him in the old and decent method of Parliaments THE late way of tacking together several independant and 163. For it seems to alter the whole frame and constitution of Parliaments incoherent matters in one Bill seems to alter the whole frame and constitution of Parliaments and consequently of the Government it self IT takes away the King 's Negative voice in a manner and 164. It takes away the Kings Negative voice in a manner forces him to take all or none when sometimes one part of the Bill may be as dangerous for the Kingdom as the other is necessary IT takes away the Negative voice of the House of Peers too 165. And that of the House of Peers too by the same consequence and dis-inherits the Lords of that Honour they were born to the liberty of debating and judging what is good for the Kingdom IT looks like a kind of defamation of the Government and 166. It looks like a kind of defamation of the Government seems to suppose the King and House of Lords to be so ill affected to the publick that a good Bill cannot carry it self through by the strength of its own Reason and Justice unless it be helped forward by being tacked to another Bill that will be favoured IT does at last give up the greatest share of Legislature to the 167. And gives up the greatest share of Legislature to the Commons Commons and by consequence the chief power of judging what Laws are best for the Kingdom AND yet it is a priviledge that may be made use of against 168. Yet may be made use of against the Commons the Commons as well as by them for if this method hold what can hinder the Lords at one time or other from taking advantage of a Bill very grateful to the Commons and much desired by them to tack a new clause to it of some Foreign matter which shall not be altogether so grateful nor so much desired and then the Commons must take all or none too THUS every good Bill shall be dearly bought at last and one 169. This is the way for every good Bill to be dearly bought at last chief end of calling Parliaments the making of good Laws shall be wholly frustrated and disappointed and all this by departing from that method which the wisdom of our Ancestors prescribed on purpose to prevent and exclude all such inconveniences THESE Innovations the King resolves to abolish and hath 170. These Innovations the King will abolish commanded me to say to you State super vias Antiquas My Lords and Gentlemen THERE never did there never can again so much depend 171. What great things depended on the success of that Meeting upon the happy success of any one Meeting as there does upon this IF this Session do not repair the misfortunes and amend the faults of the last it will look like a fatality upon the Nation LET not the whispers or Evil surmises of those who lie in 172. Let no evil surmises of base men make any mistrustful wait to deceive make any man the unhappy occasion of endangering the safety of the Government by mistrusting it HE whose House is destroyed by Fire would find but little consolation in saying the Fire did not begin by his means but it will be a matter of perpetual anguish and vexation of heart to remember that it was in his power to have extinguished it EMBELLISH the History of this Parliament by shewing 173. Good Service very acceptable to the King who never forgets any thing but Injuries us the healing vertue of this Session so shall your Service be acceptable to the King who never forgets any thing but Injuries so shall you recommend your selves to posterity by transmitting to them the same peace and happiness you are trusted with LET us then carefully avoid all differences amongst our selves 174. Differences that our Enemies wish for is the best way for us to ruine our selves all manner of clashing about Jurisdictions and all Lord Chanc. Sp Mond 21 Oct. 78. p. 15 17 18 19. disputes of such a nature as can never end in any Accommodation For this is still what our Enemies would wish who would be glad to see us ruin'd without their being at the charge of it 175. Great significations of Loyalty and Duty the only means to discourage our Enemies AND therefore we must now above all other times labour to shew the World the most effectual significations of our Loyalty and Duty that we are able to express for nothing in the World can more discourage our Enemies as on the contrary nothing does or can so ripen a Nation for destruction as to be observed 176. As nothing sooner destroys a Nation then to distrust its own Government to distrust their own Government YOU now find the King to be involved in difficulties as great and without your assistance as insuperable as ever any Government 177. The King involved in great difficulties did labour under AND yet his Majesty doth not think that there need many 178. There needs not many words to bespeak our zeal for the things themselves speak aloud words to bespeak your Zeal and Industry in his Service for the things themselves now speak and speak aloud The publick and the private Interest do both perswade the same things and are and ought to be mighty in perswasion IF the honour and safety of your Country and which is next 179. The honour and safety of our Country the concerns of our Families and Posterities call to us to that the concerns of your own Families and Posterities cannot awaken your utmost care to preserve that Government which only can preserve you and yours all other discourses will be to no purpose THERE can be no difficulties at all to them who take delight 180. No difficulties to them who delight to serve the King and their Country in serving of the King and their Country and love the occasions of shewing it SUCH are all here But though the King have had for many years a large and full experience of your duty yet there never 181. No time like this to try all our affections was a time like this to try your affections THERE is so strange a concurrence of ill accidents at this 182. A strange concurrence of ill accidents time that 't is not to be wondred at if some very honest and good men begin to have troubled and thoughtful hearts Yet that which is infinitely to be lamented is that malicious men too begin to work upon this occasion and are in no small hopes to 183. Malicious men begin to work upon this occasion raise a Storm that nothing shall be able to allay IF you rescue the Kings affairs from such a Tempest as this 184. If the Parliament can weather this Storm they 'l do as good service to the King as ever yet he stood in
himself the most malicious men room to say I had not removed all causes which could be pretended to influence me towards Popish Councels BESIDES that end of Vnion which I am at and which I wish could be extended to Protestants abroad as well as at home I purpose by this last step I have made to discern whether the Protestant Religion and the peace of the Kingdome be as truly aim'd at by others as they are really intended by me FOR as he afterwards brings it in in the same Speech 155. He will defend the Protestant Religion with his life pag. 7. saith he I do give you this assurance that I will with my life defend both the Protestant Religion and the Laws of this Kingdom NOW with a very easie transposition of the Lord Chancellors own words in his Speech at the same time to both Houses of Parliament pag. 10. I may with great truth say that if his 156. Sure then his Majesty wants no evidence of his Zeal for our Religion Majesty had wanted any evidence of his Zeal for our Religion surely this testimony from his Enemies who were about to sacrifice him for it is sufficient to satisfie the whole World For as there neither is nor hath been these fifteen hundred 157. Not a purer Church than ours these 1500 years years a purer Church than ours so 't is for the sake of this poor Church alone that the State hath been so much disturbed It is her truth and peace her decency and order which Our Enemies labour to undermine and pursue with so restless a malice Id. Pag. 14. WHEN we consider the afflicted condition of the Protestants 158. What the Protestants abroad suffer is in some measure a weakening of the Protestant Interest abroad we may be sure that every calamity they suffer is in some measure a weakning of the Id. p. 15. Protestant Interest and looks as if it were intended to make way for a general extirpation HOW watchful therefore does it become us all to be that the same evil Spirit and temper does not get too much ground 159. Let us watch that no ill men do us harm at home among us here at home how ought we all to use our utmost vigilance and activity care and prudence to prevent those disturbances which the restless spirits of ill and unquiet men will be always contriving THERE are so many things to do and so little time to 160. No time to be lost do them in that there ought not to be one minute lost Id. p. 16. AND therefore the King makes it his constant care to do 161. The Kings constant care to do all things to preserve our Religion and to secure it for the future every thing that may preserve Our Religion and secure it for the future in all events and he there saith he hopes the several particulars Kings Speech to both Houses Wednesday April 30. 1679. p. 4. he hath commanded my Lord Chancellour to mention will be an evidence that in all things that concern the publick security he shall not follow Our Zeal but lead it THAT Royal care which his Majesty hath taken for the general quiet and satisfaction of all his Subjects is now more evident by this new and fresh instance of it HIS Majesty hath considered with himself Lord Chancellors Speech to the same pag. 5. that 't is not enough that your Religion and Liberty is secure during his own reign but he thinks he owes it to his people to do all that in him lies that these blessings may be transmitted to your posterity and so well secured to them that no succession in after ages may be able to work the least alteration AND what he there had in command to say to that Parliament I shall refer you to the Speech it self it being too tedious here to insert it all but shall conclude this with my Lords own words pag. 7. THUS watchful is the King for all your safeties and if he could think of any thing else that you do either want or wish to make you happy he would make it his business to effect it for you and therefore we may tell those who still contrive the ruine of the Church the best and the best reformed Church in the Christian world reformed by that Authority and with those circumstances as a Reformation ought to be made that God would not so miraculously have snatched this Church as a brand out of the fire would not have raised it from the 162. And therefore surely God would never have done so much for our Reformed Church as he hath unless it were a Church very acceptable to him and which shall continue for ever grave after he had suffered it to be buried so many years by the boisterous hands of prophane and sacrilegious persons under its own rubbidge to expose it again to the same rapine reproach and Impiety Lord Chancellours Speech Dec. 29. 1660. p. 20 21 That Church which delights its self in being called Catholick was never so near expiration never had such a Resurrection that such a small pittance of Meal and Oyl should be sufficient to preserve and nourish the poor Widow and her family so long is very little more miraculous than that such a number of pious learned very aged Bishops should so many years be preserved in such wonderful straits and oppressions until they should plentifully provide for their own succession that after such a deep deluge of sacriledge prophaness and impiety had covered and to common understanding swallowed it up that That Church should again appear above the waters God be again served in that Church and served as he ought to be and that there should be still some revenue left to support and encourage those who serve him nay that many of those who seemed to thirst after that revenue till they had possest it should conscientiously restore what they had taken away and become good Sons and willing Tenants to that Church they had so lately spoil'd may make us all piously believe that God Almighty would not have been at the expence and charge of such a Miracle so manifested himself to us in such a deliverance but in the behalf of a Church very acceptable to him and which shall continue to the end of the world and against which the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail The End of the first Chapter concerning Religion CHAP. II. Of Popery BUT notwithstanding his Majesties unquestionable affection 1 But yet notwithstanding the People are mighty jealous of Popery and zeal for the True Protestant Religion manifested in his constant profession and practise against all temptations whatsoever yet many of his Subjects generally are much affected with jealousie The Parliament Petition to the King concerning Romish Priests and Jesuites 1663 pag. 3 4. and apprehension that the Popish Religion may much encrease in this Kingdom which yet his Majesty
hath most piously desired may be prevented and so the Peace 2. Because of the Resort of so many Jesuites and Popish Priests both in Church and State may be insensibly disturbed to the great danger of both WHICH was the reason of both the Houses of Parliaments Humble Suit to the King That he would be pleas'd to Issue out his Proclamation to command all Jesuites and Popish 3. Therefore the Parliament desire the King to issue out his Proclamation for their departure Priests c. to depart this Kingdom by a day under the penalties of the Laws to be inflicted on them but saith his Majesty to them presently in his Speech at the reception of that Petition pag. 5. It may be the general jealousie of the Nation hath 4. His Majesties present answer to them made this Address necessary and indeed I believe nothing hath contributed more to that jealousie than my own confidence that it was impossible there should be any such jealousie and the effects of that confidence but saith he in the next words I shall give you satisfaction and then I am sure you will easily satisfie and compose the minds of the Nation Answer to this Representation and Petition he 5. Afterwards his more deliberate return AND in his April 1. 1663. pag. 7. 8. saith having seriously considered it and having made some reflections upon himself and his own actions he is not a little troubled that his Lenity and Condescensions towards many of the Popish Perswasion which were but natural effects of his generositie and good nature c. have been made so ill use of and so ill deserved that the Resort of Jesuites and Priests into this Kingdom hath been thereby encreased with which his Majesty is and hath long been highly offended and therefore his Majesty readily concurs with the Advice of his Two Houses of Parliament and hath given order for the preparing and issuing 6. That he readily concurs with the advice of his Parliament to grant a Proclamation and that to be more effectual than any of that kind have ever been out such a Proclamation as is desired and his Majesty will take farther care that the same shall be effectual at least to a greater degree than any Proclamation of this kind hath ever been AND his Majesty further declares and assures both his Houses of Parliament and all his Loving Subjects of all his Dominions that as his affection and zeal for 7. For nothing is greater than his zeal for the Protestant Religion and to hinder the Growth of Popery the Protestant Religion and the Church of England hath not been concealed or untaken notice of in the world so he is not nor will ever be so sollicitous for the setling his own Revenue or providing any other expedients for the Peace and Tranquillity of the Kingdom as for the advancement and improvement of the Religion Established and for the using and applying all proper and effectual 8. That being the best way to Establish the Peace c. of all his Kingdoms remedies to hinder the Growth of Popery both which he doth in truth look upon as the best expedient to Establish the Peace and Prosperity of all his Kingdoms AND when it was as artificially as the King himself truly phrases it as maliciously divulged throughout the whole Kingdom That at the same time we deny a fitting liberty to those other His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects December 26. 1662. pag. 3. Sects of our Subjects whose consciences will not allow them to conform 9. The Malicious Scandal of his being more favourabie to Papists than other Dissenters to the Religion Established by Law We are highly indulgent to Papists not only in exempting them from the penalties of the Law but even to such a degree of countenance and encouragement as may even endanger the Protestant Religion As to that most pernicious and injurious scandal so artificially spread fomented of our favour to Papists saith 10. A Repetition of the same detestable Arts of the late Rebellious Times the King as it is but a repetition of the same detestable arts by which all the The same Declaration pag. 9 10 11 12. late calamities have been brought upon this Kingdom in the time of our Royal Father of Blessed Memory who though the most pious and zealous Protestant that ever Reign'd in this Nation could never wash off the stains cast upon him by that malice but by his 11. And therefore we should all be prepared against such poison Martyrdom We conceive our Subjects should be sufficiently prepared against that poison by memory of those disasters especially since nothing is more evident than that the wicked Authors of this scandal are such as seek to involve all good Protestants under the odious name of Papists or Popishly affected yet we cannot but say upon this occasion that our Education and course of Life in the True Protestant Religion hath been such and our constancy in the Profession of it so eminent in our most desperate condition abroad among Roman Catholick Princes 13. Yet the Education of the King in the Protestant Religion hath been such that should any but believe this Scandal it would be a most impardonable offence when as the appearance of receding from it had been the likeliest way in all humane forecast to have procured us the most powerful assistances of our Re-establishment that should any of our Subjects give but the least admission of that scandal into ☞ their beliefs We should look upon it as the most impardonable offence that they can be guilty of towards us 'T is true that as we shall always according to justice retain so we think it may become us to avow to the world a due sense we have of the greatest part of our Roman Catholicks 14. 'T is true the Roman Catholicks did adhere to the King his Father with their Lives and Fortunes against those who employed both against him of this Kingdom having deserved well from our Royal Father of blessed Memory and from us and even from the Protestant Religion it self in adhering to us with their Lives and Fortunes for the maintainance of our Crown in the Religion Established against those who under the name of zealous Protestants employed both fire and Sword to overthrow them both We shall with as much freedom profess unto the world that it is not in our intention to exclude our Roman Catholick Subjects 15. Therefore ought not to be excluded from all share in the benefit of the Act of Indemnity who have demeaned themselves well who have so demeaned themselves from all share in the benefit of such an Act viz. the Act of Indemnity as in pursuance of our promises the wisdom of our Parliament shall think fit to offer unto us for the ease of tender Consciences It might appear no less than injustice that those who deserved well and continued to
