unseasonable Scruple in any Man who should have refused to bear his part in the excellent Transactions of that Parliament because he was not called thither by the King 's Writ And it would be a more unreasonable Scruple now in any man after we have all received the Fruit and Benefit of their Counsels and Conclusions when in truth we owe our Orderly and Regular Meeting at this time to their extraordinary Meeting then to their Wisdom in laying hold upon the King's Promises and to the King's Justice in performing all he promised and to the Kingdom 's Submission and Acquiescence in 31. A Parliament is that Foundation which supports the whole Fabrick of our Peace and Security those Promises I say it would be very unseasonable and unreasonable now to endeavour to shake that Foundation which if you will take the King's Judgment supports the whole Fabrick of our Peace and Security He tells you what he shall think of any who goes about to undermine that Foundation which is a Zeal no Prince could be transported with but himself WE use to say and say truly that the King when seated in Parliament is then in the fulness The Lord Chancellor's Speech March 6. 167â— â— pag. 18. 32. The King in Parliament is in the Fulness of his Majesty and Power of his Majesty and Power and shines forth with the brightest Lustre Let no Exhalations from beneath darken or obscure it FOREIGN Nations say and say truly that the King of England in Conjunction with his Parliament Id. ibid. 33. And as great and dreadful a Prince as any in Europe is as great and as dreadful a Prince as any in Europe IT was no less a Consideration you may be sure that made the King thus speak to both his Houses I need 34. No King so beholding to Parliaments as he hath been not tell you how much I love Parliaments The King's Speech to both Houses March 21. 166â— 4. pag. 6 7. Never King was to much beholding to Parliaments as I have been nor 35. The Crown cannot be happy without frequent Parliaments do I think the Crown can ever be happy without frequent Parliaments WHEN upon the King 's desiring the House of Commons to give the Triennial Bill a Reading in their House and upon their ready Obedience to that Request both the Houses presented His Majesty with a Bill entituled An Act for the Assembling and Holding of Parliaments once in three Years at the least And for the Repeal of an Act entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniences happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments His Majesty saith to them You will easily believe that I have come very willingly to give my The King's Speech Apr. 5. 1664. pag. 3 4. Assent to this Bill I do thank you very heartily for your so Vnanimous Concurrence in it and for desiring me speedily to finish it And if I understand any thing that concerns the Peace and Security of the Kingdom and the Welfare of my Subjects all which I study more than my Prerogative Indeed I consider my Prerogative only in order to preserving the other every good English Man will thank you for it For the Act you have repealed could only serve to discredit Parliaments to make the Crown Iealous of Parliaments and parliaments of the Crown and perswade Neighbour Princes that England was not Governed under a Monarch It could never have been the occasion of Frequent Parliaments I do promise you I will not be one Hour the less without a Parliament for this Act of Repeal For They are the Great Physicians of the Kingdom and as such can best search into the Distempers of the State and by their good and wholesome Prescriptions if they cannot absolutely bring it to its perfect Health they can at least preserve it in some very good degrees of CONVALESCENCE THIS made His Majesty to desire their Concurrence with him 36. A Parliament is the Great Physician of the Kingdom in his Just and Necessary Severity towards those that were resolved yet to keep up their Factious and Turbulent Spirits against the Peace of the State And though saith he I do very willingly pardon all that is pardoned by 37. Though Clemency be most agreeable to the King's Nature yet he will be severe to the editions dislikers of the Government the Act of Iudemnity yet for the time to The King's Speech to both Houses Aug. 29. 1660. p. 4 5. come the same Discretion and Conscience which disposed me to the Clemency I have expressed which is most agreeable to my Nature will oblige me to all Rigour and Severity how contrary soever it be to my Nature towards those who shall not now acquiesce but continue to manifest their Sedition and dislike of the Government either in Actions or Words And I must conjure you all my Lords 38. And desires the Parliament to concur with him in that just and necessary severity towards such and Gentlemen to concur with me in this just and necessary Severity and that you will in your several Stations be so jealous of the publick Peace and of my particular Honour that you will cause Exemplary Iustice to be done upon those who are guilty of Seditious Speeches or Writings as well as those who break out into Seditious Actions and that you will 39. The traducers of the King's Person are not well affected to Parliaments and the Publick Peace believe those who delight in reproaching and traducing my Person not to be well affected to You and the Publick Peace AND here as they found it most absolutely necessary for the good of the Weal-publick so to do they most readily and most religiously obey'd the Commands of their Sovereign Lord the King So that upon the day of their Dissolution he could not forbear in his Speech thus to deliver himself MY Lords and Gentlemen I will not entertain The King's Speech Decem. 29. 1660. p. 3. you with a long Discourse the sum of all I have to say to you being but to give you thanks very hearty thanks And I assure you I find it a very difficult Work to satisfie my self in my own Expressions of those Thanks Perfunctory Thanks Ordinary Thanks for Ordinary Civilities are easily given but when the Heart is as full as mine is it is a Labour to thank you You have taken great pains to oblige me and therefore it cannot be easie for me to express the sense I have of it THERE cannot be a greater manifestation of The Lord Chancellor's Speech to the same p. 6. 40. The greatest Evidence of the harmony of Affections throughout the Nation is when the King and his Parliament meet with the same alacrity at the Dissolution as at the first Convention an excellent Temper and harmony of Affections throughout the Nation than that the King and his two Houses of Parliament meet with the same Affections and Chearfulness the same Alacrity
that there may be but one heart and one soul among us He that does not now put his Hand and Heart to support the King Lord C. S. to Si. Job harleton then chosen Speaker to the House of Com. Feb. 5. 1672. p. 23. in the Common cause of this Kingdom can hardly ever hope for such another Opportunity or find a time to make satisfaction for the Omission of this Let us tryby our means to raise up the hearts and hopes of all those whom ill men have wrought upon to such a degree as to cast them into a sadness end into a despondency which is most unreasonable Lord Ch. Sp. Ap. 13. 75. p. 22. What the Romans Scorned to do after the Battle of Cannae what the Venetians never did when they had lost all their Terra firma that men are now taught to think a vertue and the sign of a Wise and Good man desperare de Republica And let us try what we can to confirm the faith of those that p. 23. are made weak and give to the King the present of all our hearts and the full assurance of all our Lives and Fortunes to preserve him in his just Prerogatives that he may with the Greater confidence and chearfulness still secure and further promote the true protestant Religion and all due Liberties and Properties to these Kingdoms Then will the King esteem himself a Richer Prince then if he were possest of all the treasures of the East And if any man should question or suspect His Majesties affection towards the Protestant Religion and his firm resolution still to maintain it together with all our Civil Rights let him be pleased to hear him give his own Royal word for 't and as Solomon saith where the word of a King is there is Power And first to begin with Religion CHAP. I. Of the Protestant Religion FOR as his Majesty very wisely hath observed to us in his Declaration to all his Loving Subjects of his Kingdom 1. Of Religion of England and Dominion of Wales concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs in the very year of His Happy Restauration 25th day of Oct. 1660. pag. 3. There is so close a Connexion between the Peace of the Church and the Peace of the State That the One cannot be disturbed without the Other These are his words how much sayth he the Peace of the State is concern'd in the Peace of the Church and how difficult a thing it is to preserve Order and Government in Civil whilst there is no Order or Government in Ecclesiastical Affairs is evident to the world and this little Part of the World our own Dominions hath had so late experience of it that we may very well acquiesce in the conclusion without enlarging our self in discourse upon it it being a Subject we have had frequent occasion to contemplate upon and to lament abroad as well as at home TRUE Religion has an enlightning Influence 2. What Religion is over the minds of men It works upon Lord Keep Speech April 13. 1675. pag. 11. the Conscience is an inward Principle of the divine Life by which good men do govern all their actions And if rightly followed and obeyed how great 3. How sweet and peaceable where it is right would the harmony of affection be amongst us The Impressions which the Law of Religion makes in the hearts of good men are all healing and Sanatory There is no divide Impera within her Districts no furious Heats and hostile Clashings to be heard where she has uncontrolled Power and Sovereignty That unruly and unmanly Passion which no question the Divine Nature exceedingly abhors sometimes and I fear too frequently Transports those who are in the right as well as those who are in the wrong and leaves Lord Chan. Speech Thursday Sept. 13. 1660. p. 20. 21 22. the latter more excusable than the former when men who find their manners and dispositions very conformable in all the necessary obligations of humane Nature avoid one anothers conversation and grow first unsociable and then uncharitable to each other because one cannot think as the other doth And from this Separation we Entitle God to the Patronage of and concernment in our Fancies and Distinction and purely for his sake hate 4. An Eminent Instance of Christian Love and Charity one another heartily It was not so of Old when one of the most Ancient Fathers of the Church tells us that Love and Charity was so signal and eminent in the Primitive Christians that it even drew admiration and envy from their Adversaries Vide inquiunt ut invicem se diligunt Their Adversaries in that in which they most agreed in their very prosecution of them had their Passions and Animosities amongst themselves They were only Christians that loved and cherished and comforted and were ready to dye for one another Quid nunc illi dicerent Christiani si nostra viderunt tempora Says the Incomparable GROTIUS how would they look upon our sharp and virulent Contentions in the Debates of Christian Religion and the bloudy Wars that had proceeded from those Contentions whilst every one pretended to all the Marks which are to attend upon the True Church except only that which is inseparable from it Charity to one another How did These in the Late Distracted Times who would 5. How different Christians are from the temper and spirit of Christ needs be call'd Christians differ from Christ the True and Only Head of the Church How calm and quiet how sedate and peaceable was he throughout the whole Conduct of his Life though he walked in the midst of a stubborn and perverse Generation that despised his Doctrine reproached him for his Miracles in saying That he cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils he came to his own and his own received him not yet he was sweet and affable in all his Conversation 6. Christ was meek and Curteous gentle and affable to all continually doing good to those who were his Enemies and the worst of them too Though he was reviled yet he reviled not again and though he was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth when he was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities and the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and by his Stripes we are healed yet he went as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the shearers he was dumb and opened not his mouth but just before his expiration upon the Cross he mercifully poured out this prayer for those his Enemies that could not forbear breaking forth into this curse of his Blood be upon us and our Children that God would freely pardon them in this their sin Father says he forgive them they know not what they do But how did these make it their business to rend 7. We are sowre and morose fierce and bitter one against another and divide the Church by tying it up
and in time some prevalent Sect vvill at last contend for an Establishment vvhich for ought can be foreseen may end in Popery IT is a thing altogether vvithout Precedent and vvill take avvay all means of Convicting Recusants and be inconsistent vvith the Method and Proceedings of the Lavvs of England LASTLY it is humbly conceived that the Indulgence proposed vvill be so far from tending to the Peace of the Kingdom that it is rather likely to occasion great disturbance And on the contrary the asserting of the Lavvs and the Religion Established according to the Act of Uniformity is the most probable means to produce a Setled Peace and Obedience throughout your Kingdom because the variety of Professions in Religion vvhen openly indulged doth directly distinguish Men into Parties and vvithall gives them opportunity to count their Numbers vvhich considering the Animosities that out of a Religious Pride vvill be kept on foot by the several Factions doth tend directly and inevitably to open disturbance nor can your Majesty have any security that the Doctrine or Worship of the several Factions vvhich are all governed by a several Rule shall be consistent vvith the Peace of your Kingdom These Reasons vvere too povverful for his Majesty not to be 65. These Reasons o're-powred the King so that He yielded to them and He hoped that the Truly Religious and Peaceable would soon do so too overcome by them and therefore he yielded to their force and prevalency and doubted not but in a little vvhile The Truly Religious and the Peaceable vvould likevvise be brought over to a submissive Acquiescence and a dutiful compliance with them and that their minds would be better composed and the Peace of the Church Established And though he was verily perswaded That the great Piety and Devotion the Moderation Wisdom Charity and Hospitality of the Bishops would in a short time recover the Weak and the Misled to 66. And that by the Bishops Care and Example the Weak would be brought over to their Primitive Temper of Obedience to Laws and Government their Primitive Temper of a chearful Obedience and Submission to Laws and Government and so to be the best Neighbours and the best Friends and the best Subjects of the World yet was he not also insensible that the forwardness and pride of some might not be yet enough subdued The Humours and Spirits of such Men being too rough and boisterous and therefore was willing that there should be prepared sharper Laws and Penalties to contend with those Refractory Persons and to break that stuborness which would not bend to gentler 67. That those who would not must feel the weight of sharper Laws Applications and it is great reason that they upon whom Clemency cannot prevail should feel that severity they have provoked but still the Execution of those sharp Laws depends upon the Wisdome of the King who is the most discerning 68. But yet the Execution of those Laws depended on the King who was merciful and of a tender conscience himself generous and merciful Prince in the world and of so excellent a Nature and so tender a Conscience himself that he hath the highest compassion for all Errours of that kind as before is said But his constant zeal for the Church hath been visible throughout the whole course of his Reign scarce can he admit a Speech to come from him unless it hath in it some 69. His constant zeal the Church went above all things earnest request that his Parliament would take care of the Protestant Religion That they would see to secure the Church of England and to keep that up in all its just and Antient Rights THIS Zeal of his for the Church after the Dreadful Conflagration of his great City of London made the King so earnest with them soon after to get up some of their Churches Reedified that so the Service of God in the publick Worship might be performed and that we might there mourn for those our grievous sins which was the cause of Gods so heavy a judgment upon us These are his words We do heartily recommend it to the Charity and Magnanimity of all well-disposed Persons 70. How instant the King was to have Churches Rebuilt after the Fire of London that some might have publick places to worship and serve God in and we heartily pray unto Almighty God that he would infuse into the hearts of Men speedily to endeavour by degrees to Reedifie some of those many Churches which in this Lamentable Fire have been burnt down and defaced that so men may have those publick places of God's Worship to resort to to humble themselves together before him upon this his heavy dipsleasure and joyn in their Devotion for his future mercy blessing upon us as soon as we shall be informed 71. The King invites his People to it by the promise not only of his assistance and direction but of his Bounty too any readiness to begin such a good work we shall not only give our assistance and direction for the Model of it and freeing it from Buildings at so near a distance but shall encourage it by our own Bounty and all other ways we shall be desired Is not this sufficiently expressive of his zeal for upholding the True Religion What after this astonishing Judgment of Fire upon the Metropolitan City of this Kingdom was the King's first care ought to have been that of us all to endeavour to have God worshipped in his Sanctuary for this makes up the Beauty of Holyness and declares our great desires for what we all do at least outwardly profess to believe the Communion of Saints NOR did his Majesty rest here his zeal for the Church was his zeal for the service of it and he was resolved that nothing justly belonging to it should be lost Says He Our Care and Endeavours for the Preservation 72. His Majesty hath all along shewâ—d his care to preserve the Rights and Interests of the Church of the Rights and Interests His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects March 15. 1671. pag. 3. 4. of the Church have been sufficiently manifested to the World by the whole course of our Government since our happy Restauration and by the many and frequent ways of Coercion that we have used for reducing all erring or dissenting persons and for composing the unhappy differences in matters of Religion which we found among our Subjects upon our Return but it being evident by the sad experience of twelve years that there is very little 73. By the way the Supream Power in Ecclesiastical Matters is not only inherent in the King but is Recognised so by divers Acts of Parliament Fruit of all those forcible Courses We think our Self obliged to make use of that Supreme Power in Ecclesiastical Matters which is not only inherent in us but hath been declared and recognized to be so by several Statutes and Acts of Parliaments and
