ست Auguft. deavoured to caft the Kingdom into a new and An. 23 Car. Í¡ bloody War; and for that End have procured the 1647. under-hand Lifting of feveral Reformadoes and others; have contrived, promoted, and caused to 'be entered into by feveral Perfons, a wicked and ⚫ treasonable Combination as is fufficiently mani* fefted by a Declaration paffed thereupon by both Houses of Parliament the 23d of July laft, for < Prevention of the Disturbances that were like to enfue thereupon: From which Kind of Disorders ⚫ the City hath been well preserved during the Space of almoft four Years, whilft the Militia was in the Hands of the old Commiffioners; whereby • it appears there was Caufe for the Army to intreat the Parliament that the Militia might be returned into the Hands it was in before, as alfo for divers ' other good Reasons. First, The old Commiffioners of the Militia, that have been fince left out, were not only Perfons without all Exception, having been formerly chofen and approved by the Parliament and City, 'but alfo Men of whom the City, Parliament, and Kingdom, have had above four Years Experience in the faithful Difcharge of their Truft: Men that ever from the Beginning, in the worst of • Times, and in the Occafions of greatest Difficulty, had faithfully and conftantly engaged for and with the Parliament in this Caufe: Men that "were always moft defirous of a Peace, but of a fafe and well-grounded one, and that had always • teftified a great Care to prevent all Occafions of • embroiling the Kingdom in a new War. Now that, on a fudden, this Truft, which they had faithfully discharged fo long, fhould be taken out of their Hands, and put into the Hands of others, • fome whereof, at the beft, have been very cool. in the Service of the Parliament at the Begin'ning of this War: That this should be preffed, and in a Manner forced upon the Parliament, "with fuch Importunity from the Common Coun cil, that fome out of every Ward fhould be ap P 2 • pointed pointed to follicit the Members of the House of Commons, every Day as they went in and out of the House, with Profeffions, That they would never leave the Door of the Houfe till they were "fatisfied in their Defires: That they would not be contented with the Militia of the City of London only, unless they might have Power over that of the Suburbs and Out-parts; and all this before the Peace of the Kingdom was fettled, or the Propofitions fent to the King for that Purpose. Thefe Things miniftred great Cause of Sufpicion 'that this Alteration of the Militia was in order to a Defign, and to make the Terms of the Peace and Agreement with the King (on which the Security of the whole Kingdom and their Pofterity is to be bottomed) more fuitable to the private Bargainings and Undertakings of fome Men, than to the public Welfare of the whole King• dom in its Security and Profperity, for the prefent ⚫ and in future Times. But this Defign discover'd < itself more clearly by fuch Things as accompanied the Purfuit of this Alteration of the Militia, and enfued upon the obtaining thereof: At the fame Time that the Alteration of the Militia was fet on Foot, the fame Perfons, with as much Earneftness, preffed for the Disbanding of this Army, before any thing was fettled for the Security and 'Liberties of the Kingdom. At the same Time the Common Council was new modelled, and a Lord Mayor chofen that might fuit with the prefent Defign in hand: At the fame Time (under Colour of Differences in fome Circumstances of Church-Government) it was earneftly endea•voured that fuch as had been conftantly true and most faithful to the Intereft of this Kingdom, ❝ should be disabled to have any Employment in Church or Commonwealth either in England or · Ireland: And, without any Colour or Pretence, divers Perfons were left out of the Common • Council and Militia, of eminent Deferts and Fidelity, and others brought into their room, that • had 1647. Auguft. had either teftified an ill Affection, or little Af- An. 23 Car. I. 'fection, to the Parliament and their Caufe; and 'fuch as feemed to withdraw themselves from all Employment in the Beginning of this War, now at the winding up thereof, are ambitious to thrust themselves into Employments; with a Defign, as may juftly be fufpected, to fruftrate and overthrow, in the Close of all, the Fruit and Effect of ⚫ all the Coft and Blood that hath been spent and 'fpilt in this Caufe: And after that with Difficulty, and not without Reluctancy in the Houfes of Parliament, they had obtained the Power of the • Militia of London, and alfo in the Out-parts, for the Space of one Year, many chief Officers and under-officers in the Train'd Bands, of known Truft and Fidelity, were displaced, and others of "more doubtful Affections placed in their room; little Care was taken of the Honour of the Par⚫liament, which was continually trampled under Foot, and their Authority affronted, by every Rabble of