Laws in full force and power and hath not 32. Our Safety most consists in being govern'd by Law Justice been equally and impartially administred to all ever since the happy Restoration of the King LET There be then no Complaining in our Streets no Murmurings 33. And if our Civil Rights can be yet made more firm to us the King's Heart is full of gracious Intentions for our general Satisfaction in our Borders if we have not Laws enough to secure and please us if we think our Liberties and Civil Rights can be yet more firmly established to us then let us lay down our just Necessities before him Who saith God knows Our Heart is full of Gracious Intentions The King's Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Dec. 26. 1662. pag. 13. not only for the Plenty and Prosperity but for the Vniversal Satisfaction of the Nation And no doubt but he will concur with us in all things which may advance our Peace and preserve our Just Rights to us THIS We may stedfastly believe when he assures his Parliament 34. For nothing can be reasonably proposed but he will readily receive That If there be any thing you think wanting to secure Property there is nothing The King's speech Jan. 7. 1671 4. pag. 4. which you shall reasonably propose but I shall be ready to receive it THEREFORE Be but pleased your selves 35. Therefore being pleased our selves he is best pleased and perswade others to be so contrive all the ways â—â—e Lord Chanâ—â—llor's Speech â—eptemb 13. â—â—60 pag. 23. imaginable for your own Happiness and you will make him the best pleased and the most happy Prince in the World NOW nothing recommends the present Age 36. Nothing so much recommends the present Age as the good Laws made in it unto Posterity so much as the Wisdom and the The Lord Keepers Speech Apr. 13. 1675. p. 15. Temper of the Laws that are made in it for all succeeding Ages judge of our Laws as we do of our Ancestors by the true and unerring Rule of Experience IN Making of Laws therefore it will import us to consider that too many Laws are a Snare for Id. ibid. 37. But too many Laws are a Snare Mr. Grivel in 35 Eliz. said in Parliament as Sir Robert Filmer reports it in his Freeholders Grand Inquest he wished not the making of many Laws since the more we make the less Liberty we have our selves Her Majesty not being bound by them 38. Too few a Weakness in the Government pag. 49 50. too few are a weakness in the Government too gentle are seldom obeyed too severe are as seldom executed And Sanguinary Laws are for the most part either the Cause 39. And Sanguinary Laws either the Cause or Effect of a Distemper in the State or the Effect of a Distemper in the State TO establish this State there seems not to need Id. ibid. many new Laws some will always be wanting And therefore saith the King to his Parliament in his Speech before this of my Lord Chancellor's The principal End of my Calling you now is to know what The King's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 3. 40. Some Laws will always be wanting you think may be yet wanting to the Security of Religion and Property THIS Speech of the King 's as my Lord Chancellor says very 41. Therefore the King calls his Parliament to know what is wanting truly Was in order to unite the Hearts of his The Lord Chancellor's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 8. Parliament and People to himself by all the Emanations of Grace and Goodness that from a great and generous Prince can be expected And here 42. And this in order to unite the Hearts of both Parliament and People to him The King is pleased to add the Consideration of your Id. ibid. Liberties and Properties And while he does so you may be sure that he who is so careful of your Rights will be mindful of his own too for he that does Justice to all can never be wanting to himself AND Saith the King about two Months after I think I 43. And he that is so careful of our Rights sure ought to mind his own have given sufficient Evidence to the World that I have not been wanting on my part The King's Speech to both Houses Jun. 9. 1675. pag. 3. in my Endeavours to procure the full Satisfaction of all my Subjects in the matters 44. The King not wanting in his endeavours to have all his people satisfied in matters both of Religion and Property both of Religion and Property I have not only invited you to those Considerations at our first Meeting but I have been careful through this whole Session that no Concern of my own should divert you from them RELIGION and Liberty stand secured by The Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. p. 19. the most Sacred Ties that are Nay the King 45 45 He invited his Parliament to those Considerations not only at first but all along 46 46 Religion and Liberty secured by the most sacred Ties that are 47 47 The King's Interest to prefer both greater than ours hath a greater Interest in the preservation of both than you your selves for as Religion the Protestant Religion commands your indispensable Obedience so it is a just and lawful Liberty which sweetens that Command and endears it to you DOTH not every man see that the King hath 48. The King hath given new life and motion to Laws given new Life and Motion to such Laws as were The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 19. long dead or fast asleep HATH he not commanded a rigorous and severe Prosecution at Law of all the Officers and Soldiers in His 49. All Officers and Soldiers severely to be prosecuted when they misbehave themselves Majesty's ordinary Guards when they mis-behave themselves towards the meanest Subject And doth not this secure your Properties ARE not all the Priviledges from Arrests which were claimed by His Majesty's Servants extraordinary Id. ibid. who are very numerous abrogated And doth not this 50. All Priviledges of Arrests claimed by any of the King's Servants abrogated prevent the Delays and Obstructions of Justice THESE are not single and transient Acts but such Acts as flow from Habits These are not Leaves Id. ibid. and Blossoms but true solid and lasting Fruits Long long may that Royal Tree Live and Flourish upon which these Fruits 51. These not single and transient Acts but such as flow from Habits do grow BUT the King doth not think this yet sufficient but he will go further on and give us new Assurances that nothing can be more welcome to him than the receiving of such Bills from his Parliament as may truly tend to the Happiness and Ease of his 52. The King ready to gratifie his People in further securing
not to send any person to be educated abroad in any Popish Colledge Or Seminary and we command all Parents or Guardians of any Person or Persons now remaining in any such Colledge or Seminary that they cause the said Person or Persons speedily to return home as they will answer the contrary at their peril Moreover we require all 40. None to be brought up in Popish Colledges abroad and where any are there speedily to return home Persons born within any of our Dominions and out of Prison who have taken Orders by any Authority derived from the Church or See of Rome except Mr. John Huddlestone to depart the Kingdom before the twenty fifth day of March next according to the tenor of our late Proclamation and also to depart the Court within the fourteen days appointed by our late Order in Councel And we forbid all Papists or reputed 41. And all born here in any of these Dominions that have taken Orders by any Authority from Rome to depart the Kingdom Papists to come into our Palace at Whitehal or St. James's or into any other place where our Court shall be contrary to our late Prohibition upon pain of Imprisonment in the Tower if he be a Peer of the Realm or in some other Prison if he be of lesser Quality SO that you see if the Conviction of all Recusants bringing them under the penal Laws can suppress Popery If without 42. And no Papist nor reputed Papists to come to Court upon pain of Imprisonment staying for the Forms of the Law in Lord Keepers Speech to both Houses Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 8 9. points of Conviction the present forbidding all Papists or reputed Papists to come to Court the extending this Prohibition to his Royal Palace be enough to discountenance them THEN surely His Majesty hath reason to believe that scarce any thing is wanting which can lawfully be done or modestly 43. So that surely now scarce any thing is wanting either for satisfaction or security be wisht either for your satisfaction or your security INDEED I cannot but think and confess that we have good cause to be sollicitous after such security for they are persons whose Doctrines teach them to study how to sap and undermine our very Foundations as I could at large prove were it not improper to my present business and design BUT further It hath been so stale a Project to Undermine 44. A stale Project to undermine the Government by accusing it of indeavouring to bring in Popery the Government by accusing it of endeavouring to introduce Popery and Tyranny that a man would wonder to see it taken up again Chancellors Speech to both Houses 23 May 1678. pag. 12 13 14. HAVE we forgotten that Religion Liberty were never truly lost till they were made a handle and pretence for Sedition Are we so ill 45. Our Religion and Liberty ne'r lost till made a handle and pretence for Sedition Historians as not to remember when Prelacy was called Popery and Monarchy Tyranny When the property of Nobility and Gentry was held to be destructive of Liberty and that it was a dangerous thing for Men to have any sence of their Duty and Allegiance DO we know all this and suffer men without doors to hope 46. Therefore the same Artifices must not prevail now by our Divisions to arrive at the same times again Can we indure to see men break the Act of Oblivion every day by reviving the memory of forgotten Crimes in new practices IF Fears and Jealousies can ever become wise and good men it is only then when there is danger of a relapse No 47. It is wisdom in this respect to fear and to be jealous caution can be too great against the Returns of that fatal Distemper from which we have been so lately recovered especially when some symptoms of it begin again to appear in printed Libels and in several parts of the Nation IT might perhaps be worth our while to consider whether we do not bring some kind of Scandal upon the Protestant 48. But not to doubt the continuance of the Protestant Religion since we have so many Laws to guard it Religion when we seem so far to distrust the truth and power of it that after so many Laws that have been past to guard it after all the Miraculous Deliverances from the Attempts which have been made against it we should still be afraid of its continuance IT is no doubt a duty which we owe to God and to our selves to the present Age and to Posterity to improve the opportunities 49. 'T is our duty to improve all opportunities to fence our Vineyard God gives us of fencing our Vineyard and making the Hedge about as strong as we can And the King hath commanded me to tell you that he is ready to concur with us in any thing of this kind which shall be found wanting and 50. The King ready to concur in any thing which yet is wanting for our Security which the Christian prudence and Justice of a Parliament can propose as expedient HATH not the late Act made it impossible absolutely impossible for the most concealed Papist that is to get into any kind of Imployment and did ever any Law since the Reformation 51. No Papist can get into any Imployment give us so great a security as this THE October after the King comes himself to his Parliament and there saith to them I now intend to acquaint You as I 52. About the Kings acquainting the Parliament with the Plot against his person c. He will leave the matter to the Law and he 'll do all he can to prevent the practices of those who are contriving to bring in Popery shall always do with any thing that concerns me that I have been informed of a Designe against my Person by the JESUITES of which I shall forbear any Opinion lest I may seem to say too much or too little but I will leave the matter to the Law and in King's Speech on Munday 21th Oct. 1678. p. 4 5. the mean time will take as much care as I can to prevent all manner of practices by that sort of Men and of others too who have been tampering in a high degree with Forreigners and contriving how to introduce Popery amongst us NOW that the Fears of Popery may not too much disquiet you be pleased to consider that you have one Security 53. This is one Security more to us for that which was always the interest of the Kings honour and conscience is now the interest of his Person too more since that which was always the Interest of his Majesty's Honour and Conscience is now become the interest of his Person too to protect the Protestant Religion and to prevent the swarming Lord Chancellors Speech to the same p. 13 14. of Seminary Priests For his Majesty hath told you that