hath most piously desired may be prevented and so the Peace 2. Because of the Resort of so many Jesuites and Popish Priests both in Church and State may be insensibly disturbed to the great danger of both WHICH was the reason of both the Houses of Parliaments Humble Suit to the King That he would be pleas'd to Issue out his Proclamation to command all Jesuites and Popish 3. Therefore the Parliament desire the King to issue out his Proclamation for their departure Priests c. to depart this Kingdom by a day under the penalties of the Laws to be inflicted on them but saith his Majesty to them presently in his Speech at the reception of that Petition pag. 5. It may be the general jealousie of the Nation hath 4. His Majesties present answer to them made this Address necessary and indeed I believe nothing hath contributed more to that jealousie than my own confidence that it was impossible there should be any such jealousie and the effects of that confidence but saith he in the next words I shall give you satisfaction and then I am sure you will easily satisfie and compose the minds of the Nation Answer to this Representation and Petition he 5. Afterwards his more deliberate return AND in his April 1. 1663. pag. 7. 8. saith having seriously considered it and having made some reflections upon himself and his own actions he is not a little troubled that his Lenity and Condescensions towards many of the Popish Perswasion which were but natural effects of his generositie and good nature c. have been made so ill use of and so ill deserved that the Resort of Jesuites and Priests into this Kingdom hath been thereby encreased with which his Majesty is and hath long been highly offended and therefore his Majesty readily concurs with the Advice of his Two Houses of Parliament and hath given order for the preparing and issuing 6. That he readily concurs with the advice of his Parliament to grant a Proclamation and that to be more effectual than any of that kind have ever been out such a Proclamation as is desired and his Majesty will take farther care that the same shall be effectual at least to a greater degree than any Proclamation of this kind hath ever been AND his Majesty further declares and assures both his Houses of Parliament and all his Loving Subjects of all his Dominions that as his affection and zeal for 7. For nothing is greater than his zeal for the Protestant Religion and to hinder the Growth of Popery the Protestant Religion and the Church of England hath not been concealed or untaken notice of in the world so he is not nor will ever be so sollicitous for the setling his own Revenue or providing any other expedients for the Peace and Tranquillity of the Kingdom as for the advancement and improvement of the Religion Established and for the using and applying all proper and effectual 8. That being the best way to Establish the Peace c. of all his Kingdoms remedies to hinder the Growth of Popery both which he doth in truth look upon as the best expedient to Establish the Peace and Prosperity of all his Kingdoms AND when it was as artificially as the King himself truly phrases it as maliciously divulged throughout the whole Kingdom That at the same time we deny a fitting liberty to those other His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects December 26. 1662. pag. 3. Sects of our Subjects whose consciences will not allow them to conform 9. The Malicious Scandal of his being more favourabie to Papists than other Dissenters to the Religion Established by Law We are highly indulgent to Papists not only in exempting them from the penalties of the Law but even to such a degree of countenance and encouragement as may even endanger the Protestant Religion As to that most pernicious and injurious scandal so artificially spread fomented of our favour to Papists saith 10. A Repetition of the same detestable Arts of the late Rebellious Times the King as it is but a repetition of the same detestable arts by which all the The same Declaration pag. 9 10 11 12. late calamities have been brought upon this Kingdom in the time of our Royal Father of Blessed Memory who though the most pious and zealous Protestant that ever Reign'd in this Nation could never wash off the stains cast upon him by that malice but by his 11. And therefore we should all be prepared against such poison Martyrdom We conceive our Subjects should be sufficiently prepared against that poison by memory of those disasters especially since nothing is more evident than that the wicked Authors of this scandal are such as seek to involve all good Protestants under the odious name of Papists or Popishly affected yet we cannot but say upon this occasion that our Education and course of Life in the True Protestant Religion hath been such and our constancy in the Profession of it so eminent in our most desperate condition abroad among Roman Catholick Princes 13. Yet the Education of the King in the Protestant Religion hath been such that should any but believe this Scandal it would be a most impardonable offence when as the appearance of receding from it had been the likeliest way in all humane forecast to have procured us the most powerful assistances of our Re-establishment that should any of our Subjects give but the least admission of that scandal into ☞ their beliefs We should look upon it as the most impardonable offence that they can be guilty of towards us 'T is true that as we shall always according to justice retain so we think it may become us to avow to the world a due sense we have of the greatest part of our Roman Catholicks 14. 'T is true the Roman Catholicks did adhere to the King his Father with their Lives and Fortunes against those who employed both against him of this Kingdom having deserved well from our Royal Father of blessed Memory and from us and even from the Protestant Religion it self in adhering to us with their Lives and Fortunes for the maintainance of our Crown in the Religion Established against those who under the name of zealous Protestants employed both fire and Sword to overthrow them both We shall with as much freedom profess unto the world that it is not in our intention to exclude our Roman Catholick Subjects 15. Therefore ought not to be excluded from all share in the benefit of the Act of Indemnity who have demeaned themselves well who have so demeaned themselves from all share in the benefit of such an Act viz. the Act of Indemnity as in pursuance of our promises the wisdom of our Parliament shall think fit to offer unto us for the ease of tender Consciences It might appear no less than injustice that those who deserved well and continued to
to find all his Subjects at once in his Arms and himself in theirs SAITH this Gracious Majesty in his Declaration to all his 104. The King accounts his Dignity and Greatness more happily founded on his Clemency and his Subjects Loves than in their Fears and his Power Loving Subjects It hath been always a constant Profession of ours that we do and Decemb. 26. pag. 5. shall ever think our Royal Dignity and Greatness more happily and securely founded on our own Clemency and our Subjects Loves than in their Fears and our Power WHICH most sincere Profession of ours goeth he on may suffice also to expose the Id. ibid. Wickedness and Falshood of that Malice concerning 105. What malice is that to talk of his Arbitrary Government the Design of introducing a way of Government by Military Power NO He knows a better way of Ruling than by that of the Sword it is both more easie and more suitable and agreeing with his Nature his Clemency He had rather come to you in Love than in Power 'T is in your Hearts he aims to live for there he finds his Surest Rest THE King of Spain's Mines will sooner deceive him than that Revenue will fail him for his The Speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons to the King Saturd Decemb. 29. 1660. at their Dissolution pag. 31. Mines have Bottoms but the deeper His Majesty sinks himself into the Hearts and Affections of his People the greater he will find his Wealth to be and the more invincible his Strength THEREFORE did the King ingenuously deal 106. Never any King valued himself more on his People's Love than he doth with us all when he said Never King valued himself more upon the Affections of his People The King's Speech Aug. 29. 1660. p. 5. than I do nor do I know a better way to make my self sure of your Affections than by being just and kind to you all and whilst I am so I pray let the World see that I am possessed of your 107. And the best way to have their Loves is by being just to them all Affections AND saith the Lord Chancellor The King thinks himself the happiest and the greatest Prince of the World not from the Scituation of his Dominions and the The Lord Chanceller's Speech Decemb. 29. 1660. p. 17 18. 108. The King thinks himself the happiest Prince of the World from being possessed of his People's Hearts and Affections Power of his great Navy with which he can visit his Neighbours and keep them from visiting him or from the Noble Revenue you have setled upon him which he will improve with all good Husbandry But from being possessed of the Affections and Hearts of such Subjects that ☜ he doth so entirely love them and depend upon them that all his Actions and all his Counsels shall tend to no other end but to make them happy and prosperous that he thinks 109. And all his Actions and Counsels shall tend to no other end but to make them happy and prosperous his Honour and his Interest principally to consist in providing for and advancing the Honour and Interest of the Nation that he is so confident in the multitude of his very good and faithful Subjects that he is very hard to be perswaded that his few ill and unfaithful Subjects can do him much harm that he so much depends upon the Affection of honest Men and their Zeal for his Security that he is not so sollicitous and vigilant for his own Safety as he ought to be amidst so many Combinations of which he is so well informed that his Servants who with Grief and Anguish importune him not to take so little care of his own safety can obtain no other Answer from him than what Caesar heretofore gave to his jealous Friends Mori se male quam timeri or timere He will die any death rather than live in fear of his own Subjects or that they should live in fear of him 110. His Lenity and Mildness is remarkable HIS Lenity and Mildness and his great and wonderful Condescentions to his People do plainly testifie that all his Endeavours have been and his Resolutions are to make his Kingdom a 111. Therefore let other Princes glory in their Subjects Obedience the King only values himself on his People's Affections Kingdom of Loves to them LET other Princes glory in the most refined The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 167◠4. pag. 19 20. Obedience of their Vassals His Majesty values himself upon the Hearts and Affections of his People and thinks his Throne when seated there better established than the most exalted Soveraignty of those who tread upon the Necks of them that rise up against them SINCE the World stood never had any King so great a 112. Never had any King such cause to rest on this Security cause to rest upon this Security THEY were your Hearts that mourned in secret for the absence of the King They were your Hearts and Affections to the King which tired out all the late Usurpations by your invincible Patience and Fortitude It was you that taught our English 113. For the People's hearts have been seen all along towards him World to see and know that no Government could be setled here but upon the true Foundations of Honour and Allegiance WHAT may not the King now hope for from you What may not you assure your selves from him Can any thing be 114. Therefore what may not the King hope for from them and what may not they assure themselves of from him difficult to Hearts so united to Interests so twisted and interwoven together as the King 's and yours are BEFORE ever he touched the English Shore of his own free motion how graciously was he pleased to declare that he granted a free and general Pardon to all his Subjects how hainous soever any of their Offences had been to him excepting only some few Persons as should afterwards be excepted by Parliament 115. How readily did he pass the Act of Oblivion so that no Crime should be remembred against them to the prejudice of their Lives Liberties Estates or Reputations and how readily did he pass the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion when it was presented to him To the intent as the Act in the Preamble expresses it that no Crime whatsoever committed against His Majesty or his Royal Father should hereafter rise in Judgment or be brought in question against any of them to the least Endammagement of them either in their LIVES LIBERTIES or ESTATES or to the prejudice of their Reputations by any Reproach or term of distinction and to bury all Seeds of future Discords and remembrance of the former as well in his own Breast as in the Breasts of his Subjects one towards another and that so there should be a firm Resettlement of both his own just Rights and the Rights of his People I say
all possible Earnestness Id. pag. 3 4. and do conjure you to provide for as speedily as is possible and in such a manner as may give us Security at home and some Reputation abroad I make this Discourse to you with some Confidence because I am very willing and desirous that you should throughly examine whether these Necessities I mention be Real or Imaginary or whether they are fallen upon us by my Fault my own ill Managery or Excesses and provide for them accordingly I am very willing that you make a full Inspection into my Revenue as well the Disbursements as Receipts and if you find it hath been ill managed by any Corruption in the Officers I trust or by my own Vnthriftiness I shall take the Information 138. But not to believe any loose discourses of giving away vast sums of Money in a Morning and Advice you shall give me very kindly I say if you find it for I would not have you believe any loose Discourses how confidently soever urged of giving away Fourscore Thousand Pounds in a Morning and many other Extravagancies of that kind 139. For he is sorry he can reward his faithful Servants no better I have much more reason to be sorry that I have not to reward those who have ever faithfully served the King my Father and my self than ashamed of any Bounty I have exercised towards any Man HERE you find is plain dealing The King comes to ask of 140. Thus if the King ask for Money it is to provide for our Safety and Interest his Parliament some Supply but it is to this end that the Nation may be the better by it that some necessary Provisions for the very Safety of the Kingdom may be made without delay that we may have cause to rejoyce in our own Peace and Quietness being under the Covert of his Wings whose Princely Heart and Head cannot no more than it ought to be free from cares and thoughts of our Protection and Happiness NOR unless upon serious Examination these pressing Necessities be found real and that they have not happened by any fault in him who is perfectly willing that they should enter into the strictest Search in the Case does he require any thing And he would take the Information kindly from them if they would be so free as to tell him upon the Enquiry that they do find Corruption in any of the Officers that he trusts WHEN His Majesty met the House of Commons in the Banquetting-House at Whitehall in March and told them That 141. And he is exceedingly deceived if whatever he hath had given him be any otherwise given than to be laid out for the publick use and benefit and so it shall and we shall find we are the richer by our giving in truth he did not know they were any whit nearer setling his Revenue than they were The King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar. 1. 1661 2. pag 5 6. at Christmas Saith he I am sure I have communicated my Condition to you without Reserve what I have coming in and what my necessary Disbursements are and I am exceedingly deceived if whatever you give me be any otherwise given to me than to be issued out for your own use and benefit Trust me it shall be so and if you consider it well you will find that you are the richer by what you give since it is all to be laid out that you may enjoy the rest in Peace and Security GENTLEMEN I need not put you in Id. ibid. pag. sequente 142. Miserable have been the effects that attended the Wants of the Crown mind of the miserable Effects which have attended the Wants and Necessities of the Crown I need not tell you that there is a Republical Party still in the Kingdom which hath the Courage to promise themselves another Revolution and methinks I 143. Therefore to have such Provision made for the Crown as that it might be able to support it self and secure us is all the King desires and that only for our Preservation should as little need to tell you that the only way with God's Blessing to disappoint their hopes and indeed to reduce them from those extravagant Hopes and Desires is to let them see that you have so provided for the Crown that it hath where withal to support it self and to secure you which I am sure is all I desire and desire only for your Preservation Therefore I do conjure you by all the Professions of Affection you have made to me by all the Kindness I know you have for me after all your Deliverations betake your selves to some speedy Resolutions and settle such a real and substantial Revenue upon me as may hold some proportion with the necessary Expences I am at for the Peace and Benefit and Honour of the Kingdom that they who look for Troubles at home may have that Esteem and Value of us as may secure the Interest and Honour of the Nation and make the Happiness of this Kingdom and of this City once more the Admiration and Envy of the World THUS you see the Peace and Benefit the Interest and Honour and Happiness of this Nation the King's Heart is full of Gracious Intentions to procure and support This is it he greatly desires and desires it for our sakes as well as his own Under his 144. Well when the Parliament had given the King Moneys how does he thank them for it and tell them he will apply it all to the greatest advantage for the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom Protection he would have us to enjoy our Safety not only that our Persons should be safe but that all that belongs or is dear to us should be so likewise our Religion our Liberties and all our Civil Rights And what more is it possible for a King to do to win over all the Hearts of his Subjects to him And shall he so deserve our Affections and we ever grudge him our Purses BUT to return to the King 's own further Words Saith he to his Parliament My Lords and Gentlemen You have so much obliged me not only in the The King's Speech to both Houses at their Prerogation Mond May 19. 1662. pag 4. matter of those Bills which concern my Revenue but in the manner of passing them 145. And with the best Advice and good Husbandry he can he will contract his Expences with so great Affection and Kindness to me that I know not how to thank you enough I do assure you and I pray assure your Friends in the Country that I will apply all you have given me to the utmost Improvement of the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom and will with the best Advice and 146. How the King found the Crown when he came to it good Husbandry I can bring my Expences within a narrower Compass THE Lord Chancellor in his Speech after this of the King 's said
