unsuccessefull Warres abroad sometimes the absence of the Prince sometimes Competitions of Titles to the Crowne somtimes perhaps the vices of the King himselfe But let us but rightly weigh and consider the posture the aspect of this state both toward it selfe and the rest of the world the person of our Soveraigne and the nature of our suffering since the third of his Reigne And there can be no cause coulorable inventible wherunto to attribute them but the intermission or which is worse the undue frustration of Parliament by the unluckly use if not abuse of Prerogative in the dissolving them Take in your view Gentlemen a State in a state of the greatest quiet and security that can be fancied not only in joyning the calmest peace it selfe but to improve and secure its happy condition all the rest of the world at the same time in Tempest in Combustions in uncomposable Warres Take into your view Sir a King Soveraigne to three Kingdomes by a Concentring of all the Royall lines in his Person as undisputably as any Mathematical ones in Euclide A King firme and knowing in his Religion eminent in vertue A King that had in his owne time given all the Rights and Liberties of his Subjects a more cleare and ample confirmation freely and graciously then any of his Predecessors when the people had them at advantage extortedly I meane in the Petition of Right This is one Mappe of England Mr. Speaker A man Sir that should present unto you now a Kingdome groaning under that supreme Law which Salus populi periclitata would enact The liberty the property of the Subject fundamentally subverted ravisht away by the violence of a pretended necessity a triple Crown shaking with distempers men of the best conscience ready to fly into the wildernesse for Religion Would not one sweare that this were the Antipodes to the other yet let me tell you Mr. Speaker this is a Mappe of England too and both at the same time true As it cannot bee denyed Mr. Speaker that since the Conquest there hath not been in this Kingdome a fuller concurrance of all circumstances in the former Caracter to have made a Kingdom happy then for these 12. yeares last past so it is most certaine that there hath not beene in all that deduction of ages such a Conspiracie if one may so say of all the Elements of mischiefe thein second Character to bring a flourishing Kingdom if it were possible to swift ruine and desolation I will be bold to say Mr. Speaker and I thanke God wee have so good a King under whom wee may speake boldly of the abuse by ill Ministers without reflection upon his person That an Accumulation of all the publike Grievances since Magna Carta one upon another unto that houre in which the Petition of Right past into an act of Parliament would not amount to so oppressive I am sure not to so destructive a height and magnitude to the rights and property of the Subject as one branch of our beslaving since the Petition of Right The branch I mean is the judgment concerning ship-money This beeing a true representation of England in both aspects Let him Mr. Speaker that for the unmatcht oppression and enthralling of free Subjects in a time of the best Kings raigne and in memory of the best lawes enacted in favour of Subjects liberty can find a truer Cause then the ruptures and intermission of Parliaments Let him and him alone be against the setling of this inevitable way for the frequent holding of them 'T is true Sir wicked Ministers have beene the proximate causes of our miseries but the want of Parliaments the primary the efficient Cause Ill Ministers have made ill times but that Sir hath made ill Ministers I have read among the Lawes of the Athenians a form of recourse in their Oaths and vows of greatest most publique concernment of a three-fold Deity Supplicium Exauditori Purgatori Malorum depulsori I doubt not but we here assembled for the Common-wealth in this Parliament shall meet with all these Attributes in our Soveraigne I make no question but he will graciously heare our Supplications purge away our Grievances and expell Malefactors that is remove ill Ministers and put good in their places No lesse can be expected from his wisdome and goodnesse But let me tell you Mr. Speaker if we partake not of one Attribute more in him if we addresse not our selves unto that I meane Bonorum Conservatori we can have no solid no durable Comfort in all the rest Let his Majesty heare our Complaint never so Compassionately Let him purge away our Grievances never so efficaciously Let him punish and dispell ill Ministers never so exemplarily Let him make choyce of good ones never so exactly If there be not a way setled to preserve and keepe them good the mischiefes and they will all grow again like Sampsons Locks and pull downe the House upon our heads Beleeve it M. Speaker they will It hath been a Maxime amongst the wisest Legislators that whosoever meanes to settle good Lawes must proceed in them with a sinister opinion of all Mankinde and suppose that whosoever is not wicked it is for want only of the opportunity It is that opportunity of being ill Mr. Speaker that wee must take away if ever wee meane to be happy which can never be done but by the frequencie of Parliaments No state can wisely be confident of any publique Ministers continuing good longer then the rod is over him Let me appeale to all those that were present in this House at the agitation of the Petition of Right And let them tell themselves truly of whose promotion to the management of affaires doe they thinke the generality would at that time have had better hopes then of Mr. Noy and Sir Thomas Wentworth both having beene at that time and in that businesse as I have heard most keen and active Patriots and the latter of them to the eternall aggravation of his Infamous treachery to the Common-wealth be it spoken the first mover and insister to have this clause added to the Petition of Right that for the comfort and safety of his Subjects his Majesty would be pleased to declare his will and pleasure that all his Ministers should serve him according to the Lawes and Statutes of the Realme And yet Mr. Speaker to whom now can all the inundations upon our liberties under pretence of Law and the late shipwrack at once of all our property be attributed more then to Noy and those and all other mischiefes whereby this Monarchie hath beene brought almost to the brinke of destruction so much to any as to that Grand Apostate to the Common-wealth the now Lieutenant of Ireland The first I hope God hath forgiven in the other world and the latter must not hope to be pardoned in this till he be dispatcht to the other Let every man but consider those men as once they were The excellent Law for the
else Projects and Monopolies are but leaking Conduit-pipes The Exchequer it selfe at the full st is but a Custome and now a broken one frequent Parliaments onely are the Fountaine And I doe not doubt but in this Parliament as wee shall bee free in our advises so shall wee be the more free of our purses that his Majestie may experimentally finde the reall difference of bâ—tter Counsells the true solid grounds of raising and establishing his Greatnesse never to be brought againe by Gods blessingâ— to such dangerous such desperate perplexities Mr. Speaker I confesse I have now gone in a way much against my Nature and somewhat against my Custome heretofâ—re used in this place But the deplorable dismall condition both of Church and State have so far wrought upon my judgement as it hath convinced my disposition yet am I not Vir Sanguinum I love no mans ruine I thanke God I neither hate any mans person nor envie any mans fortune onely I am zealous of a thorow Reformation in a time that exacts that extorts it Which I humbly beseâ—ch this House may bee done with as much lenity as much moderation as the publick safety of the King and Kingdome can possibly admit Another Speech of Sir Benjamin Rudyer in the High Court of Parliament Mr. Speaker IT will become us thankfully to acknowledge the prudent and painfull endeavours of my Lords the Peeres Commissioners intreating with the Scots in mediating with the King whereby God assisting wee are now probably drawing neare to a blessed peace His Majesty in his Wisedome and Goodnesse is graciously pleased to give his royall assent to their Acts of Parliament wherein the Articles of their Assembly are likewise included Insomuch as their Religion their Lawes their Liberties are ratified and established Besides their Grievances reliev'd and redress'd For which Wee use to give the King Money and are still ready to doe it This although it be a large yet it is not received as a full satisfaction Besides when They came into England they published in a Remonstrance That they would take nothing of the English but what they would pay for or give security We have defrayed them hitherto and are provided to doe it longer They did well remember that we assisted them in the time of their Reformation And it is not to be forgotten that we did beare our owne charges Concerning mutuall Restitution of Ships and Goods My Lords the Commissioners have very fairely and discreetly accommodated that particular already As for inferentiall consequentiall dammages such a Representation would but minister unacceptable matter of Difference and Contestation which amongst friends ought to be warily and wisely avoyded We could alleadge and truely too That Northumberland New-Castle and the Bishoprick will not recover their former state these twenty yeares Wee have heard it spoken here in this house by an understanding knowing member in the particular that the Coale-Mines of New-Castle will not bee set right againe for out hundred thousand pounds besides the over-price of Coâ—les which all the while it hath and will cast this City and 〈◊〉 parts of the Kingdome A great â—â—ale more of this nature might be rehearsed but I delight not to presse such renter stretched Arguments Let us on both sides rather thanke God by proceeding in the way he hath â—â—â—d before us and not wry his way to ours Time and his Blessing will repaire all our implicit Dammages with many prosperous explicite advantages They say that they doe not make any formall demand But they doe make a summe to appeare five hundred and foureteene thousand pounds more than 〈◊〉 gave the King at once Aportentous Apparition which shewes it selfe in a very dry time when the Kings revenue is totally exhausted his Debts excessively multiplied the Kingdom generally impoverished by grievous burthens and disordered Courses All this supply is to be drawne out of us onely without the least helpe from any of his Majesties other Dominions which to my seeming will be an utter draining of the people unlesse England bee Puteus inexhaustus as the Popes were wont to call it Notwithstanding Sir now that I have in part opened the state we are in though nothing so exactly as they have done theirs I shall most willingly and heartily affoord the Scots whatsoever is just Equitable and Honourable even to a convenient considerable round summe of Money towards their losses and expences That we may goe off with a friendly and handsome loos If they reject it we shall improve our Cause It was never yet thought Mr. Speaker any great wisedome over-much to trust a successeful Sword A man that walkes upon a rising ground the further he goes the larger is his Prospect Successe inlarges mens desires extends their ambition it breeds thoughts in them they never thought before This is naturall and usuall But the Scots being truely touched with Religion according to their profession that onely is able to make them keep their word for Religion is stronger and wiser than Reason or Reason of State Beyond all this Mr. Speaker the remarkable Traces of Gods wonderfull Providence in this strange worke are so many so apparant as I cannot but hope almost to beliefe That the same all-governing mercifull hand will conduct and lead us to a happy Conclusion will contract a closeâ— firmer union between the two Nations than any meere humane Policy could ever have effected which inestimable Ben fits to both in advancing the truth of Religion in exalting the greatnesse of the King in securing the peace of his Kingdomes against all Malicious Envious Ambitious opposites to Religion to the King to his Kingdomes wherein I presume all our desires and prayers doe meet Another Speech of Sir Benjamin Rudyer in the High Court of Parliament Mr. Speaker J Doe verily believe that there are many of the Clergie in our Church who doe think the simplicity of the Gospell too mean a vocation for them to serve in They must have a specious pompous sumptuous Religion with additionalls of Temporall greatnesse Authority Negotiation Notwithstanding they all know better than I what Fathers Schoolemen Councells are against their mixing themselves in secular affaires This Roman Ambition will at length bring in the Roman Religion and at last a haughty insolence even against supreame power it selfe if it bee not timely and wisely preâ—â—nted They have amongst them an Apothegm of their owne making which is No Miter no Scepter when wee know by deare experience that if the Mitre be once in danger they care not to throw the Scepter after to confound the whole Kingdome for their interest And Histories will tell us that whensoever the Clergie went high Monarchy still went lower If they could not make the Monarch the head of their owne Faction they would be sure to make him lesse witnesse one example for all The Popes working the Emperour out of Italy Some of ours as soone as they are Bishops adepto fine cessant Motus They will preach no longer
bowels and viper-like working our destruction They finde Jesuites and Priests conspiring with ill Ministers of State to destroy our Religion they find ill Ministers conjoyned together to subvert our Lawes and Liberties They find obstructions of Justice which is the life bloud of every State and having a free passage from the Soveraigne Power where it is primarily seated as the life bloud in the heart and thence derived through the severall Judicatories as through so many veines into all the parts of this great collective Body doth give warmth and motion to every part and member which is nourished and enlivened by it but being once precluded stopped and seared up as the particular must of necessity faint and languish so must the whole frame of Government bee dissolved and consequently Soveraignty it selfe which as the heart in the body is Primum vivens ultimum moriens must dye and perish in the generall dissolution and all things returne as in the beginning in antiquum Chaos They find the propriety of the subject invaded and violated his estate rent from him by illegall Taxations Impositions Monopolies and Projects almost upon every thing which is for the use of man not onely upon superfluities but necessaries and this to enrich the vermine and caterpillers of the Land and to impoverish the good subjects to take the meate from the children and give it to dogges My Lords If we find these things so wee must conceive they must bee ill counsels which have brought us into this condition These counsels have put all into a combustion have discouraged the hearts of all true English men and have brought two Armies into our bowels which as the Vulture upon Prometheus eate through our sides and gnaw our very hearts Hinc dolor sed unde medicina Heretofore Parliaments were the Catholicon the Balme of Gilead which healed our wounds restored our Spirits and made up all the breaches of the Land But of late yeeres they have beene like the Fig-tree in the Gospel without efficacy without fruit onely destructive to the particular members who discharge their duties and consciences no way beneficiall to the Common-wealth Nobis exitiabile nec Reipub. profuturum as he said in Tacitus commonly taken away as Elias was with a whirle-winde never coming to any maturity or to their naturall end whereas they should bee like that blessed old man who dyeth plenus dierum in a full age after hee hath fought a good fight and overcome all his enemies as the shock of wheat which cometh in in due season to fill our Granaries with Corne uphold our lives with the staffe of bread For Parliaments are our panis quotidianus our true bread all other wayes are but Quelques choses which yeeld no true nourisshment breede no good bloud This very Parliament which hath sate so long hath all this while but beaten the ayre and striven against the streame for I may truely say winde and tide have still been against us The same ill counsels which first raised the storme which almost shipwrackt the Common-wealth do still continue they blow strong like the East-wind that brought the Locusts over the land These counsels crosse our designes east difficulties in our way hinder our proceedings and make all that we doe to be fruitlesse and ineffectuall they make us to bee not masters of our businesse and so not masters of money which hath been the great businesse of this Parliament that we might pay the Armies according to our promises and engagements For My Lords our not effecting of the good things which wee had undertaken for the good of the Church and Common-wealth hath wounded our reputation and taken off from our credit Is it not time then my Lords that wee should unite and concentrate our selves in regard of this Antiperistasis and circumvallation of hurtfull and malitious intentions and practices against us My Lords it is most agreeable to nature and I am sure most agreeable to reason in respect of the present conjuncture of our affaires for one maine engine by which our enemies work our mischiefe is by infusing an opinion and belief into the world that wee are not united amongst our selves but that like Sampsons Foxes we draw severall waies and tend to severall ends To defeate then the counsels of those Achitophels which would involve us our Religion our King our Lawes our Liberties all that can bee neere and deare unto an honest soule in one universall and generall desolation to defeate I say the counsels of such Achitophels the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons knowing themselves to bee specially intrusted with the preservation of the whole and in their consciences perswaded that the dangers are so imminent that they will admit of no delay have thought fit to declare their united affections by entring into an Association amongst themselves and by making a solemne Protestation and Vow unto their God that they will unanimously endevour to oppose and prevent the counsels and the Counsellors which have brought upon us all these miseries and feares of greater to prevent the ends and bring the Authors of them to condign punishment and thereby discharge themselves both before God and man The Protestation your Lordships shall have read unto you together with the grounds and reasons which have induced the House of Commons to make it which are prefixed before it by way of Preamble The PREAMBLE WEe the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons house in Parliament finding to the great griefe of our hearts that the designes of the Priests and Jesuites and other Adherents to the See of Rome have of late beene more boldly and frequently put in practice then formerly to the undermining and danger of the ruine of the true reformed Protestant Religion in His Majesties Dominions established And finding also that there have beene and having just cause to suspect that there still are even during this sitting in Parliament indeavours to subvert the fundamentall Lawes of England and Ireland and to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and Tyrannicall Government by most pernicious and wicked Counsels Practices Plots and Conspiraces And that the long intermission and unhappy breach of Parliaments hath occasioned many illegall Taxations whereupon the Subject hath been prosecuted and grieved And that divers Innovations and Superstitions have beene brought into the Church multitudes driven out of His Majesties Dominions Jealousies raised and fomented betwixt the King and His people a Popish Army levied in Ireland and two Armies brought into the bowels of this Kingdome to the hazzard of His Majesties Royall Person the consumption of the Revenues of the Crowne and Treasure of this Kingdome And lastly finding great cause of Jealousie that indeavours have been and are used to bring the English Army into a misunderstanding of this Parliament thereby to incline that Army with force to bring to passe those wicked Counsels Have therefore thought good to joyne our selves in a Declaration of our united affections and