he hath lately received Information of Designes against his own Life by the Jesuites And though he doth in no sort prejudge the Persons accused yet the strict enquiry into 54. This is a Plot of the Jesuits this matter hath been a means to discover so many other unwarrantable practices of theirs that his Majesty hath reason to look 55. But the King will look to them to them NOR are these kinde of men the onely Factors for Rome 56. Lay-persons too are agitators to promote the Interests of a forrein Religion but there are found among the Laity also some who have made themselves Agitators to promote the Interests of a Forreign Religion who meddle with matters of State and Parliament and carry on their designes by a most dangerous Correspondency with Forreign Nations WHAT kinde of Process the Proof will bear and to how high a degree the Extent and Nature of these Crimes will rise is under consideration and will be fully left to the course of Law ALAS it is the professed and avowed principle of these 57. 'T is the principles of such men to kill Kings rather sooner than other men sort of men not to distinguish between the King and another man nay to kill him sooner than any other man and yet the King's Mercy hath been no less obstinate than their Malice and Wickedness few persons have suffered and he hath restrained the Law from being severe to many who at the same time continue their This was spoken by the Lord Chancellor May 8. 1661. of those Traitors that went arm'd through the City but it may justly be applied to these of this damnable Popish Plot. Guilt and undervalue his Compassion There hath not been a Week 58. Scarce since the Plot was first found out a week has been free without some fresh Conspiracies since the first breaking out of this Jesuitical Plot in which there have not been fresh Combinations and Conspiracies formed against his Person and against the Peace of the Kingdom And yet upon all these Alarms and the interception of such Letters as would in all other Countries have 59. Which in other Countries would have produc'd the Rack here the Offenders are tryed by the precise Forms and Rules of Law produced the Rack for further Discoveries he hath left the Offenders to his Judges of the Law and those Judges to the precise Forms and ordinary Rules of the Law HOW hath his Majesty invited all persons even those that are criminal to the highest degree of guilt upon his gracious promises of Pardon nay and of reward too if they would but in the prescribed times lay hold of the Scepter of his Grace to come in and make their ingenuous confessions to him and his Council of this Damnable and Hellish Designe against both his Royal Person and these his Kingdoms yet how obstinately have they withstood all the tenders of his Proclamations that have been so unspeakably to their own benefit and have chosen Death rather than Life as if they were resolutely bent to out-go all his infinite Kindnesses by the most cruel revenge upon themselves So that very well what was said of Caesar might here be spoken of his Majesty that libentius vitam Victor jam daret quà m victi acciperent WELL but to proceed The Parliament having shewed 60. When the Parliament had shewed their great care for the Kings preservation he could not satisfie himself but must heartily thank them their great and extraordinary care for the safety and preservation of his Majesties Person in these times of danger the King as he saith there could not satisfie himself without coming thither on purpose King's Speech to both Houses Saturday Nov. 9. p. 3 4. to give them all his most hearty thanks for it NOR do I think it enough to give you my Thanks onely but I hold my self obliged to let you see withal that I do as much study your preservation too as I can possibly and 61. But not onely so he studies as much our preservation as they did his and will joyn with them in all the ways that may establish the Protestant Religion that I am as ready to joyn with you in all the ways and means that may establish a firm security of the Protestant Religion as your own hearts can wish AND this not onely during my time of which I am sure you have no fear but in all future ages even to the end of the world AND therefore I am come to assure you that whatsoever reasonable Bills you shall present to pass into Laws to make you safe in the Reign of any Successor so as they tend not to impeach the right of Succession nor the descent of the Crown in the true Line and so as they restrain not my Power 62. And that not only now but for future ages nor the just Rights of any Protestant Successor shall finde from me a ready Concurrence AND I desire you withal to think of some more effectual 63. And therefore he tells them all reasonable Bills shall find from him a ready concurrence means for the Conviction of Popish Recusants and to expedite your Councils as fast as you can that the World may see our Vnanimity and that I may have the opportunity of shewing you how ready I am to do any thing that may give comfort and satisfaction to such dutiful and Loyal Subjects 64. And he desires them to think of some more effectual way to convict Popish Recusants c. HE meets his new Parliament in March and then he tells them what he hath been doing since the Dissolution of the other to gain the hearts of all his people saith he My Lords and Gentlemen I meet you here with the most earnest desire that Man can have to unite the minds of all my Subjects both to me and to one another and I resolve it shall be your faults if the success be not suitable 65. He hath excluded the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament he hath executed several men and hath not been idle in prosecuting the discovery of the Plot. The Kings Sp. on Thursday 6 March 1678 9. p. 3 4. to my desires I have done many great things already in order to that end as the Exclusion of the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament the execution of several men both upon the score of the Plot and of the Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and it is apparent that I have not been idle in prosecuting the discovery of both as much further as hath been possible in so short a time AND above all I have commanded my Brother to absent himself from me because I would not leave the most malitious 66. He also commanded the absence of the D. of York men room to say I had not removed all causes which could be pretended to influence me towards Popish Councels I shall not cease my endeavours daily 67.
distracted with Jealousies incurable gratifie the Papists in the revenge they wish for this Discovery if they could see us distracted with Jealousies incurable and distrusting the Government to such a degree as should weaken all that Reverence by which it stands for then the Plot would not be altogether without effect but those whom they could not destroy by their Conspiracie they should have the satisfaction to see ruining themselves after the Discoverie So 85. This would make them see us ruining our selves that though we had escap'd that Desolation which they intended to have brought upon us nothing could save us from that Destruction which we should bring upon our selves Id. p. 13. BUT their expectations of this are as vain as their other 86. But these their expectations are vain designes were wicked for his Majestie hath already begun to let them see with what severity he intends to proceed against 87. For his Majesty hath let them see with what severity he will proceed against them them he hath passed a Law to disable all the Nobilitie and Gentrie of that Faction ever to sit in Parliament and not content with that he did offer to the last Parliament and doth again renew the same Offer to this Parliament to pass any further Laws against Poperie which shall be desired so 88. And that he will pass any further Laws against Popery so as they do not intrench on Prerogative alter the Descent of the Crown in the right Line nor defeat the Succession as the same extend not to the diminution of his own Prerogative nor to alter the descent of the Crown in the right Line nor to defeat the Succession He hath refused the Petition of the Lords who during the interval of Parliament desired to be brought to their Tryal and after so long an imprisonment might reasonably enough have expected it But his Majestie thought it fitter to reserve them to a more publick and conspicuous Tryal in Parliament Ibid. BUT that which the King hath been pleased to mention to you this morning surpasses all the rest and is sufficient of it self alone to discharge all those Fears of Popish Influences 89. He hath parted with his Brother the D. of Y. which many good men had too far entertained For now You see his Majestie of his own accord hath done that which would have been very difficult for You to ask and hath deprived himself of the Conversation of his Royal Brother by commanding him to depart the Kingdom to which Command his Royal Highness hath paid a most humble and a most entire 90. And he that could do this sure now hath no Favourite but his People submission and obedience This Separation was attended with a more than ordinary Sorrow on both sides But he that for your sakes could part with such a Brother and such a Friend you may be sure hath now no Favourite but his People Since therefore his Majestie hath shewn so much readiness to concur with and in a manner to prevent the desires of his Parliament 't is a miserable Refuge our Enemies trust to when they hope to see our Zeal out-run our Discretion and that we our selves should become the unhappy Occasion of making our own Councels abortive AND now that I may come to the highest step of all and 91. Now 't is not enough that our Religion be safe during onely his Reign but he will so well secure it to us that no after-Succession shall be able in the least to alter it shew you what his Majesty once more had commanded his Chancellor to declare unto his Parliament saith he His Majesty hath considered with himself that 't is not enough that your Religion and Liberty is secure during his own Reign but he thinks he owes it to his People to do all that in him lies that these blessings may be transmitted to your Posterity and so well secured to them that no Succession in after-Ages may be able to work the least Alteration And therefore his Majesty who hath often said in L. Chanc. Speech to both Houses 30 Apr. 79. p. 5 6 7. 92. And therefore that no Papist may make any change either in Church or State 1. a Popish from a Protestant Successor is to be distinguished and then to circumscribe his Authority thus Parliament That he is ready to consent to any Laws of this kind so as the same extend not to alter the descent of the Crown in the right Line nor to defeat the Succession hath now commanded this to be further explained AND to the end it may never be in the power of any Papist if the Crown descend upon him to make any Change either in Church or State his Majesty is willing that provision may be made first to distinguish a Popish from a Protestant Successor then so to limit and to circumscribe the Authority of a Popish Successor in these cases following that he may be 93. No Popish Successor to present to Ecclesiastical Benefices disabled to do any harm First IN reference to the Church his Majesty is content that care be taken that all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Benefices 94. As already no Papist can sit in Parliament so there shall never want a Parl. when the K. shall happen to die but that then in being shall continue indissoluble for a competent time or if there be no Parl. then the last Parl. to reassemble c. and Promotions in the Gift of the Crown may be conferred in such a manner that we may be sure the Incumbents shall always be of the most pious and learned Protestants and that no Popish Successor while he continues so may have any power to controul such Presentments IN reference to the State and civil part of the Government as it is already provided that no Papist can sit in either House of Parliament so the King is pleased that it be provided too that there may never want a Parliament when the King shall happen to die but that the Parliament then in being may continue Indissoluble for a competent time or if there be no Parliament in being then the last Parliament which was in being before that time may re-assemble and sit a competent time 95. During such a Popish Successor's Reign no Privy Counsellors nor Judges shall be put in or displaced without any new Summons or Elections AND as no Papist can by Law hold any place of Trust so the King is content that it may be further provided that no Lords or others of the Privy Council no Judges of the Common Law or in Chancery shall at any time during the Reign of any Popish Successor be put in or displaced but by Authority of Parliament And that care also be taken that none but sincere Protestants may be Justices of Peace IN reference to the Military part the King is willing that 96. No Lord-Lieutenant or Deputy-Lieutenant nor Officer in the Navy to