OUR Treasures are as the Sinews of War and as the Bonds of Peace and the great Aids which are 164. Our Aids to the King like the Blood in its Circulation Sir Edward Turner 's Speech to the King Frid. 18. Jan. 1666. p. 2. given to the King are but like the Blood in its Circulation which will return again and nourish all the Parts WHEN the Speaker of the House of Commons presented His 165. Upon the Bill of Supply of 180000. l. for the War the King assures us the Money shall be laid out for the same ends it was given Majesty with a Bill of Supply for carrying on the then War of 1800000 l. The King in his Speech to both the Houses thus saith My Lords and Gentlemen I thank you for this other Bill of Supply which you have The King's Speech Feb. 8. 1666. pag. 3. given me and I assure you the Money shall be laid out for the Ends it is given NAY saith the King to them in another Speech I can tell you truly I desire to put you to as little Cost 166. The King desires to put us to as little cost as possible as is possible I wish with all my Heart The King's Speech to both Houses Sept. 21. 1666. p. 3. that I could bear the whole Charge of this War my self and that my Subjects should reap the benefit of it to themselves 167. He wishes he could bear the charge and his Subjects reap the benefit of the War AND he told them Though they had given him very larâ—e Supplies for the carrying on the War yet he was forced to anticipate his own Revenue Id. pag. 4. and so raise a very great Sum of Money or he had not been able to set out the Fleet that last Spring and he had some hopes upon the same Credit to be able to pay off the great Ships as they came in AND all this he was very willing and ready to do himself because he would be as little burdensome and uneasie to his People as possibly he could having found them so free upon all Occasions 168. Though Necessities prest him yet he was unwilling to ask for further Assistance till he saw he could no longer tarry and then he assures us that the great Sum that was last given him was wholly applyed to the Navy as it was intended to give him necessary and large Supplies THIS doubtless made him say to his Parliament I have had great Experience of your Affection and Loyalty to me and am very confident of the The King's Speech to both Houses Tuesd Octob. 19. 1669. pag. 3 4. Continuance of it It is now almost a Year and a half since your last Sitting and though my Debts have pressed me very much yet I was unwilling to call for your Assistance till this time What you gave me last was wholly applyed to the Navy and that extraordinary Fleet for which it was intended AND when he met them the February following saith he When we last met I asked you a Supply and I ask it now again with greater Instance The Vneasiness 169. His earnestness in asking was only from a Prospect of very ill Effects which would besal the whole Kingdom without a new Supply The King's Speech Mond Feb. 14. 1669 70. pag. 4. and Straitness of my Affairs cannot continue without very ill Effects to the whole Kingdom Consider this seriously and speedily it is yours and the Kingdom 's Interest as well as mine and the ill Consequence of a Want of an effectual Supply must not lie at my Door And that no Mis-apprehensions or Mistakes touching the Expences of the last War may remain with you I think fit to let you know 170. And he saith again that no part of the Moneys given him for the War had been diverted to other Uses that I have fully informed my self in that matter and do affirm to you that no part of those Moneys that you gave me for that War have been diverted to other Vses but on the contrary besides all those Supplies a very great Sum hath been raised out of my standing Revenue and Credit and a very great Debt contracted and 171. His Majesty in his own Person hath examined the Accounts and finds this true that all the Moneys have been justly laid out on the War all for the War HIS Majesty hath not only by his Ministers but in his own Royal Person examined the Accounts touching the Expences of the last War and hath thought himself The Lord Keeper's Speech to the same pag. 7 8. concerned to let you know that all the Supplies which you gave him for the War have been by him applyed to the War and no part of them to any other Uses Nay so far from it that if the Preparations towards the 172. Nay and accounting the Preparations many hundred thousand pounds of his own Revenue have been employed also War shall be taken to be for the use of the War as they must be a great part of his own Revenue to many hundred thousands of Pounds hath been employed also and swallowed up in the Charges of the War and what did necessarily relate to it To which may be added the great Debtâ— contracted by His Majesty in the War THUS you see that though your Supplies have been great yet the Charges occasioned by the Id. pag. 9. War and the Calamities which accompanied it have been greater and that the Debt which is left upon His Majesty and which he complains of hath been contracted by the War and not by the diversion of the Moneys designed for it HIS Majesty did not enter into this War upon 173. His Majesty entred not upon it upon any private Inclinations the first step arose from their Advice and promise of Assistance any private Inclination or Appetite of his own the Id. ibid. first step he made towards it did arise from your Advice and the promises of your Assistance But if the Charges and Accidents of the War have out gone all your Supplies and left him under the burthen of this Debt he thinks that as well the Justice to your Promise as the Duty and Loyalty you have always shewed him will oblige you to relieve him from it And the rather when you shall seriously consider how uneasie this burthen must be to 174. Therefore no more questions your Justice to your Fromise than your Duty and Loyalty to him him and what ill Consequences the Continuance under it must draw upon all his Affairs In which particular you and every Person you represent in this Nation will be concerned as well as himself Id. pag. 10. AGAIN His Majesty in his Speech could not leave them without a fresh thanks for their complying with his desires and their ready helping him in his pressing Necessities and without giving them still further Assurances that he would be a very faithful disposer of
Rights which he is so sollicitous for SURELY it is enough for any Kingdom and more than most Kingdoms in the World can boast The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. p. 12. of to have their Affairs brought into such a Condition that they may in all Humane Probability 187. Future Contingencies not capable of certain Prospect and unless it be their own default continue for a long time safe and happy FOR Future Contingencies are not capable of any certain Prospect a Security beyond that of Humane Id. ibid. 188. Let us bless the King for taking away our fears and jealousies that our Properties and Liberties are safe Probability no Nation ever did or ever shall attain to LET us therefore bless the King for taking away all our Fears and leaving no Room for Jealousies The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 5. 1672 3. pag. 15 16. Let us bless the King that our Properties and Liberties are safe as well as our Religion What more hath a good English Man to ask but that THIS KING may long Reign and that the Tripple Alliance of King Parliament 189. And may the Tripple Alliance of King Parliament and People never be dissolved and People may never be dissolved AND let all who pray for the long Life and Prosperity of the King add their Endeavours to The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. p. 17. their Prayers and study to prolong his Sacred Life by giving him all the Joys of Heart which can arise 190. And let those who pray for the King's Life and Prosperity add their Endeavours to their Prayers from the Demonstrations of the lively and the warm Affections of his People TO which most excellent Prayer of the Chancellor let all the People joyn with me in this Response of Amen CHAP. IV. Of Parliaments NOTHING conduceth more to the Happiness of a Nation than a right Understanding 1. Nothing tends more to the happiness of the Nation than frequent Meetings in Common Council for the Security of all we have or are is lodged in our English Parliaments Sir Edward Turner 's Speech to the King Friday Feb. 8. 1666. on the Prorogation pag. 1 2. between the Prince and the People and nothing more advanceth this Correspondence than frequent Meetings in Common-Council By the Wisdom of our Fore-Fathers the Security of our Lives our Liberties and our Properties is lodged in our English Parliaments And so Gratious have Your Majesty's Predecessors been that for the satisfaction of their People they have made several Laws some for Triennial some for Annual Parliaments Your Majesty by their Example upon the humble Suit of your Lords and Commons hath in a former Session of this Parliament passed an Act for Triennial Meetings in Parliament But in this Your Majesty hath exceeded all your Predecessors that as your happy Restauration was in a Convention of Parliament so of your own Accord for the Publick Good and as a Demonstration of your extraordinary Love to Parliaments You have vouchsafed ever since Your Return to converse with your People in Parliament this being the Sixth Year and the Sixth Session of this present Parliament I DO chuse to begin with these words of the Speaker as being vere Emphatical in themselves and most convenient and apposite to usher in the several other following Declarations and Speeches to prove this to you that the King's Affection to Parliaments is extraordinary and that it hath been his Delight and wonderful Satisfaction as well as his very often Use and Practice to converse with his People in them AND that you may have no reason why to disbelieve me I shall without any further trouble of my own words straight fall upon what the King himself hath said IN the Letter which His Majesty sent to the Speaker of the Commons assembled in Parliament what Security did he give us of this in saying WE do assure you upon our Royal Word 2. No former Kings have had a greater Esteem of Parliaments than our present King that none of our Predecessors have had a The King's Letter to the Speaker of the Commons from Breda April 4 14. 1660. pag. 4. greater Esteem of Parliaments than we have in our Iudgment as well as from our Obligation We do believe them to be so Vital a Part of the Constitution of the Kingdom and so necessary for the Government of it that we well know neither Prince nor People can be 3. Neither Prince nor People can be happy without them in any tolerable degree happy without them And therefore you may be confident that we shall always look upon their Counsels as the best we can receive and shall be as tender of their Privileges and as careful 4. Their Counsels the best the King can receive to preserve and protect them as of that which is most near to our self and most necessary for our own Preservation AND as this is our Opinion of Parliaments that 5. He will be tender of their Privileges and careful to preserve them their Authority is most necessary for the Government of the Kingdom so we are most confident that you believe and find that the Preservation of the King's Authority is as necessary for the Preservation of Parliaments 6. The Preservation of the King's Authority as necessary for the Preservation of Parliaments as their Authority is necessary for the Government of the Kingdom and that it is not the Name but the right Constitution of them which can prepare and apply proper Remedies for those Evils which are grievous to the People and which can thereby establish their Peace and Security And therefore we have not the least doubt but that you will be as tender in and as jealous of any thing that may infringe our Honour or impair our Authority as of your own Liberty and Property which is best preserved by preserving the other HOW far We have trusted you in this great Affair and how much it is in your 7. It is in their Power to restore a ruined Nation Id. pag. 5. Power to restore the Nation to all that it hath lost and to redeem it from any Infamy it hath undergone and to make King and People as happy as they ought to be you will find by Our inclosed Declaration a Copy of which We have likewise sent to the House of Peers and you will easily belieâ—e that We would not voluntarily and of Our Self have reposed so great a Trust in you but upon an entire Confidence that you will not abuse it and that you will proceed in such a manner and with such due Consideration of Vs who have trusted you that We shall not be ashamed of declining other Assistance which we have Assurance of and repairing to you for more Natural and Proper Remedies for the Evils We would be free from nor sorry that We have bound up Our own Interest so entirely with that of Our
50. For the King hath set his Royal heart to do his People good Reason why we may expect it For saith he You have set your Royal heart upon it to do your people good WHAT this next Parliament was in the King's thoughts you will quickly find if you have but a due regard to his own words for saith he to them at their opening I think there are not many 51. And he is sure that there will be a mutual concurrence between him and them in all things that may advance the Nations happiness of you who are not particularly known to me there are very few of whom I have not heard so King's Speech to both Houses 8 May 1661. pag. 2. much good that I am as sure as I can be of any thing that is to come that you will all concur with me and that I shall concur with you in all things which may advance the peace plenty and prosperity of the Nation I shall be exceedingly deceived else SAITH my Lord Chancellor to this Parliament The King hath called you hither by his Writ to assist him with your Information and Advice in the greatest and weightiest affairs of the Kingdom By his Writ which is the Lord Chanc. Speech to the same pag. 7. 52. The King 's Writ is the only good and lawful way for the meeting of a Parliament only good and lawful way to the meeting of a Parliament and the pursuing that Writ the remembring how and why they came together is the only way to bring a happy end to Parliaments WHAT the work of this Parliament was you shall hear him in the same Speech tell them thus My Lords and Gentlemen Though the last Parliament did great and wonderful things 53. And a Parliament have very great things to do indeed as much as in that time they could yet they have left very great things for you to do You are to finish the Structure of which they but laid the Foundation indeed Idem pag. 11. 12. they left some things undone which it may be they thought they had finished the inspection into which things will become your wisdoms YOU need not question but this their care to perform and perfect made his Majesty thus say to his House of Commons I do 54. Never a more Loyal Parliament than that elected in 1661. speak my heart to you when I tell you that I do believe that from the first Institutions of Parliaments to this hour there was never a House of Commons fuller King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar. 1. 