subscribing our National oath which was not only impiety and injustice in it self and an utter undoing of his Majesties Subiects but was a weakning of the Scots Plantation to the prejudice of that Kingdome and his Majesties service and was a high scandall against the Kings honour and intolerable abuse to his Majesties trust and authority his Majesties Commission which was procured by the Lievetenant bearing no other penalty then a certification of noting the names of the refusers of the oath But by this his restlesse rage and insatiable cruelty against our Religion and Countrey cannot be kept within the bounds of Ireland By this means a Parliament is called And although by the six subsidies granted in Parliament not long before and by the base means which himself and his Officers did use as is contained in a late Remonstrance that Land was extreamly impoverished yet by his speeches full of oathes and asseverations That we were Traytors and Rebels casting off all Monarchicall Government c. he extorted from them foure new Subsidies and indicta causa before we were heard procured that a Warre was udertaken and forces should be levied against us as a rebellious Nation which was also intended to be an example and president to the Parliament of England for granting subsidies and sending a joynt Armie for our utter ruine According to his appointment in Parliament the Armie was gathered and brought down to the Coast threatning a daily invasion of our Countrey intending to make us a conquered Province and to destroy our Religion liberties and Lawes and thereby laying upon us a necessity of vast charges to keep forces on foot on the West coast to wait upon his comming And as the War was denounced and forces leavied before we were heard So before the denouncing of the War our Ships and goods on the Irish Coast were taken and the owners cast in prison and some of them in Irons Frigats were sent forth to scour our Coasts which did take some and burn others of our Barques Having thus incited the Kingdome of Ireland and put his forces in order there against us with all haste he commeth to England In his parting at the giving up of the Sword he openly avowed our utter ruine and desolation in these or the like words If I returne to that honourable Sword I shall leave of the Scots neither root nor branch How soon he commeth to Court as before he had done very evill offices against our Commissioners cleering our proceedings before the poynt So now houseth all means to stir up the King and Parliament against us and to move them to a present war according to the precedent and example of his own making in the Parliament of Ireland And finding that his hopes failed him and his designes succeeded not that way in his nimblenesse he taketh another course that the Parliament of England may be broken up and despising their wisedome and authority not onely with great gladnesse accepteth but useth all means that the conduct of the Army in the expedition against Scotland may be put upon him which accordingly he obtaineth as generall Captain with power to invade kill slay and save at his discretion and to make any one or moe Deputies in his stead to do and execute all the power and authorities committed to him According to the largenesse of his Commission and Letters Patents of his devising so were his deportments afterwards for when the Scots according to their declarations sent before them were comming in a peaceable way far from any intention to invade any of his Majesties Subiects and still to supplicate his Majesty for a setled peace he gave order to his Officers to fight with them on the way that the two Nations once entred in bloud whatsoever should be the successe he might escape triall and censure and his bloudy designs might be put in execution against his Maiesties Subiects of both Kingdomes When the Kings Maiesty was again enclined to hearken to our petitions and to compose our differences in a peaceable way and the Peers of England conveened at Yorke had as before in their great wisedome and faithfulnesse given unto his Maiesties Counsels of peace yet this firebrand still smoaketh and in that honorable Assembly taketh upon him to breath out threatnings against us as Traytors and enemies to Monarchiall government that we be sent home again in our bloud and he will whip us out of England And as these were his speeches in the time of the Treaty appointed by his Maiesty at Rippon that if it had been possible it might have been broken up So when a Cessation of Arms was happily agreed upon there yet he ceaseth not but still his practises were for war His under officers can tell who it was that gave them Commission to draw near in Arms beyond the Teese in the time of the Treaty at Rippon The Governour of Barwicke and Carlile can shew from whom they had their warrants for their Acts of hostility after the cessation was concluded It may be tryed how it cometh to passe that the Ports of Ireland are yet closed our Country-men for the oath still kept in prison traffique interrupted and no other face of affairs then if no cessation had been agreed upon We therefore desire that your Lordships will represent to the Parliament that this great incendiary upon these and the like offences not against particular persons but against Kingdomes and Nations may be put to a tryall and from their knowne and renowned justice may have his deserved punishment 16. December 1640. THE SCOTTISH Commissioners Demand concerning the Sixt ARTICLE COncerning our Sixt demand although it hath often come to passe that these two have been joyned by the bonds of Religion and nature have suffered themselves to be divided about the things of this World and although our Adversaries who no lesse labour the division of the two Kingdomes then we do all seek peace and follow after it as our Common happinesse do presume that this will be the partition wall to divide us and to make us lose all our labours taken about the former demand wherein by the help of God by his Maiesties Princely goodnesse end Iustice and your Lordships noble and equall dealing we have so fully accorded and to keep us from providing for a firm and well grounded Peace by the wisedome and justice of the Parliament of England which is our greatest desire expressed in our last Demand We are still confident that as we shall concerning this Article represent nothing but what is true just and honorable to both Kingdomes So will your Lordships hearken to us and will not suffer your selves by any slanders or suggestions to be drawn out of that straight and safe way wherein ye have walked since the beginning It is now we suppose known to all England especially to both the honorable Houses of Parliament and by the occasion of this Treaty more particularly to your Lordships That our distresses in our Religion
and Liberties were of late more pressing than we were able to bear That our Complaints and Supplications for redresse were answered at last with the terrors of an Army That after a pacification greater preparations were made for war whereby many Acts of Hostility were done against us both by Sea and Land The Kingdome wanted administration of Justice and we constrained to take Arms for our defence That we were brought to this extreme and intolerable necessity either to maintain divers Armies upon our Borders against Invasion from England or Ireland still to be deprived of the benefit of all the Courts of Justice and not onely to maintain so many thousands as were spoyled of their ships and goods but to want all Commerce by Sea to the undoing of Merchants of Saylors and many other who lived by Fishing and whose Callings are upholden from hand to mouth by Sea trade Any one of which evils is able in a short time to bring the most potent Kingdome to Confusion Ruine and Desolation how much more all the three at one time combined to bring the Kingdome of Scotland to be no more a Kingdome Yet all these behoved We either to endure and under no other hope than of the perfect slavery of our selves and our posterity in our souls Lives and means Or to resolve to come into England not to make any Invasion or with any purpose to fight except we were forced God is our Judge our actions are our witnesses and England doth now acknowledge the truth against all suspicions to the contrary and against the impudent lies of our enemies but for our relief defence and preservation which we could finde by no other means when we had essayed all means and had at large expressed our pungent and pressing necessities to the Kingdome and Parliament of England Since therefore the war on our part which is no other but our coming into England with a Guard is defensive and all men do acknowledge that in common equity the defendant should not be suffered to perish in his just and necessary defence but that the persuer whether by way of Legall processe in the time of Peace or by way of violence and unjust invasion in the time of war ought to bear the charges of the defendant We trust that your Lordships will think that it is not against reason for us to demand some reparation of this kinde and that the Parliament of England by whose wisedome and justice we have expected the redresse of our wrongs will take such course as both may in reason give us satisfaction and may in the notable demonstration of their Justice serve most for their own honour Our earnestnesse in following this our Demand doth not so far wrong our fight and make us so undiscerning as not to make a difference between the Kingdome and Parliament of England which did neither discerne nor set forward a Warre against us And that prevalent faction of Prelates and Papists who have moved every stone against us and used all sorts of means not onely their Counsells Subsidies and Forces but their Church Canons and Prayers for our utter ruine which maketh them obnoxious to our just accusations and guilty of all the losses and wrongs which this time past we have sustained Yet this we desire your Lordships to consider That the States of the Kingdome of Scotland being assembled did endeavour by their Declarations Informations and Remonstrances and by the proceedings of their Commissioners to make known unto the Councell Kingdome and Parliament of England and to forewarn them of the mischief intended against both Kingdomes in their Religion and Liberties by the Prelates and papists to the end that our Invasion from England might have been prevented if by the prevalency of the faction it had been possible And therefore we may now with the greater reason and confidence presse our Demand that your Lordships the Parliament the Kingdome and the King himself may see us repaired in our losses at the cost of that faction by whose means we have sustained so much dammage And which except they repent we finde sorrow recompenced for our grief torments for our toyl and an infinite greater losse for the Temporall losses they have brought upon a whole Kingdome which was dwelling by them in peace All the devices and doings of our common enemies were to bear down the truth of Religion and the just liberties of the Subjects in both Kingdomes They were confident to bring this about one of two wayes Either by blocking us up by Sea and Land to constrain us to admit their will for a law both in Church and Policy and thus to make us a precedent for the like misery in England or by their Invasion of our Kingdome to compell us furiously and without order to break into England That the two Nations once entred into a bloody Warre they might fish in our troubled waters and catch their desired prey But as we declared before our coming We trusted that God would turn their wisedome into foolishnesse and bring their devices upon their own pares by our Intentions and Resolutions to come into England as among our Brethren in the most peaceable way that could stand with our safety in respect of our common enemies to present our petitions for setling our peace by a Parliament in England wherein the intentions and actions both of our adversaries and ours might be brought to light The Kings Majesty and the Kingdome right informed The Authors and Instruments of our divisions and troubles punished All the mischiefs of a Nationall and doubtfull warre prevented and Religion and Liberty with greater peace and amity than ever before established against all the craft and violence of our enemies This was our Declaration before we set our England from which our deportments since have not varied And it hath been the Lords wonderfull doing by the wise counsels and just proceedings of the Parliament to bring it in a great part to passe and to give us lively hopes of a happy conclusion And therefore we will never doubt but that the Parliament in their wisedom and iustice will provide that a proportionable part of the cost and charges of a work so great and so comfortable to both Nations be born by the Delinquents there that with the better conscience the good people of England may sit under their own Vines and Fig-trees refreshing themselves although upon our great pains and hazard yet not altogether upon our cost and charges which we are not able to bear The Kingdome of England doth know and confesse that the innovation of religion and liberties in Scotland were not the principall designe of our common enemies but that both in the intention of the workers whose zeal was hottest for setling their devices at home and in the condition so the work making us whom they conceived to be the weaker for opposition to be nothing else but a leading case for England And that although by the power of God which
a few hard words against Iesuites all popery is countenanc'd Whosoever squares his actions by any rule either Divine or Humane hee is a Puritan Whosoever would be governed by the Kings Lawes he is a Puritan Hee that will not doe whatsoever other men would have him doe he is a Puritan Their great worke their Master-piece now is To make all those of the Religion to be the suspected party of the Kingdome Let us further reflect upon the ill effect these Courts have wrought what by a defection from us on the one side a separation on the other Some imagining whither we are tending made haste to turne or declare themselves Papists before hand thereby hoping to render themselves the more gracious the more acceptable A great multitude of the Kings Subjects striving to hold communion with us but seeing how far we were gone and searing how much further we wouâ—d goe were forc'd to flye the Land some into other inhabited Countries very many into Savago wildernesses because the Land would not bear them Do not they that cause these things cast a reproach upon the government Mr. Speaker let it be our principall care that these wayes neither continue nor returne upon us If wee secure our Religion wee shall cut off and defeat many Plots that are now on foot by Them and Others Beleeve it Sir Religion hath beene for a long time and still is the great designe upon this Kingdome It is a knowne and practic'd principle That they who would introduce another Religion into the Church must first trouble and disorder the government of the State that so they may worke their ends in a confusion which now lyes at the doore I come next Mr. Speaker to the Kings businesse more particularly which indeed is the Kingdomes for one hath no existence no being without the other their relation is so neere yet some have strongly and subtilly laboured a divorce which hath beene the very band both of King and Kingdome When foundations are shaken it is high time to looke to the building He hath no Heart no Head no Soule that is not moved in his whole man to look upon the distresses the miseries of the Common-wealth that is not forward in all that he is and hath to redresse them in a right way The King likewise is reduced to great straights wherein it were undutifulnesse beyond inhumanity to take advantage for him let us rather make it an advantage for him to doe him best service when he hath most need Not to seeke our owne good but in Him and with Him else wee shall commit the same crimes our selves which wee must condemne in others His Majesty hath clearely and freely put himselfe into the hands of this Parliament and I presume there is not a Man in this House but feeles himselfe advanc't in this high trust but if Hee prosper no better in our hands than he hath done in theirs who have hitherto had the handling of his affaires wee shall for ever make our selves unworthy of so gracious a confidence I have often thought and said that it must bee some great extremity that would recover and certifie this state and when thâ—t extremity did come Jt would be a great hazzard whether it might prove a remedy or ruine We are now Mr. Speaker upon that verticall turning poynt and therefore it is no time to palliate to foment our owne undoing Let us set upon the remedy wee must first know the Disease But to discover the deseases of the State is according to some to traduce the Government yet others are of opinion that this is the halfe way to the Cure His Majesty is wiser than they that have advised him and therefore hee cannot but see and feele their subverting destructive Counsells which speake lowder than I can speak of them for they ring a dolefull deadly knell over the whole Kingdome His Majesty best knowes who they are for us let the Matters bolt out the men their actions discover them They are men that talke largely of the Kings service have done none but their owne and that 's too evident They speake highly of the Kings power but they have made it a miserable power that produceth nothing but weaknesse both to the King and Kingdome They have exhausted the Kings revenew to the bottome nay through the bottome and beyond They have spent vast summes of money wastefully fruitlesly dangerously So that more money without other Counsells will be but a swift undoing They have alwayes peremptorily pursued one obstinate pernicious course First they bring things to an extremitie then they make that extremity of their owne making the reason of their next action seven times worse than the former and there wee are at this instant They have almost spoyled the best instituted Government in the world for Soveraignty in a King liberty to the Subject the proportionable temper of both which makes the happiest state for power for riches for duration They have unmannerly and slubbringly cast all their Projects all their Machinations upon the King which no wise or good Minister of State ever did but would still take all harsh distasteful things upon themselves to cleare to sweeten their Master They have not suffered his Majestie to appeare unto his people in his owne native goodnesse They have eclipsed him by their interposition althogh grosse condense bodies may obscure and hinder the Sun from shining out yet is hee still the same in his owne splendor And when they are removed all Creatures under him are directed by his light comforted by his beames But they have framed a superstitious seeming Maxime of State for their owne turne That if a King will suffer men to be torne from him hee shall never have any good service done him When the plaine truth is that this is the surest way to preserve a King from having ill servants abâ—ut him And the Divine Truth likewise is Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shall be established Mr. Speaker Now wee see what the sores are in generall and when more particulars shall appeare let us be very carefull to draw out the Cores of them not to skin them over with a slight suppurating fâ—string Cure lest they breake out againe into a greater m schiefe consider of it consult and speake your min es It hath heretofore beene boasted That the King should never call a Parliament till he had no need of his people These were words of Division and malignitie The King must alwaies according to his occasions have use of his peoples Power Hearts Hands Purses The People will alwayes have need of the Kings Clemencie Iustice Protection And this Reciprocation is the strongest the sweetest union It hath bin said too of late That a Parliament will take away more from the King then they will give him It may well be said That those things which will fall away of themselves will enable the Subject to give him more than can be taken any way