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
provocations and offences and the occasions of the like for the future if there be such divisions Lord Chanc. Speech to the same p. 8 9. as beget great thoughts of heart shall we call this Peace because it is not War or because men do 150. Or otherwise such divisions look rather like War than Peace not yet take the Field as well we may call it health when there is a dangerous fermentation in the Bloud and Spirits because the Patient hath not yet taken his Bed MUCH of this strange diffidence and distrust which like a 151. All this diffidence rises from the artifices of ill men general Infection begins to spread it self into almost all the corners of the Land rises from the Artifice of ill men who create and nourish all the suspicions which they can devise but the Cure of it lies perfectly in your hands for all Id. p. 11. this will presently vanish as soon as men shall see your Acquiescence and the fruits of it in a chearful concurrence with his Majesty to all those good and publick ends which he hath now so earnestly recommended to you IT would be somewhat strange and without all example in 152. It would be strange for a Nation to be twice undone by one and the same way and means story that a Nation should be twice ruined twice undone by the self-same way and means the same Fears and Jealousies Id. ibid. Machiavel who they say is an Author much studied of late 153. Machiavel an Author much studied of late in this Kingdom to extoll his own excellent Judgment and insight in History in which indeed he was a Master would perswade men to believe that the true reason why so many unexpected Accidents and Mischiefs fall out to the destruction of States and Empires is because their Governours 154. By non-observance of former mischiefs to other States we our selves come to fall into the like have not observed the same Mischiefs heretofore in Lord Chanc. Sp. 19 May 1662 p. 17 18 19. story and from whence they proceeded and what progress they made which he said if they had done they might easily have preserved themselves from ruine and prevented the Inconveniences which have fallen out I am sure you are all good Historians and need only to resort to the Records of your own memories Remember how 155. If we will but remember the late ill times and suffer our selxes again to be undone by secret courses of such vile men we shall be held very ill Historians and worse Politicians your peace hath been formerly disturbed by what contrivance and artifices the people have been alarm'd with unreasonable and unnatural Fears and Jealousies and what dismal effects those Fears and Jealousies have produced Remember how near Monarchy hath been dissolved and the Law subverted under pretence of reforming and supporting Government Law and Justice And remember how many honest persons were misled by not discerning Consequences who would as soon have renounced their part in Heaven as have concurred in the first unwarrantable Action if they had suspected what did follow and if we suffer the same Enemy to break in upon us at the same Avenues if we suffer our peace to be blown up by the same Trains and Machinations we shall be held very ill Historians and worse Politicians HOW happy may a Kingdom be in the frequent Assemblies of 156. How happy may the Kingdom be in the frequent assembly of its great Councel if nothing disturbs it their Great Councels where all that is grievous may be redress'd and all that is wanting may be enacted if those Councels Lord Chanc. Sp. 15 Feb. 1976 7. p. 13. are not rendred useless and impracticable by continuing endless distractions IF the presaging malice of our Enemies should pretend to foretell any such Fate as this to befall us the wisdom and the magnanimity of this Great Councel will quickly be too hard for all their Auguries The Honour and the Loyalty of this August and Venerable Assembly will leave no kind of room for any such divinations Id. ibid. My Lords and Gentlemen THE King hath so long had and still retains such honourable 157. The Kings honourable thoughts of his Parliaments thoughts of these Assemblies that we ought to make it one great part of our business to deserve the continuance of his Majesties grace and good opinion Id. p. 16. LET no Contention then come near this place but that of a 158. The contention of a Parliament should be that of Emulation who should best serve his Country Noble Emulation who shall serve his Country best by well serving of the King let no passion enter here but that of a pious zeal to lay hold upon all opportunities of promoting the honour and service of the Crown till our Enemies despair of ever profiting by any disorders amongst us Id. ibid. FOR saith the King I assure you whatsoever some ill men 159. The King never had any intentions but of good to them would have believed I never had any intentions but of good to you and to my people nor ever shall but will do all that I can for your safety and ease as far as you your selves will suffer me And since these are my resolutions I desire you will not drive me into extremities which must end King's Speech Thursd 23 May 1678. pag. 6. ill both for you and me and which is worst of all for the Nation which we ought all to have equal 160. All ought to have an equal care of the Nation care of therefore I desire we may prevent any disorders or mischief that may befall them by our disagreement and in case they do I shall leave it to God Almighty to judge between us who is the occasion of it LET me add this likewise which the King would always have to be remembred and that is saith he To let you know that I 161. The King will never suffer the method of passing Laws to be changed will never more suffer the course and method of passing Laws to be changed and that if several matters shall ever again be tacked together in one Bill that Bill shall certainly be lost let the importance of it be never so great Id. p. 7. THE King will not suffer himself to believe it possible that 162. The tacking of several matters to one Bill will lose that Bill you should ever forsake him when any difficulties or distresses are near him and therefore he doth Lord Chanc Speech to the same p. 15 16 17 18 19 with great assurance expect your care to preserve him in the affections of his People BUT the King hath so far express'd himself this day that 't is evident the manner of your proceedings is to him as considerable as the matter and that he will not accept a good Bill how valuable soever it may be unless it come to
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
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
swerve from it and nothing can be proposed to manifest our Zeal and Affection for it to which we will not readily consent And we hope in due time our self so propose some what to you for the propagation of it that will satisfie the World that we have always made it both our care and our study and have enough observed what is most like to bring disadvantage to it HIS Majesty saw that it was the first 17. Religion as it was first in our thoughts so it was the Kings first and principal ca thing in all our thoughts and we cannot but Lord Keep Speech April 13. 1675. pag. 9. see that it hath been and still is the first and principal part of his care AND this Royal declaration of himself joyned to what 18. Therefore we need not doubt he hath since done carries in it self so evident an assurance and is stampt by so sacred an Authority that there remains no place for doubting nothing can scarce be added to the efficacy of it Id. ib. THEN after a repetition of the same words just above cited to the Speaker of the House of Commons in his Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs He proceeds thus And the truth pag. 4. 5. 19. The King most fit to propose being the most competent Judg from his experience with the most learned of the reformed Churches abroad is we do think our self the more competent to propose and with Gods assistance to determine many things now in difference from the time we have spent and the experience we have had in most of the reformed Churches abroad in France in the Low Countries and in Germany where we have had frequent Conferences with the most learned men who have unanimously lamented the great reproach the Protestant Religion undergoes from the distempers and too notorious Schisins in matters of Religion 20. Our Religion suffers from the distempers and schisms that are in the Church in England And as the most learned amongst them have always with great submission and reverence acknowledged and magnified the established Government of the Church of England and the great Countenance and shelter the Protestant Religion received from it before these unhappy times so many of them have with great ingenuity and sorrow confessed that they were too easily misled by mis-information and prejudice into some dis-esteem of it as if it had too much complyed with the Church 21. Church of England the best fence against Popery in the World of Rome whereas they now acknowledge it to be the best fence God hath yet raised against Popery in the world and we are perswaded they do with great Zeal wish it restored to its old dignity and Veneration AND a little after in pag. 8 9. he further says We need 22. The Kings great esteem for the Church of England not profess the high Affection and Esteem we have for the Church of England as it is Established by Law the Reverence to which hath supported us with God's blessing against many temptations AS to the Opinion of the Presbyterians concerning Episcopacy hear how the King declares himself in this point When we were in Holland saith he we were attended by many grave and learned Ministers from hence who were looked upon as most able and principal assertors of the Presbyterian 23. Presbyterians affectionate to the King Zealous for the Peace of Church and State and no Enemies to Episcopacy Opinions with whom we had as much conference as the multitude of affairs which were then upon us would permit us to have and to our great satisfaction and comfort found them persons full of Affection to us of Zeal for the Peace of the Church and State and neither Enemies as they Pag. 5. Declar. conc Eccles affairs Octob. 25. 