wholly employed upon the Publick and not taken up by such Considerations as are less meritorious 68. And a little time serves to make many excellent Laws if that time be wholly employed on the Publick IF therefore there be any without Doors that labour to disunite your Counsels or to render them ineffectual if they can hope that the occasions for this may arise from some difference within your selves or hope by those differences to disguise their own Disaffections to your good Proceedings it is in your power to defeat those hopes to pull off this Disguise and to secure 69. Therefore let none be able to disunite our great Councils a happy Conclusion of this Meeting by studying to preserve a good Correspondence and by a careful avoiding of all such Questions as are apt to engender Strife AND if ever there were a time when the Gravity and the Counsel the Wisdom and the good Temper of a Parliament 70 70 For it is in their power to preserve a good Correspondence 71 71 If ever a Parliament had need to be Grave and Temperate it is now were necessary to support that Government which only can support these Assemblies certainly this is the Hour YOU see with what Zeal the King hath recommended to 72. The King's Zeal to recommend a good Agreement among them you a good Agreement between your selves and that he doth it with all the Care and Compassion all the Earnestness and Importunity fit for so great a Prince to express who would be very sorry that any such misfortune as your Disagreement should either deprive him of your Advice and Assistance or 73. For the contrary would deprive him of their good Advice and Assistance and the people of good Laws his People of those good Laws which he is ready to grant you There is no other way our Enemies can think of by which it is possible for this Session to miscarry for Fears and Jealousies cannot enter here Calumnies and Slanders will find no place amongst wise and good Men. THEY that use these Arts abroad will quickly be discredited when the World shall see the Generous Effects of your Confidence 74. This the only way our Enemies can think of to make us miscarry Men will despair of attempting any Disturbance in the State when they see every step that tends that way serves only to give you fresh occasion to testifie your Loyalty and your Zeal 75. But Men will despair of attempting any disturbance in the State when they see the Parliament united YOU have all the reason in the World to make Men see this for you have the same Monarchy to assert the same Church to defend the same Interests of Nobility and Gentry to maintain the same excellent King to contend for and the same Enemies to contend against AND now you shall hear what my Lord Chancellor had to say to the Parliament concerning this Point He tells them There 76. And they have all the reason in the World to be so is little cause to be jealous of our Liberties and Properties nor do they believe themselves who pretend The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd May 23. 1678. pag. 14 15. to be afraid of either Can there be a greater Evidence of the moderation of a Prince and his 77. Little cause to be jealous of our Liberties and Properties tenderness of the Liberty of the Subject than to suffer as he does every day so much Licentious and Malitious Talk to pass unpunished If there be not any one instance to be 78. For who else would suffer such malicious Talkers to go unpunished found in a whole Reign of a Man that hath suffered against Law and but very few Examples of those that have suffered by it shall we endure them that dare say in Coffee-houses and in other publick places that the Nation is enslaved LET it be lawful to provoke and challenge the most discontented and the most unsatisfied Spirit in the Kingdom to shew 79. One may challenge the most discontented Spirits in the Kingdom to shew when there were less Grievances or less cause of Complaint than now that time if he can since the World began and this Nation was first inhabited wherein there were fewer Grievances or less cause of Complaint than there is at this present Nay give him scope enough and let him search all Ages and all places of the World and tell us if he can when and where there was ever found a happier People than we are at this day AND if Malice it self ought to blush when it makes this Comparison what strange Ingratitude both to God and Man are they guilty of who behave themselves so as if they could 80 80 Nay search all Ages and places of the World and none more happy than we are 81 81 Therefore how ungrateful both to God and Man are they who are ill at ease under so temperate a Government be ill at ease under so temperate a Government AND the King as if all he had hitherto spoken did not seem enough to him for the satisfaction of his People makes one apvance 82. The King declares he will with his Life defend the Laws of this Kingdom higher yet and says to his Parliament I do give you this Assurance that I will with my Life defend the Laws of this Kingdom and may The King's Speech Thursd March 6. 1678 9. pag. 7. he not then let us in cool Blood consider justly go on thus to them I do expect from you to be defended from the Calumny as well as danger of those 83. Therefore let us defend him from the Calumny of those who would render him and the Government odious to the People worst of Men who endeavour to render me and my Government odious to my People THAT there are such and especially at this time it is too notorious and if due Care and Circumspection be not taken they will quickly be in no small hopes to raise a Storm that nothing shall be able to allay SUCH are they who are industriously active in improving Fears and Jealousies among the Populace and in nourishing all 84. It is too notorious that there are such the base Suspicions which they can devise THESE should diligently be looked after who with their Ill meant distinctions between the Court and the 85. And they are those that improve Fears and Jealousies Country between the Natural and the Politick Capacity The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 15 16. go about to perswade others that these are two several Interests 86. they have ill meant distinctions between the Court and the Country between the Natural and the Politick Capacity BUT saith the Lord Chancellor immediately after let such Men have a care of that Precipice to which such Principles may lead them for the first Men that ever began to distinguish of their Duty never left off
all possible Earnestness Id. pag. 3 4. and do conjure you to provide for as speedily as is possible and in such a manner as may give us Security at home and some Reputation abroad I make this Discourse to you with some Confidence because I am very willing and desirous that you should throughly examine whether these Necessities I mention be Real or Imaginary or whether they are fallen upon us by my Fault my own ill Managery or Excesses and provide for them accordingly I am very willing that you make a full Inspection into my Revenue as well the Disbursements as Receipts and if you find it hath been ill managed by any Corruption in the Officers I trust or by my own Vnthriftiness I shall take the Information 138. But not to believe any loose discourses of giving away vast sums of Money in a Morning and Advice you shall give me very kindly I say if you find it for I would not have you believe any loose Discourses how confidently soever urged of giving away Fourscore Thousand Pounds in a Morning and many other Extravagancies of that kind 139. For he is sorry he can reward his faithful Servants no better I have much more reason to be sorry that I have not to reward those who have ever faithfully served the King my Father and my self than ashamed of any Bounty I have exercised towards any Man HERE you find is plain dealing The King comes to ask of 140. Thus if the King ask for Money it is to provide for our Safety and Interest his Parliament some Supply but it is to this end that the Nation may be the better by it that some necessary Provisions for the very Safety of the Kingdom may be made without delay that we may have cause to rejoyce in our own Peace and Quietness being under the Covert of his Wings whose Princely Heart and Head cannot no more than it ought to be free from cares and thoughts of our Protection and Happiness NOR unless upon serious Examination these pressing Necessities be found real and that they have not happened by any fault in him who is perfectly willing that they should enter into the strictest Search in the Case does he require any thing And he would take the Information kindly from them if they would be so free as to tell him upon the Enquiry that they do find Corruption in any of the Officers that he trusts WHEN His Majesty met the House of Commons in the Banquetting-House at Whitehall in March and told them That 141. And he is exceedingly deceived if whatever he hath had given him be any otherwise given than to be laid out for the publick use and benefit and so it shall and we shall find we are the richer by our giving in truth he did not know they were any whit nearer setling his Revenue than they were The King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar. 1. 1661 2. pag 5 6. at Christmas Saith he I am sure I have communicated my Condition to you without Reserve what I have coming in and what my necessary Disbursements are and I am exceedingly deceived if whatever you give me be any otherwise given to me than to be issued out for your own use and benefit Trust me it shall be so and if you consider it well you will find that you are the richer by what you give since it is all to be laid out that you may enjoy the rest in Peace and Security GENTLEMEN I need not put you in Id. ibid. pag. sequente 142. Miserable have been the effects that attended the Wants of the Crown mind of the miserable Effects which have attended the Wants and Necessities of the Crown I need not tell you that there is a Republical Party still in the Kingdom which hath the Courage to promise themselves another Revolution and methinks I 143. Therefore to have such Provision made for the Crown as that it might be able to support it self and secure us is all the King desires and that only for our Preservation should as little need to tell you that the only way with God's Blessing to disappoint their hopes and indeed to reduce them from those extravagant Hopes and Desires is to let them see that you have so provided for the Crown that it hath where withal to support it self and to secure you which I am sure is all I desire and desire only for your Preservation Therefore I do conjure you by all the Professions of Affection you have made to me by all the Kindness I know you have for me after all your Deliverations betake your selves to some speedy Resolutions and settle such a real and substantial Revenue upon me as may hold some proportion with the necessary Expences I am at for the Peace and Benefit and Honour of the Kingdom that they who look for Troubles at home may have that Esteem and Value of us as may secure the Interest and Honour of the Nation and make the Happiness of this Kingdom and of this City once more the Admiration and Envy of the World THUS you see the Peace and Benefit the Interest and Honour and Happiness of this Nation the King's Heart is full of Gracious Intentions to procure and support This is it he greatly desires and desires it for our sakes as well as his own Under his 144. Well when the Parliament had given the King Moneys how does he thank them for it and tell them he will apply it all to the greatest advantage for the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom Protection he would have us to enjoy our Safety not only that our Persons should be safe but that all that belongs or is dear to us should be so likewise our Religion our Liberties and all our Civil Rights And what more is it possible for a King to do to win over all the Hearts of his Subjects to him And shall he so deserve our Affections and we ever grudge him our Purses BUT to return to the King 's own further Words Saith he to his Parliament My Lords and Gentlemen You have so much obliged me not only in the The King's Speech to both Houses at their Prerogation Mond May 19. 1662. pag 4. matter of those Bills which concern my Revenue but in the manner of passing them 145. And with the best Advice and good Husbandry he can he will contract his Expences with so great Affection and Kindness to me that I know not how to thank you enough I do assure you and I pray assure your Friends in the Country that I will apply all you have given me to the utmost Improvement of the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom and will with the best Advice and 146. How the King found the Crown when he came to it good Husbandry I can bring my Expences within a narrower Compass THE Lord Chancellor in his Speech after this of the King 's said
Rights which he is so sollicitous for SURELY it is enough for any Kingdom and more than most Kingdoms in the World can boast The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. p. 12. of to have their Affairs brought into such a Condition that they may in all Humane Probability 187. Future Contingencies not capable of certain Prospect and unless it be their own default continue for a long time safe and happy FOR Future Contingencies are not capable of any certain Prospect a Security beyond that of Humane Id. ibid. 188. Let us bless the King for taking away our fears and jealousies that our Properties and Liberties are safe Probability no Nation ever did or ever shall attain to LET us therefore bless the King for taking away all our Fears and leaving no Room for Jealousies The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 5. 1672 3. pag. 15 16. Let us bless the King that our Properties and Liberties are safe as well as our Religion What more hath a good English Man to ask but that THIS KING may long Reign and that the Tripple Alliance of King Parliament 189. And may the Tripple Alliance of King Parliament and People never be dissolved and People may never be dissolved AND let all who pray for the long Life and Prosperity of the King add their Endeavours to The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. p. 17. their Prayers and study to prolong his Sacred Life by giving him all the Joys of Heart which can arise 190. And let those who pray for the King's Life and Prosperity add their Endeavours to their Prayers from the Demonstrations of the lively and the warm Affections of his People TO which most excellent Prayer of the Chancellor let all the People joyn with me in this Response of Amen CHAP. IV. Of Parliaments NOTHING conduceth more to the Happiness of a Nation than a right Understanding 1. Nothing tends more to the happiness of the Nation than frequent Meetings in Common Council for the Security of all we have or are is lodged in our English Parliaments Sir Edward Turner 's Speech to the King Friday Feb. 8. 1666. on the Prorogation pag. 1 2. between the Prince and the People and nothing more advanceth this Correspondence than frequent Meetings in Common-Council By the Wisdom of our Fore-Fathers the Security of our Lives our Liberties and our Properties is lodged in our English Parliaments And so Gratious have Your Majesty's Predecessors been that for the satisfaction of their People they have made several Laws some for Triennial some for Annual Parliaments Your Majesty by their Example upon the humble Suit of your Lords and Commons hath in a former Session of this Parliament passed an Act for Triennial Meetings in Parliament But in this Your Majesty hath exceeded all your Predecessors that as your happy Restauration was in a Convention of Parliament so of your own Accord for the Publick Good and as a Demonstration of your extraordinary Love to Parliaments You have vouchsafed ever since Your Return to converse with your People in Parliament this being the Sixth Year and the Sixth Session of this present Parliament I DO chuse to begin with these words of the Speaker as being vere Emphatical in themselves and most convenient and apposite to usher in the several other following Declarations and Speeches to prove this to you that the King's Affection to Parliaments is extraordinary and that it hath been his Delight and wonderful Satisfaction as well as his very often Use and Practice to converse with his People in them AND that you may have no reason why to disbelieve me I shall without any further trouble of my own words straight fall upon what the King himself hath said IN the Letter which His Majesty sent to the Speaker of the Commons assembled in Parliament what Security did he give us of this in saying WE do assure you upon our Royal Word 2. No former Kings have had a greater Esteem of Parliaments than our present King that none of our Predecessors have had a The King's Letter to the Speaker of the Commons from Breda April 4 14. 1660. pag. 4. greater Esteem of Parliaments than we have in our Iudgment as well as from our Obligation We do believe them to be so Vital a Part of the Constitution of the Kingdom and so necessary for the Government of it that we well know neither Prince nor People can be 3. Neither Prince nor People can be happy without them in any tolerable degree happy without them And therefore you may be confident that we shall always look upon their Counsels as the best we can receive and shall be as tender of their Privileges and as careful 4. Their Counsels the best the King can receive to preserve and protect them as of that which is most near to our self and most necessary for our own Preservation AND as this is our Opinion of Parliaments that 5. He will be tender of their Privileges and careful to preserve them their Authority is most necessary for the Government of the Kingdom so we are most confident that you believe and find that the Preservation of the King's Authority is as necessary for the Preservation of Parliaments 6. The Preservation of the King's Authority as necessary for the Preservation of Parliaments as their Authority is necessary for the Government of the Kingdom and that it is not the Name but the right Constitution of them which can prepare and apply proper Remedies for those Evils which are grievous to the People and which can thereby establish their Peace and Security And therefore we have not the least doubt but that you will be as tender in and as jealous of any thing that may infringe our Honour or impair our Authority as of your own Liberty and Property which is best preserved by preserving the other HOW far We have trusted you in this great Affair and how much it is in your 7. It is in their Power to restore a ruined Nation Id. pag. 5. Power to restore the Nation to all that it hath lost and to redeem it from any Infamy it hath undergone and to make King and People as happy as they ought to be you will find by Our inclosed Declaration a Copy of which We have likewise sent to the House of Peers and you will easily belieâ—e that We would not voluntarily and of Our Self have reposed so great a Trust in you but upon an entire Confidence that you will not abuse it and that you will proceed in such a manner and with such due Consideration of Vs who have trusted you that We shall not be ashamed of declining other Assistance which we have Assurance of and repairing to you for more Natural and Proper Remedies for the Evils We would be free from nor sorry that We have bound up Our own Interest so entirely with that of Our
