Five Speeches, Speech 1
FIVE SPEECHES IN THE HIGH AND HONOVRABLE Court of PARLIAMENT.
BY Sir Beniamin Rudyerd, Knight, Surveighour of his Maieſties Court of Wards and Liveries.
Printed according to his owne true Copies, the former being abſurdly falſe.
Now publiſhed with Licence.
LONDON, Printed by H. Dudley, for Henry Seile, at the Tygers head in Fleetſtreet over againſt Saint Dunſtan's-Church. 1641.
AN INTRODVCTION to the laſt Parliament 16. Caroli. 1640.
Concerning moderation and preſervation of Parliaments, by Sir Beniamin Rudyerd Knight, 16. Caroli. 1640.
Maſter Speaker,
BY Gods bleſſing, and the Kings ſavour, a great door and effectuall is opened unto us of doing a great deal of good, if we do not ſhut in againſt our ſelves. That we are here together in this Houſe, is an evident demonſtration that the Kings heart ſtands right towards us; for which we do owe him a thankfull, a dutifull, a bountifull retribution.
Parliaments of later times have been diſaſtrous and unfortunate, inſomuch as the very Name of a Parliament hath been a reproach, a by word, a hiſſing. It now lyes in our hands, by Gods aſſiſtance, and it ought to be our chiefe indeavour, to reſtore Parliaments to their wonted luſter.
There are ſome here in this Houſe who were preſent, and many who do … remember when the firſt Parliament was broken that ever was broken in England: we know from what … it …, and of the moſt part, the ſame Genius hath prevailed ever ſince, full of ſubtilty, full of malignity. But now they have taken upon them ſuch a boldneſſe, ſuch an arrogance, as they ſtand in competition with us, who are the better ſubiects. And ſome beleeve they have carried it: their emulation I ſhall like, and do hope, but their preſumption is not to be born; for certainly the beſt religion makes the beſt ſubiects, I wiſh them no harm, for I wiſh their converſion, and … harſh way to it. Let us ſet up more and better Light to lighten their darkneſſe burning ſhining Lights, not luke warm, glow-worm Lights; that the people in all places of the kingdom may be diligently taught, carefully inſtructed, in ſoundneſſe of doctrine, by good example … their Paſtors; taught and inſtructed to hear prayers, how to uſe prayers; for whoſoever … made the quarrell between praying and preaching, never meant well to religion, being both ſo neceſſary duties not defranding one another: But I know not how it come about, that in out religion onelyonly a man may I be too religious. The beſt way to ſuppreſſe all other religions, is to up hold our own to the height Light diſpells darknes without noiſe or busſle. But I never yet know any man beaten him an opinion: I have known many frighted into diſſimulation. A almoſity and faintneſſe becomes no Religion. Although … we have bad …, that by their …nning working or diſtempers in this Houſe and by their … working upon theſe diſtempers out or the Houſe, they have contributed as much to the breaking of Parliaments as any thing … whatſoever, yet bamlperſwade to they will not be ſo active in this, becauſe of their common Intereſt with us, as Sulli… as Engliſhmen, there being now; ſuch a general neceſſity, of having a whole, a happy … Howſoever, it will be wiſdom in us, to be ware of Inſuſions, to keep ſteady to our temper.
The maine cauſe of the infelicity and deſtraction of theſe times hath been, the frequent breaking of Parliaments, beleeve … Maſter Speaker, the ſplinters of a broken Parliament, do make the moſt dangerous wounds in the body Politique, which having ſo long feſterd, muſt be puld out with skilfull gentle hand, elſe they may rather vex, then cure the wounds they have made. But we need not deſpaire of a cure. For, in the fourteenth yeare of Edward the third. That King had great ſummes of money granted him in Parliament by way of Subſidie, for an expedition into France the went over entred into a way but the ill managing of his treaſure at home by his Officers, and the withdrawing of ſome payments is by the people for not performance of conditions, enforced him to accept of a truce, when he was in the full hope of gayning a great victory; this could not but work ſtrongly upon that greathearted Prince; He returned; Preſently in the fifteenth yeer he ſummon'd a Parliament, wherin were nothing but iealouſies, conteſtations, & diſtempers; ſo that the Parliament, ended without fruit. In the 17th. yeer he called another Parliament, for no other end, but only to make an atonement between him & his people, which intention wrought the ſucceſſe: for, by the prudence, and patience of the king. by the wiſdom and humbleneſſe of both Houſes, all breaches were cloſ'd up, and ſuch a perfect union made, as there never fell out any difference betweene him and his people during the whole time of his long life after. Why may not wee be as wiſe round? I preſume we ſhall. A Parliament is the bed of reconcilation between a King and his people, mutually beſt for both: ſo that it will be proper and fit for us, to lay aſide all acerbity, and exaſperation, To demeane our ſelves with calmneſſe, ſweetneſſe, dutyfullneſſe,
Although the Prerogative have gone very high, yet if we can but bring our ſelves to an equanimity, to an indifferency of iudgement, we ſhall finde that all kings do as naturally love power, as all people do affect liberty: Then is it no more marvaile that Princes do hearken to them who ſeek to improve their power, then that Parliaments have too much yeilded to ſome who have preſſed to cut end their liberty; whereas indeed, both Prerogative and liberty are beſt preſerved, when they are executed within their bounds.
