of your Honors and mine own I must intreat you likewise to consider of the Times we are in how that I must adventure your lives which I should be loth to do should I continue you here long and you must venture the Business if you be slow in your resolutions Wherefore I hope you will take such grave Counsel as you will expedite what you have in hand to do Which will do me and your selves an infinite deal of honor You in shewing your love to me and me that I may perfect that work which my Father hath so happily begun Last of all Because some malicious men may and as I hear have given out that I am not so true a Keeper and Maintainer of the true true Religion that I profess I assure you that I may with S. Paul say that I have been trained up at Gamaliels feet And although I shall be never so arrogant as to assume unto my self the rest I shall so far shew the end of it that all the World may see that none hath been nor ever shall be more desirous to maintain the Religion I profess then I shall be Now because I am unfit for much speaking I mean to bring up the fashion of my Predecessors to have my Lord Keeper speak for me in most things Therefore I have commanded him to speak something unto you at this time which is more for formality then any great matter he hath to say unto you Then the Lord Keeper Coventry declared That the Kings main reason of calling the Parliament besides the beholding of his Subjects faces was to mind them of the great Engagements for the Recovery of the Palatinate imposed on his Majesty by the late King his Father and by themselves who brake off the two Treaties with Spain Also to let them understand That the succeeding Treaties and Alliances the Armies sent into the Low-Countries the repairing of the Forts and the Fortifying of Ireland do all meet in one Centre The Palatinate And that the Subsidies granted the last Parliament are herein already spent whereof the Accompt is ready together with as much more of the Kings own Revenue His Lordship further commended three Circumstances First The Time All Europe being at this day as the Pool of Bethesda the first stirring of the waters must be laid hold on Wherefore his Majesty desires them to bestow this Meeting on him or rather on their Actions and the next shall be theirs as soon and as long as they please for Domestick business Secondly Supply If Subsidies be thought too long and backward his Majesty desires to hear and not to propound the way Thirdly The Issue of Action which being the first doth highly concern his Majesties Honor and Reputation for which he relies upon their Loves with the greatest confidence that ever King had in his Subjects witness his Royal Poesie Amor Civium Regis Munimentum And he doubts not but as soon as he shall be known in Europe to be their King so soon shall they be known to be a loving and loyal Nation to him Iune 21. The Commons presented Sir Thomas Crew Knight and Serjeant at Law for their Speaker who was also Speaker in the last Parliament of King Iames and his Majesty approved the Choice After the House of Commons had setled their General Committees there were various Debates amongst them Some insisted upon the Grievances mentioned but not redressed by King Iames in the last Parliament others pressed for an accompt of the last Subsidies granted for recovery of the Palatinate others for the putting of Laws in execution against Priests and Jesuits and such as resorted to Ambassadors Houses and the questioning of Mr. Richard Montague for his Book intituled An Appeal to Caesar which as they said was contrived and published to put a jealousie between the King and his well-affected Subjects and contained many things contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Parliament and that the whole frame thereof was an encouragement to Popery Others again declared how the King no sooner came to the Crown but he desired to meet his people in Parliament it being the surest way to preserve a right understanding between him and them that since he began to reign the Grievances are few or none and when he was Prince he was observed to be very instrumental in procuring things for the Subjects benefit Wherefore it will be the wisdom of this House to take a course to sweeten all things between King and People and to express their duty to the King by giving Supply and therewith to offer nothing but a Petition for Religion that Religion and Subsidies may go hand in hand And whatsoever they did it was needful to do it quickly considering how greatly the Plague increased and the Bell was tolling every minute while they were speaking The Commons moved the Lords to joyn in a Petition to the King for a Publick Fast whereunto their Lordships readily concurred and the King consenting a Proclamation was issued forth for a Fast throughout the Kingdom Several particular Committees were appointed One to enquire of the Subsidies given the last Parliament another to consider of Tonnage and Poundage The Imposition on Wines was Voted upon the Merchants Petition to be presented as a Grievance Sir Edward Cook went to the House of Peers with a Message from the Commons desiring their concurrence in a Petition concerning Religion and against Recusants which being agreed unto and presented to the King his Majesty answered That he was glad that the Parliament was so forward in Religion and assured them they should finde him as forward that the Petition being long could not be presently answered Mr. Richard Montague was brought to the Bar of the Commons House for his fore-named Book This Cause began in the One and twentieth of King Iames when he had published a former Book which he named A New Gagg for an Old Goose in answer to a Popish Book entituled A Gagg for the New Gospel The business was then questioned in Parliament and committed to the Archbishop of Canterbury and ended in an Admonition given to Montague Afterwards the Bishops of the Arminian Party consulting the Propagation of the Five Articles condemned in the Synod of Dort concluded that Mr. Montague being already engaged in the quarrel should publish this latter Book at first attested by their Joynt-Authorities which afterwards they withdrew by subtilty having procured the Subscription of Doctor Francis White whom they left to appear alone in the Testimony as himself ofttimes complained publickly The Archbishop disallowed the Book and sought to suppress it nevertheless it was Printed and Dedicated unto King Charles whereby that party did endeavor to engage him in the beginning of his Reign The House appointed a Committee to examine the Errors therein and gave the Archbishop thanks for the admonition given to the Author whose Books they Voted to be contrary to the Articles established by
concerning Religion and that his Answer be Inrolled with the force of an Act of Parliament Also that the House consider of the new prepared Fleet and Army and whither intended no Enemy being yet declared That great Sums of Money were given for places to the value of an Hundred and forty thousand pounds at least that the King should contribute to help the Palatinates Cause with his own Estate that the time of the year was too far spent for the Fleet to go forth in Service that inquiry be made whether the Duke brake not the Match with Spain out of Spleen and Malice to Conde Olivares whether he made not the Match with France upon harder terms and whether the Ships lent against Rochel were not maintained with the Subsidies given for the relief of the Palatinate that an Advised Counsel for the Government of the present Affairs and to look into the Kings Estate is necessary that his Majesty be desired to give his Answer concerning the Imposition on Wines and Select Committees draw out these Heads at large to be presented to the King The doing whereof they said was no Capitulation with his Majesty but an ordinary Parliamentary course Without which the Commonwealth could never supply the King nor indeed subsist Soon after the Commons had a Conference with the Lords desiring their Concurrence in presenting to the King these Matters following That notwithstanding the Lords and Commons at their last Meeting this Session did Petition his Majesty for the advancing of Gods true Religion and the suppressing of Popery unto which his Majesty vouchsafed as well from his own Mouth as by the Lord Keeper to return such Answer as assured them of his Royal performance yet at this Meeting they finde That on the 12 of Iuly last his Majesty granted a Pardon unto Alexander Baker a Jesuite and unto Ten other Papists which as the Commons have been informed was gotten by the importunity of some Foreign Ambassador and passed by immediate Warrant and was recommended by the Principal Secretary of State without the payment of the ordinary Fees And further That divers Copies of Letters and other Papers being found in the house of one Mary Estmonds in Dorsetshire by two Justices of Peace who thereupon tendred her the Oath of Alleagiance and upon her refusal committed her to the Constable from whom she made an escape and complained to the King The Principal Secretary did write to those two Justices in favor of her Upon these Passages the Commons made Observations first upon the date of the Pardon which was the next day after his Majesties Answer by the Lord Keeper to their Petition concerning Religion secondly That the Pardon dispenced with several Laws as of the 21 and 27 of Queen Elizabeth and of the Third of King Iames provided to keep the Subjects in due obedience thirdly That the Pardon was signed by the Principal Secretary of State and therefore the Commons declared that these actings tended to the prejudice of true Religion his Majesties dishonor the discountenancing of the Ministers of Justice the grief of the good people the animating of the Popish party who by such examples grew more proud and insolent and to the discouragement of the High Court of Parliament All which they humbly desire his Majesty to take into due consideration and to give effectual and speedy Redress therein The Lord Conway principal Secretary of State being called to give an Accompt of this business answered That he ever hated the Popish Religion That the Pardon was granted before the King answered their Petition though it bore not date till afterwards That the King commanded the doing thereof and that no Fees should be taken That he was commanded by the King to write a Letter in favor of the Woman in Dorset-shire and what he did therein was to take off all scandal from the King though it lighted upon himself This Conference no sooner ended but both Houses were ordered to meet at Christ-Church to receive an Answer to their Petition concerning Religion To every Clause whereof his Majesty answered in a Parliamentary way The Petition Remedies and the Kings Answer we give you intermixt for the better understanding the Answer to every respective Clause distinctly To the Kings most Excellent Majesty Most Gracious Soveraign IT being infallibly true that nothing can more establish the Throne and assure the peace and prosperity of the people then the unity and sincerity of Religion We your most humble and loyal Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons of this present Parliament assembled hold our selves bound in conscience and duty to represent the same to your Sacred Majesty together with the dangerous Consequences of the increase of Popery in this Land and what we conceive to be the principal Causes thereof and what may be the Remedies The Dangers appear in these particulars I. In their desperate ends being both the subversion of Church and State and the restlesness of their spirits to attain these ends the Doctrine of their Teachers and Leaders perswading them that therein they do God good service II. Their evident and strict dependencie upon such Forein Princes as no way affect the good of your Majesty and this State III. The opening a way of Popularity to the Ambition of any who shall adventure to make himself Head of so great a Party The principal Cause of the Increase of Papists I. The want of the due execution of Laws against Iesuites Seminary Priests and Popish Recusants occasioned partly by the connivencie oâ— the State partly by defects in the Laws themselves and partly by the manifold acuse of Officers II. The interposing of Foreign Princes by their Ambassadors and agents in favor of them III. Their great Concourse to the City and frequent Conferences and Conventicles there IV. The open and usual resort to the Houses and Chappels of Forein Ambassadors V. The Education of their Children in Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Foreign parts which of late have been greatly multiplied and enlarged for entertaining of the English VI. That in some places of your Realm your people be not sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of true Religion VII The licentious printing and dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books VIII The imployment of men ill-affected in Religion in places of Government who do shall or may countenance the Popish party The Remedies against this outragious and dangerous disease We conceive to be these ensuing I. That the Youth of this Realm be carefully educated by able and Religious Schoolmasters and they to be enjoined to Catechise and instruct their Scholars in the grounds and principles of true Religion And whereas by many Complaints from divers parts of the Kingdom it doth plainly appear That sundry Popish Scholars dissembling their Religion have craftily crept in and obtained the places of Teaching in divers Counties and thereby infected and perverted their Scholars and so fitted them to be transported to the Popish Seminaries beyond
That Images may be used for the instruction of the Ignorant and excitation of Devotion V. That in the same Homily it is plainly expressed That the attributing the defence of certain Countries to Saints is a spoiling God of his honor and that such Saints are but Dii tutelares of the Gentiles Idolators The said Richard Montague hath notwithstanding in his said Book Entituled A Treatise concerning the Invocation of Saints affirmed and maintained That Saints have not onely a Memory but a more peculiar Charge of their Friends and that it may be admitted That some Saints have a peculiar Patronage Custody Protection and Power as Angels also have over certain Persons and Countries by special deputation and that it is no impiety so to believe Whereas in the seventeenth of the said Articles it is resolved That God hath certianly Decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankinde and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely walk Religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy attain to everlasting felicity He the said Richard Montague in the said Book called The Appeal doth maintain and affirm That men justified may fall away and depart from the state which once they had they may arise Again and become new men possibly but not certainly nor necessarily and the better to countenance this his opinion he hath in the same Book wilfully added falsified and charged divers words of the sixteenth of the Articles before mentioned and divers other words both in the Book of Homilies and in the Book of Common-Prayer and so misrecited and changed the said places he doth alleadge in the said Book called The Appeal endeavouring thereby to lay a most wicked and malicious scandal upon the Church of England as if he did herein differ from the Reformed Churches of England and from the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas and did consent to those pernitious Errors which are commonly called Arminianism and which the late famous Queen Elizabeth and King Iames of happy memory did so piously and diligently labour to suppress That the said Richard Montague contrary to his Duty and Allegiance hath endeavored to raise great Factions and Divisions in this Common-wealth by casting the odious and scandalous name of Puritans upon such his Majesties loving Subjects as conform themselves to the Doctrine and Ceremony of the Church of England under that name laying upon them divers false and malicious Imputations so to bring them into jealousie and displeasure with his most Excellent Majesty and into reproach and ignominy with the rest of the people to the great danger of Sedition and Disturbance in the State if it be not timely prevented That the Scope and end of the said Richard Montague in the Books before mentioned is to give encouragement to Popery and to withdraw his Majesties Subjects from the true Religion established to the Roman Superstition and consequently to be reconciled to the Sea of Rome All which he laboreth by subtile and cunning ways whereby Gods True Religion hath been much scandalized those Mischiefs introduced which the wisdom of many Laws hath endeavored to prevent the Devices and Practices of his Majesties Enemies have been furthered and advanced to the great peril and hazard of our Soveraign Lord the King and of all his Dominions and loving Subjects That the said Richard Montague hath inserted into the said Book called The Appeal divers passages dishonorable to the late King his Majesties Father of famous memory full of bitterness railing and injurious Speeches to other persons disgracefull and contemptible to many worthy Divines both of this Kingdom and of other Reformed Churches beyond the Seas impious and profane in scoffing at preaching meditating and conferring Pulpits Lectures Bible and all shew of Religion all which do aggravate his former Offences having proceeded from malicious and envenomed heat against the Peace of the Church and the sincerity of the Reformed Religion publickly professed and by Law established in this Kingdom All which Offences being to the dishonor of God and of most mischievous effect and consequence against the good of this Church and Commonwealth of England and of other his Majesties Realms and Dominions The Commons assembled in Parliament do hereby pray That the said Richard Montague may be punished according to his Demerits in such exemplary manner as may deter others from attempting so presumptuously to disturb the Peace of Church and State and that the Book aforesaid may be suppressed and Burnt Whether an Answer was made to these Articles by Mr Montague we cannot tell for upon search we can finde none About the same time his Majesty being informed that there was great liberty taken by divers of his Subjects to resort to the hearing of Masse at Durham-house in the Lodgings of a Foraign Ambassodor the Privy Council taking notice thereof and accounting it scandalous to this Church and of ill example to be suffered at any time but much more in this time of Parliament required the Bishop of Durham to apprehend such of his Majesties Subjects as should be present at the Masse and to commit them to Prison There was also a Letter sent from the Attorney-General to the Judges of the Circuits to direct their Proceedings against Recusants to this effect THat their Lordships will not omit to publish the Kings Gracious and Religious Determination to go on really and constantly in this way and that out of his bounty and goodness he hath published his Resolution under the Great Seal of England That whatsoever Revenue or Benefit shall arise hereby from Purses of Popish Recusants shall be set apart from his own Treasure and be wholly imployed for the Service of the Commonwealth and shall not be dispensed with to any of what degree soever nor diverted by any the Suits of his Servants or Subjects 2. That their Lordships will be pleased at their first coming into every County within their Circuit to command the Clerk of Assise and Clerk of the Peace to be carefull for the Indictment of Popish Recusants without respect of Persons of what Degree of Honor or Office soever and that they neither make nor suffer to be made any omission or mistaking in their Indictment or other proceedings and that the next Term within ten dayes of the beginning of the Term they give or send to him viz. the Attorney a note in writing who stand indicted of new and that they fail not to certifie the Recusants convicted into the Exchequer by that time That at their Lordships first coming into the County they call the Iustices of Peace then present and the Grand-Iury men to give their Lordships true Information of the Recusants of any Note or Name in that Country and that
gracious Pardon of his now Majesty granted to the said Duke and vouchsafed in like manner to all his Subjects at the time of his most happy Inauguration and Coronation Which said Pardon under the Great Seal of England granted the said Duke beareth date the 10. day of February now last past and here is shewn forth unto your Lordships on which he doth most humbly rely And yet he hopeth your Lordships in your Justice and Honor upon which with confidence he puts himself will acquit him of and from those misdemeanors offences misprisions and crimes wherewith he hath been charged And he hopeth and will daily pray that for the future he shall by Gods grace so watch over his actions both publick and private that he shall not give any just offence to any The Duke having put in this Answer earnestly moved the Lords to send to the Commons to expedite their Reply and the Commons did as earnestly desire a Copy of his Answer The next day his Majesty wrote this Letter to the Speaker TRusty and Welbeloved We greet you well Our House of Commons cannot forget how often and how earnestly we have called upon them for the speeding of that Aid which they intended us for our great and weighty affairs concerning the safety and honor of us and our Kingdoms And now the time being so far spent that unless it be presently concluded it can neither bring us Money nor Credit by the time which themselves have prefixed which is the last of this Moneth and being further deferred would be of little use we being daily advertised from all parts of the great preparations of the Enemy ready to assail us We hold it necessary by these our Letters to give them our last and final admonition and to let them know that we shall account all further delays and excuses to be express denials And therefore we will and require you to signifie unto them that we do expect that they forthwith bring in their Bill of Subsidy to be passed without delay or Condition so as it may fully pass the House by the end of the next week at the furthest Which if they do not it will force us to take other resolutions But let them know if they finish this according to our desire that we are resolved to let them sit together for the dispatch of their other affairs so long as the season will permit and after their recess to bring them together again the next Winter And if by their denial or delay any thing of ill consequence shall fall out either at home or abroad We call God and man to witness that We have done our part to prevent it by calling our People together to advise with us by opening the weight of our occasions unto them and by requiring their timely help and assistance in these Actions wherein we stand engaged by their own Councels And we will and command you that this Letter be publickly read in the House About this time there happened at three a clock in the afternoon a terrible storm of Rain and Hail in and about the City of London and with it a very great Thunder and Lightening The graves were laid open in S. Andrews Church-yard in Holborn by the sudden fall of the Wall which brought away the Earth with it whereby many Coffins and the Corps therein were exposed to open view and the ruder sort would ordinarily lift up the lids of the Coffins to see the posture of the dead Corps lying therein who had been buried of the Plague but the year before At the same instant of time there was a terrible Storm and strange Spectacle upon Thames by the turbulencie of the waters and a Mist that arose out of the same which appeared in a round Circle of a good bigness above the waters The fierceness of the Storm bent it self towards York-House the then habitation of the Duke of Buckingham beating against the stairs and wall thereof And at last this round Circle thus elevated all this while above the water dispersed it self by degrees like the smoke issuing out of a Furnace and ascended higher and higher till it quite vanished away to the great admiration of the beholders This occasioned the more discourse among the Vulgar in that Doctor Lamb appeared then upon Thames to whose Art of Conjuring they attributed that which had happened The Parliament was then sitting and this Spectacle was seen by many of the Members out of the windows of the House The Commons agreed upon this ensuing Petition to his Majesty concerning Recusants To the Kings most Excellent Majesty YOur Majesties most obedient and loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled do with great comfort remember the many Testimonies which your Majesty hath given of your sincerity and zeal of the true Religion established in this Kingdom and in particular your gracious Answer to both Houses of Parliament at Oxford upon their Petition concerning the Causes and Remedies of the Increase of Popery That your Majesty thought fit and would give order to remove from all Places of Authority and Government all such persons as are either Popish Recusants or according to direction of former Acts of State justly to be suspected which was then presented as a great and principal cause of that mischief But not having received so full redress herein as may conduce to the peace of this Church and safety of this Regal State They hold it their duty once more to resort to your Sacred Majesty humbly to inform you that upon examination they find the persons underwritten to be either Recusants Papists or justly suspected according to the former Acts of State who now do or since the first sitting of the Parliament did remain in places of Government and Authority and Trust in your several Counties of this your Realm of England and Dominion of Wales The Right Honorable Francis Earl of Rutland Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln Rutland Northampton Nottingham and a Commissioner of the Peace and of Oyer and Terminer in the County of York and Justice of Oyer from Trent Northwards His Lordship is presented to be a Popish Recusant and to have affronted all the Commissioners of the Peace within the North-Riding of Yorkshire by sending a Licence under his Hand and Seal unto his Tenant Thomas Fisher dwelling in his Lordships Mannor of Helmsley in the said North-Riding of the said County of York to keep an Alehouse soon after he was by an Order made at the Quarter-Sessions discharged from keeping an Alehouse because he was a Popish convict Recusant and to have procured a Popish Schoolmaster namely Roger Conyers to teach Schollers within the said Mannor of Helmsley that formerly had his Licence to teach Schollers taken from him for teaching Schollers that were the children of Popish Recusants and because he suffered these children to absent themselves from the Church whilest they were his Schollers for which the said Conyers was formerly complained of
a manner to engross to himself the administration of your Affairs of the Kingdom which by that means is drawn into a Condition most miserable and hazardous Give us then leave most dear Soveraign in the name of all the Commons of this your Kingdom prostrate at the féet of your Sacred Majesty most humbly to beséech you even for the Honor of Almighty God whose Religion is directly undermined by the practice of that Party whom this Duke supports For your Honor which will be much advanced in the relieving of your people in this their great and general grievance For the honor safety and welfare of your Kingdom which by this means is threatned with almost unavoidable dangers And for the love which your Majesty as a good and loving Father bears unto your good people to whom we profess in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts you are as highly estéemed and beloved as ever any of your Predecessors were That you would be graciously pleased to remove this Person from access to your sacred presence and that you will not ballance this one man with all these things and with the Affairs of the Christian world which do all suffer so far as they have relation to this Kingdom chiefly by his means For we protest to your Majesty and to the whole world That until this Great person be removed from intermedling with the Great Affairs of State we are out of hope of any good success and do fear that any money we shall or can give will through his misimploiment be turned rather to the hurt and prejudice of this your Kingdom then otherwise as by lamentable experience we have found in those large Supplies we have formerly and lately given But no sooner shall we receive redress and relief in this which of all others is our most insupportable grievance but we shall forthwith proceed to accomplish your Majesties own desire for Supply and likewise with all cheerfulness apply our selves to the perfecting of divers other great things such as we think no one Parliament in any Age can parallel tending to the stability wealth and strength and honor of this your Kingdom and the support of your Friends and Allies abroad And we doubt not but through Gods blessing as you are the best so shall you ever be the best beloved and greatest Monarch that ever sate in the Royal Throne of this famous Kingdom The Grounds and Causes which the King held forth for dissolving of this and the former Parliament appear in the ensuing Declaration THe Kings most Excellent Majesty since his happy access to the Imperial Crown of this Realm having by his Royal Authority summoned and assembled two several Parliaments the first whereof was in August last by Adjournment held at Oxford and there dissolved and the other begun in February last and continued until the Fiftéenth day of this present moneth of June and then to the unspeakable grief of himself and as he believeth of all his good and well-affected Subjects dissolved also Although he well knoweth that the Calling Adjourning Proroguing and Dissolving of Parliaments being his great Council of the Kingdom do peculiarly belong unto himself by an undoubted Prerogative inseparably united to his Imperial Crown of which as of his other Regal actions he is not bound to give an Accompt to any but to God only whose immediate Lieutenant and Uicegerent he is in these his Realms and Dominions by the Divine providence committed to his charge and government Yet forasmuch as by the assistance of the Almighty his purpose is so to order himself and all his Actions especially the great and publck Actions of State concerning the weal of his Kingdoms as may justifie themselves not only to his own Conscience and to his own People but to the whole World His Majesty hath thought it fit and necessary as the Affairs now stand both at home and abroad to make a true plain clear Declaration of the Causes which moved his Majesty to assemble and after enforced him to dissolve these Parliaments That so the mouth of malice it self may be stopped and the doubts and fears of his own good Subjects at home and of his Friends and Allies abroad may be satisfied and the deserved blame of so unhappy Accidents may justly light upon the Authors thereof When his Majesty by the death of his dear and Royal Father of ever blessed memory first came to the Crown he found himself engaged in a War with a potent Enemy not undertaken rashly nor without just and honorable grounds but enforced for the necessary defence of himself and his Dominions for the support of his Friends and Allies for the redéeming of the antient Honor of this Nation for the recovering of the Patrimony of his dear Sister her Confort and their Children injuriously and under colour of Treaties and Friendship taken from them and for the maintenance of the true Religion and invited thereunto and encouraged therein by the humble Advice of both the Houses of Parliament and by their large promises and protestations to his late Majesty to give him full and real assistance in those Enterprises which were of so great importance to this Realm and to the general peace and safety of all his Friends and Allies But when his Majesty entred into a view of his Treasure he found how ill provided he was to proceed effectually with so great an Action unless he might be assured to receive such Supplies from his loving Subjects as might enable him to manage the same Hereupon his Majesty being willing to tread in the steps of his Royal Progenitors for the making of good and wholsom Laws for the better Government of his people for the right understanding of their true Grievances and for the Supply of monies to be imployed for those publick services he did resolve to summon a Parliament with all convenient spéed he might And finding a former Parliament already called in the life of his Father he was desirous for the the spéedier dispatch of his weighty affairs and gaining of time to have continued the same without any alteration of the Members thereof had he not beacute en advised to the contrary by his Iudges and Council at Law for that it had béene subject to question in Law which he desired to avoid But as soon as possibly he could he summoned a new Parliament which he did with much confidence and assurance of the love of his people that those who not long before had with some importunity won his Father to break off his former Treaties with Spain and to effect it had used the mediation of his now Majesty being then Prince and a Member of the Parliament and had promised in Parliament their uttermost assistance for the enabling of his late Majesty to undergo the War which they then foresaw might follow would assuredly have performed it to his now Majesty and would not have suffered him in his first Enterprise of so great an
expectation to have run the least hazard through their defaults This Parliament after some Adjourment by reason of his Majesties unavoidable occasions interposing being assembled on the Eightéenth day of June It is true that his Commons in Parliament taking into their due and serious Consideration the manifold Occasions which at his first entry did press his Majesty and his most important Affairs which both at home and abroad were then in action did with great readiness and alacrity as a pledge of their most bounden duty and thankfulness and as the first fruits of the most dutiful affections of his loving and loyal Subjects devoted to his service present his Majesty with the frée and cheerful gift of two entire Subsidies which their gift and much more the freeness and heartiness expressed in the giving thereof his Majesty did thankfully and lovingly accept But when he had more narrowly entred into the consideration of his great affairs wherein he was imbarqued and from which he could not without much dishonor and disadvantage withdraw his hand he found that this sum of money was much short of that which of necessity must be presently expended for the setting forward of those great Actions which by advice of his Council he had undertaken and were that Summer to be pursued This his Majesty imparted to his Commons house of Parliament but before the same could receive that debate and due consideration which was fit the fearful Uisitation of the Plague in and about the Cities of London and Westminster where the Lords and the principal Gentlemen of quality of his whole Kingdom were for the time of this their service lodged and abiding did so much increase that his Majesty without extreme peril to the lives of his good Subjects which were dear unto him could not continue the Parliament any longer in that place His Majesty therefore on the eleventh day of July then following adjourned the Parliament from Westminster until the first day of August then following at the City of Oxford And his Highness was so careful to accommodate his Lords and Commons there that as he made choice of that place being then the fréest of all others from the danger of that grievous Sickness so he there fitted the Parliament-men with all things convenient for their entertainment And his Majesty himself being in his own heart sincere and frée from all Ends upon his people which the Searcher of hearts best knoweth he little expected that any misconstruction of his actions would have béen made as he there found But when the Parliament had béen a while assembled and his Majesties affairs opened unto them and a further Supply desired as necessity required he found them so slow and so full of delays and diversions in their Resolutions that before any thing could be determined the fearful Contagion daily increased and was dispersed into all the parts of this Kingdom and came home even to their doors where they assembled His Majesty therefore rather preferred the safety of his people from that present and visible danger then the providing for that which was more remot◠but no less dangerous to the State of this Kingdom and of the affairs of that part of Christendom which then were and yet are in friendship and alliance with his Majesty And thereupon his Majesty not being then able to discern when it might please God to stay his hand of Uisitation nor what place might be more secure then other at a time convenient for their re-assembling his Majesty dissolved that Parliament That Parliament being now ended his Majesty did not therewith cast off his Royal care of his great and important affairs but by the advice of his Privy-Council and of his Council of War he continued his preparations and former resolutions And therein not only expended those monies which by the two Subsidies aforesaid were given unto him for his own private use whereof he had too much occasion as he found the state of his Exchequer at his first entrance but added much more of his own as by his credit and the credit of some of his servants he was able to compass the same At last by much disadvantage by the retarding of provisions and uncertainty of the means his Navy was prepared and set to Sea and the Designs unto which they were sent and specially directed were so probable and so well advised that had they not miscarried in the execution His Majesty is well assured they would have given good satisfaction not only to his own people but to all the world that they were not lightly or unadvisedly undertaken and pursued But it pleased God who is the Lord of Hosts and unto whose providence and good pleasure his Majesty doth and shall submit himself and all his endeavors not to give that success which was desired And yet were those Attempts not altogether so fruitless as the envy of the Times hath apprehended the Enemy receiving thereby no small loss nor our party no little advantage And it would much avail to further his Majesties great affairs and the Peace of Christendom which ought to be the true end of all Hostility were these first beginnings which are most subject to miscarry well seconded and pursued as his Majesty intended and as in the judgment of all men conversant in Actions of this nature were fit not to have béen neglected These things being thus acted and God of his infinite goodness beyond expectation asswaging the rage of the Pestilence and in a manner of a suddain restoring health and safety to the Cities of London and Westminster which are the fittest places for the resort of his Majesty his Lords and Commons to meet in Parliament His Majesty in the depth of winter no sooner descried the probability of a safe assembling of his people and in his princely wisdom and providence foresaw that if the opportunity of seasons should be omitted preparations both defensive and offensive could not be made in such sort as was requisite for their common safety but he advised and resolved of the summoning of a new Parliament where he might freely communicate the necessities of the State and by the Council and advice of the Lords and Commons in Parliament who are the Representative body of the whole Kingdom and the great Council of the Realm might proceed in these enterprises and be enabled thereunto which concern the common good safety and honor both of Prince and people and accordingly the sixth of February last a new Parliament was begun At the first meeting his Majesty did forbear to press them with any thing which might have the least appearance of his own interest but recommended unto them the care of making of good Laws which are the ordinary Subject for a Parliament His Majesty believing that they could not have suffered many days much less many weeks to have passed by before the apprehension and care of the common safety of this Kingdom and the true Religion professed and maintained therein and of
Friends and Allies be not sufficient then no Eloquence of Men or Angels will prevail Only let me remember you That my duty most of all and every one of yours according to his degree is to seek the maintenance of this Church and Commonwealth And certainly there never was a time in which this duty was more necessarily required then now I therefore judging a Parliament to be the antient speediest and best way in this time of Common danger to give such Supply as to secure our selves and to save our Friends from imminent ruine have called you together Every man now must do according to his conscience Wherefore if you as God forbid should not do your duties in contributing what the State at this time needs I must in discharge of my conscience use those other means which God hath put into my hands to save that which the follies of particular men may otherwise hazard to lose Take not this as a Threatening for I scorn to threaten any but my Equals but an Admonition from him that both out of nature and duty hath most care of your preservations and prosperities And though I thus speak I hope that your demeanors at this time will be such as shall not only make me approve your former Councels but lay on me such obligations as shall tie me by way of thankfulness to meet often with you For be assured that nothing can be more pleasing unto me then to keep a good Correspondence with you I will only adde one thing more and then leave my Lord Keeper to make a short Paraphrase upon the Text I have delivered you which is To remember a thing to the end we may forget it You may imagine that I came here with a doubt of success of what I desire remembring the distractions of the last Meeting But I assure you that I shall very easily and gladly forget and forgive what is past so that you will at this present time leave the former ways of distractions and follow the Councel late given you To maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The Lord Keeper seconded his Majesty on this manner YE are here-in Parliament by his Majesties Writ and Royal command to consult and conclude of the weighty and urgent Business of this Kingdom Weighty it is and great as great as the honor safety and protection of Religion King and Country And what can be greater Urgent it is It is little pleasure to tell or think how urgent And to tell it with circumstances were a long work I will but touch the sum of it in few words The Pope and House of Austria have long affected the one a Spiritual the other a Temporal Monarchy And to effect their ends to serve each others turn the House of Austria besides the rich and vast Territories of both the Indies and in Africa joined together are become Masters of Spain and Italy and the great Country of Germany And although France be not under their subjection yet they have invironed all about it The very Bowels of the Kingdom swayed by the Popish Faction They have gotten such a part and such intercession in the Government that under pretence of Religion to root out the Protestants and our Religion they have drawn the King to their adherence so far that albeit upon his Majesties interposition by his Ambassadors and his engagement of his Royal word there was between the King and his Subjects Articles of Agreement and the Subjects were quiet whereof his Majesty interessed in that great Treaty was bound to see a true accomplishment yet against that strict Alliance that Treaty hath been broken and those of the Religion have been put to all extremity and undoubtedly will be ruined without present help So as that King is not onely diverted from assisting the Common Cause but hath been misled to engage himself in hostile acts against our King and other Princes making way thereby for the House of Austria to the ruine of his own and other Kingdoms Other Potentates that in former times did ballance and interrupt the growing greatness of the House of Austria are now removed and diverted The Turk hath made Peace with the Emperor and turned himself wholly into Wars with Asia The King of Sweden is embroiled in a War with Poland which is invented by Spanish practices to keep that King from succoring our part The King of Denmark is chased out of his Kingdom on this and on that side the Zound so as the House of Austria is on the point to command all the Sea-coasts from Dantzick to Embden and all the Rivers falling into the Sea in that great extent So as besides their power by Land they begin to threaten our Part by Sea to the subversion of all our State In the Baltique-Sea they are providing and arming all the Ships they can build or hire And have at this time their Ambassadors treating at Lubeck to draw into their service the Hans-Towns whereby taking from us and our Neighbors the Eastland-Trade by which our Shipping is supplied they expect without any blow given to make themselves Masters of that Sea In these Western parts by the Dunkirkers and by the now French and Spanish Admiral to the ruine of Fishing of infinite consequence both to us and the Low-Countries they infest all our Coast so as we pass not safely from Port to Port. And that Fleet which lately assisted the French at the Isle of Rhee is now preparing at S. Andrews with other Ships built in the Coast of Biscay to reinforce it and a great Fleet is making ready in Lisbon where besides their own they do serve themselves upon all Strangers Bottoms coming to that Coast for Trade And these great preparations are no doubâ— to assault us in England or Ireland as they shall find advantage and a place fit for their turn Our friends of the Netherlands besides the fear that justly troubles them lest the whole force of the Emperor may fall down upon them are distracted by their Voyages into the East which hath carried both Men and Money into another World and much weakened them at home Thus are we even ready on all sides to be swallowed up The Emperor France and Spain being in open War against us Germany overrun the King of Denmark distressed the King of Sweden diverted and the Low-Country-men disabled to give us assistance I speak not this to increase fear unworthy of English courages but to press to provision worthy the wisdom of a Parliament And for that cause his Majesty hath called you hither that by a timely provision against those great imminent dangers our selves may be strengthened at home our Friends and Allies encouraged abroad and those great causes of fear scattered and dispelled And because in all Warlike preparations Treasure bears the name and holds the semblance of the nerves and sinews And if a sinew be too short or too weak if it be either shrunk or strained the part becomes