1661. pag. 4. of affection and duty to their King than you are to me never any that was more desirous and solicitous to gratifie the King than you are to oblige me never a House of Commons in which there were fewer persons without a full measure of zeal for the honour and welfare of the King and Country than there are in this HOW glad was He to hear they had repealed that Act which 55 By repealing the Act which excluded the Bishops from sitting in the House Parliaments are restored to their primitive Institutions excluded the Bishops from sitting in Parliament because saith he You have thereby restored Parliaments to their primitive Institutions THIS was an effect to be sure of his great kindness and affection to them and this doubtless made him go on as he did saying I hope my Lords and Gentlemen you will in a short 96. To restore Parliaments to their primitive order is to restore them to its primitive veneration with the People which the King wishes they may always have time restore them to the primitive order and gravity of debates and determinations which the license of King's Speech 30 July 1661. pag. 2 3. the late distempered times had so much corrupted which is the only way to restore Parliaments to its primitive veneration with the people which I heartily wish they should always have AND how well they acquitted themselves in all things tending to the happiness of both King and Kingdom Sir Edward Turnor tells his Majesty in these words Since your Majesty did convene the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament they have with unwearied Speakers Speech 30 July 1661. pag. 1. 57. And see how they acted labour consulted for the Service of your Majesty and the good of this Nation VERY justly then might the Lord Chancellor begin his Speech as he did with refreshing their memories with what the King first said to them It is now little more than a year that the King first called you to attend him here at the opening of the Parliament then you may remember he told you that he thought 58. The King was not deceived in his confidence of them there were not many of you who were not particularly known to him that there were very few of whom he had not heard so much good that he was he said as Lord Chanc. Speech 19. May 1662. p. 7. 8. sure as he could be of any thing that was to come that you would all concur with him and that he should concur with you in all things which might advance the peace plenty and prosperity of the Nation His Majesty said he should be exceedingly deceived else IT was a Princely declaration and a rare confidence which could flow from no other Fountain but the sincerity and purity of his own Conscience which admitting no other designs or thoughts into his Royal breast but such as must tend to the unquestionable prosperity and greatness of his people could not but be assured of your full concurrence and co-operation with him It was a happy and a blessed Omen which at the instant 59. This was a happy Omen to defeat those that thought to get advantage by their differences struck a terrour into the hearts of those who promised themselves some advantages from the differences and divisions in your Counsels and hoped from thence to create new troubles and molestations in the Kingdom and God be thanked the King hath been so far from being exceedingly deceived that he doth acknowledge He hath been exceedingly complied with exceedingly gratified in all he hath desired and he hopes he hath not in the least degree disappointed your expectation THEY had so exceedingly gratified him and he had such an extraordinary kindness and affection for them that though he had designed to have Prorogued them four days sooner because of the arrival of the Queen yet for the good of his people who 60. And he was so pleased with them that he staid four days longer than he would have done because their Bills should be perfected are always dear to him he was pleased to condescend to tarry so long until they had fully perfected the work they were about and prepared all their Bills for the Royal assent And there cannot be a more transcendent instance of the King's love and passion for his
to posterity may be perpetual for the fruit it shall produce and for the commemoration that will follow it Ibid. THEN will this year be a true year of Jubilee and we shall have nothing left to wish or pray for in this World but the blessed continuance of his Majestie 's long and happy reign over us Ibid. BUT it seems this did not meet with that happy effect the King 135. Yet the ill designs of the Enemy were too prevalent against the good ones the King had proposed to himself in behalf of his People could have wish'd it had as it appears by his own Speech to them two months after which though much against his will caused him to make that Prorogation you shall hear of saith he The ill designs of our Enemies have been too prevalent against those good ones I had proposed to my self in behalf of my people and those unhappy differences between my two Houses are grown to such an height that I find no possible King's Speech 9. June 1675. pag. 4. means to put an end to them but by a Prorogation 136. But still the King is uneasie in making use of the expedient of a Prorogation It is with great unwillingness that I make use of this Expedient having always intended an Adjournment for the preserving of such Bills as were unfinished but my hopes are that by this means the present occasion of differences being 137. But hopes the old differences will be buried by it taken away you will be so careful hereafter of the publick as not to seek new ones nor to revive the old AND therefore when he met them next after this Prorogation with what warm affections for the good of his people doth he speak to them I meet you now with a more than usual concern 138. His warm affections to them at the next meeting for the Event of this Session and I know it is but what may reasonably be expected from that care I owe to the prefervation of the Government The causes of the last Prorogation and 139. He will remember nothing of former businesses himself and hopes his Parliament will follow his example hath he not here set a most generous Example indeed for all good Subjects to imitate as I for my part do not desire to remember so I hope no man else will unless it be to learn from thence how to avoid the like occasions King's Speech to both Houses Wednes 13 Oct. 1675. p. 3. for the future and I pray consider how fatal the consequences may be and how little benefit is like to redound to the people by it However if any 140. Or at least will defer them till publick Bills are perfected thing of that kind shall arise I desire you would defer those debates till you have brought such publick Bills to perfection as may conduce to the good and safety of the Kingdom NO King did ever meet a Parliament with juster cause of confidence 141. No King met a Parliament with more confidence in their affections and therefore relies upon it that they will never forsake him in their Affections AND therefore his Majesty will not suffer himself to doubt but relies firmly upon it that you will never forsake him when he is under any kind of difficulties FOR it is impossible that those Affections which Piety and Allegiance first planted which persecution could not abate 142. For it is impossible those affections of Piety and Allegiance they have ever had should now decay which the gracious influences of his Majestie 's happy Government have hitherto increased should now Lord Keepers Speech to the same p. 7. appear to wither and decay My Lords and Gentlemen THE happiness of this present Age and the fate and fortune 143. The happiness of both the present and next Age is much in the Parliaments hands of the next too is very much in your hands and at this time all that you would desire to settle and improve all that you would wish to secure and transmit to your Posterities Id. p. 8. may now be accomplished AND you see with what Zeal the King hath recommended to 144. The Kings Zeal in recommending to them a good agreement you a good agreement between your selves and that he doth it with all the care and compassion all the earnestness and importunity fit for so great a Prince to express who would be very sorry that any such misfortune as your disagreement should either deprive him of your Advice and Assistance or his People of those good Laws which he is ready to grant you Id. p. 10. WELL his Majesty did not think he had yet done enough or at least if more would rather induce and prevail with them he was resolved to spare no words to forget no arguments that had any cogency and weight in them to bring his Parliament over to that calmness of temper that necessary moderation so much desired by all good and honest men as might settle us upon the sure and lasting foundations of peace and happiness saith he My Lords and Gentlemen 145. His further earnestness after a long Prorogation I have called you together again after a long Prorogation that you might have an opportunity to repair the misfortunes of the last Session and to recover and restore the right use and end of Parliaments The time I have given you to recollect your selves in and to consider whither those differences tend which have been so unhappily managed and improved between you is King's Speech 15 Febr. 1676 7. pag. 1 2. enough to leave you without all excuse if ever you fall into the like again I am now resolved to let the World see that it shall not be 146. The Kings desire to have the People happy by his Parliaments consultations my fault if the people be not made happy by your consultations in Parliament Id. ibid. AND therefore that you may hear the sum of the whole matter and which the King was pleased to refer to his Parliament saith he in page the 4th To conclude I do recommend to you 147. He recommends to them the peace the safety and the prosperity of the Kingdom the peace of the Kingdom in the careful prevention of all differences the safety of the Kingdom in providing for some greater strength at Sea and the prosperity of the Kingdom in assisting the necessary charge and support of the Government And if any of these good ends should happen to be disappointed 148. And would have no disappointment of them if possible I call God and Men to witness this day that the misfortune of that disappointment shall not lie at my door Id. ibid. IF therefore there be any endeavours to renew nay if there 149. But would have all remembrances of former things extinguished be not all the endeavours that can be to extinguish the memory of all former
him in the old and decent method of Parliaments THE late way of tacking together several independant and 163. For it seems to alter the whole frame and constitution of Parliaments incoherent matters in one Bill seems to alter the whole frame and constitution of Parliaments and consequently of the Government it self IT takes away the King 's Negative voice in a manner and 164. It takes away the Kings Negative voice in a manner forces him to take all or none when sometimes one part of the Bill may be as dangerous for the Kingdom as the other is necessary IT takes away the Negative voice of the House of Peers too 165. And that of the House of Peers too by the same consequence and dis-inherits the Lords of that Honour they were born to the liberty of debating and judging what is good for the Kingdom IT looks like a kind of defamation of the Government and 166. It looks like a kind of defamation of the Government seems to suppose the King and House of Lords to be so ill affected to the publick that a good Bill cannot carry it self through by the strength of its own Reason and Justice unless it be helped forward by being tacked to another Bill that will be favoured IT does at last give up the greatest share of Legislature to the 167. And gives up the greatest share of Legislature to the Commons Commons and by consequence the chief power of judging what Laws are best for the Kingdom AND yet it is a priviledge that may be made use of against 168. Yet may be made use of against the Commons the Commons as well as by them for if this method hold what can hinder the Lords at one time or other from taking advantage of a Bill very grateful to the Commons and much desired by them to tack a new clause to it of some Foreign matter which shall not be altogether so grateful nor so much desired and then the Commons must take all or none too THUS every good Bill shall be dearly bought at last and one 169. This is the way for every good Bill to be dearly bought at last chief end of calling Parliaments the making of good Laws shall be wholly frustrated and disappointed and all this by departing from that method which the wisdom of our Ancestors prescribed on purpose to prevent and exclude all such inconveniences THESE Innovations the King resolves to abolish and hath 170. These Innovations the King will abolish commanded me to say to you State super vias Antiquas My Lords and Gentlemen THERE never did there never can again so much depend 171. What great things depended on the success of that Meeting upon the happy success of any one Meeting as there does upon this IF this Session do not repair the misfortunes and amend the faults of the last it will look like a fatality upon the Nation LET not the whispers or Evil surmises of those who lie in 172. Let no evil surmises of base men make any mistrustful wait to deceive make any man the unhappy occasion of endangering the safety of the Government by mistrusting it HE whose House is destroyed by Fire would find but little consolation in saying the Fire did not begin by his means but it will be a matter of perpetual anguish and vexation of heart to remember that it was in his power to have extinguished it EMBELLISH the History of this Parliament by shewing 173. Good Service very acceptable to the King who never forgets any thing but Injuries us the healing vertue of this Session so shall your Service be acceptable to the King who never forgets any thing but Injuries so shall you recommend your selves to posterity by transmitting to them the same peace and happiness you are trusted with LET us then carefully avoid all differences amongst our selves 174. Differences that our Enemies wish for is the best way for us to ruine our selves all manner of clashing about Jurisdictions and all Lord Chanc. Sp Mond 21 Oct. 78. p. 15 17 18 19. disputes of such a nature as can never end in any Accommodation For this is still what our Enemies would wish who would be glad to see us ruin'd without their being at the charge of it 175. Great significations of Loyalty and Duty the only means to discourage our Enemies AND therefore we must now above all other times labour to shew the World the most effectual significations of our Loyalty and Duty that we are able to express for nothing in the World can more discourage our Enemies as on the contrary nothing does or can so ripen a Nation for destruction as to be observed 176. As nothing sooner destroys a Nation then to distrust its own Government to distrust their own Government YOU now find the King to be involved in difficulties as great and without your assistance as insuperable as ever any Government 177. The King involved in great difficulties did labour under AND yet his Majesty doth not think that there need many 178. There needs not many words to bespeak our zeal for the things themselves speak aloud words to bespeak your Zeal and Industry in his Service for the things themselves now speak and speak aloud The publick and the private Interest do both perswade the same things and are and ought to be mighty in perswasion IF the honour and safety of your Country and which is next 179. The honour and safety of our Country the concerns of our Families and Posterities call to us to that the concerns of your own Families and Posterities cannot awaken your utmost care to preserve that Government which only can preserve you and yours all other discourses will be to no purpose THERE can be no difficulties at all to them who take delight 180. No difficulties to them who delight to serve the King and their Country in serving of the King and their Country and love the occasions of shewing it SUCH are all here But though the King have had for many years a large and full experience of your duty yet there never 181. No time like this to try all our affections was a time like this to try your affections THERE is so strange a concurrence of ill accidents at this 182. A strange concurrence of ill accidents time that 't is not to be wondred at if some very honest and good men begin to have troubled and thoughtful hearts Yet that which is infinitely to be lamented is that malicious men too begin to work upon this occasion and are in no small hopes to 183. Malicious men begin to work upon this occasion raise a Storm that nothing shall be able to allay IF you rescue the Kings affairs from such a Tempest as this 184. If the Parliament can weather this Storm they 'l do as good service to the King as ever yet he stood in
