the Kingdom that we might be inabled to resist a forraign Enemy to suppresse all Civill Insurrections and what a pressing necessity there is of this the exceeding great decayes in the Novie in the Forts in the Power of ordering the Militia of the Kingdom and Means of furnishing them with Munition are sufficient evidences known to none better then to your Lordships and what endeavour we have used to remove them but hitherto without that successe and concurrence which we expected and where the stop hath bin and upon what good grounds we may claime our own innocency and faithfulnesse in this we desire no other Witnesses but your selves Lastly I come to the evill Influences which have caused this distemper and I shall content my selfe to mention some few of those which are most Apparent and Important 1. In the first place I shall remember the evill Councells about 3 The Influences that have caused so great Distemper the King whereof wee have often complained Diseases of the Braine are most dangerous because from thence Sence and Motion are derived to the whole Body The malignity of evill Councells will quickly be infused into all parts of the State None can doubt but we have exceedingly laboured under most dangerous and mischievous Councells This evill Influence hath bin the cause of the preparation of Warre with Scotland of the procuring a Rebellion in Ireland of corrupting Religion suppressing the Liberty of this Kingdome and of many fearefull and horrid Attempts to the subverting the very being of Parliament which was the only hopefull Meanes of opposing and preventing all the rest And this doth appeare to be a most predominant evill of the Time whereat we need not wonder when wee consider how Counsellours have beene preferred and prepared And I appeale to your Lordships owne Consciences whether the giving and the countenancing of evill Councell hath not beene almost the only way to favour and advancement 2. The discouragement of good Councell divers honest and approved Counsellours have bin put from their places others so discountenanced as that the way of favour hath bin shut against them and that of danger and destruction only open to them 3. The great Power that an interressed factious Party hath in the Parliament by the continuance of the Votes of the Bishops and Popish Lords in your Lordships House and the taking in of others both out of the House of Commons and otherwise to encâ—ease their strength 4. The fomenting and cherishing of a malignant Party throughout the whole Kingdom 5. The manifold jealousies betwixt the King his Parliament and good Subjects whereby his protection and favour hath in a great measure bin with-held from them their inclination and resolution to serve and assist him hath beene very much hindred and interrupted We have often suffer'd under the mis-interpretation of good actions false imputation of evill which we never intended So that we may justly purge our selves from all guilt of being Authors of this jealousie and misunderstanding Wee have bin and are still ready to serve his Majesty with our lives and fortunes with as much cheerefulnesse and earnestnesse of affection as ever any Subjects were and we doubt not but our proceedings will so manifest this that we shall be as cleare in the apprehension of the world as we are in the testimony of our own consciences I am now come to a conclusion and I have nothing to propound to your Lordships by way of Request or desire from the House of Commons I doubt not but your judgements will tell you what is to be done your Consciences your Honours your Interests will call upon you for the doing of it The Commons will be glad to have your help and concurrence in saving of the Kingdome but if they should faile of it it should not discourage them in doing their duty And whether the Kingdom be lost or saved as through Gods blessing I hope it will be they shall be sorry that the story of this present Parliament should tell Posterity that in so great a Danger and Extremity the House of Commons should be enforced to save the Kingdome alone and that the House of Peeres should have no part in the honour of the preservation of it you having so great an Interest in the good successe of those endeavours in respect of your great Estates and high degrees of Nobility MY Lords consider what the present necessities and dangers of the Common-wealth require what the Commons have reason to expect to what endeavours and counsels the concurrent desires of all the people doe invite you so that applying your selves to the preservation of the King and Kingdom I may be bold to assure you in the name of all the Commons of England that you shall be bravely seconded FINIS Die Martis 25. January 1641. IT is this day ordered by the Commons House of Parliament that M. Speaker in the name of the House shall give thanks unto M. Pym for his so well performing the service he was imployed in by the Commons of this House at this Conference And it is further ordered that M. Pym be desired to put the Speech he made at this Conference into writing and to deliver it into the House to the end it may be printed H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com.