50. For the King hath set his Royal heart to do his People good Reason why we may expect it For saith he You have set your Royal heart upon it to do your people good WHAT this next Parliament was in the King's thoughts you will quickly find if you have but a due regard to his own words for saith he to them at their opening I think there are not many 51. And he is sure that there will be a mutual concurrence between him and them in all things that may advance the Nations happiness of you who are not particularly known to me there are very few of whom I have not heard so King's Speech to both Houses 8 May 1661. pag. 2. much good that I am as sure as I can be of any thing that is to come that you will all concur with me and that I shall concur with you in all things which may advance the peace plenty and prosperity of the Nation I shall be exceedingly deceived else SAITH my Lord Chancellor to this Parliament The King hath called you hither by his Writ to assist him with your Information and Advice in the greatest and weightiest affairs of the Kingdom By his Writ which is the Lord Chanc. Speech to the same pag. 7. 52. The King 's Writ is the only good and lawful way for the meeting of a Parliament only good and lawful way to the meeting of a Parliament and the pursuing that Writ the remembring how and why they came together is the only way to bring a happy end to Parliaments WHAT the work of this Parliament was you shall hear him in the same Speech tell them thus My Lords and Gentlemen Though the last Parliament did great and wonderful things 53. And a Parliament have very great things to do indeed as much as in that time they could yet they have left very great things for you to do You are to finish the Structure of which they but laid the Foundation indeed Idem pag. 11. 12. they left some things undone which it may be they thought they had finished the inspection into which things will become your wisdoms YOU need not question but this their care to perform and perfect made his Majesty thus say to his House of Commons I do 54. Never a more Loyal Parliament than that elected in 1661. speak my heart to you when I tell you that I do believe that from the first Institutions of Parliaments to this hour there was never a House of Commons fuller King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar. 1. 1661. pag. 4. of affection and duty to their King than you are to me never any that was more desirous and solicitous to gratifie the King than you are to oblige me never a House of Commons in which there were fewer persons without a full measure of zeal for the honour and welfare of the King and Country than there are in this HOW glad was He to hear they had repealed that Act which 55 By repealing the Act which excluded the Bishops from sitting in the House Parliaments are restored to their primitive Institutions excluded the Bishops from sitting in Parliament because saith he You have thereby restored Parliaments to their primitive Institutions THIS was an effect to be sure of his great kindness and affection to them and this doubtless made him go on as he did saying I hope my Lords and Gentlemen you will in a short 96. To restore Parliaments to their primitive order is to restore them to its primitive veneration with the People which the King wishes they may always have time restore them to the primitive order and gravity of debates and determinations which the license of King's Speech 30 July 1661. pag. 2 3. the late distempered times had so much corrupted which is the only way to restore Parliaments to its primitive veneration with the people which I heartily wish they should always have AND how well they acquitted themselves in all things tending to the happiness of both King and Kingdom Sir Edward Turnor tells his Majesty in these words Since your Majesty did convene the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament they have with unwearied Speakers Speech 30 July 1661. pag. 1. 57. And see how they acted labour consulted for the Service of your Majesty and the good of this Nation VERY justly then might the Lord Chancellor begin his Speech as he did with refreshing their memories with what the King first said to them It is now little more than a year that the King first called you to attend him here at the opening of the Parliament then you may remember he told you that he thought 58. The King was not deceived in his confidence of them there were not many of you who were not particularly known to him that there were very few of whom he had not heard so much good that he was he said as Lord Chanc. Speech 19. May 1662. p. 7. 8. sure as he could be of any thing that was to come that you would all concur with him and that he should concur with you in all things which might advance the peace plenty and prosperity of the Nation His Majesty said he should be exceedingly deceived else IT was a Princely declaration and a rare confidence which could flow from no other Fountain but the sincerity and purity of his own Conscience which admitting no other designs or thoughts into his Royal breast but such as must tend to the unquestionable prosperity and greatness of his people could not but be assured of your full concurrence and co-operation with him It was a happy and a blessed Omen which at the instant 59. This was a happy Omen to defeat those that thought to get advantage by their differences struck a terrour into the hearts of those who promised themselves some advantages from the differences and divisions in your Counsels and hoped from thence to create new troubles and molestations in the Kingdom and God be thanked the King hath been so far from being exceedingly deceived that he doth acknowledge He hath been exceedingly complied with exceedingly gratified in all he hath desired and he hopes he hath not in the least degree disappointed your expectation THEY had so exceedingly gratified him and he had such an extraordinary kindness and affection for them that though he had designed to have Prorogued them four days sooner because of the arrival of the Queen yet for the good of his people who 60. And he was so pleased with them that he staid four days longer than he would have done because their Bills should be perfected are always dear to him he was pleased to condescend to tarry so long until they had fully perfected the work they were about and prepared all their Bills for the Royal assent And there cannot be a more transcendent instance of the King's love and passion for his
then we must consider again that our peace abroad will 76. Peace at home not subsist any longer than while we do maintain our peace at home for without this no Kingdom can be able to act in its full strength and without that the Friendship or Id. p. 8. Enmity of any Nation ceases to be considerable to its Neighbours Now 't is a great and a dangerous mistake in those who think 77. They are deceived who think it is peace at home because the Sword is not drawn the peace at home is well enough preserved so long as the Sword is not drawn whereas in truth nothing deserves Id. ibid. the name of peace but Unity Such an Unity as flows from an unshaken trust and confidence between the King and 78. Nothing deserves the name of peace but Unity his people from a due reverence and obedience to his Laws and to his Government from a Religious and an awful care not to remove the ancient Landmarks not to disturb those Constitutions which time and publick convenience hath settled from a 79. What Unity that is to be zeal to preserve the whole frame and order of the Government upon the old foundations and from a perfect detestation and abhorrency of all such as are given to change Whatsoever falls short of this falls short of Peace too Id. ibid. WHEN the Parliament met on the 21. October 1678. after several short Prorogations saith the Chancellor to them How much 80. How much the King relies upon accounts of and thinks himself safe in his Parliament is evident in his not letting them be out of his reach the King relies upon the advice and assistance of his Parliament how necessary he accounts it to him and Lord Chanc. Speech 21 Oct. 78. p. 6. how safe he thinks himself in it is evident by this that he hath not suffered you all this year to be out of his reach but hath continued you from time to time by a succession of little and short Prorogations A Parliament is the great the wise and the powerful Counsel 81. A Parliament the great wise and powerful Counsel â—f thâ— Nation of this Nation from the wisdom of this Counsel the King is sure he shall receive the best advice from Lord Chanc. Speech Thurs 6 March 78 9. p. 9 10. the duty and loyalty of this Assembly he can never want a chearful assistance and the King resolves to meet you all with so much grace and goodness that he hopes this Parliament shall end in no disappointment of any but our Enemies IT may seem strange perhaps to some that his Majesty who 82. The dissolution of the late long Parliament had so long and large an experience of the duty of the last Parliament should now and in this present conjuncture think fit to call a New one but the King hath so equal a confidence in the affections of all his good Subjects that he intends to be acquainted with them all and to have many and frequent Consultations with them and hopes by this means to attain first a true and right understanding of his people and next to that to be rightly understood by them AND as he did dissolve that Parliament which as you may see had done both him and the Nation so many good and profitable services so likewise for very great and weighty Reasons he saw it good and necessary to dissolve his numerous Privy-Councel 83. Dissolution of the Privy-Councel and to constitute such a one as may not only by its number be fit for the consultation and digestion of all business both Domestick and Foreign but also by the choice of them out of 84. And the constituting a new one the several parts this State is composed of may be Declaration which the Chancellor read to the Privy-Councel being caused to meet extraordinarily April 20. 79. pag. 2 3. the best informed in the true Constitutions of it and thereby the most able to Counsel him in all 85. And by their constant advice the King to govern his Kingdom together with the frequent use of his Parliament the Affairs and Interests of this Crown and Nation And by the constant advice of such a Councel his Majesty is resolved hereafter to govern his Kingdoms together with the frequent use of his Great Councel of Parliament which he takes to be the true ancient Constitution of this State and Government NOW for the greater Dignity of this Councel his Majesty resolves 86. Their number limited to that of thirty their number shall be limited to that of thirty And for their greater Authority there shall be fifteen of his Chief Officers who shall 87. Who those thirty shall be be Privy-Counsellors by their Places And for the other fifteen he will choose ten out of the several Ranks of the Nobility and five Commoners of the Realm whose known Abilities Interest and Esteem in the Nation shall render them without all Id. ibid. suspicion of either mistaking or betraying the true Interests of the Kingdom and consequently of advising him ill AT the opening of that Parliament 8 th of May 1661. his Majesty then said Without hearing the advice of my 88. Without the advice of his Privy-Councel he will do nothing of publick importance Privy-Councel as I never did so I never will resolve King's Sp. pag. 6. any thing of publick importance And how much he hath made use of them I need not tell you the whole World is sufficiently sensible And what great use he means to make of this his new Councel you cannot but be abundantly satisfied with his own words to his Parliament which tell you I have made 89. And therefore has chosen such as are worthy and able to advise him choice of such persons as are worthy and able to advise me and am resolved in all my weighty and important King's Sp. April 21. 1679. p. 9. affairs next to the advice of my great Councel in Parliament which I shall very often consult with to be 90. Fresh promises of often consulting with his Parliament advised by this Privy-Councel IT is the duty then of all Parliaments and Councels with unwearied labour to consult for the service of his Majesty and the good 91. The Parliaments and Councels duty of this Nation as I before have hinted how that Parliament did so would in a little time our Fields grow white to Harvest THEN let not needless fears and jealousies possess our minds and because immediately we are not as perhaps we would be let us not be rash in drawing any ill consequences of concluding that we never shall be otherwise THE design was mischievous enough no doubt that made some men a good while since talk of Dissolutions and that then Parliaments were even just expiring when the King himself declared it was as distant from his thoughts as it would have been little to his
to posterity may be perpetual for the fruit it shall produce and for the commemoration that will follow it Ibid. THEN will this year be a true year of Jubilee and we shall have nothing left to wish or pray for in this World but the blessed continuance of his Majestie 's long and happy reign over us Ibid. BUT it seems this did not meet with that happy effect the King 135. Yet the ill designs of the Enemy were too prevalent against the good ones the King had proposed to himself in behalf of his People could have wish'd it had as it appears by his own Speech to them two months after which though much against his will caused him to make that Prorogation you shall hear of saith he The ill designs of our Enemies have been too prevalent against those good ones I had proposed to my self in behalf of my people and those unhappy differences between my two Houses are grown to such an height that I find no possible King's Speech 9. June 1675. pag. 4. means to put an end to them but by a Prorogation 136. But still the King is uneasie in making use of the expedient of a Prorogation It is with great unwillingness that I make use of this Expedient having always intended an Adjournment for the preserving of such Bills as were unfinished but my hopes are that by this means the present occasion of differences being 137. But hopes the old differences will be buried by it taken away you will be so careful hereafter of the publick as not to seek new ones nor to revive the old AND therefore when he met them next after this Prorogation with what warm affections for the good of his people doth he speak to them I meet you now with a more than usual concern 138. His warm affections to them at the next meeting for the Event of this Session and I know it is but what may reasonably be expected from that care I owe to the prefervation of the Government The causes of the last Prorogation and 139. He will remember nothing of former businesses himself and hopes his Parliament will follow his example hath he not here set a most generous Example indeed for all good Subjects to imitate as I for my part do not desire to remember so I hope no man else will unless it be to learn from thence how to avoid the like occasions King's Speech to both Houses Wednes 13 Oct. 1675. p. 3. for the future and I pray consider how fatal the consequences may be and how little benefit is like to redound to the people by it However if any 140. Or at least will defer them till publick Bills are perfected thing of that kind shall arise I desire you would defer those debates till you have brought such publick Bills to perfection as may conduce to the good and safety of the Kingdom NO King did ever meet a Parliament with juster cause of confidence 141. No King met a Parliament with more confidence in their affections and therefore relies upon it that they will never forsake him in their Affections AND therefore his Majesty will not suffer himself to doubt but relies firmly upon it that you will never forsake him when he is under any kind of difficulties FOR it is impossible that those Affections which Piety and Allegiance first planted which persecution could not abate 142. For it is impossible those affections of Piety and Allegiance they have ever had should now decay which the gracious influences of his Majestie 's happy Government have hitherto increased should now Lord Keepers Speech to the same p. 7. appear to wither and decay My Lords and Gentlemen THE happiness of this present Age and the fate and fortune 143. The happiness of both the present and next Age is much in the Parliaments hands of the next too is very much in your hands and at this time all that you would desire to settle and improve all that you would wish to secure and transmit to your Posterities Id. p. 8. may now be accomplished AND you see with what Zeal the King hath recommended to 144. The Kings Zeal in recommending to them a good agreement you a good agreement between your selves and that he doth it with all the care and compassion all the earnestness and importunity fit for so great a Prince to express who would be very sorry that any such misfortune as your disagreement should either deprive him of your Advice and Assistance or his People of those good Laws which he is ready to grant you Id. p. 10. WELL his Majesty did not think he had yet done enough or at least if more would rather induce and prevail with them he was resolved to spare no words to forget no arguments that had any cogency and weight in them to bring his Parliament over to that calmness of temper that necessary moderation so much desired by all good and honest men as might settle us upon the sure and lasting foundations of peace and happiness saith he My Lords and Gentlemen 145. His further earnestness after a long Prorogation I have called you together again after a long Prorogation that you might have an opportunity to repair the misfortunes of the last Session and to recover and restore the right use and end of Parliaments The time I have given you to recollect your selves in and to consider whither those differences tend which have been so unhappily managed and improved between you is King's Speech 15 Febr. 1676 7. pag. 1 2. enough to leave you without all excuse if ever you fall into the like again I am now resolved to let the World see that it shall not be 146. The Kings desire to have the People happy by his Parliaments consultations my fault if the people be not made happy by your consultations in Parliament Id. ibid. AND therefore that you may hear the sum of the whole matter and which the King was pleased to refer to his Parliament saith he in page the 4th To conclude I do recommend to you 147. He recommends to them the peace the safety and the prosperity of the Kingdom the peace of the Kingdom in the careful prevention of all differences the safety of the Kingdom in providing for some greater strength at Sea and the prosperity of the Kingdom in assisting the necessary charge and support of the Government And if any of these good ends should happen to be disappointed 148. And would have no disappointment of them if possible I call God and Men to witness this day that the misfortune of that disappointment shall not lie at my door Id. ibid. IF therefore there be any endeavours to renew nay if there 149. But would have all remembrances of former things extinguished be not all the endeavours that can be to extinguish the memory of all former
