besieged began to be in great distress, for want of victuals; when many of the poor people perished by famine, one of the queens chanced to say privately to another, that she did not think it pleasing to God, that the miserable wretches should perish in that manner. The King, who had his own store-houses well furnished, not only for necessity, but even for luxury and abundance, hearing of her specches, brings het into the open market-place, with her fellows, and, commanding her to kneel down, strikes off her head, and, when she was dead, brands her with lightness, and playing the whore. This done, the other queens applaud his doings, and give thanks to the heavenly Father. The King begins to dance, and invites the people, who fed upon nothing but bread and salt, to dancing and merriment.

When Easter was come, at which time the King had, with great confidence, assured the people, they should be freed, but no shew of freedom appeared; to find an excuse, he feigns himself sick, and keeps in for six days: Then comes out into the assembly, tells them, he had, in a vision, been set upon a blind ass; and that the heavenly Father had laid upon him the sins of all the multitude, and therefore, now, they were almost pure and clean purged from all iniquities. That this was the freedom he had promised unto them, and, with this, they ought to

be contented.

Luther, hearing of the wild pranks of these mad men of Munster, about this time, published a discourse, concerning the Anabaptists, in the vulgar tongue; he said, it was very plain to all the world, that Munster was become the harbour and habitation of devils; for so the justice of God had punished the sins of Germany, and especially their loose and prophane life, that professed the gospel. That yet, in this very tragedy of Munster, the marvellous mercy of God evidently appeared, in that he had not permitted that old subtle serpent, the witty and cunning Satan, to contrive and govern that business; but only had given way to some silly, dull, and blockish devil, who seemed not well skilled in villainy, to be their guide and conductor. That the grossness and stupidity of all their doctrines and doings made faith of the dullness of that lewd spirit, which moved them. That their polygamies, their seditions, and rebellions might trouble the state, but could not hinder or do prejudice to the church, or gospel of Christ, to which they are so palpably contrary.

That no man of sense, or in his right wits, could be perverted by such means, or induced to favour such lewd people, or their practices. He further added a particular confutation of their principal errors.

In the month of April, King Ferdinand, at the request of the princes, held a diet of the empire at Worms, where, after some debate, it was agreed, that twenty-thousand crowns, by the month, should be levied for the taking in of the city, and the chastisement of the rebels; and withal, that, when it was taken, the innocent poor people, who had been abused, should be used with mercy, and restitution made to such honest men, as had been robbed of their estates, in this tumult. Hereupon, the bishop delivers over the army unto the General Oberstein.

In the city, the famine still increased, and the miserable perished in

great numbers; some few escaped out, and, falling into the hands of the besiegers, were by them, in mere pity, spared, being nothing but skin and bones. The General summons the city to yield, and promises pardon to all the rest, if they would deliver up to justice the King, with some few of his companions. The citizens had a good desire to do it, but were over-awed by the care and watchfulness of the King, who resolved not to give up the place, so long as himself, and his family, had any victuals. The captains, therefore, commanded them to keep in their famished, and to expect no more favour. This was in the beginning of June; shortly after, they answer, that they are not suffered to have a fair hearing of their cause: That they are unjustly persecuted: That they are ready to revoke their errors, if they be convinced of them. Then they expound a part of Daniel's prophecy of the fourth beast, the most cruel of all: And, in conclusion, profess they will persevere in their courses. All this, by direction of the King.

The besieged city being now reduced to the last extremity, it chanced that two men made an escape out, which were brought to the General, and the bishop; they gave direction how the town might be taken. Upon another summons, they still persist in their resolution. Within two days, an assault was made in the night, and, by the help of the guides, one gate forced, at which five-hundred soldiers, with their captains and colours, entered. By them, another passage was soon opened; the whole army enters, and, finding some resistance, made a great slaughter. Rotman, desperately rushing in among the soldiers, was slain. The King, Knipperdoling, and one Cretchting, his chief servants, were taken alive; the rest, upon their submission, spared. Those three captives were sent up and down to the princes, as spectacles of scorn and wonder: Many divines confer with them, upon their absurd opinions, and convincing the King, with evidence of scripture and reason, though they could not win him to recantation, yet they forced him to yield many things; which, some imagined, he did only to save his life.