need of If you can weather this Storm and steer the Vessel into Harbour If you can find a way to quiet the Apprehensions of those who mean well without being carried away by the passions of others who mean ill If you can prevent the designs of those without doors who study nothing else but how to distract your Councels and to disturb all your Proceedings Then you will have performed as great and as seasonable a piece of Service to the King as ever yet he stood in need of AND when the World shall see that nothing hath been able to disappoint the King of the Assistance he had reason to hope from this Session but that there is a right understanding between the King and his Parliament and that again strengthned and increased by new Evidences of your Duty and Affection and raised above all possibility of being interrupted THEN shall the King be possessed of that true glory which 185. And he will be possest of the true glory which others vainly pursue others vainly pursue the glory of reigning in the hearts of his People Then shall the People be possessed of as much felicity as this World is capable of And you shall have the perpetual Honour and Satisfaction of having been the means to procure to 186. The People of the greatest felicity so much solid and lasting good to your Country as the Establishment of the Peace and Tranquillity of this Kingdom and 187. And themselves of perpetual Honour consequently of all his Majesties Dominions AND now what remains but that the Parliament when e're they sit again should have these most profitable words of the King continually in their Memories which he was pleased to deliver to both his Houses on Thursday 6th March 1678 9. p. 4. and 188. Parliaments to be imployed on the great concerns of the Nation 5. and carefully see that they Imploy their time upon the great concerns of the Nation and be not drawn to promote private Animosities under pretences of the publick So will their proceedings be Calm and Peaceable in order to those good ends the King hath at all times and to be sure will recommend to his 189. And to curbthemotions of unruly Spirits Parliament and that they curb the motions of any unruly Spirits which would endeavour to disturb them For there can be no man that must not see how fatal differences amongst 190. The considerations to be laid before them as urgent and weighty as ever any Parliament had our selves are like to be at this time both at home and abroad FOR the considerations which are now to be laid before them are as urgent and as weighty as were ever yet offered to any Parliament or indeed ever can be so great and so 191. From our dangers at home and a broad surprising have been our dangers at home so formidable Lord Chanc. Speech to the same p. 10. are the appearances of danger from abroad that the most united Councels the most Sedate and 192 Therefore all need of united Councels Calmest temper and zealous Affections the Calmest temper together with the most dutiful and zealous Affections that a Parliament can shew are all become absolutely and indispensably necessary for our preservation AND therefore the King hopes the good understanding 193. And a good understanding between the King and his People between him and his People shall be for ever maintain'd by a perpetual Reciprocation of Grace and Favour on his part and duty and affection on yours Id. pag. 16. YOU will have now an opportunity of doing great things for 194. They have opportunity to do great things both for the King and Kingdom the King and Kingdom and it deserves your utmost care to make a right use of it For it is not in the power of a Parliament to recover a lost opportunity or to restore themselves again to the same Circumstances or the same condition which they had once a power to have improved Id. pag. 17. WOULD you secure Religion at home and strengthen it 195. This is the time to secure Religion at home and to strenghten it from abroad from abroad by uniting the Interests of all the Protestants in Europe This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you let the Christian World see the King in a condition 196. To put the King in a condition to protect all his Adherents able to protect those who shall adhere to him or depend upon him This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you extinguish all our Fears and Jealousies Would you lay aside all private Animosities and give them up to the 197. To extinguish all Fears and Jealousies quiet and Repose of the Publick This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you lay the foundations of a lasting Peace and 198. And to lay the foundations of a lasting Peace secure the Church and State against all the future Machinations of our Enemies This is the time Id. ibid. My Lords and Gentlemen THE present face of things and the State wherein we now are is so well known and understood abroad that the whole 199. All the World in great expectation of the Resolutions of the Parliament World is in great expectation of those Resolutions which shall be taken here the results of this Counsel seem to be decisive of the fate of these Kingdoms for many Ages and are like to determine us either to happiness or misery of a very long duration Id. pag. 18. MAY then your Wisdom and Moderation be such that the King may never deny you any thing AND when ever you meet may you make it your business to 200. May our Parliament make it their business to repair the Hedge about our Vineyard repair the Hedge about our Vineyard and make it a fence indeed against all those who are Enemies to the Planting of it who would be glad to see it trodden Lord Keepers Speech 7. Ja. 73 4. pag. 8. down or rooted up and study how to sap and under-mine our very Foundations THE Heathens were wont to observe and envy the Christians for their Unity and Love of one Sir Ed. Turnor's Sp. to the King May 17. 1664. pag. 12. 201. May a happy Correspondence be kept between the King and both Houses another Ecce ut invicem se diligunt Christiani May this happy Correspondency between his Royal Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament increase and grow to be the Envy of the World till all his Majesties Enemies are forced to cry Ecce ut invicem se diligunt Anglicani THERE wants nothing more to the improvement 202. May their wisdoms use their advantages with a due moderation of our happiness but the wisdom of the Parliament Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 71 4. pag. 10. to use their advantages with a due moderation AND if upon enquiry you shall think it needful to apply any 203. Few
GAROLUS SECUNDUS Dei Gratia Angl Scotice Francice Et Hibernice Rex Fidei Defensor etc. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT MEMORABILIA Or the most Remarkable Passages and Counsels Collected out of the several DECLARATIONS AND SPEECHES That have been made by the KING HIS L. Chancellors and Keepers AND THE SPEAKERS Of the HONOURABLE House of Commons IN PARLIAMENT Since His Majesty's Happy Restauration Anno 1660. till the End of the last Parliament 1680. Reduced under Four Heads Viz. 1. Of the Protestant Religion 2. Of Popery 3. Of Liberty and Property c. 4. Of Parliaments By Edward Cooke of the Inner Temple Esquire Humbly Dedicated to the GRAND COUNCIL or SENATE of this KINGDOM LONDON Printed for Nevil Simmons Tho. Simmons and Sam. Lee at the Three Cocks at the West End of S. Paul's the Princes Arms in Ludgate-Street and the Princes Arms in Lombard Street MCDLXXXI THE INTRODUCTION SOME Persons there are in the World of a humour not to be pleased with any thing they shall see in Print unless withall the Author puts himself to the trouble of giving them some considerable Reason which induced him to that undertaking now whether or no this that I shall give them will be to their greater satisfaction I am not certain but however I will thus far ingenuously confess my self to them as to declare it was the true and only One that moved me to present the World with these following Sheets HAVING too notoriously observed of late since this licentious Sickness of the Press the many abominable Pamphlets that have come abroad no doubt with Malitious design enough to alienate the Affections of the good people of England and to infuse strange Perplexing Fears and Jealousies into them of the King and the Government as if presently the whole Nation was to be turn'd Topsy Turvy our Laws Cancell'd our Liberties and Properties to be quite taken away from us our Parliaments to be cashiered our Religion changed and our Lives wholly at the Merciless Devotion of Thirsty men of bloud I say having observed with great and sorrowful Resentment these ill and dangerous Books that have with a too open and insolent face appeared to the heinous scandal as well as disturbance of the peace of these Kingdoms This is to prevent His Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects Dec. 26. 1662. p. 12. the mischiefs aim'd at by the cager endeavours of rash and unquiet men whom though weak and credulous Persons may be beguiled by them yet I am sure all honest and good men will look upon with detestation as the most dangerous Enemies of the Crown and of the peace and happiness of the Nation AND among the many venemous Insinuations which have been Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 1673. Fol. 18. 19. made use of the Fears and Jealousies of Religion and Liberty are of the worst sort and the most dangerous impressions CERTAINLY Malice was never more buisy than it hath been in these Reports and it hath been assisted by a great deal of invention BUT it is to be hoped that no mans Judgment or Affections will be either misled or disturbed by such reports THIS as nothing is capable of gratifying them more the great Lord Keepers Speech Ap. 13. 75. Fol. 18. Enemies of our security are most industrious to promote as knowing very well that this alone will do them more Service than the best of their Auxiliaries These are they that hope to see and Practise to bring about new Changes and Revolutions in the Government 'T IS almost an irreparable reproach the Protestant Religion hath Lord Chancel Speech Sep. 13. 1660. p. 22. undergone from the divisions and distractions which have been so notorious within this Kingdom This you shall find hereafter I will demonstrate to you in its proper place AND as differences and distempers in Religion have too much disturbed Lord Ch. Sp. Sep. 13. 1660. p. 19 20. the Peace of the Kingdom which is a consideration that must make every Religious heart to bleed to see that Religion which should be the strongest Obligation and Cement of Affection and Brotherly kindness and compassion made now by the perverse wranglings of Passionate and Froward men the ground of all Animosity Hatred Malice and Revenge So no less heaty and distempered have some persons been on the other hand in wickedly labouring to set us altogether by the Ears and to put us into a fatall Combustion by their slanderous Calumnies and Factious reproaches of the State Never was this Spirit of Libelling more Lord Ch. Sp. Monday May 19. 6â— at their Prorog p. 10 11. pregnant than it is now nor King nor Parliament nor Church nor State ever more exposed to those flagella linguae those stroaks of the Tongue from which God Almighty can only preserve the most Innocent and most Excellent Persons as if repining and murmuring reviling and affronting publick Authorities were the peculiar exercises of the Nation to keep it in health as if England had so much of the Merchant Nunquam habendi fructu faelix semper autem quaerendi Cupiditate Miserrima Now does it not His Majesties Speech Mond March 21. 1663. p. 5. behoove us all to be as watchful to prevent as they are to contrive their mischief Should not we make it our business to strengthen the hands of Government and to shame the Enemies of it by bannishing all manner of distrust If we do not we shall be in danger to Lord Ch. Sp. Thurs May 23. 78. p. 18. become not only the most miserable but the most unpittied Nation under heaven Let this then be to restore the whole Nation to its primitive temper Lord Ch. Sp. Thurs Sep. 13. 1660. p. 12. and integrity to its old good manners it 's old good humour and it 's old good nature a Vertue so peculiar so appropriated by God Almighty to this Nation that it can be translated into no other language and hardly practised by any other people His Majesties Speech Tuesday July 30. 1661. The Day of Their Adjurr p. 5. And though there are very many alas too many distempered Spirits which lie in wait to do mischief by laying Reproaches upon the Court upon the Government reproaches upon the King reproaches upon the Parliament yet I hope by our Joynt Unity right understanding our vigilant carefulness and application we may be able to weigh down and prevent any Mischief they intend against us Forreign Nations have laid it down for a Maxime in their Politicks Lord Chancel Speech Thurs March 6. â—â—78 p. 18 that England can never be destroyed but by its self and that 't is in vain to make any attempt upon this Nation until they be in some great disorder and confusion amongst themselves Let us then every one in the way of our several capacities indeavour to make the ambitious despair as soon as we can by establishing so perfect an intelligence
Majesties Laws shall afterwards Assemble They must â—o brought to condign punishment and of his Indulgence also seditiously assemble themselves under pretence of Religious Worship his Majesty doth require his Parliament and all in Authority under him vigorously to suppress such Meetings and to bring the pretended Preachers and Ring-leaders of such unlawful Assemblies to condign and exemplary punishment AGAIN his Majesties Commissioners Speech to the Parliament of Scotland that were met at Edinburgh 102. The King is unalterable in his zeal to maintain the True Reformed Protestant Religion and Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops mentioning Religion has these words I July 28. 70. p. 5 6 7. need not repeat the assurances of his Majestie 's constant and unalterable zeal for maintaining and defending the true Reformed Protestant Religion in this his Kingdom and that with no less zeal and constancy he will maintain the Antient Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops now Happily Restored and Established here for in 203. And will not endure those numerous Conventicles that tend to Sedition and Schism all the exercises of his Royal Authority he doth daily give full and undeniable testimonies thereof AT the opening of the first Session of this Parliament I told you in his Majesties Name that he would not endure those numerous and unlawful Conventicles that tend to Sedition 104. But will have them supprest and the most guilty brought to punishment and Schism which had been too frequent in some Shires of this Kingdom and the King did then require you and all in Authority under him vigorously to suppress such Meetings and to bring the most guilty to condign punishment In prosecution of which the Lords of the Privy Council 105. Field Conventicles look more like rendezvouzes for Rebellion than any thing for Religion have done their duty carefully though not with that success which they desired for his Majesty hath been informed that this Summer divers Seditious and numerous Conventicles have been kept even in the open fields which look liker endeavours to rendezvous for Rebellion than any pretence 106. Because it was in contempt of the Kings Authority and of the Parliament which they knew so soon would Assemble of Religious Worship and that in high contempt of his Majesties Authority and of this Parliament which they well-knew was so soon to Assemble Yea such hath been the Insolent Barbarity of that incorrigible sort of Non-Conformists that in some places the Houses of Orthodox and Peaceable Ministers have been Robb'd their persons and Families wounded and they threatned to be murther'd 107. And some of those Non-conformists robb'd the Conformable Ministers houses wounded the Parsons and threatned to kill them if they stai'd in their Churches if they stay at their Churches THEREFORE His Majesty doth most seriously recommend 108. Therefore good reason why the King recommends them to make good Laws and vigorously to prosecute them it to your special care by good Laws and vigorous prosecution of them to curb punish and prevent those Seditious Conventicles to cure the withdrawing of Protestants from their Paroch Churches and the Ordinances there which is the occasion of those Conventicles and cannot 109. For this cannot be conscience but deâ—â—gn to perpetuate Faction and Schism be pretended for conscience but must be esteemed only out of design to perpetuate Faction and Schism seeing the Form of Worship here is the same which hath been since the Reformation as also to punish Exemplarly those Barbarous Robberies and Assassinates committed against honest and peaceable Ministers and generally to provide what you shall think necessary for continuing the peace of the Kingdom The Work will be easie and I doubt not your care in it The Kingdom generally is Loyal Peaceable and Dutiful it is but 110. The Kingdom generally is Loyal Peaceable and Dutiful a small part of it which is tainted with such principles and practices pag. 7. AND again further in the year 1672. His Majestie 's High Commissioner for his Kingdom of Scotland at the opening of that Session of Parliament continues the same Language to them and assures them his Majestie 's Resolution is not in the least altered saith he I am particularly commanded to renew again to you His Grace the Duke of Lauderdail 's Speech June 12. 1672. to the Parliament of Scotland pag. 12. 111. The Kings Resolution continues the same still for the Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops and for suppressing of Conventicles preventing the growth of Schism and securing the peace of the Church the assurances of his Majesties most constant continuance in his unalterable resolutions to maintain the True Reformed Protestant Religion and the Government of this Church by Arch-Bishops and Bishops whatever Seditious and Disaffected Persons may suggest to the contrary and I am fully impowred to all such further Acts as you shall judg convenient for the quieting the minds of peaceable people and for curbing and punishing Seditious Conventicles for preventing the increase of Schism and by all good means securing the Peace of the Church BY this you may see that his Majesty was not only resolved to settle Episcopacy in this his Kingdom but his pious intentions were all along visible firmly to Establish it throughout all his Dominions BUT to return to our selves here of England when the House of Commons Presented the Bill to his Majesty to Repeal that Law which was made in 17 Car. whereby the Bishops were Excluded the House how great was the King's joy and thankfulness to them at the Receipt of it You shall hear both their Speeches of this Matter AND first to begin with the Speaker's when he Presented the Bill saith he Your Majestie 's Royal Grandfather was often wont Sir Edward Turner 's Speech delivered on Tuesday July 30. 1661. at their Adjournment pag. 4 5. to say no Bishop no King we found 112. No Bishop no King found true in the late times of confusion his words true for after they were put out the Feaver still encreasing in another Fit The Temporal Lords followed and then the King himself nor did the humour rest there but in the Round The House of Commons was first Garbled and then turn'd out of their doors IT is no wonder when a Sword is put into a mad Man's hand to see him cut off Limb by Limb and then to kill himself WHEN there is a great Breach of the Sea upon the low Grounds by the violence of the Torrent the Rivers of sweet Waters are often turn'd aside and the Salt Waters make themselves a Channel but when the Breach is made up good Husbands drain their Lands again and restore the Antient Sewers THANKS be to God the Floud is gone off the Face of this Island our Turtle Dove hath found good footing Your Majesty is Happily Restored to the Government The Temporal Lords and Commons are restored to sit in Parliament and shall the Church alone
