CHA P. XII. The KING's ambiguous and evafive Conduct and Breaches of folemn Promifes. A S the King is the Fountain of Honour, fo the THRONE fhould be ever Sacred, and an Oracle of TRUTH. The Majesty of RoyALTY can never be fupported, if the Person who fuftains it defcends to the Meanefs of artful Equivocations, mental Reservations, infidious and evafive Answers, and Violations of folemn Promifes. This foolish and falfe Policy, which in these Days was called KINGCRAFT, contributed not a little to the Misfortunes of this Reign: The King was not trufted: His Parliament had often found a great deal of Artifice and Infincerity in his Dealings with them; fuch as his moft partial Advocates are puzzled to extenuate; no Conceffions could hold, nor Promises bind him: And hence proceeded Jealoufies and fatal Diftrufts which opened a Floodgate to the Miferies which follow'd. This King, like his Father, fais Rapin, was "very artful in the Choice of his Expreffions: In "his Proposals it was but too ufual to find ambi- Rapin, Vol. guous Expreffions, Reftrictions and Conditions XII. p. 435. "expreffed or implied, which made it impoffible "to build fecurely upon fuch Foundations. There "are several Inftances of this in the King's Pa"pers-What he seemed to give with one Hand, Ibid. Vol. he immediately took away with the other." X. p. 178. "The King was fickle and unftable, fais Coke his Coke Det Apologift, eafily put upon Things by his Fa- .93. "vourites; and as fuddenly altering them, and 66 doing quite contrary." -- "His Majefty gave his Royal Affent to the "Petition of Right (a moft important Act, being 66 a kind "a kind of fecond MAGNA CHARTA) whereby he bound himself, amongst other Things, 66 not to raise any Money by Way of Loan, Gift, "Benevolence or Tax, without Confent of Par"liament, nor to imprison any Perfon without Tindal's Cont. "Certifying the Caufe: both which Articles he Introd. p. 3. "violated immediately after the Diffolution of "this Parliament, and continued to do fo for "twelve Years together. This Breach of his "Parliamentary Word, the most folemn a King can give, was afterward used as a strong Argu"ment that he would break through all his Con"ceffions to the Parliament of 1640, as foon as it fhould be in his Power, and thereby proved one Occafion of the civil Wars And when the Parliament met again, they found that the Petition of Right had been inrolled and printed by the King's Order, not with the right Anfwer "and with fome Additions." A very mean and unkinglike Imposture upon the Publick, as well as Indignity to the Parliament. Tindal's Sum Whitelock's Clarendon, Vol. II. p. 430. 66 66 66 "Concerning the Bill for Depriving the Bishops, "Lord Clarendon infinuates, that in this and fome "other Acts of no less Moment, an Opinion that "the Violence and Force used in Procuring them "rendered them abfolutely void, influenced the King Tindal's Cont. " to confirm them. This Infinuation feems to give Int. p. 8. Strength to the Sufpicions of the leading Men "in the Houfe of Commons, that the King, if not prevented, would revoke his Concellions "whenever it should be in his Power.". -Upon the fame Principle, probably, his Majefty proceeded, "when he folemnly confents in Parlia"ment to the Extirpation of the (Epifcopal) Hie Coke Detec. p.133. 66 rarchy in Scotland, and established Prefbytery "there, as fully as the Kirk could defire.”. The Parliament could have no Opinion of the King's Veracity, "because they had been induced I to "to advise a War with Spain by mere Artifice "and Cunning; and by a Narrative of the Duke "of Buckingham, falfe in every Particular, tho' "attefted by King Charles when Prince-The Earl Rapin, Vol. X. "of Bristol plainly fhewed, before the Houfe of pag. 29, 68. "Lords, how much Buckingham had impofed t upon the Parliament in his Narrative of what "paffed in Spain. This reflected on the King himself, who had not only attefted the Relation, "but perfifted fill to atteft it as true:" though the Earl had incontestably proved it to be false. "He made frequent Use of mental Refervations, "couch'd in ambiguous Terms and general Ex preffions, of which he referved the Explication "till a proper Time and Place. For this Reafon Ib. Vol. XII. "the Parliament could never put any Confidence p. 582. "in his Promises, wherein there was always either "fome ambiguous Term, or fome Restriction " which rendered them of no Effect. This may be faid