The Law ſaith, That a King of England can do no wrong. As for inſtruments, If the matters do ſtart and expoſe the men, if the things they have miſdone be condemned and reformed, the men, without my more a do, will quickly be deſpiſed, grow as uſe leſſe as they are worthles, wither and wear away to the nothing they deſerve. It is true that in ſome times, examples are more neceſſary then Lawes, eſpecially when Lawes grow infirme for want of exerciſe, becauſe examples make a deeper impreſſion, ſtrike a greater terror: But at this time, we ſhould very unhand ſomly celebrate the Redintegration, and union we deſire and expect, with unſutable ſeverity, and extremities.
The levying of money to releeve the Kings neceſſities, hath alſo bred a great diſturbance, & it will do ſo: for the pe…ry and ſcarcity of the Crown will keep a perpetuall inter feering between the King and his people untill it be ſupplied. The power of a King, and the power of neceſſity ioyned both in one hand, Maſter …, will not long be diſappointed. But I doe hope before this Parliament be finally concluded, we ſhall eſtabliſh ſuch a conſtant Revenue to his Maieſtie, as ſhall enable him to live plentifully … at home, for a high formidable … upon him … and that without …king any thing away from him, but ſuch things only as wil fall away of them ſelves. This, nothing but Parliaments can do. As for ſubſiſt, I could never … narrow, protecting word applyed to the King without ſcorne and indignation.
Let us ſet out thoughts and deſires but ſix … back, when we had noe hope of any Parliament at all …, what then we would have given, what we would have done then to have had a Parliament; And we cannot … well now; It doth not well … with the wiſdom and ſettledneſſe of this Aſſembly. to value … a Parliament we had not, then the Parliament we have; to think better of an imaginaty Parliament, then of a reall one.
I have obſerved, that whilſt Parliaments are ſitting, they … ſo high, ſo ſharp, as if Parliaments ſhould ſit alwaies, which indeed doth …: And when Parliaments are … who … if Parliament … never ſit again; … a Parliament … into this Houſe … us … the pieces together, … out right, and our ſelves with it.
Mr. Speaker, It is ſo far from being ſtrange, as it can hardly be otherwiſe, but that in ſo long a vacation between Parliaments, many diſorders muſt needes grow in upon us, as Deviation in Religion, violation of Lawes, invaſion upon libertyes: But the worke and labour, is how to teduce them, how to ſet them right againe: The manner of doing it ought to be the principall in our conſideration, for the matters carry in them, ſtirring, vehement, tempting provocations. For that very reaſon, Maſter Speaker, it behoves us to be the more wary, the more compoſ'd, leſt we be tranſported beyond the attaining our ends. I confeſſe I do now feele my ſelfe in a ſtraight. Shall we onelyonly looke forward as they call it, Altogether omit and neglect God in his Religion, the King in his Honour, the Common-wealth in his gaſping extremity? That ſtands notwith the integrity of this houſe, with the … our country. Shall we encounter theſe enormities with the ful force of a Parliamentary ſtrictnes, rigor, and exactneſſe? In doing thus, we may turn the medcine into a worſe diſeaſe, and ſo undoe all, even root out the whole race of Parliaments for ever, Men and brethren what ſhall we doe, Truly Maſter Speaker, If I ſhould ſpeake for my life, as I doe for more, I ſhould moſt humbly beſeech this Houſe, That we may all of us ſtrive to make this a breeding, teeming Parliament, that it may be the mother of many moe, and not caſt our ſelves upon the hazard of deſperate, diſmall events. As long as we have Parliaments, we ſhall know where to finde our ſelves; when they are gone, we are loſt.