1660. at Whitehall have been given out to be to Episcopacy or Liturgy but modestly to desire such alalterations in either as without shaking Foundations might allay the present distempers which the indisposition of the time and the tenderness of some mens consciences had contracted AND We further find upon the full conference we 24. The Mischiefs the Church labours under as well as the State result from the passions and Interests of private persons have had with the learned men of several perswasions that the mischiefs under which both the Church and State do at present suffer do not result from any formed Doctrine or Conclusion Pag. 7. Of the same woich either party maintains or avows but from the passion and appetite and Interest of particular persons who contract greater prejudice to each other from those affections then would naturally arise from their Opinions FOR we must for the honour of all those of either persuasion 25. The professions and desires of both perswasions for the advance of Religion are the same with whom we have conferred declare that the professions and desires of all for the advancement of piety and true godliness are the same their professions of Zeal for the Peace of the Church the same of affection and duty to us the same they all approve Episcopacy they all approve a set form of Liturgy and they all disprove and dislike the sin of Sacriledge and the alienation of the Revenue of the Church and if upon these excellent foundations in submission to which there is such a harmony of affections any superstructures should be raised to the shaking Pag. 8. Of the same those foundations and to the contracting and lessening the blessed gift of Charity which is a vital part of Christian Religion we shall think our self very unfortunate and even suspect that we are defective in that administration of Government with which God hath intrusted us NOW we do not think that Reverence which we have 26. No Reverence for the Church of England lessened by dispensing with some Ceremonies in it for a while for the Church of England in the least degree diminished by our condescensions not peremptorily to insist on some particulars of Ceremony which however introduced by the piety and devotion and order of former times may not be so agreeable to the then present but may even lessen that piety and devotion for the improvement whereof they might happily be first introduced and consequently may well be dispensed with and we hope this Charitable compliance of ours will dispose the minds of all men to a cheerful submission to that Authority the preservation whereof is so necessary for the Vnity and 27. The support of Episcopacy the best support of Religion Peace of the Church and that they will Pag. 9. acknowledge the support of the Episcopal Authority to be the best support of Religion by being the means to contain the minds of men within the Rules of Government IF we had the command of as many tongues as his Majesty 28. His Majesty cannot be sufficiently thanked for his dispensing with some Ceremonies hath of hearts we could
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
me in it I have transmitted the Book of Common Prayer with those Alterations and Additions which have been presented to me by the Convocation to the House of Peers with my approbation that the Act of Vniformity may relate to it so that I presume it will be shortly dispatched there and 89. It requires great prudence and discretion no passion and precipitation when we have done all we can the well-setling that Affair will require great prudence and discretion and the absence of all passion and precipitation You see how his Majesty promised that he would give up all his endeavours to compose the unhappy differences in matters of Religion and to restore the Languishing Church to Peace Vnity and Order Constantine himself hardly spent so much of 90. How mightily his Majesty has laid out himself to restore the Church to peace unity and order his own time in private and publick conferences to that purpose His Majesty Lord Chancellors Speech to both Houses of Parliament on Saturday Decemb. 29 1660. The Day of their Dissolution pag. 8. in private Conferred with the Learned Men and heard all that could be said upon several Opinions and Interests apart and then in the Presence 91. Constantine himself scarce spent so much time about it of both Parties himself moderating in the Debates and less care and diligence and authority would not have done the work And if after all this his Majesty doth not reap 93. If after all some will keep up old Breaches they must be reduced by Law to the obedience of the Law the full Harvest he expected from those Condescentions if some men by their Writing and by their Preachings endeavour to continue the old Breaches c. I shall say no more than that I hope their want of modesty and obedience will cause them to be disclaimed by all pious and peaceable men who cannot but be well contented to see them reduced by Law to the obedience they owe to Law ON Tuesday April 5. 1664. as if his Parliament were somewhat doubtful of it The King when he came then to give his Royal Assent to two Bills breaks out into these words to them I do assure you upon my word and I pray believe 9â— The King has no other thoughts or designs in his heart but to support the Religion Established and make us happy by it me That I have no other thoughts or designs in my heart but to make you all happy in the support of the Religion and Laws Established pag. 4. The Late King lost his Life in the defence of the Reformed Religion and his present Majesty whom God Almighty long continue among us hath manifested his affection to the Church of England as by Law Established in despight of all calumnies and through extream difficulties with the highest acts of Solemnity imaginable WHEN his Majesty met his both Houses of Parliament in 67. how instant was he to have them take it into their considerate thoughts how to settle Religion more to the quieting of his Peoples minds and His Majesties Speech to both Houses Monday 10 Feb. 1667. pag. 4. for the Establishment of Unity and Concord among them Saith he one thing more I hold my self obliged to recommend unto you at this 94. And therefore reminds his Parliament that they would think of some course to beget a better union among his Protestant Subjects as being the best way to support the Government present which is that you would seriously think of some course to beget a better union and composure in the minds of my Protestant Subjects in matters of Religion whereby they may be induced not only to submit quietly to the Government but also chearfully give their assistance to the support of it WHEN the King sent his Grace the then Earl of Lauderdail his Maiesties High Commissioner for the Parliament of Scotland You shall hear what he said to them concerning his Majesties 95. The Kings constant and unalterable zeal to maintain and defend the True Reformed Protestant Religion in Scotland Resolution to maintain the True Protestant Religion there It was by command from his Royal Master to say in his Name at the opening Earl of Lauderdail 's Speech to the Parliament of Scotland Oct. 19. 1669. pag. 3. 4. of that his Parlirment And first saith he I am to assure you of his Majesties constant and unalterable zeal for maintaining and defending the True Reformed Protestant Religion in this 96. That â—e will maintain and defend the autient Government of it being most suitable to Monarchy his Kingdom for which he will constantly lay out his whole power and authority as also for discouraging and punishing all Atheism and Prophanities and all that is contrary to true Religion and Godliness I am further particularly commanded to assure you that with no less zeal and constancy he will maintain and defend the Antient Government by Arch-Bishops 97. Episcopal Government the most Primitive and Apostolick and Bishops as now it is happily setled as a sure Fence for the True Refromed Protestant Religion a Government most suitable to Monarchy and well may I call it Antient for whoever 98. The King will refend the persons of the Archbishops Bishops all the Orthodox Clergy in their Functions will look into Antiquity shall find Episcopal Government hath continued in the whole Catholick Church both East and West even from the most Primitive and Apostolick Times and a little after in the said 4 pag. after he had just touched upon the sad Calamities and Confusions of the Late Times he says farther in his Majesties Name and by his special Command I do assure you he will employ his utmost power in the maintenance 99. Will not endure those numerous Conventicles that tend to Sedition and Schism of that Government and will protect the persons of my Lords the Archbishops and Bishops and of the Loyal Orthodox and Peaceable Clergy in the exercise of their Functions he will not endure those numerous and unlawful Conventicles 100. The King of late hath set up some that were peaceable men in vacant Churches though they came not up to the Rules Established They should therefore carry themselves worthy of that high favour which tend to Sedition and Schism which have been too frequent in some few Shires of this Kingdom Good Laws have been made and in prosecution of those Laws the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council have shewn their care for suppressing those Seditious Assemblies yea and of late his Majesty has graciously indulged the planting of some who were esteened peaceable men in vacant Churches though they came not up to the Rules Established it will be expected that they walk worthy of so great a favour but if after this removal of the very pretence of unlawful Conventicles any Factious People shall in contempt of his Majesties Laws yea 101. But if any factious people in contempt of his
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
about eight months after you shall see the King keeps close to the same Text as being that which he can never find in his heart to forget and therefore he may very well begin thus I Ihope need not use many words to perswade you that I am steady in maintaining all the professions and promises I have 126. The King steady to all his professions and promises made you concerning Religion King's Speech to both Houses Monday Octob. 27. 73. pag. 4. and I shall be very ready to give you fresh instances of my zeal for 127. Is ready to give fresh inuances of it preserving the Established Religion and Laws as often as any occasion shall require BY this you cannot but take notice that as to Religion 128. His Majesties heart with those of his people His Majesties heart is with the hearts of his people perfectly with their hearts Lord Chancellors Speech to the same pag. 9. 129. If therefore any thing be wanting to secure Religion all reasonable proposals shall be kindly received AND therefore about three months after that says the King again to his Parliament If there be any thing else which you think King's Speech January 7. 73. pag. 4. wanting to secure Religion there is nothing which you shall reasonably propose but I shall be ready to receive it One would wonder with ones self what can be expected more from a Prince to be said than such a hearty and generous Declaration as this It is delivered with so obliging and so satisfactory an Accent that he whose affections are not raised by that discourse he who cannot acquiesce in the fulness of this Lord Keepers Speech to the same pag. 7 130. He who cannot acquiesce in this assurance will never be prevailed upon by any other expedient assurance he whose heart is not Established by it in such a belief as may entirely dispose him to the service of the Crown will hardly be recovered to a better disposition by any other expedient IS not this an ample demonstration of his willingness to repair the Hedge about our Vineyard and to make it a Fence indeed against all those who are Enemies to the planing of it Who would be glad to see it trodden Id pag. 8. down or rooted up and study how to sapp and undermine our very Foundations THE King calls his Parliament to examine and concur with 131. The King calls his Parliament to examine and to concur with him in the best ways to preserve the Protestant Religion him in the best expedients for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion The Lord Keeper's Speech to both Houses April 13. 