and other Lands to the said Title of Earl of Arundel 11. An Act to assure the Joynture of the Lady Francis Nevil and to enable the Lord Abergavenny to sell Lands 12. An Act concerning the Lands of William Earl of Devon 13. An Act to confirm the Estates of the Lord Morlies Tenants in Tatham and Gressingham 14. An Act for reestating of Lands of William Morgan Esq and discharging the trust concerning them 15. A Declararation of the Commons against Doctor Manwaring 16. An Act to enable Dutton Lord Gerrard to make a Joynture to any Wife that he shall hereafter marry and to provide for younger children and the securing of Portions for Alice Frances and Eliz. Gerrard sisters of the said Lord Gerrard 17. An Act for restitution in blood of Carew Rawleigh Esq and to confirm Letters Patents made to the Earl of Bristol by King James 18. An Act for the Naturalizing of Isaac Ashley Henry Ashley Thomas Ashley and Bernard Ashley sons of Sir Jacob Ashley Knight 19. An Act for Naturalizing of Samuel Powel 20. An Act for the naturalizing of Alexander Levingston Gent. 21. An Act for the naturalizing of John Trumbal and of William Beere Edward Beer and Sidney Beere and Samuel Wentworth 22. An Act for the amendment of a word miswritten in an Act made An. 21. Iac. R. to enable Vincent Lowe Esq. to sell Lands c. 23. An Act for naturalizing of Sir Robert Ayton Knight 24. An Act for confirmation of Letters Patents made by King James to John Earl of Bristol 25. An Act for naturalizing of John Aldersey Mary Aldersey Anne Aldersey Eliz. Aldersey and Margaret Aldersey c. 26. An Act for the naturalizing of Daniel Delingue Knight 27. An Act for the naturalizing of Sir Robert Dyel Kt. and George Kirk Esquire 28. An Act for the naturalizing of James Freese In the Interval between the two Sessions there happened many remarkable passages DOctor Manwarings Sermons intituled Religion and Allegiance were suppressed by Proclamation the King declaring that though the grounds thereof were rightly laid to perswade obedience from Subjects to their Sovereign and that for conscience sake yet in divers passages inferences and applications thereof trenching upon the Laws of this Land and proceedings of Parliaments whereof he was ignorant he so far erred that he had drawn upon himself the just censure and sentence of the High Court of Parliament by whose judgement also that Book stands condemned Wherefore being desirous to remove occasions of scandal he thought fit that those Sermons in regard of their influences and applications be totally suppressed Then a Proclamation came forth declaring the Kings pleasure for proceedings with Popish Recusants and directions to his Commissioners for making compositions for two parts of three of their Estates which by Law were due to his Majesty neverthelesse for the most part they got off upon easie tearms by reason of compositions at undervalues and by Letters of Grace and protection granted from time to time to most of the wealthiest of them This was seconded with another Proclamation commanding that diligent search be made for all Priests and Jesuites particularly the Bishop Calcedon and others that have taken Orders by authority from the See of Rome that they be apprehended and committed to the Goale of that County where they shall be found there to remaine without Bayle or Mainprize till they be tryed by due course of Law and if upon trial and conviction there shall be cause to respit the execution of any of them they shall not lie in the Common Goals much lesse wander about at large but according to the example of former times be sent to the Castle of Wisbitch or some other safe prison where they shall remain under strait and close custody and be wholly restrained from exercising their function and spreading their superstitious and dangerous doctrines Hereupon the Privy Councel wrote to the Bishop of Ely a Letter of the tenour following WHereas his Majestie hath beene informed that the Romish Priests Jesuites and Seminaries lurking in this Kingdome do obstinately and maliciously continue their wonted practises to supplant the true Religion established and to seduce his people from obedience stirre up sedition and subvert the State and Government so far as it lieth in their power his Majesty hath therefore commanded us to signifie unto your Lordship that it is his expresse will and pleasure according to his Declaration in Parliament and his Royal Proclamation since published you shall forthwith prepare and make ready the Castle of Wisbitch in the Isle of Ely to receive and lodge all such Priests Jesuites and Seminaries and other prisoners as shall be hereafter sent thither and there treat and governe them according to such instructions and directions as shall be prescribed by this board The Jesuites taken in Clarken-well being then in several prisons it was ordered by the Councel they should all be removed to Newgate and such of them as were not as yet convicted and condemned should be proceeded against untill they were condemned and then that they all should be sent to the Castle of VVisbitch according to the Proclamation in that behalf and the Attorney General was required to take course to entitle the King to the goods taken in the house which was designed for a Colledge and accordingly they were proceeded against and but onely one convicted which proceeding was questioned in the ensuing Session of Parliament And upon Information that there was a greater concourse of Recusants in or near London then had been usual at other times the Privy Councel sent to the Lord Mayor to require him to cause diligent search to be made within the City and Liberties thereof and to finde out what Recusants did inhabit or remaine there as House-keepers Inmates or Lodgers or in any manner and to return a certificate to the board both of their names and qualities distinguishing which were Trades-men that were there by occasion of their Trades according to to the Statute in that behalf and which were of no Trade but resorted thither from other parts of the Kingdom Iuly 15. being St. Swithins day Sir Richard VVeston Chancellor of the Exchequer was made Lord Treasurer of England and the same day was Bishop Laud translated to the Bishoprick of London About the same time Master Montague formerly mentioned was designed to the Bishoprick of Chichester upon the decease of Bishop Carleton Neverthelesse his Appello Caesarem was thought fit to be called in the King declaring that out of his care to maintain the Church in the unity of true Religion and the bond of peace to prevent unnecessary disputes he had lately caused the Articles of Relgion to be reprinted as a rule for avoiding diversities of opinions and considering that a Book written by Richard Montague now Bishop of Chichester intituled Apello Caesarem was the first cause of those disputes and differences which since have much troubled the quiet
Religion the precedency of Tunnage and poundage And in the Commitee Mr. Pymme spake as followeth TWo diseases there be said he the one old the other new the old Popery the new Arminianism there be three things to be inquired after concerning Popery 1. The cessation of the Execution of Laws against Papists 2. How the Papists have been imployed and countenanced 3. The Law violated in bringing in of superstitious ceremonies amongst us especially at Durham by Mr. Cozens as Angels Crucifixes Saints Altars Candles on Candlemas day burnt in the Church after the Popish manner For Arminianisme let it be advised 1. That a way be open for the truth 2. That whereas by the Articles set forth 1562. and by the Catechism set forth in King Edward the sixths days and by the writing of Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr who were employed in making our Articles and by the constant professions sealed by the blood of so many Martyrs as Cranmer Ridley and others and by the 36. Articles in Queen Elizabeths time and by the Articles agreed upon at Lambeth as the Doctrine of the Church of England which King Iames sent to Dort and to Ireland and were avowed by us and our State his Majesty hath expressed himself in preserving unity in Religion established though his royal intention notwithstanding hath been perverted by some to suppresse the truth Let us shew wherein these late opinions are contrary to those setled truths and what men have been since preferred that have professed these Heresies what pardons they have had for false doctrine what prohibiting of Books and writings against their doctrine and permitting of such books as have been for them Let us inquire after the Abettors Let us enquire also after the pardons granted of late to some of these and the presumption of some that dare preach the contrary to truth before his Majesty It belongs to the duty of Parliament to establish true Religion and to punish false we must know what Parliaments have done formerly in Religion Our Parliaments have confirmed general Councels In the time of King Henry 8. the Earl of Essex was condemned for countenancing books of Heresie For the convocation it is but a Provincial Sinod of Canturbury and cannot bind the whole Kingdom As for York that is distant and cannot do any thing to bind us or the Laws For the High-Commission it was derived from Parliament Wednesday 28. Secretary Cook delivered another message to the House concerning the precedency of Tunnage and Poundage declaring that his Majesty intends not thereby to interrupt them as to Religion so that they do not intrench on that which belongs not to them which message was seconded by Sir Thomas Edmonds in these words I am sorry the House hath given cause to so many messages about Tunnage and Poundage after his Majesty hath given us so much satisfaction you may perceive his Majesty is sensible of the neglect of his businesse we that know this should not discharge our duties to you if we should not perswade you to that course which should procure his Majesties good opinion of you You your selves are witnesses how industrious his Majesty was to procure you gracious Laws in his fathers time and since what inlargement he hath made of our Liberties and still we give him cause to repent him of the good he hath done Consider how dangerous it is to alienate his Majesties heart from Parliaments Master Corriton replied WHen men speak here of neglect of duty to his Majesty let them know we know no such thing nor what they mean And I see not how we do neglect the same I see it is in all our hearts to expedite the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage in due time our businesse is still put back by these Messages and the businesse in hand is of God and his Majesties affairs are certainly amisse and every one sees it and woe be to us if we present them not to his Majesty The House resolved to send an answer to the King that these messages are inconvenient and breed debates and losse of time and did further resolve that Tunnage and Poundage arising naturally from this House they would in fit time take such a course therein as they hoped would be to his Majesties satisfaction and honour and so again agreed to proceed at present in matters of Religion Sir Iohn Eliot upon this occasion spake to this purpose I have always observed said he that in the proceedings of this House our best advantage is order and I was very glad when that noble Gentleman my Country-man gave occasion to state our proceedings for I fear it would have carried us into a Sea of confusion and disorder and having now occasion to present my thoughts in this great and weighty businesse of Religion I shall be bold to speak a few words There is a jealousie conceived as if we meant to dispute in matters of faith it is our profession this is not to be disputed it is not in the Parliament to make a new Religion nor I hope shall it be in any to alter the body of the truth which we now professe I must confess amongst all those fears we have contracted there ariseth to me not one of the least dangers in the Declaration that is made and publisht in his Majesties name concerning disputing and preaching let not this my saying bear the least suspition or jealousie of his Majesty for if there be any misprision or Error I hope it is those Ministers about him which not only he but all Princes are subject unto and Princes no doubt are subject to mis-informations and many actions may be intitled to their Names when it is not done by themselves Antiochus King of Asia sent his Letters and missives to several Provinces that if they received any dispatches in his name not agreeable to justice Ignoto se litteras esse scriptas ideoque iis non parerent and the reason of it is given by Gratian because that oftentimes by the importunity of Ministers Principes saepe constringuntur ut non concedenda concedant are drawn to grant things by them not to be granted and as it was in that age so it may be in this And now to the particular in the Declaration we see what is said of Popery and Arminianism our Faith and Religion is in danger by it for like an Inundation it doth break in at once upon us It is said if there be any difference in Opinion concerning the seasonable interpretation of the 39. Articles the Bishops and the Clergy in the Convocation have power to dispute it and to order which way they please and for ought I know Popery and Arminianism may be introduced by them and then it must be received by all a slight thing that the power of Religion should be left to the persons of these men I honour their profession there are among our Bishops such as are fit to be made examples for
all Ages who shine in vertue and are firm for our Religion but the contrary Faction I like not I remember a character I have seen in a Diary of E. 6. that young Prince of famous memory where he doth expresse the condition of the Bishops of that time under his own hand writing That some for sloath some for age some for ignorance some for luxury and some for Popery were unfit for Discipline and Government We see there are some among our Bishops who are not Orthodox nor sound in Religion as they should be witness the two Bishops complained of the last meeting of the Parliament I apprehend such a feare that should we be in their power we may be in danger to have our Religion overthrown some of these are Masters of Ceremonies and they labour to introduce new Ceremonies into the Church Yet some Ceremonies are useful give me leave to joyn that I hold it necessary and commendable that at the repetition of the Creed we should stand up to testifie the resolution of our hearts that we will defend the Religion which we profess and in some Churches it is added they did not only stand upright with their bodies but with their Swords drawn Let us go to the ground of our Religion and lay down a Rule on which all others may rest then when that is done it will be time to take into consideration the breakers and offendors of that Rule Hereupon after some Debate the Commons entered into this Vow The Vow of the House of Commons in Parliament WEE the Commons in Parliament Assembled do Claim Protest and Avow for truth the sence of the Articles of Religion which were established by Parliament in the thirteenth year of our late Queen Elizabeth which by the publique Act of the Church of England and by the generall and currant Expositions of the Writers of our Church have been delivered unto us And we reject the sence of the Jesuites and Arminians and all others wherein they differ from us Friday the thirtieth of January 1628. Both Houses joyn in Petitioning the King for a Fast. MOst Gracious Soveraign It is the very earnest desire of us your most dutiful Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this Parliament Assembled that this meeting may be abundantly blessed with all happy successe in the great affairs of Church and State upon which we are to consult and that by a cleare understanding both of your Majesties goodness unto us and of our ever faithfull and Loyal hearts to your Majesties Royal Person and service all jealousies and distractions which are apparent signs of Gods displeasure and of ensuing mischief being removed there may this Session and for ever be a perfect and most happy union and agreement between your Majesty and all the Estates of this Realm But acknowledging that neither this nor any other blessing can be expected without the especiall favour of Almighty God upon the observation of the continued increasing miseries of the Reformed Churches abroad whose cases with bleeding hearts we compassionate as likewise of those punishments already inflicted And which are like in great measure to fall upon our selves we have just cause to conceive that the Divine Majesty is for our sins exceedingly offended against us wherefore we do in these and all other pious respects most Dread Soveraign humbly beseech your most excellent Majesty by your Royal consent and Commandment that not only our selves but all people of your Kingdom may be speedily enjoyned upon some certain day by your Majesty to be prefixed by publique Fasting and Prayer to seek reconciliation at the merciful hands of Almighty God So that the prayers of the whole Kingdom joyned with your Majesties most Princely care and the faithful hearts and endeavours of this great Councel assembled may procure honour to Almighty God in the preservation of his true Religion much honour to your Majesty prosperity to your people and comfort to your Majesties Friends and Allies The Kings Answer to the Petition MY Lords and Gentlemen The chief Motive of your Petition being the deplorable Condition of the Reformed Churches abroad is too true And our duty is so much as in us lieth to give them all possible help But certainly fighting will doe them more good then fasting though I doe not wholly disallow of the latter yet I must tell you that the custome of fasting every Session is but lately begun and I confesse I am not fully satisfied with the necessity of it at this time Yet to shew you how smoothly I desire your businesse to go on eschewing as much as I can Questions or jealousies I doe willingly grant your request herein but with this Note That this shall not hereafter be brought into president for frequent Fasts except upon great occasions And for form and time I will advise with my Lords the Bishops and then send you a particular Answer Soon after the House of Commons presented a Declaration to the King touching their resolutions to give precedency to Religion MOst Gracious Sovereign We have within these three dayes received from your Majesty a Message putting us in minde of our present entring upon the consideration of a Grant of Tunnage and Poundage but the manner of possessing the House therewith being disagreeable to our Orders and Priviledges that we could not proceed therein And finding our selves in your Majesties name pressed in that businesse and that we should give precedency thereunto we cannot but expresse some sence of sorrow fearing that the most hearty and forward affections wherewith we desire to serve your Majesty are not clearly represented unto you besides such is the solicitous care we have in preserving our selves in your Majesties most gracious and good opinion that it cannot but breed much trouble in us when ever we find our selves as now we are enforced to spend that time in making our humble Apologies from whence doe usually arise long Debates which we conceive might very profitably be applyed in the greater Services of your Majesty and the Common-wealth which we did with all humble diligence apply our selves unto and finding the extream dangers wherewith our Religion is threatned clearly presenting it unto our thoughts and considerations We thought and we think we cannot without impiety to God disloyalty to your Majesty and unthankfulnesse to those from whom we are put in trust retard our proceedings until something be done to secure us in this maine point which we prefer above our lives and all earthly things whatsoever And here we do with all humble thankfulnesse acknowledge your Majesties most pious care and Princely Intentions to suppresse both Popery and Arminianism the Professor of the one being an open enemy 〈◊〉 the maintainer of the other a subtil and more dangerous underminer of the Religion of Almighty God established within your Realmes and Dominions The truth of which our whole Religion or any part thereof as being sufficiently known and received generally here
declared for War he pursued Peace and resolved to close with Spain hoping to heal the Breach by that Alliance The House of Commons before they granted Subsides resolved to try the Kings Spirit by this Petition and Remonstrance which laid open the distempers of those times with their causes and cures Most Gratious and Dread Soveraign WE Your Majesties most Humble and Loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now Assembled in Parliament who represent the Commons of Your Realm full of hearty sorrow to be deprived of the Comfort of Your Royal Presence the rather for that it proceeds from the want of Your health wherein we all unfeignedly do suffer In all humble manner calling to minde Your Gracious Answer to our former Petition concerning Religion which notwithstanding Your Majesties Pious and Princely intentions hath not produced that good effect which the danger of these times doth séem to us to require And finding how ill Your Majesties goodness hath béen requited by Princes of different Religion who even in time of Treaty have taken opportunity to advance their own ends tending to the subversion of Religion and disadvantage of Your Affairs and the Estate of Your Children By reason whereof Your ill affected Subjects at home the Popish Recusants have taken too much encouragement and are dangerously increased in their number and in 〈◊〉 insolencies We cannot but be sensible thereof and therefore humbly represent what we conceive to be the causes of so great and growing Mischeifs and what be the Remedies I. The Uigilancy and Ambition of the Pope of Rome and his dearest Son the one aiming at as large a Temporal Monarchy as the other at a Spiritual Supremacy II. The Devillish Positions and Doctrines whereon Popery is built and taught with Authority to their Followers for advancement of their Temporal ends III. The distressed and miserable estate of the Professors of true Religion in Foreign parts IV. The Disasterous accidents to Your Majesties Children abroad expressed with rejoycing and even with contempt of their persons V. The strange Confederacy of the Princes of thâ— Popish Religion aiming mainly at the advancement of theirs and subverting of ours and taking the advantages conducing to that end upon all occasions VI. The great and many 〈◊〉 raised and maintained at the charge of the King of Spain the 〈◊〉 of that League VII The expectation of the Popish Recusants of the Match with Spain and féeding themselves with great hopes of the consequences thereof VIII The interposing of Forein Princes and their Agents in the behalf of Popish Recusants for connivance and favor unto them IX Their open and usual resort to the Houses and which is worse to the Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors X. Their more then usual concourse to the City and their frequent Conventicles and Conferences there XI The education of their Children in many several Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Forein parts appropriated to the English Fugitives XII The Grants of their just Forfeitures intended by Your Majesty as a Reward of Service to the Grantees but beyond Your Majesties intention transferred or compounded for at such mean rates as will amount to little less then a Toleration XIII The Licentious Printing and dispersing of Popish and Seditious Books even in the time of Parliament XIV The swarms of Priests and Iesuits the Common Incendiaries of all Christendom dispersed in all parts of your Kingdom And from these causes as bitter Roots we humbly offer to Your Majesty That we foresée and fear there will necessarily follow very dangerous effects both to Church and State For I. The Popish Religion is incompatible with ours in respect of their Positions II. It draweth with it an unavoidable dependency on Forein Princes III. It openeth too wide a gap for Popularity to any who shall draw too great a party IV. It hath a restless spirit and will strive by these Gradations if it once get but a connivancy it will press for a Toleration if that should be obtained they must have an equality from thence they will aspire to Superiority and will never rest till they get a Subversion of the true Religion The Remedies against these growing Evils which in all Humility we offer unto Your most Excellent Majesty are these I. That séeing this inevitable necessity is faln upon Your Majesty which no Wisdom or Providence of a peaceable and pious King can 〈◊〉 Your Majesty would not omit this just occasion spéedily and eâ—â—ectually to take Your Sword into Your hand II. That once undertaken upon so honorable and just grounds Your Majesty would resolve to pursue and more publickly avow the aiding of those of our Religion in Forein parts which doubtless would reunite the Princes and States of the Union by these disasters disheartned and disbanded III. That Your Majesty would propose to Your Self to manage this War with the best advantage by a diversion or otherwise as in Your déep judgment shall be found fittest and not to rest upon a War in these parts onely which will consume Your Treasure and discourage Your People IV. That the bent of this 〈◊〉 and point of Your Sâ—â—â—d may be against that Prince whatsoever opinion of potency he hath whose Armies and Treasures have first diverted and since maintained the War in the Palatinate V. That for securing of our Peace at home Your Majesty will be pleased to review the parts of our Petition formerly delivered unto Your Majesty and hereunto annexed and to put in execution by the care of choice Commissioners to be thereunto especially appointed the Laws already and hereafter to be made for preventing of dangers by Popish Recusants and their wonted evasions VI. That to frustrate their hopes for a future age our most Noble Prince may be timely and happily married to one of our own Religion VII That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom and of others ill-affected and suspected in their Religion now beyond the Seas may be forthwith called home by your means and at the charge of their Parents or Governors VIII That the Children of Popish Recusants or such whose Wives are Popish Recusants be brought up during their Minority with Protestant Schoolmasters and Teachers who may sow in their tender years the Séeds of true Religion IX That Your Majesty will be pleased spéedily to revoke all former Licences for such Children and Youth to travel beyond the Seas and not grant any such Licence hereafter X. That Your Majesties Learned Council may receive Commandment from Your Highness carefully to look into former Grants of Recusants Lands and to avoid them if by Law they can and that Your Majesty will stay Your Hand from passing any such Grants hereafter This is the sum and effect of our humble Declaration which we no ways intending to press upon Your Majesties undoubted and Regal Prerogative do with the fulness of our Duty and Obedience humbly submit to Your most Princely consideration The glory of God whose cause it is
most famous Prince have polished with Learning and Arts of Prudence would assent to the Father of lights illuminating the Christian world We easily apprehend how much it would conduce to the Publick peace that being King of Scotland you should join in one Kingdom those Nations and Islands divided either by the bars of the Mountains or by the depths of the Ocean For your Majesty seems for that very reason to be made Lord of so many Provinces that they might more easily and quickly receive healing and salvation from him whom they obey Wherefore we even then besought God by continual â—rayers who gives salvation to Kings that so many blessings by his grace conferred upon you by which you are admirable in the sight of Potentates might bring safety to Britain and joy to the Church A blessed hope from above not long ago shined upon us when we understood that you were desirous of a Catholick alliance and that the â—ssue which should succeed in the inheritance and government of those Nations might be begotten of a Catholick mother We can scarcely express how much joy Gregory the Fifteenth of blessed memory our Predecessor brought us when he made us one of the Congregation of those Cardinals whom he would have to take cognisance of the English Match While we discoursed of a matter of so great importance we expressed a singular propension of mind towards your Majesty and were both tender of your praises and desirous to provide for your happiness And now being by the consent of the Apostolical Senate advanced to this station where we are to watch and ward for all earthly Monarchs we cannot sufficiently declare what a care and desire we have of Great Britain and the honor of so great a King It seems to have been a special providence of God that the first Letters which we received reigning in the seat of S. Peter were those which the most noble Charls Prince of Wales wrote to our Predecessor as a testimony of his affection to the Popes of Rome And since we now desire that this venerable Marriage should by the blessing of God be perfected we resolved to write unto you without expecting Letters first from you for Charity is the honor of the Papal Empire and although most powerful Kings do homage to us in this seat yet we account it glorious charity so perswading to descend to humble prayers so that we may gain souls to Christ. First therefore we desire you to perswade your self that there is no Prince in the Christian world from whom you can expect more evidence of fatherly affection then from the Pope who desires to embrace you a most desired Son with the arms of Apostolical charity We know with what a Letter Gregory the Fifteenth excited you to obtain so great a glory And since we have succeeded him we will not only imitate his inclinations towards you but will exceed them We hope we shall shortly have news out of England that your Majesty is favorable to the Catholick interest and that the Catholicks who live there whom the Father of mercies hath vindicated into the liberty of the sons of God being freed from the fear of punishment enjoy your Royal protection He who is rich in mercy will reward such a purpose with some signal happiness The Kingdoms of the Earth will applaud your Majesty and the Host of Heaven will wage war for you Though sinners gnash their teeth and Impiety powerful to raise sedition threaten yet Europe hopes she shall see King James triumphing in the Roman Church and increasing the example of his Ancestors by new works of Piety We do not distrust that the time of Gods good pleasure is now at hand when they who recommend to History the praises of the British Religion shall not always speak of the deeds of another Age but may be able to propose the present Government as a pattern of imitation to the Ages following Your Ancestors call upon you who have left you so powerful and so famous an inheritance who believed that the gates of the kingdom of Heaven were opened to mankind with the Popes keyes Certainly it cannot be that your Majesty should dare either to contemn or condemn the belief of so many Ages and the judgment of so many Kings who have deserved well of you Do you not see that by your Majesties opinion they are deprived of Heaven who left you a Kingdom while you contend that they erred in the worship of their Religion By this means it would be that whom the Universal Church believes to be Citizens of Heaven and to reign as Coheirs with Christ in that everlasting Country you who are descended of them should snatch them out of Heaven and thrust them into the bottomless pit of Error and the prison of hellish torments Do you not perceive your bowels yearn at the thought of so ungrateful an offence Are not such deliberations repugnant to your Royal temper which nevertheless so many Nations of Europe are forced to reprehend while it dissents from the Seat of the Apostles Let the splendor of so great glory allure your eyes which looks out of Heaven upon you and reaches you out a hand ready to reduce by your means the Kingdom of Britain into the Sanctuary of God with the conduct of Angels and acclamations of men A long time ago Christian religion lay all along in the world squalid and deformed with anguish affrighted with the threats of Tyrants But that Emperor whom we owe to Great Britain Constantine the Great the Defender of the Popes authority and the Avoucher of the Roman Faith did not only bring her out of her lurking places but called her to an Empire He is a fit pattern of imitation for your Majesty not those Kings who have transgressed and dissipated the Everlasting Covenant We call you O most wished for Son from this Watch-Tower of the World into the Society of his Glory Adde one day to your past years which all posterity may celebrate with a grateful memory Put a Mitre of Eternal Glory upon your head that in the time of your Reign we may say with the Holy Apostle I have seen a new Heaven in Britain and a new City descending from Heaven and a guard of Angels upon her Walls If that should come to pass we shall make reckoning that our Reign hath been happy to mankinde This our Sollicitude we believe will be so grateful unto you That we verily hope upon the receipt of our Letter you will forthwith increase the advantage of the Catholicks which live there Which if you shall do you will exceedingly oblige us and we shall consign to you the King of Kings debtor of so great benefit who so long as he shall preserve your Royal Family in eminent Happiness shall second the wishes of the Roman Church and bring ioy to the holy Prelates Dated at Rome at St. Peters sub annulo Piscatoris 15 Octob. 1623. The first year of our Reign Nobilissimo
danger of death for want of water to quench his thirst more desired water then I thirst and desire the good and comfortable success of this Parliament and blessing upon your Counsels that the good issue of this may expiate and acquit the fruitless issue of the former And I pray God your Counsels may advance Religion and the Publick weal and the good of me and my Children Feb. 21. The Commons presented Sir Thomas Crew for their Speaker who prayed an Excuse which being denied he made this Speech SInce I cannot bring an Olive-branch in my mouth as a sign of my peace and that God in whose hands are the hearts of Kings without whose providence a sparrow doth not fall to the ground whom no man can resist hath inclined your Majesty to cast your eye of grace on me and to confirm me in this place I am taught in the best School that Obedience is better then Sacrifice And will only say with a learned Father Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis Otherwise I have great cause to be afraid of such a Charge to be executed before so great a Majesty and in so great an Assembly but that I hope your Majesty will extend your Scepter of grace as Ahashuerus did to sustain me in my fainting Your Majesty is Princeps Haereditarius descended from both the Roses and hath united both the Kingdoms At your first entrance you wrought a wonder in the Tumult of our Cares and Cloud of our Fears happening upon the death of the late Queen by the bright beams of your Sunshine which a Poet elegantly expressed Mira cano sol occubuit nox nulla secuta est There was a David in Hebron and no Ishbosheth to disturb your peaceable entrance but the Acclamations of all your Subjects and Commons concurring to express their great contentment This was no sudden flash of joy but a constant blessing by the continuance of the Gospel and true Religion maugre the malice and hellish invention of those who would have blown up all at once but God laughed them to scorn and they fell into their own trap These things I leave to your Majesties Royal remembrance as a duty to be practised and to be expressed by our thankfulness to our holy God for it is a good thing to be thankfull Non est dignus dandis qui non agit gratias pro datis Since my designment to this place I called to mind these Statutes of late times and find two of especial note The first of 32 H. 8. which was called Parlamentum doctum for the many good Laws made for the setling of Possessions The other 39 Eliz. which by a reverend Divine was called Parlamentum pium because the Subjects thereby were enabled to found Hospitals without Licence of Mortmain or Ad quod damnum And other charitable Laws which I omit being not perpetual And I likewise called to mind many glorious offers made by your Majesty and other good Provisions at the two last Meetings Now your Majesty hath stretch'd forth your Scepter to call us to you again and hath made a Declaration that all jealousies and distractions might be removed and the memory of Parliament-Nullities might be buried And my desire is that your Majesties influence may distill upon us and you proceed in such a sweet harmony and conjunction that Righteousness and Peace may kiss each other and that Mercy and Truth may meet and the World may say Ecce quà m bonum quà m jucundum Regem Populum convenire in unum And for perfecting of this work the good Bills against Monopolies Informers and Concealers may now pass and receive strength with a general liberal and Royal Pardon according to the bounty of the late Queen That so this Parliament may be called Felix Doctum Pium which will be good to your Subjects and no diminution to your Revenue or derogation to your Prerogative which in your Majesties hands is as a Scepter of gold but in others hands is a Rod of iron I need not speak in the praise of the Fundamental Common-Laws Veritas temporis filia Time hath sufficiently justified them Monarchy is the best Government and of Monarchies those which are hereditary The best supply of your Majesties wants is in Parliament where the Subject is bound by his own consent other courses of Benevolence come heavily The Subjects enjoy the Gospel freely by your protection and your Majesty may be safe in their Loyalty Other safeties are but as Ajax his Shield a weight rather then a defence Their desire is that the good Laws for Religion may be confirmed and that the generation of Locusts the Jesuites and Seminary-Priests which were wont to creep in corners and do now come abroad may be by the execution of these good Laws as with an East-wind blown over the Sea Our late Queen Elizabeth lived and died in peace the Pope cursed her but God blessed her And so shall your Majesty having God to your Friend find safety in the Ark of true Religion and when you are old and full of days land you in Heaven And then our hopeful Prince which sprang out of your own loins shall sway that Scepter which you must leave to enjoy a Crown celestial And God in his due time will restore the distressed Princess her Husband and Royal Issue to that Inheritance which is now possessed by the usurping sword of their Enemies Whereof we are the more confident because that Country was heretofore a Sanctuary in our distress when Religion was here persecuted Cato was wont to say Hoc sentio Carthago destruenda est But I say Hoc sentio Palatinatus recuperandus est The question was put to a Lacedemonian Why their City wanted Walls Who answered Concord was their Walls Your Majesty under God is a sole and entire Monarch whose Walls are the Ocean without and fortified within with a Wall of Brass the bond of Unity and Religion And happy is that place of which it may be said as of Ierusalem It is a City at unity within it self Neither is your Government confined within the limits of this Kingdom but extends it self to Ireland where your Majesties care and pains in our late Imploiment gave divers provident Directions for the setting forth of Religion the reforming of Courts of Justice and inflicting punishment on the Disturbers of the Publick peace And I was Ocularis testis that you have made these ample Endowments of Churches out of your own Excheated Revenue as will be to your honor in all posterity But my desire is as well in the beginning as in all other our proceedings our words may be vera pauca ponderosa Therefore with your Gratious Favor according to antient Presidents we are humble Suitors That you would be pleased to allow our antient Priviledges And that for our better Attendance our Persons Goods and necessary Attendants may be free from Arrests and that we may have liberty of free Speech
was done to this effect THat our Soveraign Lord King Iames of Famous Memory at the Suit of both Houses of Parliament and by the powerful operation of his Majesty that now is gave consent to break off the Two Treaties with Spain touching the Match and the Palatinate and to vindicate the many wrongs and scorns done unto his Majesty and his Royal Children Besides if the King of Spain were suffered to proceed in his Conquests under pretence of the Catholick Cause he would become the Catholick Monarch which he so much affects and aspires unto Also amidst these Necessities our late King considered That he might run a hazard with his people who being so long inured to Peace were unapt to War that the uniting with other Provinces in this undertaking was a Matter of exceeding Difficulty This drew him to new Treaties for regaining his Children right which were expulsed by the Friends and Agents of Spain and wherein his Majesty proceeded as far as the wisest Prince could go and suffered himself to be won unto that which otherwise was impossible for his Royal Nature to endure He considered also the many Difficulties abroad the Duke of Bavaria by Force and Contract had the Palatinate in his own possession most of the Electors and Princes of Germany were joyned with him The Estates of the other Princes most likely to joyn in a War of Recovery were seized and secured and all by a Conquering Army Besides the Emperor had called a Diet in which he would take away all possibility of recovering the Honor and Inheritance of the Palatinate thus it stood in Germany And in France the King there chose to sheath his Sword in the Bowels of his own Subjects rather then to declare against the Catholick Cause In the Low-Countreys the Sect of the Arminians prevailed much who inclined to the Papists rather then to their own safety notwithstanding that the Enemy had a great and powerful Army near them so that his Majesty was inforced to Protect and Countenance them with an Army of Six thousand from hence with a Caution of the like Supply from thence if required Moreover he sought Alliance with France by a Match for his Royal Majesty that now is thereby to have Interest in that King and to make him a Party The last consideration was his Majesties own Honor who had labored with the two Kings of Denmark and Sweden and the German Princes from whom he received but cold Answers they refusing to joyn unless they first saw his Majesty in the Field But of this he was very tender unless the League were broken or he first warred upon The Forces of an Army were considered and the way of proceeding whether by Invasion or Diversion The Charges thereof appeared in Parliament to be Seven hundred thousand pounds a year besides Ireland was to be fortified the Forts here repaired and a Navy prepared he thought it feasible to enter into a League with the French King and the Duke of Savoy and Venice Hereupon an Army was committed to Count Mansfield the charge whereof came to Seventy thousand pounds a Moneth for his Majesties part also he commanded the preparing of this great Fleet All which so heartned the Princes of Germany that they sent Ambassadors to the Kings of Denmark and Sweden and those two Kings offered a greater Army both of Horse and Foot to which his Majesty was to pay a proportion Count Mansfields Army though disastrous produced these happy effects First It prevented the Diet intended by the Emperor Secondly The German Princes gained new courage to defend themselves and oppose their Enemies Thirdly The King of Denmark hath raised an Army with which he is marched in person as far as Minden Moreover the Confederates of France and Italy have prosecuted a War in Milan and Peace is now made by the French King with his own Subjects so that by this means breath is given to our Affairs This Parliament is not called in meer Formality upon his Majesties first coming to the Crown but upon these Real Occasions to consult with the Lords and Commons Two Subsidies are already given and gratiously accepted but the Moneys thereof and much more are already disbursed A Fleet is now at Sea and hastning to their Rendezvous the Army is ready at Plimouth expecting their Commanders His Majesties Honor Religion and the Kingdomes safety is here engaged besides he is certainly advised of Designs to infest his Dominions in Ireland and upon our own Coasts and of the Enemies increase of Shipping in all parts These things have called the Parliament hither and the present Charge of all amounts to above Four hundred thousand pounds the further prosecution whereof the King being unable to bear hath left it to their Consultations His Majesty is verily perswaded That there is no King that loves his Subjects Religion and the Laws of the Land better then himself and likewise that there is no people that better loves their King which he will cherish to the uttermost It was thought that this place had been safe for this Assembly yet since the Sickness hath brought some fear thereof his Majesty willeth the Lords and Commons to put into the Ballance with the fear of the Sickness his and their great and weighty occasions Then the Lord Treasurer added That the late King when he died was indebted to the City of London 120000 l. besides Interest and indebted for Denmark and the Palatinate 150000 l. and indebted for his Wardrobe 40000 l. That these debts lie upon his Majesty that now is who is indebted upon London 70000 l. That he hath laid out for his Navy 20000 l. and 20000 l. for Count Mansfield And for Mourning and Funeral expences for his Father 42000 l. For expences concerning the Queen 40000. The Navy will require to set it forth in that Equipage as is requisit for the great Design his Majesty hath in hand and to pay them for the time intended for this Expedition 300000 l. After this Conference the Commons fell into high Debates alleaging That the Treasury was mis-employed that evil Councels guided the Kings Designs that our Necessities arose through Improvidence that they had need to Petition the King for a strait hand and better Counsel to Manage his Affairs And though a former Parliament did engage the King in a War yet if things were managed by contrary Designs and the Treasure misemployed This Parliament is not bound by another Parliament to be carried blindfold in Designs not guided by sound Counsel and that it is was not usual to grant Subsidies upon Subsidies in one Parliament and no Grievances redressed There were many Reflections upon the Dukes miscarriages likewise they reassumed the Debate concerning Montague and they resolved That Religion should have the first place in their Debates and next unto it the Kingdoms Safety and then Supplies Other particulars were likewise insisted on That the King be desired to Answer in full Parliament to the Petition
