Demand of His Liberty
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A91172.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
For the Honorable Lord Fairfax, General of the present Army.
T Hese are to acquaint your Lordship; That I being a Member of the Commons House of Parliament, a Freeman of ENGLAND a great sufferer for, and an assertor of the Subjects Liberties against all Regal and Prelatical Tyranny, and no way Subject to your own, your Council of Wars, or Officers Military power or jurisdiction, going to the House to discharge my duty on the sixth of this instant December, was on the stairs next the Commons House door, forcibly kept back from entering the House, feized on, and carried away tbence, (without any pretext of Lawfull Authority or cause assigned) by Col. PRIDE and other Officers and Soldiers of the Army under your Command. And notwithstanding the Houses demand of my enlargement both by their Serjeant and otherwise, ever since unjustly detained under your Marshalls Custodie, and tossed from place to place, contrary to the known Privileges of Parliament, the liberty of the Subject, and fundamental laws of the land, which you are engaged to maintain against a •• violation. And therefore do hereby demand from Your Lordship my present enlargement, and just Liberty, with Your Answer hereunto.
From the Kings head in the Strand, December 26 1648.
WILLIAM PRYNNE;
This was delivered to the Generalls own hands at his House in Queenestreet, about three of the clock, the same day it bears date; by Doctor Bastwicke, who returned this answer by him, upon the reading thereof: That he knew not but Mr. PRYNNE was already released, and that He would send to his Officers to know what they had against him. Who it seems act all things without his privity, and steer all the Armies present Counsels and Designes, according to their absolute wills.
The Public Declaration, and Protestation of William Prynne of Lincolns Inn Esquire, against his present Restraint: and the present destructive Councils, and Jesuitical Proceedings, of the General, Officers and ARMY.
I William Prynne, a Member of the House of Commons and Freeman of England; who have formerly suffered 8. years imprisonment (four of them close, three in exile) three pillories, the loss of my Ears, Calling, Estate, for the vindicating of the Subjects just Rights and Liberties against the arbitrary Tiranny and Injustice of King and Prelates, and defense of the Protestant Religion here established; spent most of my strength and studies in asserting the Peoples just Freedom, and the Power and Privileges of Parliament, against all Opposers, and never received one farthing (by way of damages, gift, or recompense) or the smallest benefit or preferment whatsoever, for all my sufferings, and public services, Do here solemnly declare, before the most just and righteous God of Heaven and Earth, (the searcher of all hearts) the whole Kingdom, English Nation, and the World, that having according to the best of my skil and judgment, faithfully discharged my trust and duty in the Commons House, upon real grounds of Religion, Conscience, Justice, Law, Prudence and right reason, for the speedy and effectual settlement of the Peace and safety of our three distracted, bleeding dying Kingdoms, on Monday, the 4th. of December, I was on Wednesday morning following (the sixth of this instant) going to the House to dischage my duty, on the Parliament stairs next the Commons door, forcibly seized upon by Col. Pride, Sir Hardresse Waller, and other Officers of the Army (who had then beset the house with strong Guards and whole Regiments of Horse and Foot) hailed violently thence into the Queens Court, notwithstanding my Protestation of breach of Privilege, both as a Member and a Freeman, by a mere usurped tirannicall power, without any lawful Authority, or cause assigned; and there forcably detained Prisoner (with other Members there restrained by them) notwithstanding the Houses double demand of my present enlargement to attend its service, by the Sergeant, and that night [contrary to faith and promise] carried prisoner to Hell, and there shut up all night, (with 40 other Members) without any lodging or other accommodations, contrary to the known Privileges of Parliament, the fundamental Laws of the Realm, and Liberty of the Subject; which both Houses, the three Kingdoms, the General with all Officers and Soldiers of the Army, are by solemn Covenant and duty obliged inviolably to maintain. Since which I have, without any lawfvll Power or Authority, been removed and kept prisoner in several places, put to great expenses, debarred the liberty of my person, calling; and denied that Hereditary Freedom, which being to me of right, both as an Freeman, a Member, an eminent sufferer for the public, and a Christian, by these who have not the least shadow of Authority or Justice to restrain me, and never yet objected the least cause of this my unjust restraint:
I do therefore hereby publicly protest against all these their proceedings, as the highest usurpation of an Arbitrar I and tyrannical Power, the greatest breach of Faith, Trust, Covenant, Privileges of Parliament, and most dangerous encroachment on the Subjects Liberties, and Laws of the Land, ever practiced in this Kingdom by any King or Tyrant, especially by pretended Saints, who hold forth nothing but Justice, Righteousness, liberty of Conscience, and public freedom in all their Remonstrance; whiles they are tryumphantly trampling them all under their armed Iron feet. And do further hereby appeal to, & summon them, before all the Tribunalls & Powers in Heaven and Earth for exemplary Justice against them, who cry out so much for it against oaths, less Tyrannicall, Oppressive, unjust, and fedifragus to God and men, then themselves: And do moreover Remonstrate, that all their present exorbitant Actings against the King, Parliament, present Government, & their New-modled Representative, are nothing else but the designs and projects of Jesuits, Popish Priests, & Recusants, [who bear chief sway in their Councils] to destroy and subvert our Religion, Laws, Liberties, Government, Maiestracy, Ministry, the present and all future Parliaments, the King, his Posterity, and our three Kingdoms, the General, ye Officers, and Army themselves, and that with speedy and inevitable certainty; to betray them all to our foreign Popish Enemies; and give a just ocasion to the Prince and Duke, now in the papists power, to alter their Religion, & engage them, and all foreign Princes and Estates to exert all their power to suppress and extirpate the Protestant Religion and Posessors of it through all the world, which these unchristian, scandalous, treacherous, Rebellious, Tyrannicall, Jesuitical, disloyal, bloody present Counsels and Exorbitances of this Army of Saints, so much pretending to Piety and Justice have so deeply wounded, scandalized, and rendered detestable to all pious, carnal and moral men of all conditions. All which I am, and shall always be ready to make good before God, Angels, Men, and our whole three Kingdoms in a free and full Parliament, upon all just occasions; and seal the truth of it with the last drop of my dearest blood. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my Name:
at the sign of the Kings head in the STRAND: Decemb. 26. 1648.
WILLIAM PRYNNE.