Lords and Bishops out of the House of Peers the speedy and strong reliefe of Ireland the further punishment of Delinquents the removall of the pressures and grievances in Church and Common-wealth and reforming of what is therein amisse For all which your Petitioners shall daily pray c. To the Honorable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons in the High Court of Parliament The humble Petition of the Knights Gentlemen Ministers and other Inhabitants of the County of ESSEX SHEWETH TO this Honorable House that we are truly sensible of your great care and extraordinary endeavours to settle our Religion and peace and daily blesse God Almighty and the Kings Majesty the Peeres and this honorable Assembly for the same And we doe further in all humility represent to your honorable consideration that not withstanding your aboundant care and industry we doe still apprehend a great stop of reformation in matters of Religion and our selves together with you and the whole Kingdome to be in great danger from the Papists and other ill affected persons who are every where very insolent and ready to act the parts of those savage blood-suckers in Ireland if they be not speedily prevented by means whereof our tradings especially of clothing farming grow apace to so great a damp as many thousands are like to come to sudden want Nor can we expect any redresse thereof unlesse the Bishops and Popish Lords be removed out of the House of Peeres Therefore wee humbly pray that you would earnestly mediate with his Majesty and the House of Peeres that our Brethren in Ireland may be speedily relieved The Papists throughout this Kingdome may be disarmed and the Kingdome be put into such a warlike posture for defence as may be for it's safety And that the Bishops and Popish Lords who as we conceive have hindered the successe of your godly endeavours may be excluded the House of Peeres Not doubting but that then our Petitions formerly presented to this House will receive the more full and speedy answer And your Petitioners resolving in all just and honorable wayes according to our late Protestation to assist you in your Rights and Priviledges with our estates and lives against the enemies of God the King and State humbly pray c. The Petitions being read by foure severall Members of the House M. Pim reassumed his Discourse MY LORDS IN these foure Petitions you may heare the voice or rather the cry of all England and you cannot wonder if the urgencie the extremity of the condition wherein we are doe produce some earnestnesse and vehemencie of expression more then ordinary the agony terror and perplexity in which the Kingdome labours is universall all parts are affected with it and therefore in these you may observe the groanes and miserable complaints of all Divers reasons may be given why those diseases which are Epidemicall are more dangerous then others The Cause of such diseases is universall and supernall not from an evill constitution or evill diet or any other accident and such causes work with more vigour and efficacie then those which are particular and inferiour 2. In such diseases there is a communicative quality whereby the Malignity of them is multiplied and enforced 3. They have a converting transforming power that turnes other diseases and evill affections of mens bodies into their own nature The common and Epidemicall disease wherein this Common-wealth lies now gasping hath a superiour and universall cause from the evill Counsels and Designes of those who under his Majestie beare the greatest sway in Government 2. It hath a contagious and infectious quality whereby it is diffused and dispersed through all parts of the Kingdom 3. It is apt to take in the discontents evill affections and designes of particular persons to encrease and sortifie it selfe I shall take occasion from severall Branches of those Petitions which your Lordships have heard to observe 1. The variety of Dangers to which this Kingdome is now subject 2. The manifold distempers which is the cause of those dangers 3. The Multiplicity of those evill Influences which are the Causes of that distemper The first danger is from enemies abroad this may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causelesse and impertinent observation at this timâ— seeing 〈…〉 The variety of Dangers peace with all Nations about us But my Lâ—rds you may bâ— pleased to consider that the safety of the Kâ—â—â—dom ought noâ— to dâ—pâ—nd upon the will and disposition of our Neighbours but upon our owne strength and Provision Betwixt States there are often sudden changes from peace to warre according to occasion and advantage All the States of Christendome are now Arm'd and we have no reason to beleeve but that those of greatest Power have an evill Eye upon us in respect of our Religion And if their private Differences should be composed how dangerously how speedily might those great Armies and other Preparations now ready be applied to some Enterprise and Attempt against us and if there were no other Cause this were sufficient to make us stand upon our Guard but there are divers more especiall symptomes of dangers of this kind We may perceive by severall Advertisements from abroad that they did fore-see our dangers many Moneths before they broke out they could fore-tell the Time and Manner of them which is a cleare Evidence they held Intelligence with those which were the Contrivers and workers of the present troubles We have many dangerous Traytors and Fugitives now in other parts who can discover the weaknesse and distemper of the Kingdom who hold Intelligence with the ill-affected party here and by all cunning and subtill practises endeavour to incite and provoke other Princes againstus Some of the Ministers of our neighbour Princes may be justly suspected to have had a more immediate hand operation in the Insurrection and Rebellion of Ireland many of the Commanders and most of the Souldiers levied for the service of Spain are now joyned with the Rebels there and those Irish Friars which were imployed by the Spanish Ambassador for the making of those Levies are known to have bin chief Incendiaries to this Rebellion and are still very active in the prosecution and encouragement of it The Rebels have a ready and speedy supply from some of our Neighbours Two Convoyes of Munition and Armes wee are certainly informed of one from Dunkirk the other from Nantes in Britany and certainly those that are so forward to enable others to hurt us will not forbeare to hurt us themselves assoone as they shall have means und opportunity to do it Another danger is from the Papists and ill-affected Parties at home The Papists here are acted by the same Principles with those in Ireland many of the most active of them have lately beene there which argues an intercourse communication of Counsels They have still store of Armes and Munition at their disposing notwithstanding all our endeavours to disarm them they have a free resort to the Citie