yet makes 3. His Majesty's Care of them hath been so much that we are obliged to all Acknowledgments so loud a noise in the World GOD knows these are as the great Diana of the Ephesians to us of these we are fond even to Superstition and you shall find the King as affectionate to you and as desirous to preserve them all in their just Measures as you can possibly with any Conscience wish he should be 4. The Annals of our most happy times scarce have one Year in them but what is more severe than a whole Reign hath yet produced NAY The Care of your Civil Rights and Liberties hath been so much His Majesty's that the more The Lord Keepers Speech on the 13th of October 1675. pag. 6 7. you reslect upon these Concerns the more you will find your selves obliged to acknowledge His Majesty's Tenderness of you and Indulgence to you SEARCH your own Annals the Annals of those Times you account most happy you will scarce find one Year without an Example of something more severe and more extraordinary 5. Statues have been erected for those Princes in Foreign Nations that never had half that Moderation which we have lived to enjoy than a whole Reign hath yet produced PERUSE the Histories of Forreign Nations and you shall find Statues and Altars too have been erected to the Memories of those Princes whose best Vertues never arrived to half that Moderation which we let me add for these twenty Years have lived to see and to enjoy AND Let us all evermore remember this unexceptionable A Letter from His Majesty at Breda Apr. 4 14 1660. to the Speaker of the House of Commons pag. 4. Truth which His Sacred Majesty was pleas'd 6. This Liberty is best preserved by preserving the King's Honour himself to lay down to us long ago that Our Liberty and Property is best preserved by preserving the Honour of the King FOR the Greatness and Dignity of the King The Lord Keeper's Speech Wednesd Oct. 13. 1675. p. 7. The Lord Chancellor's Speech to Baron Thurland at the taking of his Oath January 24. 1672 3. pag. 3 7. The King's Greatness the Peoples Safety is the Greatness and Safety of his People Therefore LET not the King's Prerogative and the Law be 8. Therefore the King's Prerogative and the Law should not be two things with us two things with you For the King's Prerogative is Law and the principal part of the Law and therefore in maintaining that you maintain the Law The Government of England is so excellently interwoven that every part of the Prerogative hath a broad mixture of the Interest of the Subject the Ease and Safety of the People being inseparable from the Greatness and Security of the Grown THE knowing of our own Interest will secure June 26. 1673. pag. 4. 9. The knowledg of our own Interest secures us to the King 's and Nations us to the King 's and the Nation 's I repeat them thus together saith the Lord Chancellor in his Speech upon the Lord Treasurer 's taking his Oath in the Exchequer because none but Mountebanks in State Matters can think of them asunder 10. Prerogative not extended beyond its due Limits AND if the not extending his Prerogative beyond The Lord Keeper's Speech to both Houses January 7. 1673 4. pag. 9. its due Limits can secure our Liberties then surely we have no need to fear the least Diminution of them For 11. The King only considers his Prerogative in order to preserve the Peace and Security of the Kingdom SAITH The King The Peace and Security The King's Speech April 5. 1664. pag. 3. of the Kingdom and the Welfare of my Subjects I study more than my Prerogative Indeed I consider my Prerogative only in order to preserving the other DO We not see that the King hath made it his The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 8. Care and his Business to do all that is possible to 12. The Laws of the Kingdom the Measures of both his Power and Prudence preserve us in our Civil Rights that he makes the Laws of his Kingdom the Measures not only of his Power but his Prudence that he suffers no Man to be wiser than the Law that he thinks he cannot judge of the Health or Sickness of his State by any better Indication than the Current 13. Their Current gives the best Judgment either of the Health or Sickness of the State of his Laws and suffers nothing to remain that may in the least measure hinder Justice from flowing in its due and proper Channels NOW The Administration of Iustice according His Majesty's Declaration for inforcing a late Order made in Council Feb. 12 1674 5. pag. 3. to the setled and known Laws of the Land is certainly the most reasonable and 14. Administration of Justice according to the known Laws of the Land proper Method for attaining and preserving the Peace and Safety both of Church and State FOR Laws are the Strength of a Kingdom the Walls and Bulwarks of a Nation without which Places are but as the Forests 15. What Laws are to a Kingdom of Wild Beasts to dwell in and the Ends of the Law are to bridle Men's wild and loose Exorbitances and to be instructive and to direct to Duty Now you shall hear what His Majesty hath 16. Their end been pleased to say as to this Point And first If you will but look into that Letter which he sent to the Speaker of the Honourable House of Commons you will find there these words SAITH He If you desire that Reverence and Obedience may be paid to the Fundamental April 4 14 1660 pag. 6. 7. 17. Reverence and Obedience to the Fundamental Laws of the Land is that the King desires to be sworn to and all Persons in Authority Laws of the Land and that Iustice may be equally and impartially Administred to all Men it is that which we desire to be sworn to Our Self and that all Persons in Power and Authority shall be so too In a word There is nothing that you can propose that may make the Kingdom happy which we will not contend with you to Compass And upon this Confidence and Assurance we have thought fit to 18. Nothing can be proposed to make the Kingdom happy but he will contend with us to compass send you this Declaration that you may as much as is possible at this Distance see our Heart AND In the Declaration that was inclosed therein His Majesty thus delivers himself Ve do not desire more to enjoy what is Ours than that all Our The Declaration pag. 2. Subjects may enjoy what by Law is theirs 19. The King desires no more to enjoy his own than to have his Subjects enjoy what by Law is theirs by a full and entire Administration of Iustice throughout the Land and
their Liberties and Properties by as many good Laws as can be proposed and as may comport with the safety of the Government Kingdoms and People SAITH He I declare my self freely that I am ready to gratifie you in a further The King's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 2 3. securing of your Liberty and Property if you can think you want it by as many good Laws as you shall propose and as can consist with the Safety of the Government without which there will neither be Liberty nor Property left to any man Having thus plainly told you what I am ready to do for you I shall deal as plainly with you again and tell you what it is I do expect from you I do expect and require from you that all occasions 53. The King being ready to do this for us expects of Difference between the two Houses be carefully avoided For else they who have no hopes to prevent your good Resolutions will hope by this Reserve to hinder them from taking any effect 54. That all occasions of difference between the Houses be taken away AND Let all Men Iudge who is most for Arbitrary Government they that foment such Differences as tend to dissolve all Parliaments or I that would preserve this and all Parliaments from being made useless 55. And let any judge who is most for Arbitrary Government he or others that foment Differences by such Dissentions THE Preserving a State of Peace and Unity The Lord Chancellor's Speech May 23. 1678. pag. 12. 56. Keeping Peace at home now more necessary than ever at home is now more necessary than ever He that foments Divisions now does more mischief to his Country than a Foreign Enemy can do and disarms it in a time when all the hands and all the hearts we have are but enough to defend us NO Fears of Arbitrary Government can justifie no Zeal to Religion can sanctifie such a Proceeding FOR this directly tends to unhinge us all this has nothing but Ruin and Desolation Anarchy and Confusion in the end of it 57. Divisions only tend to Ruin This would the King suppress he would have Right prevail and every man to enjoy all those Civil Priviledges which belong to him as his just due for he would have things to stand upon their Ancient and Sure Foundations Complaints should be heard and Wrongs should be relieved to all alike should Justice be imparted and there should be no respect to persons and this would be the way for the Land to have abundance of Peace For the truth hereof hearken to the words of the King I do not pretend to 58. The Nation never had less cause to complain of Grievances than since the Kings Restoration be without Infirmities but I have never broken my Word with you and if I do not flatter The King's Speech Jan. 18. 1666 pag. 4. my self the Nation never had less cause to complain of Grievances or the least Injustice or Oppression than it hath had in these seven Years it hath pleased God to restore me to you AND when he came to Prorogue his Parliament till towards Winter that so they might in their several places intend the Peace and Security of their several Countries where there were unquiet Spirits enough working I do pray you saith he 59. And he desires his Parliament so to tell the people in their respective Countries for he is sure of it and I do expect it from you that you will use your utmost endeavours to remove all The King's Speech Feb. 8. 1666 pag. 5. those false Imaginations in the hearts of the People which the Malice of ill Men have industriously infused into them of I know not what Iealousies and Grievances for I must tell you again and I am sure I am in the right and it is worthy of the most solemn regard that the People had never so little cause to complain of Oppression and Grievances as they have had since my Return to you THIS is not all The Words of the Lord Keeper who spoke 60. But this is not all the Sense and Mind of the King and which he commanded him to declare to them are more large yet Says he If any just Grievances shall have happened His Majesty will 61. If any just Grievances shall happen he is as ready to redress them as the Parliament to represent them be as willing and ready to Redress them for the future The Lord Keeper's Speech Thursd Octob 10. 1667. pag. 8. Id. pag. 7. as you to have them represented unto him AND therefore although His Majesty hears and has reason to believe that some disaffected persons have spread abroad Discourses and Rumors reflecting upon the Government intending thereby to beget a disaffection in his good Subjects and it is an easie thing to take exceptions Cum neque culpam humana Infirmitas neque Calumniam regnandi difficultas evitet Yet His Majesty promises himself from your good Affections that every one of you in your several places will endeavour to preserve a good Understanding between him and his People Id. pag. 7 8. WELL but the King as if he had not been satisfied in trusting any other to speak his mind comes and tells his Parliament himself I assure you I shall willingly receive 62. And he will willingly receive all Bills of that nature and pass any Bill you shall offer me The King's Speech to both Houses Saturd Mar. 8. 167â— 3. pag. 4. that may tend to the giving you satisfaction in all our just Grievances WHAT is there now that you can complain of 63. we shall be Righted in all our Complaints wherein you shall not be righted DO there want any Laws to secure the Peace and Quiet of the State says my Lord Keeper to The Lord Keeper's Speech Octob. 13. 1675. pag. 8 9 10 11. that Parliament 64. In Laws to secure the Peace of the State WOULD you at once enrich and adorn the Kingdom by providing for the Extent and Improvement of Trade by introducing new and useful Manufactures and by encouraging those we have already 65. In Provisions for the Extent and Improvement of Trade WOULD you prevent all Frauds and Perjuries all Delays and Abuses in the Administration of Justice WOULD you preserve a famous City from being depopulated 66. In preventing all Frauds and Perjuries all Delays and Abuses in the Administring of Justice by the Suburbs Would you restrain the Excess of those new Buildings which begin to swarm with Inhabitants unknown ALL your Petitions of this kind will be Grateful to the King and you may with ease effect all this and much more which your great Wisdoms will suggest to you A little time 67. In restraining the Excess of new Buildings will serve to make many excellent Laws and to give you the honour of being the Repairers of all our Breaches so as that time he
wholly employed upon the Publick and not taken up by such Considerations as are less meritorious 68. And a little time serves to make many excellent Laws if that time be wholly employed on the Publick IF therefore there be any without Doors that labour to disunite your Counsels or to render them ineffectual if they can hope that the occasions for this may arise from some difference within your selves or hope by those differences to disguise their own Disaffections to your good Proceedings it is in your power to defeat those hopes to pull off this Disguise and to secure 69. Therefore let none be able to disunite our great Councils a happy Conclusion of this Meeting by studying to preserve a good Correspondence and by a careful avoiding of all such Questions as are apt to engender Strife AND if ever there were a time when the Gravity and the Counsel the Wisdom and the good Temper of a Parliament 70 70 For it is in their power to preserve a good Correspondence 71 71 If ever a Parliament had need to be Grave and Temperate it is now were necessary to support that Government which only can support these Assemblies certainly this is the Hour YOU see with what Zeal the King hath recommended to 72. The King's Zeal to recommend a good Agreement among them you a good Agreement between your selves and that he doth it with all the Care and Compassion all the Earnestness and Importunity fit for so great a Prince to express who would be very sorry that any such misfortune as your Disagreement should either deprive him of your Advice and Assistance or 73. For the contrary would deprive him of their good Advice and Assistance and the people of good Laws his People of those good Laws which he is ready to grant you There is no other way our Enemies can think of by which it is possible for this Session to miscarry for Fears and Jealousies cannot enter here Calumnies and Slanders will find no place amongst wise and good Men. THEY that use these Arts abroad will quickly be discredited when the World shall see the Generous Effects of your Confidence 74. This the only way our Enemies can think of to make us miscarry Men will despair of attempting any Disturbance in the State when they see every step that tends that way serves only to give you fresh occasion to testifie your Loyalty and your Zeal 75. But Men will despair of attempting any disturbance in the State when they see the Parliament united YOU have all the reason in the World to make Men see this for you have the same Monarchy to assert the same Church to defend the same Interests of Nobility and Gentry to maintain the same excellent King to contend for and the same Enemies to contend against AND now you shall hear what my Lord Chancellor had to say to the Parliament concerning this Point He tells them There 76. And they have all the reason in the World to be so is little cause to be jealous of our Liberties and Properties nor do they believe themselves who pretend The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd May 23. 1678. pag. 14 15. to be afraid of either Can there be a greater Evidence of the moderation of a Prince and his 77. Little cause to be jealous of our Liberties and Properties tenderness of the Liberty of the Subject than to suffer as he does every day so much Licentious and Malitious Talk to pass unpunished If there be not any one instance to be 78. For who else would suffer such malicious Talkers to go unpunished found in a whole Reign of a Man that hath suffered against Law and but very few Examples of those that have suffered by it shall we endure them that dare say in Coffee-houses and in other publick places that the Nation is enslaved LET it be lawful to provoke and challenge the most discontented and the most unsatisfied Spirit in the Kingdom to shew 79. One may challenge the most discontented Spirits in the Kingdom to shew when there were less Grievances or less cause of Complaint than now that time if he can since the World began and this Nation was first inhabited wherein there were fewer Grievances or less cause of Complaint than there is at this present Nay give him scope enough and let him search all Ages and all places of the World and tell us if he can when and where there was ever found a happier People than we are at this day AND if Malice it self ought to blush when it makes this Comparison what strange Ingratitude both to God and Man are they guilty of who behave themselves so as if they could 80 80 Nay search all Ages and places of the World and none more happy than we are 81 81 Therefore how ungrateful both to God and Man are they who are ill at ease under so temperate a Government be ill at ease under so temperate a Government AND the King as if all he had hitherto spoken did not seem enough to him for the satisfaction of his People makes one apvance 82. The King declares he will with his Life defend the Laws of this Kingdom higher yet and says to his Parliament I do give you this Assurance that I will with my Life defend the Laws of this Kingdom and may The King's Speech Thursd March 6. 1678 9. pag. 7. he not then let us in cool Blood consider justly go on thus to them I do expect from you to be defended from the Calumny as well as danger of those 83. Therefore let us defend him from the Calumny of those who would render him and the Government odious to the People worst of Men who endeavour to render me and my Government odious to my People THAT there are such and especially at this time it is too notorious and if due Care and Circumspection be not taken they will quickly be in no small hopes to raise a Storm that nothing shall be able to allay SUCH are they who are industriously active in improving Fears and Jealousies among the Populace and in nourishing all 84. It is too notorious that there are such the base Suspicions which they can devise THESE should diligently be looked after who with their Ill meant distinctions between the Court and the 85. And they are those that improve Fears and Jealousies Country between the Natural and the Politick Capacity The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 15 16. go about to perswade others that these are two several Interests 86. they have ill meant distinctions between the Court and the Country between the Natural and the Politick Capacity BUT saith the Lord Chancellor immediately after let such Men have a care of that Precipice to which such Principles may lead them for the first Men that ever began to distinguish of their Duty never left off
