Treasons Masterpiece, Date · Date 6
The Lord Protectors Speech.
April 26. 1657.
I Have as well as I could conſidered the Arguments uſed by you the other day, to inforce the concluſion that refers to the name, and Title that was the Subject matter of the debates, and conferences that have been between us, I ſhall not now ſpend your time, nor my own much in …ating thoſe Arguments, and in giving anſwers to them, although (indeed) I think they are but the ſame that they were formerly, only there were ſome additional inforcements of thoſe arguments by new inſtances, I think truely after the rate of Debate, I may ſpend your time, which I know is very precious, and unleſs I were a ſatisfied perſon: the time would ſpinne out and be very unprofitable ſpent, ſo it would; I onelyonly muſt ſay a word or two to that, that I think was new. What comes from the Parliament in the exerciſe of the legiſlative power, which this is, I underſtand it to be an exerciſe of the leg…ſlative power, and the laws were always formerly paſt this way, and that of Bills was of a newer date; I underſtand that, I ſay, but it is ſaid that was, is done by the Parliament now, and ſimply hangs upon their legiſlative, ſeems to be a thing that is ex d…n…, not de jure, not a thing that is of ſo good weight, and ſo ſtrong, as what refers from them to the law that is already in being. I confeſs there is ſome argument in that that is there, but if the ſtrength will be as good without it, though it comes as a gift from you, I mean as a thing that you provide for them, or elſe it will never come at them, ſo in a ſenſe it comes from you, it is that, that they otherwiſe come by; therefore in a ſenſe it is ex dono, for that helps a man to what he cannot otherwiſe come by, he doth on act that is very near a gift, and you helping them to it, it is in a kind a g…ft to them; otherwiſe they could not have it, but if you do it ſimply by your legiſlative power, the queſtion is not, what makes this more firm, whether the manner of the ſetling of it, or the manner of your doing of it, it's always as great a labour; but yet the queſtion lies in the acception of them, who are concerned to yield obedience and accept this, and therefore if a thing that hath for its root and foundation but your leg…ſlative in an act of yours, if I may put a but to it, I do not do ſo, for I ſay it is as good a foundation, as that other is, and if it be as well accepted, and that the other be leſs then truely it is, I ſhould think the better and then all that I ſay is founded upon the law: I ſay all thoſe arguments that are founded in the law are for it, becauſe it hath been ſaid it doth agree with the law, the law knows the Office, the law knows the people knows it; and the people are likelier to receive ſatisfaction that way: thoſe have been arguments that have been already, and truely I know nothing that I have to adde to them, and therefore I ſay alſo thoſe arguments may ſtand as we found them, and left them already; onelyonly this I think truely, as it hath been ſaid to me, I am a Perſon that have done that, that never any that were actually King of England refuſed: the advice of the Parliament I confeſs that runs to all, and that may be accounted a very great fault in me, and may ariſe up in Judgement againſt me another time, if my caſe be not different from any mans that was in the chief command and government of theſe Nations that ever was before, & truely I think it is they that have been in, and owned to be in the right of the law, as inheritours coming to it by birthright, or otherwiſe by the authority of Parliament, who yet have had ſome previous pretence of Title, or claim to it; I think (under favour) I deſerve leſs blame than another doth, if I cannot ſo well comply with the Title, with the deſires of the Parliament in it, as others do, for they that are in, would take it for an injury to be out it; truely theſe arguments are very ſtrong to them, why they ſhould not refuſe that, that is tendred to them by the Parliament: but I have dealt plainly with you, and I have not complemented with you, I have not deſired, I have no Title to the Government of theſe Nations, but what was taken up in a caſe of neceſſity, and temporary, to ſupply the preſent immergency, without which we muſt needs, I ſay we had been all after the rate of the printed book, and after the rate of thoſe men, that have been taken, going into arms, if had not been taken; it was as viſible to me as the day, if I had not undertaken it, and ſo it being put upon me, I being then Generall, as I was Generall by act of Parliament being upon me to take power in my hand, after the aſſembly of men that was called together had been diſſolved. Really the thing would have iſſued it ſelf in this Book, for as I am informed the Book knows an Authour; it was a leading principall Perſon in that Aſſembly, when now I ſay, I ſpeak in the plainneſs and ſimplicity of my heart, as before Almighty God, I did out of neceſſity undertake that, that no man I think would have undertaken but my ſelf, it hath pleaſed God that I have been inſtrumental to keep the peace of the Nation to this day, and to keep it under a Title that ſome ſayes ſignifies but a keeping it to anothers uſe, to a better uſe, that may improve it to a better uſe; and this I may ſay, I have not deſired the continuance of my power or place, either under one Title or other, that have I not, I ſay it, if the wiſdome of the Parliament, could find where to place things ſo as they might ſave this Nation, and the intereſts of it; the intereſt of the people of God in the firſt place, of thoſe godly honeſt men, for ſuch a Character I reckon them by, and live in the fear of God and