Remedies are extremely to be wish'd other new Remedies it is extremely to be wish'd that those Remedies may be few and withall that they may be gentle and easie too Id. ibid. FOR they that are sick perish as often by too many Remedies 204. The Sick perish as oft by too many as by none at all as by none at all but none fall so fatally and finally as they who being entred into some degrees of convalescence resolve to recover in an instant and had rather make some great effort or try some bold experiment upon themselves than observe the methods or attend those gradual progressions which are necessary to perfect that health and compleat that recovery Id. ibid. DOUBTLESS the King will surpass himself at this time in 205. Doubtless the King will surpass himself in endeavouring the Kingdoms good may you excell your selves in enlarged Affections endeavouring to procure the good of the Kingdom do but you excell your selves too in the enlarged evidences of your Affections and then the glory of reviving this State will be entirely due â—â— your happy meeting as being attended with an unparallel'd Vnaâ—iâ—ity Constancy and Resolution beyond the president of former Parliaments Id. p. 20. THEN they who wait for the languishing and the declination 206. It will strike terrour and amazement in all ill persons of the present Government will be amazed to see so happy a Crisis so blest a Revolution Ibid. AND Ages to come will find cause to celebrate your memories 207. And future Ages will celebrate your memories as the truest Physicians the wisest Counsellors the noblest Patriots and the best Parliament that ever King or Kingdom met with Ibid. So that it may perfect what the last begun for the safety of 208 May it perfect what the last begun for the safety of the King and Kingdom this King and Kingdom that it may be ever famous for having established upon a durable foundation our Religion Laws and Properties that we may not be tossed with boisterous winds nor overtaken by a sudden dead calm but that a Lord Chanc. Sp. 27 Oct. 1673. p. 10. gentle fair gale may carry you in a steady even and resolved way into the Ports of Wisdom and Security AND since a whole Session of Parliament is in the Judgment 209. The whole Session of Parliament is but as one day and Construction of our Law but as one day may you all endeavour that the morning of it the first entrance upon it may be with such fair and such auspicious circumstances Lord Keepers Sp. Wcdnes 13 Oct. 75. p. 11 12. as may give the whole Kingdom an assurance of a bright and a chearful day LET no ill humours gather into Clouds to darken or obscure 210 May no ill humours gather into Clouds to darken it it for this day is a Critical day and more depends upon that Judgment of our affairs which will be made by it than can easily be imagined IT imports you therefore to take care that no part of this time 211. May no part of this time be lost be lost let every precious minute of this day be spent in receiving such Acts of grace and goodness as are ready to flow from the King and in making such retributions for them as may become the grateful hearts of the best Subjects to the best of Kings SO shall this day become a day of disappointment and discomfort 212. So this will be a day of disappointment to our Enemies and a joyful day to this and all future generations to our Enemies but to us and all good men a glorious day a day of triumph and deliverance a memorable and a joyful day to this present and to all future generations AND the God of Peace and Unity prosper all your Lord Chanc. Sp. Thursd 23 May 78. pag. 19. consultations to the honour and happiness of the 213. And the God of Peace and Unity prosper all your consultations King and the joy and comfort of all his good Subjects AND let us all pray that He who hath once more miraculously 214. And continue his Divine protection over us delivered the King the Church and the State would be pleased still to continue his Divine protection and give us thankful and obedient hearts And when we have offered up those hearts to God let us in the next place offer them again to the King 215. And may you have the honour of making him the greatest King and he the glory of making us the happiest people and lay them down at the footstool of his Throne that so the King may see himself safe in your Councels rich in your Affections victorious by your Arms and raised to such a Lord Chanc. Sp. Thursd 6 Mar. 7â— 9. p. 18 19. height by your Loyalty and Courage that you may have the honour of making him the greatest King and he the glory of making you the happiest People Neve major neve minor cura opera suscipiatur quà m causa postulet Tull. Offic. lib. 1. FINIS Addenda THE Title-page having it seems promised you the material substance of the several Speeches in Parliament upon the aforesaid Heads inclusively till the end of the last viz. in January 1680 1. I found my self in Duty bound to add these that follow by way of Appendix to make good the Promise because the Title Sheet was all wrought off before ever I had a view of it And so I hope my Generous Readers will accept of this as a reasonable Excuse in my favour HIS Majesty being very sensible how much our Divisions at home would be likely to render our Friendship less considerable abroad saith To prevent these as much as may be I think fit to renew His Majesties Speech to his two Houses Monday Octob. 21. 1680. p. 4 5. to you all the Assurances which can be desired that nothing shall be wanting on my part to give you the fullest satisfaction your hearts can wish for the Security of the Protestant Religion which I am fully resolved to maintain against all the Conspiracies of our Enemies and to concur with you in any new Remedies which shall be proposed that may consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and legal course of Descent AND in Order to this I do recommend it to you to pursue the further Examination of the PLOT with a strict and an Impartial Enquiry I do not think my self safe nor You neither till that matter he gone through with and therefore it will be Necessary that the Lords in the Tower be brought to their speedy Trial that Iustice may be done IN his next Speech to his Parliament the King is pleased to remember the same thing and saith I did promise you the fullest satisfaction your hearts could wish for the Security of the Kings Speech Wednesday December 15. 1680. pag. 4. Protestant Religion and to concur
that there may be but one heart and one soul among us He that does not now put his Hand and Heart to support the King Lord C. S. to Si. Job harleton then chosen Speaker to the House of Com. Feb. 5. 1672. p. 23. in the Common cause of this Kingdom can hardly ever hope for such another Opportunity or find a time to make satisfaction for the Omission of this Let us tryby our means to raise up the hearts and hopes of all those whom ill men have wrought upon to such a degree as to cast them into a sadness end into a despondency which is most unreasonable Lord Ch. Sp. Ap. 13. 75. p. 22. What the Romans Scorned to do after the Battle of Cannae what the Venetians never did when they had lost all their Terra firma that men are now taught to think a vertue and the sign of a Wise and Good man desperare de Republica And let us try what we can to confirm the faith of those that p. 23. are made weak and give to the King the present of all our hearts and the full assurance of all our Lives and Fortunes to preserve him in his just Prerogatives that he may with the Greater confidence and chearfulness still secure and further promote the true protestant Religion and all due Liberties and Properties to these Kingdoms Then will the King esteem himself a Richer Prince then if he were possest of all the treasures of the East And if any man should question or suspect His Majesties affection towards the Protestant Religion and his firm resolution still to maintain it together with all our Civil Rights let him be pleased to hear him give his own Royal word for 't and as Solomon saith where the word of a King is there is Power And first to begin with Religion CHAP. I. Of the Protestant Religion FOR as his Majesty very wisely hath observed to us in his Declaration to all his Loving Subjects of his Kingdom 1. Of Religion of England and Dominion of Wales concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs in the very year of His Happy Restauration 25th day of Oct. 1660. pag. 3. There is so close a Connexion between the Peace of the Church and the Peace of the State That the One cannot be disturbed without the Other These are his words how much sayth he the Peace of the State is concern'd in the Peace of the Church and how difficult a thing it is to preserve Order and Government in Civil whilst there is no Order or Government in Ecclesiastical Affairs is evident to the world and this little Part of the World our own Dominions hath had so late experience of it that we may very well acquiesce in the conclusion without enlarging our self in discourse upon it it being a Subject we have had frequent occasion to contemplate upon and to lament abroad as well as at home TRUE Religion has an enlightning Influence 2. What Religion is over the minds of men It works upon Lord Keep Speech April 13. 1675. pag. 11. the Conscience is an inward Principle of the divine Life by which good men do govern all their actions And if rightly followed and obeyed how great 3. How sweet and peaceable where it is right would the harmony of affection be amongst us The Impressions which the Law of Religion makes in the hearts of good men are all healing and Sanatory There is no divide Impera within her Districts no furious Heats and hostile Clashings to be heard where she has uncontrolled Power and Sovereignty That unruly and unmanly Passion which no question the Divine Nature exceedingly abhors sometimes and I fear too frequently Transports those who are in the right as well as those who are in the wrong and leaves Lord Chan. Speech Thursday Sept. 13. 1660. p. 20. 21 22. the latter more excusable than the former when men who find their manners and dispositions very conformable in all the necessary obligations of humane Nature avoid one anothers conversation and grow first unsociable and then uncharitable to each other because one cannot think as the other doth And from this Separation we Entitle God to the Patronage of and concernment in our Fancies and Distinction and purely for his sake hate 4. An Eminent Instance of Christian Love and Charity one another heartily It was not so of Old when one of the most Ancient Fathers of the Church tells us that Love and Charity was so signal and eminent in the Primitive Christians that it even drew admiration and envy from their Adversaries Vide inquiunt ut invicem se diligunt Their Adversaries in that in which they most agreed in their very prosecution of them had their Passions and Animosities amongst themselves They were only Christians that loved and cherished and comforted and were ready to dye for one another Quid nunc illi dicerent Christiani si nostra viderunt tempora Says the Incomparable GROTIUS how would they look upon our sharp and virulent Contentions in the Debates of Christian Religion and the bloudy Wars that had proceeded from those Contentions whilst every one pretended to all the Marks which are to attend upon the True Church except only that which is inseparable from it Charity to one another How did These in the Late Distracted Times who would 5. How different Christians are from the temper and spirit of Christ needs be call'd Christians differ from Christ the True and Only Head of the Church How calm and quiet how sedate and peaceable was he throughout the whole Conduct of his Life though he walked in the midst of a stubborn and perverse Generation that despised his Doctrine reproached him for his Miracles in saying That he cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils he came to his own and his own received him not yet he was sweet and affable in all his Conversation 6. Christ was meek and Curteous gentle and affable to all continually doing good to those who were his Enemies and the worst of them too Though he was reviled yet he reviled not again and though he was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth when he was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities and the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and by his Stripes we are healed yet he went as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the shearers he was dumb and opened not his mouth but just before his expiration upon the Cross he mercifully poured out this prayer for those his Enemies that could not forbear breaking forth into this curse of his Blood be upon us and our Children that God would freely pardon them in this their sin Father says he forgive them they know not what they do But how did these make it their business to rend 7. We are sowre and morose fierce and bitter one against another and divide the Church by tying it up
just to such a Party â—nd such a Perswasion as if only Loe here was Christ where they were pleased to have him and not there whereas alass it is not different Forms as to Circumstantials that denominate us Christians but it is the holding of the Truth in the substance of it And is it not too much so now in our dayes what Parties what Factions what Interests and separations are among us and in matters meerly circumstantial how hasty are we in stamping a Jus Divinum on such things as are doubtful dark and disputable among men that perchance are equally wise and pious judicious and learned on both sides We ought to put no more weight nor a greater necessity on those things than the Divine Wisdom hath clearly put upon them in his word nor to Spend more of our Zeal about such things than is proportionable to its weight and measure We should allow for the imperfection of men and the imperfect state of the Church for here we know but in part and therefore we should bear with one another if in any thing we be otherwise minded one to another But we are instead of this pecking one at another How positive are we of our own ways as if we were all infallible stretching our Authority far beyond our just Rule and Line when we have catched up a new Notion strait we lay it upon Conscience as that which must be maintained although to the great prejudice of the whole Interest of Religion and so rend the Church and run away from all those that agree not with us in all things Oh! what peeques and grudgings what heart-burnings and contentions are there between parties that differ What defamatory Speeches what scandalous Reflections and how unbecoming are their heats of language one against another so much that we are in a very fair way of running into the same if not more violent and worse distractions than we were in in the late sad and dismal times if God of his infinite wisdom and mercy heal not these our breaches and compose our differences Quis Talia fando Temperet a Lachrymis THIS disquisition hath cost the King many a sigh many a 8. This division among us hath cost the King many a sigh sad hour when he hath considered as was said before the almost irreparable reproach the Protestant Religion hath undergone from the divisions and distractions which have been so notorious within this Lord Chan. Speech Thursday Sept. 13. 1660. pag. 22. Kingdom What pains he hath taken to compose them after several discourses with learned and pious men of different perswasions you shall see by and by as also his great Indulgence to those who can have any protection from Conscience to differ from their Brethren And he is a most discerning generous and merciful Prince who hath had more experience of the Nature and humour of mankind than any Prince living can best distinguish between the tenderness of Conscience and pride of Conscience between the real effects of Conscience and the wicked pretences to Conscience who having fought with Beasts at Ephesus knows how to guard himself and Lord Chan. Speech Monday May 19. 62. pag. 17. the Kingdome from the assaults and violence of a strong malicious corrupted Understanding and Will and how to secure himself and the Kingdome from the feeble traps and nets of deluded fancies and imaginations In a word He is a Prince of so excellent a Nature 9. Who is a most discerning Prince and of a tender Conscience himself and hath the highest compassion for all Errours of that kind and so tender a Conscience himself that he hath the highest compassion for all Errours of that kind and will never suffer the weak to undergo the punishment ordained for the wicked and knows and understands better than any man that excellent Rule of Quintilian Est aliquid quod non oportet etiam si licet aliud est jura spectare aliud justitiam Therefore let us hold Communion in such things wherein we are agreed and Love and Charity wherein we differ HIS Majesty hath considered Religion first in General as 10. Religion considered 1st generally as opposite to Popery 2 d. as established by Law in the Church of England it is PROTESTANT and stands in Opposition to Popery and Secondly more particularly as it is the Protestant Religion Established by Law Lord Keep Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 9. 10 11. in the Church of England he sees that as such it is not only best suited to the Monarchy and most likely to defend it but most able to defend it self against the Enemies of all Reformation Upon the former account 11. Therefore the Laws against both Papists and Dissenters are now awakened he hath awakened all the Laws against the Papists there is not one Statute extant in all the volume of our Laws but his Majesty hath now put it in a way of taking its full course against them Upon the latter account his Majesty with equal and impartial Justice hath revived all the 12. Not with equal severity against the latter Laws against dissenters and Non-conformists but not with equal severity for the Laws against the Papists are edged and the execution of them quickned by new rewards proposed 13. These and all other Laws subject to the pleasure of a Parliament to the Informers those against Dissenters are left to that strength which they have already Both these and all other Laws whatsoever are always understood to be subject to the pleasure of a Parliament which may alter amend or explain them as they see cause and according unto publick convenience FOR when we consider Religion in Parliament we are supposed 14. Religion how to be consider'd in Parliament to consider it as a Parliament should do and as Parliaments in all Ages have done that is as it is a part of our Laws a part and a necessary part of our Government Of this more hereafter Let us now hear what this our most Excellent Majesty hath declared and said to us concerning it WHEN he was at his Court at Breda a little before his 15. How the King declares for the establishment of the Protestant Religion happy coming over to us and sent his Letter to the Speaker of the then House of Commons Assembled in Parliament he thus Writes to him what he should read to the House If you desire saith he the advancement April 14. 1660. pag. 5. 6. and propagation of the Protestant 16. Nothing could stratle the King or make him in the least degree swerve from the true Protestant Religion Religion we have by our constant profession and practise of it given sufficient testimony to the World that neither the unkindness of those of the same faith towards us nor the civilities and obligations from those of a contrary profession of both which we have had abundant evidence could in the least degree startle us or make us
