Five Speeches, Speech 2
AN INTRODVCTION To the PARLIAMENT, Novemb. 7. 1640.
Maſter Speaker.
WE are here aſſembled to do Gods buſines & the Kings, in which our own is included, as we are Chriſtians as we are Subjects, Let us … God, thee ſhall we honour the King the more for I am afraid we have been the leſſe proſpectus in Parliaments be cauſe we have preferr'd other … him. Let Religion be … for all things elſe are … yet we may have them too, … and …; if we give God his precedence.
We all know, what diſturbance hath beene brought upon the …, for vain, petty trifles; How the whole Church, The whole kingdome hath been troubled where to place a Metaphor, an Altar. We have ſeen Miniſters, their wives, children, and families undone againſt law; againſt conſcience, againſt all bowells of compaſſion, about not dancing upon Sundayes. What do this ſort of men thinke will be come of themſelves, when the maſter of the houſe ſhall come, and finde them thus Beating their fellow-ſervants? Theſe inventions were but Sives made of purpoſe to winnow the beſt men; and that's the devils occupation. They have a minde to worry Preaching: for I never yet heard of any but diligent preachers, that were vex'd with theſe, and the like devices. They deſpiſe prophecy, and as one ſaid, they would faine be at ſomething that were like the Maſſe, that will not bite; a muzzeld Religion. They would evaporate and diſ-ſpirit the power and vigour of Religion, by drawing it out into ſolemne, ſpecious Formalityes, into obſolete, antiquated ceremonies new furbiſhed up. And this (belike) is the good worke in hand with Docter Heylin hath ſo often celebrated in his bold Pamphlets. All their acts and actions are ſo full of mixtures, involutions, and complications, as nothing is cleare, nothing ſincere, in any of their proceedings: let the in not ſay, that theſe are the perverſe ſuſpicious, malitious interpretations, or ſome few factions ſpirits amongſt us; when a Romaniſt hath bragg'd, and congratulated in print, that the face of our church begins to alter, the language of our religion to change. And Sancta Clara hath publiſhed, That if a Synod were held, Non intermixtis Puritanis, ſetting Puritans aſide, our Articles & their Religion would ſoon be agreed. They have ſo brought it to paſſe, that under the name of Puritans all our Religion is branded, & under a few hard words againſt Ieſuits, all Popery is countenanced. Whoſoever ſquares his actions by any rule, either divine or humane, he is a Puritan. Whoſoever would be govern'd by the King's Lawes, he is a Puritan; he that will not doe whatſoever other men would have him do, he is a Puritan. Their great worke, their maſter piece now is, to make thoſe of the Religion, to be the ſuſpected party of the kingdome.
Let us farther reflect upon the ill effects theſe courſes have wrought; what by a defection from us on the one ſide, & a ſeparation on the other: Some, imagining whither we are tending, made haſte to turne, or declare themſelves Papiſts beforehand, thereby hoping to render themſelves the more gracious, the more acceptable. A great multitude of the King's Subiects, ſtriving to hold communion with us, but ſeeing how farre we were gone, and fearing how much further we would goe, were forc'd to flee the land, ſome into other inhabited countreys, very many into ſavage wilderneſſes, becauſe the land would not bear them. Doe not they that cauſe theſe things caſt a reproach upon the government?
Maſter Speaker, let it be our principall care that theſe wayes neither continue, nor returne upon us. If we ſecure our religion, we ſhall cut off, and defeat many plots that are now on foot by them & by others. Beleeve it Sirs Religion hath bin for a long time, and ſtill is, the great deſigne upon this Kingdome. It is a knowne, and a practiſ'd principle, that they who would introduce another Religion into the church, muſt firſt trouble, and diſorder the government of the ſtate, that ſo they may hide, and worke their ends in a confuſion; which now lyes at the doore.
I come next, Maſter Speaker, to the King; buſineſſe, more particularly, which indeed is the kingdomes: for one hath no exiſtence, no being, without the other, their relation is ſo neere. Yet ſome have ſubtilly, and ſtrongly, laboured a divorce; which hath been the very bane both of King and kingdome.
When foundations are ſhaken, it is high time to look to the building. He hath no heart, no head, no ſoule, that is not moved in his whole man, to look upon the diſtreſſes, the miſeries of the Common-wealth; that is not forward in all that he is, and hath, to redreſſe them in a right way.
The King likewiſe is reduced to great ſtreights, wherein it were undurifulneſſe, beyond inhumanity, to take advantage of him: let us rather make it an advantage for him; to do him beſt ſervice when he hath moſt need; not to ſeek our owne good, but in him, and with him Elſe we ſhall commit the ſame crimes our ſelves, which we muſt condemn in others.