I am sure it could never be so truly said of any Emperor as of ours Facere recte cives suos Princeps Optimus faciendo docet cumque fit imperio Maximus Exemplo Major est Nor indeed hath he yet given us or have we yet felt any other Instances of his Greatness and Power and Superiority and Dominion over us Nisi as he said out levatione periculi aut accessione dignitatis by giving us Peace Honour and Security which we could not have without him by desiring nothing for himself but what is 131. This made the House of Commons unanimously return him their Thanks for his constant Observance of the Act of Oblivion as good for us as for himself AND certainly the Consideration of this made the Honourable House of Commons Resolve upon the Question Nemine contradicente That the Humble Thanks of their House should be returned to the King's Majesty for his Constancy Feb. 25. 1652. pag 3. Of the House of Comâ—â—â— Votes and Oâ—â—ers then in the Observation of the Act of Indemnity AND also it was then Resolved c. Nemine contradicente That the Humble Thanks of their House 132. As also for his professing against introducing a Government by Military Power should be returned to the King's Majesty for his Profession against Introducing a Government by a Military Power in his Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Decemb. 26. 1662. AND in the Speech which their Speaker delivered in the Name of the whole House Feb. 26. 1662. p. 6 7. he saith thus We your Majesty's most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects c. do for our selves and in the Names of all the Commons of England render to your Sacred Majesty the Tribute of our most hearty Thanks for that infinite Grace and Goodness wherewith Your Majesty hath been pleased to publish your Royal Intentions of adhering to your Act of Indemnity and Oblivion by a constant and Religious Observance of it And our Hearts are farther enlarged in these Returns of Thanksgivings when we consider Your Majesty's most Princely and Heroick Professions of relying upon the Affections of your People and abhorring all sort of Military and Arbitrary Rule AS for the several Sums of Money which have been given to 133. As for his laying out the Moneys that have been given him His Majesty have they not been given him upon the Nation 's Account and for its Good Welfare and Security We have had briefly a By-regard to our own selves and it was the sake of our dear Interest and Safety that made us so full of Generous Liberality to him and how all those great Sums have been laid out to those Ends you shall not take my Word for it but as I have done all along hitherto so I will still continue what must needs be your best and fullest satisfaction to repeat to you the King 's own Words WHEN the House of Commons had passed the Bill entituled An Act for a speedy Provision of Money to pay off and disband all the Forces of this Kingdom both by Sea and Aug. 29. 1660. The Speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons to the King in the House of Lords pag. 7. Land Upon which they hoped such a Sum would be advanced and brought in as might be sufficient fully to discharge and dispatch that Work And humbly prayed His Majesty's Gratious Acceptance of and Royal Assent to it The King was pleased to come and tell them That he thanked them for the many good things they had done for The King's Speech to both Houses Septem 13. 1660 p. 4. him and for the Kingdom And saith he In truth I do thank you more for what you have done for the Publick than what you have done for my own particular and yet I do thank you too 134. He promises which is the best way he can take to gratifie his Parliament and People that not one Penny of it shall be laid out to his own particular Occasions till it is evident the Publick will not need it for that with all my heart But I confess to you I do thank you more for the Provision you have made to prevent Free Quarter during the time the Army shall be Disbanding which I take to be given for my Satisfaction than I do for the other Present you have made me for my own particular Occasions And I do promise you which is the best way I can take to gratifie you I will not apply one Penny of that Money to my own particular Occasions what shift soever I make till it is evident to me that the Publick will not stand in need of it and if it do every Penny of it shall be disbursed that way and I dare say I shall not be the poorer for it WHEN the King came to his Parliament the first day of their Meeting after their Adjournemnt he tells them The Occasion of my coming hither is Extraordinary It is to say something to you on my own behalf The King's Speech to both Houses Wednesd Novemb. 20. 1661. pag. 1 2. to ask somewhat of you for my self 135. And when his Majesty came again to ask them for some more Money he tells them if it did most concern himself and his Straits c. and did not manifestly relate to the publick Peace more than to his own particular he would not ask which is more than I have done of you or of those who met here before you since my coming into England I need not do it now They did and you do upon all Occasions express so great an Affection and Care of all that concerns me that I may very well refer both the matter and the manner of your doing any thing for me to your own Wisdoms and Kindness And indeed if I did think that what I am to say to you now did alone or did most concern my self if the uneasie Condition I am in if the Straits and Necessities I am to struggle with did not manifestly relate to the publick Peace and Safety more than to my own particular otherwise 136. For he can bear his own Necessities patiently enough than as I am concerned in the Publick I should not give you this trouble this day I can bear my Necessities which merely relate to my self with patience enough 137. And then after he had laid open the Obligations of the Crown to provide for the Interest Honour and Security of the Nation and declared to them the pressing Occasions that made him so earnest He desires them to examine throughly whether such Necessities were real or not or whether fallen by his fault upon us and give him accordingly AND having in short given them an Account of the Insupportable Weight that the Publick Necessities laid upon the Crown and the Obligations it lieth under to provide for the Interest Honour and Security of the Nation he says These are the pressing Occasions which I am forced to recommend to you with
she comes to Solomon to commune with him of all that was in her Heart Great Sir whilst this your Native Country was unworthy of you Foreign Nations were made happy in the Knowledge of your Person your Piety and your Wisdom and now the Lord our God hath brought you home and set you on your Throne your Subjects long to see you WHAT Striving and Rejoycing was there at Id. ibid. 19. What rejoycing at the King 's Landing your first Landing to see our Rising Sun WHAT Striving was there at your Coronation to see the Imperial Crown set upon your Royal Head WHAT Striving hath here lately been in all 20. What at his Coronation the Counties Cities and Burroughs of this Nation Id. Ibid. who should be sent up to hear your Wisdom and confer with 21. What Striving to be Parliament-Men to hear his Wisdom and confer with him there you in Parliament ROYAL Sir These Chosen Worthy Messengers are not come Empty Handed they are laden Id. ibid. they are sent up to you heavy-laden from their several Counties Cities and Burroughs IF the Affections of all English Men can make 22. How Happy Great and Considerable the King may be both at home and abroad by his Parliament you happy if the Riches of this Nation can make Id. pag. 12. you Great if the Strength of this Warlike People can make you Considerable at home and abroad be assured you are the greatest Monarch in the World Give me leave I beseech you to double my words and say it again I wish my Voice could reach to Spain and to the Indies too You are the greatest Monarch in the World HAVING thus at large given you the Speaker's Words as it were in Extasie of a Parliament I shall now return to give you the King 's which you will find full of a tender and endeared Affection to them 23. The King's Aims have been such as were most agreeable to the antient Order of Parliament and he hopes they will reduce the Proceedings to those ancient Rules and Orders AND what have the Aims and Endeavours of the King been but such as he hath Thought most agreeable to the ancient Order of Parliaments And The King's Speech Thursd Septemb. 13. 1660. pag. 5. I hope you will all joyn with me saith he in reducing the Proceedings of Parliaments to the Ancient Rules and Orders of Parliaments the Deviation from which hath done us no good And when they desired a Recess though he had then some Inclination to have made a Session yet upon Id. ibid. the desire and Reasons given by the House of Commons for an Adjournment without a Session he did very willingly depart from that Inclination And did not this testifie a very great Kindness BUT you shall hear more Gracious Words from him saith he three Months after this I will tell you that when 24. When God restored the King he brought along with him an extraordinary Affection for Parliaments God brought me hither I brought with me an extraordinary Affection and Esteem for The King's Speech Decem. 29. 1660. at the Dissolution pag. 3 4. Parliaments I need not tell you how much it is improved by your Carriage towards me You have outdone all the good and obliging Acts of your Predecessors towards the Crown and therefore you cannot but believe my Heart is exceedingly enlarged with the Acknowledgment MANY former Parliaments have had particular Denominations from what they 25. Former Parliaments have had particular Denominations let this be called The Healing and the Blessed Parliament Id. ibid. have done They have been styled Learned and Unlearned and sometimes have had worse Epithits I pray let us all resolve that this be for ever called The HEALING and the BLESSED PARLIAMENT AND in the Absence of a Parliament which he promises shall not be long how he will carry and behave himself he hath been pleased to give us a very open and ingenuous Confession in these his following Words AS I thank you though not enough for what you have done so I have not the least doubt by the Blessing of God but when I shall call the next Parliament which I shall do as soon as you can reasonably expect or desire I shall receive your Thanks for what 26. The King will not more propose any Rule to himself in his Actions and Counsels than what the Parliament is like to think of them I have done since I parted with you For I deal truly with you I shall not more propose any one Rule to my self in my Actions and my Counsels than this What is a PARLIAMENT like to think of this ACTION or this COUNSEL And it shall be want of Vnderstanding in me if it will not bear that Test Id. Ibid. A PARLIAMENT is such an Assembly My Lord Chancellor hath said that for which the 27. The King hath a kind of Reverence for a Parliament The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd 13. Septem 1660. pag. 6. King him self hath even a kind of Reverence as well as an extraordinary Kindness IT will very easily appear so if you will mind what the King tells you that He hath caused two Bills to be prepared for you i. e. the new Parliament on the 8th of May at their Opening which are pag. 2. for Confirmation of all that was enacted at our last Meeting AND as the Chancellor said he commends the Dispatch of those to you with some earnestness The Lord Chancellor's Speech May 8. 1661. pag. 8 9 10. The Truth is it is a great part of the Business of this Parliament to celebrate the Memory of the last by confirming or re-enacting all that was done by that Parliament which though it was not called 28. The last Parliament though not called by the King 's Writ yet seems to have been called by God himself by the King 's Writ may be reasonably thought to have been called by God himself upon the Supplication and Prayer of the King and the whole Nation as the only means to restore the Nation to its Happiness to its Self to its Honour and even to its Innocence How glad the King was of it appears by what he writ to them from Breda when he referred more to them than ever was referred to Parliament He referred 29. He refers to them more than ever was referred to Parliament in truth upon the matter all that concerned himself all that concerned Religion all that concerned himself all that concerned Religion all that concerned the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom to them And to their Honour be it spoken and to their Honour be it ever remembred that the King Religion and the Kingdom have no reason to 30. The Kingdom have no reason to be sorry for it be sorry that so much was intrusted to them nor they to be ashamed of the Discharge of their Trust It would have been a very
Interest it should be so but because the King did Prorogue his Parliament from July 1663. to March 1663 4. some ill-affection'd persons to the peace and quiet of the State and Government would fain have had their seditious whispers credited of their never seeing them to meet again but their malice could not be hid for at the stated day the doors were open and the Houses full saith the King to them My Lords and Gentlemen 92 Whatever peoples surmises be of him the King would not have his Parliament think any thing ill of him as to any disaffection for them You see God be thanked you have met together again at the time appointed and I do assure you I have been so far from ever intending it should be otherwise that I do not know one person who ever wished it should be otherwise Think therefore I pray what good meaning those men could have who from the time of the Prorogation to the day of your meeting have continually whispered and industriously infused into the minds of the people that the Parliament should meet no more that it should either be presently dissolved or so continued by Prorogation that they should be kept without a Parliament I pray watch these whisperers all you can as men 93. He would have his Parliament to watch all those who make it their business to sow jealousies between them and him King's Speech to both Houses Mond 21 Mar. 63 4. pag. 3 4. who use their utmost endeavours to sow Iealousies between you and me and I do promise you they shall not prevail with me and I do promise my self they shall not prevail with you and the truth is we are both concerned they should not and we shall then with God's blessing prevent all the mischief they intend NAY so sensible was the King of this same evil Spirit among some at his receiving of the Parliaments Petition concerning Romish 94. The King extremely angry at those who talk of his resolutions to dissolve his Parliament Priests and Jesuits a year before this that saith he then in his Speech to them I confess my Lords and Gentlemen I have heard of one Iealousie which I will never forgive the Authors of that I had a Iealousie of your affections that I was offended with the Parliament to that degree that I intended King's Speech 1 Apr. 1663. pag. 5. 6. to dissolve it They say men are naturally most 95. Which he saith reflects much upon his understanding angry with those reproaches which reflect upon their understanding which makes them thought weak men truly I should appear a very weak man if I should have any such passion any such purpose No my Lords and Gentlemen I will not 96. For none so much obliged to Parliaments as He was and his love to them shall be proportionable part with you upon those terms never King was so much beholding to a Parliament as I am to you and if my kindness to you and my confidence in you be not proportionable I am behind-hand with you which God willing I will not be AND as he hath laid out very great endeavours that there might not be any mis-understanding between him and his people so in a more peculiar manner hath his Majesty shewn himself industrious in his carefulness to preserve a right correspondence between him and his Parliament and hath been continually engaging them by all the earnest expressions of an affectionate and endearing tenderness to preserve the same towards each other as you shall see from these following instances I am sorry to find that the general temper and affections of 97. The King sorry to find the Nation no better composed the Nation are not so well composed as I hoped they would have been after so signal blessings from God Almighty upon us all and after so great indulgence and condescentions from me towards all Interests There are 98. Many ill persons labour night and day to disturb the publick peace King's Speech 20 Nov. 1661. pag. 4 5. many wicked Instruments still as active as ever who labour night and day to disturb the publick peace and to make all people jealous of each other it will be worthy of your care and vigilance to provide proper remedies 99. Find out fit remedies for such and we shall do well enough for the diseases of that kind and if you find new diseases you must study new remedies Let us not be discouraged if we help one another we shall with God's blessing master all our difficulties And a few lines lower saith he I shall not need to recommend 100. A good correspondence necessary for us all or put you in mind of the good correspondence that ought to be kept between you for the good of your selves and Me and the whole Kingdom and I may tell you it is very necessary for us all You will find whoever doth not love me doth not love you and they who have no Reverence for you have little 101. Who have no reverence for Parliaments have no kindness for the King Kindness for me therefore I pray let us adhere fast to each other and then we shall with the help of God in a short time perswade o oblige all men to that submission and obedience to the Law as may constitute a full measure of happiness to Prince and People and perswade our Neighbours to that esteem and value they have formerly had for us THIS Harmony of tempers is certainly the best way in Humane 102. Harmony of affections between the King and his Parliament the best way to make both Church and State happy foresight to bring down blessiings upon us all and to cause both the Church and the Statc to return to that Vnity Lord Chanc. Sp. 13 Sept. 1660. p. 22. and Vnanimity which will make both King and People as happy as they can hope to be in this World 1660. p. 22. THIS his Majesties adopted Parliament very well understood and therefore behaved themselves accordingly for their hearts were set upon it after so long distractions if it were possible to restore the Nation to its former felicity and this could no way be so well done as by the sweet agreement of their Spirits and their mutual kindnesses and respects each to other THIS as they observed it did the King observe too and by his Chancellor renders them very kind acknowledgments for it Saith that Noble Lord in the same Speech at the very beginning of the next page My Lords and Gentlemen I shall conclude 103. And therefore the Chancellor thanks them as from the King for the good correspondence and respect to each other with the King 's hearty thanks to you not only for what you have done towards him which hath been very signal but for what you have done towards each other for the excellent correspondence you have maintained for the very seasonable deference and condescention you have