1675. pag. 8. and for securing the Establishment of it by a due execution of the Laws HE gives them leave to study and contrive their own assurance and if they think they want any further security if any 132. And will be perswaded by them in all reasonable things thing hath escaped his Majesties care who meditates nothing more than The Lord Keeper's Speech to both Houses January 7. 73. pag. 10. our preservation you see they have free leave to make any reasonable proposition 133. This surely should satisfie all our wiâ—â—es and his gracious promise that he will receive it THIS one would think were a satisfaction equal to all our wishes and that there wanted no more to the improvement of this happiness but the wisdom of the Id ibid. Parliament to use these advantages with a due moderation AND still his Majesty seems to be dissatisfied with himself and that he has not yet done enough for the interest of Religion no he must be further solicitous and importunate his chief design of Assembling his Parliament is again to refresh their memories with it and as he thinks it can never be too much in his thoughts so likewise it can never be too often repeated 134. The Kings chief end in calling the Parliament to think what yet may be wanting to secure Religion by him THE principal end saith he of my calling you now is to know what you His Majesties Speech April 13. 1675. pag. 3 4. think may be yet wanting to the security of Religion and to give my self the satisfaction of having used the utmost of my endeavours 135. And will leave nothing undone to shew his Zeal for it to procure and settle a right and lasting understanding between us I will leave nothing undone that may shew the world my zeal to the Protestant Religion as it is established in the Church of England from which I will never depart AND may he not then very justly begin his next Speech to his Parliament after this manner and say I think I have given sufficient evidence to the World that I have not 136. The King not wanting in his endeavours to establish our Religion and our property been wanting on my part in my endeavours to procure the full satisfaction of Kings Speech June 9. 1675. pag. 3. all my Subjects in the matters of both Religion and property I have not only invited you to those considerations at our first meeting but I have been careful through this whole Session that no concern of my own should divert you from it WELL the next Speech of his Majesty to them is still to provide what they shall think fitting to make us all safe in our Religion And particularly saith he 137. 'T is his particular recommendation to his Parliament to secure the Protestant Religion I recommend to you whatever may Wednes Octo. 13. 1675. The Kings Speech p. 4. tend to the security of the Protestant Religion as it is now established in the Church of England TO that you cannot but plainly take notice that his Majesty hath so often recommended to his Parliament the Considerations of Religion so very often desired them to assist him in his care and protection of it Lord Keepers Speech to the same p. 6. that the defender of the Faith is become 138. The Defender of the faith is the Advocate for it the Advocate for it too and hath left all those without excuse who still remain under any kind of doubts or fear AGAIN does that noble and eloquent Lord thus say speaking to both Houses of Parliament in pag. 8. and 9. WOULD you raise the due estimation and reverence of the Church of England to its just height Would you provide for the safety and establishment of it ALL your Petitions of this kind will be grateful to the King and you may with ease effect this and much more which your great wisdomes will suggest to you WHEN the King met his Parliament after as he himself is there pleas'd to call it a long Prorogation he still keeps up the same language to them as you have heard him speak all along 139. The King stil putting Parliament in mind to make his people happy I am now resolved saith he to
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
do so should be denied some part of that mercy which we 16. For that would seem unjust have obliged our Self to afford to ten times the number of such who have not done so Besides such are the Capital 17. It is grievous to put any to death for their Opinions in matters of Religion only Laws in force against them as though justified in their vigour by the times in which they were made We profess it Would be grievous unto us to consent to the execution of them by putting any of our Subjects to death for their Opinions in matters of Religion only but at the 18. Yet let them all know if they hope for Toleration of their Profession c. or that Priests shall appear and avow themselves to the scandal of good Protestants and of the Laws we will be severe same time That we declare our little liking of those Sanguinary Ones and our Gracious Intentions already expressed to such of our Roman Catholick Subjects as shall live peaceably modestly and without scandal We would have them all know that if for doing what their Duties Loyalties obliged them to or from our acknowledgment of their well-deserving they shall have the presumption to hope for a Toleration of their Profession or a taking away either those marks of distinction or of our displeasure which in a well-governed Kingdom ought always to be set upon Dissenters from the Religion of the State or to obtain the least remission in the strictness of those Laws which either are or shall be made to hinder the spreading of their Doctrine to the prejudice of the True Protestant Religion or that upon our expressing according to Christian Charity our dislike of Bloodshed for Religion only Priests shall take the boldness to appear and avow themselves to the offence and scandal of good Protestants and of the Laws in force against them They shall quickly find we know as well to be severe when wisdom requires as indulgent when charity and sense of Merit challenge it from us WitH this we have thought fit to arm our good Subjects 19. This is to arm the good Subjects minds against the practises of our ill ones minds against the practises of our ill ones by a True Knowledg of our own of which now rightly perswaded we make no question but that whatsoever they be from whom they can derive the spreading or somenting of 20. That those who foment such suggestions are the most dangerous Enemies of the Crown and the peace of the Nation any of those wicked suggestions they will look upon them with detestation as the most dangerous Enemies of our Crown and of the Peace and Happiness of the Nation I thought it could not be too tedious either for me to Recite or for you to hear thus much of his Majesties Declaration upon this Head because he has in it so clearly fully delivered himself as one would think it should be to the general if I may not say Eternal satisfaction of all his loving and dutiful Subjects IS it not a superlative expression for the King to say of those 21. What can be higher said than this that give out that most pernicious as well as malicious scandal of his favour to Papists that he looks on it as the most unpardonable offence that any can be guilty of towards him and that those wicked Aspersers by all his good and Loyal People will as they deservedly ought to be looked upon as the most dangerous Enemies both to his Crown and the Peace and Welfare of the Kingdom AND whereas still some men would fain possess the people 22. Never any Prince hath given more convincing proofs to the contrary of his favouring Papists that his Majesty is a Favourer of Popery though never any Prince in Christendom hath given more convincing and irrefragable proofs of the contrary let them take heed and consider that by such aspersion they run the hazard of a Praemunire upon the Act for the safety of the King's Person in scandalizing his Majesty for a Favourer of Popery NOW where the humours and spirits of men are too rough 23. Where mens humours are too rough for soft indulgence shar Laws must be made to break their Stubborness and boisterous for the soft remedies of signal indulgence and condescensions of suspension of the rigour of former Laws there must be prepared sharper Laws and penalties to contend with those refractory Lord Chancellor's Speech to both Houses May 19. 1662. pag. 16. persons and to break that stubbornness which will not bend to gentler applications and it is great reason that they upon whom Clemency cannot prevail should seel that severity they have prcvoked I pray hear what the Speaker of the House of Commons could say in his Address to the King from the whole House they being there present Above The Address of the House spoke by Sir Edw. Turner Feb. 28. 1662. pag. 7. all saith he we can never enough remember to 24. The Speaker of the House of Commons acknowledges His Majesties most solemn invitations of them to make Laws against the growth of Popery the Honour of Your Majesties Piety and our own unspeakable comfort those solemn and most indearing invitations of us Your Majesties Subjects to prepare Laws to be presented to Your Majesty against the growth and increase of Popery and withal to provide more Laws against Licentiousness and Impiety at the same time declaring Your own resolution for maintaining the Act of Uniformity And when a little after both the Lords and Commons Petitioned His Majesty by his Proclamation to command all Romish Priests and Jesuits c. to depart this Kingdom by a day at the reception of the Petition His Majesty thus begins his Speech to them My Lords and Gentlemen You do not expect that I should give you an Answer presently to your petition yet I will tell you that I will speedily send you an Answer which I am confident will be to your satisfaction and was it not so think ye when he in his Gracious Answer on the 1st of April 1663. told them that he did readily concur with their advice and that he had given order for such a Proclamation as they desired which you may see more at large a little before This made the Speaker of the House of Commons no doubt so sensible that he could not be kept off from a fresh mention of it when he spake to his Majesty although it was almost four years afterwards Saith he We have been allarum'd from all parts of the Kingdom 25. His Majestie commands all his Officers and Souldiers to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy â—d and Priests an Jesuits to de part by a day which much secures us aginst fears c by the insolencies of Popish Priests and Jesuits who by their great numbers and bold writings declare to all the world they are in expectation of a plentiful harvest here in
