Treasons Masterpiece, Date · Speech
His Highneſs Speech to the Parliament in the Banqueting Houſe at Whitehall, 8. of May 1657.
Mr. Speaker.
I Came hither to anſwer that, that was in your laſt paper to your Committee you ſent to me, which was in relation to the deſires which were offered to me by the Houſe, in that they called their petition, I confeſs that buſineſs hath put the Houſe, the Parliament to a great deal of trouble, & ſpent much time, I am very ſorry that it hath cost me ſome, and ſome thoughts, and becauſe I have been the unhappy occaſion of the expence of ſo much time, I ſhall ſpend little of it now, I have the beſt I can reſolved the whole buſineſs in my thoughts, and I have ſaid ſo much already in testimony of the whole, that I think I ſhall not need to repeat any thing that I have ſaid. I think it is a Government that the aims of it ſeeks much a ſetling the Nation on a good foot in relation to civil rights and liberties, which are the rights of the Nation, and I hope I ſhall never be found to be of them that ſhall go about to rob the Nation of thoſe rights, but to ſerve them what I can to the attaining of them. It hath alſo exceeding well provided for the ſafety & ſecurity of honeſt men, in that great, natural and religious liberty, which is liberty of conſcience, theſe are great fundamentals, and I muſt bear my teſtimony to them (as I have and ſhall do ſtill ſo long as God lets me live in this world) that the intentions of the things are very honourable and honeſt, and the product worthy of a Parliament; I have only had the unhappineſs both in my conferences with your Committees, and in the beſt thoughts I could take to my ſelf not to be convicted of the neceſſity of that thing, that hath been ſo often inſiſted upon by you, to wit, the Title of King, as in it ſelf ſo neceſſary, as it ſeems to be apprehended by your ſelves; and I do with all honour and respect to the Jugement of the Parliament, testifie that (caeteris paribus) no private judgement is to lie in the ballance with the judgement of a Parliament; but in things that reſpect particular perſons: every man that is to give an account to God of his actions, he muſt in ſome meaſure be able to prove his own work, that to have an approbation in his own conſcience of that he is to do, or forbear, and whilst you are granting others liberties, ſurely you will not deny me this, it being not only a liberty, but a duty (and ſuch a duty as I cannot without ſinning forbear) to examine my own heart, and thoughts, and judgement, in every work which I am to ſet mine hand to, or to appear in or for.
I must confeſs therefore, that though I do acknowledge all the other, yet I muſt be a little confident in this, that what with the circumstances that accompany human… actions, whether they be circumstances of time, or perſons, whether circumſtances that relate to the whole, or private, or particular circumſtances, that compaſs any perſon that is to render an account of his own actions; I have truly thought, and do ſtill think, that if I ſhould (at the beſt) do any thing on this account to anſwer your expectation, it would be at the best doubtingly: and certainly what is ſo is not of ſaith, whatſoever is not of faith is ſin to him that doth it, whether it be with relation to the ſubſtance of the action, about which the conſideration is converſant, or whether to circumstances about it, which make all think indifferent actions good or evil to him that doth it. I lying under this conſideration, think it my duty, only I could have wiſhed I had done it ſooner, for the ſake of the Houſe, who have laid ſo infinite obligations on it, I wiſh I had done it ſooner for your ſakes, for ſaving time and trouble; and indeed for the Committees ſake, to whom I muſt acknowledge publickly I have been unſeaſonably troubleſome, I ſay, I could have wiſhed I had given it ſooner, but truly this is my anſwer, that although I think the government doth conſist of very excellent parts in all, but in that one thing the Title as to me, I ſhould not be an honest man, If I ſhould not tell you, that I cannot accept of the government, nor undertake the trouble or charge of it, which I have a little more experimented than every man; what troubles and difficulties do b…fall men under ſuch trusts, and in ſuch undertakings, I ſay, I am perſwaded to return this anſwer to you, That I cannot undertake this Government with the Title of a King, and that is mine anſwer to this gr…at and weighty buſineſs.
FINIS.
End of the text · Nathaniel Fiennes, Treasons Masterpiece (1680)