Women, Apprentices, Reformadoes, and Soldiers; which latter Sort of Perfons were thereby fo encouraged to rife higher and higher • in their tumultuous Carriages against the Houses, ⚫ till at length it is rifen to the Height of barbarous • and Monftrous Violence against the Parliament, that they might fet themselves on Work and the Kingdom on Fire again; And now at length the Design appears open faced; and though the Militia be made as the principal Ground of the Quarrel, yet, by the late Vow and Engagement, fet on Foot before any Alteration of the Militia, and the preffing fo much the Meffage of the 12th of May, and the King's coming to London to confirm the fame, they fhew that the Militia is defired but in order to that Defign, and to force the Parliament, being wholly in their Power, to fuch • Terms of Peace as they pleased. In the next Place, when the Intereft of the • Common Council, in their Change of the Militia, fhall be claimed as the Birthright of the City of, London (which they never had any Colour P 3. to to pretend to, faving by the Indulgency of the Parliament unto them fince this Parliament, in respect of the great Use they have had of them, and the many good Services they have received 'from them) it is Time for all the Kingdom to look to their Birthrights, if fuch a Claim fhall be • held up against both Houses of Parliament, That upon no Occafion whatsoever, nor in no Time of · Danger and Diftraction whatsoever, they may appoint those that shall have the Power of the Militia of London without the Confent of the Common Council, especially when as the Houses fhall fit under their Power: The late Example may evidence to all the World who fhall be Masters of the Parliament's Freedom and Refolutions; and common Reason will teach every Man who 'fhall be Mafters of the Birthrights of the whole Kingdom, when there fhall be no Army on Foot, when they have the Confidence to dispute for the Maftery, notwithstanding such an Army as this to check and balance them in Behalf of the Kingdom and Parliament. 6 Laftly, The Army difcerning how intimate some of the Militia were with some of the eleyen accused • Members; how forward they were to comply and act with them in their Endeavours to raise a new War; how they made eighteen or nineteen Votes ⚫ thereunto, together with them, in one Night, all which the Common - Council, and Parliament difliked and revoked; how notwithstanding they afterwards fecretly promoted their Designs by private Liftings, which now appear to have been ftill working under Ground: The Army, we fay, obferving this, and having no more in their Thoughts and Desires than to fettle a fpeedy, fafe, and well-grounded Peace, and to prevent a new War, found it necessary to defire, That the Militia might be put into the Hands wherein it was formerly, who had approved themselves both to the Army, Parliament, and Kingdom, to be fober-minded Men, and not given to any Practices whereby a new • War 1647. Auguft. • War might be kindled; to the Intent that the An. 23 Car. I. Army, being fecured by that Means from that 6 Danger, might, with the more Confidence, retire farther from the City, enlarge their Quarters for the greater Eafe of the Kingdow, and intend wholly the fettling of a fure Peace in this Kingdom, and a speedy and effectual Relief of Ireland; which was almoft brought to a Period, and nothing in the Sight of Man could have hindered, but the curfed Violence upon the Parliament ' under Pretence of the Militia; which, according to our Defire, being restored again into the Hands ' of the old Commiffioners, by an Ordinance of 'both Houses, dated July 23: In purfuance of the 'aforefaid treasonable Combination, feveral Peti'tions were presented to the Common-Council of the City of London, in the Name of Apprentices, and others, importing their Defires that the Militia of the City might continue in the "Hands of the former Commiffioners, according to the Ordinance of the 4th of May laft: Where< upon, Monday July 26, the Common-Council of the City present their Petitions to both Houses * for changing the Militia; wherein the House of Lords refufe to alter their Refolutions. The • House of Commons answered, They would take it into Confideration next Morning: Notwithstanding which, the City and Kingdom cannot be 'ignorant with what Rage and Infolency the Tumult of Apprentices, the fame Day, forced both Houses: They blocked up their Doors, fwearing "they would keep them in till they had passed what "Votes they pleased: They threatened the Houses if they granted not their Defires; knocking, hooting, and hollowing fo at the ParliamentDoors, that many Times the Members could not be heard to fpeak or debate; not fuffering the House of Commons to divide for determining fuch Questions as were put; crying out, That thofe that gave their Votes against them should be * fent out to them; very often and loudly crying, Agree, agree; dispatch, we'll wait no longer; and રં P 4 'in |