the Seas That therefore there be great care in Choice and admitting Schoolmasters and that the Ordinaries make diligent enquiries of their demeanors and procéed to the removing of such as shall be faulty or justly suspected His Majesties Answer This is well allowed of And for the better performance of what is desired Letters shall be written to the two Archbishops and from them Letters to go to all the Ordinaries of their several Provinces to see this done the several Ordinaries to give accompt of their doings herein to the Archbishops respectively and they to give accompt to his Majesty of their proceedings herein II. That the antient Discipline of the Universities be restored being the famous Nurseries of Literature and Uertue Answ. This is approved by his Majesty and the Chancellor of each University shall be required to cause due execution of it III. That special care be taken to enlarge the Word of God throughout all the parts of your Majesties Dominions as being the most powerful means for planting of true Religion and rooting out of the contrary To which end among other things let it please your Majesty to advise your Bishops by Fatherly intreaty and tender usage to reduce to the peaceable and orderly service of the Church such able Ministers as have been formerly silenced that there may be a profitable use of their Ministry in these needful and dangerous times And that Nonresidencie Pluralities and Commendams may be moderated Where we cannot forbear most humbly to thank your Majesty for diminishing the number of your own Chaplains not doubting of the like Princely care for the well-bestowing of the rest of your Benefices both to the comfort of the people and the encouragement of the Universities being full of grave and able Ministers unfurnished of Livings Answ. This his Majesty likes well so as it be applied to such Ministers as are peaceable orderly and conformable to the Church-Government For Pluralities and Nonresidencies they are now so moderated that the Archbishops affirm there be now no Dispensations for Pluralities granted nor no man now is allowed above two Benefices and those not above thirty miles distant And for avoiding Non-residence the Canon in that case provided shall be duly put in execution For Commendams they shall be sparingly granted only in such case where the exility and smalness of the Bishoprick requireth Also his Majesty will cause that the Benefices belonging to him shall be well bestowed And for the better propagating of Religion his Majesty recommendeth to the House of Parliament that care may be taken and provision made That every Parish shall allow a competent maintenance for an able Minister And that the Owners of Parsonages Impropriate would allow to the Vicars Curates and Ministers in Villages and places belonging to their Parsonage sufficient Stipend and Allowance for Preaching Ministers IV. That there may be strict provision against transporting of English Children to the Seminaries beyond the Seas and for the recalling of them who are already there placed and for the punishment of such your Subjects as are Maintainers of those Seminaries or of the Scholars considering that besides the seducing of your people great sums of money are yearly expended upon them to the impoverishing of this Kingdom Answ. The Law in this case shall be put in execution And further there shall be Letters written to the Lord Treasurer and also to the Lord Admiral That all the Ports of this Realm and the Creeks and Members thereof be strictly kept and strait Searches made to this end A Proclamation shall be to recall both the Children of Noblemen and the Children of any other men and they to return by a day Also Maintainers of Seminaries or Scholars there shall be punished according to Law V. That no Popish Recusant be permitted to come within the Court unless your Majesty be pleased to call him upon special occasion agreeable to the Statute of 3 Jac. And whereas your Majesty for the preventing of apparent mischiefs both to your Majesty and the State hath in your Princely wisdom taken order that none of your natural born Subjects not professing the true Religion and by Law established be admitted into the service of your Royal Consort the Queen We give your Majesty most humble thanks and desire that your Order herein may be observed Answ. If his Majesty shall find or be informed of any Concourse of Recusants to the Court the Law shall be strictly followed And his Majesty is pleased that by Proclamation the British and the Irish Subjects shall be put in the same case And as his Majesty hath provided in his Treaty with France so his purpose is to keep it That none of his Subjects shall be admitted into his service or into the service of his Royal Consort the Queen that are Popish Recusants VI. That all the Laws now standing in force against Iesuites Seminary-Priests and others having taken Orders by Authority derived from the Sea of Rome be put in due execution And to the intent they may not pretend to be surprised That a spéedy and certain Day be prefixed by your Majesties Proclamation for their departure out of this Realm and all other your Dominions and not to return upon the severest Penalties of the Law now in force against them And that all your Majesties Subjects may be thereby admonished not to receive comfort entertain or conceal any of them upon the Penalties which may be lawfully inflicted And that all such Papists Iesuites and Recusants who are and shall be imprisoned for Recusancie or any other cause may be so strictly restrained as that none shall have conference with them thereby to avoid the contagion of their corrupt Religion And that no man who shall be suspected of Popery be suffered to be a Kéeper of any of your Majesties Prisons Answ. The Law in this case shall be put in execution and a Proclamation shall be to the effect desired And such Restraint shall be made as is desired And no man that is justly suspected of Popery shall be suffered to be Keeper of any his Majesties Prisons VII That your Majesty be pleased to take such Order as to your Princely wisdom shall be expedient That no natural born Subject or strange Bishops nor any other by authority from the Sea of Rome confer any Ecclesiastical Orders to exercise any Ecclesiastical Function whatsoever toward or upon your Majesties natural Subjects within your Dominions Answ. This is fit to be ordered according as is provided And it shall be so published by Proclamation VIII That your Majesties Learned Council may receive Order and commandment to consider of all former Grants of Recusants lands that such of them may be avoided as are made to the Recusants use or interest out of which the Recusant receiveth any benefit which are either void or voidable by they Law Answ. The King will give order to his Learned Council to consider of the Grants and will do according as is desired IX That your
Majesty will be likewise pleased strictly to command all your Iudges and Ministers of Iustice Ecclesiastical and Temporal to sée the Laws of this Realm against Popish Recusants to be duly executed And namely that the Censure of Excommunication be declared and certified against them and that they be not absolved but upon publick satisfaction by yielding to Conformity Answ. His Majesty leaves the Lawes to their Course and will order in the point of Excommunication as is desired X. That your Majesty will be pleased to remove from places of Authority and Government all such persons as are either Popish Recusants or according to direction of former Acts of State to be justly suspected Answ. This his Majesty thinks fit and will give order for it XI That present order be taken for disarming all Popish Recusants legally convicted or justly suspected according to the Laws in that behalf and the Orders taken by his late Majesties Privy-Council upon reason of State Answ. The Laws and Acts in this Case shall be followed and put in due execution XII That your Majesty be also pleased in respect of the great resort of Recusants to and about London to command forthwith upon pain of your indignation and severe execution of the Laws that they retire themselves to their several Countries there to remain confined within Five miles of their places Answ. For this the Laws in force shall be forthwith executed XIII And whereas your Majesty hath strictly commanded and taken order that none of the natural born Subjects repair to the hearing of Masses or other Superstitious Service at the Chappels or Houses of Foreign Ambassadors or in any other places whatsoever we give your Majesty most humble thanks and desire that your Order and Commandment therein may be continued and observed and that the Offenders herein may be punished according to the Laws Answ. The King gives assent thereto and will see that observed which herein hath been commanded by him XIV That all such Insolencies as any that are Popishly affected have lately committed or shall hereafter commit to the dishonor of our Religion or to the wrong of the true Professors thereof be exemplarily punished Answ. This shall be done as is desired XV. That the Statute of 1 Eliz. for the payment of Twelve-pence every Sunday by such as shall be absent from Divine service in the Church without a lawfull excuse may be put in due execution the rather for that the penalty by Law is given to the poor and therefore not to be dispenced withal Answ. It is fit that this Statute be executed and the Penalties shall not be dispenced withal XVI Lastly That your Majesty would be pleased to extend your Princely care also over the Kingdom of Ireland that the like courses may be there taken for the restoring and establishing of true Religion Answ. His Majesties cares are and shall be extended over the Kingdom of Ireland and he will do all that a Religious King should do for the restoring and establishing of true Religion there And thus most gracious Soveraign according to our duty and zeal to God and Religion to your Majesty and your safety to the Church and Common-wealth and their peace and prosperity we have made a faithfull Declaration of the present Estate the causes and remedies of this increasing disease of Popery humbly offering the same to your Princely care and wisdom The Answer of your Majesties Father our late Soveraign of famous memory upon the like Petition did give us great comfort of Reformation but your Majesties most gracious promises made in that kinde do give us confidence and assurance of the continual performance thereof In which comfort and confidence reposing our selves we most humbly pray for your Majesties long continuance in all Princely felicity The Petition and Answer being read it was further intimated to the Commons That as his Majesty took well their minding him of the care of Religion so he would have done and granted the same things though they had never petitioned him neither doth he place his Answer to this Petition as a wheel to draw on other affairs and designs but he leaves them to move in their own Sphere and what he hath done in this particular comes from these two Fountains Conscience and Duty to his Father who in his last speech recommended unto him the Person but not the Religion of his Queen At the same time the Duke signified to both Houses that by the Kings command he was to give an account of the Fleet and the preparations thereof and said that the first and last time he had the happiness to speak in that Auditory it was of the Spanish Treaty and then he was so happy as to be honored and applauded by both Houses of Parliament and he made no question but speaking now with the same heart he should be no less acceptable to them And he made this request to the House of Commons to believe that if any hath spoken or shall speak in discharge of his conscience his zeal of Reformation any thing which may seem to reflect upon some particular persons he shall be the last man that will apply this to himself because he is confidently assured of two things first that they are just not to fall upon him without cause and secondly that himself shall do nothing that unbecomes a faithfull Englishman And for the Method of his ensuing Discourse he chose rather to speak by way of Objection and Answer then in one continued Speech as a speedier means to give the Commons satisfaction Object 1. By what Counsel those Designs and Actions of War were carried and enterprised Answ. By the Counsel of the Parliament appointed according to the Act of both Houses the 23. of March 1623. by those Counsels his Majesty was guided and applied himself accordingly for the defence of the Realm the securing of Ireland the assisting of our Neighbors and others our Friends and Allies and for the setting forth the Navy-Royal His Majesty looking into his purse saw enough to do all the former Actions but not this latter For when he came to consider of the Navy there was neither money nor preparations yet looking upon the Affairs of Christendom he found that of most necessity Hereupon his Majesty of famous memory did him viz. the Duke the honor as to write from Newmarket to him at London a Letter to this effect That looking into the Affairs of Christendom he found it necessary that a Royal-Fleet shouâ—d be prepared and set in readiness but that he had no Money wherefore himself meaning the Duke and his Friends must begin to lay it out and no doubt but others would follow and by this means the King might lie the longer concealed and undiscovered in the Enterprise as bearing the name of the Subject onely and other Princes in hope to draw him on would sooner come to the business Upon this Letter the Duke said he leaped into the Action with all alacrity and
Spain did really fully and effectually intend the said Marriage between the said Lady his Sister and the said Prince our now Soveraign Lord according to Articles formerly propounded between the said Kings Whereas in truth the said Emperor and King of Spain or either of them never really intended such restitution as aforesaid And whereas the said King of Spain never really intended the Marriage according to those Articles propounded but the said Emperor and King of Spain intended onely by those Treaties to gain time to compass their own ends and purposes to the detriment of this Kingdom of all which the said Earl of Bristol neither was nor could be ignorant The said late King Iames by entertaining those Treaties and continuing them upon those false Assurances given unto him by the said Earl as aforesaid was made secure and lost the opportunity of time and thereby the said Dominions Territories and Possessions of the said Count Palatine and the Electoral Dignity became utterly lost and some parts thereof were taken out of the actual possession of the said King Iames unto whose protection and safe keeping they were put and committed by the said Count Palatine and the most Excellent Lady Elizabeth his Wife and their Children are now utterly dispossessed and bereaved thereof to the high dishonor of our said late Soveraign Lord King Iames to the disherison of the said late Kings Children and their Posterity of their Antient Patrimony and to the disadvantage and discouraging of the rest of the Princes of Germany and other Kings and Princes in Amity and League with his Majesty II. That the said Earl of Bristol being Ambassador for his late Majesty King Iames as aforesaid in Annis supradictis and having received perfect plain and particular Instructions and Directions from his said late Majesty That he should put the King of Spain to a speedy and punctual Answer touching the Treaties aforesaid And the said Earl well understanding the effect of those Instructions and Directions so given unto him and taking precise knowledge thereof and also knowing how much it concerned his late Majesty in honor and safety as his great Affairs then stood to put these Treaties to a speedy conclusion Yet nevertheless he the said Earl falsly willingly and traiterously contrary to his Alleagiance and contrary to the trust and duty of an Ambassador did continue those Treaties upon Generalities without effectual pressing the said King of Spain unto particular Conclusions according to his Majesties Directions as aforesaid and so the said Earl intended to have continued the said Treaties upon Generalities and without reducing them to Certainties and to direct Conclusions To the high dishonor of his said late Majesty and to the extream danger and detriment of his Majesties person his Crown and Dominions Confederates and Allies III. That the said Earl of Bristol being Ambassador for his said late Majesty as aforesaid in the years aforesaid to the intent to discourage the said late King Iames for the taking up of Arms entring into Hostility with the said King of Spain and for resisting him and his Forces from attempting the Invasion of his said late Majesties Dominions and the Dominions of his said late Majesties Confederates Friends and Allies the said King of Spain having long thirsted after an Universal Monarchy in these Western parts of the World hath many times both by words and Letters to the said late King and his Ministers extolled and magnified the greatness and power of the said King of Spain and represented unto his said late Majesty the supposed dangers which would ensue unto him if a War should happen between them and affirmed and insinuated unto his said late Majesty That if such a War should ensue his said late Majesty during the rest of his life must expect neither to Hunt nor Hawk nor eat his Meat in quiet Whereby the said Earl of Bristol did cunningly and traiterously strive to retard the Resolutions of the said late King to declare himself an enemy to the said King of Spain who under colour of Treaties and Alliances had so much abused him and to resist his Arms and Forces to the loss of opportunity of time which cannot be recalled or regained and to the extream danger dishonor and detriment of this Kingdom IV. The said Earl of Bristol upon his dispatch out of this Realm of England in his Ambassage aforesaid having communication with divers persons in London within this Realm of England before his going into Spain in and about his Ambassage concerning the said Treaty For the Negotiating whereof the said Earl purposely was sent and he the said Earl being then told That there was little probability that these Treaties would or could have any good success he the said Earl acknowledged as much and yet nevertheless contrary to his duty and alleagiance and to the faith and truth of an Ambassador he the said Earl said and affirmed That he cared not what the success thereof would be for he would take care to have his Instructions and to pursue them punctually and howsoever the business went he would make his Fortune thereby or used words at that time to such effect whereby it plainly appeareth That the said Earl from the beginning herein intended not the Service or Honor of his late Majesty but his own corrupt and sinister ends and for his own advancement V. That from the beginning of his Negotiation and throughout the whole managing thereof by the said Earl of Bristol and during his said Ambassage He the said Earl contrary to his faith and duty to God the true Religion professed by the Church of England and the Peace of this Church and State did intend and resolve that if the said Marriage so treated of as aforesaid should by his Ministry be effected that thereby the Romish Religion and Professors thereof should be advanced within this Realm and other his Majesties Realms and Dominions and the true Religion and Professors thereof discouraged and discountenanced And to that end and purpose the said Earl during the time aforesaid by Letters unto his late Majesty and otherwise often counselled and perswaded his said late Majesty to set at liberty the Jesuites and Priests of the Romish Religion which according to the good Religious and Politick Laws of this Kingdom were imprisoned or restrained and to grant and to allow unto the Papists and Professors of the Romish Religion free Toleration and silencing of all the Laws made and standing in force against them VI. That by the false Informations and Intelligence of the said Earl of Bristol during the time aforesaid unto his said late Majesty and to his Majesty that now is being then Prince concerning the said Treaties and by the Assurances aforesaid given by the said Earl his said late Majesty and the Prince his now Majesty being put into hopes and by the said long delay used without producing any effect their Majesties being put into jealousies and just suspition that there was no such sincerity
in the chief Court of Admiralty in the name of the said late King and of the Lord Admiral against them for Fifteen thousand pound taken Piratically by some Captains of the said Merchants ships and pretended to be in the hands of the East India Company and thereupon the Kings Advocate in the name of Advocate for the then King and the said Lord Admiral moved and obtained one Attachment which by the Serjeant of the said Court of Admiralty was served on the said Merchants in their Court the sixteenth day of March following whereupon the said Merchants though there was no cause for their molestation by the Lord Admiral yet the next day they were urged in the said Court of Admiralty to bring in the Fifteen thousand pounds or go to prison wherefore immediately the Company of the said Merchants did again send the Deputy aforesaid and some others to make new suit unto the said Duke for the release of the said Ships and Pinaces who unjustly endeavoring to extort money from the said Merchants protested that the Ships should not go except they compounded with him and when they urged many more reasons for the release of the said Ships and Pinaces the Answer of the said Duke was That the then Parliament must first be moved The said Merchants therefore being in this perplexity and in their consultation the three and twentieth of that moneth even ready to give over that Trade yet considering that they should lose more then was demanded by unlading their ships besides their voyage they resolved to give the said Duke Ten thousand pounds for his unjust demands And he the said Duke by the undue means aforesaid and under colour of his Office and upon false pretence of Rights unjustly did exact and extort from the said Merchants the said Ten thousand pounds and received the same about the 28. of April following the discharge of those Ships which were not released by him till they the said Merchants had yielded to give him the said Duke the said Ten thousand pounds for the said Release and for the false pretence of Rights made by the said Duke as aforesaid VII Whereas the Ships of our Soveraign Lord the King and of his Kingdoms aforesaid are the principal strength and defence of the said Kingdoms and ought therefore to be always preserved and safely kept under the command and for the service of our Soveraign Lord the King no less then any the Fortresses and Castles of the said Kingdoms And whereas no Subject of this Realm ought to be dispossessed of any his Goods or Chattels without order of Justice or his own consent first duly had and obtained The said Duke being Great Admiral of England Governor-General and Keeper of the said Ships and Seas and thereof ought to have and take a special and continual care and diligence how to preserve the same The said Duke in or about the end of Iuly last in the first year of our Soveraign Lord the King did under the colour of the said Office of Great Admiral of England and by indirect and subtile means and practices procure one of the principal Ships of his Majesties Navy-Royal called the Vantguard then under the Command of Captain Iohn Pennington and six other Merchants Ships of great burden and value belonging to several Persons inhabiting in London the Natural Subjects of his Majesty to be conveyed over with all their Ordnance Munition Tackle and Apparel into the parts of the Kingdom of France to the end that being there they might the more easily be put into the hands of the French King his Ministers and Subjects and taken into their possession command and power And accordingly the said Duke by his Ministers and Agents with menaces and other ill means and practices did there without order of Justice and without the consent of the said Masters and Owners unduly compel and inforce the said Masters and Owners of the said six Merchants Ships to deliver their said Ships into the said possession command and power of the said French King his Ministers and Subjects and by reason of his compulsion and under the pretext of his power as aforesaid and by his indirect practices as aforesaid the said Ships aforesaid as well the said Ship Royal of his Majesty as the others belonging to the said Merchants were there delivered into the hands and command of the said French King his Ministers and Subjects without either sufficient security or assurance for redelivery or other necessary caution in that behalf taken or provided either by the said Duke himself or otherwise by his direction contrary to the duty of the said Offices of Great Admiral Governor-General and Keeper of the said Ships and Seas and to the faith and trust in that behalf reposed and contrary to the duty which he oweth to our Soveraign Lord the King in his place of Privy-Counsellor to the apparent weakening of the Naval strength of this Kingdom to the great loss and prejudice of the said Merchants and against the liberty of those Subjects of our Soveraign Lord the King that are under the Jurisdiction of the Admiralty VIII The said Duke contrary to the purpose of our Soveraign Lord the King and his Majesties known zeal for the maintenance and advancement of the true Religion established in the Church of England knowing that the said Ships were intended to be imployed by the said French King against those of the same Religion at Rochel and elswhere in the Kingdom of France did procure the said Ship Royal and compel as aforesaid the said six other Ships to be delivered unto the said French King his Ministers and Subjects as aforesaid to the end the said Ships might be used and imployed by the said French King in his intended War against those of the said Religion in the said Town of Rochel and elswhere within the Kingdom of France And the said Ships were and have been since so used and imployed by the said French King his Ministers and Subjects against them And this the said Duke did as aforesaid in great and most apparent prejudice of the said Religion contrary to the purpose and intention of our Soveraign Lord the King and against his duty in that behalf being a sworne Counsellor to his Majesty and to the great scandal and dishonor of this Nation And notwithstanding the delivery of the said Ships by his procurement and compulsion as aforesaid to be imployed as aforesaid the said Duke in cunning and cautelous manner to mask his ill intentions did at the Parliament held at Oxford in August last before the Committee of both Houses of Parliament intimate and declare that the said Ships were not nor should they be so used and imployed against those of the said Religion as aforesaid in contempt of our Soveraign Lord the King and in abuse of the said Houses of Parliament and in violation of that Truth which every man should profess These three Articles were aggravated by Mr. Glanvile
apparent that their true grief is not in the matter of giving but to see the Evil imploying of it when it is given If any man shall pervert this good meaning and motion of yours and inform his Majesty 't is a derogation from his Honor to yield to his Subjects upon Conditions His Majesty shall have good cause to prove such mens Eyes malitious and unthankfull and thereby to disprove them in all their other Actions For what can it lessen the Reputation of a Prince whom the Subject onely and wholy obeyeth that a Parliament which his Majesty doth acknowledge to be his highest Council should advise him and he follow the advice of such a Council What dishonor rather were it to be advised and ruled by one Councellor alone against whom there is just exception taken of the whole Commonwealth Marcus Portio saith That that Commonwealth is everlasting where the Prince seeks to get obedience and love and the Subjects to gain the affection of the Prince and that Kingdom is unhappy where their Prince is served out of ends and hope of Reward and hath no other assurance of them but their service Thursday the 20 of March the House setled their grand Committees for Religion Grievances Courts of Justice and Trade and agreed upon a Petition to the King for a Fast unto which the Lords also consented Most gracious Soveraign WE your most humble and loyal Subiects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in this present Parliament assembled upon a tender and compassionate sence of the extream Calamities of the Reformed Churches abroad and with much sorrow apprehending the displeasure of Almighty God declared against our selves the manifold evils already faln upon us and those which are further threatned as by your sacred Majesty was intimated unto us even to the utter destruction and subversion of this Church and State and which our sins have justly deserved and being now by your Majesties gracious favor assembled in Parliament as the Great Council of this your Kingdom to consult of such means as we think fittest to redress the present and prevent the future evils wherein we through Gods blessing intend to imploy our utmost endeavors humbly beseech your Majesty that by your special Command one or more days may be forthwith solemnly set apart wherein both our selves and the whole Kingdom may by fasting and prayers seek reconciliation at the hands of Almighty God and with humble and penitant hearts beseech him to remove those miseries that lie upon us our neighbor Churches to avert those which are threatned to continue the favors we yet enjoy and particularly to bestow his abundant blessing upon your Majesty and this present Parliament so that all our Counsels and Resolutions being blessed by his Divine assistance may produce much honor and safety to your Majesty your People and Allies Saturday the 22 of March was spent in opening the grievances and state of the Kingdom as billeting of Soldiers Loans by Benevolences and Privy-Seal and the imprisoning certain Gentlemen who refused to lend upon that account who afterwards bringing their Habeas Corpus were notwithstanding remanded to prison nor did the House encline to Supply his Majesty till these Grievances were redressed To which purpose Sir Francis Seimour thus began This is the great Council of the Kingdom and here if not here alone his Majesty may see as in a true glass the state of the Kingdom we are called hither by his Majesties writs to give him faithful counsel such as may stand with his honor but this we must do without flattery we are sent hither by the Commons to discharge that trust reposed in us by delivering up their just grievances and this we must do without fear let us not therfore be like Cambyses Judges who being demanded of their King whether it were not lawful for him to do what in it self was unlawful They rather to please the King then to discharge their own consciences answered that the Persian Kings might do what they listed This base flattery tends to mischief being fitter for reproof then imitation and as flattery so fear taketh away the judgment let us not then be possessed with fear or flattery of corruptions the basest For my own part I shall shun both these and speak my conscience with as much duty to his Majesty as any man but not neglecting the Publick in which his Majesty and the Commonwealth have an Interest But how can we shew our affections whilst we retain our fears or how can we think of giving of Subsidies till we know whether we have any thing to give or no for if his Majesty be perswaded by any to take from his Subjects what he will and where it pleaseth him I would gladly know what we have to give It s true it is ill with those Subjects that shall give Laws to their Princes and as ill with those Princes which shall use force with those Laws that this hath been done appeareth by the billetting of Soldiers a thing no way advantageous to his Majesties service but a burden to the Commonwealth This also appeareth by the last Levy of money against an act of Parliament Again Mr Speaker what greater proof can there be of this then the imprisonment of divers Gentlemen for the Loan who if they had done the contrary for fear their fault had been as great as theirs that were the Projectors in it and to countenance these Proceedings hath it not been preached or rather prated in our pulpits that all we have is the Kings Iure Divino say these time-servers they forsake their own function and turn ignorant States-men we see how willing they will be to change a good conscience for a Bishoprick and Mr Speaker wee see how easie it is for a Prince how just and good soever to be abused in regard he must see with other mens eyes and hear with other mens ears Let us not flatter his Majesty it is too apparent to all the world the King and people suffer more now then ever His Majesty in his Affairs abroad and his People in their Estates at home But will you know the reason of all this let us look back to the Actions of former Princes and we shall find that those Princes have been in greatest want and extreamity that exacted most of their Subjects and most unfortunate in the choice of their Ministers and to have failed most in their undertakings happy is that Prince that hath those that are faithful of his Council That which his Majesty wanted in the management of his Affairs concerning France and Spain I am clear was his want of faithful Council to advise The reason is plain a Prince is strongest by faithfull and wise Council I would I could truly say such have been imployed abroad I will confess and still shall from my heart he is no good Subject nor well affected to his Majesty and the State that will not willingly and freely lay down his life
have communicated the same to the rest of the Members of the House To this Speech Sir Dudley Diggs it being at a free Conference made Reply MY Lords it hath pleased God many ways to bless the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled in Parliament with great comfort and strong hopes that this will prove as happy a Parliament as ever was in England And in their Consultations for the service of his Majesty and the safety of this Kingdom our special comforts and strong hopes have risen from the continued good respect which your Lordships so nobly from time to time have been pleased to shew unto them particularly at this present in your so honorable profession to agree with them in general and desiring to maintain and support the fundamental Laws and Liberties of England The Commons have commanded me in like sort to assure your Lordships they have been are and will be as ready to propugne the just Prerogative of his Majesty of which in all their Arguments searches of Records and Resolutions they have been most careful according to that which formerly was and now again is protested by them Another noble Argument of your honorable disposition towards them is expressed in this That you are pleased to expect no present answer from them who are as your Lordships in your great wisdoms they doubt not have considered a great Body that must advise upon all new Propositions and resolve upon them before they can give answer according to the ancient Order of their House But it is manifest in general God be thanked for it there is a great concurrence of affection to the same end in both Houses and such good Harmony that I intreat your Lordships leave to borrow a Comparison from Nature or natural Philosophy As two Lutes well strung and tuned brought together if one be played on little straws and sticks will stir upon the other though it lye still so though we have no power to reply yet these things said and propounded cannot but work in our hearts and we will faithfully report these Passages to our House from whence in due time we hope your Lordships shall receive a contentful Answer The Commons were not satisfied with these Propositions which were conceived to choak the Petition of Right then under consideration but demurred upon them Monday 28 April The Lord Keeper spake to both Houses of Parliament by the Kings command who was then present MY Lords and ye the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons ye cannot but remember the great and important Affairs concerning the safety both of the State and Religion declared at first from his Majesties own mouth to be the causes of the Assembling of this Parliament the sense whereof as it doth daily increase with his Majesty so it ought to do and his Majesty doubts not but it doth so with you since the danger increaseth every day both by effluxion of time and preparations of the Enemy Yet his Majesty doth well weigh that this expence of time hath been occasioned by the Debate which hath arisen in both Houses touching the Liberty of the Subject in which as his Majesty takes in good part the purpose and intent of the Houses so clearly and frequently professed that they would not diminish or blemish his just Prerogative so he presumes that ye will all confess it a point of extraordinary Grace and Justice in him to suffer it to rest so long in dispute without interruption but now his Majesty considering the length of time which it hath taken and fearing nothing so much as any future loss of that whereof every hour and minute is so pretious and foreseeing that the ordinary way of Debate though never so carefully husbanded in regard of the Form of both Houses necessarily takes more time then the Affairs of Christendom can permit his Majesty out of his great Princely care hath thought of this expedient to shorten the business by declaring the clearness of his own heart and intention And therefore hath commanded me to let you know That he holdeth the Statute of Magna Charta and the other Six Statutes insisted upon for the Subjects Liberty to be all in force and assures you that he will maintain all his Subjects in the just Freedom of their Persons and safety of their Estates And that he will govern according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm And that ye shall finde as much security in his Majesties Royal Word and Promise as in the strength of any Law ye can make so that hereafter ye shall never have cause to complain The conclusion is That his Majesty prayeth God who hath hitherto blessed this Kingdom and put into his heart to come to you this day to make the success thereof happy both to King and People And therefore he desires that no doubt or distrust may possess any man but that ye will all proceed unanimously to the business The Commons being returned from the Lords House Mr. Secretary Cook perswaded them to comply with the King His Majesty said he puts us in minde of the great important Affairs of the State and of his sense thereof that by effluxion of time increaseth in him and he doubts not but that it doth increase in us Ye see his Majesties moderation in the interpretation of all our actions he saith that he hopes we have the same sense he hath he is pleased to consider of the occasion of expence of time that grew from the Debates in both Houses We see how indulgent he is that however the Affairs of Christendom are great yet he omits not this nay he takes in good part our Proceedings and our Declarations that we will not Impeach the Prerogative Also his Majesty presumes that we will confess that he hath used extraordinary Grace in that he hath indured dispute so long he acknowledgeth it Justice to stand as we have done Further out of a Princely care of the Publique he is careful no more time be lost and because he sees some extraordinary course to be taken to satisfie us he observes that in the Form of Debate such length is required as the nature of the business will not indure It is to be presumed that his Government will be according to the Law We cannot but remember what his Father said He is no King but a Tyrant that governs not by Law But this Kingdom is to be governed by the Common Law and his Majesty assures us so much the Interpretation is left to the Judges and to his great Council and all is to be regulated by the Common Law I mean not Magna Charta onely for that Magna Charta was part of the Common Law and the ancient Law of this Kingdom all our difference is in the Application of this Law and how this Law with difference is derived into every Court I conceive there are two Rules the one of Brass that is rigid and will not bend and that is the Law
we may assure our selves of the performance of it Besides we binde his Majesty by relying on his word we have Laws enough it is the execution of them that is our life and it is the King that gives life and execution Sir Thomas Wentworth concluded the Debate saying That never House of Parliament trusted more in the goodness of their King for their own private then the present but we are ambitious that his Majesties goodness may remain to posterity and we are accomptable to a publique trust and therefore seeing there hath been a publique violation of the Laws by his Ministers nothing will satisfie him but a publique mends and our desire to vindicate the Subjects Rights by Bill are no more then are laid down in former Laws with some modest Provision for Instruction Performance and Execution Which so well agreed with the Sense of the House that they made it the subject of a Message to be delivered by the Speaker to his Majesty AMidst those deliberations another Message was delivered from his Majesty by Mr. Secretary Cook That howsoever we proceed in this business we have in hand which his Majesty will not doubt but to be according to our constant professions and so as he may have cause to give us thanks yet his resolution is that both his Royal care and hearty and tender affection towards all his loving Subjects shall appear to the whole Kingdom and all the World that he will govern us according to the Laws and Customs of this Realm that he will maintain us in the Liberties of our Persons and Proprieties of our Goods so as we may enjoy as much happiness as our forefathers in their best times and that he will rectifie what hath been or may be found amiss amongst us so that hereafter there may be no just cause to complain Wherein as his Majesty will rank himself amongst the best of our Kings and shew he hath no intention to invade or impeach our lawful Liberties or Right so he will have us to match our selves with the best Subjects not by incroaching upon that Soveraignty or Prerogative which God hath put into his hands for our good but by containing our selves within the Bounds and Laws of our forefathers without restraining them or inlarging them by new Explanations Interpretations Expositions or Additions in any sort which he telleth us he will not give way unto That the weight of the Affairs of the Kingdom and Christendom do press him more and more and that the time is now grown to that point of maturity that it cannot endure long debate or delay so as this Session of Parliament must continue no longer then Tuesday come sevennight at the furthest In which time his Majesty for his part will be ready to perform what he promised and if the House be not as ready to do that is fit for themselves it shall be their own faults And upon assurance of our good dispatch and correspondence his Majesty declareth That his Royal intention is to have another Session of Parliament at Michaelmass next for the perfecting of such things as cannot now be done This Message was debated the next day being Saturday May 30. whereupon Sir Iohn Elliot spake to this effect The King saith he will rank himself with the best of Kings and therefore he would have us to rank our selves with the best Subjects we will not incroach upon that Soveraignty that God hath put into his hands This makes me fear his Majesty is misinformed in what we go about let us make some inlargement and put it before him that we will not make any thing new as for the time of this Session it is but short and look how many Messages we have so many interruptions and mis-reports and mis-representations to his Majesty produce those Messages Sir Miles Fleetwood continues the Debate and said That this business is of great importance we are to accommodate this The breach of this Parliament will be the greatest misery that ever befell us the eyes of Christendom are upon this Parliament the state of all our Protestant friends are ready to be swallowed up by the Emperors Forces and our own Kingdom is in a miserable straight for the defence of our Religion that is invaded by the Romish Catholicks by the colour of a Commission which is intolerable the defence of our Realm by Shipping is decayed the Kings Revenue is sold and gone where shall the relief be obtained but in Parliament Now we are in the way let us proceed by way of Bill in pursuance of the Kings Message to establish the Fundamental Laws in Propriety of our Goods and Liberty of our Persons It was declared to us that courses by Loan and Imprisonment were not lawful let us touch them in our Bill and that all Precedents and Judgements seeming to the contrary be void and that all Commitments against the Law be remedied and that we be protected against the fear of Commitments In conclusion the Commons agree to an Answer to all the preceding Messages and present it to the King by the mouth of their Speaker The Speakers Speech to the King in Answer to several Messages Most Gracious and Dread Soveraign YOur Loyal and Obedient Subjects the Commons now Assembled in Parliament by several Messages from your Majesty and especially by that your Declaration delivered by the Lord Keeper before both Houses have to their exceeding joy and comfort received many ample expressions of your Princely care and tender affections towards them with a gracious promise and assurance that your Majesty will govern according to the Laws of this Realm and so maintain all your Subjects in the just Freedom of their Persons and Safety of their Estates that all their Rights and Liberties may be by them enjoyed with as much freedom and security in their time as in any age heretofore by their Ancestors under the best of your Progenitors For this so great a favor enlarged by a comfortable intimation of your Majesties confidence in the proceedings of this House they do by me their Speaker make as full return of most humble thanks to your Majesty with all dutiful acknowledgement of your Grace and Goodness herein extended unto them And whereas in one of those Messages delivered from your Majesty there was an expression of your desire to know whether this House would rest upon your Royal Word and Promise assuring them that if they would it should be royally and really performed As they again present their humble thanks for the seconding and strengthning of your former Royal expressions so in all humbleness they assure your Majesty that their greatest confiâ—â—â—ce is and ever must be in your Grace and Goodness without which they well know nothing that they can frame or desire will be of safety or value to them Therefore are all humble Suiters to your Majesty That your Royal heart will graciously accept and believe the truth of theirs which they humbly present as