be put in or out but by Authority of Parl. no Lord-Lieutenant or Deputy-Lieutenant nor no Officer in the Navy during the Reign of any Popish Successor be put in or removed but either by Authority in Parliament or of such persons as the Parliament shall intrust with such Authority 'T is hard to invent another Restraint to be put upon a Popish Successor considering how much the Revenue of the Successor 97. And 't is hard to invent another Restriant upon a Popish Succes will depend upon consent of Parliament and how impossible it is to raise Money without such Consent But yet if any thing else can occur to the Wisdom of the Parliament which may further secure Religion and Liberty against a Popish Successor 98. And if a Parl. can think of any thing else further to secure Religion the K. will consent to it without defeating the Right of Succession it self his Majesty will most readily consent to it BEAR with me now in this necessary Repetition which you had at the latter end of the last Chapter Thus watchful is the 99. Thus watchful is he for all our Safeties King for all your Safeties and if he could think of any thing else that you do either want or wish to make you happy he would make it his business to effect it for you AND we may tell those desperate wretches who yet harbour in their thoughts wicked designes against the sacred person of the King in order to the compassing their own Imaginations That God Almighty would not have led him through 100. And certainly now God would never have done so much but for a servant whom he will always preserve from the utmost malice of his Enemies so many Wildernesses of Afflictions of all kinds conducted him through so many perils by Sea and perils by Land snatched him out of the midst of this Kingdom when it was not worthy of him and when the hands of his Enemies were even upon him when they thought themselves so sure of him that they would bid so cheap and so vile a price for him he would not in that Article have so covered him with a Cloud that he travelled even with some pleasure and great observation through the midst of his L. Chancellor's Speech Decemb. 29. 1660. page 21 22. Enemies he would not so wonderfully have new-modelled that Army so inspired their hearts and the hearts of the whole Nation with an honest and impatient longing for the Return of their dear Soveraign and in the mean time have so exercised him which had little less of providence in it than the other with those unnatural or at least unusual Disrespects and Reproaches abroad that he might have a harmless and an innocent appetite to his own Country and return to his own People with a full value and the whole unwasted bulk of his Affections without being corrupted or by assed by extraordinary forreign Obligations And let me adde that he would not now have so miraculously as it were preserved him from the many late most wicked and hellish Conspiracies of the Papists God Almighty would not have done all this but for a Servant whom he will always preserve as the Apple of his own Eye and always defend from the secret Machinations of his Enemies 101. Let us to the utmost then labour to improve the confidence between the King and his People LET us then extinguish our fears and jealousies and lay out our utmost endeavours to improve the confidence between the King and all his people He sufficiently takes notice that the malice of his Enemies hath been very active in sowing so many Tares as are almost enough to spoil that harvest of Love and Duty which his Majesty 102. He finds he has Enemies enough to grapple with Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 18. 19. may justly expect to reap from all the good seed which he himself hath sown FOR Calumnies and Slanders of this nature are like Comets 103. But Calumnies are nothing after a while in the Air they may seem perhaps especially to the fearful to be ill Prognosticks and the direct fore-runners of mischief but in themselves they are vain Apparitions and have no kind of solidity no permanence or duration at all For after a little while the Vapour spends it self and then the base Exhalation quickly falls back again into that Earth from whence it came LET not the whispers or evil surmises of those who lie in 104. Let not ill surmises endanger the state of the Government wait to deceive make any man the unhappy occasion of endangering the safety Lord Chancellor's Speech on Thursday May 23. 1678. page 18. 19. of the Government by mistrusting it But let the world now see that our Zeal 105. But let the world see our Zeal to preserve it to preserve the Government is the same it was when we were ready to die for its restoration LET us labour to shew the world the most effectual significations 106. And by our Loyalty and Duty let us dsscourage our Enemies of our Loyalty and Duty that we are able to express for nothing in Lord Chancellor's Speech Oct. 21. 78. page 15. the world can more discourage our Enemies 107. Then shall the King possess the greatest Glory that of reigning in our hearts and we the highest felicity that this world can afford as on the contrary nothing does or can so ripen a Nation for destruction as to be observed to distrust their own Government THEN shall the King be possessed of that true Glory which 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 CHAP. III. Of Liberty and Property c. AND now having thus at large shewn you the Pious 1. The Proem Zeal of the King and his firm resolution to maintain and defend the Church of England as it is now established by Law in all its Rights and Privileges as also his great and extraordinary care to suppress the Growth of Popery by awakening all his Laws against the Papists and Popish Recusants and by his frequent Declarations to his Parliaments of his readiness to concur with them still in all further necessary Bills against them which are fit and reasonable for them to present 2. How affectionate the King is and how desirous to keep up the just Measures of our Liberties him with to pass into Laws I presently imagine that you will in the next place be desirous to hear what he hath said in the behalf of your Liberties and Properties I am sure to your Religion that is the Second thing in all your thoughts and I wish to God my fears may be groundless if I should tell you that in truth I am jealous whether your Liberties and Properties are not a great deal dearer to most of you than your Religion which
by extending Our Mercy where it is wanted and deserved AND When he granted a Free and General Pardon to all his Subjects of what Degree or Quality soever who would not persevere in their Guilt for the future by opposing the Quiet and Happiness of their Country in the Restoration both of King Peers and People to their Just Ancient and Fundamental Rights but would return to the Loyalty and Obedience of good Subjects Saith His Majesty Let all our Subjects how faulty soever 20. By his General Pardon no Crime shall ever rise in Judgment against any eito endammage their Lives Liberties or Estates who will now become obedient to Laws The same Declaration pag. 2. 3. rely upon the Word of a King solemnly given by this present Declaration that no Crime whatsoever committed against Vs or Our Royal Father before the Publication of this shall ever rise in Iudgment or be brought in question against any of them to the least Endamagement of them either in their Lives LIBERTIES or Estates Nay so tender is the King of their Credit that he goeth on or as far forth as lies in Our Power so much as to the prejudice of their Reputations by any Reproach or 21. Nay their Reputations shall not suffer if he can help it Term of Distinction from the rest of Our best Subjects IN The King's Speech to his Parliament April 5. 1664. p. 4. He thus saith to them I do assure you upon my Word and I 22. He has no other thoughts but to make us happy in our Laws and prays so to be believed pray believe me that I have no other Thoughts or Designs in my Heart but to make you all happy in the Support of the Laws established NAY The Speaker of the House of Commons when he addressed himself to His Sacred Majesty in the Name of the whole House who are the Representative Body of all the Commons of England could say Most Gracious and dread Soveraign 23. When any thing of Right or but Conveniency has happened to be a measuring Cast a disputable Case he hath always cast it against himself if it hath been for his People's Good though the Knights Citizens and Burgesses Saturday Decemb 29. 1660. being the day of their Dissolution p. 25 26. now assembled in Parliament have no cause to complain they cannot but take notice of your Partiality for when any thing in point of Right or but Conveniency hath fallen out to be as we use to say a measuring Cast a disputable Case between your Self and your People without any regard or respect had unto your own Right or the Advantage that might accrue to your Self by asserting the same if the Good of your People hath come in Competition with it you have always cast it against your Self and given it in on your People's side 24. The Restoration of the King and the Restoring us to our Magna Charta Liberties AND then a little before he concludes this his Speech he returns his thankful Acknowledgment to God for his Infinite Goodness and Mercy in restoring His Majesty to his Royal and Imperial Crown Throne and Dignity and for making him the Restorer of our Religion as likewise saith he for restoring us to our Magna Charta Liberties having taken The same Speech pag. 31 32. the Charge and Care of them into your own Heart which is our greatest Security and more than a thousand 25. The good old Rules of the Law our best Security Confirmations THE King saith it himself and it is true beyond all Contradiction That the Good old Rules of the Law are the best Security These shall be ever dear His Speech May 19. 1662. pag. 4. 26. No Man's Property or Liberty shall ever be invaded to him these will he command his Learned Judges to cherish with Upright and Impartial Justice And in his Speech to both his Houses he ends thus I will Wednesday Feb. 5. 1672. pag. 4. conclude with this Assurance to you that no 27. The King steady in maintaining all his Promises to us concerning Property and ready to give fresh Instances of his Zeal for preserving the established Laws Mans Property or Liberty shall ever be Invaded What Expressions can go higher And how can the King more expatiate himself to you Is not this Security a Satisfaction equal to all your Wishes BUT To proceed be pleased to hear the words of the King again to his Parliament Saith he I hope I need not use many words to perswade you that I The King's Speech Monday October 27. 1673. pag 4. am steady in maintaining all the Professions and Promises I have made you concerning Property And I shall be very ready to give you 28. For his Heart is perfectly with his Peoples in it fresh Instances of my Zeal for preserving the Established Laws as often as any Occasion shall require AND The Lord Chancellor tells us in his Speech then I 29. Reverence and Obedience will be given to Laws when they are well understood that they conduce to the Peoples Profit can add nothing to what His Majesty hath said For as to Property his Heart is with your Heart pag. 9. perfectly with your Heart IT Was a right Ground of Considence such a The Lord Chancellor's Speech Monday May 19. 1662. pag. 14. 15. one as seldom deceives Men that the great Law-maker the wise Solon had when he concluded that Reverence and Obedience would be yielded to his Laws because he had taken the pains to make his Citizens know and understand that it was more for their profit to obey Law and Justice than to contemn and break it and indeed the Profit Benefit and Ease is very great which always attends a chearful Obedience to Laws and Government NO Wonder then we stand up so vigorously for our Old Laws since in maintaining them consists our Perfect Freedom our greatest Liberty And herein too is the King chiefly solicitous because it tends so much to our real Good and Happiness Therefore saith he to his Parliament I shall consent to any reasonable Bills you shall offer me for the Good 30. His willingness to consent to any reasonable Bills for the Good of the Nation The King's Speech Thursd May 23. 1678. pag. 6. and Safety of the Nation AND He thus continues MY Lords and Gentlemen I shall say no more but only to assure you whatsoever some ill Men would have believed I never had 31. The King never had any Intentions but of Good to his People and will do all things for their Safety any Intentions but of Good to you and to my People nor ever shall but will do all that I can for your Safety and Ease AND Wherein does our Safety and Ease more consist than in an orderly Government by Law which preserves to every Man his true Rights and Interests And is there any Invasion on us here Are not the
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