me in it I have transmitted the Book of Common Prayer with those Alterations and Additions which have been presented to me by the Convocation to the House of Peers with my approbation that the Act of Vniformity may relate to it so that I presume it will be shortly dispatched there and 89. It requires great prudence and discretion no passion and precipitation when we have done all we can the well-setling that Affair will require great prudence and discretion and the absence of all passion and precipitation You see how his Majesty promised that he would give up all his endeavours to compose the unhappy differences in matters of Religion and to restore the Languishing Church to Peace Vnity and Order Constantine himself hardly spent so much of 90. How mightily his Majesty has laid out himself to restore the Church to peace unity and order his own time in private and publick conferences to that purpose His Majesty Lord Chancellors Speech to both Houses of Parliament on Saturday Decemb. 29 1660. The Day of their Dissolution pag. 8. in private Conferred with the Learned Men and heard all that could be said upon several Opinions and Interests apart and then in the Presence 91. Constantine himself scarce spent so much time about it of both Parties himself moderating in the Debates and less care and diligence and authority would not have done the work And if after all this his Majesty doth not reap 93. If after all some will keep up old Breaches they must be reduced by Law to the obedience of the Law the full Harvest he expected from those Condescentions if some men by their Writing and by their Preachings endeavour to continue the old Breaches c. I shall say no more than that I hope their want of modesty and obedience will cause them to be disclaimed by all pious and peaceable men who cannot but be well contented to see them reduced by Law to the obedience they owe to Law ON Tuesday April 5. 1664. as if his Parliament were somewhat doubtful of it The King when he came then to give his Royal Assent to two Bills breaks out into these words to them I do assure you upon my word and I pray believe 9â— The King has no other thoughts or designs in his heart but to support the Religion Established and make us happy by it me That I have no other thoughts or designs in my heart but to make you all happy in the support of the Religion and Laws Established pag. 4. The Late King lost his Life in the defence of the Reformed Religion and his present Majesty whom God Almighty long continue among us hath manifested his affection to the Church of England as by Law Established in despight of all calumnies and through extream difficulties with the highest acts of Solemnity imaginable WHEN his Majesty met his both Houses of Parliament in 67. how instant was he to have them take it into their considerate thoughts how to settle Religion more to the quieting of his Peoples minds and His Majesties Speech to both Houses Monday 10 Feb. 1667. pag. 4. for the Establishment of Unity and Concord among them Saith he one thing more I hold my self obliged to recommend unto you at this 94. And therefore reminds his Parliament that they would think of some course to beget a better union among his Protestant Subjects as being the best way to support the Government present which is that you would seriously think of some course to beget a better union and composure in the minds of my Protestant Subjects in matters of Religion whereby they may be induced not only to submit quietly to the Government but also chearfully give their assistance to the support of it WHEN the King sent his Grace the then Earl of Lauderdail his Maiesties High Commissioner for the Parliament of Scotland You shall hear what he said to them concerning his Majesties 95. The Kings constant and unalterable zeal to maintain and defend the True Reformed Protestant Religion in Scotland Resolution to maintain the True Protestant Religion there It was by command from his Royal Master to say in his Name at the opening Earl of Lauderdail 's Speech to the Parliament of Scotland Oct. 19. 1669. pag. 3. 4. of that his Parlirment And first saith he I am to assure you of his Majesties constant and unalterable zeal for maintaining and defending the True Reformed Protestant Religion in this 96. That â—e will maintain and defend the autient Government of it being most suitable to Monarchy his Kingdom for which he will constantly lay out his whole power and authority as also for discouraging and punishing all Atheism and Prophanities and all that is contrary to true Religion and Godliness I am further particularly commanded to assure you that with no less zeal and constancy he will maintain and defend the Antient Government by Arch-Bishops 97. Episcopal Government the most Primitive and Apostolick and Bishops as now it is happily setled as a sure Fence for the True Refromed Protestant Religion a Government most suitable to Monarchy and well may I call it Antient for whoever 98. The King will refend the persons of the Archbishops Bishops all the Orthodox Clergy in their Functions will look into Antiquity shall find Episcopal Government hath continued in the whole Catholick Church both East and West even from the most Primitive and Apostolick Times and a little after in the said 4 pag. after he had just touched upon the sad Calamities and Confusions of the Late Times he says farther in his Majesties Name and by his special Command I do assure you he will employ his utmost power in the maintenance 99. Will not endure those numerous Conventicles that tend to Sedition and Schism of that Government and will protect the persons of my Lords the Archbishops and Bishops and of the Loyal Orthodox and Peaceable Clergy in the exercise of their Functions he will not endure those numerous and unlawful Conventicles 100. The King of late hath set up some that were peaceable men in vacant Churches though they came not up to the Rules Established They should therefore carry themselves worthy of that high favour which tend to Sedition and Schism which have been too frequent in some few Shires of this Kingdom Good Laws have been made and in prosecution of those Laws the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council have shewn their care for suppressing those Seditious Assemblies yea and of late his Majesty has graciously indulged the planting of some who were esteened peaceable men in vacant Churches though they came not up to the Rules Established it will be expected that they walk worthy of so great a favour but if after this removal of the very pretence of unlawful Conventicles any Factious People shall in contempt of his Majesties Laws yea 101. But if any factious people in contempt of his
not to send any person to be educated abroad in any Popish Colledge Or Seminary and we command all Parents or Guardians of any Person or Persons now remaining in any such Colledge or Seminary that they cause the said Person or Persons speedily to return home as they will answer the contrary at their peril Moreover we require all 40. None to be brought up in Popish Colledges abroad and where any are there speedily to return home Persons born within any of our Dominions and out of Prison who have taken Orders by any Authority derived from the Church or See of Rome except Mr. John Huddlestone to depart the Kingdom before the twenty fifth day of March next according to the tenor of our late Proclamation and also to depart the Court within the fourteen days appointed by our late Order in Councel And we forbid all Papists or reputed 41. And all born here in any of these Dominions that have taken Orders by any Authority from Rome to depart the Kingdom Papists to come into our Palace at Whitehal or St. James's or into any other place where our Court shall be contrary to our late Prohibition upon pain of Imprisonment in the Tower if he be a Peer of the Realm or in some other Prison if he be of lesser Quality SO that you see if the Conviction of all Recusants bringing them under the penal Laws can suppress Popery If without 42. And no Papist nor reputed Papists to come to Court upon pain of Imprisonment staying for the Forms of the Law in Lord Keepers Speech to both Houses Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 8 9. points of Conviction the present forbidding all Papists or reputed Papists to come to Court the extending this Prohibition to his Royal Palace be enough to discountenance them THEN surely His Majesty hath reason to believe that scarce any thing is wanting which can lawfully be done or modestly 43. So that surely now scarce any thing is wanting either for satisfaction or security be wisht either for your satisfaction or your security INDEED I cannot but think and confess that we have good cause to be sollicitous after such security for they are persons whose Doctrines teach them to study how to sap and undermine our very Foundations as I could at large prove were it not improper to my present business and design BUT further It hath been so stale a Project to Undermine 44. A stale Project to undermine the Government by accusing it of indeavouring to bring in Popery the Government by accusing it of endeavouring to introduce Popery and Tyranny that a man would wonder to see it taken up again Chancellors Speech to both Houses 23 May 1678. pag. 12 13 14. HAVE we forgotten that Religion Liberty were never truly lost till they were made a handle and pretence for Sedition Are we so ill 45. Our Religion and Liberty ne'r lost till made a handle and pretence for Sedition Historians as not to remember when Prelacy was called Popery and Monarchy Tyranny When the property of Nobility and Gentry was held to be destructive of Liberty and that it was a dangerous thing for Men to have any sence of their Duty and Allegiance DO we know all this and suffer men without doors to hope 46. Therefore the same Artifices must not prevail now by our Divisions to arrive at the same times again Can we indure to see men break the Act of Oblivion every day by reviving the memory of forgotten Crimes in new practices IF Fears and Jealousies can ever become wise and good men it is only then when there is danger of a relapse No 47. It is wisdom in this respect to fear and to be jealous caution can be too great against the Returns of that fatal Distemper from which we have been so lately recovered especially when some symptoms of it begin again to appear in printed Libels and in several parts of the Nation IT might perhaps be worth our while to consider whether we do not bring some kind of Scandal upon the Protestant 48. But not to doubt the continuance of the Protestant Religion since we have so many Laws to guard it Religion when we seem so far to distrust the truth and power of it that after so many Laws that have been past to guard it after all the Miraculous Deliverances from the Attempts which have been made against it we should still be afraid of its continuance IT is no doubt a duty which we owe to God and to our selves to the present Age and to Posterity to improve the opportunities 49. 'T is our duty to improve all opportunities to fence our Vineyard God gives us of fencing our Vineyard and making the Hedge about as strong as we can And the King hath commanded me to tell you that he is ready to concur with us in any thing of this kind which shall be found wanting and 50. The King ready to concur in any thing which yet is wanting for our Security which the Christian prudence and Justice of a Parliament can propose as expedient HATH not the late Act made it impossible absolutely impossible for the most concealed Papist that is to get into any kind of Imployment and did ever any Law since the Reformation 51. No Papist can get into any Imployment give us so great a security as this THE October after the King comes himself to his Parliament and there saith to them I now intend to acquaint You as I 52. About the Kings acquainting the Parliament with the Plot against his person c. He will leave the matter to the Law and he 'll do all he can to prevent the practices of those who are contriving to bring in Popery shall always do with any thing that concerns me that I have been informed of a Designe against my Person by the JESUITES of which I shall forbear any Opinion lest I may seem to say too much or too little but I will leave the matter to the Law and in King's Speech on Munday 21th Oct. 1678. p. 4 5. the mean time will take as much care as I can to prevent all manner of practices by that sort of Men and of others too who have been tampering in a high degree with Forreigners and contriving how to introduce Popery amongst us NOW that the Fears of Popery may not too much disquiet you be pleased to consider that you have one Security 53. This is one Security more to us for that which was always the interest of the Kings honour and conscience is now the interest of his Person too more since that which was always the Interest of his Majesty's Honour and Conscience is now become the interest of his Person too to protect the Protestant Religion and to prevent the swarming Lord Chancellors Speech to the same p. 13 14. of Seminary Priests For his Majesty hath told you that
yet makes 3. His Majesty's Care of them hath been so much that we are obliged to all Acknowledgments so loud a noise in the World GOD knows these are as the great Diana of the Ephesians to us of these we are fond even to Superstition and you shall find the King as affectionate to you and as desirous to preserve them all in their just Measures as you can possibly with any Conscience wish he should be 4. The Annals of our most happy times scarce have one Year in them but what is more severe than a whole Reign hath yet produced NAY The Care of your Civil Rights and Liberties hath been so much His Majesty's that the more The Lord Keepers Speech on the 13th of October 1675. pag. 6 7. you reslect upon these Concerns the more you will find your selves obliged to acknowledge His Majesty's Tenderness of you and Indulgence to you SEARCH your own Annals the Annals of those Times you account most happy you will scarce find one Year without an Example of something more severe and more extraordinary 5. Statues have been erected for those Princes in Foreign Nations that never had half that Moderation which we have lived to enjoy than a whole Reign hath yet produced PERUSE the Histories of Forreign Nations and you shall find Statues and Altars too have been erected to the Memories of those Princes whose best Vertues never arrived to half that Moderation which we let me add for these twenty Years have lived to see and to enjoy AND Let us all evermore remember this unexceptionable A Letter from His Majesty at Breda Apr. 4 14 1660. to the Speaker of the House of Commons pag. 4. Truth which His Sacred Majesty was pleas'd 6. This Liberty is best preserved by preserving the King's Honour himself to lay down to us long ago that Our Liberty and Property is best preserved by preserving the Honour of the King FOR the Greatness and Dignity of the King The Lord Keeper's Speech Wednesd Oct. 13. 1675. p. 7. The Lord Chancellor's Speech to Baron Thurland at the taking of his Oath January 24. 1672 3. pag. 3 7. The King's Greatness the Peoples Safety is the Greatness and Safety of his People Therefore LET not the King's Prerogative and the Law be 8. Therefore the King's Prerogative and the Law should not be two things with us two things with you For the King's Prerogative is Law and the principal part of the Law and therefore in maintaining that you maintain the Law The Government of England is so excellently interwoven that every part of the Prerogative hath a broad mixture of the Interest of the Subject the Ease and Safety of the People being inseparable from the Greatness and Security of the Grown THE knowing of our own Interest will secure June 26. 1673. pag. 4. 9. The knowledg of our own Interest secures us to the King 's and Nations us to the King 's and the Nation 's I repeat them thus together saith the Lord Chancellor in his Speech upon the Lord Treasurer 's taking his Oath in the Exchequer because none but Mountebanks in State Matters can think of them asunder 10. Prerogative not extended beyond its due Limits AND if the not extending his Prerogative beyond The Lord Keeper's Speech to both Houses January 7. 1673 4. pag. 9. its due Limits can secure our Liberties then surely we have no need to fear the least Diminution of them For 11. The King only considers his Prerogative in order to preserve the Peace and Security of the Kingdom SAITH The King The Peace and Security The King's Speech April 5. 1664. pag. 3. of the Kingdom and the Welfare of my Subjects I study more than my Prerogative Indeed I consider my Prerogative only in order to preserving the other DO We not see that the King hath made it his The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 8. Care and his Business to do all that is possible to 12. The Laws of the Kingdom the Measures of both his Power and Prudence preserve us in our Civil Rights that he makes the Laws of his Kingdom the Measures not only of his Power but his Prudence that he suffers no Man to be wiser than the Law that he thinks he cannot judge of the Health or Sickness of his State by any better Indication than the Current 13. Their Current gives the best Judgment either of the Health or Sickness of the State of his Laws and suffers nothing to remain that may in the least measure hinder Justice from flowing in its due and proper Channels NOW The Administration of Iustice according His Majesty's Declaration for inforcing a late Order made in Council Feb. 12 1674 5. pag. 3. to the setled and known Laws of the Land is certainly the most reasonable and 14. Administration of Justice according to the known Laws of the Land proper Method for attaining and preserving the Peace and Safety both of Church and State FOR Laws are the Strength of a Kingdom the Walls and Bulwarks of a Nation without which Places are but as the Forests 15. What Laws are to a Kingdom of Wild Beasts to dwell in and the Ends of the Law are to bridle Men's wild and loose Exorbitances and to be instructive and to direct to Duty Now you shall hear what His Majesty hath 16. Their end been pleased to say as to this Point And first If you will but look into that Letter which he sent to the Speaker of the Honourable House of Commons you will find there these words SAITH He If you desire that Reverence and Obedience may be paid to the Fundamental April 4 14 1660 pag. 6. 7. 17. Reverence and Obedience to the Fundamental Laws of the Land is that the King desires to be sworn to and all Persons in Authority Laws of the Land and that Iustice may be equally and impartially Administred to all Men it is that which we desire to be sworn to Our Self and that all Persons in Power and Authority shall be so too In a word There is nothing that you can propose that may make the Kingdom happy which we will not contend with you to Compass And upon this Confidence and Assurance we have thought fit to 18. Nothing can be proposed to make the Kingdom happy but he will contend with us to compass send you this Declaration that you may as much as is possible at this Distance see our Heart AND In the Declaration that was inclosed therein His Majesty thus delivers himself Ve do not desire more to enjoy what is Ours than that all Our The Declaration pag. 2. Subjects may enjoy what by Law is theirs 19. The King desires no more to enjoy his own than to have his Subjects enjoy what by Law is theirs by a full and entire Administration of Iustice throughout the Land and