read in the success 3. Witness the last voyage to Rotchel which needs no observation and is fresh in memory 4. Head is the ignorance and corruption of our Ministers Survey the Court survey the Countrey the Church the City the Bar the Bench the Courts the Shipping the Land the Seas all will yield variety of proofs The Exchequer is empty the reputation thereof gone the ancient Lands are sold the Jewels pawn'd the Plate ingaged the debt still great almost all charges both extraordinary and ordinary by Projects 5. The oppression of the Subject it needs no demonstration the whole Kingdom is a proof and that oppression speaks the exhausting of our treasures what waste of our Provisions what consumption of our Ships what destruction of our men have been witness the voyage to Algier witness that of Mansfield witness that to Cales witness the next witness that to Ree witness the last witness the Palatinate witness the Turks witness the Dunkirks witness all we were never so much weakned nor had less hopes how to be restored These Mr. Speaker are our dangers these are they do threaten us and those are like that Trojan Horse brought in cunningly to surprize us in these do lurk the strongest of our enemies ready to issue on us and if we do not now the more speedily expel them these are the sign the invitation to others These will prepare their entrance that we shall have no means left of refuge or defence for if we have these enemies at home how can we strive with those that are abroad if we be free from these no other can impeach us Our ancient English vertue that old Spartan valor cleared from these disorders being in sincerity of Religion once made friends with Heaven having maturity of Councels sufficiency of Generals incorruption of Officers opulency in the King Liberty in the People repletion in Treasures restitution of Provisions reparation of Ships preservation of Men Our ancient English vertue thus rectified I say will secure us and unless there be a speedy reformation in these I know not what hopes or expectations we may have These things Sir I shall desire to have taken into consideration that as we are the great Councel of the Kingdom and have the apprehension of these dangers we may truly represent them unto the King wherein I conceive we are bound by a treble Obligation of duty unto God of duty to his Majesty and of duty to our Countrey And therefore I wish it may so stand with the Wisdom and Judgement of the House that they may be drawn into the body of a Remonstrance and therein all humbly expressed with a Prayer unto his Majesty for the safety of himself and for the safety of the Kingdom and for the safety of Religion That he will be pleased to give us time to make perfect inquisition thereof or to take them into his own Wisdom and there give them such timely reformation as the necessity of the Cause and his Justice doth import And thus Sir with a large affection and loyalty to his Majesty and with a firm duty and service to my Countrey I have suddenly and it may be with some disorder expressed the weak apprehension I have wherein if I have erred I humbly crave your pardon and so submit to the censure of the House IT seemed to others not sutable to the wisdom of the House in that conjuncture to begin to recapitulate those misfortunes which were now obvious to all accounting it more discretion not to look back but forward and since the King was so near to meet him that the happiness expected might not be lost and these were for petitioning his Majesty for a fuller Answer IT was intimated by Sir Henry Martin that this Speech of Sir Iohn Elliot was suggested from disaffection to his Majesty and there wanted not some who said it was made out of some distrust of his Majesties Answer to the Petition but Sir Iohn Elliot protested the contrary and that himself and others had a resolution to open these last mentioned Grievances to satisfie his Majesty therein onely they stayed for an opportunity Which averment of Sir Iohn Elliots was attested by Sir Thomas Wentworth and Sir Robert Phillips WHilst Sir Iohn Elliot was speaking an interruption was made by Sir Humphrey May expressing a dislike but he was commanded by the Commons to go on and being afterward questioned for a Passage in that Speech viz. That some actions seemed to be but conceptions of Spain he explained himself That in respect of the affairs of Denmark the ingagement of that unfortunate accident of Ree he conceived was a conception of Spain rather then to have any motion from our Councel here IN this Debate Sir Edward Cook propounded That an humble Remonstrance be presented to his Majesty touching the dangers and means of safety of King and Kingdom which Resolution was taken by the House and thereupon they turned themselves into a Grand Committee and the Committee for the Bill of Subsidies was ordered to expedite the said Remonstrance A Message was brought from the King by the Speaker THat his Majesty having upon the Petition exhibited by both Houses given an Answer full of Justice and Grace for which we and our posterity have just cause to bless his Majesty it is now time to grow to a conclusion of a Session and therefore his Majesty thinks fit to let you know That as he doth resolve to abide by that Answer without further change or alteration so he will Royally and Really perform unto you what he hath thereby promised and further That he resolves to end this Session upon Wednesday the 11 of this Moneth and therefore wisheth that the House will seriously attend these businesses which may best bring the Session to a happy conclusion without entertaining new matters and so husband the time that his Majesty may with the more comfort bring us speedily together again at which time if there be any further Grievances not contained or expressed in the Petition they may be more maturely considered then the time will now permit After the reading of this Message the House proceeded with a Declaration against Doctor Manwaring which was the same day presented to the Lords at a Conference betwixt the Committees of both Houses of Parliament and Mr. Pimm was appointed by the House of Commons to manage that Conference The Declaration of the Commons against Dr. Manwaring Clerke and Doctor in Divinity FOr the more effectual prevention of the apparent ruine and destruction of this Kingdom which must necessarily ensue if the good and fundamental Laws and Customs therein established should be brought into contempt and violated and that form of Government thereby altered by which it hath been so long maintained in peace and happiness and to the Honor of our soveraign Lord the King and for the preservation of his Crown and Dignity The Commons in this present Parliament assembled do by this their
House fearing a sudden dissolution fell into consideration of the weak estate of the Kingdom and of our Friends and Allies abroad of the great strength of the House of Austria and the King of Spains ambition aspiring to an universal Monarchy and his present great preparations for war Hereupon the House was moved to name a select Committee to represent these things to his Majesty with the danger like to insue to this Kingdom if the Parliament be dissolved without a happy conclusion But being satisfied by the Lords of the privy Councel that there was no such cause of fear as the House apprehended the naming of a Committee was for that time deferred Having met in our Collections with a Letter of Mr. Allureds to old Mr. Chamberlain of the Court of Wards and being a concurrent proof to the Passages this day in the House We have thought fit here to mention it viz. Sir YEsterday was a day of desolation among us in Parliament and this day we fear will be the day of our dissolution Upon Tuesday Sir John Elliot moâ—ed that as we intended to furnish his Majesty with money we should also supply him with Counsel which was one part of the occasion why we were sent by the Countrey and called for by his Majesty And since that House was the greatest Councel of the Kingdom where or when should his Majesty have better Counsel then from thence So he desired there might be a Declaration made to the King of the danger wherein the Kingdom stood by the decay and contempt of Religion the insufficiency of his Generals the unfaithfulness of his Officers the weakness of his Councels the exhausting of his Treasure the death of his men the decay of Trade the loss of Shipping the many and powerful Enemies the sew and the poor Friends we had abroad In the enumerating of which the Chancellor of the Dutchy said it was a strange language yet the House commanded Sir John Elliot to go on then the Chancellor desired if he went on that himself might go out whereupon they all bad him begon yet he stayed and heard him out and the House generally inclined to such a Declaration to be presented in an humble and a modesâ— manner not prescribing the King the way but leaving it to his Iudgment for reformation So the next day being Wednesday we had a Message from his Majesty by the Speaker that the Session should end on Wednesday and that therefore we should husband the time and dispatch the old businesses without entertaining new intending to pursue their Declaration they had this Message yesterday morning brought them which I have here inclosed sent you which requiring not to casâ— or lay any aspersion upon any Minister of his Majesty the house was much affected to be so restrained since the House in former times had proceeded by finding and committing John of Gaunt the Kings Son and others and of late have medled with and sentenced the Lord Chancellor Bacon and the Lord Treasurer Cranfield Then Sir Robert Philips spake and mingled his words with weeping Mr. Prynne did the like and Sir Edward Cook overcome with passion seeing the desolation likely to ensue was forced to sit down when he began to speak through the abundance of tears yea the Speaker in his Speech could not refrain from weeping and shedding of tears besides a great many whose great griefs made them dumb and silent yet some bore up in that storm and incouraged others In the end they desired the Speaker to leave the Chair and Mr. Whitby was to come into it that they might speak the freer and the frequenter and commanded no man to go out of the House upon pain of going to the Tower Then the Speaker humbly and earnestly besought the House to give him leave to absent himself for half an hour presuming they did not think he did it for any ill intention which was instantly granted him then upon many Debates about their Liberties hereby infringed and the eminent danger wherein the Kingdom stood Sir Edward Cook told them he now saw God had not accepted of their humble and moderate carriages and fair proceedings and the rather because he thought they dealt not sincerely with the King and with the Countrey in making a true Representation of the causes of all these miseries which now he repented himself since things were come to this pass that he did it not sooner and therefore he not knowing whether ever he should speak in this House again would now do it freely and there protested that the author and cause of all those miseries was the Duke of Buckingham which was entertained and answered with a chearful acclamation of the House as when one good Hound recovers the scent the rest come in with a full cry so they pursued it and every one came on home and laid the blame where they thought the fault was and as they were Voting it to the Question whether they should name him in their intended Remonstrance the Sole or the Principall cause of all their miseries at home and abroad The Speaker having been three hours absent and with the King returned with this Message That the House should then rise being about eleven a clock and no Committees stould sit in the afternoon till to morrow morning What we shall expect this morning God of Heaven knows We shall meet timely this morning partly for the businesse sake and partly because two days since we made an Order that whosoever comes in after prayers payes twelve pence to the poor Sir excuse my hast and let us have your prayers whereof both you and we have here need So inscribling haste I rest Affectionately at your service Thomas Alured This 6. of June 1628. The Message mentioned in this Letter of the 6. of Iune is already before expressed Friday 6. Iune Mr. Speaker brings another Message from the King the day following IN my service to this House I have had many undeserved favours from you which I shall ever with all humbleness acknowledge but none can be greater then that testimony of your confidence yesterday shewed unto me whereby I hope I have done nothing or made any representation to his Majesty but what is for the honour and service of this House and I will have my tongue cleave to my mouth before I will speak to the disadvantage of any Member thereof I have now a Message to deliver unto you Whereas his Majesty understanding that ye did conceive his last Message to restrain you in your just Priviledges to complain of any of his Ministers These are to declare his intentions that he had no meaning of barring you from what hath been your Right but only to avoid all scandals on his Councel and Actions past and that his Ministers might not be nor himself under their names taxed for their Counsel unto his Majesty and that no such particulars should be taken in hand as would ask a longer time of consideration then what
and with bleeding hearts and bended knees to crave your speedy Redresse therein as to your own wisdome unto which we most humbly submit our selves and our desires shall seeme most meet and convenient What the multitude and Potency of your Majesties enemies are abroad What be their malicious and ambitious ends and how vigilant and constantly industrious they are in pursuing the same is well known to your Majesty Together with the dangers threatned thereby to your sacred Person and your Kingdomes and the calamities which have already fallen and do daily encrease upon your Friends and Allies of which we are well assured your Majesty is most sensible and will accordingly in your great wisdome and with the gravest and most Mature Councel according to the exigencie of the times and occasions provide to prevent and help the same To which end we most humbly intreat your Majesty first and especially to cast your eyes upon the miserable condition of this your own Kingdome of late so strangely weakened and dejected that unlesse through your Majesties most gracious Wisdom Goodnesse and Iustice it be speedily raised to a better condition it is in no little danger to become a sudden Prey to the Enemies thereof and of the most happy and flourishing to be the most miserable and contemptible Nation in the World In the discoveries of which dangers mischiefs and inconveniences lying upon us we do freely protest that it is far from our thoughts to lay the least aspersion upon your sacred Person or the least scandal upon your Government For we do in all sincerity of our hearts not only for our selves but in the Name of all the Commons of the Realme whom we represent ascribe as much duty as a most loyal and affectionate people can do unto the best King for so you are and so have been pleased abundantly to expresse your self this present Parliament by your Majesties clear and satisfactory answer to our Petition of Right For which both our selves and our posterity shall blesse God for you and ever preserve a thankful memory of your great goodnesse and Iustice therein And we do verily believe that all or most of these things which we shall now present unto your Majesty are either unknown unto you or else by some of your Majesties Ministers oâ—fered under such specious pretences as may hide their own ill intentions and ill consequences of them from your Majesty But we assure our selves according to the good example of your Majesties Predecessors nothing can make your Majesty being a wise and Iudicious Prince and above all things desirous of the welfare of your people more in love with Parliaments then this which is one of the principal ends of calling them that therein your Majesty may be truely informed of the State of all the several parts of your kingdome and how your Officers and Ministers do behave themselves in the trust reposed in them by your Majesty which is scarce able to be made known unto you but in Parliament as was declared by your blessed Father when he was pleased to put the Commons in Parliament assembled in minde that it would be the greatest unfaithfulnesse and breach of duty to his Majesty and of the trust committed to them by the Countrey that could be if in setting forth the grievances of the people and the condition of all the parts of this Kingdome from whence they come they did not deal clearly with him without sparing any how near and dear soever they were unto him if they were hurtful or dangerous to the Common-Wealth In confidence therefore of your Majesties gracious acceptation in a matter of so high importance and in faithful discharge of our duties We do first of all most humbly beseech your Majesty to take notice that howsoever we know your Majesty doth with your soul abhor that any such thing should be imagined or attempted Yet there is a general fear conceived in your people of secret working and combination to introduce into this kingdome innovation and change of our holy Religion more precious unto us then our lives and whatever this world can afford And our fears and jealousies herein are not meerly conjectural but arising out of such certain and visible effects as may demonstrate a true and real Cause For notwithstanding the many good and wholesome Laws and provisions made to prevent the increase of Popery within this kingdome and notwithstanding your Majesties most gracious and satisfactory answer to the Petition of both Houses in that behalfe presented to your Majesty at Oxford We finde there hath followed no good execution nor effect but on the contrary at which your Majesty out of the quick sense of your own religious heart cannot but be in the highest measure displeased those of that Reliligion do finde extraordinary favors and respect in Court from persons of great quality and power whom they continually resort unto and in particular to the Countesse of Buckingham who her self openly professing that Religion is a known favourer and supporter of them that do the same which we well hoped upon your Majesties Answer to the aforsaid Petition at Oxford should not have been permitted nor that any of your Majesties Subjects of that religion justly to be suspected should be entertained in the service of your Majesty or your royal consort the Queen Some likewise of that Religion have had Honours Offices and places of Command and Authority lately conferred upon them But that which striketh the greatest terror into the hearts of your Loyal Subjects concerning this is that Letters of Stay of legal proceedings against them have been procured from your Majesty by what indirect meanes we know not And Commissions under the great Seale granted and executed for composition to be made with Popish Recusants with Inhibitions and restraints both to the Ecclesiastical and temporal Courts and Officers to intermeddle with them which is conceived to amount to no leâ—â—e then a toleration odious to God full of dishonour and extreame disprosit to your Majesty of great scandal and griefe to your good people and of apparent danger to the present State of your Majesty and of this Kingdome their numbers power and insolency daily increasing in all parts of your Kingdome and especially about London and the Subburbs thereof Where exceeding many Families do make their abode publiquely frequent Masse at Denmark House and other places and by their often meetings and conferences have opportunities of combining their Councels and Strength together to the hazard of your Majesties safety and the State and most especially in these doubtful and calamitous times And as our fear concerning change or subversion of Religion is grounded upon the daily increase of Papists the open and professed Enemies thereof for the Reasons formerly mentioned So are the hearts of your good Subjects no lesse perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of the Arminians that being as your Majesty well knows but a cunning way to
bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and incendiaries in those States wherein they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Iesuites in opinion which caused your Royal Father with so much pious wisdom and ardent zeale to endeavour the suppressing of them as well at home as in the neighbour Countreys And your gracious Majesty imitating his most worthy example hath openly and by your Proclamation declared your mislike of those persons and of their opinions who notwithstanding are much favoured and advanced not wanting friends even of the Clergy near to your Majesty namely Doctor Neale Bishop of Winchester and Doctor Lawd Bishop of Bath and Wells who are justly suspected to be unsound in their opinions that way And it being now generally held the way to preferment and promotion in the Church many Schollars do bend the course of their Studies to maintain those Errors Their Books and opinions are suffered to be printed and published and â—n the other side the imprinting of such as are written against them and in defence of the Orthodox Church are hindred and prohibited and which is a boldnesse almost incredible this restraint of Orthodox Books is made under colour of your Majesties formerly mentioned Proclamation the intent and meaning wherof we know was quite contrary And further to encrease our feares concerning Innovation of Religion we finde that there hath been no smal laboring to remove that which is the most powerful means to strengthen and encrease our own Relgion and to oppose both those which is the diligent teaching and instruction of the people in the true knowledge and worship of Almighty God And therefore means have been sought out to depresse and discountenance pious and painful and Orthodox Preachers and how conformable soever and peaceable in their disposition and carriage they be yet the preferment of such is opposed and instead of being encouraged they are molested with vexatious courses and pursuits and hardly permitted to Lecture And in those places where are no constant preaching Ministers whereby many of your good people whose souls in this case we beseech your Majesty to commiserate are kept in ignorance and are apt to be easily seduced to error and superstition It doth not a little also encrease our dangers and fears this way to understand the miserable condition of your Kingdome of Ireland where without controll the Popish Religion is openly confessed and practised in every part thereof Popish Iurisdiction being there generally exercised and avowed Monasteries Nunneries and other superstitious Houses newly erected re-edified and replenished with men and women of several Orders and in a plentiful manner maintained at Dublyn and most of the great Towns and divers other places of the Kingdome which of what ill consequence it may prove if not seasonably repressed we leave to your Majesties wisdome to Iudge But most humbly beseech you as we assure our selves you will to lay the serious consideration thereof to your royal and pious heart and that some speedy course may be taken for redresse therein And if now to all these your Majesty will be pleased to adde the consideration of the circumstances of time wherein these courses tending to the destruction of true Religion within these your Kingdomes have been taken here even then when the same is with open force and violence prosecuted in other Countreys and all the reformed Churches in Christendome either depressed or miserably distressed We do humbly appeal unto your Majesties Princely Iudgement whether there be not just ground of feare that there is some secret and strong co-operating here with the enemies of our Religion abroad for the utter extirpation thereof and whether if those courses be not speedily redressed and the profession of true Religion more encouraged we can expect any other but misery and ruine speedily to fall upon us especially if besides the visible and apparent dangers wherewith we are compassed about You would be pleased to remember the displeasure of Almighty God always bent against the neglect of his holy Religion the stroaks of whose divine Iustice we have already felt and do still feele with smart and sorrow in great measure And besides this feare of Innovation in Religion we do in like faithful of charge of our duties most humbly declare to your Majesty that the hearts of your people are full of feare of Innovation and change of Government and accordingly possessed with extreame griefe and sorrow Yet in this point by your Majesties late Answer to our Petition of Right touching our Liberties much comforted and raised againe out of that sadnesse and discontent which they generally had conceived throughout the whole Kingdome for the undue courses which were the last year taken for raising of moneys by loanes then which whatever your Majesty hath been informed to the contrary there were never any moneys demanded nor paid with greater grief and general dislike of all your faithful Subjects though many partly out of feare and partly out of other respects yet most unwillingly were drawn to yeeld to what was required The Billeting of Souldiers did much augment both their fears and grief wherein likewise they finde much comfort upon your gracious Answer to our petition of Right and to that we presented to your Majesty concerning this particular Yet we most humbly beseech your Majesty that we may informe you that the still continuance and late re-enforcing of those Souldiers the conditions of their persons many of them not being Natives of this Kingdome nor of the same but of an opposite Religion the placing of them upon the Sea Coast where making head amongst themselves they may unite with the Popish party at home if occasion serve and joyne with an invading enemy to do extreame mischief and that they are not yet dismissed doth still minister cause of Iealousie in your loving Subjects For that the Souldiers cannot be continued without exceeding great danger of the peace and safety of your Kingdom The report of the strange and dangerous purpose of bringing in German Horse and Riders would have turned our doubts into despaire and our feares into a certainty of confusion had not your Majesties gracious message for which we humbly give you thanks comforted us by the assurance of your Royal word that they neither are nor were intended by your Majesty for any service in England but that they were designed for some other forreigne employment Yet the sight of the Privy Seale by which it seemeth they were to be leavied the great summe of money which upon examinations we found to be paid for that purpose gave us just cause of feare That much about the same time there was a Commission under the Great Seal granted unto the Lords and others of the Privy Councel to consider of other ways for raising of moneys so particularly by impositions gave as just cause to suspect that whatsoever was your Majesties gracious intention yet there wanted not those
well performed would require the time and industry of the ablest men both of Counsel and Action that your whole Kingdome will affoard especially in these times of common danger And our humble desire is further that your most excellent Majesty will be pleased to take into your Princely consideration whether in respect the said Duke hath so abused his power it be safe for your Majesty and your Kingdom to continue him either in his great Offices or in his place of nearness and Councel about your sacred Person And thus in all humility aiming at nothing but the honour of Almighty God and the maintenance of his true Religion the safety and happiness of your most excellent Majesty and the preservation and prosperity of this Church and Common-wealth We have endeavoured with faithfull hearts and intentions and in discharge of the duty we owe to your Majesty and our Countrey to give your Majesty a true Representation of our present danger and pressing calamities which we humbly beseech your Majesty graciously to accept and take the same to heart accounting the safety and prosperity of your people your greatest happiness and their love your Richest Treasure A rufull and lamentable spectacle we confess it must needs be to behold those Ruines in so fair an House So many diseases and almost every one of them deadly in so strong and well tempered a body as this kingdom lately was But yet we will not doubt but that God hath reserved this Honor for your Majesty to restore the safety and happiness thereof as a work worthy so excellent a Prince for whose long life and true felicity we daily pray and that your fame and never dying Glory may be continued to all succeeding Generations HEreupon a Message was sent to his Majesty desiring access to his Person with the Remonstrance and the Speaker was appointed to deliver it who much desired to be excused but the House would not give way thereunto The House also sent up the Bill of Subsidy unto the Lords Soon after the King sends a Message by Sir Humphrey May that he means to end this Session on the 26. of Iune whereupon the Commons fall upon the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage In the mean time this ensuing Order concerning the Duke was made in the Starchamber upon the signification of his Majesties pleasure In Interiori Camera Stellatâ 16. Junii Anno quarto Caroli Reg. FOrasmuch as his Majesty hath been graciously pleased to signifie unto his Highness Atturney General that his Royal pleasure is that the Bill or information Exhibited into this Court against the Right Honourable George Duke of Buck. for divers great offences and misdemeanours objected against him for that his Majesty is fully satisfied of the innocency of that Duke in all those things mentioned in the said information as well by his own certain knowledge as by the proofs in the Cause shall therefore together with the said Dukes Answer thereunto and all other proceedings thereupon be taken off the File that no memory thereof remain of Record against him which may tend to his disgrace It is therefore Ordered that the said Information or Bill the Answer thereunto and all other Proceedings thereupon be forthwith taken from the File by his Majesties said Atturney General according to his Majesties pleasure therein to him signified under his hand and now remaining in the custody of the Register of this Court Dated this present 16. day of Iune 4. Caroli Exam. per Jo. Arthur 16. Iunii 1628. ON this very day the Duke signified unto the House that he is informed that one Mr. Christopher Eukener of the House of Commons hath affirmed that his Grace did speak these words at his own Table Viz. Tush it makes no matter what the Commons or Parliament doth for without my leave and authority they shall not be able to touch the hair of a Dogg And his Grace desired leave of their Lordships that he might make his Protestation in the House of Commons concerning that Speech And to move them that he which spake it of him being a Member of that House might be commanded to justifie it and his Grace heard to clear himself Their Lordships considering thereof ordered that the Duke shall be left to himself to do herein what he thinks best in the House of Commons Whereupon the Duke gave their Lordships thanks and protested upon his Honour that he never had those words so much as in his thoughts Tho which Protestation the Lords Commanded to be entred that the Duke may make use thereof as need shall be The Duke also charged one Mr. Melvin for speaking words against him Viz. First That Melvin said That the Dukes plot was that the Parliament should be dissolved and that the Duke and the King with a great Army of Horse and Foot would war against the Commonalty and that Scotland should assist him so that when war was amongst our selves the Enemy should come in for this Kingdom is already sold to the Enemy by the Duke 2. That the Duke had a stronger Councel then the King of which were certain Jesuites Scotishmen and that they did sit in Councel every night from one of the clock till three 3. That when the King had a purpose to do any thing of what consequence soever the Duke could alter it 4. That when the Ordnance were shipt at St. Martins the Duke caused the Souldiers to go on that they might be destroyed 5. That the Duke said he had an Army of 16000. Foot and 1200. Horse 6. That King Iames his blood and Marquess Hamiltons with others cries out for vengeance to heaven 7. That he could not expect any thing but ruine of this Kingdom 8. That Prince Henry was poisoned by Sir Thomas Overbury and he himself served with the same sauce and that the Earl of Somerset and others could say much to this 9. That he himself had a Cardinal to his Uncle or near Kinsman whereby he had great intelligence About the same time the Lord Keeper reported to the House of Lords what his Majesty said touching the Commission of Excise Viz. That their Lordships had reason to be satisfied with what was truly and rightly told them by the Lords of the Councel that this Commission was no more but a warrant of advice which his Majesty knew to be agreeable to the time and the manifold occasions then in hand but now having a supply from the loves of his people he esteems the Commission useless and therefore though he knows no cause why any jealousie should have risen thereby yet at their desires he is content it be cancelled and he hath commanded me to bring both the Commission and Warrant to him and it shall be cancelled in his own presence The day following the Lord Keeper reported that his Majesty had cancelled the Commission and the Warrant for putting the Seal thereunto and did there openly shew it and a Message was sent to the Commons to
this Session beginning with confidence one towards another it may end with a perfect good understanding between us Which God grant Munday the 26. of Ianuary MR. Secretary Cook delivered a Message from the King to the House of Commons that the Bill for Tunnage and Poundage might be speedily taken into consideration and that time might not be slipt and did very much press in his Majesties nâ—me the reading thereof as a matter of weight and importance and said that he spake it for their service and that moderation in their proceedings would be of great advantage to them But the House being troubled to have the Bill imposed upon them which ought naturally to arise from themselves did at that time forbear to speak their minds freely and resolved to husband their time and did accordingly further impower the Committee to examine violation of Libertie and property since the last Session of Parliament and resolved to proceed in the next place with matters of Religion and particularly against the Sect of Arminians upon which occasion Mr. Rous spake to this purpose Mr. Speaker we have of late entered into consideration of the Petition of Right and the violation of it and upon good reason for it concerns our Goods Liberties and Laws but there is a right of higher nature that preserves for us far greater things Eternal life our souls yea our God himself a Religion derived to us from the King of Kings confirmed upon us by the Kings of this Kingdom Enacted by Laws in this place streaming down to us in the blood of Martyrs witnessed from Heaven by miracles even miraculous deliverances and this Right in the name of this Nation I this day require and claim that there may be a deep and serious consideration of the violation of it I desire it may be considered whâ—t new paintings are laid on the old face of the whore of Babylon to make her shew more lovely and to draw so many suitors to her I desire that it may be considered how the See of Rome doth eat into our Religion and fret into the Banks and walls of it the Laws and Statutes of this Realm especially since those Laws have been made in a manner by themselves even by their own Treasons and bloody Designs And since that Popery is a confused heap of Errors casting down Kings before Popes the Precepts of God before the Traditions of men living and reasonable men before dead and sensless stocks and stones I desire that we may consider the increase of Arminianism an Error that makes the Grace of God lackey it after the will of man that makes the sheep to keep the Shepherd and makes a mortal seed of an Immortal God Yea I desire that we may look into the very belly and bowells of this Trojan Horse to see if there be not men in it ready to open the Gates to Romish Tyranny and Spanish Monarchy for an Arminian is the Spawn of a Papist and if there come the warmth of favour upon him you shall see him turn into one of those Froggs that rise out of the bottomless pit And if you mark it well you shall see an Arminian reaching out his hand to a Papist a Papist to a Jesuite a Jesuite gives one hand to the Pope and another to the King of Spaine and these men having kindled a fire in our neighbour Country now they have brought over some of it hither to set on flame this Kingdom also Yea let us further search and consider whether these be not the men that break in upon the goods and Liberties of this Common-wealth for by this means they make way for the taking away of our Religion it was an old trick of the Devil when he meant to take away Iobs Religion he begun at his goods saying lay thy hand on all he hath and he will curse thee to thy face either they think thereby to set a distaste between Prince and People or else to finde some other way of supply to avoid or break Parliaments that so they may break in upon our Religion and bring in their errours But let us do as Iob did who being constant against temptation held fast his Religion and his goods were restored to him with advantage so if we hold fast God and our Religion these things shall be added unto us Let us consider the times past how this Nation flourished in honour and abundance when Religion flourished amongst us but as Religion decayed so the honour and strength of this Nation decayed also when the soul of a Common-wealth is dead the body cannot longer overlive it If a man meet a dogg alone the dogg is fearful though never so fierce by nature but if that dogg have his Master by him he will set upon that man from whence he fled before This shews that lower natures being backt with the higher increase in courage and strength and certainly man being backt with omnipotency is a kind of omnipotency all things are possible to him that believeth and where all things are possible there is a kind of omnipotence wherefore let us now by the unanimous consent and resolution of us all make a vow and covenant henceforth to hold fast I say to hold fast our God and our Religion And then may we from henceforth certainly expect prosperity on this Kingdom and Nation and to this Covenant let every man say Amen Tuesday the 27. of Ianuary A Report was made to the House from the Committee for Religion of matters concerning Religion which passed the last Session and were since that time delivered by the Clerk by Command from the King to some whom his Majesty had sent for the same for want whereof the Committee could not proceed hereupon Master Secretary Cook brings this message from the King that his Majesty understanding the Râ—monstrance concerning Religion was called for was pleased to take away all Question to command him to deliver it unto them hoping never the lesse that they will proceed with the Bill for Tunnage and Poundage and give precedency to that business and so put an end to a further dispute between some of his Subjects meaning the Customers and Merchants whose goods were seized by the Customers for Tunnage and Poundage or else he shall think his speech which was with good applause accepted had not that good effect which he expected But the House thought fit to prefer Religion and to give it the first place in their debates saying if Popery and Arminianisme joyne hand in hand together it would by degrees bring in Spanish tyranny under which these Laws and Liberties must Cease Besides that it was fit time to enquire what persons have been advanced to Ecclesiastical preferments and to whom pardons have been granted since the last Session That Religion concerns the King as well as the Subjects and the work of the Lord must not be done negligently whereupon the House was Disolved into a Commitee and gave
commitment was for notable contempts by him committed against Our Self and Our Government and for stirring up sedition against Us for which you are to detain him in your custody and to keep him close prisoner until Our pleasure be further known concerning his deliverance Given at Greenwich the 7 of May 1629. in the 5 yeer of Our Reign The direction being To the Marshal of Our Bench for the time being hae sunt causae captionis detentionis praedicti Gulielmi Stroud And upon another Habeas Corpus to the Marshal of the Houshold to have the Body of Walter Long Esq in Court it was returned according as the Return of Mr. Stroud was Mr. Ask of the Inner-Temple of Counsel for Mr. Stroud and Mr. Mason of Lincolns-Inn of Counsel for Mr. Long argued against the insufficiency of the Return which with the Arguments of the Kings Counsel we here forbear to mention lest it be too great a diversion to the Reader from the Historical part yet those and other Arguments we have nevertheless postponed at the end of this first Volume for the benefit of the Students of the Law which course as to Arguments in Law wherein the Prerogative of the one hand and Liberty and Propertie of the other hand are concerned we purpose to observe in our next and other Volumes as matter of that nature falls out in series of Time The seventh of May an Information was exâ—ibited in the Star-Chamber which because it is a remarkable Proceeding we give you here at large Iovis Septimo die Maii Anno Quinto Ca. R. To the Kings most excellent Majesty HUmbly sheweth and informeth unto Your most excellent Majesty Sir Robert Heath Knight Your Majesties Attorney General for and on Your Majesties behalf That whereas by the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom the high Court of Parliament consisteth of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in the Lords House and of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament and those two Houses thus composed do together make up that great and honourable Body whereof Your most excellent Majesty as the supreme Soveraign is the head and whereas the Power of summoning and assembling of Parliaments and of continuing proroguing adjourning and dissolving thereof within this Realm at Your good pleasure is the undoubted Right of your Majesty and the Liberty and Freedom of Speech which the Members of the said Houses of Parliament have according to the Priviledges of those several Houses to debate consult and determine of those things which are propounded amongst them is and ever hath been and ought to be limited and regulated within the bounds of Moderation and Modesty and of that Duty which Subjects owe to their Soveraign and whereas Your Majesty for many weighty Causes and for the general Good and Defence of the Church and State of this Your Kingdom lately summoned a Parliament to be holden at Your City of Westminster the seventeenth day of March in the third year of Your Majesties Reign which continued from thence by prorogation until the twentieth day of Ianuary last from which day until the twenty fifth day of February following the said Houses continued sitting And although the great part of the House of Commons being zealous of the Common Good did endeavour to have effected those good things for which they were called thither yet between the said twentieth day of Ianuary and the said twenty fifth day of February by the malevolent Disposition of some ill-affected Members of the said House sundry Diversions and Interruptions were there made and many Jealousies there unjustly raised and nourished to the disturbance of those orderly and Parliament proceedings which ought to have been in so grave a Council During which time of the said last meeting in Parliament as aforesaid so it is may it please your most excellent Majesty that Sir Iohn Elliot Knight then and all the time of the said Parliament being one of the Members of the said Commons House wickedly and malitiously intending under a feigned Colour and Pretence of debating the necessary Affairs of the present estate to lay a scandal and unjust Aspersion upon the right honorable the Lords and others of your Majesties most honourable Privy-Council and upon the reverend Judges and your Counsel learned and as much as in him lay to bring them into the hatred and ill opinion of the people after the said twentieth day of Ianuary and before the said twenty fifth day of February last did openly and publickly in the said House of Commons falsly and malitiously affirm That your Majesties Privy-Council all your Judges and your Counsel learned had conspired together to trample under their feet the Liberties of the said Subjects of this Realm and the priviledges of that House And further so it is may it please your most excellent Majesty that when your Majesty upon the twenty fifth day of February had by Sir Iohn Finch Knight then Speaker of the said house of Commons signified your Royal pleasure to the said house that the said house of Commons should be instantly adjourned until the second day of March then following he the said Sir Iohn Elliot and Denzil Holles Esquire Benjamin Valantine Gent. Walter Longe Esquire William Corriton Esquire William Strode Esquire Iohn Selden Esquire Sir Miles Hobert and Sir Peter Hayman Knights all Members at that time of the said Commons house conceiving with themselves that your Majesty being justly provoked thereto would speedily dissolve that Parliament They the said Sir Iohn Elliot Denzil Holles Benjamin Valentine Walter Longe William Corriton William Strode Iohn Selden Sir Miles Hobert and Sir Peter Hayman and every of them by unlawful Confederacie and Combination between them in that behalf before had did malitiously resolve agree and conspire how and by what means before that Parliament should be dissolved they might raise such false and scandalous rumours against your Majesties Government and your Counsellours of Estate attending your person that thereby as much as in them lyeth they might disturb the happy Government of this Kingdom by and under your Majesty interrupt the course of traffique and trade discourage your Merchants and raise Jealousies and Suspitions in the hearts of your people that the Sincerity of the true Religion professed and established in this Kingdom was neglected and in pursuance of this their Resolution and Confidence aforesaid the said Sir Iohn Elliot with the privitie and consent of the said Denzil Holles and all other the said confederates did prepare a paper or writing wherein he had written or caused to be written divers false and scandalous Assertions touching your Majesties Government and touching the persons of divers of your Privy-Council which he and they resolved and conspired and agreed should be delivered into the said house of Commons and there publickly read to the wicked and seditious intents and purposes aforesaid and not with any purpose or opinion that those things that were therein contained if
