P A R. r I. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. ed thofe Members who were for the punishment of Delinquents, áííd difhonoured thofe that pleafed the King, a Breach began to be made among themfelves: And the Lord Del, the Lord Falkland,and diversothers,from that time forwardjoyned withkhe King being not fo immoveable as many ofthe relt,whom neither hope nor fear nor difccontent would alienate from the Caufe which they thought wellof, Yet otherswere tried with theoffer of Preferments : The Lord Say wasmade one of the Privy Council ; Mr. Oliver St. `abn was madetheKing's Sollicitor, etc. But as this did not alter them, foothers of them would accept ofno Preferment, left they Ihould be thought to reek themfelves, or fet their Fidelity to Sale. When the Earl of Strafford was Condemned, andthe Kingdefred to fign the Bill, many Bi- fhops were called to give him their Advice , and it is commonly reported, that Archbilhop Ujher and divers others told him, that he might lawfully concur with the Judgmentof his Parliament proceeding according to Law, though his own Judgment were that their Sentence was unjutt : But Dr. Júxets, theBilhóp ofLon- don, advifedhim to do nothing againtt hisConfcience: and others would give no Advice at all. When the King had Subfcribed, and Strafford was beheaded, hd much repented it, even to the laft, as his Speeches at his Death exprefs. And the Judgmentsof the Members of the Parliament were different about thereProceed- ings. Some thought that the Kingfhould not at all be difpleafed and provoked, and that they werenot bound to do any other Juflice , or attempt any other Re- formation but what they could procure the King to be' willing to. And there Paid, When youhave difpleafed and provokedhim to the uìmott, he will be your King !till ! and when you have fate to the longeft, you muff be dilfolved at !aft you haveno power over his Perron, though you have power over Delinquent Subject s : And ifhe proteód them byArms, you mutt either be ruined your felves by his difpleafure, or be engaged in a War : Difpleafing him is but exafperaring him ; andwouldyou be ruled by a King that hateth you ? Princes have great Minds, which cannot eafily fuffer Contradiction and Rebukes: The more you offend him, the lets you can rruft him ; and when mutualConfidence is gone, a War is beginning : And if k come to a War, either you will conquer or be con- quered, or come to Agreement. Ifyou are conquered, you and the Common- wealth are ruined, and he will be abfólute, and fubdue Parliaments, and Govern as he pleafeth. Ifyou come to an Agreement, it will be either filch as youforce him to, or ashe is willing of : If the latter, it may be eafilier and cheaper done before a War thanafter: If the former, it willmuch weaken it: And ifyou Con- quer him, what the better are you ? He will hill beKing : You canbut forcehim to an Agreement ; and how quickly will he have power and advantage to violate that which he is forced to ; and to be avengedon you all for the difpleafureyou hav/e done him : He is ignorant of theAdvantages ofa King that cannot forefeet this], There were the Reafonsofmany that were for pleating the King. But on the other fide there were Men ofdivers tempers : Some did not look far before them, but did what they thought was belt at prefent : whether any de- figned the fubduingof theKing, and the change of Government, at that time, I cannot tell: For I then heard of no notable Sectary in the Houle but young Sir Henry rave, (whole Teflimony was the Deathof the Earl of Strafford, whenothed Evidence was wanting, and of whom fhali fay more anon), But the leading and prevailingpart of the Houfe werefor the Executionof Strafford , and for pu- nifhingTome Delinquents, though it did difpleafe the King: And itheir Reafons ( as their Companions tell us) were filch as thefe: They raid, If that be your Principle that the King is not to be difpleafed, or provoked, then this Parliament fhould never have been called, which you know he was forced to againft his Will and then the Ship.money Ihould have goneon, and the Subjeéts Propriety, and Parliaments, have been overthrown: And then theChurch Innovationsfhouldnot have been controuled, nor any flop tothe Subverters ofour Governmentand Li-, berties attempted : then no Members fhould fpeak freely againft anyofthere inthe Houle ; for you know that all thefe are very difpleafing : And then what do we here ? Could not the King have pleafed himfelf without us ? Or do we come to be his Inftruments, to give away thePeoples Liberties, and fa up that which was begun'? Either it is our Duty to reform, and to-recover our Liberties, and relieve our Country, and punilh Delinquents or it is not ? If it be not , let us go home again : If it be, let usdo it and truft God : For if the fears of forefeen Oppofiti. ons -thall make us betray our Country and Pofterity, we are perfidious to them, and Enemies to our felves, and maywell be raid to be worfe than Infidels, much' E rather
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