Several Speeches, Speech 3
The Lord Chancellour of Scotland his laſt ſpeech, at a conference in the Painted chamber, with a Committee of both Houſes, October 10.1646.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
THis day I hope will bring our conference to ſome reſults to be reported to the Houſes, and therefore I ſhall frame my Diſcourſe and Arguments with that ſuccinctneſſe as may bring us ſooneſt to a cloſe.
At our firſt meeting, the ſubject of our debate was, Whether the Right & Power of diſpoſing the perſon of the King, is ſolely in the two Houſes, as they ſhall think fit, or in the two Kingdoms; and at our laſt meeting, we had ſome arguing about the ſame queſtion, but your Lordſhips did ſtill aſſert the Vote of the Houſes; and we ſay (in reſpect of the intereſt and relations which both Kingdoms have equally to the King, eſpecially in the preſent juncture of affairs, when both Kingdoms are entred in the ſame league and covenant, have jeoparded their lives in the ſame war, are labouring under the ſame danger, are ſeeking the ſame remedies, and ſtand in need of the ſame peace and ſecurity; and both Kingdoms are bound by our Covenant to preſerve Unity, and are obliged by Treaty that none of us ſhall make any peace, ceſſation, or …greement whatſoever, without mutuall advice and conſent of both) That the perſon …f the King cannot be diſpoſed of without the joint advice and conſent of both Kingdoms. But as we do acknowledge that England hath parity of intereſt with Scotland, ſo do we ſtill offer that they ſhall have parity of power in diſpoſing of the King: and we do affirm, that the perſon of the King, who is King of Scotland as well as of England, and is Head and Monarch of both kingdoms, cannot be diſpoſed of by any one of the kingdoms alone: but what ever is to be done concerning the diſ…oſing of his Majeſties perſon, ought to be done by joynt advice and common conſent of both, as may ſerve moſt for the Peace, ſecurity, and happineſſe of the King and Kingdomes, which we did prove by ſeverall Arguments: To which there was nothing anſwered in effect, but, that the King being within England, his perſon was to be diſpoſed of as the two Houſes ſhall thinke fit, and that the King being with the Scottiſh Army, and they being paid by the Parliament of England, he is in effect in the power of the Houſes, and ought to be at their diſpoſing, in the ſame way as if he had come to the army of Sir Thomas Fairfax, or any other of the Parliaments armies. To which we ſhall not need to make any reply other then we have made already, I hat the Kings preſent reſidence in England, nor no locality, can take away the reality of our relations formerly mentioned by us, far leſſe can it take away the engagements and ſtipulations between the kingdoms; and though the Scottiſh a my be paid by the Parliament of England, yet they are the Army of Scotland, raiſed for purſuance of the ends of the Covenant, and are to be ordered and directed by the Parliaments or committees of both kingdoms: and therefore they cannot with conſcience, duty, nor honour, deliver the perſon of the King without his own conſent, to be diſpoſed of as the two Houſes ſhall think fit: but we have declared, and do ſtill declare, that we are content that the perſon of the King be diſpoſed of (the word Diſpoſed being taken in a right ſenſe) as may ſerve moſt for the peace, ſafety, ſecurity, honour and happineſſe of the King and both kingdoms: and did offer to your Lordſhips conſideration his Majeſties comming to or neer London, as the moſt probable means to procure a ſpeedy and well-grounded peace. And ſeeing your Lordſhips have done us the honour to meet with us in this free and brotherly conference, we do expect that you wil concur and aſſent to this propoſition, or propound a better expedient for the good of both kingdoms. But if the honourable houſes will not admit of this propoſition, our next deſire is (that it may appear, no lawfull and poſsible means are left unaſſayed which may procure a happy agreement betwixt the King & his Pa…liaments, and for our further exoneration) that Commiſsioners may yet once more be ſent from both Kingdoms to his Majeſty, to ſhew the meaning of our Propoſitions & to aſſert them, and to hear the Kings doubts, & difficulties, and deſires, who may further intimate, that (if his Majeſty ſhall not give a ſatisfactory anſwer to the propoſitions) then both Kingdoms will without making any ſuch further application to him, take ſuch courſe as they ſhall judge fitteſt for the peace and ſecurity of the kingdoms.
And as at the opening of this conference, I did begin with an humble, lawfull and laudable deſire for unity in relation to Religion, the King, and amongſt our ſelves; ſo ſhal I cloſe in the ſame dialect. For the firſt of Religion, if we do remember our vows to God to perform them, and ſhall endeavour really, conſtantly, and ſincerely, the reformation of religion, and uniformity according to our Covenant, we may certainly expect that God will crown this great work, wherein he hath honored us to be actors with his bleſsing; but if in place of uniformity, which we are obliged to endeavour there ſhall be a toleration of all ſects and ſorts of religion, and if we neglect to build the houſe of God, and become inſolent upon our ſucceſſes; although we could mount up with Eagles wings, and build our neſts as high as the ſtartes, and had an army who for valour and ſtrength could march to Conſtantinople, God ſhall lay our glory low in the duſt, and ſuffer the work to fall in our hands, like the confuſion of Babel, And whatever hath been moved by us concerning the King, we deſire it may be rightly conſtructed, as proceeding from ſuch as have not wavered from their firſt principles; for when the King was in the height of his power, we did not, and (I hope) never ſhall flatter him; and when the enemy was in the height of their pride and ſtrength, Scotland did fear no colours: and now when the King is at his loweſt ebbe, and hath caſt himſelf into our army for ſafety, we hope your Lordſhips will pardon us from our ſenſe of honour and duty to be very tender of the perſon and poſterity of the King, to whom we have ſo many neer relations, and not like the worſe of us: that we cannot ſo far forget our allegiance and duty, as not to have an antipathy againſt the change of Monarchical government, in which we have lived through the deſcent of ſo many Kings, and under which both kingdoms have been governed ſo many ages, and flouriſhed In all happineſſe. And now my laſt word ſhall be for conſtant unity between the kingdoms, which as it hath been the chief means to promote the great work wherein both kingdoms are ſo deeply engaged, ſo there is nothing can make us ſo formidable to our enemies, nor ſo much aiding one to another, as the cheriſhing and continuing thereof; and I dare ſay that no man would divide the one from the other, but ſuch as deſire to fiſh in troubled waters, and are reall enemies to both. God hath bleſt the joint endeavours of both Nations, both are in one ſhip, and are come through a very great ſtorm; and now when we are come into the harbour, it would be great ſhame to both to ſplit upon the rocks of diviſion (& devorato bove deficere in cauſa) and your Lordſhips may be confident that Scotland, who have eſteemed no hazard too great for ſetling of Religion and love to their Brethren, will ſtick ſo faſt and firmly to you (ſo long as you hold the principles of your Covenant) as no fear nor favour will ever be able to divide them from you, and we do expect that reciprocal amity which may perpetuate our unity.