to be one of the Principal Caufes of his "Ruine; for giving thereby Occasion of Distrust, "it was not poffible to find any Expedient to "make Peace with the Parliament." In their Declaration of 1641 They tell the King, "They could not but too well and too forrowfully remember what gracious Meffages they had from him the last Summer; when, "with his Privity, the Bringing up the Army was "in Agitation: And how not two Days before he Clarend. Vol. sc gave Direction for the Accufation of the Five II. p.447. Members, and his own Coming to the House 66 "of Commons (to feife and hale them thence by Violence) that House received from him a gracious Meffage, that he would always have "Care of their Privileges, as of his own Prerogative; and of the Safety of their Perfons, as "of his own Children." "His Clarend. Vol. 11. p. 550, 562, 563. 66 His Majefty called GOD to Witnefs (the. "Parliament further allege) that he never had any "fuch Thought, or knew of any fuch Refolu"tion of Bringing up the Army; which must seem ftrange (and even incredible) to those who should "read the Depofition and Examinations of Goring, "Piercy, Wilmot, Pollard, Leg, &c. and confider "the Nature of the Petition fent to Sir Jacob Afbley, figned C. R. Charles Rex, which his Majefty had now acknowleged to be his own "Hand and to have been delivered by himself "to Captain Leg." 66 66 The King's infidious and double Dealing as to the Papifts is extremely notorious. "The Lord"Keeper had in his Majesty's Name promised the "Parliament at their Breaking up, that the Laws "against Popish Priests fhould be rigorously put "in Execution; yet on the very next Day, the King caufed a Warrant to be fealed to pardon "fix Friars and Jefuits. Bifhop Williams, then Hift. Stu. pag. "Lord-Keeper, thought it a burning Shame for him "who was of the reformed Religion, to affix the "Seal to fuch a Warrant; which was brought "twice to him, and he both Times refused to 78. Coke Det. p. 17. Clarend. Vol. it pafs it. But the King commanded, and got "to be fealed in his Sight at Hampton-Court; the "Parliament was immediately in a Flame, find"ing themselves dealt with fo DOUBLY." "In his Anfwer to the Parliament's Declaration of May 19. He defires GOD would no longer profper or blefs his Actions, than they were di"rected to the Maintenance of the true Proteftant 66 66 Profeffion; to the Prefervation of the Property "and Liberty of the Subject, in the Obfervation "of the Laws, and to the Maintenance of the Rights and Freedom of Parliament." How far the King's Actions were truly directed to these valuable Ends, is left to every one to judge? and confe confequently what Ground his Majesty had to expect that GOD would profper and bless him. 66 To the Parliament's earnest Petition, "(1) That "no Popish Recufant be admitted to come to "Court, but upon fpecial Occafion, according to "Statute 3 Fac. It was in Answer folemnly re"turned. ANSW. This his Majefty promises. (2) That the Laws againft Papifts be put in "Execution, and that a Day be fixed for the "Departure of all Jefuits and Seminary Priests 66 p. out of the Kingdom. ANsw. It fhall be fo Neal, Vol. II. published by Proclamation. (3) That your Ma- P. 163. jefty will remove from Places of Authority and "Government all Popish Recufants. Answ. "His Majesty will give Order accordingly-'Tis furprifing, fais the Hiftorian, that the King "fhould make thefe Promises to his Parliament, "within fix Months after he had figned his Marriage Articles, in which he had engaged (plight 66 66 ing even his Honour and Confcience) to fet all "Roman Catholicks at Liberty, and to fuffer no "Search or Moleftation to be given them for "their Religion; and had in Confequence of it pardoned twenty Romish Priests, and given "Orders to his Lord-Keeper to direct the Judges "and Juftices of Peace all over England, to for"bear all Manner of Proceedings against his Roman"Catholick Subjects, by Information, Indictment, or 66 otherwife; it being his Royal Pleasure that there "fhould be a Ceflation of all and fingular Pains and "Penalties to which they were liable by any Laws, "Statutes or Ordinances of this Realm."-But, as "the judicious Rapin obferves-It seems to have "been a Maxim in this and the last Reign, That no Faith is to be kept with Parliaments. 66 Hence it came to pafs, " that the King was not "trufted at all: the Number of Malecontents was "infinite: His Majefty feemed to do every Thing |