would scarce remunerat the iniuries repay the losses of this suffering Nation since the pronouncing of that fatall sentence What proportionable satisfaction then can this Common-wealth receive in the punishment of a few inconsiderable Delinquents But 't is a Rule valid in Law approved in equity that Qui non habent in crumen Luant in Corpore And 't is without all question in policy exemplar punishments conduce more to the safety of a State than pecuniary reparations Hope of impunity lulls every bad-great-officer into security for his time and who would not venture to raise a Fortune when the allurements of honour and wealth are so prevalent if the worst is can fall be but Restitution We see the bad effects of this bold-erroneous opinion what was at first but corrupt Law by encouragement taken from their impunity is since become false Doctrine the people taught in Pulpits they have no property Kings instructed in that destructive principle that all is theirs and is thence deduc'd into necessary state-policy whispered in counsell That he is no Monarch who is bounded by any Law By which bad consequences the best of Kings hath bin by the infusion of such poysonous positions diverted from the sweet inclinations of his own Naturall Equity and Justice the very essence of a King taken from him which is preservation of his people and whereas Salus populi is or should be Suprema Lex the power of undoing us is masqu'd under the stile of what should be Sacred Royall Prerogative And is it not high time for us to make examples of the first authors of this subverted Law bad Counsell worse Doctrine Let no man think to divert us from the pursuit of Iustice by poysoning the clear streams of our affections with jealous sears of his Majesties Interruption if we look too high Shall we therefore doubt of Iustice because we have need of great Justice We may be confident the King well knows That his Iustice is the Band of our Allegiance That 't is the staffe the proof of his Soveraignty 'T is a happy assurance of his intentions of grace to us that our loyalty hath at last won him to tender the safety of his people and certainly all our pressures weighed this 12 yeers last past it will be found the passive loyalty of this suffering Nation hath our-done the active duty of all Times and Stories As the Poet hath it fortiter ille facit qui miser esse potest I may as properly say Fideliter fecimus we have done loyally to suffer so patiently Then since our Royall Lord hath in mercy visited us let us not doubt but in his Justice he will redeem his people Qui timidè rogat docet negare But when Religion is innovated our Liberties violated our Fundamentall Laws abrogated our modern Laws already obsoleted the propriety of our Estates alienated Nothing left us we can call our own but our misery and our patience if ever any Nation might iustifiably this certainly may now now most properly most seasonably cry out and cry aloud vel Sacra Regnet Iustitia vel Ruat Coelum Mr. Speaker the summe of my humble motion is that a speciall Committee may be appointed to examine the whole carriage of that Extraiudiciall iudgement Who were the Counsellors Soliciters and subscribers to the same the reasons of their Subscription whether according to their opinions by importunity or pressure of others whether proforma tantum And upon report thereof to draw up a charge against the guilty and then Lex Currat Fiat Iustitia A brief Discourse concerning the power of the Peers and Commons of Parliament in point of Iudjcature SIR to give you as short an account of your desires as I can I must crave leave to lay you as a ground the frame or first modell of this State When after the period of the Saxon time Harold had lifted himself into the Royall Seat the Great men to whom but lately he was no more equall either in fortune or power disdaining this act of arrogancy called in William then Duke of Normandy a Prince more active than any in these Western parts and renowned for many victories he had fortunately atchieved against the French King then the most potent Monarch in Europe This Duke led along with him to this work of glory many of the younger sons of the best families of Normandy Picardy and Flanders who as undertakers accompanied the undertaking of this fortunate man The Usurper slain and the Crown by war gained to secure certain to his posterity what he had so suddenly gotten he shared out his purchase retaining in each County a portion to support the Dignity Soveraign which was styled Demenia Regni now the ancient Demeans and assigning to others his adventures such portions as suited to himself dependancy of their personall service except such Lands as in free Almes were the portion of the Church these were styled Barones Regis the Kings immediate Freeholders for the word Baro imported then no more As the King to these so these to their followers subdivided part of their shares into Knights fees and their Tenants were called Barones Comites or the like for we finde as in the Kings Writ in their Writs Baronibus suis Francois Anglois the Soveraigne gifts for the most part extending to whole Counties or Hundreds an Earl being Lord of the one and a Baron of the inferiour donations to Lords of Town-ships or Mannors And thus the Land so was all course of Iudicature divided even from the meanest to the highest portion each severall had his Court of Law preserving still the Mannor of our Ancestors the Saxons who jura per pages reddebant and these are still tearmed Court-Barons or the Freeholders Court twelve usually in number who with the Thame or chief Lord were Iudges The Hundred was next where the Hundredus or Aldermanus Lord of the Hundred with the chief Lord of each Township within their limits iudged Gods people observed this form in the publike Centureonis decam Judicabant plebem omni tempore The County or Generale placitum was the next this was so to supply the defect or remedy the corruption of the inferiour Vbi Curiae Dominorum probantur defecisse pertinet ad vice comitem Provinciarum the Iudges here were Comites vice comites Barones Comitatus qui liberas in hoc terras babeant The last and supreme and proper to our question was generale placitum apud London universalis Synodus in Charters of the Conquerour Capitalis curia by Glanvile Magnum Commune consilium coram Rege magnatibus suis In the Rolles of Henry the 3. It is not stative but summoned by Proclamation Edicitur generale placitum apud London saith the book of Abingdon whether Epium Duces principes Satrapae Rectores Causidici ex omni parte confluxerunt ad istam curiam saith Glanvile Causes were referred Propter aliquam dubitationem quae emergit in comitatu cum
it that it may quadrare with the great Charter of our liberties and the Laws of this Kingdom This Court hath for many yeers together ridden upon the back of the common Law Courts which ought to have been subservient to them Each river must be kept within its own bounds and it is unpossible to have two Suns shine together in one Firmament They have likewise many superfluous Courts which I conceive might very well be spared as their Officiall Courts and Commissary Courts Sir they are no better than cozening Lotteries where the Kings Subjects are detained of their moneyes and where their Judges and inferiour Officers do like Physitians that alway cure themselves though they destroy their patients I confesse I could willingly give my consent that they should keep their Chancellors Court and an Archdeacon Court if such limits and bounds were put upon them as by the wisedom of this House may easily be done The Chancellor is custos consciencie the Keeper of the Bishops conscience and the Archdeacon is oculus Episc the Bishops eye And as I would not take away their consciences or their eyes so I would not have them like Briarius have their finger in every businesse This Sir I have shortly presented you with my opinion that is that I am not willing it that should be referred to or committed upon the point of subversion but I am willing it should be referred upon the point of reformation And if the sence of the House shall run that way I doubt not but at the Commitree I shall make it manifest that my heart stands affected with as much zeal for the having a reformation as any man that sits within these walls DENSELL HOLLIS Esquior His speech at the deliverie of the Protestation to the LORDS May the fourth 1641. My Lords THe Kuights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons having taken into their consideration the present estate and condition of this Kingdome they finde it surrounded with variety of pernicious dangers and destructive designes practises and plots against the well being of it and some of those designes hatched within our owne bowells and Viper-like working our own destruction They finde Jesuits and Priests conspiring with ill ministers of State to destroy our Religion they finde ill ministers conioyn'd together to subvert the Lawes and liberties They finde obstructions of Justice which is the life-bloud of every State and having a free passage from the Soveraign power where it is as primarily seated as the life-bloud in the heart and there derived from the severall Judicatories or through so many veins into all the parts of this great collective Bodie doth give warmth and motion to every part and member which is nourished and inlivened by it But being once precluded stoppd and reared as the particular must of necessity faint and languish so must the whole frame of government be dissolved And consequently Soveraignty it selfe which as the heart in the body is primum movens ultimum moriens must dye and perish in the generall dissolution and all things as in the beginning in antiquum Chaos My Lords They finde the property of the Subject invaded and violated his estate rent from him by illegall taxations Monopolies and proiects almost upon every thing that is for the use of man not only upon superfluities but necessaries and that enrich the Vermine and Caterpillers of the Land and impoverishing good Subiects to take the meat from the Children and give it to Dogs My Lords if the Commons finde these things they conceive they must needs be ill counsels that have brought us into this condition These Counsels have put all into a combustion have discouraged the hearts of all true English men and brought two Armies into our bowels which is the Unlture upon Prometheus eats through and sucks and gnaws our very hearts out Hic Dolor sed ubi Medicina Heretofore Parliaments were the Catholicall the balm of Gilead which healed our wounds restored our spirits and made up the breaches of the Land But of late years they have been like the Fig-tree in the Gospel without effecacie without fruit onley destructive to their particular members who discharged their duties and consciences no way beneficiall to the Common-welth Nohis exitiale nec Reipublico profuturum As he saith in Tacitus being taken away still as Elias was with a whirle-wind never comming to any maturity or to their naturall end whereas they should be like the blessed old maâ— who dieth plenus dierâ—â—â— in a full ago after he had fought a good fight and overcomâ— all his enemies Or as the shâ—cke of wheat wâ—ich commeth in due season to fill our Garnaries with corn uphold our lives with the staffe of bread for Parliaments are our panis quotidianus our true bread all other waies are but Quelkachees which yeeld no true nourishment bread nor good blood The very Parliament which hath sate so long hath but beat the Ayre and strive against the streame I may truly say the wind and tyde hath still been against us The same ill counsell which first raised the storm and almost shipwrackt the Common-wealth they still continue they blow strong like the East wind that brought the Locusts over their Counsells crosse our designes cast difficulties in our way hinder our proceediâ—gs and make all that we do to be fruitlesse and ineffectuall They make us not masters of our busines and so not masters of many which have been the great busines of this Parliament that we might pay the Armies according to our promises and engagements For my Lords our not effecting of the good things which we have undertaken for the good of the Church and of the Common-wealth hath wounded our Reputation and taken off from our credit Is it not time then my Lords that we should unite and concentrate our selves in regard of this Anteparisiasis of hurtfull and malicious intentions and practises against us My Lords it is most agreeable to nature and I am sure most agreeable to reason in respect of the present coniuncture of our affairs for one main Engine by which our enemies work our mischief is by infusing an opinion and bâ—leiâ— into the world that we are not united among our selves But like Sampsons Foxes we draw severall wayes and tend to our severall ends To defeat the Counsels of these Achitophels which would involve us Our Religion our being our Lawes our liberties all that can be neere and deere unto an henest soule in one universall and generall desolation to defeat I say the Counsels of evill Achitophels the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons knowing themselves to be specially entrusted with the preservation of the whole and in their Conscience are perswaded that the dangers are so eminent as they will admit of no delay have thought fit to declare their united affections by entring into an assosciation amongst themselves and by making a solemne Protestation and vow unto their God that they will
is made perfect in weaknesse they have found amongst us greater resistance than they did fear or either they or our selves could have apprehended Yet as it hath been the will of God that we should endure the heat of the day so in the evening the precious wages of the vindication of religion liberties and laws are to be received by both Kingdoms and will enrich we hope to our unspeakable ioy the present age and the posterity with blessings that cannot be valued and with the good people of England esteem more than treasures of Gold and willingly would have puachased with many thousands We do not plead that conscience and piety have moved some men to serve God upon their own cost and that justice and equity have directed others where the harvest hath been common to consider the pains of labouring and the charges of the sowing yet thus much may we say that had a forraigne enemy intending to reduce the whole Island into Popery made the first assault upon her weaknesse we nothing doubt but the Kingdome of England from their desire to preserve their Religion and liberties would have found the way to bear with us the expence of our resistance and lawfull defence how much more being invaded although not by England yet from England by common enemies seeking the same ends we expect to be helped and relieved We will never conceive that it is either the will or the weal and honour of England that we should go from so blessed a work after so many grievous sufferings bearing on our backs the insupportable burdens of worldly necessities and distresses return to our Country empty and exhausted in which the people of all ranks sexes and conditions have spent themselves The possessions of every man who devoted himself heartily to this cause are burdened not onely with his own personall and particular expence but with the publike and common charges of which if there be no relief neither can our Kingdom have peace at home nor any more credit for Commerce abroad Nor will it be possible for us either to aid and assist our friends or to resist and oppose the restlesse and working wickednesse of our enemies The best sort will lose much of the sweetnesse of the enjoying of their religion and liberties and others will run such wayes and undirect courses as their desperate necessity will drive them into We shall be but a burthen to our selves a vexation unto others of whose strength we desire to be a considerable part and a fit subject for our enemies to work upon for obtaining their now disappointed but never dying desires We will not alledge the example of other Kingdomes where the losses of necessary and just defence had been repaired by the other party nor will we remember what help we have made according to our abilities to other reformed Churches and what the kingdome of England of old and of late hath done to Germany France and Holland nor do we use so many words that England may be burthened and we eased or that this should be a matter of our Covetousnesse and not of their Justice and kindnesse Justice in respect of our adversaries who are the causes of the great misery and necessity to which we have been brought kindnesse in the supply of our wants who have been tender of the welfare of England as of our own that by this equality and mutuall respect both Nations may be supported in such strength and sufficiency that we may be the more serviceable to his Majesty and abound in every good work both towards one another and for the comfort and reliefe of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas that we may all blesse God and that the blessing of God may be upon us all The English Peers demand concerning the preceding Articles WHether this be a positive demand or onely an intimation of the charge thereby to induce the Kingdome of England to take your distressed estate into consideration and to afford you some friendly assistance The Scottish Commissioners answer to the demand WE would be no lesse willing to bear our losses if we had ability than we have been ready to undergo the hazard But because the burden of the whole doth far exceed our strength We have as is more fully conceived in our Papers represented to your Lordships our charges and losses not intending to demand a totall repairation but of such a proportionable part as that we may in some measure bear the remanent which we conceive your Lordships having considered our reasons will judge to be a matter not of covetousnesse but of the said Justice and kindenesse of the Kingdome of England Proposition of the Peers to proceed to the other Demands during the debate of the Scottish losses THat in the Interim whilst the Houses of Parliament take into consideration your Demand of losses and dammages you proceed to settle the other Articles of the peace and intercourse betwixt the two Kingdomes Answer to the Peers Demand WE have represented our losses and thereby our distressed condition ingenuously and in the singlenesse of our hearts with very great moderation passing over many things which to us are great burthens that there might be no difficulty or cause of delay on our part hoping that the honorable Houses of Parliament would thereby be moved at their first convenience to take the matter to their consideration We do not demand a totall reparation nor do we speak of the payment till we consult about the setling of a solid peace at which time the wayes of lifting and paying the money may be considered We do onely desire to know what proportion may be expected That this being once determined and all impediments arising from our by-past troubles removed we may with the greater confidence and more hearty consent on both sides proceed to the establishing of a firm and durable peace for time to come It is not unknown to your Lordships what desperate desires and miserable hopes our adversaries have conceived of a breach upon this Article And we do foresee what snares to us and difficulties to your Lordships may arise upon the post poning and laying aside of this Article to the last place And therefore that our adversaries may be out of hope and we out of fear and that the setling of peace may be the more easie We are the more earnest that as the former articles have been so this may be upon greater reasons considered in its own place and order Your Lordships upon the occasion of some motions made heretofore of the transposing of our Demands do know that not onely the substance but the order of the propounding of them is contained in our instructions And as we can alter nothing without warrant the craving whereof will take more time than the Houses of Parliament will bestow upon the consideration of this Article So are we acquainted with the reasons yet standing in force which moved the ordering of this Demand And therefore let us still be earnest with your Lordships that there be no halting here where the adversaries did most and we did least of all by reason of the justice and kindenesse of the Houses of Parliament expect it Resolved on the Question THat this House doth conceive that the summe of three hundreth thousand pounds is a fit proportion for that friendly assistance and relief formerly thought fit to be given towards the supply of the losses and necessities of our Brethren of Scotland And that this House will in due time take into consideration the manner how and the time when the same shall be raised Answer of the Scots Commissioners WE intreat your Lordships whose endeavours God hath blessed in this great work to make known to the Parliament that we do no lesse desire to shew our thankfulnesse for their friendly assistance and relief than we have been earnest in demanding the same But the thankfulnesse which we conceive to be due doth not consist in our affections or words at this time but in the mutuall kindenesse and reall demonstrations to be expected from the whole Kingdome of Scotland in all time coming and that not onely for the measure and proportion which the Parliament hath conceived to be fit and which to begin our thankfulnesse now we do in name of the whole Kingdome cheerfully accept of but also for the kinde and Christian manner of granting it unto us as to their Brethren which addeth a weight above many thousands and cannot be compensed but by paying their reciprocal love and duty of Brethren And for the resolution to consider in due time of the raising of the same for our relief which also maketh the benefit to be double This maketh us confident that God whose working at this time hath been wnoderfull hath decreed the peace and amity of the two Kingdomes and will remove all rubs out of the way that our enemies will at last despair to divide us when they see that God hath joyned us in such a fraternity And that divine providence will plentifully recompence unto the Kingdome of England this their justice and kindenesse and unto Scotland all their losses which shall not by these and other means amongst our selves be repaired but by the rich and sweet blessings of the purity and power of the Gospel attended with the benefits of an unhappy and durable peace under his Majesties long and prosperous raigne and of his royall posterity to all generations FINIS