Laws in full force and power and hath not 32. Our Safety most consists in being govern'd by Law Justice been equally and impartially administred to all ever since the happy Restoration of the King LET There be then no Complaining in our Streets no Murmurings 33. And if our Civil Rights can be yet made more firm to us the King's Heart is full of gracious Intentions for our general Satisfaction in our Borders if we have not Laws enough to secure and please us if we think our Liberties and Civil Rights can be yet more firmly established to us then let us lay down our just Necessities before him Who saith God knows Our Heart is full of Gracious Intentions The King's Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Dec. 26. 1662. pag. 13. not only for the Plenty and Prosperity but for the Vniversal Satisfaction of the Nation And no doubt but he will concur with us in all things which may advance our Peace and preserve our Just Rights to us THIS We may stedfastly believe when he assures his Parliament 34. For nothing can be reasonably proposed but he will readily receive That If there be any thing you think wanting to secure Property there is nothing The King's speech Jan. 7. 1671 4. pag. 4. which you shall reasonably propose but I shall be ready to receive it THEREFORE Be but pleased your selves 35. Therefore being pleased our selves he is best pleased and perswade others to be so contrive all the ways â—â—e Lord Chanâ—â—llor's Speech â—eptemb 13. â—â—60 pag. 23. imaginable for your own Happiness and you will make him the best pleased and the most happy Prince in the World NOW nothing recommends the present Age 36. Nothing so much recommends the present Age as the good Laws made in it unto Posterity so much as the Wisdom and the The Lord Keepers Speech Apr. 13. 1675. p. 15. Temper of the Laws that are made in it for all succeeding Ages judge of our Laws as we do of our Ancestors by the true and unerring Rule of Experience IN Making of Laws therefore it will import us to consider that too many Laws are a Snare for Id. ibid. 37. But too many Laws are a Snare Mr. Grivel in 35 Eliz. said in Parliament as Sir Robert Filmer reports it in his Freeholders Grand Inquest he wished not the making of many Laws since the more we make the less Liberty we have our selves Her Majesty not being bound by them 38. Too few a Weakness in the Government pag. 49 50. too few are a weakness in the Government too gentle are seldom obeyed too severe are as seldom executed And Sanguinary Laws are for the most part either the Cause 39. And Sanguinary Laws either the Cause or Effect of a Distemper in the State or the Effect of a Distemper in the State TO establish this State there seems not to need Id. ibid. many new Laws some will always be wanting And therefore saith the King to his Parliament in his Speech before this of my Lord Chancellor's The principal End of my Calling you now is to know what The King's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 3. 40. Some Laws will always be wanting you think may be yet wanting to the Security of Religion and Property THIS Speech of the King 's as my Lord Chancellor says very 41. Therefore the King calls his Parliament to know what is wanting truly Was in order to unite the Hearts of his The Lord Chancellor's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 8. Parliament and People to himself by all the Emanations of Grace and Goodness that from a great and generous Prince can be expected And here 42. And this in order to unite the Hearts of both Parliament and People to him The King is pleased to add the Consideration of your Id. ibid. Liberties and Properties And while he does so you may be sure that he who is so careful of your Rights will be mindful of his own too for he that does Justice to all can never be wanting to himself AND Saith the King about two Months after I think I 43. And he that is so careful of our Rights sure ought to mind his own have given sufficient Evidence to the World that I have not been wanting on my part The King's Speech to both Houses Jun. 9. 1675. pag. 3. in my Endeavours to procure the full Satisfaction of all my Subjects in the matters 44. The King not wanting in his endeavours to have all his people satisfied in matters both of Religion and Property both of Religion and Property I have not only invited you to those Considerations at our first Meeting but I have been careful through this whole Session that no Concern of my own should divert you from them RELIGION and Liberty stand secured by The Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. p. 19. the most Sacred Ties that are Nay the King 45 45 He invited his Parliament to those Considerations not only at first but all along 46 46 Religion and Liberty secured by the most sacred Ties that are 47 47 The King's Interest to prefer both greater than ours hath a greater Interest in the preservation of both than you your selves for as Religion the Protestant Religion commands your indispensable Obedience so it is a just and lawful Liberty which sweetens that Command and endears it to you DOTH not every man see that the King hath 48. The King hath given new life and motion to Laws given new Life and Motion to such Laws as were The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 19. long dead or fast asleep HATH he not commanded a rigorous and severe Prosecution at Law of all the Officers and Soldiers in His 49. All Officers and Soldiers severely to be prosecuted when they misbehave themselves Majesty's ordinary Guards when they mis-behave themselves towards the meanest Subject And doth not this secure your Properties ARE not all the Priviledges from Arrests which were claimed by His Majesty's Servants extraordinary Id. ibid. who are very numerous abrogated And doth not this 50. All Priviledges of Arrests claimed by any of the King's Servants abrogated prevent the Delays and Obstructions of Justice THESE are not single and transient Acts but such Acts as flow from Habits These are not Leaves Id. ibid. and Blossoms but true solid and lasting Fruits Long long may that Royal Tree Live and Flourish upon which these Fruits 51. These not single and transient Acts but such as flow from Habits do grow BUT the King doth not think this yet sufficient but he will go further on and give us new Assurances that nothing can be more welcome to him than the receiving of such Bills from his Parliament as may truly tend to the Happiness and Ease of his 52. The King ready to gratifie his People in further securing
to find all his Subjects at once in his Arms and himself in theirs SAITH this Gracious Majesty in his Declaration to all his 104. The King accounts his Dignity and Greatness more happily founded on his Clemency and his Subjects Loves than in their Fears and his Power Loving Subjects It hath been always a constant Profession of ours that we do and Decemb. 26. pag. 5. shall ever think our Royal Dignity and Greatness more happily and securely founded on our own Clemency and our Subjects Loves than in their Fears and our Power WHICH most sincere Profession of ours goeth he on may suffice also to expose the Id. ibid. Wickedness and Falshood of that Malice concerning 105. What malice is that to talk of his Arbitrary Government the Design of introducing a way of Government by Military Power NO He knows a better way of Ruling than by that of the Sword it is both more easie and more suitable and agreeing with his Nature his Clemency He had rather come to you in Love than in Power 'T is in your Hearts he aims to live for there he finds his Surest Rest THE King of Spain's Mines will sooner deceive him than that Revenue will fail him for his The Speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons to the King Saturd Decemb. 29. 1660. at their Dissolution pag. 31. Mines have Bottoms but the deeper His Majesty sinks himself into the Hearts and Affections of his People the greater he will find his Wealth to be and the more invincible his Strength THEREFORE did the King ingenuously deal 106. Never any King valued himself more on his People's Love than he doth with us all when he said Never King valued himself more upon the Affections of his People The King's Speech Aug. 29. 1660. p. 5. than I do nor do I know a better way to make my self sure of your Affections than by being just and kind to you all and whilst I am so I pray let the World see that I am possessed of your 107. And the best way to have their Loves is by being just to them all Affections AND saith the Lord Chancellor The King thinks himself the happiest and the greatest Prince of the World not from the Scituation of his Dominions and the The Lord Chanceller's Speech Decemb. 29. 1660. p. 17 18. 108. The King thinks himself the happiest Prince of the World from being possessed of his People's Hearts and Affections Power of his great Navy with which he can visit his Neighbours and keep them from visiting him or from the Noble Revenue you have setled upon him which he will improve with all good Husbandry But from being possessed of the Affections and Hearts of such Subjects that ☜ he doth so entirely love them and depend upon them that all his Actions and all his Counsels shall tend to no other end but to make them happy and prosperous that he thinks 109. And all his Actions and Counsels shall tend to no other end but to make them happy and prosperous his Honour and his Interest principally to consist in providing for and advancing the Honour and Interest of the Nation that he is so confident in the multitude of his very good and faithful Subjects that he is very hard to be perswaded that his few ill and unfaithful Subjects can do him much harm that he so much depends upon the Affection of honest Men and their Zeal for his Security that he is not so sollicitous and vigilant for his own Safety as he ought to be amidst so many Combinations of which he is so well informed that his Servants who with Grief and Anguish importune him not to take so little care of his own safety can obtain no other Answer from him than what Caesar heretofore gave to his jealous Friends Mori se male quam timeri or timere He will die any death rather than live in fear of his own Subjects or that they should live in fear of him 110. His Lenity and Mildness is remarkable HIS Lenity and Mildness and his great and wonderful Condescentions to his People do plainly testifie that all his Endeavours have been and his Resolutions are to make his Kingdom a 111. Therefore let other Princes glory in their Subjects Obedience the King only values himself on his People's Affections Kingdom of Loves to them LET other Princes glory in the most refined The Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 167◠4. pag. 19 20. Obedience of their Vassals His Majesty values himself upon the Hearts and Affections of his People and thinks his Throne when seated there better established than the most exalted Soveraignty of those who tread upon the Necks of them that rise up against them SINCE the World stood never had any King so great a 112. Never had any King such cause to rest on this Security cause to rest upon this Security THEY were your Hearts that mourned in secret for the absence of the King They were your Hearts and Affections to the King which tired out all the late Usurpations by your invincible Patience and Fortitude It was you that taught our English 113. For the People's hearts have been seen all along towards him World to see and know that no Government could be setled here but upon the true Foundations of Honour and Allegiance WHAT may not the King now hope for from you What may not you assure your selves from him Can any thing be 114. Therefore what may not the King hope for from them and what may not they assure themselves of from him difficult to Hearts so united to Interests so twisted and interwoven together as the King 's and yours are BEFORE ever he touched the English Shore of his own free motion how graciously was he pleased to declare that he granted a free and general Pardon to all his Subjects how hainous soever any of their Offences had been to him excepting only some few Persons as should afterwards be excepted by Parliament 115. How readily did he pass the Act of Oblivion so that no Crime should be remembred against them to the prejudice of their Lives Liberties Estates or Reputations and how readily did he pass the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion when it was presented to him To the intent as the Act in the Preamble expresses it that no Crime whatsoever committed against His Majesty or his Royal Father should hereafter rise in Judgment or be brought in question against any of them to the least Endammagement of them either in their LIVES LIBERTIES or ESTATES or to the prejudice of their Reputations by any Reproach or term of distinction and to bury all Seeds of future Discords and remembrance of the former as well in his own Breast as in the Breasts of his Subjects one towards another and that so there should be a firm Resettlement of both his own just Rights and the Rights of his People I say
I am sure it could never be so truly said of any Emperor as of ours Facere recte cives suos Princeps Optimus faciendo docet cumque fit imperio Maximus Exemplo Major est Nor indeed hath he yet given us or have we yet felt any other Instances of his Greatness and Power and Superiority and Dominion over us Nisi as he said out levatione periculi aut accessione dignitatis by giving us Peace Honour and Security which we could not have without him by desiring nothing for himself but what is 131. This made the House of Commons unanimously return him their Thanks for his constant Observance of the Act of Oblivion as good for us as for himself AND certainly the Consideration of this made the Honourable House of Commons Resolve upon the Question Nemine contradicente That the Humble Thanks of their House should be returned to the King's Majesty for his Constancy Feb. 25. 1652. pag 3. Of the House of Comâ—â—â— Votes and Oâ—â—ers then in the Observation of the Act of Indemnity AND also it was then Resolved c. Nemine contradicente That the Humble Thanks of their House 132. As also for his professing against introducing a Government by Military Power should be returned to the King's Majesty for his Profession against Introducing a Government by a Military Power in his Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Decemb. 26. 1662. AND in the Speech which their Speaker delivered in the Name of the whole House Feb. 26. 1662. p. 6 7. he saith thus We your Majesty's most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects c. do for our selves and in the Names of all the Commons of England render to your Sacred Majesty the Tribute of our most hearty Thanks for that infinite Grace and Goodness wherewith Your Majesty hath been pleased to publish your Royal Intentions of adhering to your Act of Indemnity and Oblivion by a constant and Religious Observance of it And our Hearts are farther enlarged in these Returns of Thanksgivings when we consider Your Majesty's most Princely and Heroick Professions of relying upon the Affections of your People and abhorring all sort of Military and Arbitrary Rule AS for the several Sums of Money which have been given to 133. As for his laying out the Moneys that have been given him His Majesty have they not been given him upon the Nation 's Account and for its Good Welfare and Security We have had briefly a By-regard to our own selves and it was the sake of our dear Interest and Safety that made us so full of Generous Liberality to him and how all those great Sums have been laid out to those Ends you shall not take my Word for it but as I have done all along hitherto so I will still continue what must needs be your best and fullest satisfaction to repeat to you the King 's own Words WHEN the House of Commons had passed the Bill entituled An Act for a speedy Provision of Money to pay off and disband all the Forces of this Kingdom both by Sea and Aug. 29. 1660. The Speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons to the King in the House of Lords pag. 7. Land Upon which they hoped such a Sum would be advanced and brought in as might be sufficient fully to discharge and dispatch that Work And humbly prayed His Majesty's Gratious Acceptance of and Royal Assent to it The King was pleased to come and tell them That he thanked them for the many good things they had done for The King's Speech to both Houses Septem 13. 1660 p. 4. him and for the Kingdom And saith he In truth I do thank you more for what you have done for the Publick than what you have done for my own particular and yet I do thank you too 134. He promises which is the best way he can take to gratifie his Parliament and People that not one Penny of it shall be laid out to his own particular Occasions till it is evident the Publick will not need it for that with all my heart But I confess to you I do thank you more for the Provision you have made to prevent Free Quarter during the time the Army shall be Disbanding which I take to be given for my Satisfaction than I do for the other Present you have made me for my own particular Occasions And I do promise you which is the best way I can take to gratifie you I will not apply one Penny of that Money to my own particular Occasions what shift soever I make till it is evident to me that the Publick will not stand in need of it and if it do every Penny of it shall be disbursed that way and I dare say I shall not be the poorer for it WHEN the King came to his Parliament the first day of their Meeting after their Adjournemnt he tells them The Occasion of my coming hither is Extraordinary It is to say something to you on my own behalf The King's Speech to both Houses Wednesd Novemb. 20. 1661. pag. 1 2. to ask somewhat of you for my self 135. And when his Majesty came again to ask them for some more Money he tells them if it did most concern himself and his Straits c. and did not manifestly relate to the publick Peace more than to his own particular he would not ask which is more than I have done of you or of those who met here before you since my coming into England I need not do it now They did and you do upon all Occasions express so great an Affection and Care of all that concerns me that I may very well refer both the matter and the manner of your doing any thing for me to your own Wisdoms and Kindness And indeed if I did think that what I am to say to you now did alone or did most concern my self if the uneasie Condition I am in if the Straits and Necessities I am to struggle with did not manifestly relate to the publick Peace and Safety more than to my own particular otherwise 136. For he can bear his own Necessities patiently enough than as I am concerned in the Publick I should not give you this trouble this day I can bear my Necessities which merely relate to my self with patience enough 137. And then after he had laid open the Obligations of the Crown to provide for the Interest Honour and Security of the Nation and declared to them the pressing Occasions that made him so earnest He desires them to examine throughly whether such Necessities were real or not or whether fallen by his fault upon us and give him accordingly AND having in short given them an Account of the Insupportable Weight that the Publick Necessities laid upon the Crown and the Obligations it lieth under to provide for the Interest Honour and Security of the Nation he says These are the pressing Occasions which I am forced to recommend to you with