some of them without reverence or respect to the honour and dignity of that Presence behaved themselves with such boldnesse and insolency of speech as was not to be endured by a far meaner Assembly much lesse to be countenanced by a House of Parliament against the Body of Our Privy Councill And as in this We did what in reason and honour was fit for the present so Our Thoughts were daily intentive upon the re-assembling of Our Parliament with full intention on Our part to take away all ill-understanding between Us and Our people whose loves as We desired to continue and preserve so We used Our best endeavours to prepare and facilitate the way to it And to this end having taken a strict and exact survey of Our Government both in the Church and Common-wealth and what things were most fit and necessary to be reformed We found in the first place that much exception had been taken at a Book entituled Appello Caesarem or An Appeal to Cesar and published in the year 1625. by Richard Montague then Batchelor of Divinity and now Bishop of Chichester and because it did open the way to those schisms and divisions which have since ensued in the Church We did for remedy and redresse thereof and for the satisfaction of the consciences of Our good people not onely by Our publick Proclamation call in that Book which ministred matter of offence but to prevent the like danger for hereafter re-printed the Articles of Religion established in the time of Queen Elizabeth of famous memory and by a Declaration before those Articles We did tie and restrain all opinions to the sense of those Articles that nothing might be left for private fancies and innovations For We call God to record before whom We stand that it is and alwaies hath been Our hearts desire to be found worthy of that Title which We account the most glorious in all our Crown Defender of the Faith Neither shall We ever give way to the authorising of any thing whereby any Innovation may steal or creep into the Church but to preserve that unity of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queen Elizabeth whereby the Church of England hath stood and flourished ever since And as we were carefull to make up all breaches and rents in Religion at home so did We by Our Proclamation and Commandment for the execution of Lawes against Priests and Popish Recusants fortifie all waies and approaches against that forraigne Enemy which if it have not succeeded according to Our intention We must lay the fault where it is in the subordinate Officers and Ministers in the Country by whose remisnesse Jesuites and Priests escape without apprehension and Recusants from those convictions and penalties which the Law and Our Commandment would have inflicted on them For We do professe That as it is Our duty so it shall be our care to command and direct well but it is the part of others to perform the ministeriall office And when We have done Our office We shall account Our Self and all charitable men will account Us innocent both to God and men And those that are negligent We will esteem as culpable both to God and Us and therefore will expect that hereafter they give Us a better account And as We have been careful for the setling of Religion and quieting the Church so were We not unmindfull of the preservation of the just and antient Liberties of Our Subjects which we secured to them by our gratious Answer to the Petition in Parliament having not since that time done any act whereby to infringe them But Our care is and hereafter shall be to keep them entire and inviolable as We would do Our Own Right and Soveraignty having for that purpose enrolled the Petition and Answer in our Courts of Justice Next to the care of Religion and of Our Subjects Rights We did Our best for the provident and well-ordering of that aid and supply which was granted us the last Session whereof no part hath been wastefully spent nor put to any other use than those for which it was desired and granted as upon payment of Our Fleet and Army wherein Our care hath been such as We chose rather to discontent Our dearest Friends and Allies and Our nearest Servants than to leave Our Souldiers and Marriners unsatisfied whereby any vexation or disquiet might arise to our People We have also with part of those monies begun to supply our Magazines and stores of Munition and to put Our Navy into a constant form and order Our Fleet likwise is fitting and almost in a readinesse whereby the Narrow Seas may be guarded Commerce maintained and Our Kingdome secured from all forraign attempts These acts of Ours might have made this impression in all good minds that We were carefull to direct Our counsells and dispose Our actions as might most conduce to the maintenance of Religion honour of Our Government and safety of Our People But with mischievous men once ill-affected seu bene seu male facta premunt and whatsoever once seemed amisse is ever remembered but good endeavours are never regarded Now all these things that were the chief complaints the last Session being by Our Princely care so seriously reformed the Parliament reassembled the 20th of Ianuary last We expected according to the candor and sincerity of our own thoughts that men would have framed themselves for the effecting of a right understanding between Us and Our People But some few malevolent persons like Empericks and lewd Artists did strive to make new work and to have some disease on foot to keep themselves in request and to be employed and entertained in the cure And yet to manifest how much offences have been diminished The Committees for Grievances Committees for Courts of Justice and Committees for Trade have since the sitting down of the Parliament received few Complaints and those such as they themselves have not thought to be of that moment or importance with which Our Ears should be acquainted No sooner therefore was the Parliament set down but these ill affected men began to sow and disperse their jealousies by casting out some glances and doubtfull speeches as if the Subject had not been so clearly and well dealt with touching their liberties and touching the Petition answered the last Parliament This being a plausible Theam thought on for an ill purpose easily took hold on the minds of many that knew not the practice And thereupon the second day of the Parliament a Committee was appointed to search whether the Petition and our Answer thereunto were enrolled in the Parliament Role and in the Courts at Westminster and in what manner the same was done And a day also was then appointed on which the House being resolved into a Committee should take into consideration those things wherein the liberty of the Subject had been invaded against the Petition of Right This though it produced no other effect of moment or importance yet was
Edward Cook A Message from the King to the House of Commons to end the Sessions Mr. Pyms Speech at the delivery of the charge against Dr. Manwaring â—udgement given against Dr. Manwawaring Dr. Manwaings submissions Another Message from the King Sir Robert Phillips Sir John Elliot Sir Dudly Diggs Sir Nathan Rich. The Commons declare that no undutiful Speech hath been spoken Mr. Wandesford Sir Edw. Cook declares the Duke the cause of all our miseries Mr. Seldens advice for a Declaration against the Duke Several heads agreed on for a Remonstrance A Message from the King by the Speakâ—r Another Message from the King to the Commons A Message from his Majesty tâ— the house of Lords The Kings Message gâ—ves the Commons more hope then formerly Burlemack called into the House The Petition of both Houses to his Majesty for a further Answer to the Petition of right His Majesties second Answer to the Petition of right All Grand Committees to cease Sir Edward Cooks Observations upon the said Commission Sir Edward Cook mannageth the Conference between both Houses concerning the Commission Fâ—resh Debate in the House against the Duke Sir Iohn Elliot Sir Henry Martin Sir Benjamin Rudyard Sir Thomas Jermin Dr. Lamb killed A Letter to the City about Dr. Lambs Death Dr. Neal Dr. Laud suspected for Atminians Mr. Selden The Commons Remonstrance against the Duke The Speaker appointed to deliver the Remonstrance Order in Star-Chamber concerning the Duke The Duke desires to clear himself concerning some words The Comission for Excise cancelled Mr. Selden concerning Tunnage and Poundage The Commons Remonstrance of Tunnage and Poundage Mr. Noy The K. ends this Session in person and declares the reason Dr. Manwarings Sermon suppâ—essed by Proclamation A Proclamation and commissiâ—n concerning composition with Recusants A Proclamation against the Bâ—shop of Calcedon Romish Priests to be sent to Wisbitch Jesuites taken at Clerkenwell or acted to be proceeded against Order to search what Recusants are about London Sir Richard Weston and Bishop Laud advanced Mr. Montague advanced and his Apello Caesarem called in Preaching and Writing pro con about unnecessary questions prohibited A pardon granted to Dr. Manwaring Dr. Montague Rochel close besieged and relief designed The Duke slain Dr. Montague consecrated Bishop Rochel again attempted to be relieved but in vain The sad condition of Rochel at the surrender Defects in the relief of Rochel questioned Outrages committed by souldiers Advertisement of forreign designes The King of Denmark assisted with forces The German House disposed of Dr. Laud in â—avour with the King Conge d'esâ—ier for certain Bishops The meeting of the Parliament adjourned to Jan. 20. Great resort to Felton in prison Felton examined before the Council Threatned to be Racked The Judges opinions taken therein Merchants committed about Customs Merchants summonned to the Councel Table Mr. Chambers brought up with a Habeas Corpus and bailed Lords of the Councel dissatisfied with his bailing Felton brought to trial Confesseth the Fact Tenders his hand to be cut off Hung in chains Mr. Vassals goods seised on for denying Customes Information pâ—eserved against him Mr. Vassals plea to the Information Mr. Chambers goods seised on for not paying customes A Replevin sued ouâ— And superseaded Mr. Rolls a Merchant Private consultations about the ensuing Parliament The Parliament meets they enquire whether the Petition of Right be enrolled What were the violations of the Subjects Liberties since the last Parliament Sir Robert Philips Speech concerning that matter The matter was referred to a Committee The Kings Speech to both Houses in the Banqueting House The K. sends a Message to the House of Commons speedily to take Tunnagâ— Poundage in to consideration But the Commons resolvâ— to proceed in matters of Religion Mr. Rous Speech â—oncerning Religion A Report from the Commâ—tee for Religion The Remonstrance concerning Religion sent back by the King Precedency again given to Religion before Tunnage and Poundage Mr. Pyms speech concerning Religion Message by Secretary Cook about Tunnage and Poundage Sir Tho. Edmâ—nds Mr. Corriton An Answer resolved to be given to the Kings messages Sir Iohn Eliot concerning Religion The Commons enter into a Vow Both Houses Petition the King for a fast His Majesties Answer The Commons Declaration to the King to give precedency to Religion His Majesties Answer to the Commons Declaration Debate about the Kings Dâ—claration concerning disputes about Religion Mr. Rolls sitting in Parliament was called forth and served with a Subpaenâ Debate concerning the same The mistake of the Subpaenâ cleared A report from the Committee for Tunnage and Poundage Committee meeâ— agâ—n upon Tunnage and Poundage Mr. Noy concerning Tunnage and Poundage Barons of the Exchequer sent unto about staying the delivery of Merchants goods The Barons Answer Not satisfactory A report concerning pardons to Dr. Manwaring Mr. Montague c. Mr. Cromwel against the Bishop of Winchester A complaint of the noâ— licensing of Books against Popery Mr. Selden concerning Printing Debates about increase of Popery Secretary Cook concerning the Priests arraigned at Newgate Mr. Long a Justice of peace examined Sir Robert Heath his answer concerning the prosecution of the Priests A Fast. Mr. Dawes answer to the Commons Mr Carmarthens answer Mr. Selden The House in a Committee about the Customers answer Mr. Noy Message by Secretary Cook from the King about the Customers Order by the King and Council concelning the Costomers The Kings Commission to the Customers c. Resolve concerning Mr. Rolls Debates Sir Iohn Ellyots Speech against particular persons * Lord Weston afterwards died a Papist The Speaker refuses to put the Question Mr. Seldens Speech thereupon The Speaker again refuseth to put the Question Protestation in Parliament propounded whilst the Speaker was held in his chair The King sends the Usher of the Lords House Warrants to apprehend several Members of Parliament The Kings Speech at the Dissolution of the Parliament Libels cast abroad Members examined before the Lords of the Council 5 Caroli Anno 1629. Questions propounded to the Judges concerning the imprisoned Members Answer Mr. Stroud and Mr. Long brought upon a Habeas Corpus An Information in Star-Chamber against the Members Ro. Heath Hu Davenport Ro. Bartley Heneage Finch William Hudson An Information in Star Chamber against Sir Io. Elliot c. Proceedings in Star-Chamber against Mr. Chambers His Answer His Sentence A submission tendred His refusal Places of Scripture mentioned by him Isa. 29.21 Ecclus. 11.7 8 John 7.51 Act. 26.2 Exod. 23.6 Deut. 16.19 Mich. 2.1 2. Ezek. 45.9 and 46.8 Eccles. 5.8 London His Plea in the Exchequer H. 3.9 E. 1.3 H. 3.9 E. 3.5 t H. 7.3 H. 8.21 1629. 16 Iune London Order in the Exchequer Mr. Chambers brought by a Habeas Corpus His Petition to the Parliament His death Mr. Selden brought upon a Habeas Corpus A letter from the King to the Judges Another Letter L' Assembli des Notables A Letter to the Judges The King confers with some of them Motion to bail the prisoners An Information exhibited in the Kings Bench against vir Iohn Elliot c. The Plea of Sir Iohn Elliot Mr Long 's Case in the Star-Chamber Arguments concerning Sir Iohn Elliot Lord Chief Justice Hide Justice Whitlock Judgment Judgment pronounced The Kings Declaration of the causes which moved him to dissolve the last Parliament * Here are the passages concerning the Members deportment in the House mentioned in this Declaration which we â—orbear to repeat in regard the same are at large expressed in the Information in the Star-chamber before mentioned A Proposition presented to the King how to keep in awe this nation First to have a Fortresse in every considerable Town Secondly To cause high-waies to be made through such Townes Thirdly To choose the Souldiers of such Fortresses no Inhabitants of the place 4. To let none passe through such places without a Ticket 5. To have the names of all lodgers taken by Inkeepers The expence of these Forts To impose an oath on the Subjects Meanes â—o increase the King's revenewes 1 To demand a Decima of mens estates 2 To buy out all Leases upon the Crown-Lands 3 To take the Salt into his Majesties own hands 4 To demand a rate for Sealing the weights every yeare 5 To demand an Impost for Wools. 6 To put a Tax upon every Lawyers Fee 7 To put a Tax upon Inns and Victualling-houses for a License 8 To put a Tax upon all Carâ—le Flesh and Horses sold in the Market 9 To put a Tax upon all Lands alienated 10 To demand a rate upon all Offices in his Majestie 's grant 11 To reduce his Majesties Houshold to Board wages 12 To demand a rate for license to eat Lacticinia 13 To take an imposition upon the Catholicks lands At the Prince his marriage to make Earls in Principi to pay for it And Barons to be made Earls To make 200 rich men Titulate and they to pay for the Titles To make Gentlemen of low quality and rich Farmers Esquires Mr. Stroud Esq brought to the Kings-Bench-Bar upon a Habeas Corpus Also Walter Long Esq. Mr. Mason of Lincolns-Inn his Argument for Mr. Long. Serjeant Barckley his Argument against Stroud and Long. Serjeant Davenport's Argument against Stroud and Long Mr. Littleton's Argument for Mr. Selden See Fortoscue f. 115. the which was not cited there never Sedition Strife or Murmur is heard Sir Rob. Heath the Kings Atturney Generall his Argument against Mr. Selden An Information exhibited in the King's Bench against Sir Iohn Eliot and others Mr. Mason's Argument for Sir John Eliot Mr. Calibrop's Argument for Mr. Valentine Camden's Brit. 449. 1. Object 2. Object 3. Object 4. Object 5. Object 6. Object 7. Object 8. Object Sir Rob. Heaths Argument against Sir John Elliot 1 Car 16 Jac. 1618. 1 Car. 1625.
Propositions from either side to give distaste and lessen the Friendship between the two Crowns The Duke returned answer that all assurance and satisfaction shall be given concerning this Alliance And after Sir Digby's arrival at the Court of Spain he protested to him solemnly that the King desired it and swore for himself that he desired nothing more Hereupon Digby debated with him That the remembrance of their former Demands was yet unpleasing in England the difference of Religion the Opinions of Divines and the Cases of Conscience were still the same insomuch that his Majesty and his Servants had just cause to cease for ever from all thoughts this way Nevertheless they did not slight nor disrelish an Alliance with Spain for many of the greatest eminency in England judge it equally valuable with any other of Christendom though it be esteemed a matter of infinite difficulty Here the subtil Spaniard might perceive our forwardness though our Ambassador seemed to speak aloof off and with reservation The debate had this result that the difficulties should be digested into certain Heads and select Persons appointed for Conference but the Intent thereof was that the Kings on either side should not be interessed nor their names therein used till by the clearing of particulars there should be great appearances that the business would take effect Now because the difference of Religion was supposed the onely difficulty of moment it was thought fit to break the matter to the Cardinal of Toledo and the Kings Confessor and one Father Frederick a learned Jesuite having the repute of a Moderate man Upon the review of these proceedings Sir Iohn Digby advised the King not to suffer his other resolutions to be interrupted by this Overture which might be set on foot as a meer device to stagger the French Treaty and to keep his Majesty from declaring himself opposite to Spain in the business of Cleves and Iuliers which still remained uncompounded nevertheless he might be pleased for a while to suspend the conclusion of the Match with France and entertain this motion and to this end he desired from him not a formal Commission to treat but onely a private Instruction for his Direction and Warrant Such remote Conferences made way for that solemn slow-paced Treaty of the many years following wherein the advantage lay on the Spaniards side who were indeed very formal and specious in it but no way vehement and vigorous if we might suppose them in any sort real But the King of England having a prevalent inclination this way when he was once drawn in and elevated with hope was so set upon it that he would grant all things possible rather then break it off and was impatient of dissembling his own eagerness The business was mainly carried on by Conde Gondomar who was exquisitely framed for it and by facetious wayes taking the King in his own humor prevailed mightily The King removes all blocks that lie in the way of this Darling Design and studies all the wayes of rendring himself acceptable to Spain The Wall of this Island the English Navy once the strongest of all Christendome now lyes at road unarmed and fit for ruine Gondomar as was the common voice bearing the King in hand that the furnishing of it would breed suspition in the King his Master and avert his minde from this alliance Moreover the Town of Flushing the Castle of Ramakins in Zealand and Brill in Holland which were held by way of caution from the united Provinces to insure their dependency upon England the King resolved to render up as being meerly cautionary and none of his Propriety He rid his hands of those places to prevent requests and Propositions from the King of Spain who claimed the propriety in them and Gondomar put hard for them being accounted the Keys of the Low Countries Such was the Kings care and contrivance to keep faith with those Confederates and not offend Spain And to render this a politick action it was urged that the advantage of those Holds was countervailed by the vast expence in keeping them Howbeit the power of the English Interest in that State was by this means cut off and taken away and the alienation between King Iames and the United Provinces which appeared in latter times and was nourished by Bernevelt the head of the Arminian Faction and a Pensioner of Spain is now increased by the discovery and observation of these late Spanish compliances But the King of Spain and his Ministers had given but slender proof of any great affection yea or of sincere intention and upright dealing in this great affair For Sir Iohn Digby received certain Articles in matter of Religion after a Consultation had with their Divines which appeared very unworthy and were utterly rejected by him Yet afterwards upon a private Conference between him and some others to whom the cause had been committed a Qualification was therein conceived though not delivered as a matter there approved And the same Speeches after his return into England proceeded between him and Gondomar and were brought to that Issue that the King thought fit to acquaint a select number of his Council therewith who having heard the report of the former proceeding delivered their opinion That they found very probable ground for him to enter into a publike Treaty with as much assurance of good success as in such a case might be expected whereupon Sir Iohn Digby by Commission under the Great Seal was authorized to treat and conclude the Marriage and because the matter of Religion was in chief debate those qualified Articles that were brought out of Spain were sent back signed with the Kings hand who added something to them by way of clearer explanation They were to this effect THat the Popes Dispensation be first obtained by the meer Act of the King of Spain That the Children of this Marriage be not constrained in matter of Religion nor their Title prejudiced in case they prove Catholikes That the Infanta's Family being Strangers may be Catholikes and shall have a decent place appointed for all Divine Service according to the use of the Church of Rome and the Ecclesiasticks and Religious persons may wear their proper Habits That the Marriage shall be celebrated in Spain by a Procurator according to the Instructions of the Council of Trent and after the Infanta's arrival in England such a solemnization shall be used as may make the Marriage valid according to the Laws of this Kingdome That she shall have a competent number of Chaplains and a Confessor being Strangers one whereof shall have power to govern the Family in Religious matters In the allowing of these Articles the King thus exprest himself Seing this Marriage is to be with a Lady of a different Religion from us it becometh us to be tender as on the one part to give them all satisfaction convenient so on the other to admit nothing that may blemish our Conscience or
the Ambassadors person as some are said to have done yet for using railing speeches against him calling him Divel or words to that purpose it was His Majesties pleasure that that fellow without any further delay on the morrow in the forenoon be publickly and sharply whipt thorow London beginning at Algate and so through the streets along by the place where the affront was offered towards Fleetstreet and so to Temple-Bar without any manner of favor The people were enraged at Gondomar through a perswasion that he abused the King and State to advance the designs of Spain By means of his power with the King he had transported Ordinance and other warlike Provisions to furnish the Spanish Arsenals and it was believed that he underhand wrought the sending of Sir Rob. Mansel into the Mediterranean Sea to fall upon the Pirates of Algier The Merchants of this Kingdom by them much infested being also induced to move for this Expedition wherein the English fleet performed gallantly and advancing within the reach of Cannon and small shot which from the Land showred like Hail upon them fired the Pirates ships within their own Harbor Nevertheless hereby our Strength was diverted our Treasure exhausted and the Spanish fleet and Merchants secured from those Robbers and Spain left at liberty to assist in subduing the Palatinate In the mean while our Kings Affairs in Germany notwithstanding the many Complaints grew more and more desperate In Bohemia the Emperor having well nigh subdued and setled the Country proceeded to the Tryal and Execution of the Authors of the late Commotions some were condemned to perpetual imprisonment and others to death and the Heads of many eminent persons were fixt on the Towers in Prague and their bodies quartered After this the Emperor began both in Austria and Hungaria to imprison divers that assisted the Bohemians and caused Proces to be made against them The Marquess of Iagerndorfe who stirred in the County of Glatsburgh and raised forces by Commission from the Elector Palatine published Letters against the Executions in Bohemia as cruel and barbarous The Emperor put forth an Answer and said That the Marquess published those things maliciously forasmuch as in Bohemia was the Original sedition and the head that infected the members That some few persons Authors of the troubles not in hatred of their Religion but for their Rebellion have been punished by the hand of Justice And he declared further That the like exemplary Justice should not be done in other places but that the Articles of the Peace should be observed By this time the Parliament having sate about four moneths King Iames was desirous to give them a time of vacancie The Lord Treasurer by the Kings command declared unto the Houses That his Majesty by the advice of his Privy Council thought fit to adjourn the Parliament lest the season of the year by the continual concourse of people should cause Infection Also that the Lieutenans and Justices might be in the Country And the Adjournment keeping the Parliament still in being was better then Proroguing That his Majesty had already redressed corruption in Courts of Justice and by his Proclamation called in the Patents of Inns of Osteries and of Gold and Silver-Thread and cherished the Bill against Informers and Monopolies The Commons were troubled at this Message and desired a Conference with the Lords and moved them to petition the King to forbear the Adjournment The King takes notice of it and the Treasurer acquainted the Lords that a Petition of this nature could not be pleasing to his Majesty it seeming to derogate from his Prerogative who alone hath power to call adjourn and determine Parliaments The Commons at a further Conference declared their hearty sorrow and passionate grief at the Kings resolution which they said cut off the performance of what they had consulted and promised for the Publique weal. The Lords sitting in their Robes the King came and made a Speech takes notice of his Message to both Houses and gave their Lordships thanks for obeying the same and acknowledging his power to call adjourn and dissolve Parliaments and for refusing to join with the Commons in the Petition for Non-adjournment And whereas some had given out that no good had been done this Parliament He put them in mind that the two Patents grievous to the Commonwealth were called in and that the Parliament had censured the Offenders for an example to all ages And if they desired it he offered them eight or ten days longer sitting to expedite Bills but said that at the request of the Commons he would not grant it The Lords had a Conference with the Commons after which they moved the King to continue their sitting for fourteen days which was granted and the Commons were satisfied with the resolution of Adjournment A Committee of both Houses afterwards attending the King he told them how ill he took it that the Commons should dispute his reasons of Adjournment all power being in him alone to call adjourn prorogue and dissolve Parliaments And on Iune 4. he declared for an Adjournment till November following And that he will in the mean time of his own authority redress Grievances And his Majesty as General Bishop of the Land did offer his prayers to God for both the Houses and admonished them That when they go into the Country they give his people a good accompt and satisfaction both as to the Proceedings and to the Adjournment of the Parliament The House of Commons immediately before their recess taking to heart the miseries of the Palatinate resolved that the drawing back in so good a Cause should not be charged on their slackness And thereupon drew up this following Declaration with an universal consent THe Commons assembled in Parliament taking into most serious consideration the present state of the Kings Children abroad and the generally afflicted estate of the true Professors of the same Christian Religion professed by the Church of England in Foreign parts And being touched with a true sense and fellow féeling of their distresses as Members of the same Body do with unanimous consent in the name of themselves and the whole body of the Kingdom whom they represent declare unto his most excellent Majesty and to the whole World their hearty grief and sorrow for the same and do not only join with them in their humble and devout prayers unto Almighty God 〈◊〉 protect his true Church and to avert the dangers now threatned but also with one heart and voice do solemnly protest That if His Maiesâ—â—â— pious endeavors by Treaty to procure their peace and safety shall not take that good effect which is desired in Treaty Wherefore they humbly beseech His Majesty not to suffer any longer delay That then upon signification of His Majesties pleasure in Parliament they shall be ready to the utmost of their powers both with their lives and fortunes to assist him so as that by the Divine
of thrée honorable Lords to impart unto us the weighty occasions moving your Majesty thereunto and from them we did understand these particulars That notwithstanding your Princely and pious endeavors to procure peace the time is now come that Janus Temple must be opened That the voice of Bellona must be heard and not the voice of the Turtle That there was no hope of peace nor any truce to be obtained no not for a few days That your Majesty must either abandon your own Children or engage your self in a War wherein consideration is to be had what Foot what Horse what Money will be sufficient That the Lower Palatinate was seised upon by the Army of the King of Spain as Executor of the Ban there in quality of Duke of Burgundy as the Upper Palatinate was by the Duke of Bavaria That the King of Spain at his own charge had now at least five Armies on foot That the Princes of the Union were disbanded but the Catholick League remained firm whereby those Princes so dissevered were in danger one by one to be ruined That the estate of those of the Religion in Foreign parts was miserable and that out of these considerations we were called to a War and forthwith to advise for a supply for kéeping the forces in the Palatinate from disbanding and to foresee the means for raising and maintaining the Body of an Army for the War against the Spring We therefore out of our zeal to your Maiesty and your Posterity with more alacrity and celerity than ever was presidented in Parliament did Address our selves to the service commended unto us And although we cannot conceive That the honor and safety of your Maiesty and your Posterity the Patrimony of your Children invaded and possessed by their enemies the welfare of Religion and State of your Kingdom are matters at any time unfit for our déepest consideration in time of Parliament And though before this time we were in some of these points silent yet being now invited thereunto and led on by so iust an occasion we thought it our duties to provide for the present supply thereof and not onely to turn our eyes on a War abroad but to take care for the securing of our peace at home which the dangerous increase and insolency of Popish Recusants apparently visibly and sensibly did lead us unto The consideration whereof did necessarily draw us truly to represent unto your Maiesty what we conceive to be the causes what we feared would be the effects and what we hoped might be the remedies of these growing Evils among which as incident and unavoidable we fell upon some things which séem to touch upon the King of Spain as they have relation to Popish Recusants at home to the Wars by him maintained in the Palatinate against your Maiesties Children and to his several Armies now on foot yet as we conceived without touch of dishonor to that King or any other Prince your Maiesties Confederate In the Discourse whereof we did not assume to our selves any power to determine of any part thereof nor intend to incroach or intrude upon the Sacred Bounds of Your Royal Authority to whom and to whom onely we acknowledge it doth belong to resolve of Peace and War and of the Marriage of the most Noble Prince your Son But as your most loyal and humble Subjects and Servants representing the whole Commons of your Kingdom who have a large Interest in the happy and prosperous estate of your Majesty and your Royal Posterity and of the flourishing estate of our Church and Commonwealth did resolve out of our Cares and Fears truly and plainly to demonstrate these things to your Majesty which we were not assured could otherwise come so fully and clearly to your knowledge and that being done to lay the same down at your Majesties féet without expectation of any other Answer of your Majesty touching these higher points then what at your good pleasure and in your own time should be held fit This being the effect of that we had formerly resolved upon and these the Occasions and Reasons inducing the same Our humble suit to your Majesty and confidence is That your Majesty will be gratiously pleased to receive at the hands of these our Messengers our former humble Declaration and Petition and vouchsafe to read and favorably to interpret the same and that to so much thereof as containeth our humble Petition concerning Iesuits Priests and Popish Recusants the Passage of Bills and Granting your Royal Pardon you will vouchsafe an Answer unto us And whereas your Majesty by the general words of your Letter séemeth to restrain us from intermedling with Matters of Government or Particulars which have their motion in the Courts of Iustice the generality of which words in the largeness of the extent thereof as we hope beyond your Majesties intention might involve those things which are the proper Subjects of Parliamentary occasions and discourse And whereas your Majesty doth séem to abridge us of the Antient Liberty of Parliament for Fréedom of Spéech Iurisdiction and Iust Censure of the House and other procéedings there wherein we trust in God we shall never transgress the bounds of Loyal and Dutiful Subjects a Liberty which we assure our selves so Wise and so Iust a King will not infringe the same being our antient and undoubted Right and an Inheritance received from our Ancestors without which we cannot fréely debate nor clearly discern of things in question before us nor truly inform your Majesty In which we have béen confirmed by your Maiesties most gratious former Spéeches and Messages We are therefore now again inforced in all humbleness to pray your Maiesty to allow the same and thereby to take away the Doubts and Scruples your Maiesties late Letter to our Speaker hath wrought upon us So shall we your loyal and loving Subiects ever acknowledge your Maiesties Iustice Grace and Goodness and be ready to perform that service to your Maiesty which in the true affection of our hearts we profess and pour out our daily and devout Prayers to the Almighty for your Maiesties long life happy and religious Reign and prosperous Estate and for your Royal Posterity after you for ever The King having rejected the first Petition gave to the later this Answer following WE must here begin in the same fashion that we would have done if the first Petition had come to our hands before we had made a stay thereof which is to repeat the first words of the late Queen of famous memory used by her in answer to an Insolent Proposition made by a Polonian Ambassador unto her that is Legatum expectabamus Heraldum accipimus For we had great reason to expect that the first Message from your House should have been a Message of Thanksgiving for our continued gratious behavior towards our people since your last Recess not onely by our Proclamation of Grace wherein were contained Six or seven and thirty Articles all of several
points of Grace to the people but also by the labor we took for the satisfaction of both Houses in those three Articles recommended unto us in both their names by the Right Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury and likewise for the good Government of Ireland we are now in hand with at your request but not onely have we heard no news of all this but contrary great complaints of the danger of Religion within this Kingdom tacitely implying our ill Government in this point And we leave you to judge whether it be your duties that are the Representative Body of our people so to distaste them with our Government whereas by the contrary it is your duty with all your endeavors to kindle more and more a dutiful and thankful love in the peoples hearts towards us for our just and gratious Government Now whereas in the very beginning of this your Apology you tax us in fair terms of trusting uncertain Reports and partial Informations concerning your proceedings we wish you to remember that we are an old and experienced King needing no such Lessons being in our Conscience freest of any King alive from hearing or trusting idle Reports which so many of your House as are nearest us can bear witness unto you if you would give as good ear to them as you do to some Tribunitial Orators among you And for proof in this particular we have made your own Messengers confer your other Petitions sent by you with the Copy thereof which was sent us before Between which there is no difference at all but that since our receiving the first Copy you added a conclusion unto it which could not come to our hands till it was done by you and your Messengers sent which was all at one time And if we had had no Copy of it before-hand we must have received your first Petition to our great dishonor before we had known what it contained which would have enforced us to return you a far worse Answer then now we do for then your Messengers had returned with nothing but that we have judged your Petition unlawful and unworthy of an Answer For as to your conclusion thereof it is nothing but Protestatio contraria facto for in the Body of your Petition you usurpe upon our Prerogative Royal and meddle with things far above your reach and then in the conclusion you protest the contrary As if a Robber would take a mans purse and then protest he meant not to rob him For first you presume to give us your advice concerning the Match of our dearest Son with some Proâ—â—stant we cannot say Princess for we know none of these fit for hâ—m and disswade us from his Match with Spain urging us to a presenâ— War with that King and yet in the conclusion forsooth ye protest ye intend not to press upon our most undoubted and Regal Prerogative as if the Petitioning of us in matters that your selves confess ye ought not to meddle with were not a meddling with them And whereas ye pretend That ye were invited to this course by the Speeches of Three honorable Lords yet by so much as your selves repeat of the Speeches nothing can be concluded but that we were resolved by War to regain the Palatinate if otherwise we could not attain unto it And you were invited to advise forthwith upon a Supply for keeping the forces in the Palatinate from disbanding and to foresee the means for the raising and maintenance of the Body of an Army for that War against the Spring Now what inference can be made upon this that therefore we must presently denounce War against the King of Spain break our dearest Sons match and match him to one of our Religion let the World judge The difference is no greater than if we would tell a Merchant that we had great need to borrow Money from him for raising an Army that thereupon it should follow that we were bound to follow his advice in the direction of the War and all things depending thereupon But yet not contenting your selves with this excuse of yours which indeed cannot hold water ye come after to a direct contradiction to the conclusion of your former Petition saying That the honor and safety of us and our Posterity and the Patrimony of Our Children invaded and possessed by their enemies the Welfare of Religion and State of our Kingdom are matters at any time not unfit for your deepest considerations in Parliament To this generality we answer with the Logicians That where all things are contained nothing is omitted So as this Plenipotency of yours invests you in all power upon Earth lacking nothing but the Popes to have the Keys also both of Heaven and Purgatory And to this vast generality of yours we can give no other answer for it will trouble all the best Lawyers in the House to make a good Commentary upon it For so did the Puritan Ministers in Scotland bring all kinde of causes within the compass of their jurisdiction saying That it was the Churches office to judge of slander and there could no kinde of crime or fault be committed but there was a slander in it either against God the King or their Neighbor and by this means they hooked into themselves the cognisance of all causes Or like Bellarmines distinction of the Popes power over Kings in Ordine ad Spiritualia whereby he gives them all Temporal Jurisdiction over them But to give you a direct Answer to the matter of War for which you are so earnest We confess we rather expected you should have given us thanks for the so long maintaining a setled Peace in all our Dominions when as all our Neighbors about are in miserable combustion of War but dulce bellum inexpertis And we indeed finde by experience that a number of our Subjects are so pampered with Peace as they are desirous of change though they knew not what It is true that we have ever professed and in that minde with Gods grace we will live and die that we will labor by all means possible either by Treaty or by force to restore our Children to their ancient Dignity and Inheritance And whatsoever Christian Princes or Potentates will set themselves against it we will not spare any lawful means to bring our so just and honorable purpose to a good end neither shall the match of our Son or â—ny other worldly respect be preferred to this our resolution For by our credit and intervention with the King of Spain and the Arch-Dutches and her Husband now with God we preserved the Lower Palatinate one whole year from any further conquering in it which in eight days space in that time might have easily been swallowed up by Spinola's Army without any resistance And in no better case was it now at our Ambassador the Lord Digbies coming through Heidelburgh if he had not extraordinarily succored it But because we conceive that ye couple this War of the Palatinate with
the Cause of Religion we must a little unfold your eyes herein The beginning of this miserable War which hath set all Christendom on fire was not for Religion but only caused by our Son-in-law his hasty and harsh resolution following evil Counsel to take to himself the Crown of Bohemia And that this is true himself wrote Letters unto us at that time desiring to give assurance both to the French King and State of Venice that his accepting of the Crown of Bohemia had no reference to the Cause of Religion but only by reason of his right of Election as he called it And we would be sorry that that aspersion should come upon our Religion as to make it a good pretext for dethroning of Kings and usurping their Crowns And we would be loth that our people here should be taught that strange doctrine No let us not so far wrong the â—esuites as to rob them of their sweet Positions and practice in that very point And upon the other part We assure our self so far of your charitable thoughts of us that we would never have constantly denied our Son in law both the Title and assistance in that point if we had been well perswaded of the justice of his quarrel But to conclude This unjust usurpation of the Crowns of Bohemia and Hungaria from the Emperor hath given the Pope and all that party too fair a ground and opened them too wide a gate for curbing and oppressing of many thousands of our Religion in divers parts of Christendom And whereas you excuse your touching upon the King of Spain upon occasion of the incidents by you repeated in that place and yet affirm that it is without any touch to his honor We cannot wonder enough that ye are so forgetful both of your words and writs For in your former Petition ye plainly affirm That he affects the Temporal Monarchy of the whole Earth then which there can be no more malice uttered against any great King to make all other Princes and Potentates both envy and hate him But if ye list it may easily be tryed whether that speech touched him in honor or not if ye shall ask him the question whether he means to assume to himself that title or no For every King can best judge of his own honor We omit the particular ejaculations of some foul-mouthed Orators in your House against the Honor of that Kings Crown and State And touching your excuse of not determining any thing concerning the Match of our dearest Son but only to tell your Opinion and lay it down at our feet First we desire to know how you could have presumed to determine in that point without committing of High Treason And next you cannot deny but your talking of his his Match after that manner was a direct breach of our commandment and declaration out of our own mouth at the first sitting down of this Parliament where we plainly professed that we were in Treaty of this Match with Spain and wished you to have that confidence in our Religion and Wisdom that we would so manage it as our Religion should receive no prejudice by it And the same we now repeat unto you professing that we are so far engaged in that Match as we cannot in honor go back except the King of Spain perform not such things as we expect at his hands And therefore we are sorry that ye should shew to have so great distrust in us as to conceive that we should be cold in our Religion Otherwise we cannot imagine how our former publique Declaration should not have stopt your mouths in this point And as to your request That we would now receive your former Petition We wonder what could make you presume that we would receive it whereas in our former Letter we plainly declared the contrary unto you And therefore we have justly rejected that suit of yours For what have you left unattempted in the highest points of Soveraignty in that Petition of yours except the striking of Coin For it contains the violation of Leagues the particular way how to govern a War and the Marriage of our dearest Son both Negative with Spain nay with any other Popish Princess and also Affirmatively as to the matching with one of our Religion which we confess is a strain beyond any providence or wisdom God hath given us as things now stand These are unfit things to be handled in Parliament except your King should require it of you For who can have wisdom to judge of things of that nature but such as are daily acquainted with the particulars of Treaties and of the variable and fixed connexion of affairs of State together with the knowledge of the secret ways ends and intentions of Princes in their several Negotiations otherwise a small mistaking of matters of this nature may produce more effects then can be imagined And therefore Ne Sutor ultra crepidam And besides the intermedling in Parliament with matters of Peace or War and Marriage of our dearest Son would be such a Diminution to us and to our Crown in Foreign Countries as would make any Prince neglect to treat with us either in matters of Peace or Marriage except they might be assured by the assent of Parliament And so it proved long ago with a King of France who upon a Trick procuring his States to dissent from some Treaty which before he had made was after refused Treating with any other Princes to his great reproach unless he would first procure the assent of his Estates to their Proposition And will you cast your eyes upon the late times you shall find that the late Queen of famous memory was humbly petitioned by a Parliament to be pleased to marry But her Answer was That she liked their Petition well because it was simple not limiting her to place or person as not befitting her liking to their fancies And if they had done otherwise she would have thought it a high presumption in them Judge then what we may do in such a case having made our publique declaration already as we said before directly contrary to that which you have now petitioned Now to the points in your Petition whereof you desire an Answer as properly belonging to the Parliament The first and the greatest point is that of Religion Concerning which at this time we can give you no other Answer then in the general which is That you may rest secure that we will never be weary to do all we can for the propagation of our Religion and repressing of Popery But the manner and form you must remit to our care and providence who can best consider of times and seasons not by undertaking a Publique War of Religion through all the World at once which how hard and dangerous a task it may prove you may judge But this puts us in mind how all the World complained the last year of plenty of Corn and God sent us a Cooling-card this year for that heat And