had for each other which will restore Parliaments to the veneration they ought to have WHEN there is visible such a harmony of affections and a unity in resolutions to advance the publick service then they who look for troubles at home may despair of their wishes and our Neighbours abroad by seeing all is well at home 104. This will make our Enemies at home to despair and those abroad to have a just honour and esteem for us may have that esteem and value of us as may secure King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar 1. 1661. pag. 5. 7. the Interest and Honour of the Nation and make the happiness of this Kingdom and of this City once more the admiration and envy of the World WELL may the King therefore be solicitous to have this maintained since that the peace and security the honour and the happiness of these Nations is concerned in it This was a consideration 105. And this made the King to desire and conjure his Parliament again to keep a good correspondence together prevailing enough with him to desire and conjure both his Houses to keep a very good correspondence King's Speech to both Houses Mond 21 Mar. 1663 4. p. 8. together that it may not be in the power of any seditious or factious Spirits to make you jealous of each other or either of you jealous of Me till you see me pretend one thing and do another which 106. And not to be jealous of him till they see he pretends one thing and does another which shall never be I am sure you have never yet done trust me it shall be in no bodies power to make me jealous of you AND again saith his Majesty My Lords and Gentlemen I did desire and conjure you at the opening of this Session that you would keep a very good correspondence together that it might not be in the power of any seditious or factious Spirits to make you jealous of each other or either of you jealous of me I must confess to you you have 107. And they have done as his Majesty desired viz kept a very good correspondence towards each other and respect towards him King's Speech to both Houses Tuesd May 17. 1664. p. 3 4 complied very fully with me for which I can never thank you enough You have performed those good respects towards me and kept so very good correspondence towards each other that you have exceedingly disappointed those ill men who both at home and abroad had raised great hopes and expectation of neâ— troubles and confusions This harmony will with God's blessing make us all esteem'd abroad and secure at home ABOUT six years afterwards he comes to them and says One thing I must earnestly recommend to the prudence of hath Houses that you will not suffer any 108. Unity of Minds and Counsels brings happiness both to King and Nation King's Speech Mond 14 Feb. 1669 70. p. 4 5. occasion of difference between your selves to be revived since nothing but the unity of your Minds and Counsels can make this meeting happy either to Me or to the Nation AND on Monday the 11th of April 1670. upon the Adjournment of the Parliament the Speaker thus says to his Majesty By the blessing of God all differences are buried in 109. And they follow'd his Majesties wholsome advice oblivion your Majestie 's happy expedient hath Sir Edw. Turnor's Speech pag. 2. like a strong gale of Wind blown up the Rolling-Sands and filled up all Impressions Vestigia nulla Retrorsum and as your People will universally enjoy the fruit of this happy Union so our united prayers to God shall be that your Majesty may be crowned with the promised blessing Beati pacifici AND when about three years and a half after this the King had heard of some differences in Parliament which his Majesty thought fit to come and put a stop to by an immediate Prorogation how kindly and affectionately did he speak to both his Houses and say My Lords and Gentlemen I need not tell you how unwillingly I call you hither at this time being 110. How unwilling the King was to Prorogue his Parliament though it was to put a stop to some differences then risen enough sensible what advantages my Enemies King's Speech Nov. 4. 1673. p. 3. 4. both abroad and at home will reap by the least appearance of a difference nay being assured they expect more success from such a breach could they procure it than from their Arms. This I say shall whilst I live be my chief endeavour to 111. But it was but a short one that good men should recollect themselves prevent and for that reason I think it necessary to make a short Recess that all good men may recollect themselves against the next meeting AND the January following he tells them most affectionately 112. And therefore Enemies could not hope for a breach between the King and his Parliament from that short Recess When I parted with you last it was but for a little time and with a resolution of meeting suddenly again That alone was enough to satisfie my Friends that they need not fear and my Enemies that they could not hope for King's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 3 4. a Breach between us I then told you that the time of this short Recess should be employed in doing such things as might add to your satisfaction I hope I have 113. For in the mean time the King would do that which should be to their satisfaction done my part towards it and I do now expect you should do your parts too for our Enemies chief hopes are to dis-unite us at home 't is their common discourse and they reckon upon it as their best relief 114. All our Enemies aims are to disunite us My Lords and Gentlemen It is not possible for me to doubt your Affections at any time much less at such a time as this when the evidences of your 115. The King can never doubt the affections of his Parliament Affections are become so necessary to us all THE King hath spoken so fully so excellently well and so like himself that it is almost impossible to shew greater demonstrations of an earnest and tender affection and Lord Chanc. Sp. 5 Febr. 72 3. pag. 5. there is not a word in his Speech that hath not its full weight AND saith he in another The principal end of my calling you now 116. The Kings utmost endeavours to settle a right understanding is to give my self the satisfaction of having used the utmost of my endeavours to procure and settle a right and lasting understanding between us for I must tell you I find the contrary so much laboured and that the pernicious King's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. p. 3 4 designs of ill men have taken so much place under 117. For the contrary is much laboured
Remedies are extremely to be wish'd other new Remedies it is extremely to be wish'd that those Remedies may be few and withall that they may be gentle and easie too Id. ibid. FOR they that are sick perish as often by too many Remedies 204. The Sick perish as oft by too many as by none at all as by none at all but none fall so fatally and finally as they who being entred into some degrees of convalescence resolve to recover in an instant and had rather make some great effort or try some bold experiment upon themselves than observe the methods or attend those gradual progressions which are necessary to perfect that health and compleat that recovery Id. ibid. DOUBTLESS the King will surpass himself at this time in 205. Doubtless the King will surpass himself in endeavouring the Kingdoms good may you excell your selves in enlarged Affections endeavouring to procure the good of the Kingdom do but you excell your selves too in the enlarged evidences of your Affections and then the glory of reviving this State will be entirely due â—â— your happy meeting as being attended with an unparallel'd Vnaâ—iâ—ity Constancy and Resolution beyond the president of former Parliaments Id. p. 20. THEN they who wait for the languishing and the declination 206. It will strike terrour and amazement in all ill persons of the present Government will be amazed to see so happy a Crisis so blest a Revolution Ibid. AND Ages to come will find cause to celebrate your memories 207. And future Ages will celebrate your memories as the truest Physicians the wisest Counsellors the noblest Patriots and the best Parliament that ever King or Kingdom met with Ibid. So that it may perfect what the last begun for the safety of 208 May it perfect what the last begun for the safety of the King and Kingdom this King and Kingdom that it may be ever famous for having established upon a durable foundation our Religion Laws and Properties that we may not be tossed with boisterous winds nor overtaken by a sudden dead calm but that a Lord Chanc. Sp. 27 Oct. 1673. p. 10. gentle fair gale may carry you in a steady even and resolved way into the Ports of Wisdom and Security AND since a whole Session of Parliament is in the Judgment 209. The whole Session of Parliament is but as one day and Construction of our Law but as one day may you all endeavour that the morning of it the first entrance upon it may be with such fair and such auspicious circumstances Lord Keepers Sp. Wcdnes 13 Oct. 75. p. 11 12. as may give the whole Kingdom an assurance of a bright and a chearful day LET no ill humours gather into Clouds to darken or obscure 210 May no ill humours gather into Clouds to darken it it for this day is a Critical day and more depends upon that Judgment of our affairs which will be made by it than can easily be imagined IT imports you therefore to take care that no part of this time 211. May no part of this time be lost be lost let every precious minute of this day be spent in receiving such Acts of grace and goodness as are ready to flow from the King and in making such retributions for them as may become the grateful hearts of the best Subjects to the best of Kings SO shall this day become a day of disappointment and discomfort 212. So this will be a day of disappointment to our Enemies and a joyful day to this and all future generations to our Enemies but to us and all good men a glorious day a day of triumph and deliverance a memorable and a joyful day to this present and to all future generations AND the God of Peace and Unity prosper all your Lord Chanc. Sp. Thursd 23 May 78. pag. 19. consultations to the honour and happiness of the 213. And the God of Peace and Unity prosper all your consultations King and the joy and comfort of all his good Subjects AND let us all pray that He who hath once more miraculously 214. And continue his Divine protection over us delivered the King the Church and the State would be pleased still to continue his Divine protection and give us thankful and obedient hearts And when we have offered up those hearts to God let us in the next place offer them again to the King 215. And may you have the honour of making him the greatest King and he the glory of making us the happiest people and lay them down at the footstool of his Throne that so the King may see himself safe in your Councels rich in your Affections victorious by your Arms and raised to such a Lord Chanc. Sp. Thursd 6 Mar. 7â— 9. p. 18 19. height by your Loyalty and Courage that you may have the honour of making him the greatest King and he the glory of making you the happiest People Neve major neve minor cura opera suscipiatur quà m causa postulet Tull. Offic. lib. 1. FINIS Addenda THE Title-page having it seems promised you the material substance of the several Speeches in Parliament upon the aforesaid Heads inclusively till the end of the last viz. in January 1680 1. I found my self in Duty bound to add these that follow by way of Appendix to make good the Promise because the Title Sheet was all wrought off before ever I had a view of it And so I hope my Generous Readers will accept of this as a reasonable Excuse in my favour HIS Majesty being very sensible how much our Divisions at home would be likely to render our Friendship less considerable abroad saith To prevent these as much as may be I think fit to renew His Majesties Speech to his two Houses Monday Octob. 21. 1680. p. 4 5. to you all the Assurances which can be desired that nothing shall be wanting on my part to give you the fullest satisfaction your hearts can wish for the Security of the Protestant Religion which I am fully resolved to maintain against all the Conspiracies of our Enemies and to concur with you in any new Remedies which shall be proposed that may consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and legal course of Descent AND in Order to this I do recommend it to you to pursue the further Examination of the PLOT with a strict and an Impartial Enquiry I do not think my self safe nor You neither till that matter he gone through with and therefore it will be Necessary that the Lords in the Tower be brought to their speedy Trial that Iustice may be done IN his next Speech to his Parliament the King is pleased to remember the same thing and saith I did promise you the fullest satisfaction your hearts could wish for the Security of the Kings Speech Wednesday December 15. 1680. pag. 4. Protestant Religion and to concur
with you in any Remedies which might consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and legal course of Descent I do again with the same Reservations renew the same Promises to you WELL His Majesty you see having thus given us the greatest Assurances that Words are capable of expressing of his readiness to do any Reasonable thing that shall be proposed and offered to him for the maintaining and defending the Protestant Religion to us and our Posterities his next work is to tell us wherein he chiefly relies and thinks himself most safe great and happy and that is in the Hearts and Affections of his Good People and in their joint union among themselves Take his own words for your security in these that follow THAT which I value above all King's Speech to both Houses Octob. 21. 1680. pag. 6 7. the Treasure in the World and which I am sure will give me greater Strength and Reputation both at home and abroad than any Treasure can do is a perfect union amongst our selves NOTHING but this can restore the Kingdom to that strength and vigour which it seems to have lost and raise us again to that Consideration which ENGLAND hath usually had ALL Europe have their Eyes upon this Assembly and think their own happiness or misery as well as ours will depend upon it IF we should be so unhappy as to fall into such misunderstanding amongst our selves as would render our friendship unsafe to trust to it will not be to be wondered at if our Neighbours should begin to take new Resolutions and perhaps such as may be fatal to us LET us therefore take care that we do not gratify our Enemies and discourage our friends by any unseasonable disputes IF any such doe happen The world will see it was no fault of mine for I have done all that was possible for me to doe to keep you in peace while I live and to leave you so when I die BUT from so great Prudence and so good Affections as yours I can fear Nothing of this kind but doe rely upon you all that you will use your best Endeavours to bring this Parliament to a good and happie Conclusion NOW that Gracious and pious disposition which God hath put into Your Royal Heart of doing your Subjects good saith the Speaker of the House of Commons to the King in the Banquetting House November 9. 1660 pag. 5 6. is the greatest Temporal Blessing we are capable of here in this world We must confess your Majesty hath not only Jacob's voice but you have likewise Jacob's hands You have spoken kindly unto your People and you have handled them gently and therefore we must for ever make it our humble Requests in our daily prayers unto his Throne of Grace to bestow upon your Majesty Jacob's blessing de Rore Coeli variaque pinguedine terrae that you may have for your Portion of the Dew of Heaven and of the Fatness of the Earth Serviant tibi populi incurvant se tibi Nationes honorem exhibentes Let your People serve you and the Nations of the Earth bow down before you Those that curse you let them be cursed and they that bless you let them for ever yea and they shall be blessed FINIS ERRATA TItle page l. 24. for Inner r. middle p. 3. l. 24. blot out the parenthesis p. 7. l. 42. for so r. to p. 10. l. 47. r. bodily l. 50. for fol. r. Num. p. 11. l. 24. for their r. the. p. 12. l. 10. for by r. by p. 20. l. 9. blot out what p. 27. l. 30. for II hope r. I hope I. p. 31. l. 35. for said r. said more p. 32. l. 22. for am r. aim in the second Cutting in add after March 6. 1678 9. p. 34. l. 41. for about r. about it p. 50. l. 12. for grown r. Crown p. 76. l. 25. for vere r. very p. 105. l. 22. blot out the last to There are perhaps several other literal mistakes in the printing which it is hoped the Reader will favourably correct