For, when they came to him again, he promised, if he might obtain his pardon, to reduce all the Anabaptists in Holland, Brabant, England, and Friesland, where they were in great multitudes, under the obedience of their magistrates.

Being brought before the bishop, the bishop demanded of him, by what authority, he had taken upon him so much power and liberty over his city and people of Munster? The King demands again of him, who gave him the command and government of that city? When the bishop answered, that his power was lawfully conferred on him, by the consent of the church and people: The King replied, that his right and calling thither was from heaven.

In February after, 1536, they were brought back to Munster, and committed to several prisons. There, they were exhorted by many pious men, to confess their errors, and to ask pardon of God, and their magistrate. The King relented, the other two continued in their stubbornness; being all brought to execution, the King was fastened to a post; two executioners stood on either side, with hot pincers. At the three first pinches, he kept silence; after, he cried out unto God for

mercy: Being in this manner tortured, above the space of an hour, he was, at length, run through with a sword; his fellows died in the same fashion. Their carcases were inclosed in three several cages of iron, and hanged up, upon the highest tower of the city, the King in the middle, and higher than the rest.

So, let all the factious and seditious enemies of the church and state perish; but, upon the head of King Charles, let the Crown flourish, Amen.

VOX POPULI:

OR THE

PEOPLE'S HUMBLE DISCOVERY OF THEIR OWN LOYALTY,

And his Majesty's ungrounded Jealousy.

London, printed Anno 1642. Quarto, containing eight pages.

A

LTHOUGH the charms of rhetorick have stained your Majesty's declarations, answers, proclamations, speeches, and messages, with all the gall and opposition, that possibly could be infused, to exasperate us into the nature of bad subjects; yet are we resolved to depart from nothing, that may oblige, and court your Majesty to continue our gracious King.

Your evil counsellors have tempted your Majesty, in all they could, to divide your individual person from your regal authority; and we have vowed, in the presence of God, with all the power and industry we have, to keep them inseparable; which being inconsistent with the malignity of that council, whieh daily joins itself closer to your Majesty, and divides us, we are necessitated to employ that power, for the separating that malignity from your Majesty, which else will be the ruin of us all, both King and people.

That there is malignity, the strong siding for the Lord Strafford, and for the votes of popish lords in parliament; the difficult yielding to such good acts, as began to establish our peace, and adventuring to question the same, at your Majesty's return from the north, by a query of the freedom of this parliament; the many attempts for dissolving us; the late and slow disarming of the papists; the enticing many worthy men of quality to petition against established votes, to the great distu bance and dishonour of both the houses, and then incensing them to

sacrifice the peace and liberty (if not the lives) of themselves, and the whole kingdom, to their inconsiderate revenge; and, lastly, the uniting all those into one army, by an illegal commission of array, do abundantly testify to all men's consciences (but such whom passion, and not malice, hath carried from us, we hope wisdom and religion will restore unto us). Besides, what malignity hath been wanting in shameful reproaches, provoking scoffs, false constructions, prejudicate censures, scandalous libels, treacherous plots, both at home and abroad; in slugging all proceedings, that tend to the safety of England or Ireland; in making cheap the repute of parliaments; and, lastly, both in the invitation and consent of deserting the houses, to attend and countenance your Majesty's strange distance from your parliament, and taking up of arms against it?

We would not accuse your Majesty, our hearts abhor it; nor will our laws suffer it, unless they speak and proceed to extremities, although your Majesty endeavour much to be thought the sole agent: But, as our laws instruct us, we accuse such counsellors, and instruments of regal commands, without which the regal office cannot stand; though we do not instance in all the particular authors, the causes of all things being found but with difficulty; for such, as dare do ill, will not want so much self-love, as to conceal it, having the lives, and livelihood, of them and theirs at stake, to bribe their secrecy, until such time as they grow bold in wickedness, and discover themselves, or he, that seeth in secret, brings them forth to be rewarded openly.