observe that our Saviour Christ as hee alwayes rejected all Civill judicature so on the other side he went up and downe healing mens bodies and otherwise doing good to their outward estate that his Doctrine might have a freer and fairer passage into their Soules For the corruption that I spoke of in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction I doe not meane any personall corruption but a deviation or aberration from the prescript of the Divine Rule And though it bee not easie to finde what that is in all particulars yet it is not hard to say what it is not and that I doubt may prove our case indivors things Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction we know extendes either to the Clergy onely and consisteth in the Ordination Admission Suspension and deprivation of them or else it extendeth to the whole Church and consisteth in Excommunication and Absolution As to the Ordination Admission Suspension and Deprivation of Ministers we see how it is wholy at the pleasure of one man and that of one man proceeding in a manner Arbitrarily and that of one man whose interest is concerned in it that the doore shall be shut against able and painful preaching Ministers and a wide doore set open to such as are unable and unfit for that function many and great and dangerous evills arise from hence As first that there is a constant bate and fewd between the Ecclesiasticall State and the Civill betweene Prelates and Parliaments betweene the Canon Law and the Common Law betweene the Clergy and the Common-wealth arising from the Disproportion and Dissimilitude which is betweene the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Government however it may seeme to some to agree well enough but the truth is if we consider his Majesty as the Common-head over the Ecclesiasticall State as well as the Civill wee shall finde that in the exercise of all Civill jurisdiction in all Courts under his Majesty the power is not in any one or his Deputies and Commissaries as it is in the Ecclesiasticall Government in the severall Diocesses throughout this Kingdome If wee looke first upon the Highest and greatest Court the High Court of Parliament wee know that is a Councell and a great Councell too In like manner in the inferiour Courts of Westminster-Hal there are many Judges in the point of Law and more in matter of Fact wherein every man is judged by twelve of equall condition unto him I meane the Juries which are Iudges of the Fact both in causes Civill and Criminall And if we look into the Country we shall find the Sessions and Assizes and other Courts held not by any one but by divers Commissioners And in short in the Civill Government every man from the greatest to the least hath some share in the Government according to the Proportion of his Interest in the Common-wealth But in the Government of the Church all is in the hands of one Man in the severall Diocesses or of his Chancellors or Commissaries and he exacts Canonicall Obedience to his Pontificall Commands with a totall Exclusion of those that notwithstanding have as much share in the Church and consequently as much Interest in the Government of it as they have in that of the Common-wealth Sir untill the Ecclesiasticall government be framed something of another twist and be more assimilated unto that of the Common-wealth I feare the Ecclesiasticall government will bee no good neighbour unto the Civill but will be still a casting in of its leaven into it to reduce that also to a sole absolute and arbitrary way of proceeding And herein Sir I doe not beleeve that I utter Prophesies but what wee have already found and felt A second and that a great evill and of dangerous consequence in this sole and arbitrary power of Bishops over their Clergy is this that they have by that meanes a power to place and displace the whole Clergy of their Diocesse at their pleasure and this is such a power as for my part I had rather they had the like power over the Estate and persons of all within their Diocesse for if I hold the one but at the will and pleasure of one man I meane the Ministery under which I must live I can have but little or at least no certain joy nor comfort in the other But this is not all for if they have such a power to mould the Clergy of their Diocesses according to their pleasure wee know what an Influence they may have by them upon the people that in a short time they may bring them to such blindnesse and so mould them also to their owne wills as that they may bring in what Religion they please nay having put out our eyes as the Philistins did Sampsons they may afterwards make us grinde and reduce us unto what slavery they please either unto themselves as formerly they have done or unto others as some of them lately have beene forward enough to doe Now whether it be safe to walke upon Stilts on the top of the pinacles of the Temple upon so high precipices as are the matters of Religion and Conscience which may have also a dangerous Influence upon our civill liberties I leave it to your consideration for my part I should not thinke it safe that such a power should bee in any one man though you suppose him to be a very good man A third evill and that of dangerous consequence is that the doore is shut against able and painfull Preaching Ministers and a wide doore set open to those that are unable and unfit for that function and the Bishops interest is concerned in it that it should bee so Interest of honour Interest of profit and Interest of power Interest of credit for they see that those painfull Preachers carry away all the credit from them and they neither can nor will doe the like themselves they cannot by reason they are so intangled with the affaires of this world and civill jurisdiction they will not their great Dignities and Honours make them so stately that they thinke it is not Episcopall to preach often and on the other side they are so fat and live so much at their ease that through idlenesse they cannot bring their mindes unto it and so first ariseth envy against those that doe take paines and thence after springeth persecution In the next place their Interest is concerned in matter of profit for they suppose that if the credit of their Diana fall to the ground their gaine will after cease and that the people will thinke much that some men should take all the paines and other goe away with all the profit Lastly their Interest is concerned in it in poynt of power for they finde that neither such preaching Ministers nor their Auditors are so plyable to yield blinde Canonicall obedience as others are and so it concernes them in poynt of power to stop their mouthes And now it must needes follow by the rule of Contraries that it must be for their profit
the learnedst of the Reformed Churches abroad and lastly a government under which till these late yeares this Church hath so flourished so fructified that such a government such a function should at the fagge end of 1640. yeares bee found to have such a close Devill in it as no power can Exercise no Law Restraine appeares Sir to mee a thing very improbable I professe I am deceived Sir if Trienniall Parliaments will not be a Circle able to keep many a worse Devill in order For the second I know not the strength of other mens fancies but I will confesse unto you ingenuously the weaknesse of my faith in the poynt that I doe not beleeve there can any other government bee proposed but will in time bee subject to as great or greater inconveniences than Episcopacy I meane Episcopacy so ordered reduced and limitted as I suppose it may bee by firme and solid Boundaries T is true Sir we cannot so well judge before-hand of future inconveniences for the knowledge of the faults and mischiefes of Episcopall government resulting from fresh and bleeding experience And the insight into dangers of any new way that shall be proposed being to rise onely from speculation the apprehension of the one is likely to be much more operative than of the other though perhâ—ps in just reason it ought to bee the weaker with us it is hard in such cases for us to preserve an equall and unpropense judgement since being in things of this world so much too hard for faith and contemplation yet as Divine as our inspection is into things not experimented if wee hearken to those that would quite extirpate Episcopacy I am confident that in stead of every Bishops wee put downe in a Diocesse wee shall set up a Pope in every Pariâ—h Lastly Mr. Speaker whether the subversion of Episcopacy and the introducing of another kinde of Government be practiceable I leave it to those to judge who have considered the Connexion and Interweaving of the Church Government with the Common Law to those who heard the Kings Speech to us the other day or who have looked into reason of state For my part though no Statesman I will speake my minde freely in this I doe not thinke a King can put downe Bishops totally with safety to Monarchy not that there is any such allyance as men talk of 'twixt the Myter and the Crowne but from this reason that upon the putting downe of Bishops the Government of Assemblies is likely to succeed it That to bee effectuall must draw to it selfe the supremacy of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction that consequently the power of Excommunicating Kings as well as any other brother in Christ and if a King chance to be delivered over to Sathan judge whether men are likely to care much what becomes of him next These things considered M. Speaker let us lay aside all thoughts of such dangerous such fundamentall such unaccomplished Alterations and all thought of countenancing those thoughts in others let us all resolve upon that course wherein with union wee may probably promise our selves successe happinesse and security that is in a through Reformation To that no mans vote shall be given with more zeale with more heartinesse than mine Let us not destroy Bishops but make Bishops such as they were in the Primitive times Doe their large Terriories their large Revenues offend let them be retrencht the good Bishops of Hippo had but a narrow Diocesse Doe their Courts and subordinates offend let them be brought to governe as in the Primitive times by Assemblies of their Clergy Doth their intermedling in secular affaires offend exclude them from the capacity it is no more than what Reason and all Antiquity hath interdicted them That all this may bee the better effected M. Speaker my mottion is that First we may appoynt a Committee to collect all grievances springing from the misgovernment of the Church to which the Ministers head of Government will bee sufficient without countenancing this Petition by a Commitment and to represent it to this house in a Body And in the next place that wee may if it stand with the order of Parliaments desire that there may bee a standing Committee of certain members of both Houses who with a number of such learned Ministers as the Houses shall nominate for Assistants may take into consideration all these grievances and advise of the best way to settle peace and satisfaction in the Government of the Church to the comfort of all good Christians and all good Common-wealths Men. The Accusation and Impeachment of John LORD Finch Baron of Fordwich Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England by the House of COMMONS IMprimis That the said Iohn Lord Finch Baron of Fordwich Lord Keeper c. hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to subvert the fundamentall Lawes and established Government of the Realme of England and in stead thereof to introduce an arbitrary tyrannâ—call government against Law which hee hath declared by trayterous and wicked words counsells opinions judgements practices and actions II. That in pursuance of those his trayterous and wicked purposes hee did in the third and fourth yeare of his Majesties reigne or one of them being then Speaker of the Commons House of Parliament contrary to the commands of the House then assembled and sitting denyed and hindred the reading of some things which the said House of Commons required to bee read for the safety of the King and Kingdome preservation of the Religion of this Realme and did forbid all the members of the house to speake and said that if any did offer to speake he would rise and goe away and said nothing should bee then done in the house and did offer to rise and goe away and did thereby and otherwise in as much as in him lay endeavour to subvert the ancient and undeubted rights and course of Parliaments III. That he being of his Majesties Councell at the Iustice seate held for the County of Essex in the moneth of October in the tenth yeare of his now Majesties reigne at Strafford Langton in the same County being then of his Majesties Councell in that Service did practise by unlawfull meanes to enlarge the Forrest of that County many Miles beyond the knowne bounds thereof as they had beene enjoyed neere 300 yeares contrary to the Law and to the Charter of the liberties of the Forest and other Charters and divers Acts of Parliament and for effecting the same did unlawfully cause and procure undue returnes to be made of Iurors and great numbers of other persons who were unsworne to be joyned to them of the Iury and threatned and awed the sayd Iurors to give a Verdict for the King and by unlawfull means did surprise the County that they might not make Defence and did use severall menacing wicked Speeches and Actions to the Iury and others for obtayning his unjust purpose aforesaid and after a Verdict obtained for the King in the Moneth of April following at
holy Church and of his grace and bounty he will confirme all those liberties priviledges and rights granted and given by him and his noble Progenitors to the Church by their Charters which plainly sheweth that they have their Episcopall Jurisdiction from the Kings of England and not Iure divino by divine right and this likewise is acknowledged by themselves in the Statute of 37. H. 8. cap. 17. that they have their Episcopall jurisdiction and all other Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction whatsoever solely and onely by from and under the King The second thing that is trenching upon the Crowne is this that it is holden at this day that Episcopacy is inseparable to the Crowne of England and therefore it is commonly now said No Bishop no King no Miter no Scepter which I utterly deny for it is plaine and apparant that the Kings of England were long before Bishops and have a subsistance without them and have done and may still depose them The third is likewise considerable as trenching upon the Crowne which is that was said under the Gallery that Episcopacy was a third estate in Parliament and therefore the King and Parliament could not be without them This I utterly deny for there are three estates without them as namely the King who is the first estate the Lords Temporall the second and the Commons the third and I know no fourth estate Besides the Kings of England have had many Parliaments wherein there have beene no Bishops at all as for example Ed. 1.24 of his reigne held his Parliament at Edmundbury excluso Clero and in the Parliament 7. R. 2. c. 3. 7. R. 2. c. 12. it doth appeare that they were enacted by the King with the assent and agreement of the Lords Temporall and Commons where the estates of Parliamen are mentioned and not the Clergie Divers other statutes might likewise be named to this purpose which I omit The fourth and last thing is of the Bishops holding of the Ecclesiasticall Courts in their owne names and not in the name of the King nor by Commission from him contrary to the Statute of 1 Edw. 6. cap. 2. and contrary to the practice of Bishop Ridley Coverdale and Ponnet who tooke Commissions from the KING for holding their Ecclesiasticall Courts as may be seene at this day in the Rolles And although it will be objected that by a late Proclamation in the yeare of our Lord God 1637. wherein the opinion of the Iudges mentioned it is declared upon their opinion that the act of 1 Edw. 6. was repealed and that Bishops may now keep Courts in their owne names and send processe under their owne Seales yet it is well knowne that the Statute of 1 Q. Mary which repealed the Statute of 1 Ed. 6. was it selfe repealed by the Statute of 1 Iac. cap 25. Whereupon it was holden upon a full debate of this poynt in Parliament 7 Iac. which I have seene that upon consideration of the Statutes of 1 Iac. and 1. Eliz. cap 1. and 8 Eliz. cap. 1. that the Statute of 1 Ed. 6. was revived and that Bishops ought not to keepe Courts in their owne names So that for these reasons so nearely concerning the right of the Crowne of England in the poynt of Episcopacy I am against the proposall of that question and am for the retaining of the London Petition and for a thorow Reformation of all abuses and grievances of Episcopacy mentioned in the Ministers Remonstrance which Reformation may perhaps serve the turne without alteration of the Government of England into a forme of Presbytery as it is in other Kingdomes of Scotland France Genâ—va and the Low Countries which for mine owne part had I lived in these Kingdomes I should have bin of the opinion of the Protestant party in point of Presbytery because those Kingdomes are governed by the Civill Law which maintaines the jurisdiction of the Pope and Papall Episcopacy which the ancient Lawes of England condemne being likewise in themselves opposite to the Civill and Canon Lawes And if notwithstanding all the Reformation that can be made by the Lawes of this Land a better forme of government may evidently appeare to us concerning which there is no forme now before us it is to be taken by us into consideration according to that imperiall Constitution in these words In rebus nobis constituendis evidens utilitas esse debet ut ab eo jure recedatur quod diu aequum visum est And so Mr. Speaker I shortly conclude that for these Reasons omitting divers more the London Petition is to be retained The Speeches of Sir Benjamin Rudyer in the High Court of Parliament Mr. Speaker WEe are here assembled to doe Gods businesse and the Kings in which our owne is included as wee are Christians as wee are Subjects Let us first feare GOD then shall wee honour the King the more for I am afrayd wee have beene the lesse prosperous in Parliaments because wee have preferred other matters before Him Let Religion be our Primum Quarite for all things else are but Etcaetera's to it yet we may have them too sooner and surer if wee give God his precedence We well know what disturbance hath been brought upon the Church for vain petty trifles How the whole Church the whole Kingdome hath beene troubled where to place a Metaphor an Altar Wee have seene Ministers their Wives Children and Families undone against Law against Conscience against all Bowells of Compassion about not dancing upon Sundayes What doe these sort of men think will become of themselves when the Master of the house shall come and finde them thus beating their fellow servants These Inventions were but Sives made of purpose to winnow the best men and that 's the Devills occupation They have a minde to worry preaching for I never yet heard of any but diligent preachers that were vext with these and the like devices They despise prophesie and as one said They would faine be at something were like the Masse that will not bite A muzzl'd Religion They would evaporate and dis-spirit the power and vigour of Religion by drawing it out into solemne specious formalities into obsolete antiquated Ceremonies new furbish'd up And this belike is the good worke in hand which Dr. Heylin hath so often celebrated in his bold Pamphlets All their Acts and actions are so full of mixtures involutions and complications as nothing is cleare nothing sincere in any of their proceedings Let them not say that these are the perverse suspitious malicious interpretations of some few factious Spirits amongst us when a Romanist hath bragged and congratulated in print That the face of our Church begins to alter the Language of our Religion to change And Sancta Clara hath published That if a Synod were held Non intermixtis Puritanis setting Puritanes aside our Articles and their Religion would soone be agreed They have so brought it to passe that under the name of Puritans all our Religion is branded and under