deſire to hold forth the excellency and Chriſtian courſe in their life and Converſation; I reckon that proceeds from faith, and looking to the duties towards Chriſtians, and to the humanity to men as men, and to ſuch liberties and intereſts, as the people of this Nation are of, and look upon that as a ſtanding truth of the Goſpel, and I who lives up to that, according to that, is a godly man in my apprehenſion; and therefore, I ſay, if the wiſdom of this Parliament, I ſpeak not this vainly nor like a fool, but as to God; and if the wiſdome of this Parliament, ſhould have found a way to ſettle the intereſts of this Nation, upon the foundations of Juſtice and truth, and liberty, to the people of God, and concernments of men as Engliſh men, I would have layn at their feet, or any bodies feet elſe, that this might have run in ſuch a currant; and therefore I ſay I have no pretentions to things for my ſelf, or to ask this or that, or to avoid this or that; I know the cenſures of the world may quickly paſs upon me, but I thank God I know not where to lay the weight that is laid upon me; I mean the weight of reproach and contempt and ſcorn, that hath been caſt upon me, I have not offered you any name in competition with Kingſhip. I know the evil ſpirits of men may eaſily obtrude upon a man, that he would have a name that the law knows not, and that is boundleſs, and is that under which a man exerciſes more arbitrarineſs; but I know there is nothing in that argument, and if it were in your thoughts to do any of that kind, I think whatſoever it was, it would bound it, and limit it ſufficiently: I wiſh it were come to that, that no favour ſhould be ſhewed to me, but that the good of theſe Nations might be conſulted, as I am confident they will be by you in whatſoever you do; but I may ſay this in an anſwer to that, that doth a little pinch upon me, and the more when I am told it is my duty, I think it can be no mans duty, nor obligation, but between God and himſelf, if he be conſcious of his own infirmities, diſſabilities, and weakneſſes; and that he is not able perhaps to encounter with, (although he may have a little faith too, for a little exerciſe) I ſay I do not know which way it can be imputed to me for a fault, or laid upon me as a duty, except I meant to gripe at the government of the Nations without a legal conſent, which I ſay I have done in times paſt, upon principles of neceſſity, and I promiſe, I ſhall think whatever is done without Authority of Parliament, in order to ſettlement, will neither be very honeſt, nor yet that, that I underſtand. I think we have fought for the Liberties of the Nation, as well as for other Intereſts: you will pardon me, that I ſpeak theſe things in ſuch a way as this is, I may be born withal, becauſe I have not truely well born the exerciſe that hath been upon me now theſe three or four days, I have not I ſay; I have told you my thoughts, and have laid them before you, you have been pleaſed to give me your grounds, and I have told you mine; and truely I do purpoſely refuſe to mention thoſe arguments were uſed when you were laſt here, but rather tell you, what ſince I tell you lies upon my heart out of the abundance of d…fficulty, and trouble that lies upon me, and therefore you haveing urged me, I mean offered reaſons to me and urged them with ſuch grounds as did occur to you, and having told you the laſt time I met you, that the ſatisfaction of them did not reach to me, ſo as wholly to convince my Judgement of what was my duty: I have thought rather to anſwer you with telling you my grief, and the trouble I am under; and truely, my intentions and purpoſes they are honeſt to the Nation, and ſhall be by the Grace of God, and I cannot tell how upon collateral pretences to cut towards things that will be deſtructive to the liberties of this Nation: any man may give me leave to die, and every body may give me leave to be as a dead man, when God takes away the ſpirit, and life, and activity that is neceſſary for the carrying on ſuch a work; and therefore I do leave the former Debates as they were, and we had them, letting you know that I have looked a little upon the paper, the Inſtrument, I would ſay in the other parts of it, and conſidering that there are very many particulars in the inſtrument, ſome of the general, of reference, others ſpecified, and all of weight, (let the Title be what it will be) of weight to the concernment of the Nations. I think I may deſire that thoſe may be ſuch as what they be applied to, either one thing or another, they might be ſuch as the people have no cauſe, as I am confident your care and faithfulneſs needs neither a ſpurre, nor any admonition to that: I ſay (reading in your order, by order of Parliament for the Committee) that there are divers particulars that are, that if I do make any ſcruple of them, I ſhould have the freedom with this Committee to caſt my doubts, the truth of it is, I have a paper here in my hand, that doth contain divers things, with relation to the inſtrument, that I hope have a publick aſpect with them, therefore I cannot preſume but they will be very welcome to you, therefore I ſhall deſire that you will read them. I ſhould deſire, if it pleaſe you, that liberty (which I ſubmit to your judgement, whether you think I have it or no) that I might tender theſe few things, and ſome others that I have in preparation, and truely I ſhall reduce them to as much brevity as I can; they are too large here, and if it pleaſe you to morrow in the afternoon at three of the clock I may meet you again, and I hope we ſhall come to know one anothers minds, and ſhall agree to that, that ſhall be to the Glory of God, and the good of theſe Nations.