And in this loyal care of your sacred person, and tender respect of your princely honour, finding that, besides the daily discourse of successive dangers, which seemed to be countenanced by your Majesty, and of unsupportable grievances past, and present, both in church and state, with the slow and difficult reparations of either, the people had also strengthened a jealousy, from the intercourse of letters between the pope and your Majesty, then prince, in Spain; from your preferring the embraces of a catholick, before a protestant, to be the consort of your royal bed and bosom; from the increase of papists, priests, jesuits, and a papistical clergy, and ceremonies throughout the land, and the general decrease, and several persecutions of protestants, and faithful preachers; from the common boast, even of papists themselves, that you were of their religion, and that all your Majesty's most secret counsels were first known to them; from the sharp and eager proceedings against Scottish protestants, and slow proceedings against Irish papists and rebels; and, lastly, from the earnest reprieve of priests or jesuits at first, and afterwards of six priests and jesuits; and high accusation desperately prosecuted against six members of our houses of parliament; that your Majesty had certainly given up your faith to the see of Rome. So that, being also inflamed by the rebellious and prodigious massacres of Ireland, there remaining no oaths, nor execrations, sufficient to satisfy jealous people from princes, that once give up their belief to that see, which allows no oaths, nor faith, to be kept to such, whom they shall pronounce hereticks, as they do us, and imposeth a conscientious obedience, secrecy, and assistance to all their dismal

stratagems, we resolved, without publishing the disease, as a sovereign remedy, to settle the militia, and thereto counselled your Majesty,

But what is counsel, if not followed? And what are your Majesty's acts without counsel? Surely, if your Majesty's acts out of parliament are guided, and are not authentick, but by advice of your Majesty's attorney, judges, or privy counsellors, and they have power to declare so, shall the great council of parliament go less, that gives to all them being, and includes them? Or shall the orders of any of their courts be legal, and shall not those of the parliament be much more?

In this advice, therefore, and resolution of the militia, which your Majesty used, when there was no need, we yet most humbly and earnestly, in this extreme need and necessity of the subject, persist, until your Majesty remove the just occasions of fears, and accord to a sufficient cure of jealousies, by putting the people's safety into the people's own hands; whose jealousies are no whit abated by your Majesty's absence from parliament, and raising of contrary forces, and sending of several menaces, and returning to your old counsels; and the papists chearful interesting themselves in, and rejoicing at all your proceedings, they all appearing like so many several omens of the people's return to their old ceremonies, and to their old grievances, or worse; nor can we suffer those, who, by the counsel of the nation, have done faithful service to the nation, to perish for their faithful service.

The acts of Sir John Hotham, and the rest employed for the militia and the navy, had general commands and instructions to authorise them, and have had particular approbations to confirm them; they must not suffer, and we live, nor shall so great a sin make our nation odious to God and man, if we can help it. It is not the allegation of a minor part of parliament can abuse the wiser and more religious sort of your subjects, since all men know, that each man's vote is of equal power and freedom in parliament, and the voices of a few cannot out-eccho a great many; whatsoever, therefore, is there concluded, cannot be but by plurality of voices, which truly makes the parliament, and the dissenting party makes up the faction, if they persist; or, if it should so fall out, that the major part (through neglect, or confidence in them remaining) absent themselves, then are their votes no less included in the persons remaining, than the votes of the whole kingdom in the fulness of parliament: If any be deterred from this freedom, it argues guilt, or cowardice, either of which should pronounce such a one unworthy a trust of so great importance, none being called to the bar, but such as speak directly opposite to the published, or concluded orders of the house, or wilfully to move sedition, by distracting the sense of the house, to the great hinderance, and dangerous delay of more necessary affairs; or else the consciences of men (convinced with their reasons and propositions) would soon engage the major part in their behalf, and not against them: Which thing likewise may be said of those multitudes coming with congratulations to confirm such, as freely discharge their duties; it being the duty of all to speak the sense of the major part of the people, and such confirmations are but the tokens of it; and, if this were not so, we run the greater hazard in your Majesty's displeasure, than the dissenting party in the dissenting of their equals.