ruine and destruction of the Kingdome of England and of his Majesties Subjects and of altering and subverting of the fundamentall Laws of this Kingdome And shortly after the said Earle of Strafford returned into England and to sundry persons declared his opinion to be that his Majesty should first try the Parliament here and if that did not supply him according to his occasions he might use then his Prerogative as he pleased to levie what he needed and that he should bee acquitted both of God and man hee tooke some other courses to supply himselfe though it were against the will of his Subjects 23. That upon the thirteenth day of Aprill last the Parliament of England met and the Commons house then being the representative Body of all the Commons in the Kingdome did according to the trust reposed in them enter into debate and consideration of the great grievances of of this Kingdome both in respect of Religion and the publike libertie of the Kingdome and his Majestie referring chiefly to the Earle of Strafford and the Archbishop of Canterbury the ordering and disposing of all matters concerning the Parliament He the said Earle of Strafford with the asistance of the said Archbishop did procure his Majesty by sundry speeches and messages to urge the said Commons house to enter into some resolution for his Majesties supply for maintenance of his warre against his Subjects of Scotlaâ—d before any course was taken for the reliefe of the great and pressing grievances wherewith this Kingdome was then afflicted Whereupon a demand was then made from his Majesty of 12. Subsidies for the release of ship-money onely and while the said Commons then assembled with expressions of great affection to his Majestie and his service were in debate and consideration of some supply before resolution by them made he the said Earle of Strafford with the helpe and assistance of the said Archbishop did procure his Majesty to dissolve the last Parliament upon the 5. day of May last and upon the same day the said Earle of Strafford did treacherously falsely and maliciously endeavour to incense his Majesty against his loving faithfull Subjects who had been members of the said house of Commons by telling his Majesty they had denyed to supply him And afterward upon the same did treacherously and wickedly counsell and advise his Majesty to this effects viz. that having tryed the affections of his people he was loose and absolved from all rules of government and was to doe every thing that power would admit and that his Majesty had tryed all ways and was refused and should be acquitted both of God and man that he had an Army in Ireland meaning the Army above mentioned consisting of Papists his dependants as is aforesaid which he might imploy to reduce this Kingdome to obedience 24 That in the same month of May he the said Earl of Strafford falsly treacherously and maliciously published and declared before others of his Majesties Privie Counsell that the Parliament of England had forsaken the King and that in denying to supply the King they had given him the advantage to supply himselfe by other wayes and divers other times he did maliciously wickedly and falsely publish and declare that seeing the Parliament had refused to supply his Majesty in the ordinary and usuall way the King might provide for the Kingdome in such waies as he should hold fit and that he was not to suffer himselfe to be mastered by the frowardnesse of the people And having so maliciously slandered the said house of Commons he did with the helpe and advice of the said Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Finch late Lord Keeper of the great Seal of England cause to be printed and published in his Majesties name a false and scandalous book entituled his Majesties Declaration of the causes that mooved him to dissolve the last Parliament full of bitter and malicious invectives and false and scandalous aspersions against the said house of Commons 25 That not long after the dissolution of the said last Parliament viz. In the moneths of May and Iune he the Earle of Strafford did advise the King to goe on rigorously in leavying the Ship-money and did procure the Sheriffes of severall Countries to be sent for for not leavying the Ship-money divers of which were threatned by him to be sued in the Starre-Chamber and afterwards by his advice were sued in the Star-chamber for not leavying the same and divers of his Majesties loving Subjects were sent for and imprisoned by his advice about that and other illegall payments And a great loane of a hundred thousand pounds was demanded of the City of London and the Lord Major and the Aldermen and the Sheriffes of the said City were often sent for by his advice to the Councell Table to give an account of their proceedings in raising of Ship-money and furthering of that loane and were required to certifie the names of such Inhabitants of the said City as were fit to lend which they with much humility refusing to doe he the said Earle of Strafford did use these or the like speeches viz. That they deserved to be put to Fine and Ransom and that no good would be done with them till an example were made of them and they were laid by the heeles and some of the Aldermen hanged up 26 That the said Earle of Strafford by his wicked Counsell having brought his Majesty into excessive charges without any just cause he did in the month of Iuly last for the support of the said great charges counsell and approve two dangerous and wicked Projects viz. To seize upon the Bullion and the money in the Mint And to imbase his Majesties Coyne with the mixtures of Brasse And accordingly we procured one hundred and thirty thousand pounds which was then in the Mint and belonging to divers Merchants Strangers and others to bee seized on and stayed to his Majesties use And when divert Merchans of London owners of the said Bullion came to his house to let him understand the great mischiefe that course would produce here and in other parts what prejudice it would bee to the Kingdome by discrediting the Mint and hindring the importation of Ballion hee the said Earle told them that the City of London dealt undutifully and unthankfully with his Majesty and that they were more ready to helpe the Rebell than to helpe his Majesty and that if any hurt came to them they may thank themselves and that it was the course of other Princes to make use of such monies to serve their occasions And when in the same Moneth of Iuly the Officers of his Majesties Mint came to him and gave him divers reasons against the imbasing the said money hee told them that the French King did use to send Commissaries of Horse with Commission to search into mens estates and to peruse their accounts so that they may know what to levie of them by force which they did accordingly leavie and turning
that the Parliament was broken he tels the King he had 8000 foot and 1000 horse to reduce this Kingdome to obedience My Lords consider in what a sad time this man tooke to infuse this sad Counsell into the Kings eare My Lords he doth advise the King that he was absolved from all rules of government but if no rule of government what rule of obedience Surely he meant to reduce us to a chaos and confusion c. would have us without all rule of government or obedience My Lords those that he would have brought to reduce us were Papists Enemies of our Religion This strikes us neer my Lords and is the griefe of our hearts that an Irish army should be brought into England to reduce us My Lords I hope we were nere so far gone as to need an army to reduce us to obedience My Lords he had raised this Army and if such Counsell had taken effect in his Majesties eare he like proud Haman would have thought to have been Generall of the Army And thus my Lords you see this Lord of Strafford falls upon a Counsell which might make an irreconcileable difference to subdue us by his power The Earle of Bristowes Speech in the High Court of Parliament upon the delivering of by him the Scottish Remonstrance and Schedule of their charges OUr Ancestors were accustomed to heare propositions in an other manner We represent unto you a very distressed estate sad tidings and dishonourable to our Nation That we should suffer our Countrey to relieve an Army that is come against us This may seeme to withdraw from the greatnes and honor of this Nation but I am sorry it should be thought a Nationall dishonour as the case now standeth But I wish it may light upon those that have been the ill instruments by their imprudent Counsells to bring this Kingdome into such an unhappy businesse that hath produced miserable effects and Calamities But let us labour to build the honour of this Nation and if ill and wicked men have brought this great dishonour great let the honour be when a state is so distressed by wisdom and prudence to relieve it I doe remember when the Common-wealth of Rome was in great distresse after the great Battayle of Cannae they gave thankes that the Counsell did not despaire of the safety of the Common-wealth and me thinkes there is no cause to despair If those ill Counsels and ill ways have brought us to this Calamity shall hereafter bee turned to wise prudent and setled wayes if God may so blesse us that we again prove happy for this Nation the strength and Scituation of it would hardly be brought to this condition were it not for want of Vnity and for discord among our selves When a happie Vnitie among our selves I doubt not to see the honour of this Nation set vp againe by the wisedome of his Majesty and prudent endeavour of this assembly this whole Monarchy once reunited I meane the 3. Kingdomes will render us very considerable abroad His Majesty hath granted our brethren in Scotland their demands in matter of Religion and liberty and doubt not but with humility and duty may likewise obtaine what wee shall desire concerning religion and libertie graciously from his Majesties hands And I am most confident his Majestie may expect from us all that duty affection and assistance as he hath just cause to expect from good people If God shall blesse us and this whole Monarchy with unity love and concord certainly these great Armies that do now trouble us and are ready to offend one an other may shew a capability with united mindes and well designed to effect great matters and may by unity of Counsell raise us up againe in the world to a good estimation and as great an honour as ever I hope God will blesse us with good Counsells and that the King as a gracious good and prudent Prince and all his Subjects joyning in this way no doubt but God will bring us againe to a convenient condition of consistancie yea since our armies are vnited under one King and Nation and in one Iland from a state gasping it will bee easie thence to bring us to a condition of prosperity therefore let us procure and maintaine a good correspondency amongst our selves and for the proposition it much started us at first but I must say thus much That where wars have fallen between Nations it is not unlawfull nor great dishonour to let men part upon reasonble conditions though with good consideration our Kings passed many times into France and returned with recompence but this a friendly demonstration of one Nation to another there is great difference in point of honour if we consider the state wherein wee now are two Armies in the field and consider it was not through our default nor the fault of the Kingdome that we are brought into these calamities The Instruments will bee made an example and the dishonour will light upon them and then certainly we doe conceive a wise and prudent Senate to apply themselves to some things by necessity is no dishonour A State lying gasping and bleeding to restore it is an essentiall part of honour This is that I had in command to say unto you His Majesties Speech to both the Houses of Parliament February 3. 1640. HAving taken into my serious consideration the late Remonstrance made unto mee by the House of Parliament I give you this answer That I take in good part your care of the true Religion established in this Kingdome from which I will never depart as also for the tendernesse of my safety and security of this State and Government It is against my minde that Popery or Superstition should any way encrease within this Kingdome and will restraine the same by causing the Laws to be put in execution I am resolved to provide against the Jesuites and Papists by setting forth a Proclamation with all speed commanding them to depart the Kingdome within one Moneth which if they faile or shall returne then they shall be proceeded against according to the Lawes Concerning Resettie I give you to understand that the Queene hath alwayes assured me that to her knowledge hee hath no Commission but onely to entertaine a personall correspondence betweene her and the Pope in things requisite for the Exercise of her Religion which is warranted to her by the Articles of Marriage which give her a full Liberty â—f Conscience yet I have perswaded her that since the misunderstanding of the Persons condition gives offence shee will within a convenient time remove him Moreover I will take a speciall care to restraine my Subjects from resorting to Masse at Denmark house St James and the Chappell of Ambassadors Lastly concerning John Goodman the Priest I will let you know the reason why I reprived him that as I am enformed neither Queene Elizabeth nor my Father did ever avow that any Priest in their times was executed meerely for Religion which to me
the East-Indies and may erect a Company of the West-Indies for the golden fleece which shall bee prepared for you whensoever you are ready for so great a Consultation The right way to nourish these Northâ—â—â—e Trades is by his Majesties favour to presse the King of Denmarke to Justice not to come as his intolerable Taxes newly imposed upon Trade in the passage of the Sound in Examples whereof the Elector of Brandenburgh joyning with the King of Poland hath likewise more then trebled the ancient and capitulated Duties which if that they shall continue I pronounce all the Commerce of the Baltique Sea so over-burthened That the East-land Company cannot subsist nor without them and the Muscovie Company the Navigation but that the materials for shipping will be doubled which will eat out all Trades I have given you but Essayes and strooke little sparkes of fire before you My intention is but to provoke the wit and ability of others I have drawn you a Map wherein you cannot see things clearely and distinctly onely I introduce matter before you and now I have done when I have shewed you the way how to enlarge and bring every particular thing into debate To which end my motion and desire is this That we may send to every severall Company of Merchants trading in Companies and under Government and Priviledges and to aske of them what is their Grievances in their generall Trade not to rake into private Complaints what are the causes of decay or abuses in their Trades and of the want of money which is visible and of the great losses both to the Kingdome and to every particular by the late high exchanges and to desire every one of these Companies to set downe their judgement in writing to the Committee by a day appointed and having from them all the generall state of the complaints severally we shall make some judgements of these relations one to another this done I desire to require all the same severall Companies upon their owne papers to propose to us in writing the Remedies appliable in their judgement which materials having all together and comparing one with another we shall discover that truth which we seeke that is whether Trade and Money decay or not and how to remedy it But I have one request more and so I will ease you of my losse of your time That when from all these Merchants we shall have before us so much matter and without such variety and perhaps not without private and partiall ends that then you will give me leave to represent to you the names of some generall and others dis-interessed and wel experienced in many particulars who may assist our judgements in all the premisses particularly in moneys and exchanges and give us great light to prepare our result and resolution to bee by the whole House of Commons represented to his Majesty and for expedition that a sub-Committee may be named to direct this Information from the Merchants THE LORD FAUKLAND His SPEECH Concerning EPISCOPACY MASTER SPEAKER he is a great stranger in Israel who knowes not that this Kingdome hath long laboured under many and great oppressions both in religion and liberty and his acquaintance here is not great or his ingenuity lesse who doth not both know and acknowledge that a great if not a principall cause of both these have beene some Bishops and their adherents Master Speaker a little search will serve to find them to have beene the destruction of unitie under pretence of uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandall under the titles of reverence and decency to have defil'd our Church by adorning our Churches to have slackned the strictnesse of that union which was formerly betweene us and those of our religion beyond the sea an action as unpoliticke as ungodly Master Speaker wee shall finde them to have Tith'd Mint and Anise and have left undone the weightier works of the Law to have been lesse eager upon those who damne our Church then upon those who upon weake conscience and perhaps as weake reasons the dislike of some commanded garment or some uncommanded posture onely abstained from it Nay it hath been more dangerous for men to goe to some neighbours Parish when they had no sermon in their owne then to be obstinate and perpetuall Recusants while Masses have been said in security a conventicle hath beene a crime and which is yet more the conforming to ceremonies hath beene more exacted then the conforming to Christianity and whilest men for scruples have beene undone for attempts upon Sodomie they have onely beene admonished Master Speaker we shall find them to have beene like the hen in Esop which laying every day an egge upon such a proportion of barly her Mistresse increasing her proportion in hope shee would encrease her egges shee grew so fat upon that addition that shee never laid more so though at first their preaching were the occasion of their preferment they after made their preferment the occasion of their not preaching Master Speaker we shall find them to have resembled another fable the dog in the manger to have neither preached themselves nor employ'd those that should nor suffered those that would to have brought in catechising only to thrust out preaching cryed downe Lectures by the name of Factions either because their industry in that duty appeared a reproofe to their neglect of it not unlike to that we read of him who in Nero's time and Tacitus his story was accused because by his vertue he did appeare Exprobrare vitia Principis or with intention to have brought in darknesse that they might the easier sow their tares while it was night and by that introduction of ignorance introduce the better that Religion which accompts it the Mother of devotion Master Speaker in this they have abused his Majesty as well as his people for when they had with great wisedome since usually the children of darknesse are wiser in their generation then the children of light I may guesse not without some eye upon the most politicke action of the most politicke Church silenced on both parts those opinions which have often tormented the Church and have and will alway trouble the schooles they made use of this declaration to tye up one side and let the other loose whereas they ought either in discretion to have beene equally restrained or in justice to have beene equally tolerated And it is observable that that party to which they gave this licence was that whose doctrine though it were not contrary to law was contrary to custome and for a long while in this Kingdome was no oftner preached then recanted The truth is Master Speaker that as some ill Ministers in our state first tooke away our mony from us and after indeavoured to make our mony not worth the taking by turning it into brasse by a kind of Antiphilosophers-stone so these men used us in the point of preaching first depressing it to their power and next labouring to