OUR Treasures are as the Sinews of War and as the Bonds of Peace and the great Aids which are 164. Our Aids to the King like the Blood in its Circulation Sir Edward Turner 's Speech to the King Frid. 18. Jan. 1666. p. 2. given to the King are but like the Blood in its Circulation which will return again and nourish all the Parts WHEN the Speaker of the House of Commons presented His 165. Upon the Bill of Supply of 180000. l. for the War the King assures us the Money shall be laid out for the same ends it was given Majesty with a Bill of Supply for carrying on the then War of 1800000 l. The King in his Speech to both the Houses thus saith My Lords and Gentlemen I thank you for this other Bill of Supply which you have The King's Speech Feb. 8. 1666. pag. 3. given me and I assure you the Money shall be laid out for the Ends it is given NAY saith the King to them in another Speech I can tell you truly I desire to put you to as little Cost 166. The King desires to put us to as little cost as possible as is possible I wish with all my Heart The King's Speech to both Houses Sept. 21. 1666. p. 3. that I could bear the whole Charge of this War my self and that my Subjects should reap the benefit of it to themselves 167. He wishes he could bear the charge and his Subjects reap the benefit of the War AND he told them Though they had given him very larâ—e Supplies for the carrying on the War yet he was forced to anticipate his own Revenue Id. pag. 4. and so raise a very great Sum of Money or he had not been able to set out the Fleet that last Spring and he had some hopes upon the same Credit to be able to pay off the great Ships as they came in AND all this he was very willing and ready to do himself because he would be as little burdensome and uneasie to his People as possibly he could having found them so free upon all Occasions 168. Though Necessities prest him yet he was unwilling to ask for further Assistance till he saw he could no longer tarry and then he assures us that the great Sum that was last given him was wholly applyed to the Navy as it was intended to give him necessary and large Supplies THIS doubtless made him say to his Parliament I have had great Experience of your Affection and Loyalty to me and am very confident of the The King's Speech to both Houses Tuesd Octob. 19. 1669. pag. 3 4. Continuance of it It is now almost a Year and a half since your last Sitting and though my Debts have pressed me very much yet I was unwilling to call for your Assistance till this time What you gave me last was wholly applyed to the Navy and that extraordinary Fleet for which it was intended AND when he met them the February following saith he When we last met I asked you a Supply and I ask it now again with greater Instance The Vneasiness 169. His earnestness in asking was only from a Prospect of very ill Effects which would besal the whole Kingdom without a new Supply The King's Speech Mond Feb. 14. 1669 70. pag. 4. and Straitness of my Affairs cannot continue without very ill Effects to the whole Kingdom Consider this seriously and speedily it is yours and the Kingdom 's Interest as well as mine and the ill Consequence of a Want of an effectual Supply must not lie at my Door And that no Mis-apprehensions or Mistakes touching the Expences of the last War may remain with you I think fit to let you know 170. And he saith again that no part of the Moneys given him for the War had been diverted to other Uses that I have fully informed my self in that matter and do affirm to you that no part of those Moneys that you gave me for that War have been diverted to other Vses but on the contrary besides all those Supplies a very great Sum hath been raised out of my standing Revenue and Credit and a very great Debt contracted and 171. His Majesty in his own Person hath examined the Accounts and finds this true that all the Moneys have been justly laid out on the War all for the War HIS Majesty hath not only by his Ministers but in his own Royal Person examined the Accounts touching the Expences of the last War and hath thought himself The Lord Keeper's Speech to the same pag. 7 8. concerned to let you know that all the Supplies which you gave him for the War have been by him applyed to the War and no part of them to any other Uses Nay so far from it that if the Preparations towards the 172. Nay and accounting the Preparations many hundred thousand pounds of his own Revenue have been employed also War shall be taken to be for the use of the War as they must be a great part of his own Revenue to many hundred thousands of Pounds hath been employed also and swallowed up in the Charges of the War and what did necessarily relate to it To which may be added the great Debtâ— contracted by His Majesty in the War THUS you see that though your Supplies have been great yet the Charges occasioned by the Id. pag. 9. War and the Calamities which accompanied it have been greater and that the Debt which is left upon His Majesty and which he complains of hath been contracted by the War and not by the diversion of the Moneys designed for it HIS Majesty did not enter into this War upon 173. His Majesty entred not upon it upon any private Inclinations the first step arose from their Advice and promise of Assistance any private Inclination or Appetite of his own the Id. ibid. first step he made towards it did arise from your Advice and the promises of your Assistance But if the Charges and Accidents of the War have out gone all your Supplies and left him under the burthen of this Debt he thinks that as well the Justice to your Promise as the Duty and Loyalty you have always shewed him will oblige you to relieve him from it And the rather when you shall seriously consider how uneasie this burthen must be to 174. Therefore no more questions your Justice to your Fromise than your Duty and Loyalty to him him and what ill Consequences the Continuance under it must draw upon all his Affairs In which particular you and every Person you represent in this Nation will be concerned as well as himself Id. pag. 10. AGAIN His Majesty in his Speech could not leave them without a fresh thanks for their complying with his desires and their ready helping him in his pressing Necessities and without giving them still further Assurances that he would be a very faithful disposer of
she comes to Solomon to commune with him of all that was in her Heart Great Sir whilst this your Native Country was unworthy of you Foreign Nations were made happy in the Knowledge of your Person your Piety and your Wisdom and now the Lord our God hath brought you home and set you on your Throne your Subjects long to see you WHAT Striving and Rejoycing was there at Id. ibid. 19. What rejoycing at the King 's Landing your first Landing to see our Rising Sun WHAT Striving was there at your Coronation to see the Imperial Crown set upon your Royal Head WHAT Striving hath here lately been in all 20. What at his Coronation the Counties Cities and Burroughs of this Nation Id. Ibid. who should be sent up to hear your Wisdom and confer with 21. What Striving to be Parliament-Men to hear his Wisdom and confer with him there you in Parliament ROYAL Sir These Chosen Worthy Messengers are not come Empty Handed they are laden Id. ibid. they are sent up to you heavy-laden from their several Counties Cities and Burroughs IF the Affections of all English Men can make 22. How Happy Great and Considerable the King may be both at home and abroad by his Parliament you happy if the Riches of this Nation can make Id. pag. 12. you Great if the Strength of this Warlike People can make you Considerable at home and abroad be assured you are the greatest Monarch in the World Give me leave I beseech you to double my words and say it again I wish my Voice could reach to Spain and to the Indies too You are the greatest Monarch in the World HAVING thus at large given you the Speaker's Words as it were in Extasie of a Parliament I shall now return to give you the King 's which you will find full of a tender and endeared Affection to them 23. The King's Aims have been such as were most agreeable to the antient Order of Parliament and he hopes they will reduce the Proceedings to those ancient Rules and Orders AND what have the Aims and Endeavours of the King been but such as he hath Thought most agreeable to the ancient Order of Parliaments And The King's Speech Thursd Septemb. 13. 1660. pag. 5. I hope you will all joyn with me saith he in reducing the Proceedings of Parliaments to the Ancient Rules and Orders of Parliaments the Deviation from which hath done us no good And when they desired a Recess though he had then some Inclination to have made a Session yet upon Id. ibid. the desire and Reasons given by the House of Commons for an Adjournment without a Session he did very willingly depart from that Inclination And did not this testifie a very great Kindness BUT you shall hear more Gracious Words from him saith he three Months after this I will tell you that when 24. When God restored the King he brought along with him an extraordinary Affection for Parliaments God brought me hither I brought with me an extraordinary Affection and Esteem for The King's Speech Decem. 29. 1660. at the Dissolution pag. 3 4. Parliaments I need not tell you how much it is improved by your Carriage towards me You have outdone all the good and obliging Acts of your Predecessors towards the Crown and therefore you cannot but believe my Heart is exceedingly enlarged with the Acknowledgment MANY former Parliaments have had particular Denominations from what they 25. Former Parliaments have had particular Denominations let this be called The Healing and the Blessed Parliament Id. ibid. have done They have been styled Learned and Unlearned and sometimes have had worse Epithits I pray let us all resolve that this be for ever called The HEALING and the BLESSED PARLIAMENT AND in the Absence of a Parliament which he promises shall not be long how he will carry and behave himself he hath been pleased to give us a very open and ingenuous Confession in these his following Words AS I thank you though not enough for what you have done so I have not the least doubt by the Blessing of God but when I shall call the next Parliament which I shall do as soon as you can reasonably expect or desire I shall receive your Thanks for what 26. The King will not more propose any Rule to himself in his Actions and Counsels than what the Parliament is like to think of them I have done since I parted with you For I deal truly with you I shall not more propose any one Rule to my self in my Actions and my Counsels than this What is a PARLIAMENT like to think of this ACTION or this COUNSEL And it shall be want of Vnderstanding in me if it will not bear that Test Id. Ibid. A PARLIAMENT is such an Assembly My Lord Chancellor hath said that for which the 27. The King hath a kind of Reverence for a Parliament The Lord Chancellor's Speech Thursd 13. Septem 1660. pag. 6. King him self hath even a kind of Reverence as well as an extraordinary Kindness IT will very easily appear so if you will mind what the King tells you that He hath caused two Bills to be prepared for you i. e. the new Parliament on the 8th of May at their Opening which are pag. 2. for Confirmation of all that was enacted at our last Meeting AND as the Chancellor said he commends the Dispatch of those to you with some earnestness The Lord Chancellor's Speech May 8. 1661. pag. 8 9 10. The Truth is it is a great part of the Business of this Parliament to celebrate the Memory of the last by confirming or re-enacting all that was done by that Parliament which though it was not called 28. The last Parliament though not called by the King 's Writ yet seems to have been called by God himself by the King 's Writ may be reasonably thought to have been called by God himself upon the Supplication and Prayer of the King and the whole Nation as the only means to restore the Nation to its Happiness to its Self to its Honour and even to its Innocence How glad the King was of it appears by what he writ to them from Breda when he referred more to them than ever was referred to Parliament He referred 29. He refers to them more than ever was referred to Parliament in truth upon the matter all that concerned himself all that concerned Religion all that concerned himself all that concerned Religion all that concerned the Peace and Happiness of the Kingdom to them And to their Honour be it spoken and to their Honour be it ever remembred that the King Religion and the Kingdom have no reason to 30. The Kingdom have no reason to be sorry for it be sorry that so much was intrusted to them nor they to be ashamed of the Discharge of their Trust It would have been a very
unseasonable Scruple in any Man who should have refused to bear his part in the excellent Transactions of that Parliament because he was not called thither by the King 's Writ And it would be a more unreasonable Scruple now in any man after we have all received the Fruit and Benefit of their Counsels and Conclusions when in truth we owe our Orderly and Regular Meeting at this time to their extraordinary Meeting then to their Wisdom in laying hold upon the King's Promises and to the King's Justice in performing all he promised and to the Kingdom 's Submission and Acquiescence in 31. A Parliament is that Foundation which supports the whole Fabrick of our Peace and Security those Promises I say it would be very unseasonable and unreasonable now to endeavour to shake that Foundation which if you will take the King's Judgment supports the whole Fabrick of our Peace and Security He tells you what he shall think of any who goes about to undermine that Foundation which is a Zeal no Prince could be transported with but himself WE use to say and say truly that the King when seated in Parliament is then in the fulness The Lord Chancellor's Speech March 6. 167â— â— pag. 18. 32. The King in Parliament is in the Fulness of his Majesty and Power of his Majesty and Power and shines forth with the brightest Lustre Let no Exhalations from beneath darken or obscure it FOREIGN Nations say and say truly that the King of England in Conjunction with his Parliament Id. ibid. 33. And as great and dreadful a Prince as any in Europe is as great and as dreadful a Prince as any in Europe IT was no less a Consideration you may be sure that made the King thus speak to both his Houses I need 34. No King so beholding to Parliaments as he hath been not tell you how much I love Parliaments The King's Speech to both Houses March 21. 166â— 4. pag. 6 7. Never King was to much beholding to Parliaments as I have been nor 35. The Crown cannot be happy without frequent Parliaments do I think the Crown can ever be happy without frequent Parliaments WHEN upon the King 's desiring the House of Commons to give the Triennial Bill a Reading in their House and upon their ready Obedience to that Request both the Houses presented His Majesty with a Bill entituled An Act for the Assembling and Holding of Parliaments once in three Years at the least And for the Repeal of an Act entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniences happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments His Majesty saith to them You will easily believe that I have come very willingly to give my The King's Speech Apr. 5. 1664. pag. 3 4. Assent to this Bill I do thank you very heartily for your so Vnanimous Concurrence in it and for desiring me speedily to finish it And if I understand any thing that concerns the Peace and Security of the Kingdom and the Welfare of my Subjects all which I study more than my Prerogative Indeed I consider my Prerogative only in order to preserving the other every good English Man will thank you for it For the Act you have repealed could only serve to discredit Parliaments to make the Crown Iealous of Parliaments and parliaments of the Crown and perswade Neighbour Princes that England was not Governed under a Monarch It could never have been the occasion of Frequent Parliaments I do promise you I will not be one Hour the less without a Parliament for this Act of Repeal For They are the Great Physicians of the Kingdom and as such can best search into the Distempers of the State and by their good and wholesome Prescriptions if they cannot absolutely bring it to its perfect Health they can at least preserve it in some very good degrees of CONVALESCENCE THIS made His Majesty to desire their Concurrence with him 36. A Parliament is the Great Physician of the Kingdom in his Just and Necessary Severity towards those that were resolved yet to keep up their Factious and Turbulent Spirits against the Peace of the State And though saith he I do very willingly pardon all that is pardoned by 37. Though Clemency be most agreeable to the King's Nature yet he will be severe to the editions dislikers of the Government the Act of Iudemnity yet for the time to The King's Speech to both Houses Aug. 29. 1660. p. 4 5. come the same Discretion and Conscience which disposed me to the Clemency I have expressed which is most agreeable to my Nature will oblige me to all Rigour and Severity how contrary soever it be to my Nature towards those who shall not now acquiesce but continue to manifest their Sedition and dislike of the Government either in Actions or Words And I must conjure you all my Lords 38. And desires the Parliament to concur with him in that just and necessary severity towards such and Gentlemen to concur with me in this just and necessary Severity and that you will in your several Stations be so jealous of the publick Peace and of my particular Honour that you will cause Exemplary Iustice to be done upon those who are guilty of Seditious Speeches or Writings as well as those who break out into Seditious Actions and that you will 39. The traducers of the King's Person are not well affected to Parliaments and the Publick Peace believe those who delight in reproaching and traducing my Person not to be well affected to You and the Publick Peace AND here as they found it most absolutely necessary for the good of the Weal-publick so to do they most readily and most religiously obey'd the Commands of their Sovereign Lord the King So that upon the day of their Dissolution he could not forbear in his Speech thus to deliver himself MY Lords and Gentlemen I will not entertain The King's Speech Decem. 29. 1660. p. 3. you with a long Discourse the sum of all I have to say to you being but to give you thanks very hearty thanks And I assure you I find it a very difficult Work to satisfie my self in my own Expressions of those Thanks Perfunctory Thanks Ordinary Thanks for Ordinary Civilities are easily given but when the Heart is as full as mine is it is a Labour to thank you You have taken great pains to oblige me and therefore it cannot be easie for me to express the sense I have of it THERE cannot be a greater manifestation of The Lord Chancellor's Speech to the same p. 6. 40. The greatest Evidence of the harmony of Affections throughout the Nation is when the King and his Parliament meet with the same alacrity at the Dissolution as at the first Convention an excellent Temper and harmony of Affections throughout the Nation than that the King and his two Houses of Parliament meet with the same Affections and Chearfulness the same Alacrity