His Majeſtie hath clearly and freely put himſelfe into the hands of this Parliament, and I preſume, there is not a man in this Houſe, but feels himſelfe advanc'd in this high Truſt. But if he proſper no better in our hands, then he hath done in theirs, who have hitherto had the handling of his affaires, we ſhall for ever make our ſelves unworthy of ſo gracious a confidence. I have often thought and ſaid, That i… muſt be ſome great extremity that would recover and rectifie this ſtate: And when that extremity did come, it would be a great hazard, whether it might prove a remedy, or a ruine. We are now, Maſter Speaker, upon that verticall turning point; and therefore it is no time to pall…ate, to foment, our owne undoing.
Let us ſet upon the Remedy, We muſt firſt know the diſeaſe. But to diſcover the diſeaſes of the ſtate, is (according to ſome) to traduce the government: yet others are of opinion, that this is the halfe way to the cure.
His Majeſtie is wiſer then they that have adviſed him, and therefore he cannot but ſee, and feele, their ſubverting, deſtructive counſells, which ſpeak lowder, then I can ſpeak of them; for they ring a dolefull, deadly knell over the whole kingdome. His Majeſtie beſt knowes who they are. For us, let the matters bolt out the men, their actions diſcover them.
They are men that talk largely of the Kings ſervice, have done none but their own, and that's too evident.
They ſpeak highly of the Kings power, but they have made it a miſerable power, that produceth nothing but weakneſſe; both to the King and kingdom.
They have exhauſted the King's revenue to the bottome, nay thorow the bottome, and beyond.
They have ſpent vaſt ſumm… of money, waſtfully, fruitleſly, dangerouſly; ſo that more money, without other counſells, will be but a ſwift undoing.
They have alwayes, peremptorily purſued one obſtinate pernitious courſe. Firſt, they bring things to an extremity; Then, they make that extremity of their own, making the reaſon of their next action, ſeaven times worſe then the former; and there we are at this inſtant.
They have almoſt …poil'd the beſt inſtituted government in the world, for Soveraignety in a King, liberty to the Subject, the proportionable temper of both which, makes the happieſt State for power, for Riches, for duration.
They have unmanerly and ſlubburringly caſt all their proiects all their machinations upon the King; which no wiſe or good miniſters of State ever did but would ſtill take all harſh, diſraſtfull things upon themſelves, to eleare, to ſweeten their Maſter.
They have not ſuffered his Majeſtie to appear unto his people in his owne native goodneſſe, they have ecelipſt him by their interpoſition: although groſſe condenſe bodyes may obſcure and hinder the Sun from ſhining out, yet is he ſtill the ſame in his own ſplendour; and when they are removed, all creatures under him, are directed by his light, comforted by his beams. But they have framed a Supercilious-ſeeming Maxime of State for their own turne; that if a King will ſuffer men to bee torne from him, he ſhall never have any good ſervice done him: when the plaine truth is, that this is the ſureſt way to preſerve a King from having ill ſervants about him. And the divine trueth likewiſe is; Take away the wicked from the King, and his throne ſhall be eſtabliſhed.
Maſter Speaker. Now we ſee what the ſores are in generall, and when more particulers ſhall appeare, lot us be very carefull, to draw out the cores of them, not to skin them over, with a ſlight, ſuppurating, feſtring cure, leſt they preſently breake out againe into greater miſchiefs. Conſider of it, couſult, and ſpeake your mindes.
It …th heretofore been boaſted, that the King ſhould never call a Parliament, till he had no need of his people. Theſe were words of diviſion, and malignity. The King muſt alwayes, according to his occaſions, have uſe of his peoples hearts, hands, purſes, The people will alwayes have need of the King's clemency, juſtice, protection, and this reciptocation, is the ſtrongeſt, the ſweeteſt union.
It hath been ſaid too of late, that a Parliament will take away more from the King, then they will give him. It may well be ſaid, that thoſe things which will fall away or themſelves, will enable the Subject to give him more than can betaken any way elſe. Proiects and Monopolies are but leaking Conduit pipes, the Exchequer it ſelfe at fulleſt, is but a ciſterne, and now a broken one: frequent Parliaments onelyonly are the fountaine; and I doe not doubt, but in this Parliament, as we ſhall be free in our adviſes, ſo ſhall we be the more free of our Purſes, that his Maieſtie may experimentally finde, the reall difference of better councells, the true, ſolid grounds, of rayſing and eſtabliſhing his Greatneſſe, never to be brought againe (by God's bleſſing) to ſuch dangerous, ſuch deſperate perplexities.
Maſter Speaker, I confeſſe I have now gone in a way much againſt my Nature, and ſomewhat againſt my cuſtome beretofore in this place. But the deplorable, diſmall condition, both of the Church & State, have ſo far wrought upon my iudgement, as it hath convinc'd my diſpoſition. Yet am I not Vir Sanguinum. I love no mans ruine, I thank God, I neither hate any mans Perſon, nor envy any mans fortune: onelyonly I am zealous of a thorow reformation, in a time that exacts, that extorts it; which I humbly beſeech this Houſe may be done, with as much lenity, as much moderation, as the publique ſafety of the King and kingdom can poſſibly admit.