provocations and offences and the occasions of the like for the future if there be such divisions Lord Chanc. Speech to the same p. 8 9. as beget great thoughts of heart shall we call this Peace because it is not War or because men do 150. Or otherwise such divisions look rather like War than Peace not yet take the Field as well we may call it health when there is a dangerous fermentation in the Bloud and Spirits because the Patient hath not yet taken his Bed MUCH of this strange diffidence and distrust which like a 151. All this diffidence rises from the artifices of ill men general Infection begins to spread it self into almost all the corners of the Land rises from the Artifice of ill men who create and nourish all the suspicions which they can devise but the Cure of it lies perfectly in your hands for all Id. p. 11. this will presently vanish as soon as men shall see your Acquiescence and the fruits of it in a chearful concurrence with his Majesty to all those good and publick ends which he hath now so earnestly recommended to you IT would be somewhat strange and without all example in 152. It would be strange for a Nation to be twice undone by one and the same way and means story that a Nation should be twice ruined twice undone by the self-same way and means the same Fears and Jealousies Id. ibid. Machiavel who they say is an Author much studied of late 153. Machiavel an Author much studied of late in this Kingdom to extoll his own excellent Judgment and insight in History in which indeed he was a Master would perswade men to believe that the true reason why so many unexpected Accidents and Mischiefs fall out to the destruction of States and Empires is because their Governours 154. By non-observance of former mischiefs to other States we our selves come to fall into the like have not observed the same Mischiefs heretofore in Lord Chanc. Sp. 19 May 1662 p. 17 18 19. story and from whence they proceeded and what progress they made which he said if they had done they might easily have preserved themselves from ruine and prevented the Inconveniences which have fallen out I am sure you are all good Historians and need only to resort to the Records of your own memories Remember how 155. If we will but remember the late ill times and suffer our selxes again to be undone by secret courses of such vile men we shall be held very ill Historians and worse Politicians your peace hath been formerly disturbed by what contrivance and artifices the people have been alarm'd with unreasonable and unnatural Fears and Jealousies and what dismal effects those Fears and Jealousies have produced Remember how near Monarchy hath been dissolved and the Law subverted under pretence of reforming and supporting Government Law and Justice And remember how many honest persons were misled by not discerning Consequences who would as soon have renounced their part in Heaven as have concurred in the first unwarrantable Action if they had suspected what did follow and if we suffer the same Enemy to break in upon us at the same Avenues if we suffer our peace to be blown up by the same Trains and Machinations we shall be held very ill Historians and worse Politicians HOW happy may a Kingdom be in the frequent Assemblies of 156. How happy may the Kingdom be in the frequent assembly of its great Councel if nothing disturbs it their Great Councels where all that is grievous may be redress'd and all that is wanting may be enacted if those Councels Lord Chanc. Sp. 15 Feb. 1976 7. p. 13. are not rendred useless and impracticable by continuing endless distractions IF the presaging malice of our Enemies should pretend to foretell any such Fate as this to befall us the wisdom and the magnanimity of this Great Councel will quickly be too hard for all their Auguries The Honour and the Loyalty of this August and Venerable Assembly will leave no kind of room for any such divinations Id. ibid. My Lords and Gentlemen THE King hath so long had and still retains such honourable 157. The Kings honourable thoughts of his Parliaments thoughts of these Assemblies that we ought to make it one great part of our business to deserve the continuance of his Majesties grace and good opinion Id. p. 16. LET no Contention then come near this place but that of a 158. The contention of a Parliament should be that of Emulation who should best serve his Country Noble Emulation who shall serve his Country best by well serving of the King let no passion enter here but that of a pious zeal to lay hold upon all opportunities of promoting the honour and service of the Crown till our Enemies despair of ever profiting by any disorders amongst us Id. ibid. FOR saith the King I assure you whatsoever some ill men 159. The King never had any intentions but of good to them would have believed I never had any intentions but of good to you and to my people nor ever shall but will do all that I can for your safety and ease as far as you your selves will suffer me And since these are my resolutions I desire you will not drive me into extremities which must end King's Speech Thursd 23 May 1678. pag. 6. ill both for you and me and which is worst of all for the Nation which we ought all to have equal 160. All ought to have an equal care of the Nation care of therefore I desire we may prevent any disorders or mischief that may befall them by our disagreement and in case they do I shall leave it to God Almighty to judge between us who is the occasion of it LET me add this likewise which the