government but that his Majesty may well satisfie them For our late experience I hope will teach us what rocks to shunne and how necestary the use of moderation is And for his Majesty he hath had experience enough how that prospers which is gotten without the concurrent good will of his people never more money taken from the Subject never more want in the Exchequer If we looke upon what we have payd it is more then ever the people of England did in such a time if we looke upon what hath beene effected therewith it shewes as if never King had beene worse supplyed so that we seeme to have acted Belids part whose punishment was to endevour the filling of a Sive with water Whosoever gave advice for these courses hath made good the saying of the wise man Qui conturbat domum suam possidebit ventum By new wayes they think to accomplish wonders but in truth they graspe the winde and are in the meane time saevus ambobus Achilles cruell to us and to the King too for if the Common-wealth flourish then hee that hath the Soveraignty can never want nor doe amisse so as hee governe not according to the interest of others but goe the shortest and the safest wayes to his owne and the common good with regard how they stand in order to any private mans desires or a preservation The Kings of this Nation have alwayes governed by Parliaments And if wee looke upon the successe of things since Parliaments were layd by it resembles that of the Grecians Ex illo fluere vetito sublapsa referri Rex Danaum especially on the Subjects parts for though the King hath gotten little they have lost all but his Majesty shall heare the truth from us and wee shall make to appeare the errors of Divines who would perswade us that a Monarch can be absolute and that he may doe all things ad libitum receding not onely from their text though that be a wandring too but from the way which their owne profession would teach them Stare super vias antiquas and remove not the ancient bounds and land-markes which our Fathers have set If to be absolute were to be restrained by no lawes then can no King in Christendome be so for they all stand obliged to the Lawes Christian and we aske no more For to this Pillar are our priviledges fixt our Kings at their Coronation taking a sacred oath not to infringe them I am sorry these men take not more care of informing our faith of those things which they tell us for our soules health whiles we know them so manifestly in the wrong in that which concerns the liberties priviledges of the Subjects of England But they gaine preferment and then 't is no matter though they never beleeve themselves nor are beleeved of others But since they are so ready to let loose the Conscience of our Kings we are the more carefully to provide for our protection against this Pulpit-Law by declaring and re inforcing the Municipall Lawes of this kingdome It is worth the observing how new this opinion is or rather this way of rising even amongst themselves For Master Hooker who sure was no refractory man as they terme it thinkes that the first Government was arbitrary untill it was found that to live by one mans will became the cause of all mens miseries these are his words and that this was the originall of inventing Lawes And Master Speaker if we looke furtner back our Histories will tell us that the Prelates of this kingdome have often beene the mediators betweene the King and his Subjects to present and pray redresse of their grievances and had reciprocally then as much love and reverence from the People but these Preachers more active then their Predecessors and wiser then the Lawes have found out a better forme of Government the King must bee more absolute Monarch then any of his Predecessors and to them hee must owe it though in the meane time they hazzard the hearts of his people and involve him into a thousand difficulties For suppose this forme of Government were inconvenient and yet Master Speaker this is but a supposition for these five hundred yeares it hath not onely mainteined us in safety but made us victorious over other Nations but I say suppose they have another Idea of one more convenient wee all know how dangerous Innovations are and what hazzard those Princes runne that enterprise the change of a long established Government Now Master Speaker of all our Kings that have gone before and of all that are to succeed in this happy race why should so pious and so good a King bee exposed to this trouble and hazzard besides that Kings so diverted can never doe any great matter abroad But Master Speaker whiles these men have thus bent their wits against the Lawes of their Countrey whether they have neglected their owne Province and what Tares are growne up in the field which they should have tilled I leave it to a second consideration not but that Religion ought to bee the first thing in our purposes and desires but that which is first in dignity is not alwayes to precede in order of time for well-being supposes a being and the first impediment which men naturally indevour to remove is the want of those things without which they cannot subsist God first assigned unto Adam maintenance of life and gave him a title to the rest of the Creatures before he appointed a Law to observe And let me tell you if our adversaries have any such designe as there is nothing more easie then to impose Religion on a People deprived of their Liberties so there is nothing more hard then to doe the same upon Freemen And therefore Master Speaker I conclude with this motion that an order may bee presently made that the first thing this House will consider of shall be the restoring this Nation in generall to the fundamentall and vitall Liberties the propriety of our goods and freedome of our Persons and that then wee will forthwith consider of the supply desired and thus wee shall discharge the trust reposed in us by those that sent us hither his Majesty will see that wee make more then ordinary haste to satisfie his demands and wee shall let all those know that seeke to hasten the matter of supply that they will so far delay it as they give interruption to the former A Speech made by the Honourable DENZELL HOLLES Esquire at a Conference by a Committee of both Houses of Parliament in the painted Chamber May 4. 1641. in the presenting of the Protestation My Lords THe Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons having taken into their serious consideration the present estate and condition of this Kingdome they find it surrounded with variety of pernitious and destructive designes practices and plots against the well-being of it nay the very being of it and some of these designes hatched within our owne
of their own harvest But now the poor mans Plough goes to surrow the Seas to build Ships we labour not for our selves but to feed the excressions of Nature things grown up out of the ruines of the naturall members Monopolists Sir these are Maxima vitalia Religion Iustice property The Heart the Head the Liver of this great body and these distempered or obstructed can the subordinate parts be free No sir the truth is all is so farre out of frame that to lay open every particular grievance were to drive us into despair of cure In so great confusion where to begin first requires not much lesse care than what to apply Mr. Speaker I know 't is a plausible motion to begin with setting Gods House in order first who presses that moves with such advantage that he is sure no man will gain-say him 'T is a welbecoming zeal to prefer Religion before our own affairs and indeed 't is a duty not to be omitted where they are in equall danger But in cure of the body politique or naturall we must prefer the most pressing exigents Physitians know that Consumptions Dropsies and such like lingering diseases are more mortall more difficult to cure then slight externall wounds yet if the least Vein be cut they must neglect their greater cures to stop that which if neglected must needs exhaust the stock of nature and produce a dissolution of the whole man A Defection from the duties of our Religion is a Consumption to any State no foundation is firm that is not laid in Christ The Deniall of Iustice the abridgement of our liberties is such an obstruction as renders the Common-wealth Leprous but the wounds in our property lets out the life-blood of the people The Reformation of Church-Government must necessarily be a work of much time and God be thanked the disease is not desperate We serve one God we believe in one Christ and we all acknowledge and professe one Gospel The difference is onely de modo we vary but in Ceremonies to reduce which to the Primitive Practice must be a work of great debate is not a work for us alone to settle The stop of Iustice can yet injure but particulars 'T is true there may be many too many instances of strange oppressions great oppressors but 't will be hard to judge the Conclusion Et sic de caeteris But take from us the propriety of our estates our subsistence we are no more a people This is that veyn which hath bin so deep cut so farre exhaust that to preserve our being we must doubtlesse stop this current Then settle Rules to live by when we are sure to live Mr. Speaker he that well weighes this little word Property or propriety in our estates will finde it of a large extent The Leeches that have suckt this blood have bin Excise Benevolences Loans Impositions Monopolies Military Taxes Ship-money cum multis aliis all which spring from one Root And is it not high time to grub up that root that brings forth such fruit Shall we first stand to lop the branches one by one when we may down with all at once He that to correct an evill tree that brings forth bad fruit shall begin at the master bough and so lop downwards is in danger to fall himself before the tree falls The safer and speedier way is to begin at the root and there with submission to better judgements would I lay the Axe The Root of most of our present mischiefs and the ruine of all posterity do I hold to be that extraiudiciall Iudgement I cannot say but rather doom delivered by all the Iudges under their hands out of Court yet recorded in all Courts to the subversion of all our Fundamentall Laws Liberties and Annihilation if not Confiscation of our estates That in case of danger the King may impose upon his subiects and that he is the â—ole Iudge of the danger necessity and proportion which in brief is to take what when and where he will which though delivered in the time of a gracious and mercifull Prince who we hope will not wrest it beyond our abilities yet left to the Interpretation of a succeeding Tyrant if ever this Nation be so fortunate to fall into the hands of such it is a Record wherein every man might reade himself a slave that reades it having nothing he can call his own all prostistute to the will of another What to do in such a case we are not to seek for precedents our Honorable Ancestors taught us in the just and exemplar punishments of chief Iustice Tresilian and his Complices for giving their judgements out of Parliament against the established Laws of Parliament how tender they were of us how carefull we ought to be to continue those Laws to preserve the Liberty of our Posterity I am far from maligning the person nor in my heart wish I the Execution of any man but certainly it shall be a Iustice well becoming this House to lay their Heads at his Maiesties mercy who laid us under his feet who had made us but tenants at will of our Liberties and Estates And though I cannot but approve of Mercy as a great Vertue in any Prince yet I heartily pray it may prove a Precedent as safe and usefull to this oppressed State as that of Justice Mr. Speaker blasted may that tongue be that shall in the least degree derogate from the glory of those Halcyon dayes our fathers enjoyed during the Government of that ever blessed never to be fogot Royall Elizabeth But certainly I may safely say without detraction it was much advantage to the peace and prosperity of her Raign that the great examples of Empson and Dudley were then fresh in memory The Civility of our Laws tell us that Kings can do no wrong and then is the State secure when Judges their Ministers dare do none Since our times have found the want of such examples 't is fit we leave some to posterity God forbid all should be thought or found guilty there are doubtlesse some Ring-leaders let us sift them out In publique Government to passe by the Nocent is equall injustice as to punish the Innocent An omission of that duty now will be a guilt in us render us sham'd in History curst by Posterity our gracious and in that act of voluntary Justice most glorious King hath given up to the satisfaction of his afflicted People the authors of their Ruines the power of future preservation is now in us Et qui non servat patriam cum potest idem facit destruenti patriam What though we cannot restore the damage of the Common-wealth we may yet repair the breaches in the bounds of Monarchy Though it be with our losse and charge we shall so leave our childrens children fenced as with a wall of safety by the restauration of our Laws to their ancient vigor and lustre 'T is too true and 't is to be feared the Revenues of the Crown sold out-right
the Citizens at London and also by a Petition of worthy Gentlemens sons Apprentices thereof so reputed to be All which show the whole estate of our Church and Common-wealth to be grievously diseased of a Plurisie and must have a present and good cure or else England is overthrown which is the mother and Almoner of the Kings well-fare and his posterity Which disease the King not fearing nor knowing he had some ill counsell to let it run so farre in jeopardy of trouble and distresse And herein give me leave to tell you the story of Noah a King in the the Ark yet after he was over-shot and taken by the Vines of his own planting and brought himself to some dishonour thereby as some use our English Kings heretofore have done by their favourites untill they saw it and this is it that made the Papists and Prelates rejoyce in their own wisedom and honour like Chams that saw his father so deceived but such deserve a curse for it both of God and man in respect of the matters contained in the foresaid Petitions of our English Lords as also for that the former Parliament might have settled all things in quiet enriched the Kings Coffers enabled to withstand all powerfull pretences and no doubt but to have qualified the humour of the Scots to all our contents Therefore these deserve the curse of Cham that were movers and stoppers and hinderers of it When things might have been composed convenient without warre or strife and not upon so extreme necessity which is now brought upon us and maketh the Scots proverb in use necessity hath no 〈◊〉 for their defence But now our Proverb is drawn frâ—â— thence we must make a vertue of necessity a hard case for a good take heed and counsell For since the plot of an after intended warre had an ill policy that would wrong good Noah their father and his children in such a manner of proceeding and then in glory and defence of it against this House of Commons cause a booke to be published against our proceedings these men which were the cause of publishing of it are fit to publish 't as Noahs cursed son Cham shamelesse And we for our parts in the House of Commons together with the higher House of Lords I hope will not so leave them but be rejecters of them as good Shem and Japheth acknowledging them to be vain members that go about to supplant our wrong the Vineyard our just King and his Kingdom Now therefore consider the former it shall be fit before we enter upon conference to be strengthened and enabled for discharge of our well meaning both to our King and Country answerable to his late speech to gain and obtain his free love consent power on these three points and cautions handled and moved the last meeting First free liberty of speech Secondly each ones right to our selves Thirdly for reformation of Religion And these things granted to proceed freely without delay of time or matters to the cure of such deadly diseases if they be let alone First I would conceive under favour of bette judgements to begin with Sathans Roots of evill viz. All Papists because they are of the most dangerous seed of the Serpent to the hurt of the Church and Common-wealth herein that we agree with a generall consent of Parliament to search see and finde out all the Jesuits Priests Friars Cappuchines and all such Romish factions and by order to all the Justices of Peace in England to imprison them or to send them all to some out-Townes to banish them all out of the Land speedily while you be in other Councell here sitting and thence to ship them away at their owne chages and upon good bonds and security that they never return into England Scotland or Ireland and if they should both the bonds and the Lawes to be executed upon them And for other long Inhabitants Papist and Recusants such as may seeme honest Subjects only for Religion the old orders and Statutes to be put in execution without the abatement of the penalties till they shall conforme to our Religion and if any have wincked or underhand compounded for the time past to be punished and made pay so much unto the Kings Cofers as justly due by the Statute ever since King Charles his Raigne The first course and Act of Parliament being speedily put in execution whilest we sit here will not only excuse the pretended charity that Papists hope for from the King and Queen but will also manifest the true piety against their heresies for ever and will be a good satisfaction to the Scots which make these one of the chiefest intents and causes of their comming into this Kingdome which we wish they had no worse intents and sure it will be a means to try their intents and our owne too and then we have hope to entreat the Scots to stay our leisures Sir John Wray his Speech touching the Canons the 15. of December 1640. Mr. Speaker A Man may easily see to what tend all these innovations and alterations in Doctrine and Discipline and without perspect time discover a farre off the active toylsomenesse of these spirituall Ingineeres to undermine the old and true foundation of Religion and establish their tottering heresie in Rome thereof which least it should not hold being built with untempered morter You see how carefull they are by a past oath to force mens consciences not to alter their government Archiepiscopall And Master Speaker the thoughts of the righteous are right but the counsells of the wicked are deceits and nothing else in their hearts but destructions and devastations but to the counsellors of peace is joy so long as they kept themselves within the circle of the spirituall commerce and studied to keepe mens hearts upright to God and his Truth there was no such complaining in our Streets of them nor had we never seene so many thousand hands against them as now there are come in And no marvell though God withdrawes so many hearts and hands from them who had turned so many out of the way of truth vita tuta they have stopt up but via devia they have enlarged and layd open as appears by their crooked Canons Master Speaker I shall not goe about to overthrow their government in the plurall but to limit it and qualifie it in some particulars For Sir Francis Bacon long since well observed there two things in the government of Bishops of which he could never be satisfied no more can I the first was the sole exercises of the authorities And secondly by the deputation of that authority But Master Speaker I shall not now dispute of either for mine own part Master Speaker I love some of them so well and am so charitable to the rest that I wish rather their reformation then their ruine But let me tell you withall that if we should finde amongst them any proud Becket or Wolsey Prelates who stick not to write
Ego Rex meus Or if there shall be sound any cruell Bonners c. such I confesse I would not spare for they will spare none But in the counterballance if there may be found but one good Cranmer or one good Latimer or Ridley I would esteeme and prize them as such jewels to be set in the Kings own Cabinet for such I am sure will pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the peace of King Charles and his three Kingdomes which God long preserve in concord and unity But Master Speaker we must also be Actors in the preservations of Religions concordance which wil never be safe nor well at quiet untill these heavy drossie Canons with all their base mettall be melted and dissolved let us then dismount them and destroy them which is my humble motion A SECOND SPEECH made by Sir John Wray in the Commons-House 24. November 1640. Mr. Speaker BY the report made from the Committee of Religion you may see to what exorbitant height Poperie is growne and yet how slowly we go on to suppresse it I feare God is displeased with us or else no disaster should have prevented the sealing of our Covenant when intended and I hope it shall be performed the next Sabbath Had our Fast beene accepted and our Humiliation Cordiall no blow should have distracted our preparation Master Speaker if we had taken the good Counsell of our Teachers at the Fast and beleeved their Report we had done well and by this time no doubt we might have found out Achan with his Wedge of Godl and Babilonish garment But we have spent our time onely in peeling of the Barke and snatching the boughes and branches of Poperie and that will doe us no good for they will prove and grow thicker and harder What must we do then Master Speaker to preserve our Religion safe and sound to us and to our Posterity that our Candlesticke be not removed The only way is to fall to our worke in earnest and lay the Axe to the Root to unloose the long and deepe fangs of Poperie and Superstition which being once done the bodie will soone fall downe Let us then Master Speaker endeavour a through Reformation for if it be imperfect it will prove the seed of dissolution if not dissolutions which God forbid and to prevent it I shall humbly move that the Groves and High-places of Idolatry may be removed and put down and then Gods wrath will be appeased and till then never Mr. GRIMSTONS SPEECH In the House of Commons IN PARLIAMENT CONCERNING EPISCOPACY In Feb. 1640. Mr. Speaker THese two honorable Lords Lord Digby Lord Faulkland that spake last have not only prevented me in much I intended to have spoken my self but they have likewise taught me much I knew not before Therefore it is not much you can expect from me All that I shall say at this time is rather to prepare the matter for the question which hath already been so learnedly debated by them than to speak any thing of the matter it self I must confesse when I look upon the Bishops or at least upon some of them and the way of their Government and the sufferings of the people under their Tyranny I wonder not at all at the multitude of Petitioners and Petitions that have this Parliament been preferred against them and that they all cry out Crucifie Crucifie or that they would have been up by the roots but it is necessary we should distinguish between the persons of the Bishops which are so obnoxious and their Functions and Offices for there is no more weight in the Argument that because the Bishops have done amisse therefore take away Episcopacy than there is in it because the Judges of the Common Law are in fault therefore take away Judges and take away the Common Law For my own part I conceive it an easier matter and safer for us Addere Inventis to reform what is amisse in them and their Government then Creare Novum to set up a new form of Goverment which we have had no experience of nor do we know how it should suit either with the humours of the people or with the Monarchiall Government And it may be the new Government which is so much desired if it be brought in upon the grounds and foundations that some would have it it will be out of our powers ever to minister it again Whereas on the other side the Government which is already established if the Governours exceed their bounds they may fall into a Premunire and other penalties which the Law hath provided in that Case and if that be not sufficient we have yet another hanck upon them for our Parliaments have continually a command over them Then Sir It may be demanded of me of their being so much amisse what is that I would have done Truely Sir I am of opinion that much must be done or else we had as good do nothing Therefore I come to the particulars Church Government may be compared to a Castle let a Castle be never so strong once in four-score yeers for so long it is since the first reformation it may need repair and it is not the Castle alone I mean the Government that needs repair but likewise the Governours themselves who most wickedly and trayterously have turned their Canons upon us which should have been used for our defence In the first place therefore I conceive it not onely convenient but of absolute necessity and the payring of their excrescences I mean their temporall Jurisdiction I must confesse I know not to what purpose they should sit upon our Benches at our Sessions of the Peace and Goal-Deliveries or in the Starre-Chamber for by wofull experience we finde that their Judgements are guided there more by their boundlesse wills and fiery transported passions than by reason and the rule of Law which ought to have been their director I conceive that of lesse use their sitting at the Councell boord to be there at the Helm to guide and steer the temporall affairs of the Common-wealth certainly that is not the Plough they ought to follow and by the neglecting of it that is the reason that so many briers brambles and stinking weeds are sprung up in Gods House the Church to the great destruction of all his Majesties Kingdoms here at home and the great wonder and amazement of all the reformed Churches abroad And I conceive it of the least use of all their sitting in Parliaments as powers to give their voices in the making of Laws and yet I would not utterly exclude them For I conceive it might be convenient that all or at least some of them might alway be present there as Assistants to give their advice in Spirituall matters when they are thereunto required by the Lords as the Justices do in Temporall In the next place I conceive it of as absolute necessity the robbing of the Jurisdiction of the high Commission Court or at least to limit and bound