till they had quite distinguished themselves out of all their Allegiance AND I wish with all my heart that That known Truth of my Lord Keeper's was imprinted into the hearts of all His Majesty's Subjects and which I am sure would keep us then within the 87. But let such have a care of a Precipice decent Bounds of our Loyalty and Obedience to him That there is no distinct Interest between the King and his People but the Good of one is the Good 88. There is no distinct interest between the King and his People The Lord Keeper's Speech Octob. 10. 1667. pag. 8. of both AND for the publick Good the King will give no intermission to his own thoughts Away The Lord Chancellor's Speech Sept. 13. 1660. pag. 18. then with all the vain Imaginations of those who labour 89. For the Publick Good the King will give his thoughts no Intermission to infuse a misbelief of the Government WE that have the happiness to live under so excellent The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 15. a Monarchy so admirable a Constitution and Temper of Government we that remember what the want of this Government cost us and the miserable Desolations which attended it have all 90. We that have the happiness to live under so temperate a Government have all the Motives that can be to secure the Interests of it Id. pag. 14. the Motives and are under all the Obligations that can be to secure and advance the Interest of it THE King on his part as the Lord Chancellor 91. The King meets his Parliament with an open and full heart and is resolved to glad the hearts of his People by all things he is able to do for them admirably well speaks to both Houses of Parliament Id. Ibid. meets you with so open and so full a heart and is so absolutely resolved and determined to do all that in him lies to glad the hearts of his People that it must be the strangest infelicity in the World if either he or his Subjects should meet with any disappointments here FOR the King hath no desires but what are publick no Ends or Aims which terminate in himself Id. pag. 15. all his Endeavours are so entirely bent upon the Welfare of all 92. The King hath no desires but what are publick all his endeavours are for the Welfare of his People his Dominions that he doth not think any Man a good Subject who doth not heartily love his Country and therefore let no Man pass for a good Patriot who doth not as heartily love and serve his Prince PRIVATE Men indeed are subject to be misled by private Interests and may entertain some vain Ibid. and slender hopes of surviving the Misfortunes of the Publick 93. And he thinks none good Subjects who do not heartily love their Country but a Prince is sure to fall with it and therefore can never have any Interests divided from it TO live and die with the King is the highest Profession a Subject can make and sometimes it is Ibid. a Profession only and no more but in a King it is an absolute 94. Private Men may be misled by private Interests Necessity 't is a Fate inevitable that he must live and die with his People To be sure then the King will do any reasonable thing to cherish and maintain the Rights and Interests of his People since by 95. But a Prince is sure to fall with his People that means he knows he does the more firmly establish himself in all their Affections and that he hath always accounted his Best Security He hath said it himself in a Letter to his Parliament in Scotland assembled October 19. 1669. pag. 2. That By the 96. For it is an absolute necessity in a King to live and die with them Vnion of the Hearts and Hands of our People our Throne shall be strengthened and they have Peace and Love setled amongst them for ever AND in his Declaration to all his Loving Subjects two Years after his happy Restoration to us saith he We are very sure 97. By the Union of the People's Hearts and Hands the Throne is strengthened that what Guards soever may be found necessary for us to continue as in former times Decemb. 26. 1662. pag. 6 7. for the Dignity and Honour of our Crown the sole Strength and Security we shall ever conside in shall be the Hearts and Affections of our Subjects 98. Therefore the sole Strength and Security the King shall confide in shall be the hearts of his Subjects endeared and confirmed to him by the steady Government according to Law indeared and confirmed to us by our Gracious and steady manner of Government according to the Antient known Laws of the Land there being not any one of our Subjects who doth more from his Heart abhor than we our selves all sorts of Military and Arbitrary Rules HERE you see is Liberty and Property assured to you upon 99. Here is Liberty and Property assured to us upon the Word of a King the Word of a King for no Government is so dear to him as that which is upheld by the Ancient Laws of his Ancestors And as there is Nothing in the World which ought to be held so Sacred and Inviolable among Kings and Soveraigns as the true and exact Observation of their Words so this His Majesty very well knew and this it was that made him say I do value my 100. Who values himself much on keeping his Word self much upon keeping my Word upon The King's Speech at the Opening of the Parliament May 8. 1661. pag. 1. making good whatsoever I promise to my Subjects WHAT Reason then is there for so strange a 101. What reason then for any distrust Diffidence and Distrust which like a general Infection begins to spread it self into almost all the The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 11. Corners of the Land Arbitrary Rule and Government you find the King can no more endure to think of than you your selves He tells you It is that which his Soul abhors perfectly abhors 102. What the King hath thus freely spoken surely he will as fully maintain and justifie and therefore consequently it must be that which you are never likely to see him take up THIS methinks should confirm our Faith and make us confident that what the King hath freely spoken he will as fully maintain and justifie LET us then readily and unanimously give to the King our 103. Let us then give the King our hearts who is always opening his arms to us Hearts Who is continually opening and stretching his Arms to all who are worthy to be his Subjects The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thurs Sep. 13. 1660. pag. 11. worthy to be thought English Men. How would he extend his Heart with a pious and a grateful Joy
in their Countenance at the Dissolution as when they met at the Convention of Parliament It is an unquestionable Evidence that they are exceedingly satisfied in what they have done towards each other that they have very well done all the Business they came about This is now your Case You have so well satisfied your own Consciences that you are sure you have satisfied the King's Expectation and his Hope and the Desires and Wishes of the Country 41. They have asked nothing of the King but what he hath readily granted and his Majesty hath scarce wished any thing which they have not done for him It was very justly observed by you Mr. Speaker That you have never asked any one thing of the King which he hath not with all imaginable chearfulness granted and in truth his Majesty doth with great comfort acknowledge That you have been so far from denying him any thing he hath asked that he hath scarce wished any thing that you have not granted The King and you have given such Earnest to each other of your mutual Affection you have been so exact and punctual in your proceedings towards each other that you have made no promise no profession to each other of the making good and performing of which the World is not witness Id. p. 7. AND I cannot here forbear inserting the most admirable words of that Chancellor to the Noble Lords and Honourable Members of the House of Commons then in particular but yet which at all times may be repeated to and it were well if they were duly remembred by any succeeding Parliament They are these Your Lordships will easily recover that Estimation and Reverence 42. By the Lords exercise of that Virtue from whence their Honours sprang they will enflame the peoples hearts and from thence they will make a Judgment of the King himself that is due to your High Condition by the exercise and practice of that Virtue from whence your Honours first sprang the example of your Justice and Piety will enflame the hearts of the people towards you and from your practice they will make a Judgment of the King himself They know very well that you are not only admitted to his Presence but to his Conversation and even in a degree to his Friendship for you are his great Council by your Example they will form their own Manners and by Yours they will make some guess at the Kings Therefore under that obligation you will cause your Piety your Justice your Affability and your Charity Id. p. 15 16 17. to shine as bright as is possible before them They are 43. They are too much in love with England who believe it the best Country in the World but it is but just to say England iâ— an Enclosure of the best People in the World too much in love with England too partial to it who believe it the best Country in the World there is better Earth and a better Air and a better that is a warmer Sun in other Countries but we are no more than just when we say that England is an Enclosure of the best people in the World when they are well informed and instructed a people in Sobriety of conscience the most devoted to God Almighty in the Integrity of their affection the most dutiful to the King in their good Manners and Inclinations most regardful and loving to the Nobility no Nobility in Europe so entirely loved by the people there may 44. No Nobility in Europe so beloved by the People be more awe fear and terrour of them but no such love towards them as in England I beseech your Lordships do not undervalue this Love they have looked upon your Lordships and they will look upon your Lordships again as the greatest examples and patterns of duty to the King as their greatest security and protection from Injury and Injustice and for their enjoying whatever is due to them by the Law and as the most proper Mediators and Interposers to the King if by any failure of Justice they should be exposed to any Oppression and Violence and this exercise of your Justice and Kindness towards them will make them the more abhor and abominate that parity upon which a Commonwealth must be founded because it would extirpate or suppress or deprive them of their beloved Nobility which are such a support and security to their full happiness 45. As the Commons came up the Peoples Deputies to the King so he returns them his Deputies to the People AND you Gentlemen of the House of Commons you are now returning to your Countrey laden with a Trust not inferiour or weighty than that you brought from thence you came up their Deputies to the King and he returns you now his Deputies to them his Plenipotentiaries to inform and assure them that he thinks himself the happiest and the greatest Prince of the World from being possess'd of the affections and hearts of such Subjects And that you may have the more credit in what you say he will not take it unkindly if you publish his Defects and Infirmities You may tell them as a great Infirmity that a troubled 46. A troubled countenance so afflicts the King that he would remove it at his own charge and discontented countenance so afflicts him that he would remove it from them at his own charge as if he himself were in the fault And when he hath been informed of any less kind or jealous thing said amongst you as your Windows are never so close shut but that the sound of your words goes to the several corners of the Town His Majesty hath been heard to say no more but What have I done I wish that Gentleman 47. The King wishes his People knew him better and I were acquainted that he knew me better Id. p. 18. Oh Gentlemen you cannot be your selves nor you cannot make your Friends too zealous or too jealous for such a Prince's safety or too solicitous for such a Prince's satisfaction and content to whom we may very justly say as the King of Tyre writ to Solomon Because that God hath loved his people he hath made 48. Where the King's defects are necessary towards the full measure of our prosperity thee King over them even his Defects and Infirmities are very necessary towards the full measure of our prosperity AND though the Speaker could that day affirm in the Speech he made to his Majesty that No man can say that hath made the 49. As that Parliament was very good so whilst we have this good King we may see such onother most curious search into Books or Records that there ever was such a Parliament as this yet he could add further what since has been sufficiently known And it s our unspeakable joy and comfort that no man can say so long as your Majesty lives but we may have such another And he gives us a very good Id. p. 32.