King would always have to be remembred and that is saith he To let you know that I 161. The King will never suffer the method of passing Laws to be changed will never more suffer the course and method of passing Laws to be changed and that if several matters shall ever again be tacked together in one Bill that Bill shall certainly be lost let the importance of it be never so great Id. p. 7. THE King will not suffer himself to believe it possible that 162. The tacking of several matters to one Bill will lose that Bill you should ever forsake him when any difficulties or distresses are near him and therefore he doth Lord Chanc Speech to the same p. 15 16 17 18 19 with great assurance expect your care to preserve him in the affections of his People BUT the King hath so far express'd himself this day that 't is evident the manner of your proceedings is to him as considerable as the matter and that he will not accept a good Bill how valuable soever it may be unless it come to
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
he hath lately received Information of Designes against his own Life by the Jesuites And though he doth in no sort prejudge the Persons accused yet the strict enquiry into 54. This is a Plot of the Jesuits this matter hath been a means to discover so many other unwarrantable practices of theirs that his Majesty hath reason to look 55. But the King will look to them to them NOR are these kinde of men the onely Factors for Rome 56. Lay-persons too are agitators to promote the Interests of a forrein Religion but there are found among the Laity also some who have made themselves Agitators to promote the Interests of a Forreign Religion who meddle with matters of State and Parliament and carry on their designes by a most dangerous Correspondency with Forreign Nations WHAT kinde of Process the Proof will bear and to how high a degree the Extent and Nature of these Crimes will rise is under consideration and will be fully left to the course of Law ALAS it is the professed and avowed principle of these 57. 'T is the principles of such men to kill Kings rather sooner than other men sort of men not to distinguish between the King and another man nay to kill him sooner than any other man and yet the King's Mercy hath been no less obstinate than their Malice and Wickedness few persons have suffered and he hath restrained the Law from being severe to many who at the same time continue their This was spoken by the Lord Chancellor May 8. 1661. of those Traitors that went arm'd through the City but it may justly be applied to these of this damnable Popish Plot. Guilt and undervalue his Compassion There hath not been a Week 58. Scarce since the Plot was first found out a week has been free without some fresh Conspiracies since the first breaking out of this Jesuitical Plot in which there have not been fresh Combinations and Conspiracies formed against his Person and against the Peace of the Kingdom And yet upon all these Alarms and the interception of such Letters as would in all other Countries have 59. Which in other Countries would have produc'd the Rack here the Offenders are tryed by the precise Forms and Rules of Law produced the Rack for further Discoveries he hath left the Offenders to his Judges of the Law and those Judges to the precise Forms and ordinary Rules of the Law HOW hath his Majesty invited all persons even those that are criminal to the highest degree of guilt upon his gracious promises of Pardon nay and of reward too if they would but in the prescribed times lay hold of the Scepter of his Grace to come in and make their ingenuous confessions to him and his Council of this Damnable and Hellish Designe against both his Royal Person and these his Kingdoms yet how obstinately have they withstood all the tenders of his Proclamations that have been so unspeakably to their own benefit and have chosen Death rather than Life as if they were resolutely bent to out-go all his infinite Kindnesses by the most cruel revenge upon themselves So that very well what was said of Caesar might here be spoken of his Majesty that libentius vitam Victor jam daret quà m victi acciperent WELL but to proceed The Parliament having shewed 60. When the Parliament had shewed their great care for the Kings preservation he could not satisfie himself but must heartily thank them their great and extraordinary care for the safety and preservation of his Majesties Person in these times of danger the King as he saith there could not satisfie himself without coming thither on purpose King's Speech to both Houses Saturday Nov. 9. p. 3 4. to give them all his most hearty thanks for it NOR do I think it enough to give you my Thanks onely but I hold my self obliged to let you see withal that I do as much study your preservation too as I can possibly and 61. But not onely so he studies as much our preservation as they did his and will joyn with them in all the ways that may establish the Protestant Religion that I am as ready to joyn with you in all the ways and means that may establish a firm security of the Protestant Religion as your own hearts can wish AND this not onely during my time of which I am sure you have no fear but in all future ages even to the end of the world AND therefore I am come to assure you that whatsoever reasonable Bills you shall present to pass into Laws to make you safe in the Reign of any Successor so as they tend not to impeach the right of Succession nor the descent of the Crown in the true Line