because there is no mony to buy their Commodities and are become so deare that no sort of victuall is sold but at a double rate And which is hardest of all the Army is stinted by the Articles of Cessation to stay within these two Countyes whose provisions are all spent expecting from time to time the payment of those moneys which were promised for their reliefe and are reduced to such extremity as they must either starve or sore against their will breake their limited bounds unlesse some speedy course bee taken for their more timous payment that so soone as may be the Arreers may be paid And because the continued payment of that monethly summe for reliefe of the Northerne Countreyes is a Burthen to the Kingdome of England our Army is a trouble to the Country where they reside our charges of entertaining our Army besides what is allowed from England is exceeding great And our losses and prejudice through absence and neglect of our affaires not small Therefore that all evills and troubles of both Kingdomes may be removed it is our earnest desire that the Parliament may be pleased to determine the time and manner of Payment of the 300000 l. which they were pleased to grant towards reliefe of their Brethren that there may be no let about this when matters shall be drawing towards an end And that his Majesty and they may give order for Accelerating matters in the treaty that the peace being concluded England may be eased of the burthen of two Armies and we may returne to our owne homes which is our earnest desire Ad. Blaire The Remonstrance of both the Houses of Parliament unto the King delivered by the Lord Keeper January the 29th 1640. May it please your Majesty YOUR loyall Subjects the Lords and Commons now assembled by your Majesties Writ in the high Court of Parliament humbly represent unto your gracious consideration that Jesuits and Priests ordained by authority from the Sea of Rome remaining in this Realme by a Statute made in the 27 year of Queen Elizabeth are declared Traytors and to suffer as Traytors That this law is not so rigorous 27 Eliz. cap. 2. as some apprehend or would have others to beleeve for that it is restrayned to the naturall born Subjects only and doth not extend to any strangers at all That it is enacted in the first year of King James 1 Jac. cap. 4. that all Statutes made in the time of Queen Elizabeth against Priests and Jesuits be put in due and exact execution And for further assurance of the due execution of these laws the Statute of the third year of King James invites men to the discovery of the offenders by rewarding them with a considerable part of the forfeiture of the Recusants estate So that the Statute of Queen Elizabeth is not only approved but by the judgement of severall Parliaments in the time of King James of happy memory adjudged fit and necessary to be put in execution That considering the state and condition of this present time they conceive this law to be more necessary to be put in strict execution then at any time before that for divers weighty and considerable reasons viz. For that by divers Petitions from the severall parts of this Kingdome complaints are made of the great increase of Popery and Superstition and the people call earnestly to have the laws against Recusants put in execution Priests and Jesuits swarme in great abundance in this Kingdome and appeare here with such boldnesse and confidence as if there were no laws against them That it appeares unto the House of Commons by proofe that of late years about the City of London Priests and Jesuits have been discharged out of Prison many of them being condemned of high Treason They are credibly informed that at this present the Pope hath a Nunciâ— or Agent resident in the City and they have a just cause to believe the same to be true The Papists as publiquely and with as much confidence and importunity resort to Masse at Denmark house and St. James and the Embassadors Chappels as others doe to their Parish Churches They conceive the not putting of these Statutes in execution against Priests and Jesuits is a principall cause of increase of Popery That the putting of these laws in execution tendeth not only to the preservation and advancement of the true Religion established in this Kingdome but also the safety of your Majesties person and security of the State Government which were the principall causes of the making of the Laws against Priests and Jesuits as is manifestly declared in the preamble of the laws themselves which are the best interpreters of the mindes of the makers of them And because the words being penned by the advise and wisdome of the whole state are much more full and clear then any particular mans expression can be they were therefore read as they are vouched those of the 27 year of Queen Elizabeth being thus viz. That the Priests and Jesuits come hither not only to draw the Subjects from their true obedience to the Queen but also to stir up Sedition Rebellion and open hostility within the Realme to the great endangering of the safety of her Royall Person and to the utter ruin desolation and overthrow of the whole Kingdom if not timely prevented and the tenor of the words of the third year of King James are in this manner viz. Whereas divers Jesuits and Priests doe withdraw many of his Majesties Subjects from the true service of Almighty God and the Religion established within this Realme to the Romish Religion and from their loyall obedience to his Majestie and have of late secretly perswaded divers Recusants and Papists and encouraged and imboldned them to commit most damnable Treasons tending to the overthrow of the whole State and Common Wealth if God of his goodnesse and mercy had not within few houres of the intended time of the execution thereof revealed and disclosed the same The Houses did further informe that some Jesuits and Priests had been executed in the time of Queen Elizabeth and King James of happy memory and when any of them have received mercy it was in such time and upon such circumstance as that the same might be extended unto them without dangers whereas now of late there hath been a great apprehension of endevours by some ill agents to subvert Religion and at this present both Kingdomes have a generall expectation of a through reformation And there is already found so ill a consequence of the the late reprieve of John Goodman the Priest that the House of Commons having sent to the Citizens of London for their assistance in the advancement of money for the present and necessary supply of his Majesties army and reliefe of the Northern Counties upon this occasion they have absolutely denyed to furnish the same and how far the like discontent may be effused into other parts of the Kingdom to the interruption of
more to offer unto you But this one compriseth many It is a neast of waspes or swarm of vermine which have over-crept the land I mean the Monopoles and Polers of the people These like the Frogs of Aegypt have gotten possession of our dwellings and have scarce a room free from them They sup in our Cup they dip in our Dish they sit by our fire we finde them in the Dy fat wash-boule and Poudering tub they share with the Butler in his box they have marked and sealed us from head to foot Mr. Speaker they will not bate us a Pin we may not buy our own Cloathes without their brokage These are the Leeches that have suckt the Common wealth so hard that it is almost become hecticall And Mr. Speaker some of these are ashamed of their right names they have a vizard to hide the brand made by that good law in the last Parliament of King James They shelter themselves under the name of a Corporation they make by-laws which serve their turns to squeese us and fill their purses unface these and they will prove as bad Cards as any in the pack These are not petty Chapmen but wholesale men Mr. Speaker I have ecchoed to you the cryes of the kingdome I will tell you their hopes they look to Heaven for a blessing upon this Parliament they hang upon his Majesties exemplary piety and great justice which renders his eares open to the just complaints of his Subjects we have had lately a gratious assurance of it they are the wise conduct of this whereby the other great affaires of the Kingdome and this our grievance of no lesse import And this may go hand in hand in preparation and resolution Then by the blessing of God we shall return home with an Olive branch in our mouths and full confirmations of the priviledges which we received from our Ancestors and ow to our posterity which every freeborn English man hath received with the aire he breathed in These are our hopes These are our prayers Mr. BAGSHAW his speech in Parliament 7 die Novemb. 1640. Mr Speaker I Had rather Act then speak in those weighty businesses of the Kingdome which have been so excellently handled by these foure worthy Gentlemen that spake last and therefore I shall be short For when I look upon the Body of this goodly and flourishing Kingdom in matters of Religion and of our laws For like Hippocrates Twins they live and dye together I say when I behold these in that state and plight as they have been represented to us Flere magis libet quam dicere But this is our comfort Mr. Speaker that we are all met together for the welfare and happinesse of Prince and People And who knows whether this may not be the appointed time wherein God will restore our Religion as at the first and our laws as at the beginning The honour of a King consisteth in the weale of his people this undoubted maxime his Majesty hath made good by his late gracious speech and promise to us to redresse all our grievances to destroy the enemies of our Peace and plenty To make a people rich they must have ease justice Ease in their Consciences from the bane of Superstition from the intolerable burthen of innovation in Religion and from the racks and tortures of strange and new fangled Oaths They must be eased in their persons being liberi homines and not Vilanes All illegall arrests and imprisonment against Magna Charta being our greatest liberties They must be eased in their lands from Forrest where never any Deer fed from depopulations where never any Farm was decayed and from inclosures where never any hedges were set But must lastly be eased in their goods from their exactions and expilations of Pursevants and Apparitors of Projectors and Monopolists Humanarum Calamitatum mercatores as an ancient finely calls them and if the people have all these easements yet if they have not Justice they cannot subsist justice is to the Civill body as food to the naturall If the streams of Justice be by unrighteousnesse turned into Gall and Wormword or by cruelty like the Aegyptian waters be turned into blood those which drink of these brooks must needs dy and perish The Law saith that all Justice is in the King who is stiled in our book Fons Justitiae and he commits it to his Judges for the execution wherein he trusts them with two of the chiefest flowers which belong to his crown The administration of his justice and the exposition of his laws but he will not trust them without an Oath required of them by the Statute of 18 E. 31. Which is so strict and severe that it made a Judge whom I know though honest and strict yet to quake and tremble at the very mention of it The effect of the Oath is that they should doe equall law and execution of right to all the Kings Subjects poore aswell as rich without regard of any person That they should not deny to doe common right to any man by the Kings letters and for any other cause And in case such letters do that they proceed to do come the law notwithstanding such letters or for any other causes as they will answer to the King in bodies goods and lands how this Oath hath been performed we have seen and felt I need say no more But when I cast mine eyes upon the inferiour Courts of Justice wherein no such oath is required I meane the High Commission and other Ecclesiasticall Courts my soule hath bled for the wrong pressures which I have observed to have been done and committed in these Courts against the Kings good people especially for the most monstrous abuse of the Oath Ex Officio which as it is now used I can call no other than Carnificina Conscientiae I have some reason to know this that have been an Attendant to the Court these five yeeres for my selfe and a deare friend of mine sometimes Knight of our Shire for a meer triviall businesse that the most that could be proved against him was the putting on his hat in the time of Sermon Of which Court I shall say more and make good what I say when those ulcers come to be opened Mr. Speaker I say these foure worthies that spake before me have told you of our miseries but I cannot tell you of the remedies For things are come to that height that I may say as Livy sayd of the Roman state in his time Nec Vitia nostra scire possumus neâ— Remedia for no Laws will now doe us good Better Laws could not have been made then the Stat. of Monopolies against Projectors and the Petition of right against the infringers of liberties and yet as if the Law had bin the Author of them there hath been within these few years more Monopolies and infringment of liberties than hath been in any age since the Conquest and if all those vile Harlets as Queen Elizabeth
1640. Mr. Speaker IN this great and waighty cause we ought seriously to consider First what we our selves have done already in the accusation and impeachment of this great Earle of high Treason Secondly let us remember what we now are not only Parliament men but publick men and English-men As Parliament men let us follow the steps of our ancestours and be constant to that rule of Law which was their guide and should be ours As publick men forget not whom we here represent and by how many chosen and trusted As English men let us call to minde the undanted spirits stout hearts of those ancient Heroes from whom we are descended how free they were from Pusillanimity and how they scorned all Flattery and Slavery let us then now or never Mr. Speaker shew the same blood runs in our veines Thirdly let us be well advised what to doe if in case we shall be denied justice in this particular upon which depends not only the happinesse but the safety of this Parliament of this Kingdome of our selves and of our Posterities and this is my Aviso Upon the same Subject Aprill 9. 1641. Mr. Speaker TRuth is the daughter of time and experience the best Schoolmaster who hath long since taught many men and estates the sad and woefull effects of an half-done worke those convulsions and renting paines which the body of great Britain now feels shews us that the ill humours and obstructions are not yet fully purged nor dissolved Mr. Speaker God will have a through work done if in stead of redressing evils we think to transact all by removing of persons and not things well may we hush our troubles for a season but they will returne with a greater violence For believe it Mr. Speaker let us flatter our selves as we please a dim sighted eye may see that although we thinke we have now passed the equinoctiall of the Straffordian line and seem to have gone beyond Canterbury yet their faction and undermining agents of all Religions grow daily more and more powerfull and no doubt doe labour an extirpation of all Parliaments and men that will not think say and swear to their opinions and practice Have we not then Mr. Speaker a wolfe by the cares is there any way to goe Scot-free or wolfe-free but one then let us take and not forsake that old English Parliamentary Road which is Via tuta and will bring us safely to our journeys end that is my humble motion A seasonable motion for a loyall Covenant May 3. 1641. Mr. Speaker IF ever we intend to perfect and finish the great works we have begun and come to our journeys end let us take and sollow the right way which is Via tuta and that is in a word to become holy Pilgrims not Popish and to endeavour to be loyall Covenanters with God and the King first binding our selves by a Parliamentary and Nationall Oath not a Straffordian nor a Prelaticall one to preserve our Religion emire and pure without the least compound of Superstition or Idolatry next to defend the defender of the Faith his Royall person Crown and dignity and maintain our Soveraigne in his glory and splendor which can never be Eclipsed if the ballance of justice goe right and his laws be duly executed Thus doing Mr. Speaker and making Jerusalem our chiefest joy we shall be a blessed Nation and a happy People But if we shall let goe our Christian hold and lose our Parliament proofe and old English well-tempered mettle Let us take heed that our Buckler break not our Parliaments melt not and our golden Candlestick be not removed which let me never live to see nor England to feele the want of that is my prayer conclude my former motion Mr. Hides Argument before the the Lords in the upper House of Parliament April 1641. MY Lords I am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons to present to your Lordships a great and crying grievance which though it be complained of in the present pressures but by the Northern parts yet by the Logick and Consequence of it it is the grievance of the whole Kingdome The Court of the Presidents and Councell of the North or as it is more usually called the Courts of York which by the spirit and ambition of the Ministers trusted there or by the naturall inclination of Courts to enlarge their own power and jurisdiction hath so prodigiously broken down the bankes of the first Councell in which it ran hath almost overwhelmed that Countrey under the Sea of Arbitrary power and involved the people in a Labyrinth of distemper oppression and poverty Your Lordships will give me leave not with presumption to informe your great understandings but that you may know what moved the House of Commons to their resolutions to remember your Lordships of the foundation and erecting this Court and of the progresse and growth of it Your Lordships well know that upon the suppression of all religious houses to such a value in the 27. yeere of H. 8. from that time to the thirtieth yeare of that Kings raigne many not fewer than six Insurrections and Rebellions were made in the Northern parts under pretence of that quarrell most of thē under the cōmand of some eminent person of that country the which being quieted before the end of the 13. year that great King well knowing his own minde and what he meant to doe with the great Houses of Religion in the year following for prevention of any inconvenience that might ensue to him upon such distemper in the 31. year of his reign granted a Commission to the Bishop of Landaffe the first President and others for the quiet government of the County of Yorke Northumberland Cumberland and Westmoreland the Bishoprick of Durham the County of the Cities of Yorke Kingston upon Hull and New-Castle upon Tyne But my Lords this Commission was no other then a Commission of Oyre and Terminer only it had a clause at the end of it for the hearing of all causes reall and person quando ambae partes vel altera pars sit gravata paupertate fuerit quod quomodo vis suum secundum legem Regni nostri aliter persequi non possit which clause how illegall soever for that it is illegall and void in Law little doubt can be made yet whether they exercise that part of the Commission at all or so sparingly exercised it that poore people found ease and benefit by it I know not but at that time I finde no complaint against it till the comming in of King James the Commission continued still the same and that in the first year of his Reigne to the Lord Sheffeild varied no otherwise from the former same onely it had reference to Instructors which should be sent though any new sent or no is uncertaine but we can finde none In June in the seventh yeare of the Reigne of King James a new Commission was granted to the same man the