then we must consider again that our peace abroad will 76. Peace at home not subsist any longer than while we do maintain our peace at home for without this no Kingdom can be able to act in its full strength and without that the Friendship or Id. p. 8. Enmity of any Nation ceases to be considerable to its Neighbours Now 't is a great and a dangerous mistake in those who think 77. They are deceived who think it is peace at home because the Sword is not drawn the peace at home is well enough preserved so long as the Sword is not drawn whereas in truth nothing deserves Id. ibid. the name of peace but Unity Such an Unity as flows from an unshaken trust and confidence between the King and 78. Nothing deserves the name of peace but Unity his people from a due reverence and obedience to his Laws and to his Government from a Religious and an awful care not to remove the ancient Landmarks not to disturb those Constitutions which time and publick convenience hath settled from a 79. What Unity that is to be zeal to preserve the whole frame and order of the Government upon the old foundations and from a perfect detestation and abhorrency of all such as are given to change Whatsoever falls short of this falls short of Peace too Id. ibid. WHEN the Parliament met on the 21. October 1678. after several short Prorogations saith the Chancellor to them How much 80. How much the King relies upon accounts of and thinks himself safe in his Parliament is evident in his not letting them be out of his reach the King relies upon the advice and assistance of his Parliament how necessary he accounts it to him and Lord Chanc. Speech 21 Oct. 78. p. 6. how safe he thinks himself in it is evident by this that he hath not suffered you all this year to be out of his reach but hath continued you from time to time by a succession of little and short Prorogations A Parliament is the great the wise and the powerful Counsel 81. A Parliament the great wise and powerful Counsel â—f thâ— Nation of this Nation from the wisdom of this Counsel the King is sure he shall receive the best advice from Lord Chanc. Speech Thurs 6 March 78 9. p. 9 10. the duty and loyalty of this Assembly he can never want a chearful assistance and the King resolves to meet you all with so much grace and goodness that he hopes this Parliament shall end in no disappointment of any but our Enemies IT may seem strange perhaps to some that his Majesty who 82. The dissolution of the late long Parliament had so long and large an experience of the duty of the last Parliament should now and in this present conjuncture think fit to call a New one but the King hath so equal a confidence in the affections of all his good Subjects that he intends to be acquainted with them all and to have many and frequent Consultations with them and hopes by this means to attain first a true and right understanding of his people and next to that to be rightly understood by them AND as he did dissolve that Parliament which as you may see had done both him and the Nation so many good and profitable services so likewise for very great and weighty Reasons he saw it good and necessary to dissolve his numerous Privy-Councel 83. Dissolution of the Privy-Councel and to constitute such a one as may not only by its number be fit for the consultation and digestion of all business both Domestick and Foreign but also by the choice of them out of 84. And the constituting a new one the several parts this State is composed of may be Declaration which the Chancellor read to the Privy-Councel being caused to meet extraordinarily April 20. 79. pag. 2 3. the best informed in the true Constitutions of it and thereby the most able to Counsel him in all 85. And by their constant advice the King to govern his Kingdom together with the frequent use of his Parliament the Affairs and Interests of this Crown and Nation And by the constant advice of such a Councel his Majesty is resolved hereafter to govern his Kingdoms together with the frequent use of his Great Councel of Parliament which he takes to be the true ancient Constitution of this State and Government NOW for the greater Dignity of this Councel his Majesty resolves 86. Their number limited to that of thirty their number shall be limited to that of thirty And for their greater Authority there shall be fifteen of his Chief Officers who shall 87. Who those thirty shall be be Privy-Counsellors by their Places And for the other fifteen he will choose ten out of the several Ranks of the Nobility and five Commoners of the Realm whose known Abilities Interest and Esteem in the Nation shall render them without all Id. ibid. suspicion of either mistaking or betraying the true Interests of the Kingdom and consequently of advising him ill AT the opening of that Parliament 8 th of May 1661. his Majesty then said Without hearing the advice of my 88. Without the advice of his Privy-Councel he will do nothing of publick importance Privy-Councel as I never did so I never will resolve King's Sp. pag. 6. any thing of publick importance And how much he hath made use of them I need not tell you the whole World is sufficiently sensible And what great use he means to make of this his new Councel you cannot but be abundantly satisfied with his own words to his Parliament which tell you I have made 89. And therefore has chosen such as are worthy and able to advise him choice of such persons as are worthy and able to advise me and am resolved in all my weighty and important King's Sp. April 21. 1679. p. 9. affairs next to the advice of my great Councel in Parliament which I shall very often consult with to be 90. Fresh promises of often consulting with his Parliament advised by this Privy-Councel IT is the duty then of all Parliaments and Councels with unwearied labour to consult for the service of his Majesty and the good 91. The Parliaments and Councels duty of this Nation as I before have hinted how that Parliament did so would in a little time our Fields grow white to Harvest THEN let not needless fears and jealousies possess our minds and because immediately we are not as perhaps we would be let us not be rash in drawing any ill consequences of concluding that we never shall be otherwise THE design was mischievous enough no doubt that made some men a good while since talk of Dissolutions and that then Parliaments were even just expiring when the King himself declared it was as distant from his thoughts as it would have been little to his
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
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
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
people as my Lord Chancellor well observed Id. p. 21. than that he hath staid these four days to take his leave of you and that he might give you this days work all these good Laws hath denied himself so long the enjoying the greatest comfort he is assured of in this World 61. That Parliament satisfied in the King's love to them and in his Judgment that the happiness of the Crown consists in the frequency of Parliaments THE Parliament was so very well satisfied with the King's love to them that Mr. Speaker could not forbear using these expressions at their Prorogation May 7. 1664. We are assured not only of your personal affection to Parliaments but of your Judgment also that the happiness of the Crown consists in the frequency of Parliaments HIS Majestie 's love to Parliaments is yet further evidenced by his love to have good appearances when they meet He having as he saith himself most confidence in full Houses 62. His love to Parliaments further shewn in his love to have full Houses where the well-being of the Church and all other King's Speech Mond Feb. 14. 1669 70. p. 3 interests of the Crown and Nation are best secured AND the King can never doubt his Parliament 63. The King could never doubt such a Parliament a Parliament who in their affection and loyalty to Lord Chanc. Speech Feb. 5. 72 3. p. 10. Id. p. 14 15. their Prince have exceeded all their predecessors a Parliament with whom the King hath many years lived with all the caresses of a happy Marriage Has the King had a Concern You have wedded it Has his Majesty wanted Supplies You have readily chearfully and fully provided for them You have relyed upon the Wisdom and Conduct of his Majesty in all his affairs so that you have never 64. Who never exceeded their bounds attempted to exceed your bounds or to impose upon him whilst the King on the other hand hath made your Counsels the foundations of all his proceedings and hath been so tender of you 65. Their Counsels the foundations of the Kings proceedings that he hath upon his own Revenue and Credit endeavoured to support even Forcign Wars that he might be least uneasie to you or burdensome to his people THEREFORE the King may not only assure himself of your 66. And he hopes that his Parliament will do what they can to beget a mutual confidence between him and his People which may extinguish all fears and jealousies affections to him but from such affections so known and so tried as yours he may expect that you Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. p. 18. should do your endeavours to restore and improve the mutual confidence between him and his people and that you should do it to such a degree that it may recover its full strength and quite extinguish all their fears and jealousies FOR he does not only find himself safe but he 67. His safety and defence in them Lord Keeper's Speech 13 Ap. 1675. p. 21. thinks himself armed too whilst he is attended with such a Nobility such a Gentry as this AND who can wonder then that the King resolves to enter 68. He will therefore wholly relie upon his Parliament and give them whatever yet can be wanting for their good into terms of strictest correspondence with his Parliament to take your Counsel in his most weighty affairs to impart all his Cares to you to acquaint you with Lord Keeper's Speech Wednesd 13 Oct. 1675. p. 5. all his Wants and Necessities to offer you all that can yet be wanting to make you enjoy your selves to establish a right understanding between himself and his three Estates and between the Estates themselves to redress all your just complaints and to put all his Subjects at ease as far as in him lies and can consist with the honour and safety of the Government AND having made all these advances towards you he doubts 69. And doubts not but that they will behave themselves accordingly not but you will behave your selves like those that deserve to be called the King's Friends and that you Id pag. 6. will put him at ease too THE King expects your Advice and your Assistance your 70. This makes him to expect their advice and assistance Advice in matters of the highest deliberation your Assistance in matters of extreme and pressing difficulty YOUR deliberations will chiefly be exercised about those 71. Their deliberations will chiefly be exercised about the things which belong to the Kingdoms peace things which do belong unto your peace the peace of the Church and the peace of the State two considerations of so close a connexion between themselves that in the very original Writ of Summons by vertue of which you Chanc. Speech 15 Febr. 76 7. p. 5 6. sit here they are joyntly recommended to your Counsel and your Care AS to the former the peace of the Church I have handled it at large in my Chapter of Religion and shall not trouble you now with any repetition only I will mind you of this one Paragraph which ought never to be out of your consideration and it is That what Remedies are fit for those that disturb its peace whether 72. All things concerning Religious matters are entirely left to their considerations for the peace of the Church the poor mistaken Souls who deserve to be pitied or the malicious and designing men who deserve to be punished whether the fault be in the Laws or in the Id. p. 6 7. men in the men that should obey or in the men that should execute whether the Cure be a work of time and patience or of zeal and diligence or whether any new expedient can be found to secure the Ship from that Storm which the swelling of two contrary Tides seems to threaten is wholly left to your advice the King hath called you for that end and doubts not but your Counsels will be such as shall tend to safety and to establishment THE peace of the State requires as much of your care and vigilance 73. And so likewise the peace of the State is left to their care too our peace at home and our peace abroad AS for that abroad we are at this time blessed be God for 74. The peace abroad his mercy to us and blessed be the King for his care of us in perfect peace with all the Nations upon Earth such a peace as makes us the Envy of the Christian World and hath enabled us to do our selves right against the Infidels such a peace 75. It is now such a peace as brings with it all the fruits of peace as brings with it all the fruits of peace and deserves not Id. ibid. only our prayers for the continuance of it but our best and most watchful care that nothing may be done on our part to give it an interruption BUT