had for each other which will restore Parliaments to the veneration they ought to have WHEN there is visible such a harmony of affections and a unity in resolutions to advance the publick service then they who look for troubles at home may despair of their wishes and our Neighbours abroad by seeing all is well at home 104. This will make our Enemies at home to despair and those abroad to have a just honour and esteem for us may have that esteem and value of us as may secure King's Speech to the House of Commons Mar 1. 1661. pag. 5. 7. the Interest and Honour of the Nation and make the happiness of this Kingdom and of this City once more the admiration and envy of the World WELL may the King therefore be solicitous to have this maintained since that the peace and security the honour and the happiness of these Nations is concerned in it This was a consideration 105. And this made the King to desire and conjure his Parliament again to keep a good correspondence together prevailing enough with him to desire and conjure both his Houses to keep a very good correspondence King's Speech to both Houses Mond 21 Mar. 1663 4. p. 8. together that it may not be in the power of any seditious or factious Spirits to make you jealous of each other or either of you jealous of Me till you see me pretend one thing and do another which 106. And not to be jealous of him till they see he pretends one thing and does another which shall never be I am sure you have never yet done trust me it shall be in no bodies power to make me jealous of you AND again saith his Majesty My Lords and Gentlemen I did desire and conjure you at the opening of this Session that you would keep a very good correspondence together that it might not be in the power of any seditious or factious Spirits to make you jealous of each other or either of you jealous of me I must confess to you you have 107. And they have done as his Majesty desired viz kept a very good correspondence towards each other and respect towards him King's Speech to both Houses Tuesd May 17. 1664. p. 3 4 complied very fully with me for which I can never thank you enough You have performed those good respects towards me and kept so very good correspondence towards each other that you have exceedingly disappointed those ill men who both at home and abroad had raised great hopes and expectation of neâ— troubles and confusions This harmony will with God's blessing make us all esteem'd abroad and secure at home ABOUT six years afterwards he comes to them and says One thing I must earnestly recommend to the prudence of hath Houses that you will not suffer any 108. Unity of Minds and Counsels brings happiness both to King and Nation King's Speech Mond 14 Feb. 1669 70. p. 4 5. occasion of difference between your selves to be revived since nothing but the unity of your Minds and Counsels can make this meeting happy either to Me or to the Nation AND on Monday the 11th of April 1670. upon the Adjournment of the Parliament the Speaker thus says to his Majesty By the blessing of God all differences are buried in 109. And they follow'd his Majesties wholsome advice oblivion your Majestie 's happy expedient hath Sir Edw. Turnor's Speech pag. 2. like a strong gale of Wind blown up the Rolling-Sands and filled up all Impressions Vestigia nulla Retrorsum and as your People will universally enjoy the fruit of this happy Union so our united prayers to God shall be that your Majesty may be crowned with the promised blessing Beati pacifici AND when about three years and a half after this the King had heard of some differences in Parliament which his Majesty thought fit to come and put a stop to by an immediate Prorogation how kindly and affectionately did he speak to both his Houses and say My Lords and Gentlemen I need not tell you how unwillingly I call you hither at this time being 110. How unwilling the King was to Prorogue his Parliament though it was to put a stop to some differences then risen enough sensible what advantages my Enemies King's Speech Nov. 4. 1673. p. 3. 4. both abroad and at home will reap by the least appearance of a difference nay being assured they expect more success from such a breach could they procure it than from their Arms. This I say shall whilst I live be my chief endeavour to 111. But it was but a short one that good men should recollect themselves prevent and for that reason I think it necessary to make a short Recess that all good men may recollect themselves against the next meeting AND the January following he tells them most affectionately 112. And therefore Enemies could not hope for a breach between the King and his Parliament from that short Recess When I parted with you last it was but for a little time and with a resolution of meeting suddenly again That alone was enough to satisfie my Friends that they need not fear and my Enemies that they could not hope for King's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 3 4. a Breach between us I then told you that the time of this short Recess should be employed in doing such things as might add to your satisfaction I hope I have 113. For in the mean time the King would do that which should be to their satisfaction done my part towards it and I do now expect you should do your parts too for our Enemies chief hopes are to dis-unite us at home 't is their common discourse and they reckon upon it as their best relief 114. All our Enemies aims are to disunite us My Lords and Gentlemen It is not possible for me to doubt your Affections at any time much less at such a time as this when the evidences of your 115. The King can never doubt the affections of his Parliament Affections are become so necessary to us all THE King hath spoken so fully so excellently well and so like himself that it is almost impossible to shew greater demonstrations of an earnest and tender affection and Lord Chanc. Sp. 5 Febr. 72 3. pag. 5. there is not a word in his Speech that hath not its full weight AND saith he in another The principal end of my calling you now 116. The Kings utmost endeavours to settle a right understanding is to give my self the satisfaction of having used the utmost of my endeavours to procure and settle a right and lasting understanding between us for I must tell you I find the contrary so much laboured and that the pernicious King's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. p. 3 4 designs of ill men have taken so much place under 117. For the contrary is much laboured
need of If you can weather this Storm and steer the Vessel into Harbour If you can find a way to quiet the Apprehensions of those who mean well without being carried away by the passions of others who mean ill If you can prevent the designs of those without doors who study nothing else but how to distract your Councels and to disturb all your Proceedings Then you will have performed as great and as seasonable a piece of Service to the King as ever yet he stood in need of AND when the World shall see that nothing hath been able to disappoint the King of the Assistance he had reason to hope from this Session but that there is a right understanding between the King and his Parliament and that again strengthned and increased by new Evidences of your Duty and Affection and raised above all possibility of being interrupted THEN shall the King be possessed of that true glory which 185. And he will be possest of the true glory which others vainly pursue others vainly pursue the glory of reigning in the hearts of his People Then shall the People be possessed of as much felicity as this World is capable of And you shall have the perpetual Honour and Satisfaction of having been the means to procure to 186. The People of the greatest felicity so much solid and lasting good to your Country as the Establishment of the Peace and Tranquillity of this Kingdom and 187. And themselves of perpetual Honour consequently of all his Majesties Dominions AND now what remains but that the Parliament when e're they sit again should have these most profitable words of the King continually in their Memories which he was pleased to deliver to both his Houses on Thursday 6th March 1678 9. p. 4. and 188. Parliaments to be imployed on the great concerns of the Nation 5. and carefully see that they Imploy their time upon the great concerns of the Nation and be not drawn to promote private Animosities under pretences of the publick So will their proceedings be Calm and Peaceable in order to those good ends the King hath at all times and to be sure will recommend to his 189. And to curbthemotions of unruly Spirits Parliament and that they curb the motions of any unruly Spirits which would endeavour to disturb them For there can be no man that must not see how fatal differences amongst 190. The considerations to be laid before them as urgent and weighty as ever any Parliament had our selves are like to be at this time both at home and abroad FOR the considerations which are now to be laid before them are as urgent and as weighty as were ever yet offered to any Parliament or indeed ever can be so great and so 191. From our dangers at home and a broad surprising have been our dangers at home so formidable Lord Chanc. Speech to the same p. 10. are the appearances of danger from abroad that the most united Councels the most Sedate and 192 Therefore all need of united Councels Calmest temper and zealous Affections the Calmest temper together with the most dutiful and zealous Affections that a Parliament can shew are all become absolutely and indispensably necessary for our preservation AND therefore the King hopes the good understanding 193. And a good understanding between the King and his People between him and his People shall be for ever maintain'd by a perpetual Reciprocation of Grace and Favour on his part and duty and affection on yours Id. pag. 16. YOU will have now an opportunity of doing great things for 194. They have opportunity to do great things both for the King and Kingdom the King and Kingdom and it deserves your utmost care to make a right use of it For it is not in the power of a Parliament to recover a lost opportunity or to restore themselves again to the same Circumstances or the same condition which they had once a power to have improved Id. pag. 17. WOULD you secure Religion at home and strengthen it 195. This is the time to secure Religion at home and to strenghten it from abroad from abroad by uniting the Interests of all the Protestants in Europe This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you let the Christian World see the King in a condition 196. To put the King in a condition to protect all his Adherents able to protect those who shall adhere to him or depend upon him This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you extinguish all our Fears and Jealousies Would you lay aside all private Animosities and give them up to the 197. To extinguish all Fears and Jealousies quiet and Repose of the Publick This is the time Id. ibid. WOULD you lay the foundations of a lasting Peace and 198. And to lay the foundations of a lasting Peace secure the Church and State against all the future Machinations of our Enemies This is the time Id. ibid. My Lords and Gentlemen THE present face of things and the State wherein we now are is so well known and understood abroad that the whole 199. All the World in great expectation of the Resolutions of the Parliament World is in great expectation of those Resolutions which shall be taken here the results of this Counsel seem to be decisive of the fate of these Kingdoms for many Ages and are like to determine us either to happiness or misery of a very long duration Id. pag. 18. MAY then your Wisdom and Moderation be such that the King may never deny you any thing AND when ever you meet may you make it your business to 200. May our Parliament make it their business to repair the Hedge about our Vineyard repair the Hedge about our Vineyard and make it a fence indeed against all those who are Enemies to the Planting of it who would be glad to see it trodden Lord Keepers Speech 7. Ja. 73 4. pag. 8. down or rooted up and study how to sap and under-mine our very Foundations THE Heathens were wont to observe and envy the Christians for their Unity and Love of one Sir Ed. Turnor's Sp. to the King May 17. 1664. pag. 12. 201. May a happy Correspondence be kept between the King and both Houses another Ecce ut invicem se diligunt Christiani May this happy Correspondency between his Royal Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament increase and grow to be the Envy of the World till all his Majesties Enemies are forced to cry Ecce ut invicem se diligunt Anglicani THERE wants nothing more to the improvement 202. May their wisdoms use their advantages with a due moderation of our happiness but the wisdom of the Parliament Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 71 4. pag. 10. to use their advantages with a due moderation AND if upon enquiry you shall think it needful to apply any 203. Few
their Liberties and Properties by as many good Laws as can be proposed and as may comport with the safety of the Government Kingdoms and People SAITH He I declare my self freely that I am ready to gratifie you in a further The King's Speech Thursd Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 2 3. securing of your Liberty and Property if you can think you want it by as many good Laws as you shall propose and as can consist with the Safety of the Government without which there will neither be Liberty nor Property left to any man Having thus plainly told you what I am ready to do for you I shall deal as plainly with you again and tell you what it is I do expect from you I do expect and require from you that all occasions 53. The King being ready to do this for us expects of Difference between the two Houses be carefully avoided For else they who have no hopes to prevent your good Resolutions will hope by this Reserve to hinder them from taking any effect 54. That all occasions of difference between the Houses be taken away AND Let all Men Iudge who is most for Arbitrary Government they that foment such Differences as tend to dissolve all Parliaments or I that would preserve this and all Parliaments from being made useless 55. And let any judge who is most for Arbitrary Government he or others that foment Differences by such Dissentions THE Preserving a State of Peace and Unity The Lord Chancellor's Speech May 23. 1678. pag. 12. 56. Keeping Peace at home now more necessary than ever at home is now more necessary than ever He that foments Divisions now does more mischief to his Country than a Foreign Enemy can do and disarms it in a time when all the hands and all the hearts we have are but enough to defend us NO Fears of Arbitrary Government can justifie no Zeal to Religion can sanctifie such a Proceeding FOR this directly tends to unhinge us all this has nothing but Ruin and Desolation Anarchy and Confusion in the end of it 57. Divisions only tend to Ruin This would the King suppress he would have Right prevail and every man to enjoy all those Civil Priviledges which belong to him as his just due for he would have things to stand upon their Ancient and Sure Foundations Complaints should be heard and Wrongs should be relieved to all alike should Justice be imparted and there should be no respect to persons and this would be the way for the Land to have abundance of Peace For the truth hereof hearken to the words of the King I do not pretend to 58. The Nation never had less cause to complain of Grievances than since the Kings Restoration be without Infirmities but I have never broken my Word with you and if I do not flatter The King's Speech Jan. 18. 1666 pag. 4. my self the Nation never had less cause to complain of Grievances or the least Injustice or Oppression than it hath had in these seven Years it hath pleased God to restore me to you AND when he came to Prorogue his Parliament till towards Winter that so they might in their several places intend the Peace and Security of their several Countries where there were unquiet Spirits enough working I do pray you saith he 59. And he desires his Parliament so to tell the people in their respective Countries for he is sure of it and I do expect it from you that you will use your utmost endeavours to remove all The King's Speech Feb. 8. 1666 pag. 5. those false Imaginations in the hearts of the People which the Malice of ill Men have industriously infused into them of I know not what Iealousies and Grievances for I must tell you again and I am sure I am in the right and it is worthy of the most solemn regard that the People had never so little cause to complain of Oppression and Grievances as they have had since my Return to you THIS is not all The Words of the Lord Keeper who spoke 60. But this is not all the Sense and Mind of the King and which he commanded him to declare to them are more large yet Says he If any just Grievances shall have happened His Majesty will 61. If any just Grievances shall happen he is as ready to redress them as the Parliament to represent them be as willing and ready to Redress them for the future The Lord Keeper's Speech Thursd Octob 10. 1667. pag. 8. Id. pag. 7. as you to have them represented unto him AND therefore although His Majesty hears and has reason to believe that some disaffected persons have spread abroad Discourses and Rumors reflecting upon the Government intending thereby to beget a disaffection in his good Subjects and it is an easie thing to take exceptions Cum neque culpam humana Infirmitas neque Calumniam regnandi difficultas evitet Yet His Majesty promises himself from your good Affections that every one of you in your several places will endeavour to preserve a good Understanding between him and his People Id. pag. 7 8. WELL but the King as if he had not been satisfied in trusting any other to speak his mind comes and tells his Parliament himself I assure you I shall willingly receive 62. And he will willingly receive all Bills of that nature and pass any Bill you shall offer me The King's Speech to both Houses Saturd Mar. 8. 167â— 3. pag. 4. that may tend to the giving you satisfaction in all our just Grievances WHAT is there now that you can complain of 63. we shall be Righted in all our Complaints wherein you shall not be righted DO there want any Laws to secure the Peace and Quiet of the State says my Lord Keeper to The Lord Keeper's Speech Octob. 13. 1675. pag. 8 9 10 11. that Parliament 64. In Laws to secure the Peace of the State WOULD you at once enrich and adorn the Kingdom by providing for the Extent and Improvement of Trade by introducing new and useful Manufactures and by encouraging those we have already 65. In Provisions for the Extent and Improvement of Trade WOULD you prevent all Frauds and Perjuries all Delays and Abuses in the Administration of Justice WOULD you preserve a famous City from being depopulated 66. In preventing all Frauds and Perjuries all Delays and Abuses in the Administring of Justice by the Suburbs Would you restrain the Excess of those new Buildings which begin to swarm with Inhabitants unknown ALL your Petitions of this kind will be Grateful to the King and you may with ease effect all this and much more which your great Wisdoms will suggest to you A little time 67. In restraining the Excess of new Buildings will serve to make many excellent Laws and to give you the honour of being the Repairers of all our Breaches so as that time he