and Doctor Stuart to inform him of the nature of this cause and the scandal that might arise thereupon and to certifie what the same may amount unto whither to an irregularity or otherwise and what means may be found for redress However this consultation was managed the Archbishop was not deprived but a Plant was growing up that over-topped him whilst he lived and after his decease obtained the Primacy Doctor Laud who was first chosen to the Bishoprick of St. Davids by the Mediation of the Lord Keeper Williams and was consecrated by the Bishops of London Worcester Chichester Ely Landaff and Oxon the Archbishop in the mean time was not thought irregular for the Casual Homicide This Bishop Doctor Laud was looked upon in those times as an Arminian and a fierce opposer of Puritans and while he lived in Oxford suspected to incline to Popish Tenents as may appear by his Letter of Complaint sent to his Patron Doctor Neal then Bishop of Lincoln against a Sermon preached by Robert Abbot Doctor of the Chair in Oxford in which Letter he inclosed this amongst other Passages of the Doctors Sermon viz. That men under pretence of Truth and Preaching against the Puritans strike at the heart and root of Faith and Religion now established among us That this Preaching against the Puritans was but the practice of Parsons and Campions counsel when they came into England to seduce yong Students And when many of them were afraid to lose their places if they should professedly be thus the counsel they then gave them was That they should speak freely against the Puritans and that should suffice And they cannot intend that they are accounted Papists because they speak against the Puritans But because they indeed are Papists they speak nothing against them If they do at any time speak against the Papists they do beat a little upon the Bush and that softly too for fear of troubling or disquieting the Birds that are in it I Came time enough saith Mr. Laud to be at the rehearsal of this Sermon upon much perswasion where I was fain to sit patiently and hear my self abused almost an hour together being pointed at as I sate For this present abuse I would have taken no notice of it but that the whole University apply it to me and my own Friends tell me I shall sink my credit if I answer not Dr. Abbot in his own Nevertheless in a business of this kinde I will not be swayed from a patient course onely I desire your Lordship to vouchsafe me some direction what to do c. The Arminian Sect opposed by King Iames and by his special concurrence lately broken in the Netherlands by the beheading of Barnevalt the cheif of them began in his latter times to spring up in England and was countenanced by the said Prelate who had newly obtained the opinion and favor of the Marquess of Buckingham The Kings main design then not suffering the suppressing of that way which in common judgment was inclined to Popery or he thought to recover all his losses and to salve all misfortunes by the Spanish Match And for this cause he released multitudes of Priests and Popish Recusants then imprisoned which the Spaniards professed to be a great demonstration of the Kings sincere affection to confirm the correspondence and amity between the Crowns And that this enlargement might be the more expedite and less chargeable the King gave directions to the Lord Keeper Williams Bishop of Lincoln THat whereas he had formerly given order for the release of Recusants by removing them from the several Goals of this Kingdom to be bailed before the Justices of his Bench And finding that this course will be troublesome to the poorer sort of them he doth now require that Writs be directed to the Justices of Assizes enabling and requiring them to enlarge such Recusants as they shall finde in their several Goals upon such conditions and securities as were required by the Judges of his Bench. Accordingly the Writs were issued forth under the Great Seal and the Lord Keeper wrote to the Judges on this manner THat the King having upon deep Reasons of State and in expectation of the like correspondence from Forein Princes to the Professors of our Religion resolved to grant some Grace to the imprisoned Papists had commanded him to pass some Writs under the Broad Seal for that purpose Wherefore it is his Majesties pleasure that they make no niceness or difficulty to extend his Princely favor to all such as they shall finde prisoners in the Gaols of their Circuits for any Church Recusancy or refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing of Popish Books or any other point of Recusancy that shall concern Religion onely and not matters of State But a general offence was taken at this Indulgence to Papists and the Lord Keepers Letter to the Judges which how the Keeper endevored to renounce may be seen in his Letter written to a Person of Honor. AS the Sun in the Firmament appears unto us no bigger then a Platter and the Stars are but as so many Nails in the Pummel of a Saddle because of the enlargement and disproportion between our eye and the object So is there such an unmeasurable distance between the deep resolution of a Prince and the shallow apprehensions of common and ordinary people That as they will ever be judging and censuring so they must needs be obnoxious to error and mistaking The King is now a most Zealous Intercessor for some case and refreshment to all the Protestants in Europe which were unreasonable if he did now execute the rigor of his Laws against the Roman Catholicks Our Viperous Countrymen the English Iesuites in France had many moneths before this favor granted invited the French King by writing a malicious Book to put all the Statutes in execution against the Protestants in those parts which were Enacted in England against the Papists and as they falsly informed severely executed Besides these Papists are no otherwise out of prison then with their shackles about their heels sufficient Sureties and good Recognizances to present themselves at the next Assizes and their own demeanor and the success of his Majesties Negotiations must determine whether they shall continue in this Grace But to conclude from the favor done to the English Papists that the King savors the Romish Religion is a composition of Folly and Malice little deserved by a gratious Prince who by Word Writing Exercise of Religion and Acts of Parliament hath demonstrated himself so resolved a Protestant As for his own Letter to the Iudges he said it recited onely four kindes of Recusancy capable of the Kings clemency not so much to include them as to exclude many other Crimes bearing the name of Recusancy as using the Function of a Romish Priest seducing the Kings Leige-people from the established Religion aspersing the King Church or State or the present Government All which Offences being
sent from England This magnificent Entertainment and the universal Joy in Spain was grounded on the hope of the Prince's turning Catholick For the voice of the people went That he was come to be a Christian And the Conde Olivares when he gave him the first Visit did congratulate his Arrival with these expressions That the Match should be made presently and that the Kings of Spain and England should divide the World between them For that he did not question but he came thither to be of their Religion Whereunto the Prince answered That he came not thither for Religion but for a Wife But there wanted no endeavors to reconcile the Prince and by him the British Dominions to the Sea of Rome Gregory the Fifteenth then Pope exhorted the Bishop of Conchen Inquisitor-General of Spain to improve the opportunity And he sought to charm the Prince by writing a very smooth Letter to him Yea he condescended to write to Buckingham his Guide and Familiar to incline him to the Romish religion And the Pope also wrote a Letter to the Prince the tenor whereof followeth MOst Noble Prince We wish you the health and light of Gods grace Forasmuch as Great Britain hath always been fruitful in vertues and in men of great worth having filled the one and the other World with the glory of her renown She doth also very often draw the thoughts of the Holy Apostolical Chair to the consideration of her praises And indeed the Church was but then in her infancie when the King of Kings did choose her for his inheritance and so affectionately that 't is believed the Roman Eagles were hardly there before the Banner of the Cross. Besides that many of her Kings instructed in the knowledge of the true salvation have preferred the Cross before the Royal Scepter and the Discipline of Religion before Covetousness leaving examples of piety to other Nations and to the Ages yet to come So that having merited the Principalities and first places of blessedness in Heaven they have obtained on Earth the triumphant ornaments of Holiness And although now the state of the English Church is altered We see nevertheless the Court of Great Britain adorned and furnished with Moral vertues which might serve to support the charity we bear unto her and be an ornament to the name of Christianity if withall she could have for her defence and protection the Orthodox and Catholick truth Therefore by how much the more the glory of your most Noble Father and the apprehension of your Royal inclination delights us with so much more zeal we desire that the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven might be opened unto you and that you might purchase to your self the love of the Universal Church Moreover it being certain that Gregory the Great of most blessed memory hath introduced to the people of England and taught to their Kings the law of the Gospel and the respect of Apostolical authority We as inferior to him in holiness and vertue but equal in name and degree of dignity think it very reasonable that we following his blessed footsteps should endeavor the salvation of those Provinces especially at this time when you design most Noble Prince elevates us to the hope of an extraordinary advantage Therefore as you have directed your journey to Spain towards the Catholick King with desire to ally your self to the House of Austria We do commend your design and indeed do testifie openly in this present business that you are he that takes principal care of our Prelacy For seeing that you desire to take in marriage the Daughter of Spain from thence we may easily conjecture that the antient seeds of Christian piety which have so happily flourished in the hearts of the Kings of Great Britain may God prospering them revive again in your soul. And indeed it is not to be believed that the same man should love such an Alliance that hates the Catholick Religion and should take delight to oppress the Holy Chair To that purpose we have commanded that most humble prayers be made continually to the Father of lights that he would be pleased to put you as a fair Flower of Christendom and the onely Hope of Great Britain in possession of that most noble Heritage which your Ancestors purchased for you to defend the authority of the Soveraign High-Priest and to fight against the Monsters of Heresie Remember the days of old enquire of your Fathers and they will tell you the way that leads to Heaven and what way the Temporal Princes have taken to attain to the everlasting Kingdom Behold the gates of Heaven opened The most holy Kings of England who came from England to Rome accompanied with Angels did come to honor and do homage to the Lord of Lords and to the Prince of the Apostles in the Apostolical Chair their actions and their examples being as so many voices of God speaking and exhorting you to follow the course of the lives of those to whose Empire you shall one day attain Is it possible that you can suffer that the Hereticks should hold them for impious and condemn those whom the faith of the Church testifies to reign in the Heavens with Iesus Christ and have command and authority over all Principalities and Empires of the Earth Behold how they tender you the hand of this truly happy Inheritance to conduct you safe and sound to the Court of the Catholick King and who desire to bring you back again into the lap of the Roman Church beseeching with unspeakable sighs and groans the God of all mercy for your salvation and do stretch out to you the arms of the Apostolical charity to embrace you with all Christian affection even you that are her desired Son in shewing you the happy hope of the Kingdom of Heaven And indeed you cannot give a greater consolation to all the people of the Christian world then to put the Prince of the Apostles in possession of your most noble Island whose authority hath been held so long in the Kingdom of Britain for the defence of Kingdoms and for a Divine Oracle The which will easily come to pass and that without difficulty if you open your heart to the Lord that knocks upon which depends all the happiness of that Kingdom It is from this our great charity that we cherish the praises of the Royal Name and that which makes us desire that you and your Royal Father may be stiled with the names of Deliverers and Restorers of the antient and paternal Religion of Great Britain This is it we hope for trusting in the goodness of God in whose hands are the hearts of Kings and who causeth the people of the earth to receive healing to whom we will always labour with all our power to render you gracious and favorable In the interim take notice by these Letters of the care of our charity which is none other then to procure your happiness And it will never grieve us
by the King and Prince was as followeth WE Ratifying and confirming the aforesaid Treaty and all and every Capitulation contained and specified in the same do approve applaud confirm and ratifie of our certain knowledge all and every of these things in as much as they concern our Selves our Heirs or our Successors And we promise by these presents in the word of a King to kéep fulfil and observe the same and to cause them to be kept fulfilled and observed inviolably firmly well and faithfully effectually Bona fide without all exception and contradiction And we confirm the same with an Oath upon the Holy Evangelists in the presence of the Illustrious and Noble John de Mendoza Charls de Colona Ambassadors of the most Gratious Catholick â—ing residing in our Court. In Testimony and Witness of all and every the premises we have caused our Great Seal to be put to those Articles subscribed by our Hands there in the presence of the most Reverend Father in Christ George Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and the Reverend Father in Christ John Bishop of Lincoln Lord Kéeper of the Great Seal of England Lionel Cranfield Cheif Treasurer of England Henry Uiscount Mandevil President of our Council Edward Earl of Worcester Kéeper of the Privy Seal Lewis Duke of Richmond and Lenox Lord Steward of our Houshold James Marquess Hamilton James Earl of Carlisle Thomas Earl of Kelly Oliver Uiscount Grandeson c. and George Calvert Knight one of our Cheif Secretaries of State and all of our Privy Council Given at our Palace of Westminster c. JACOBUS Rex After this the King did swear to certain private Articles in favor of Papists and for the advancement of the Roman Religion JAMES by the grace of God of Great Britain King Defender of the Faith c. To all to whom this present-writing shall come gréeting Inasmuch as among many other things which are contained within the Treaty of Marriage betwéen our most dear Son Charls Prince of Wales and the most renowned Lady Donna Maria Sister of the most renowned Prince and our welbeloved Brother Philip the Fourth King of Spain It is agréed That we by our Oath shall approve the Articles under-expressed to a word 1. That particular Laws made against Roman Catholicks under which other Vassals of our Realms are not comprehended and to whose observation all generally are not obliged as likewise general Laws under which all are equally comprised if so be they are such which are repugnant to the Romish religion shall not at any time hereafter by any means or chance whatsoever directly or indirectly be commanded to be put in execution against the said Roman Catholicks and we wil cause that our Council shall take the same Oath as far as it pertains to them and belongs to the execution which by the hands of them their Ministers is to be exercised 2. That no other Laws shall hereafter be made anew against the said Roman Catholicks but that there shall be a perpetual Toleration of the Roman Catholick Religion within private houses throughout all our Realms and Dominions which we will have to be understood as well of our Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland as in England which shall be granted to them in manner and form as is capitulated decreed granted in the Article of the Treaty concerning the Marriage 3. That neither by us nor by any other interposed person whatsoever directly or indirectly privately or publikely will we treat or attempt any thing with the most renowned Lady Infanta Donna Maria which shall be repugnant to the Romish Catholick religion Neither will we by any means perswade her that she should ever renounce or relinquish the same in substance or form or that she should do any thing repugnant or contrary to those things which are contained in the Treaty of Matrimony 4. That We and the Prince of Wales will interpose our authority and will do as much as in us shall lie that the Parliament shall approve confirm and ratifie all and singular Articles in favor of the Roman Catholicks capitulated between the most renowned Kings by reason of this Marriage And that the said Parliament shall revoke and abrogate particular Laws made against the said Roman Catholicks to whose observance also the rest of our Subjects and Vassals are not obliged as likewise the general Laws under which all are equally comprehended to wit as to the Roman Catholicks if they be such as is aforesaid which are repugnant to the Roman Catholick Religion And that hereafter we will not consent that the said Parliament should ever at any time enact or write any other new Laws against Roman Catholicks MOreover I Charls Prince of Wales engage my self and promise that the most Illustrious King of Great Britain my most honored Lord and Father shall do the same both by word and writing That all those things which are contained in the foregoing Articles and concern as well the suspension as the abrogation of all Laws made against the Roman Catholicks shall within thrée years infallibly take effect and sooner if it be possible which we will have to lie upon our Conscience and Royal honor That I will intercede with the most illustrious King of G. Britain my father that the ten years of the education of the children which shall be born of this marriage with the most illustrious Lady Infanta their mother accorded in the 23 Art which term the Pope of Rome desires to have prorogued to twelve years may be lengthened to the said term And I promise fréely and of my own accord and swear That if it so happen that the entire power of disposing of this matter be dâ—volved to me I will also grant and approve the said term Furthermore I Prince of Wales oblige my self upon my faith to the Catholick King That as often as the most illustrious Lady Infanta shall require that I should give ear to Divines or others whom her Highness shall be pleased to employ in matter of the Roman Catholick religion I will hearken to them willingly without all difficulty and laying aside all excuse And for further caution in point of the frée exercise of the Catholick religion and the suspension of the Law above-named I Charls Prince of Wales promise and take upon me in the word of a King that the things above promised and treated concerning those matters shall take effect and be put in execution as well in the Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland as of England The Privy-Councellors Oath was this I A.B. do swear That I will truly and fully observe as much as belongeth to me all and every of the Articles which are contained in the Treaty of Marriage betwéen the most gracious Charls Prince of Wales and the most gracious Lady Donna Maria Infanta of Spain Likewise I swear that I will neither commit to execution nor cause to be executed either by my self or by any inferior Officer serving me any
a Treaty of a Match since in Eighty Eight even while there was a Treaty of Peace their Armado came upon us Again we shall find it was forbidden in the best people in the world to marry with a differing Religion The injunction the reason and the effect are laid down in Deuteronomy to the Jews And if we descend to our own Books and Chronicles we shall find that God hath crossed if not cursed our alliance and association particularly with the Spanish Nation the position of that Country and the disposition of that People being as it were so malignant and ill-agreeing with us The Prince of the greatest performance that ever this Kingdom or Christendom had was the Black Prince Yet our Chronicle records that going into Spain to settle Don Pedro in that Kingdom besides the monstrous ingratitude and peafidiousness of the Spaniard who failed in the performance of those Conditions he had promised which caused the miserable Revolt in France to the loss of our inheritance the Prince was so poisoned in that Country that he never had his health after Moreover he beseeched his Lordship to observe that all the Marriages which the Heirs and Princes of this Crown have made in England for these last six-score years except the several second Matches of Henry the Eight have been onely and no-where else but with Spain which how little God hath blest the success shews Prince Arthur married the Spanish Kings daughter We know God took him away suddenly within a very small time and without any issue In a Politick respect we would yet make a second Match so Prince Henry afterwards King married the same daughter But doubtless God was less pleased with that Match which was less lawful and therefore God took away all the male-children of it and left only a daughter in whose short Reign was shed more blood for the true Religion in six years then for the false in these succeeding sixty years We made then a third Adventure and Marriage with Spain Queen Mary with King Philip which was so discontenting to the People that it caused Wyats Rebellion so discomfortable to the Queen that it brake her heart being left and neglected of her Husband and so dishonorable and prejudicial to the Kingdom that merely for the Spaniards sake we having no difference at all with France we lost Calis in six days which had been above two hundred years in our possession He added lastly Though I have not so much judgment nor so little wit as to presume to advise where to match yet I assume so much as to think a Match at home cannot be held any ways inconvenient We find the first and the last of our Kings that ever matched with their Subjects were Ed. 4. and Hen. 8. From which two Matches God as it were to shew the less we rely upon others abroad the more he will help us himself at home gave two daughters two Elizabeths two such Queens then which there were never two more blessed Instruments of Gods glory and this Kingdoms good by establishing Peace in the Land and Religion in the Church until his Majesties happy coming who brought both with him The French were very jealous of the Conjunction between Spain and England and thought it the safest way to make peace at home and imploy their strength to bound the Incroachments of Spain and the House of Austria By which means a bitter Persecution ceased in that Kingdom The Protestants of France were permitted to call home their banished Ministers to build their ruined Temples and to enjoy their liberty in Religion This benefit did the Kings closing with Spain procure to a people almost ruined But after all the Kings concessions the Spaniards contrived new delays and proposed harder terms The Pope had obliged the Catholick King to see the Conditions performed and to protract the Marriage till matters in England were in perfect execution Whereupon the Divines advise that King that the Promises of Marriage be made presently but the Consummation thereof and the delivering of the Infanta be deferred till May the year following And the death of Pope Gregory did strengthen this contrivance For the Spanish Ministers pretended that in regard there was no Contract but a Treaty only on foot the Dispensation which lay in the Nuncio's hands was by the Popes death suspended and a Ratification from the new Pope was requisite before any further progress could be made Cardinal Barberine was chosen Successor to Gregory the Fifteenth and took the name of Urban the Eight Soon after his election he wrote these ensuing Letters the one to King Iames the other to Prince Charls Serenissimo IACOBO Magnae Britanniae Regi Illustri URBANUS P. â— VIII SErenissime Rex salutem lumen Divinae gratiae Scotiae regnum quod inclytos terris Reges sanctissimosque coelo cives peperit cum ad Cardinalatus nostri patrocinium pertinuerit laetitiae simul ac moeroris uberem nobis materiam afferebat Exultabamus gaudio cogitantes in ea Regione quam Romanorum arma expugnare omnino non potuerunt Romanae Ecclesiae fidem feliciter triumphasse Scotumque Regem nullum hactenus extitisse qui Pontificiae authoritatis hostis obierit At enim vertebatur in luctum cythara nostra cum ad praesentium temporum miserias oculos lachrymis manantes converteremus Videmini enim laborante discordiarum patre obliti esse eum qui nutrivit vos contristati nutricem vestram Hierusalem Quare Apostolica sedes quae populos istos jampridem Christo genuit moerore conficitur dum tam praeclaâ—am haereditatem verti videt ad extraneos damnique sui magnitudinem Britannorum Regum laudibus istarumque Provinciarum gloria metitur Id vero praeter caetera dolendum orbi Christiano videtur Jacobum regem Catholicorum regum prolem sanctissimae Parentis filium à Pontifice Maximo atque à Majoribus suis in Religionis cultu dissentire Si enim sublime istud ingenium quod literarum studiis prudentiae artibus Rex celeberrimus excoluisti affulgenti Patri luminum assentiretur facilè conjicit Christiana Respublica quanto publicae concordiae bono factum esset ut Nationes istas Insulasque aut montium claustris aut Oceani gurgitibus dissitas Scoticus rex imperio conjungeres Videtur enim Majestas tua ob eam rem facta esse tot Provinciarum domina ut ab eo cui parent facilius celeriusque Regna ista medelam ac salutem acciperent Quare assiduis precibus jam tum eum venerabamur qui dat salutem Regibus ut to Divinae clementiae beneficia quibus in conspectu Potentium admirabilis es ad Britanniae incolumitatem Ecclesiae gaudium conferret Affulsit autem nobis non ita pridem beata spes oriens ex alto cum te Austriacae affinitatis cupidum cognovimus ex Catholica matre progigni exoptantem eos qui tuam haereditatem adire populosque istos ditione tenere debent
that your so vehement desire of a Catholick marriage is a certain voice of God calling you and disposing all things sweetly For it is not necessary that the Omnipotent should always thunder with the voice of his greatness because secret counsels themselves directing men into the way of Salvation are words by which the Eternal Wisdom speaks and declares the command of a Deity Wherefore we have ever endeavored to the utmost of our power that this Honorable Marriage by the blessing of God might be finished From hence you may perceive that none could have been advanced to this heighth of humane Affairs from whom you may expect more expressions of good will or fruits of bounty For your Ancestors which tamed Heretical Impieties and not onely revered but vindicated the Roman Hierarchy do recommend you a most Noble Prince to the Papal Charity For when Monsters of new Opinions broke into the Bulwarks of the Northern Ocean they bridled the endeavors of the wicked with wholesome arms and did not change the truth of God into a lye And if you as you write shall in good earnest glory more in the imitation of your Ancestors then that you are descended of Kings we easily foresee how great joy to the Church of Rome and how great felicity to the British Kingdoms these words do promise which deserve to be written in the Book of Life Such good turns O most desired Son the venerable Assembly of the Scotish Kings exacts and expects from you whose actions without doubt he condemns who revolts from their Religion The Catholick Kings of all Europe require this of you for how can their Concord be the Vow of your care as long as you dissent from them in a matter of the greatest importance that is in the veneration of holy Rites The Roman Church which England reverenced long ago as the Mistress of Truth whose belief you confess you hate not desires forthwith to open unto you the Gates of the Heavenly Kingdom and to bring you back into the possession of your Ancestors Think that now in Spain you are become a spectacle to God and Men and that you shall always be the desire and care of our Reign Take heed most Noble Prince that the Counsels of those who prefer worldly interests before heavenly do not obdure your heart Make glad the Host of Heaven which will fight in your Camps and return O most wished for Son into the embraces of the Church which desires you with the applause and favor of Men and Angels that so rejoycing in your Marriage we may sing with joy The Lord hath reigned and put on comeliness Certainly you who desire the Marriage of a Catholick Virgin ought to espouse the heavenly Bride with whose beauty Solomon the wisest of Kings boasts himself to have been enamored For this is the Wisdom by which Kings reign whose Dowry is the splendor of Glory and an eternal Principality and your Ancestors sought her in the Sanctuary of the Roman Church severed from the contagion of the World and reposing in the Wisdom of God We who write to you this Exhortation and testifie our Papal Charity desire to have your name renowned in the Histories of all Ages and that you may be recorded amongst those Princes who deserving well on Earth of the Kingdom of Heaven are become the example of Vertue to posterity and the measure of wishes We beseech the Father of Lights that this blessed hope by which he promiseth us the return of so great a Prince by the conduct of the Holy Ghost may forthwith fructifie and bring Salvation to Great Britain and joy to all the Christian World Dated at Rome at St. Peters sub annulo Piscatoris die 15 Octob. 1623. in the First year of our Reign Notwithstanding this great business of State began to look with an ill aspect by the concurrence of various Passages tending to a Rupture of the Treaty In England the Spanish Ambassadors demands grew high and peremptory yet the King to give them content directed the Lord Keeper and other Commissioners to draw up a Pardon of all Offences past with a Dispensation for those to come to be granted to all Roman Catholicks obnoxious to any Laws against Recusants and then to issue forth two General Commands under the Great Seal of England The one to all Judges and Justices of Peace and the other to all Bishops Chancellors and Commissaries not to execute any Statute against them The General Pardon was passed in as full and ample manner as themselves could desire or pen it But to that vast Prohibition to the Judges and Bishops some stop was made by the Advice of the Lord Keeper for these Reasons First Because the publishing of this General Indulgence at one push might beget a General Discontent if not a Mutiny but the instilling thereof into the peoples knowledge by little and little by the favors done to particular Catholicks might indeed loosen the Tongues of a few particular persons who might hear of their Neighbors Pardon and having vented their dislikes would afterwards cool again and so his Majesty might with more conveniency by degrees inlarge his favors Secondly Because to forbid the Judges against their Oaths and the Justices of Peace who are likewise sworn to execute the Law of the Land is a thing unpresidented in this Kingdom and would be a harsh and bitter Pill to be digested without some preparative The two Ambassadors with much ado consented That the matter should rest till the end of Six Moneths or the Infanta's arival yet they did it with a shew of discontent as if the King performed nothing The disaffection of these Ministers was supposed to be one rub in the way of this Alliance And on the other side some of the Princes followers in Spain being zealous of the Protestant Religion disliked the Match and shewed their aversness to it Sir Edmund Verney struck an English man a Sorbon Doctor a blow under the Ear for visiting and laboring to pervert one of the Princes Pages who was sick of a mortal Feaver Divers derided the Popish Ceremonies and Spanish Garb and slighted the Country and some committed irreverent actions in the Kings own Chappel Hereupon they began to disgust the English and to rail at Gondomar for informing the King and State That the Prince might be made a Catholick Moreover those many Irish that subsisted by Pensions from the Crown of Spain did no good offices and the French and Venetian Ambassadors in that Court were conceived not to be idle But there were greater things then these The Duke of Buckingham the Princes Companion and Guardian was much disrelished by the Court of Spain His French garb the height of his spirit and his over-great familiarity with the Prince were things opposite to the way and temper of that grave sober and wary people And the Council of Spain took exceptions that he should come with such a superintendent power in that great
and since the malice of deceitful men hath crost those fair ways abusing his Majesties trust goodness he must cast about and sail by another point of the Compass whereby he might securely and easily attain to his noble and pious ends The means whereunto were these First that his Enemies know the Lyon hath teeth claws Next that he imbrace and invite a strict association and friendship with those whom neighborhood alliance and common Interest of State and Religion had joined to him Feb. 19. the Parliament began at Westminster The King being set in the Throne spake thus I Have assembled you at this time to impart to you a secret and matter of great importance as can bâ— to my State and the State of my Children wherein I crave your best and safest advice and counsel according as the Writ whereby you were assembled imports That the King would advise with you in matters concerning his Estate and Dignity And as I have ever endeavored by this the like ways to procure and cherish the love of my people towards me so do I hope and my hope is exceeded by faith for I fully now believe that never any King was more beloved of his people whom as you my Lords and Gentlemen do here represent so would I have you truly â—o represent their loves all to me that in you as in a true Mirror or glass I may perfectly behold it and not as in a False glass that represents it not at all or otherwise then it is indeed Give me your free and faithful counsels in the matter I propose of which you have often heard the Match of my Son wherein as you may know I have spent much time with great cost in long Treaties desiring always therein and not without reason hoping to have effected my desires the advancement of my State and Children and the general Peace of Christendom wherein I have always constantly labored depending upon fair hopes and promises At the earnest instance of my Son I was contented although it was of an extraordinary nature to send him to prosecute his desires in Spain and for his more safety sent Buckingham in whom I ever reposed most trust of my person with him with this command continually to be present with him and never to leave him till he returned again fafely unto me Which he perform'd though not with that effect in the busines that I expected yet not altogether without profit For it taught me this point of wisdom Qui versatur in generalibus is easily deceived and that Generality brings nothing to good issue but that before any matter can be fully finished it must be brought to particulars For when as I thought the affair had been before their going produced to a narrow point relying upon their general propositions I found when they came there the matter proved to be so raw as if it had never been treated of the generals giving them easie way to evade and affording them means to avoid the effecting of any thing The particulars that passed in the Treaty I mean not now to discover to you the time being too short I refer you to Charls Buckingham and the Secretaries Reports who shall relate unto you all the particulars And after that super totam materiam I desire your best assistance to advise me what is best and fittest for me to do for the good of the Commonwealth and the advancement of Religion and the good of my Son and my Grandchildren of the Palatine And of our estate I know you cannot but be sensible considering that your welfare consists in ours and you shall be sure to have your share in what misery shall befall us And therefore I need to urge no other Argument to you in this behalf in offering me your wisest and surest Counsel and Furtherance And I assure you in the faith of a Christian King that it is res integra presented unto you and that I stand not bound nor either way engaged but remain free to follow what shall be best advised To plant is not sufficient unless like good Gardiners you pluck up the weeds that will choak your labors And the greatest weeds among you are Jealousies root them out For my Actions I dare avow them before God but Jealousies are of a strange depth I am the Husband and you the Wife and it is subject to the Wife to be jealous of her Husband Let this be far from you I can truly say and will avouch it before the seat of God and Angels that never King governed with a purer sincerer and more uncorruâ—â— heart then I have done far from all will and meaning of the least error or imperfection in my Reign It hath been talked of my remisness in maintenance of Religion and suspition of a Toleration But as God shall judge me I never thought nor meant nor ever in word expressed any thing that savored of it It is true that at times for reasons best known to my self I did not so fully put those Laws in execution but did wink and connive at some things which might have hindred more weighty affairs But I never in all my Treaties ever agreed to any thing to the overthrow and disagreeing of those Laws but had in all a chief preservation of that Truth which I have ever professed And as in that respect I have a charitable conceit of you I would have you have the like of me also In which I did not transgress For it is a good Horse-mans part not always to use his spurs and keep strait the rein but sometimes to use the spurs and suffer the reins more remiss so it is the part of a wise King and my age and experience in Government hath informed me sometimes to quicken the Laws with strait executions and at other times upon just occasion to be more remiss And I would also remove from your thoughts all jealousies that I might or ever did question or infringe any of your lawful Liberties or Priviledges but I protest before God I ever intended you should enjoy the fulness of all those that former Times give good warrant and testimony of which if need be I will enlarge and amplifie Therefore I would have you as I have in this place heretofore told you as S. Paul did Timothy avoid Genealogies and curious Questions and nice Querks and Jerks of Law and idle Innovations And if you minister me no just occasion I never yet was nor never shall be curious or captious to quarrel with you But I desire you to avoid all doubts and hinderances and to compose your selves speedily and quietly to this weighty affair I have proposed for that I have found already delayes have proved dangerous and have bred distraction of this business and I would not have you by other occasions to neglect or protract it God is my Judge I speak it as a Christian King Never any waifaring man that was in the Desarts of Arabia and in
I deserved better at their hands After this the King purposing to signifie to the King of Spain That his Parliament had advised him to break off the Treaties and to recover the Palatinate by War The notice of a sharp Petition against Popish Recusants framed by the House of Commons and sent up to the Lords for their Concurrence did a little stagger his Resolution as appeareth by the following Letter written with his own hand to Secretary Conway I Doubt not but you have heard what a stinging Petition against the Papists the Lower House have sent to the Higher House this day that they might joyntly present it unto me Ye know my firm resolution not to make this a War of Religion and seeing I would be loth to be Coney-catched by my people I pray you stay the Post that is going to Spain till I meet with my Son who will be here to morrow morning Do it upon pretext of some more Letters ye are to send by him and if he should be gone hasten after him to stay him upon some such pretext and let none living know of this as you love me And before two in the afternoon to morrow you shall without fail hear from me Farewell James R. The Petition which the King called a stinging one was intended to be presented to his Majesty from both Houses in form as followeth May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesties most humble and Loyal Subjects the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled having to our singular Comfort received your Princely Resolution upon our humble Petition to dissolve the two Treaties of the Match and of the Palatinate and having on our parts with all alacrity and readiness humbly offered our assistance to your Majesty to maintain the War which may ensue thereupon Yet withal sensibly finding what Seditious and Traiterous Positions those Incendiaries of Rome and professed Engines of Spain the Priests and Iesuites infuse into your natural born Subjects what numbers they have seduced and do daily seduce to make their dependance on the Pope of Rome and King of Spain contrary to their Allegiance to your Majesty their Liege Lord What daily resort of Priests and Iesuites into your Kingdoms what Concourse of Popish Recusants much more then usual is now in and about the City of London what boldness yea what insolency they have discovered out of the opinion conceived of their foreign Patronage what publick resort to Masses and other Exercises of the Popish Religion in the houses of foreign Ambassadors there is daily to the great grief and offence of your good Subjects what great preparations are made in Spain sit for an Invasion the bent whereof is as probable to be upon some part of your Majesties Dominions as upon any other place what encouragement that may be to your Enemies and the Enemies of your Crown to have a party or but the opinion of a party within your Kingdoms who do daily increase and combine themselves together for that purpose what disheartening of your good and loving Subjects when they shall see more cause of fear from their false-hearted Countreymen at home then from their professed Adversaries abroad what apparent dangers by Gods providence and your Majesties wisdom and goodness they have very lately escaped which the longer continuance upon those Treaties upon such unfitting Conditions fomented by your own ill-affected Subjects would surely have drawn upon your Majesty and your State Do in all humbleness offer unto your sacred Majesty these their humble Petitions following I. That all Iesuites and Seminary Priests and all others having taken Orders by any Authority derived from the Sea of Rome may by your Maiesties Proclamation be commanded forthwith to depart out of this Realm and all other your Highness ' s. Dominions and neither they nor any other to return or come hither again upon peril of the severest penalty of the Laws now in force against them and that all your Majesties Subjects may hereby also be admonished not to receive entertain comfort or conceal any of that viperous brood upon penalties and forfeitures which by the Lawes may be imposed upon them II. That your Majesty would be pleased to give streight and speedy charge to the Iustices of Peace in all parts of this Kingdom that according to the Laws in that behalf made and the Orders taken by your Majesties Privy-Councel heretofore for policy of State they do take from all Popish Recusants legally convicted or justly suspected all such Armor Gunpowder and Munition of any kinde as any of them have either in their own hands or in the hands of any other for them and to see the same safely kept and disposed according to the Law leaving for the necessary defence of their house and persons so much as by the Law is prescribed III. That your Majesty will please to command all Popish Recusants and all other who by any Law or Statute are prohibited to come to the Kings Court forthwith under pain of your heavy displeasure and severe Execution of your Laws against them to retire themselves their wives and families from or about London to their several dwellings or places by your Laws appointed and there to remain confined within five miles of their dwelling places according to the Lawes of this your Realm And for that purpose to discharge all By-past Licences granted unto them for their repair hither And that they presume not any time hereafter to repair to London or within ten miles of London or to the Kings Court or to the Princes Court wheresoever IV. That your Majesty would forbid and restrain the great resort and concourse of your own Subjects for the hearing of Masse or other Exercises of the Romish Religion to the houses of foreign Ambassadors or Agents residing here for the service of their several Princes or States V. That where of late in several Counties in this Realm some have been trusted in the places of Lord-Lieutenants Deputy-Lieutenants Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer Iustices of Peace and Captains of their Countries which are either Popish Recusants or Non-Communicants by the space of a year now last past or which do not usually resort to the Church to Divine service and can bring no good Certificate thereof that your Majesty would be pleased to discharge them from these places of trust by which they have that power in the Countrey where they live as is not fit to be put into the hands of persons so affected VI. That your Majesty would be pleased generally to put the Lawes in due Execution which are made and stand in force against Popish Recusants And that all your Iudges Iustices and Ministers of Iustice to whose care these things are committed may by your Maiesties Proclamation be commanded to do their duty therein VII That seeing we are thus happily delivered from that danger which these Treaties now dissolved and that use which your ill-affected Subiects made thereof would certainly have