sometimes to the great discomfort of many poore soules who for want of money can get no absolution 12 They claim their Office and Jurisdiction to be jure divino and doe exercise the same contrary to Law in their own names and under their own Seals 13 They receive and take upon them temporall Honours Dignities Places and Offices in the Common wealth as if it were lawfull for them to use both swords 14 They cognizance in their Courts and elswhere of matters determinable at the Common Law 15 They put Ministers upon Parishes without the Patrons and without the peoples consent 16 They doe yearly impose Oaths upon Churchwardens to the most apparent danger of filling the land with perjuries 17 They doe exercise Oaths Ex Officio in the Nature of an inquisition even unto the thoughts of mens 18 They have apprehended men by Pursevants without ciration or missives first sent they break up mens houses and studies taking away what they please 19 They doe aw the Judges of the Land with their greatnesse to the inhibiting of prohibition and hindering of Habeas Corpus when it is due 20 They are strongly suspected to be confederated with the Roman party in this Land and with them to be Authors Contrivers or Consenters to the present Commotions in the North and the rather because of a Contribution by the Clergy and by the Papists in the last year 1639. and because of an ill-named benevolence of six Subfidies granted or intended to be granted this yeare 1640. thereby and with these monies to ingage as much as in them lay the two Nations into blood It is therefore our humble and earnest prayer that all this Hierarchicall power may be totally abrogated if the wisdome of this Honourable House shall finde that it cannot be maintained by Gods word and to his glory And your Petitioners shall ever pray c. The Petition of the Citizens of London to both house of Parliament wherein is a Demonstration of their grievances together with their desires for Justice to be excuted upon the Earle of Strafford and other DELINQUENTS To the most Honorable Assembly of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament The humble Petition of divers Citizens of London SHeweth that notwithstanding his Majesties gracious Answer to the humble Petition of his Loyall Subjects in summoning this Parliament with the great care and endeavoured pains taken by both Houses for the removing the heavy Grievances in Church and Commonwealth whereof the Petitioners have already received some fruit for which they desire to return their most humble and utmost thanks yet neverthelesse they are inforced with all Humility to represent to this most Honourable assemblly some of these Obstructions which doe still hinder that freedome and fulnesse of Trade in this City they have formerly had which considering the numerous Multitude thereupon depending they conceive it not able comfortably to subsist As the unsetled Condition of the Kingdome even since the troubles in Scotland hath caused both strangers and also of our own who did furnish great summs of money to Use to call it in and remit much of it by Exchange unto Forraine pars and stands now in Expectation of what the issue of things may be The stopping money in the Mint which till then was accompted the safest place and surest staple in these parts in the world still doth hinder the importation of Bullyon the Scots now disabled to pay such debts as they owe to the Petitioners and others in the City and by reason of the oppressions exercised in Ireland their debts also are detained there The English Trade by reason of our generall distractions and fears is so much decayed that Country tradesmen can not pay their debts in London as formerly The great summs of money unduly taken by his Majesties Officers and Farmers for impositions upon Merchandize exported and imported and the want of reliefe in Courts of Justice against them The drawing out from the City great summs of money which is the life and spirit of Trade for his Majesties service in the North and being there imployed is not yet returned Besides all which from what strong and secret opposition the Petitioners know not they have not received what so much time and pains might give and cause to hope but still incendiaries of the Kingdoms and other notorious offenders remain unpunished the affaires of the Church notwithstanding many Petitions concerning it and long debate about it remains unsettled the Papists still armed the Laws against them not executed some of the most active of them still at Court Priests and Jesnits not yet banished the Irish Popish army not yet disbanded Courts of Justice not yet reformed and the Earle of Strafford who as now appears hath counselled the plundering of this City and putting it to fine ransome and said it would never be well till some of the Aldermen were banged up because they would not yeeld to illegall levies of moneys hath so drawn out and spent his time in his businesse to the very great charge of the whol Kingdome and his endeavour to obtain yet more all which makes us fear there may be practices now in hand to hinder the birth of your great endeavours and that we lie under some more dangerous plot then we can discover All which premisses with their fears and distractions growing there-from and from things of the like nature the Petitioners humbly offer to the most grave consideration of this most honorable assembly as being the true causes of decay of Trade discouragement of Tradesmen and of the great scarcity of monies with the consequences they labour under And do humbly pray that their said grievances may be redressed the causes of their fears removed Justice executed upon the said Earle and other incendiaries and offenders the rather in regard till then the Petitioners humbly conceive neither Religion nor their lives liberties or estates can besecured And as in duty bound they shall ever pray c. Subscribed to this Petition 20000. all men of good ranke and quality Sir John Wrayes Speech concerning Bishops 1641. THE first challenge for Lordly Primacy hath of old been grounded out of the great Charter by which they hold an Episcopall Primacy or Jurisdiction to be long to their state of Prelacy this is their temporall soundation and main object Here I demand of them unto what Church this great Charter was granted and whether it were not granted unto the Church of GOD in England Let the words of the Magna Charta decide this which are these Concessimus Deo proâ—nobis in perpetuum quod Ecclesia Anglicana libera sit habeat omnia Jura sua iutegra libertates suas illaesas Now by this Charter if it be rightly interpreted there is first provision made that honour and worship be yeelded unto God as truly and indeed belong unto him Secondly that not only such Rights and Liberties as the King and his Progenitors but also that such as
of Rome doth eate into our Religion and fret into he banks and walls of it the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme especially since these Lawes have beene made in a manner by themselves even by their owne Treasons and bloudy designes and since that Poperie is a consused masse of errors casting downe Kings before Popes the Precepts of God before the tradition of men living and reasonable men before dead and sencelesse stocks and stones I desire that we consider the encrease of Arminianisme and errors that makes the grace of God to lackie it after the will of man that makes the Sheepe keepe the Shepheard and make an immortall seed of a mortall God Yea I desire that we looke into the very belly and bowells of this Trojan horse to see if there be not in it men readie to open the gates of Romish tyranny and Spanish Monarchie for an Arminian is the spaune of a Papist and if their come the warmth of favour upon him you shall have him turne into one of those frogs that arise out of the bottomelesse pit and if you marke it well you shall see an Arminian reach out his hand to a Papist to a Jesuite a Jesuite gives one hand to the Pope another to the King of Spaine and therein having kindled a fire in our neighbors Countrey now they have brought some of it hither to set on flame this kingdome also Let us further search and consider whether these be not the men that breake in upon the goods and liberties of this Common-wealth for by these meanes they may make way for the taking away of Religion It was an old tricke of the Devills when he meant to take away Jobs Religion he began at his goods Lay thy hand on all be hath and be will curse even to thy face Rather they thinke hereby to set a distance betweene Prince and people or to finde some other way of supply to avoyd or breake Parliaments that so they may break in upon our Religion and bring in their errors but let us doe as Job did he held fast his Religion and his goods were restored with advantage and if we hold fast God and our Religion these things shall be unto us Let us consider the times past how we flourished in honor and abundance when Religion flourished amongst us but when Religion decayed so the honour and strength of our Nation decayed when the soul of this Common-wealth is dead the bodie cannot long over live it If a man meete a Dogge alone the Dog is fearefull but though never so fierce by nature if that Dog have his Master by him he will set upon that man from whom he fied before This shewes the lower natures being back't with the higher increase in courage and strength and certainly man being back't with omnipotence is a kinde of omnipotence Wherefore let it now be the unanimous consent and resolution of us all to make a vow and Covenant from henceforth to hold fast on God and his Religion and then may we from henceforth expect prosperitie in the Kingdome and Nation to this Covenant Let every one of us say Amen The Accusation and Impeachment of Sir George Ratcliffe by the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled Charging him with High-Treason and other misdemeanours as ensue 1640. IMprimis That he had conspired with the Earle of Strafford to bring into Ireland an Arbitrary Government and to subvert the fundementall Lawes and did joyn with the Earle to bring in an Armie from Ireland to subdue the Subjects of England Secondly That he hath joyned with the Earle to use Regall power and to deprive the Subjects of their liberties and properties Thirdly That he hath joyned with the Earle to take _____ thousand pounds out of the Exchequer in Ireland and bought Tobacco therewith and converted the same profits to their own uses Fourthly That he had Trayterously confederated with the Earle to countenance Papists and build Monasteries to alienate the affections of the Irish Subjects from the subjection of England Fiftly That he had Traiterously confederated with the Earle to draw the Subjects of Scotland from the King Sixthly That to preserve himselfe and the sayd Earle he had laboured to subvert the liberties and priviledges of Parliament in Ireland The Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against the Prelate of CANTERBVRY NOvations in Religion which are universally acknowledged to be the maine cause of commotions in Kingdomes and States and are knowne to be the true cause of our present troubles were many and great beside the book of Ordination and Homilies 1. Some particular alterations in matters of Religion pressed upon us without order and against Law contrary to the forme established in our Kirk 2. A new booke of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall 3. A Liturgy or booke of Common-prayer which did also carry with them many dangerous errors in matters of Doctrine Of all which we challenge the Prelate of Canterburie as the prime cause on earth And first that this Prelate was the Author and urger of some particular changes which made great disturbance amongst us we make manifest 1. By fourteen letters subscribed W. Cant. in the space of two yeares to one of our pretended Bishops Bannatine wherein he often enjoyneth him and other pretended Bishops to appeare in the Chappell in their whites contrary to the custome of our Kirk and to his promise made to the pretended Bishop of Edinburgh at the Coronation that none of them after that time should be pressed to weare these garments thereby moving him against his will to put them on for that time wherein he directeth him to give order for saying the English Service in the Chappell twice a day for his neglect shewing him that he was disappointed of the Bishopricke of Edinburgh promising him upon the greater care of these Novations advancement to a better Bishoprick taxing him for his boldnesse in Preaching the sound Doctrine of the reformed Kirks against Master Mitchell who had taught the errors of Arminius in the point of the extent of the merit of Christ bidding him send up a list of the names of Councellours and Senators of the Colledge of Justice who did not communicate in the Chappell in a forme which was not received in our Kirk commending him when he found him obsequious to these his commands telling him that he had moved the King the second time for the punishment of such as had not received in the Chappell and wherein he upbraided him bitterly that in his first Synod at Aberdein he had only disputed against our custome of Scotland of fasting sometimes on the Lords day and presumptuously censuring our Kirk that in this we were opposite to Christianity it selfe and that amongst us there were no Canons at all More of this stuffe may be seen in the letters themselves Secondly by two papers of memoirs and instructions from the pretended Bishop of Saint Androis to the pretended Bishop of Rosse comming to this Prelate for ordering the
thee are utterly deleated Many evidences there be in this part of the Communion of the bodily presence of Christ very agreeable to the doctrines taught by his Secretaries which this paper cannot containe They teach us that Christ is received in the Sacrament Corporaliter both objective and subjective Corpus Christi est objectum quod recipitur corpus nostrum subjectum quo recipitur The booke of England abolisheth all that may import the oblation of any unbloudy Sacrifice but here we have besides the Preparatorie oblation of the Elements which is neither to be found in the booke of England now nor in King Edwards booke of old the oblation of the body and bloud of Christ which Bellarmine calleth Sacrificium Laudis quia Deus per illud magnopore laudatur This also agreeth well with their late Doctrine We are ready when it shall be judged convenient and we shall be desired to discover much more matters of this kinde as grounds layd for missa sicca or the halfe masse the private masse without the people of communicating in one kinde Of the consumption by the Priest and consummation of the Sacrifice of receiving the Sacrament in the mouth and not in the hand c. Our Supplications were many against these bookes but Canterbury procured them to be answered with terrible Proclamations We were constrained to use the remedie of Protestation but for our protestations and other lawfull meanes which we used for our deliverance Canterbury procured us to be declared Rebels and Traytors in all the Parish Kirks of England when we were seeking to posseâ—â—e our Religion in peace against these devices and Novations Canterbury kindled warre against us In all these it is knowne that he was though not the sole yet the principall Agent and Adviser When by the pacification at Barwick both Kingdoms looked for peace and quietnesse he spared not openly in the heating of many often before the King and privately at the Councell-Table and the privy Join to to speake of us as Rebels and Traytors and to speak against the pacification as dishonorable and meet to be broken Neither did his malignancie and bitternesse ever suffer him to rest till a new warre was entred upon and all things prepared for our destruction By him was it that our Covenant approven by Nationall Assemblies subscribed by his M. Commissioner and by the Lords of his M. Counsell and by them commanded to be subscribed by all the Subjects of the Kingdome as a testimony of our duty to God and the King by him was it still called ungodly damnable Treasonable by him were oathes invented and pressed upon divers of our poore Country-men upon the pain of imprisonment and many miseries which were unwarrantable by Law and contrary their Nationall oath When our Commissioners did appeare to render the reasons of our demands he spared not in the presence of the King and Committee to raile against our Nationall Assembly as not daring to appeare before the World and Kirks abroad where himselfe and his actions were able to endure tryall and against our just and necessary defence as the most malicious and Treasonable contempt of Monarchiall Government that any bygone Age hath heard of His hand also was at the Warrant for the restraint and imprisonment of our Commissioners sent from the Parliament warranted by the King and seeking the peace of the Kingdomes When we had by our Declarations Remonstrances and Representations manifested the truth of our intentions and lawfulnesse of our actions to all the good Subjects of the Kingdome of England when the late Parliament could not be moved to assist or enter in warre against us maintaing our Religion and liberties Canterbury did not onely advise the breaking up of that high and honorable Court to the great griefe and hazzard of the Kingdome but which is without example did sit still in the Convocation and make Canons and Constitutions against us and our just and necessary defence ordaining under all highest pains that hereafter the Clergie shall preach foure times in he yeare such doctrine as is contrary not only to our proceedings but to the doctrine and proceedings of other reform'd Kirks to the judgement of all sound Divines and politiques and tending to the utter slavery and ruining of all Estates and Kingdomes and to the dishonor of Kings and Monarchs And as if this had not been sufficient he procured six Subsidies to be lifted of the Clergie under pain of deprivation to all that should refuse And which is yet worse and above which malice it self cannot ascend by his means a prayer is framed printed and sent through all the Paroches of England to be sayd in all Churches in time of Divine Service next after the prayer for the Queene and Royall Progeny against our Nation by name of Trayterous Subjects having cast of all obedience to our annointed Soveraign and comming in a rebellious manner to invade England that shame may cover our faces as Enemies to God and the King Whosoever shall impartially examine what hath proceeded from himselfe in these two books of Canons and Common-prayer what Doctrine hath been published and printed these years by-past in England by his Disciples and Emissaries what grosse Poperie in the most materiall points we have found and are readie to shew in the posthume writings of the Prelate of Edinburgh and Damblane his own Creatures his nearest familiars and most willing instruments to advance his counsells and projects sall perceive that his intentions were deep and large against all the reformed Kirks and reformation of Religion which in his Majesties Dominions wes panting and by this time had rendred up the ghost if God had not in a wonderfull way of mercy prevented us and that if the Pope himselfe had been in his place he could not have been more popish nor could he more zealously have negotiated for Rome against the reformed Kirks to reduce them to the Heresies in Doctrine the Superstitions and Idolatry in worship and the Tyranny in Government which are in that Sea and for which the reformed Kirks did seperate from it and come forth of Babel From him certainly hath issued all this deluge which almost hath overturned all We are therefore confident that your Lordships will by your meanes deale affectually with the Parliament that this great firebrand be presently removed from his Majesties presence and that he may be put to triall and put to his deserved censure according to the Lawes of the Kingdome which sall be service to God honor to the King and Parliament terror to the wicked and comfort to all good men and to us in speciall who by his means principally have been put to so many and grievous afflictions wherein we had perished if God had not been with us We do indeed confesse that the Prelates of England have been of very different humors some of them of a more hot and others of them men of a more moderate temper some of them more and some