An Apologie for the Royal Party; and A Panegyric to Charles the Second | Page 5

tell me, if since Simon Magus was upon the earth, there were ever heard of so many Schismes, and Heresies, of Jewes and Socinians, Quakers, Fifth-monarchy-men, Arians, Anabaptists, Independents, and a thousand severall forts of Blasphemies and professed Atheists, all of them spawned under your government; and then tell me what a Reformation of Religion you have effected?
Was there ever in the whole Earth (not to mention Christendom alone) a perjury so prodigious, and yet so avowed as that by which you have taken away the estate of my L. Craven, at which the very Infidels would blush, a Turke or Sythian stand amaz'd?
Under the Sun was it never heard, that a man should be condemned for transgressing no law, but that which was made after the fact, and abrogated after execution; that the Posterities to come might not be witnesses of your horrid injustice: Yet thus you proceeded against my _L. Stafford_. How many are those gallant persons whom after articles of war, you have butchered in cold-blood, violating your promises against the Lawes of all Nations, civill or barbarous; and yet thus you dealt in the case of my L. Capel, Sr. J. Stawel and others.
Is not the whole nation become sullen and proud, ignorant and suspicious, incharitable, curst, and in fine, the most depraved and perfidious under heaven? And whence does all this proceed, but from the effects of your own examples, and the impunity of evill doers?
I need not tell you how long Justice has been sold by the Committees, and the Chair-men, the Sequestrators and Simoniacall Tryers, not to mention the late Courtiers, and a swarm of Publicans who _have eaten up the People as if they would eat bread_.
Will you come now to the particular mis-fortunes, and the evident hand of God upon you for these actions (for he has not altogether left us without some expresse witnesses of his displeasure at your doings,) Behold then your Essex and your Warwick, your Ferfaix, and your Waller, (whom once your Books stiled the Lord of Hosts) Cashiered, Imprisoned, Suspected and Disgraced after all their Services. Hotham, and his Son came to the block; Stapleton had the buriall of an Asse, and was thrown into a Town Ditch; Brookes and Hamden signally slain in the very act of Rebellion and Sacriledge; your atheisticall Dorislaw, Ascam and the Sodomiticall Ariba, whom though they escaped the hand of Justice, yet Vengeance would not suffer to live: What became of Rainsborough? Ireton perished of the Plague, and Hoyle hanged himself; Staplie 'tis said, died mad, and Cromwell in a fit of raging; and if there were any others worthy the taking notice of, I should give you a list of their names and of their destinies; but it was not known whence they came which succeeded them; nor had they left any memory behind them, but for their signal wickednesses, as he that set on fire the Ephesian Temple to be recorded a Villain to posterity. Whereas those noble souls whom your inhumanity, (not your vertue) betrayed, gave proof of their extraction, Innocency, Religion and Constancy under all their Tryals and Tormentors; and those that dyed by the sword, fell in the bed of honour, and did worthily for their Country; their Loyalty and their Religion will be renowned in the History of Ages, and pretious to their memory, when your names will rot with your Carkasses, and your remembrance be as dung upon the face of the Earth. For there is already no place of Europe where your infamy is not spread; whilst your persecuted brethren rejoyce in their sufferings, can abound, and can want, blush not at their actions, nor are ashamed at their addresses; because they have suffered for that which their Faith and their Birth, their Lawes and their Liberties have celebrated with the most glorious Inscriptions, and Everlasting Elogies.
And if fresher instances of all these particulars be required, cast your eye a little upon the Armies pretended Plea, which came lately a birding to beat the way before them, charm the ears of the Vulgar, and captivate the people; That after all its pseudo-politicks and irreligious principles, is at last constrained to acknowledg _your open and prodigious violations, strange and illegal Actions, (as in termes it confesses) of taking up Armes, Raising and Forming Armies against the King, fighting against his Person, Imprisoning, Impeaching, Arraigning, Trying and Executing Him: Banishing his Children, abolishing Bishops, Deans and
Chapters
; taking away Kingly Government, and the House of Lords, breaking the Crowns, selling the Jewells, Plate, Goods, Houses and Lands belonging unto the Kings of this Nation, erecting extraordinary High Courts of Justice, and therein Impeaching, Arraigning, condemning, and Executing many pretended notorious Enemies, to the publick Peace; when the Lawes in being, and the Ordinary Courts of