against the Countrey or Dominion which of right appertain and are in truth the just and lawful possession of the King of Spain or the Lady Infanta Isabella And in case any such Hostility shall be acted contrary to this his Majesties intention all such Commissions which shall be granted to that purpose by the said Count Mansfield his Majesty doth declare to be void and that all payments shall cease That on the contrary if Obedience be given hereunto the King wisheth the Count all good success for the recovery of the Palatinate and reestablishment of the Peace in Germany against the Duke of Bavaria and those that are the troublers of the Peace And for the performance hereof the King caused Count Mansfield to take an Oath That he would conform according to the Contents of the said Commission and Declaration of his Majesty which Oath was almost in Terminis of what is before expressed This Army consisting of Twelve Regiments was intended to Land in France but being ready for Transport the French notwithstanding their Promise and the Treaty of Marriage demurred yet not plainly denied their passage Nevertheless the whole Army was shipped and put over to Calice and after a tedious stay in hope yet to land and pass through the Countrey they were forced to set sail for Zealand Neither were they suffered to land there coming so unexpectedly upon the States and in a hard Season for Provision of Victuals Thus they were long pent up in the Ships and suffered the want of all Necessaries by which means a Pestilence came among them and raged extreamly so that they were thrown into the Sea by Multitudes insomuch that scarce a Third part of the men were landed the which also afterward mouldred away and the Design came to nothing The Papist formerly danted by the Breach of the Spanish Match was now again revived by the Marriage-Treaty with France And at this time upon the Death of William Titular Bishop of Calcedon most of the English Secular Priests did Petition the Pope that another Bishop might be sent over into England there to Ordain Priests give Confirmation and exercise Episcopal Jurisdiction Among others Matthew Kellison and Richard Smith were presented And though the Regulars were opposite to the Seculars in this matter yet those of the Order of St. Benedict joyned with the Seculars and Rudesin Barlo President of the English Benedictines at Doway wrote a Letter in their behalf to the Congregation at Rome named of the Propagation of the Faith Dated the Twelfth of December One thousand six hundred twenty and four In which Letter was this passage That there were above Sixty Benedictine Monks in England and that it is not to be doubted said he For that it is already seen the good success under the First Bishop That another Bishop being Constituted there would be more joyful fruits within one two years in the English Mission then hitherto hath been for Sixty years now elapsed But not long after the Episcopal party prevailing Pope Urban the Eight created Richard Smith Bishop of Calcedon and sent him into England with Episcopal Authority over the Priests within the English Dominions King Iames after he had been troubled with a Tertian Fevor four Weeks finding himself near the end of his days called unto him Charles Prince of Wales his onely Son to whom he recommended the Protection of the Church of England advised him to love his Wife but not her Religion and exhorted him to take special care of his Grand-Children the Children of the Elector Palatine by his Daughter and to employ the power he left him to reestablish them in the Estate and Dignities of their Father And lastly he recommended to him his Officers who had faithfully served him and on the Seven and twentieth of March gave up the ghost And shortly after Bishop Laud delivered to the hands of the Duke of Buckingham brief Annotations or Memorables of the Life and Death of King Iames viz. I. HE was a King almost from his Birth II. His great Clemency that he should Reign so long and so moderately that knew nothing else but to Reign III. The difficult times in Scotland during his Minority as much perplexed with Church as State Factions IV. His admirable Patience in those yonger times and his Wisdom to go by those many and great difficulties till God opened him the ways to his just Inheritance of this Crown V. His peaceable Entry into this Kingdom contrary to the fears at home and the hopes abroad not without Gods great blessing both on him and us VI. His Ability as strong in Grace as Nature to forgive some Occurrences VII The continuance of full Two and twenty years reign all in Peace without War from Foreign Enemy or Rebellion at home VIII The infinite advantage which people of all sorts might have brought to themselves and the enriching of the State if they would have used such a Government with answerable care and not made the worst use of peace IX Gods great mercy over him in many deliverances from private Conspirators and above the rest that which would have blown up his Posterity and the State by Gun-powder X. That in all this time of his Reign of England he took away the life of no one Nobleman but restored many XI That the sweetness of his nature was scarce to be paralleld by any other XII It is little less then a Miracle that so much sweetness should be found in so great a heart as besides other things sickness and death it self shewed to be in him XIII Clemency Mercy Justice and holding the State in Peace have ever been accounted the great Vertues of Kings and they were all eminent in him XIV He was not onely a preserver of Peace at home but the great Peace-maker abroad to settle Christendom against the common enemy the Turk which might have been a glorious work if others had been as true to him as he was to the common good XV. He was in private to his Servants the best Master that ever was and the most free XVI He was the justest Man that could sit between parties and as patient to hear XVII He was bountiful to the highest pitch of a King XVIII He was the greatest Patron to the Church which hath been in many Ages XIX The most Learned Prince that his Kingdom hath ever known for matters of Religion XX. His integrity and soundness in Religion to write and speak believe and do live and die one and the same and all Orthodox XXI His tender love to the King his Son our most gratious Soveraign that now is and his constant Reverence in performance of all duties to his Father the greatest Blessing and greatest Example of this and many Ages XXII The Education of his Majesty whom we now enjoy and I hope and pray we may long and in happiness enjoy to be an able King as Christendom hath any the very first day of his Reign the benefit whereof is
Universal World Solomon was a Writer in Prose and Verse 1 Kings 4.32 So in a very pure and exquisite manner was our sweet Soveraign King Iames. Solomon was the greatest Patron we ever read of to Church and Churchmen and yet no greater let the House of Aaron now confess then King Iames. Solomon was honored with Ambassadors from all the Kings of the Earth 1 Kings 4. ult And so you know was King Iames. Solomon was a main improver of his home Commodities as you may see in his trading with Hiram 1 Kings 5.9 And God knows it was the daily study of King Iames. Solomon was a great maintainer of Shipping and Navigation 1 King 10.14 A most proper Attribute to King Iames. Solomon beautified very much his Capital City with Buildings and Water-works 1 Kings 9.15 So did King Iames. Every man lived in peace under his Vine and his Fig-Tree in the days of Solomon 1 Kings 4.25 And so they did in the blessed days of King Iames. And yet towards his end King Solomon had secret enemies Razan Hadad and Ieroboam and prepared for a War upon his going to his Grave as you may see in the Verse before my Text. So had and so did King Iames. Lastly Before any Hostile Act we read of in the History King Solomon died in peace when he had lived about Sixty years as Lyra and Tostatus are of opinion and so you know did King Iames. And as for his words and eloquence you know it well enough it was rare and excellent in the highest degree Solomon speaking of his own faculty in this kinde divides it into two several heads a ready Invention and an easie Discharge and Expression of the same God hath granted me to speak as I would and to conceive as is meet for the things spoken of Wisd. 7.15 And this was eminent in our late Soveraign His Invention was as quick as his first Thoughts and his Words as ready as his Invention God had given him to conceive the Greek word in that place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to make an Enthymem or a short Syllogism and that was his manner He would first winde up the whole substance of his discourse into one solid and massie Conception and then spred it and dilate it to what compass he pleased Prosluenti quae Principem deceret eloquentia as Tacitus said of Augustus in a flowing and a Princely kinde of Elocution Those Speeches of his in the Parliament Star-Chamber Council Table and other Publick Audiences of the State of which as of Tullies Orations Ea semper optima quae maxima the longest still was held the best do prove him to be the most powerful Speaker that ever swayed the Scepter of this Kingdom In his Stile you may observe the Ecclesiastes in his Figures the Canticles in his Sentences the Proverbs and in his whole Discourse Reliquum verborum Solomonis all the rest that was admirable in the Eloquence of Solomon How powerfully did he charge the Prince with the care of Religion and Justice the two Pillars as he termed them of his future Throne How did he recommend unto his love the Nobility the Clergy and the Communalty in the general How did he thrust as it were into his inward bosom his Bishops his Judges his near Servants and that Disciple of his whom he so loved in particular and concluded with that Heavenly Advice to his Son concerning that great act of his future Marriage To marry like himself and marry where he would But if he did marry the Daughter of that King he should marry her Person but he should not marry her Religion Having in our Collections met with the Transcript of a Letter from King Iames to Pope Clement dated Anno 1599. We have thought fit though it be not placed in order of time to conclude his Reign with it and with the Instructions given to Mr. Drummond who was sent with the same to Rome Iacobus Rex Clementi Papae BEatissime Pater cum variis ad nos perlatum fuisset rumoribus quà m diligenter nostrae sortis aemuli saepius egissent ut authoritatis vestrae acies in nos distringeretur quaque constantia id pro vestra prudentia hactenus fuerit recusatum Committere noluimus quin accepti memores beneficii gratias ageremus opportunam nacti occasionem cum lator praesentium natione nostras vester ascriptitius in fines ditionis vestrae reverteretur quem pro sua indole vestris ornatum beneficiis vestrae Sanctitati Commendamus ut eum in iis quae nostro nomine habet impartienda audire placide non dedignetur Et quia adversus malevolorum calumnias qui nostras in Catholicos injurias commemorando nobis invidiam ipsis gratiam conciliant nullum tutius remedium agnoâ—cimus quà m ut è nostratibus aliqui veritatis studiosi quanâ—umvis à Religione quam nos à prima hausimus Infantia abhorrentes honestam in curia Romana demorandi occasionem semper haberent ex quibus vestra Sanctitas certo possit in quo statu res nostrae sint ediscere hoc nomine Episcopum Vazionensem vobis commendamus qui ut sortis suae qualecunque incrementum vestrae Sanctitati duntaxat refert acceptum ita Cardinalatus honorem prioribus beneficiis nostra praesertim gratia adjici obnixe rogamus Sic Inimicorum cessabunt Calumniae praesentibus qui rerum gestarum veritatem possint adstruere Nec actionum nostrarum ullam aequos rerum aestimatores cupimus latere qui in ea Religionis quam profitemur puritate enutriti sic semper statuimus nihil melius tutiusque quam citra fucum in iis promovendis quae Divini Numinis gloriam serio spectant pie contendere remotis invidiae stimulis non tam quid Religionis inane nomen quam verae pietatis Sacrosancta tessera requirat charitatis semper adhibito fomento diligenter considerare Sed quia de his copiosius cum latore praesentium viro non inerudito in rebus nostris mediocriter versato disseruimus longioris Epistolae taedio censuimus abstinendum Beatudinis vestrae obsequentissimus Filius I. R. E Sancta Cruce 24 Sept. 1599. King James Letter to Pope Clement MOst Holy Father having understood by several Reports how diligent the Rivals of our Condition have been that the Sword of your Authority should be unsheathed against us and with what constancy your Prudence hath hitherto refused it we could do no less then return thanks for such a good turn received especially upon so fair an occasion when the Bearer of these a Scotchman by Nation but a Roman by Adoption was returning unto your Dominions we recommend him to your Holiness to whom for his good parts you have already been beneficial that you would attentively hear him in those things which he shall deliver in our Name And because we know there is no better remedy against the Calumnies of ill Willers who by commemorating our injuries
Schedule wherein the names of Ecclesiastical persons were written under the letters O and P O standing for Orthodox and P for Puritans for the Duke commanded that he should thus digest the names of eminent persons to be presented unto the King under that Partition King Charles in the entrance of his Reign proceeds with preparations for a War begun in his fathers time the Militia of the Kingdom through the long continued Peace was much decayed and the Musters of the Trained-bands were slight and seldom taken and few of the Commons were expert in the use of Arms wherefore the Lords Lieutenants were commanded by order of the Council to make a general Muster of the Trained Horse and Foot in their several Counties and to see to the sufficiency of the Men Horse and Arms and that all be compleat according to the best modern form and be in readiness for all occasions and especially now the affairs of Christendom stand upon such uncertain Terms and more particularly that the Maritine Towns be well manned and their men duely exercised and the King declared his will and pleasure that the Lord Lieutenants of the several Shires should have the nomination of their Deputy Lieutenants In the beginning of May Warrants were issued forth for a Leavy of Souldiers to be imployed in the service of his Majesties Brother and Sister the Prince and Princess Palatine whereof eight thousand were pointed to Rendezvous at Plymouth by the five and twenty of this Moneth and the charge of Coat and Conduct was ordered to be disbursed by the Country and the Country to be repaid out of the Kings Exchequer after the President of former times in like manner two thousand men were appointed to Rendezvous at the Port of Hull to be transported into the Netherlands for the service of the United-Provinces and two thousand were to be returned thence into England for his Majesties present service the mingling of a good proportion of old Souldiers and Officers with the new raised Companies was the ground of this exchange The remembrance of the late violence committed by Count Mansfield's Army in their passage to Dover occasioned a Proclamation to repress and prevent the like attempts of Soldiers as they now passed through the Counties to the places of their Rendezvous threatning the Offendors with the strictest proceedings against them for an Example of Terror and straitly commanding the Officers who have the charge of the Conduct for the removing of all occasions and pretences of disorders to see their Companies duely paid and provided of all necessaries and to be alwayes present with them and carefully to conduct them from place to place in like manner to prevent their Outrages when they should come to Plymouth or the parts adjoyning a Commission was sent impowering persons of trust upon any robbery fellony mutiny or other misdemeanors punishable with death by Martial Law committed by the Souldiers or other dissolute persons joyned with them to proceed to the trial and condemnation of all such Delinquents in such Summary course and order as is used in Armies in time of War according to the Law Martial and to cause Execution to be done in open view that others may take warning and be kept in due obedience The consummation of King Charles his Marriage with Henrietta Maria Daughter of France was near at hand The Treaty had proceeded far in his Fathers life time but was not in all points concluded the Articles were signed the year before by King Iames on the eleventh of May and by the French King on the Fourteenth of August On the Thirteenth of March this present year the Earls of Carlisle and Holland being then Ambassadors and Commissioners in France for this Marriage King Charls signed the Articles Besides the general there were other private Articles agreed upon in favor of the Papists of this Kingdom That the Catholicks as well Ecclesiasticks as Temporal imprisoned since the last Proclamation which followed the Breach with Spain should all be set at liberty That the English Catholicks should be no more searched after nor molested for their Religion That the Goods of the Catholicks as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal that were seised on since the forementioned Proclamation should be restored to them And on the Tenth of May as the first fruits of this promised Indulgence and favor the King granted unto Twenty Roman Priests a special Pardon of all Offences committed against the Laws then in force against Papists The Dispensation being come from Rome about the beginning of May the Espousals were made in Paris by Cardinal Richelieu The Ambassadors having first presented to the King the Contract of Marriage which was read openly by the Chancellor and his Majesty of France agreed thereunto The Duke of Chevereux likewise shewed his Procuration of power which the King of England had given him concerning the said Marriage The Archbishop of Paris pretended that it belonged to him to perform this Solemnity but the Cardinal carried it as well for the eminencie of his Dignity as for that he was chief Almoner and prime Curate of the Court. Sunday following the day appointed for these Nuptials the Bride went from the Louure about Nine in the morning to be dressed in the Archbishops house and afterwards the King Queen and Princesses and all the Court in rich Attire parted likewise from the Louure and came to the said house of the Archbishop and thence conducted the Bride to a Theatre exected on purpose before the Frontispiece of Nostre-Dame The Duke of Chevereux had Black habit lined with Cloth of Gold and beset with Diamonds The Earls of Carlisle and Holland Ambassadors were both clad in Beaten-Silver and went on each side of the Duke of Chevereux A Canopy being placed upon the Scaffold the King of France and Monsieur his Brother consigned the Queen of Great Britain their Sister into the hands of the Duke of Chevereux and the Marriage was solemnized according to the ordinary Ceremonies of that Church Which being performed they went in the same order and solemnity to Nostre-Dame the Duke of Chevereux going before the King When they came to the door of the Quire they made great Reverence to the King and Queen and then the Ambassadors retired into the Bishops house while Mass was said in the Church The Mass being ended the Duke of Chevereux and the Ambassadors came again to the door of the Quire to take their places and the same Order was observed in returning as in going And so they came from the Church into the Hall of the Archbishops house where the Feast Royal was made in as great magnificence as can be expressed The King sate under a Canopy at the middle of the Table and the Queen of Great Britain at his left hand and the Queen-Mother at his right the Duke of Chevereux sate next the Queen of England and the Earls of Carlisle and Holland next to the Duke To the intent that all
their Lordships as followeth YOur Lordships may have observed how in handling the former Articles I have in my Discourse used the method of time which I hold to be best for the discovery of the truth I shall therefore by your Lordships patience whereof now I have had some good experience use the like order in my enlargment upon these later Articles touching which that which I have to say is thus In or about the Two and twentieth year of the reign of our late dear Soveraign Lord King Iames of famous memory there being then a Treaty between our said late Soveraign and the French King for a Marriage to be had between our then most Noble Prince now our most gratious King and the French Kings Sister our now Queen and for entring into an Active War against the King of Spain and his Allies in Italy and the Valtoline Our said late Soveraign passed some promise to the French Kings Ambassador here the Marquess D' Effiat for procuring or lending some Ships to be employed by the French in that Service upon reasonable conditions but without thought or intent that they should be employed against the Rochellers or any others of our Religion in France For it was pretended by the French Kings Ministers to our King That the said Ships should be employed particularly against Genoa and not otherwise But afterwards some matter of Suspition breaking forth from those of our Religion in France that the Design for Italy was but a pretence to make the Body of an Army fall upon the Rochellers or other of our Religion in that Kingdom the King grew so cautious in his Conditions that as he would perform his promise to lend his Ships so to preserve those of our Religion he contracted or gave directions that the greater part of the Men in the same Ships should be English whereby the power of them should be ever in his hands And the Duke of Buckingham then and yet Lord Great Admiral of England well knowing all this to be true pretended he was and would be very careful and proceed with art to keep the said Ships in the hands of our King and upon our own Coasts and yet nevertheless under hand he unduly intended practised and endeavored the contrary For afterwards by his direction or procurement in or about the Two and twentieth year aforesaid a Ship of his Majesties called the Vantguard being of his Majesties Royal Navy was allotted and appointed to be made ready for the service of the French King and seven other Merchants Ships of great burthen and strength belonging to several persons Natural Subjects of our said late Soveraign Lord were by the Dukes direction impressed as for the service of his said late Majesty and willed to make themselves ready accordingly The Names and Tunage of the said Seven Merchants Ships were as followeth 1. The Great Neptune whereof Sir Ferdinando Gorge was Captain 2. The Industry of the burthen of Four hundred and fifty Tuns whereof Iames Moyer was Captain 3. The Pearl of Five and forty Tuns Anthony Tench was Captain 4. The Marigold of Three hundred Tuns Thomas Davies Captain 5. The Loyalty of Three hundred Tuns Iasper Dare Captain 6. The Peter and Iohn of Three hundred and fifty Tuns Iohn Davies Captain 7. The Gift of God of Three hundred Tuns Henry Lewen Captain Also about the same time a Contract was made by and between Sir Iohn Cooke and other the Commissioners of his Majesties Navy as on behalf of his Majesty for his said Ship the Vantguard and on behalf of the Captains Masters and Owners of the said Seven Merchants Ships but without their privity or direction for the service of the French King upon conditions to be safe and reasonable for our King this Realm and State as also for the said Captains Masters and Owners of the said seven Merchants Ships and for the Companies For Sir Iohn Cooke drew the Instructions for the Direction of the said Contract which Instructions passed and were allowed by the King and such of the Council as were made acquainted therewith and used in this business In which Instructions as Sir Iohn Cooke hath since alleaged in the House of Commons there was care taken for provision to be made that the said Ship of his Majesty called Vantguard should not serve against the City or Inhabitants of Rochel or those of the Religion in France nor take into her more men of the French then she could from time to time be well able to command and master But whether the Instructions for the Merchants Ships and the Kings said Ship were all one is not yet cleared unto the Commons howbeit it appeareth not but that the intent of our King and State was to be a like careful for both Nevertheless a Form of Articles dated the Five and twentieth day of March in the Three and twentieth year of his said late Majesties raign was prepared ingrossed and made ready to be sealed without the knowledge of the Captains Masters and Owners of the said Merchants Ships between the said Marquess D' Effiat the Ambassador on the one part and the several Owners of the said Merchants Ships respectively on the other part viz. A several Writing or Instrument for every of the said Ships respectively whereby amongst other things as by the same appeareth it was covenanted and agreed by and on the part and behalf of the owners to and with the said Marquess D' Effiat to this effect namely 1. That their said Ships respectively with a certain number of men for every of them limitted with Ordnance Munition and other necessaries should be ready for the French Kings service the Thirteenth of April then next following 2. That they should go on in that Service under a French General to be as Captain in every of the said Merchants Ships respectively of the appointment of the French King or his Ambassador 3. That they should serve the French King against any whomsoever but the King of Great Britain 4. That they should take in as many Soldiers into their said several Ships as they could stow or carry besides their Victual and Apparel 5. That they should continue six moneths or longer in the Service so that the whole time did not exceed eighteen moneths 6. That they should permit the French to have the absolute Command of their Ships for Fights and Voyages And it was amongst the said Articles besides other things Covenanted and agreed by the said Marquess D' Effiat as for and on the behalf of the French King to this effectly namely I. That there should be paid to every owner a moneths freight in hand after the rate agreed on and freight for two moneths more after the same rate within Fifteen days after the date of the Articles the computation of the moneths to begin from the 28 of March II. And that the Ships should be ready in a certain form prescribed at the end of the Service When all things were in a
then to believe That the said ships were never meant or any way in danger to be imployed against the Rochellors or those of our Religion in France and herein he did great injury and disservice to his Majesty to the great scandal and prejudice of our Religion and Affairs and highly abused both the Lords and Commons by this cautelous and subtile Speech and Insinuation and thereby gave both Houses occasion to forbear Petitioning or suing to his Majesty for Redress in this Business while the time was not then passed for the ships were not as then actually imployed against the Rochellors albeit in truth they were then delivered into the French Kings power And the same time before the Parliament was dissolved Captain Pennington who could have opened the whole truth of the business for the Service of the King and the Realm came to Oxford but was there drawn to conceal himself by means of the Duke and not to publish in due time his knowledge of the Premisses as was there shortly after reported The truth whereof the Lords in this Parliament may be pleased to examine as they shall see cause the Parliament at Oxford being shortly after viz. Aug. 12. unhappily dissolved In or about September 1625. The said ships were actually imployed against the Rochellors and their Friends to their exceeding great prejudice and almost utter ruine It hath been said by some of the French that the Vantguard she mowed them down like grass To the great dishonor of our Nation and the scandal of our Religion and to the disadvantage of the great affairs of this Kingdom and all Christendom Also the Ships themselves were in eminent peril to be utterly lost for lack of sufficient Cautions If they be come home since this Parliament sate down long after the matter was here expounded and taken into examination It may be well presumed that it is by some underhand procuring of the Duke and the secret complying of the French with him to colour out the matter which the Lords may examine as they see cause The one and onely English-man that presumed to stay in one of the Ships and serve against the poor Rochellors of our Religion at his return was slain in charging a Peece of Ordnance not by him well sponged In February last 1625. Monsieur de la Touche having speech with Master Thomas Sherwell a Member of the Commons House of Parliament at Salisbury as he was coming up to the Parliament and Monsieur de la Touche going down into Somerset-shire to Master John Pawlets to Monsieur Sobysa He told Master Sherwell in the hearing also of one Master Iohn Clements of Plymouth who is now in Town the words that the Duke had spoken to him the last Summer touching these Ships and thereupon used these words Ce Duque est un meshant homme Upon this whole Narration of the Fact touching the manner of Delivery of the Ships to the French divers things may be observed wherein the Dukes offences do consist As In betraying a Ship of the Kings Royal Navy unto a Foreign Princes hand without good Warrant for the same The dispossessing the Subjects of this Realm of their Ships and Goods by many artifices and subtilties and in conclusion with high hand and open violence against the good will of the Owners In breaking the duty of Lord Admiral and Guardian of the Ships and Seas of this Kingdom In varying from the original good Instructions and presuming to give others of his own head in matters of State In violating the duty of a sworne Privy-Counsellor to his Majesty In abusing both Houses of Parliament by a cautelous Misinformation under a colour of a Message from his Majesty And in disadvantaging the Affairs of those of our Religion in Foreign parts Offences of an high and grievous nature For the proof of some parts thereof which are not the least I offer to your Lordships consideration the Statute of the 2 3 E. 6. touching the Duke of Somerset wherein is recited That amongst other things he did not suffer the Piers called the Newhaven and Blackerst in the parts beyond the Seas to be furnished with victuals and money whereby the French were encouraged to invade and win the same Aud for this offence amongst others it was Enacted That a great part of his Land should be taken from him And if Non-feazance in a matter tending to lose a fixed Castle belonging to the King be an high offence then the actual putting of a Ship Royal of the Kings into the hand of a Foreign Prince which is a moveable and more useful Castle and Fortress of the Realm must needs be held a greater offence I will forbear to cite any more Presidents of this kind because some of those who have gone before me have touched at divers Presidents of this nature which may be applied to this my part Only because the abuse of the Parliament which is the chiefest Council of State and Court of Judicature in the Realm is not the least offence in this business I shall desire your Lordships to take into consideration the Statute of Westm. 1. cap. 30. whereby such as seem to beguile Courts of Justice are to be sore judged in the same Courts and punished as by that Statute appeareth So he concluded and left the Duke to their Lordships equal Justice The Ninth and Tenth Articles were read next IX Whereas the Titles of Honor of this Kingdom of England were wont to be conferred as great Rewards upon such vertuous and industrious Persons as had merited them by their faithful service The said Duke by his importunate and subtile procurement hath not only perverted that antient and most honorable way but also unduly for his own particular gain he hath enforced some that were rich though unwilling to purchase Honor As the Lord R. Baron of T. who by practice of the said Duke and his Agents was drawn up to London in or about October in the Two and twentieth year of Reign of the late King Iames of famous memory and there so threatened and dealt withall that by reason thereof he yielded to give and accordingly did pay the sum of Ten thousand pounds to the said Duke and to his use For which said sum the said Duke in the moneth of Ianuary in the Two and twentieth year of the said lake King procured the Title of Baron R. of T. to the said Lord R. In which practice as the said Lord R. was much wronged in his particular so the Example thereof tendeth to the prejudice of the Gentry and dishonor of the Nobility of this Kingdom X. Whereas no Places of Judicature in the Courts of Justice of our Soveraign Lord the King nor other like Preferments given by the Kings of this Realm ought to be procured by any Subject whatsoever for any Reward Bribe or Gift He the said Duke in or about the moneth of December in the Eighteenth year of the Reign of the late King Iames of famous
adding but one The Regality of our Narrow Seas the Antient Inheritance of our Princes lost or impeached This I need not further to press but from hence my Observation must descend to his other Virtues and that by way of Perspective I shall give it so near and short as rather to exercise your Lordships Memory then to oppress your patience First I propose unto your Lordships the inward Character of the Dukes minde which is full of Collusion and Deceipt I can express it no better then by the Beast called by the Antients Stellionatus a Beast so blur'd so spotted so full of foul lines that they knew not what to make of it So do we finde in this mans practice who first inveagled the Merchants drawing them to Deep to be inchralled then dealt deceitfully with the King to colour his Offences his design being against Rochel and the Religion Next with the Parliament to disguise his Actions a practice no less dangerous and disadvantageous to us then prejudicial to our Friends and Allies Next I present to your Lordships the Dukes high oppression and that of strange latitude and extent not to Men alone but to Laws and Statutes to Acts of Council to Pleas and Decrees of Court to the pleasure of his Majesty all must stoop to him if they oppose or stand in his way This hath been expressed unto you in the Ship called the St. Peter and those of Deep nay he draws on the colour of his Majesties great Name to shadow his design It had been his duty nay the trust of his place not to have translated them into the hands of strangers that had his Majesty yeilded in that point the Duke should have opposed it by his continual Prayers and Intercessions making known unto his Majesty the Inconveniencies likely to ensue and not to rest there but to have reported it to your Lordships sitting in Council to have desired and prayed your aid and assistance in a matter of so great importance And if this had failed he should have entered into a Protestation against it This hath been done by worthy Predecessors in that Office and this had been the worthy discharge of the great trust reposed in his place I heard the Ships were returned but I know it not but if I knew so this neither excuseth nor qualifieth the Dukes offence The French in this case are to be commended not he excused he left them in the hands of a Foreign Power who when they once had them for any thing he knew might easily have kept them The third head is The Dukes extortion in exacting from the East-India Company without right or colour Ten thousand pounds exquisitely expressed and Mathematically observed by the Gentleman you know by whom employed who by his Marine experience learned this Observation That if the Fleet gained not the wind by such time at the Cape the Voyage was lost Here one of the Lords interposing privately It was the King that employed him Sir Iohn Elliot in the Name of the Commons makes this Protestation Far be it from them to lay any Odium or Aspersion on his Majesties Name they hold his Honor spotless nor the least shadow of blemish can fix upon him in this business Next to foul Extortion is Bribery and Corruption in the Sale of Honor and Offices of Command That which was wont to be the crown of Vertue and Merit is now become a merchandise for the greatness of this man and Justice it self made a prey unto him All which particulars your Lordships have heard opened and enforced with Reasons and Proofs what in themselves they are and therefore I spare further to press them In the fifth place I observe a wonder in Policy and in Nature how this man so notorious in evil so dangerous to the State in his immense greatness is able to subsist of himself and keep a Being To this I answer That the Duke hath used the help of art to prop him up It was apparent That by his skill he hath raised a party in the Court a party in the Country and a main party in the cheif places of Government in the Kingdom So that all the most deserving Offices that require Abilities to discharge them are fixed upon the Duke his Allies and Kinred And thus he hath drawn to him and his the Power of Justice the Power of Honor and the Power of Command and in effect the whole Power of the Kingdom both for Peace and War to strengthen his Allies and in setting up himself hath set upon the Kingdoms Revenues the Fountain of Supply and the Nerves of the Land He intercepts consumes and exhausts the Revenues of the Crown not onely to satisfie his own lustful desires but the Luxury of others and by emptying the Veins the Blood should run in he hath cast the Body of the Kingdom into a high Consumption Infinite sums of Money and mass of Land exceeding the value of Money Contributions in Parliament have been heaped upon him and how have they been employed Upon costly Furniture sumptuous Feasting and magnificent Building the visible evidences of the express exhausting of the State and yet his Ambition which is boundless resteth not here but like a violent flame bursteth forth and getteth further scope Not satisfied with injuries and injustice and dishonoring of Religion his attempts go higher to the prejudice of his Soveraign which is plain in his practice The effects I fear to speak and fear to think I end this passage as Cicero did in a like case Ne gravioribus utar verbis quam rei natura fert aut levioribus quam causae necessitas postulat Your Lordships have an Idea of the Man what he is in himself what in his affections You have seen his power and some I fear have felt it you have known his practice and have heard the effects It rests then to be considered what being such he is in reference to the King and State how compatible or incompatible with either In reference to the King he may be stiled the Canker in his Treasure in reference to the State the Moth of all goodness What future hopes are to be expected your Lordships may draw out of his Actions and Affections I will now see by comparison with others to what we may finde him likened I can hardly finde him a match or parallel in all Presidents none so like him as Sejanus who is thus described by Tacitus Audax sui obtegens in alios criminator juxta adulator superbus To say nothing of his Veneries if you please to compare them you shall easily discern wherein they vary such boldness of the one hath lately been presented before you as very seldom or never hath been seen For his secret Intentions and Calumniations I wish this Parliament had not felt them nor the other before For his Pride and Flattery it is noted of Sejanus that he did Clientes suos Provinciis adornare Doth not this Man the like Ask England
likewise besides his Charge That he brake off ambiguously and abruptly with a Sentence of Cicero as if something else might be which was not yet discovered Sir Iohn Elliot thanked the Vice-Chamberlain for dealing so plainly with him and giving him occasion to clear himself And to the particular charged against him he answered First considering the Dukes plurality of great and different Offices together with his deceit and fraud in perswading the Merchants to go to Diep there to entrap them in colouring the Designs to the King which he had plotted to serve against those of his Religion in abusing the Parliament at Oxford and disguising his purpose as if the ships were to go to Rochel These particulars being so various and of such a nature he called by the name of Stellionatus from a beast discoloured uncertain and doubtfull that they knew not by what name to call it or by what colour to describe it and these he called a Character of the minde because they lie in the heart and were deceits to abuse the King and Parliament Secondly as to his saying He knew not the ships were come he answered he did not know it then and as yet he knew it not though it was true that he had heard it Thirdly he denied not that speaking of the Duke he sometimes used this word that man though at other times he was not wanting to give him his due titles and said That the Latines speaking of Caesar call him Ille Caesar and that the same is usual in all Languages nor did he think the Duke to be a God Fourthly he conâ—â—ssed That he paralleled him with the Bishop of Ely and Sejanus and though there were many particular censures of that Bishop yet he produced none but such as were within the compass of his Charge nor did he apply the Veneries and Venefices of Sejanus to the Duke but excluded them Lastly touching the Physick of the King he said he brake off so abruptly in aggravation of the Dukes offence who not content with the injury of Justice the wrong of Honor the prejudice of the State nor that of the Revenue his attempts go higher even to the person of the King making on that his practice in such a manner to such an effect that he said he feared to speak nay he doubted to think in which regard he left it as Cicero did another thing Ne gravioribus c. It was then resolved on the Question That Sir Iohn Elliot hath not exceeded the Commission given him in any thing that passed from him in the late Conference with the Lords The like for Sir Dudley Diggs both passed without a Negative the like Vote did pass for Mr Selden Mr Herbert Mr Glanvile Mr Sherland Mr Pym and Mr Wandesford who were also managers at that Conference The King in the time of this Parliament had committed the Earl of Arundel to the Tower but the cause of his Commitment was not expressed yet it was conceived to be about the Marriage of the Lord Maltravers the Earls eldest son to the young Duke of Lenox his sister which was brought about by the contrivance of the Countess of Arundel and the old Dutchess of Lenox The Lords were highly discontented at his commitment in time of Parliament concerning whose Liberties and their own Priviledges they had presented several Petitions to his Majesty but receiving no satisfactory answer thereto agreed on this ensuing Petition occasioned by the release of Sir Dudley Diggs May it please your Majesty THe cause that moves us now to attend your Majesty as at first we did is because we observe that the House of Commons have speedily received a Member of theirs who was committed We the Peers ambitious to deserve of your Majesty and to appear to the eye of the world as much respected in our Rights and Priviledges as any Peers or Commons have ever been acknowledging you a King of as much goodness as ever King was do now humbly beseech that the Earl of Arundel a Member of our House may be restored to us it so much concerning us in point of Priviledge that we all suffer in what he suffers in this Restraint In March last when the Earl of Arundel was committed the House of Lords purposed to take the same into their considerations and so to proceed therein as to give no just cause of offence to his Majesty and yet preserve the Priviledges of Parliament The Lord Keeper of the Great-Seal thereupon signified unto the House that he was commanded to deliver this Message from his Majesty unto their Lordships viz. That the Earl of Arundel was restrained for a misdemeanor which was personal to his Majesty and lay in the proper knowledge of his Majesty and had no relation to matters of Parliament Whereupon the House was put into a Committee and being resumed The Lords Committees for Priviledges c. were appointed to search for Presidents Concerning the commitment of a Peer of this Realm during the time of Parliament and the Lord Chief Justice Mr Justice Doderidge and Mr Justice Yelverton were appointed to attend their Lordships in that behalf The day following the Lord Teasurer delivered another Message from the King in haec verba WHereas upon a Motion made by one of your Lordships the Lord Keeper did yesterday deliver a Message from his Majesty that the Earl of Arundel was restrained for a misdemeanor which was personal to Majesty and lay in the proper knowledge of his Majesty and had no relation to matters of Parliament His Majesty hath now commanded him to signifie to your Lordships that he doth avow the Message in sort as it was delivered to have been done punctually according to his Majesties own Direction and he knoweth that he hath therein done justly and not diminished the Priviledges of that House And because the Committee appointed yesterday to search for Presidents c. had not yet made any Report to the House therefore the directions for this business were suspended for that time Not long after the Earl of Hertford made report to the House That the Lords Committees for Priviledges met on Monday last The first Question that arose amongst them was Whether those Proxies were of any validity which are deputed to any Peer who sitteth not himself in Parliament And it was conceived that those Votes were lost Whereupon the Committee found this House to be deprived of five suffrages by the absence of the Earl of Arundel unto whom they were intrusted And the Committee finding by the Journal Book that the Sub-Committee which was appointed to â—earch Presidents for Priviledges concerning the Commitment of a Peer in the time of Parliament had not yet made report to the House and then considering together their Notes of Presidents whereof they had made search found That no one Peer had been committed the Parliament fitting without trial of Judgement of the Peers in Parliament and that one only President of the Bishop of Winchester