and to the Court they want no opportunities to consult together they have the same or greater incouragements from above and from about them then ever in respect of the example and successe of the Rebels in Ireland and the great confusions and divisions which by their cunning and subtill practises are raised and fomented amongst our selves at home 3. A third danger is of Tumults and Insurrections of the meaner sort of people by reason of their ill vent of Cloth and other Manufactures whereby great multitudes are set on work who live for the most part by their daily gettings will in a very short time be brought to great extremity if not imployed nothing is more sharp and pressing then necessity and want what they cannot buy they will take and from them the like necessity will quickly be derived to the Farmours and Husbandmen and so grow higher involve all in an equality of misery and distresse if it be not prevented And at this time such Tumults will be dangerous because the Kingdom is full of disbanded Souldiers and Officers which will be ready to head and to animate the Multitude to commit violence with more strength and advantage and if they once grow into a Body it will be much more difficult to reduce them into order again because necessity and want which are the Causes of this disturbance will still encrease as the effects doe encrease 4. A fourth danger is from the Rebels in Ireland not only in respect of that Kingdom but in respect of this They have seized upon the Body of that Kingdom already they abound in men of very able bodies they encrease in Armes and Munition they have great hopes of supplies from abroad of encouragement here and are sure of good entertainment from the Popish party so that they begin to speak already of the transporting themselves hither and making this Kingdom the seat of the warre The distemper which hath produced these dangers is various and 2 The distemper procuring the former dangers exceeding violent Whensoever nature is hindred in her proper operations and faculties distempers will necessarily follow The obstructions which have brought us into this distemper are very many so that we cannot wonder at the strength and malignity of it Some of the chiefest of these obstructions I shall endeavour to remember 1. The obstruction of Reformation in matters of Religion No grievances are sharper then those that presse upon the tender consciences of men and that there was never Church or State afflicted with more grievances of this kind then we have bin And though they are by the wisedom of this Parliament partly cased and diminished yet many still remaine and as long as the Bishops and the corrupt part of the Clergie continue in their Power there will be little hope of freedome either from the sence of those which continue or the feare of those which are removed And of this obstruction my Lords I must clear the Commons we are in no part guilty of it some good Bils have past us and others are in preparation which had bin past before this if wee had not found such ill successe in the other Whatsoever mischiefe this obstruction shall produce we are free from it wee may have our part of the Miserie we can have no part in the guilt or dishonour 2. An obstruction in Trade It is the Trade that brings food and nourishment to the Kingdom It is that which preserves encreaseth the stock of the whole and distributes a convenient Portion of maintenance to every part of it therefore such an obstruction as this must be dangerous the Freedom of Trades being so necessary the benefit so important as that it gives life strength and beauty to the whole Body of the Common-wealth but I must protest the House of Commons hath given no Cause to this obstruction wee have cas'd Trade of many Burdens and heavy Taxes which are taken off we have freed it from many hard restraints by Pattents and Monopolies we have bin willing to part with our own Priviledges to give it encouragement We have sought to put the Merchants into security and confidence in respect of the Tower of London that so they might be invited to bring in their Bullion to the Mint as heretofore they have done and wee are no way guilty of the Troubles the feares and publique dangers which make men withdraw their Stocks and to keep their money by them to be ready for such sudden Exigents as in these great distractions we have too much Cause to expect 3. The obstruction in the Reliefe of Ireland It must needs be accompted a great shame and dishonour to this Kingdom that our Neighbours have shewed themselves more forward to supply the Rebels then we have bin to relieve our distressed brethren and follow-Subjects But I must declare that we are altogether innocent of any neglect herein As soon as the first newes of the Rebellion came over we undertook the War not by way of Supply and Ayd as in former Rebellions the Subjects have used to doe but we undertook the whole charge of it and we suffered not foure and twenty houres to passe before we agreed to a great Leavy of Money and Men to be imployed against the Rebells even in a larger proportion then the Lord Justices and Councell there did desire and from time to time we have done all for the furtherance thereof though in the midst of many distractions and diversions but the want of Commissions for leavying Men for issuing Armes and divers other Impediments have bin the Causes of that obstruction and I wish we had not only found Impediments to our selves but also Incouragements to them Many of the chiefe Commanders now in the Head of the Rebels after we had with your Lordships Concurrence stopt the Ports against all Irish Papists have beene suffered to passe by his Majesties immediate Warrant much to the discouragement of the Lord justices and the Councell there and this procured as we beleeve by some evill Instruments too neere his Regall Person without his Majesties knowledge and intention 4. The obstruction in prosecution of Delinquents many wee have already brought up to your Lordships divers others we have bin discouraged to transmit such difficult proceedings have we met withall such terrors and discountenance have beene cast upon our selves and our witnesses and those who have shewed themselves their friends and Patrons have found it the most ready way to preferment yea his Majesties own hand hath bin obtained his Majesties Ships imployed for the transporting of divers of those who have fled from the Justice of the Parliament 5. A generall obstruction interruption of the proceedings of Parliament by those manifold designes of violence which through Gods mercy we have escaped by the great and frequent breaches of Priviledge by the subtill endevours to raise parties in our House and jealousies betwixt the two Houses 6. The obstruction in providing for the Defence of