wash their own
hands of that innocent bloud whereof they are now most evidently
guilty before God and Man; and I beleeve in their own Consciences too,
while they carried on unreasonable Demands, First by Tumults, after
by Armies. Nothing makes mean spirits more cowardly-cruel in managing
their usurped power against their lawful Superiours then this, the
_guilt of their unjust Usurpation_: notwithstanding those specious
& popular pretentions of Justice against Delinquents applied only to
disguise at first the monstrousnesse of their designs, who despaired,
indeed, of possessing the power and profits of the Vineyard, till the
heir whose right it is, be cast out and slain.
With them My greatest fault must be, that I would not either destroy
My Self with the Church and State by My word, or not suffer them to do
it un-resisted by the Sword; whose covetous ambition no Concessions of
Mine could ever yet either satisfie, or abate.
Nor is it likely they will ever think, that Kingdom of brambles which
some men seek to erect (at once weak, sharp, and fruitlesse, either
to God or man) is like to thrive till watered with the Royal bloud of
those, whose right the Kingdom is.
Well, Gods will be done, I doubt not but my Innocencie will finde him
both my Protector and my Advocate, who is my only Judg; whom I own as
King of Kings, not onely for the eminency of his Power and Majestie
above them; but also for that singular care and protection which he
hath over them; who knows them to be exposed to as many dangers (being
the greatest patrons of Law, Justice, Order, and Religion on earth) as
there be either Men or Devils, which love confusion.
Nor will he suffer those men long to prosper in their _Babel_, who
build it with the bones, and cement it with the bloud of their Kings.