to an Admiral of England and a true English man And he doth deny that by menace or compulsion or any other indirect or undue practice or means he by himself or by any others did deliver those Ships or any of them into the hands of the French as is objected against him That the Error which did happen by what direction soever it were was not in the intention any ways injurious or dishonorable or dangerous to this State or prejudicial to any private man interested in any of those Ships nor could have given any such offence at all if those promises had been observed by others which were professed and really performed by his Majesty and his Subjects on their parts To this Article wherewith he is taxed to have practised for the employment of the Ships against Rochel he answereth That he was so far from practising or consenting that the said Ships should so be employed that he shall make it clearly to appear that when it was discovered that they would be employed against those of the Religion the Protestation of the French King being otherwise and their pretence being That there was a Peace concluded with those of the Religion and that the French King would use those Ships against Genoa which had been an action of no ill consequence to the Affairs of Christendom The Duke did by all fit and honorable means endeavor to divert that course of their employment against Rochel And he doth truly and boldly affirm That his endeavors under the Royal care of his most Excellent Majesty hath been a great part of the means to preserve the Town of Rochel as the Proofs when they shall be produced will make appear And when his Majesty did finde that beyond his intention and contrary to the faithful Promises of the French they were so misemployed he found himself bound in honor to intercede with the most Christian King his good Brother for the Peace of that Town and of the Religion lest his Majesties Honor might otherwise suffer Which intercession his Majesty did so sedulously and so successfully pursue that the Town and the Religion there do and will acknowledge the fruits thereof And whereas it is further objected against him That when in so unfaithful a manner he had delivered those Ships into the power of a foreign State to the danger of the Religion and scandal and dishonor of our Nation which he utterly denieth to be so That to mask his ill intentions in cunning and cautelous manner he abused the Parliament at Oxford in affirming before the Committees of both Houses That the said Ships were not nor should be so used or employed he saith under the favor of those who so understood his words That he did not then use those words which are expressed in the Charge to have been spoken by him but there being then a jealousie of the mis-employing of those Ships the Duke having no knowledge thereof and knowing well what the promises of the French King were but was not then seasonable to be published he hoping they would not have varied from what was promised did say That the event would shew it was no undertaking for them but a Declaration of that in general terms which should really have been performed and which his Majesty had just cause to expect from them That the Duke did compel the Lord R. to buy his Title of Honor he utterly denieth and he is very confident that the Lord R. himself will not affirm it or any thing tending that way Neither can he nor any man else truly say so but the said Duke is able to prove that the Lord R. was before willing to have given a much greater sum but could not then obtain it and he did now obtain it by solicitation of his own Agents For the selling of places of Judicature by the Duke which are specially instanced in the Charge he answereth That he received not or had a penny of either of those sums to his own use but the truth is the Lord M. was made Lord Treasurer by his late Majesty without contracting for any thing for it and after that he had the Office conferred upon him his late Majesty moved him to lend him Twenty thousand pounds upon promise of repayment at the end of a year the Lord M. yielded to it so as he might have the Dukes word that it should be repayed unto him accordingly The Duke gave his word for it the Lord M. relied upon it and delivered the said sum to the hands of Mr. Porter then attending upon the Duke by the late Kings appointment to be disposed as his Majesty should direct And according to the Kings direction that very money was fully paid out to others and the Duke neither had nor disposed of a penny thereof to his own use as is suggested against him And afterwards when the Lord M. left that place and his money was not repayed unto him he urged the Duke upon his promise whereupon the Duke being jealous of his Honor and to keep his word not having money to pay him he assured Lands of his own to the Lord M. for his security But when the Duke was in Spain the Lord M. obtained a promise from his late Majesty of some Lands in Fee-farm to such a value as he accepted of the same in satisfaction of the said money which were afterwards passed unto him and at the Dukes return the Lord M. delivered back unto him the security of the Dukes Lands which had been given unto him as aforesaid And for the Six thousand pounds supposed to have been received by the Duke for procuring to the Earl of M. the Mastership of the Wards he utterly denieth it but afterwards he heard that the Earl of M. did disburse Six thousand pounds about that time and his late Majesty bestowed the same upon Sir Henry Mildmay his Servant without the Dukes privity and he had it and enjoyed it and no penny thereof came to the said Duke or to his use To this Article the Duke answereth That it is true that his late Majesty out of his Royal Favor unto him having honored the Duke himself with many Titles and Dignities of his bounty and as a greater argument of his Princely Grace did also think fit to honor those who were in equal degree of Blood with him and also to ennoble their Mother who was the Stock that bare them The Title of the Countess of Buckingham bestowed upon the Mother was not without President and she hath nothing from the Crown but a Title of Honor which dieth with her The Titles bestowed on the Viscount P. the Dukes Elder Brother were conferred on him who was a Servant of the Bed-chamber to his now Majesty then Prince by his Highness means the Earl of A. was of his late Majesties Bed-chamber and the Honors and Lands conferred on him was done when the Duke was in Spain The Earl of D. hath the Honors mentioned in the
of the Land for freemen to be taxed but by their consent in Parliament Franchise is a French word and in Latine it is Libertas In Magna Charta it is provided that Nullus liber homo capiatur vel imprisoâ—etur aut disseisietur de libero tenemento suo c. nisi per legale judicium parium suorum vel per legem terrae which Charter hath been confirmed by good Kings above thirty times When these Gentlemen had spoken Sir Iohn Cook Secretary of State took up the matter for the King and concluded for redress of Grievances so that Supplies take the precedency And said I had rather you would hear any then me I will not answer what hath been already spoken my desire is not to stir but to quiet not to provoke but to appease my desire is that every one resort to his own heart to reunite the King and the State and to take away the scandal from us every one speaks from the abundance of his heart I do conclude out of every ones Conclusion to give to the King to redress Grievances all the difference is about the manner we are all Inhabitants in one House the Commonwealth let every one in somewhat amend his house somewhat is amiss but if all the House be on fire will we then think of amending what 's a miss will you not rather quench the fire the danger all apprehend The way that is propounded I seek not to decline illegal courses have been taken it must be confessed the redress must be by Laws and Punishment but withal add the Law of Necessity Necessity hath no Law you must abilitate the State to do what you do by Petition require It is wished we begin with Grievances I deny not that we prepare them but shall we offer them first will not this seem a Condition with his Majesty do we not deal with a wise King jealous of his Honor All Subsidies cannot advantage his Majesty so much as that his Subjects do agree to Supply him This will amaze the Enemy more then ten Subsidies begin therefore with the King and not with our selves This dayes Debate said Sir Robert Philips makes me call to minde the custom of the Romans who had a solemn feast once a year for their Slaves at which time they had liberty without exception to speak what they would whereby to ease their afflicted minds which being finished they severally returned to their former servitude This may with some resemblance and distinction well set forth our present State where now after the revolution of some time and grievous sufferings of many violent oppressions we have as those Slaves had a day of liberty of speech but shall not I trust be herein Slaves for we are free we are not Bondmen but Subjects these after their Feast were Slaves again but it is our hope to return Freemen I am glad to see this mornings work to see such a sense of the Grievances under which we groan I see a concurrence of grief from all parts to see the Subject wronged and a fit way to see the Subject righted I expected to see a division but I see honorable conjunction and I take it a good Omen It was wished by one that there were a forgetfulness of all let him not prosper that wisheth it not No there is no such wayes to perfect remedy as to forget injuries but not so to forget as not to recover them It was usual in Rome to bury all injuries on purpose to recover them It was said by a Gentleman that ever speaks freely We must so govern our selves as if this Parliament must be the Chrysis of all Parliaments and this the last I hope well and there will be no cause for the King our Head to except against us or we against him The dangers abroad are presented to us he is no English man that is not apprehensive of them We have provoked two Potent Kings the one too near who are too strongly joyned together the dangers are not Chimerical but real I acknowledge it but it must be done in proportion of our dangers at home I more fear the violation of Publick Rights at home then a Forein Enemy Must it be our duties and direction to defend Forein dangers and establish security against them and shall we not look at that which shall make us able and willing thereunto We shall not omit to confide and trust his Majesty otherwise our Councils will be with fears and that becomes not Englishmen The unaccustomed violences I have nothing but a good meaning â—rench into all we have To the four particulars already mentioned wherein we suffer one more may be added Lest God forbare to hear me in the day of my trouble our Religion is made vendible by Commissions Alas now a tolleration is granted little less and men for pecuniary annual rates dispenced withal whereby Papists without fear of Law practise Idolatry and scoff at Parliaments at Laws and all it is well known the people of this State are under no other subjection then what they did voluntarily consent unto by the original contract between King and people and as there are many Prerogatives and Priviledges conferred on the King so there are left to the Subject many necessary Liberties and Priviledges as appears by the Common Laws and Acts of Parliament notwithstanding what these two Sycophants have prated in the Pulpit to the contrary Was there ever yet King of England that directly ever violated the Subjects Liberty and Property but their actions were ever complained of in Parliament and no sooner complained of then redressed 21 E. 3. there went out a Commission to raise money in a strange manner the succeeding Parliament prayed redress and till H. 8. we never heard of the said Commissions again Another way was by Loan a worm that cankered the Law the Parliament did redress it and that money was paid again The next little Engine was Benevolence what the force of that was look into the Statute of R. 3. which damned that particular way and all other indirect wayes Since the Right of the Subject is thus bulwarkt by the Law of the Kingdom and Princes upon complainâ— have redressed them I am confident we shall have the like cause of joy from his Majesty I will here make a little digression The County I serve for were pleased to command me to seek the removal from them of the greatest burthen that ever people suffered It was excellently said Commissionary Lieutenants do deprive us of all Liberty if ever the like was seen of the Lieutenancy that now is I will never be believed more They tell the people they must pay so much upon a warrant from a Deputy Lieutenant or be bound to the good behavior and sent up to the Lords of the Council it is the strangest Engine to rend the Liberty of the Subject that ever was there was now a Decemviri in every County and amongst that
of all the Members of our Church except onely of some schismatical persons who have of late years taken the boldnesse to broach their contrary corrupt opinions we desire should not be called in question or doubt But howsoever it hath pleased your Majesty to our exceeding great comfort by many Testimonies to declare your own constant resolution to maintain the said Religion yet we see how your gracious purposes are therin crost and into what a miserable condition your whole Kingdom is likely by that means to be reduced we shall earnestlie endeavour as that which doth nearly concerne us the safety and prosperitie of your Majestie and people which are in such sort disordered that ruine thereby threatned to both may by Gods blessing be prevented being most heartilie sorrie that these occasions are offered which did thus hinder our proceedings And therefore as well for dignity and necessitie of the matter as for that we conceive it to be the most speedy and effectual way by uniting of all our hearts and endeavours to dispatch all other businesse of importance particularlie those which may seem more immediatlie to respect your Majesties profit We pray that our resolutions of preferring this businesse before all others may be acceptable to your Majestie to whom both in the matter and manner of our proceedings we desire to give all possible satisfaction Whereunto the King thus Answered GEntlemen this Answer being somewhat long may in reason require some time to reply unto it since as most of you cannot but judge this giveth no satisfaction Therefore I shall give you some short notes upon it I cannot think that whereas you alledge that the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage was brought in against the priviledge of your House That you will offer to take so much priviledge from every one of your members as not to allow them the liberty to bring in any Bill whatsoever although it be in your power when it is brought in to do with it what you think good And I cannot imagine you coming together by my power and to treat of things that I propound unto you can deny me that Prerogative to commend or offer my Bill unto you though in this particular I must confess that this Bill was not to have been offered to you in my Name as that Member of your House can bear witness As for the cause of delay in my businesse being Religion there is none of you shall have a greater care for the true preservation of it then my self which since it is confessed by your Answer You must either think I want power which cannot be or that I am very ill councelled if it be in so much danger as you affirm Though I may say much of this I will say no more but that for all this I shall not stop mine ears to you upon this subject so that in form and matter you transgresse not your limits as for Tunnage and Poundage I do not so much desire it out of greediness of the thing being perswaded you will make no stop in it when you once take it in hand as out of a desire to put an end to those Questions that do arise between me and some of my Subjects thinking it a strange thing if you should give Ear to those complaints and not to take the sure and speedy way to decide them Besides I must think it strange that this business of Religion should only be a hinderer of my Affaires whereas I am certainly informed all other things go according to their ordinary course therefore I must still be instant with you that you proceed with Tunnage and Poundage with diligence not looking to be denied in so just a desire and you must not think it strange i◠I finding you slack give you such further quickning as I shall find cause Hereupon Secretary Cook did acknowledge that at the presenting of the Bill of Tunnage to be read he said his Majesty much desired it but it was a mistake that his Majesty commanded it Wednesday the 4. of February THe House fell into debate of the Kings Declaration published in print to prohibite dispute or preaching one way or other concerning the matters mentioned in the Declaration alledging in the debate that the main end thereof was to suppress the Puritan party and yet to give liberty to the contrary side and they conceived that Bishop Laud and Bishop Montague mentioned in the last Remonstrance had advised the King to that Declaration Bishop Laud being advanced since the last Session of Parliament to be Bishop of London and Mr. Montague since that time made Bishop of Chichester And a Warrant was grantted to the Attourney General to draw up a pardon for him but whereas the Warrant was but for one the Attourney put four into the pardon viz. Bishop Montague Doctor Cosens Doctor Sibthorp and Doctor Manwaring Tuesday the 10. of February WHilst the House was in debate touching matters of Religion the Ware-house of Mr. Rolls Merchant and Member of the House then sitting in Parliament was locked up by a Pursuevant and himself called forth from the Committee and served with a Subpoenâ This gave occasion of smart debates in the House some said they were made the subject of scorn and contempt others conceived this to be a bone thrown in by them that have drawn a cloud on the true Religion to divert or interrupt them in the prosecution of that matter and they desired the messenger might be sent for and be examined by what procurement this Subpoenâ was taken forth Sir Humphrey May Chancellor of the Duchy and one of the Privy Councel assured the House that this neither proceeded from King nor Councel and therefore desired it might be searched into the bottome And it was afterwards cleared by Master Atturney General by his writing a Letter to Mr. Rolls that the serving a Subpoenâ upon him was a mistake and prayed that a favourable interpretation might be given of that matter Upon report from the Committee for Tunnage and Poundage Sir Iohn Wolstenholme Mr. Dawes and Mr. Carmarthan were ordered to appear at the Barr on Friday next and report was made to the House that Master Atturney notwithstanding his Letter did give order for the processe against Mr. Rolls and that in the Bill preferred in the Exchequer it was expressed the Merchants did plot practice and combine against the peace of the Kingdome This business being a matter of weight the further consideration thereof was appointed for another day and no member might go out of Town without Licence Thursday the 12. of February THe House was turned into a Committee concerning the business of Tunnage and Poundage and several Merchants did Petition that their goods were not only seized but informations preferred in Star-Chamber against them The Committee in their debate inclined that the Merchants might have their goods before they enter upon the Bill for Tunnage and Mr. Noy expressed himself
not all but it is extended to some others who I fear in guilt of Conscience of their own desert do joyn their power with that Bishop and the rest to draw his Majesty into a jealousie of the Parliament amongst them I shall not fear to name the great Lord Treasurer in whose person I fear is contracted all that which we suffer If we look into Religion or Policy I find him building upon the ground laid by the Duke of Buckingham his great Master from him I fear came those ill Counsels which contracted that unhappy conclusion of the last session of Parliament I find that not only in the affections of his heart but also in relation to him and I doubt not to fix it indubitably upon him and so from the power and greatness of him comes the danger of our Religion For Policy in that great Question of Tunnage and Poundage the interest which is pretended to be the Kings is but the interest of that person to undermine the Policy of this Government and thereby to weaken the Kingdom while he invites strangers to come in to drive out Trade or at least our Merchants to trade in strangers bottoms which is as dangerous Therefore it is fit to be declared by us that all that we suffer is the effect of new counsels to the ruine of the Government of the State and to make a protestation against all those men whether greater or subordinate that they shall all be declared as Capital Enemies to the King and Kingdom that will perswade the King to take Tunnage and Poundage without grant of Parliament and that if any Merchants shall willingly pay those Duties without consent of Parliament they shall be declared as Accessaries to the rest Which Words of the said Sir Iohn Elliot were by him uttered as aforesaid falsly and malitiously and seditiously out of the wickedness of his own affections towards your Majesty and your gratious and religious Government and by the Confederacie Agreement and Privity of the â—aid other Confederates and to lay a slander and scandal thereupon and not with a purpose or in way to rectifie any thing which he conceiâ—ed to be amiss but to traduce and blast those persons against whom he â—ad conceived malice for so himself the same day in that house said and laid down as a ground for that he intended to say That no man was ever blasted in that house but a curse fell upon him And further so it is may it please your most excellent Majesty That when the said Sir Iohn Elliot had thus vented that malice and wickedness which lay in his heart and as appeareth by his own words were expressed in the said paper which was prepared as aforesaid the said Walter Longe out of his inveterate malice to your Majesty and to your Affairs and by the confederacy aforesaid then and there said That man who shall give away my Liberty and Inheritance I speak of the Merchants I note them for Capital Enemies to the Kingdome And lest the hearers should forget these wicked desperate Positions laid down as aforesaid and to the end the same might have the deeper impression and be the more divulged abroad to the prejudice of your Majesty and of your great Affairs and to the scandal of your Government the said Denzil Holles collected into several heads what the said Sir Iohn Elliot had before delivered out of that paper and then said Whosoever shall counsel the taking up of Tunnage and Poundage without an Act of Parliament let him be accompted a capital Enemy to the King and Kingdom And further What Merchant soever shall pay Tunnage and Poundage without an Act of Parliament let him be counted a Betrayer of the Liberty of the Subjects and a Capital Enemy of the King and Kingdom Which Positions thus laid the said Denzil Holles neither being Speaker nor sitting in the Chair as in a Committee by direction of the House but in an irregular way and contrary to all course of orderly proceedings in Parliament offered to put these things so delivered by him as aforesaid to the Question and drew from his confederates aforesaid an applause and assent as if these things had been voted by the house And further so it is may it please your most excellent Majesty That the disobedience of the said Confederates was then grown to that height that when Edward Grimston the Serjeant at Arms then attending the Speaker of that house was sent for by your Majestie personally to attend your Highness and the same was made known in the said house the said Confederates notwithstanding at that time forcibly and unlawfully kept the said Edward Grimston locked up in the said house and would not suffer him to go out of the house to attend your Majesty and when also on the same day Iames Maxwel Esquire the Gentleman-Usher of the Black Rod was sent from your Majesty to the said Commons house with a message immediately from your Majesties own person they the said Confederates utterly refused to open the door of the house and to admit the said Iames Maxwel to go to deliver his message After all which the said house was then adjourned until the said tenth day of March then following and on the said tenth day of March the said Parliament was dissolved and ended In consideration of all which premises And for as much as the contempt and disobedience of the said Sir John Ellyot and other the confederates aforesaid were so great and so many and unwarranted by the priviledge and due proceeding of Parliament and were committed with so high a hand and are of so ill example and so dangerous consequence and remain all unpardoned Therefore they pray'd a process against them to answer their contempts in the high Court of Star-Chamber Memorandum That the 29. of May Anno quinto Car. Reg. these words viz. After all which the said House was then adjourned until the said tenth day of March and on the said tenth day of March the said Parliament was dissolved and ended were added and inserted by order of the Court immediately before In tender consideration c. At the same time Sir Robert Heath the Kings Atturny General preferr'd an Information in the Star-Chamber against Richard Chambers of the City of London Merchant wherein first he did set forth the gracious Government of the King and the great Priviledges which the Merchants have in their Trading by paying moderate duties for the goods and merchandises exported and imported and setting forth that the raising and publishing of undutiful and false speeches which may tend to the dishonour of the King or the State or to the discouragement or discontentment of the subject or to set discord or variance between his Majesty and his good People are offences of dangerous consequence and by the Law prohibited and condemned under several penalties and punishments That nevertheless the said Richard Chambers the 28. day of September last being amongst some other merchants
of the opinion of Mr. Atturney General that the word proditore would have made this Treason And for the other matters he agreed with the Judges Therefore by the Court the Defendants were ruled to plead further and Mr. Lenthal of Lincolns-Inn was assigned of Counsel for them Inasmuch as the Defendants would not put in other Plea the last day of the Term judgment was given against them upon a nihil dicit which judgment was pronounced by Iones to this effect The matter of the Information now by the confession of the Defendants is admitted to be true and we think their Plea to the jurisdiction insufficient for the matter and manner of it And we hereby will not draw the true Liberties of Parliament-men into Question to wit for such matters which they do or speak in Parliamentary manner But in this case there was a conspiracy between the Defendants to slander the State and to raise sedition and discord between the King his Peers and People and this was not a Parliamentary course All the Iudges of England except one have Resolved the Statute of 4 Hen. 8. to be a private Act and to extend to Strood only But every Member of the Parliament shall have such Priviledges as are there mentioned but they have no Priviledge to speak at their pleasure The Parliament is an high Court therefore it ought not to be disorderly but ought to give good example to other Courts If a Judg of our Court shall rayl upon the State or Clergy he is punishable for it A Member of the Parliament may charge any great Officer of the State with any particular offence but this was a malevolous accusation in the generality of all the Officers of State therefore the matter contained within the Information is a great offence and punishable in this Court 2. For the punishment although the offence be great yet that shall be with a light hand and shall be in this manner 1. That every of the Defendants shall be imprisoned during the Kings pleasure Sir John Elliot to be imprisoned in the Tower of London and the other Defendants in other Prisons 2. That none of them shall be delivered out of Prison until he give security in this Court for his good behaviour and have made submission and acknowledgment of his offence 3. Sir John Elliot inasmuch as we think him the greatest offender and the ringleader shall pay a fine to the King of 2000 l. and Mr. Holles a fine of 1000 marks and Mr. Valentine because he is of less ability then the rest shall pay a fine of 500 l. And to all this all the other Justices with one voice accorded FINIS APPENDIX His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects of the Causes which moved him to dissolve the last Parliament March 10. 1628. HOwsoever Princes are not bound to give accompt of their Actions but to God alone yet for the satisfaction of the minds and affections of Our Loving Subjects We have thought good to set down thus much by way of Declaration that We may appeare to the world in the truth and sincerity of Our Actions and not in those Colours in which We know some turbulent and ill-affected spirits to masque and disguise their wicked intentions dangerous to the State would represent Us to the publick view We assembled our Parliament the 17th day of March in the third yeer of Our Reigne for the safety of Religion for securing Our Kingdoms and Subjects at home and Our friends and Allies abroad And therefore at the first sitting down of it We declared the miserable afflicted estate of those of the reformed Religion in Germany France and other parts of Christendome the distressed extremities of Our dearest Uncle the King of Denmark chased out of a great part of his Dominions the strength of that Party which was united against Us That besides the Pope and the house of Austria and their antient confederates the French King professed the rooting out of the Protestant Religion That of the Princes and States on Our party some were over-run others diverted and some disabled to give assistance For which and other important motives We propounded a speedy supply of Treasure answerable to the necessity of the Cause These things in the beginning were well resented by the House of Commons and with much alacrity and readinesse they agreed to grant a liberall aid But before it was brought to any perfection they were diverted by a multitude of Questions raised amongst them touching their Liberties and Priviledges and by other long disputes that the Bill did not passe in a long time and by that delay Our affairs were put into a far worse case then at the first Our Foraigne Actions then in hand being thereby disgraced and ruined for want of timely help In this as We are not willing to derogate from the merit and good intentions of those wise and moderate men of that House to whose forwardnesse We attribute it that it was Propounded and Resolved so soon so We must needs say that the delay of passing it when it was resolved occasioned by causlesse jealousies stirred up by men of another temper did much lessen both the reputation and reality of that Supply And their spirit infused into many of the Commissioners and Assessors in the Country hath returned up the Subsidies in such a scanty proportion as is infinitely short not onely of Our great occasâ—ons but of the presidents of former Subsidies and of the intentions of all well-affected men in that House In those large Disputes as We permitted many of Our high prerogatives to be debated which in the best times of Our Predecessors had never been questioned without punishment or sharp reproof so We did endeavour to have shortned those debates for winning of time which would have much advantaged Our great affairs both at home and abroad And therefore both by speeches and messages We did often declare Our gratious and clear resolution to maintain not onely the Parliament but all our People in their antient and just liberties without either violation or diminution and in the end for their full satisfaction and security did by an Answer framed in the form by themselves desired to their Parliamentary Petition confirm their antient and just Liberties and Rights which We resolve with all constancy and justice to maintain This Parliament howsoever besides the setling Our necessary supply and their own liberties they wasted much time in such proceedings blasting Our Government as We are unwilling to remember yet We suffered them to sit untill themselves desired Us to appoint a time for their Recesse not naming either Adjournment or Prorogation Whereupon by advice of Our Councill We resolved to prorogue and make a Session and to that end prefixed a day by which they might as was meet in so long a Sitting finish some profitable and good Lawes and withall gave order for a gratious Pardon to all Our Subjects which according to the use
of Soldiers 546. His Answer to that Petition p. 552. The Lord Keepers Speech by his Command to rely on the Kings word p. 555. Secretary Cooks Speech thereupon on behalf of the King p. 555 556. Sir Benjamin Rudiards Speech concerning the Kings word p. 557. The King sends another Message by Secretary Cooke to know whether the Parliament will or no relie on his word p. 558 559. Several debates thereupon ibid. He sends another Message that he intendeth shortly to end that Session p. 560. Debates thereupon p. 561. The Speakers Speech in Answer to the Kings several Messages ibid. The Kings Answer thereunto p. 562. The King sends another Message to relie on his word p. 563. Several Debates thereupon ibid. The Petition of Right to be presented to the King delivered at a Conference p. 564. His Letter declaring that he will preserve Magna Charta c. communicated at a Conference p. 565 566. The Lords Addition to the Petition of Right to have a saving for Soveraign power p. 567. Several Debates and Conferences thereupon â—hewing the danger of such a Salvo p. 568 569 c. The Lords agree to the Petition of Right without the Addition p. 592. The Kings and Lord Keepers Speech at the presenting of the Petition of Right p. 596. The Petition of Right at large p. 597. The Kings Answer thereunto p. 598. Not satisfactory and several Speeches thereupon p. 598 599 c. A Message from the King to end the Session on such a day p. 601. He sends another Message that he will certainly hold his day to end the Session p. 613. Several Debates thereupon and the Duke declared the cause of all Grievances p. 613 614 c. The King commands the House to adjourn p. 616. The Lords Address to the King to prevent a dissolution ibid. The King sends another Message to qualifie his former Messages p. 622. Several Speeches thereupon p. 623. The Kings Privy-Seal for payment of monies to raise German Horse p. 624. Burlemachs Examination that they were to be imported into England ibid. The King receives a Petition from both Houses for a better answer to the Petition of Right p. 625. The Kings fuller Answer thereunto and his Speech ib. The Kings Commission for raising of Monies by way of Imposition p. 626. Debates thereupon p. 627. Debates about a Remonstrance to the King against the Duke p. 628. A Remonstrance to the King against the Duke p. 631 632 c. The King causeth the Proceedings in the Star-chamber against the Duke to be taken off the File p. 638. And causeth the Commission for Excise to be cancelled p. 640. A Remonstrance to him concerning Tonnage and Poundage ibid. The King ends the Session of Parliament p. 643. A Particular of such Laws as he passed that Session of Parliament p. 644. Suppresses Dr Manwaring's Sermon by Proclamation p. 645. Grants a Commission to compound with Recusants ibid. His Proclamation against the Bishop of Calcedon ibid. Sends Romish Priests to Wisbitch p. 646. Advances Sir Rich. Weston to be Lord Treasurer Bishop Laud to the Bishoprick of London and Montague to a Bishoprick ibid. Pardons Montague and Manwaring p. 647. Solicited to send Relief to the King of Denmark under Sir Charls Morgan p. 648. Adjourns the Parliament that was to meet the 20 of October to the 20 of January p. 650. Takes the advice of the Iudges about racking of Felton ibid. Declares his resolution about taking the Imposition upon Currants p. 651. Consults with certain of his Council concerning the ensuing Parliament p. 654. His Speech at the second meeting of the Parliament p. 656. Sends a Message about the Bill for Tonnage and Poundage p. 657. Sends a Message to give precedency to Tonnage and Poundage p. 658. Petition to him for a Fast p. 662. His Answer thereunto p. 663. Notwithstanding his Message precedency given to Religion ibid. His Answer to that Particular p. 664. His Declaration against Disputes about Religion debated p. 665. A Report concerning his Pardon to Manwaring and Montague p. 667. His Message about Customs p. 668. His Commission about it p. 669. His Declaration concerning the dissolving the third Parliament at large App. p. 1. Common Fame p. 221 222. Conway Lord p. 12 23 178 182 185 235 238 243 268 292 450 451 455 c. Cook Secretary p. 182 498 501 502 531 544 54 558 559 560 563. Cook Mr. p. 218 222 229 Cook Sir Edward p. 201 497 505 508 526 529 538 543 564 615 627. Corriton Mr. p. 660 Coronation p. 203 204 Cottington Mr. p. 9 13 18 76 122 Cotton Sir Robert p. 20 471 Coventry Sir Thomas made Lord Keeper p. 202. His Speeches in Parliament p. 206 225 481 555 567 592 596 623. Privy Council new sworn p. 169. They write to Dalbeir about disposing the German Horse p. 648. Creswel Mr. 502. Crew Sir Randolf displaced about the Loan p. 424. Crew Sir Thomas p. 55 117 149 150. Again made Speaker p. 176. Cromwel Oliver against the Bishop of Winchester p. 667. Cromwel Lord p. 199. Crosby Sir Piercy Lands with Supply of men p. 467. D. DArnel Sir Thomas about Habeas Corpus p. 462. Davenport Serjeant Argument App. p. 27. Dawes Mr. his Answer about Customs p. 668. Decimation projected 5 Car. App. p. 14. Denmark King his Declaration p. 421. His Battel ibid. His overthrow p. 422. Digby Sir John his discourse betwixt the Duke of Lerma about a Match with Spain p. 1. His advice to the King in that matter p. 2. Is authorised to treat and conclude the Match p. 3. Presents the first draught of Articles p. 4. Sent Ambassador into Flanders p. 23. The substance of his Ambassie to the Emperor and Duke of Bavaria p. 37. Gives an account in Parliament p. 39. Made Earl of Bristol p. 67 68. A Letter to him from the King p. 68. Gives the King hope of a Match p. 69. Hath a Proxy delivered to him by the Prince to consummate the Marriage p. 103. Receives also private instructions not to put it in execution p. 104. Labors to satisfie the Prince to recal his instructions but in vain p. 105. He and Sir Walter Aston again attempt it but in vain p. 106. Bristol sends his Apology to K. James for demurring upon the new instructions p. 112. Hath a tender of large offers from the K. of Spain p. 113. Protests against The Dukes Narration in Parliament p. 149. A Letter from the Lord Conway to him p. 238. His answer to the Lord Conway p. 239. His Petition for a Writ of Summons p. 240. The Kings Letter to him p. 241. He Petitions the Lords again about his Writ of Summons ibid. And desires to be heard in the Accusation of the Duke ibid. Sends a Copy of the Lord Keepers Letter p. 242. With his Answer thereto p. 243. A Message from the King concerning him ibid. He is brought to the Bar p. 252. Articles preferred against him by the Kings Command p. 253. His
favor of Roman Catholicks A difficulty concerning the Popes title on the Kings part Another on the Ambassadors part concerning prayers in the Kings Chappel A titular Bishop of Calcedon sent into England Preparations for conducting the Infanta into England No mention made in the Capitulations of restoring the Palatine Mr. Allured his Letter to the Duke The French jealous of this conjunction Pope Vrban to K. Iames. Pope Vrbans Letter to Prince Charls The Treaty begins to tend to a rupture The Prohibition to the Judges and Bishops in behalf of the Catholicks suspended Some of the English in Spain dislike the Match and Religion The Duke disgusted in Spain Buckingham and Bristol run different ways The Palatine by his Secretary labors to engage the Prince against the Marriage The Spaniard continues new delays The English Papists perplexed The Prince ready to depart from the Court of Spain leaves a Proxy with the Earl of Bristâ—l The Duke and Olivares part not Friends The Prince universally â—steemed His departure solemn The Prince feasted the Dons aboard his Ship and bringing them back again to the shore a storm surprises them Expressions of joy for the Princes safe return into England Private Instructions delivered to Bristol contrary to the Proxy Bristol in a Letter gives the Prince a good account of the business King Iames falls off and for a Condition of the Mariage demands the Restitution of the Palatinate Bristol and Asâ—â—n demur upon the new Instructions Sir Walter Aston endeavors to reconcile the Dâ—ke to Spain Advice to the King touching the Duke The Earl of Bristol is commanded by the King to follow the new Instructions King Iames puts the Palatine in hope by Proposal of new terms The Palatines Answer to those Terms proposed by the King The Netherlands appear ready to embrace the antient Union with England The Ratifiâ—â—â—ication come from the new Popâ— and when all is ready for the E 〈◊〉 ls thâ—n is the Maâ—ch dasht by order from England Bristol sends his Apology to K. Iames for having demurred upon the new Instructions Olivares offers Bristol large Preferments in the Kings name when he was to take his leave Bristols Answer to those Profers The Spaniards prepare for a War with England The L. Kensington sent Ambassador into France to feel the pulse of that Court touching a Match renders an account of his acceptance The King advised to call a Parliament The Kings Speech to the Parliament The King approves Sir Tho. Crew for Speaker who made this Speech The Dukes Narrative Both Houses of Parliament justifie the Duke in his Narrative His Majesties Answer to that Justification Both Houses of Parliament concur that the King may not honorably proceed in tâ—e Treaty of the Prince's Marriage and the Palatinate The Kings Speech 〈◊〉 Parliament perswaâ—â—â—â— him to break off the two Treaties of the Match and of the Palatinate Sir Edw. Sackvile's Speech Sir Edw. Sackvile's Speech The Parliaments Answer to the Kings Speech The Parliament offers his Majesty Three Subsidies and Three Fifteens if he break off both Treaties His Majesties Reply The King declares his Resolution to dissolve the Treaties The King accepts the aid proffered him King Iames his Letter to Secretary Conway touching a Petition against the Papists The Petition His Majesties Answer to the Petition The Spanish Ambassadors accuse Buckingham to the King of matters of high concernment The issue of those Accusations The Earl of Bristol protests against the Dukes Narration is imprisoned in the Tower The Speakers and the Kings Speech at the Adjournment of the Parliament Kings Iames demands the Town of Frankendal deposited in the Archducâ—hess hands Spinola marches out of the Town and immediately Re-enters King Iames very desirous of a Match with France The Match with France concluded Count Mansfield arrrives in England 12000 Foot and 200 horse raised to go under his command Scarce the third part of Count Mansfields Army came safe to Land Richard Smith made Bishop of Calcedon and sent into England with Episcopal Jurisdiction * The Duke of Buckingham Instructions to Mr Drummond The Privy-Counsellors present themselves to King Charles King Charles proclaimed at Theobalds At Whitehall In London The old Privy-Council new sworn The Councils advice to the King Proclamation concerning Persons in Office c. Proclamation of Government Resolution taken by the King concerning King Iames Funeral and his own Marriage A Parlamenâ— summoned King Iames Funeral Duke of Buckingham continues Favorite to King Charles Religion considered A general Muster Souldiers levied for the Palatinate Proclamation against disorders committed by Souldiers Articles of the marriage with France signed by the King Private Articles in favor of the Catholicks The Marriage solemnized in France The Duke sent into France for the Queen A Royal Navy sent to Bolâ—ign to transport the Queen The Marriage consummated at Canterbury The Trained Bands of Kent commanded to attend the Queen The King and Queen come to London A Chappel built at Somerset-house for the Queen A great Plague in London The Parliament opened The Kings Speech in Parliament The Lord Keepers Speech in Parliament Sir Tho. Crew Speaker Debates in the House of Commons A Fast. Committees chosen Message to the King touching Religion and his Answer Mr. Montague brought to the Bar. The Arminian party assert his cause The King takes Montagues businâ—â—â— into his own hand Two Subsidies presented to the King The King accepts them and desires more A short Answer to the Petition touching Religion The Parliament adjourned to Oxford The Exchequer removed to Richmond The Vantguard and seven other Ships employed against Rochel The Parliament meets again at Oxford Grievances Mr. Montague Summoned to appear His Cause recommended by the Bishops to the Duke The Appeal to Caesar disputed The Kings Speech in Christ-Church Lord Conway and Secretary Cook by the Kings Command declare the present slate of Affairs Lord Treasurer proceeds in that subject Debates in the House of Commons touching the present state of Affairs Complaints against Papists favored notwithstanding the Kings Answer to the Petition against them The Petition concerning Religion together with his 〈…〉 The Duke renders an account to both Houses of the Fleet. He speaks by way of Objection and Answer * The Earl of Bristol The Dukes Relation accasioned variety of Opinions in Parliament The Kings Message to the Commons Debates upon the Kings Message The Commons Declaration The Parliament dissolved The King follows his Design of War The Kings Proclamation to recal home children of Recusants The Kings Letter to the Lieutenants for the Loan of Money upon Privy-Seals Privy-Seals issued forth to certain Persons Warrants for disarming Recusants Letters directed to Lords Recusants Concourse of Papists prevented Viscount Wimbleton Commander in Chief in the Voyage to Cadez Lord Cromwels Letter to the Duke touching the Fleet. The Earl of Warwick secures Langer-Point in Essex English and Dutch Fleet before Dunkirk dispersed by a storm The General examined before the Council The