and so as they restrain not my Power 62. And that not only now but for future ages nor the just Rights of any Protestant Successor shall finde from me a ready Concurrence AND I desire you withal to think of some more effectual 63. And therefore he tells them all reasonable Bills shall find from him a ready concurrence means for the Conviction of Popish Recusants and to expedite your Councils as fast as you can that the World may see our Vnanimity and that I may have the opportunity of shewing you how ready I am to do any thing that may give comfort and satisfaction to such dutiful and Loyal Subjects 64. And he desires them to think of some more effectual way to convict Popish Recusants c. HE meets his new Parliament in March and then he tells them what he hath been doing since the Dissolution of the other to gain the hearts of all his people saith he My Lords and Gentlemen I meet you here with the most earnest desire that Man can have to unite the minds of all my Subjects both to me and to one another and I resolve it shall be your faults if the success be not suitable 65. He hath excluded the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament he hath executed several men and hath not been idle in prosecuting the discovery of the Plot. The Kings Sp. on Thursday 6 March 1678 9. p. 3 4. to my desires I have done many great things already in order to that end as the Exclusion of the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament the execution of several men both upon the score of the Plot and of the Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and it is apparent that I have not been idle in prosecuting the discovery of both as much further as hath been possible in so short a time AND above all I have commanded my Brother to absent himself from me because I would not leave the most malitious 66. He also commanded the absence of the D. of York men room to say I had not removed all causes which could be pretended to influence me towards Popish Councels I shall not cease my endeavours daily 67.
by extending Our Mercy where it is wanted and deserved AND When he granted a Free and General Pardon to all his Subjects of what Degree or Quality soever who would not persevere in their Guilt for the future by opposing the Quiet and Happiness of their Country in the Restoration both of King Peers and People to their Just Ancient and Fundamental Rights but would return to the Loyalty and Obedience of good Subjects Saith His Majesty Let all our Subjects how faulty soever 20. By his General Pardon no Crime shall ever rise in Judgment against any eito endammage their Lives Liberties or Estates who will now become obedient to Laws The same Declaration pag. 2. 3. rely upon the Word of a King solemnly given by this present Declaration that no Crime whatsoever committed against Vs or Our Royal Father before the Publication of this shall ever rise in Iudgment or be brought in question against any of them to the least Endamagement of them either in their Lives LIBERTIES or Estates Nay so tender is the King of their Credit that he goeth on or as far forth as lies in Our Power so much as to the prejudice of their Reputations by any Reproach or 21. Nay their Reputations shall not suffer if he can help it Term of Distinction from the rest of Our best Subjects IN The King's Speech to his Parliament April 5. 1664. p. 4. He thus saith to them I do assure you upon my Word and I 22. He has no other thoughts but to make us happy in our Laws and prays so to be believed pray believe me that I have no other Thoughts or Designs in my Heart but to make you all happy in the Support of the Laws established NAY The Speaker of the House of Commons when he addressed himself to His Sacred Majesty in the Name of the whole House who are the Representative Body of all the Commons of England could say Most Gracious and dread Soveraign 23. When any thing of Right or but Conveniency has happened to be a measuring Cast a disputable Case he hath always cast it against himself if it hath been for his People's Good though the Knights Citizens and Burgesses Saturday Decemb 29. 1660. being the day of their Dissolution p. 25 26. now assembled in Parliament have no cause to complain they cannot but take notice of your Partiality for when any thing in point of Right or but Conveniency hath fallen out to be as we use to say a measuring Cast a disputable Case between your Self and your People without any regard or respect had unto your own Right or the Advantage that might accrue to your Self by asserting the same if the Good of your People hath come in Competition with it you have always cast it against your Self and given it in on your People's side 24. The Restoration of the King and the Restoring us to our Magna Charta Liberties AND then a little before he concludes this his Speech he returns his thankful Acknowledgment to God for his Infinite Goodness and Mercy in restoring His Majesty to his Royal and Imperial Crown Throne and Dignity and for making him the Restorer of our Religion as likewise saith he for restoring us to our Magna Charta Liberties having taken The same Speech pag. 31 32. the Charge and Care of them into your own Heart which is our greatest Security and more than a thousand 25. The good old Rules of the Law our best Security Confirmations THE King saith it himself and it is true beyond all Contradiction That the Good old Rules of the Law are the best Security These shall be ever dear His Speech May 19. 1662. pag. 4. 26. No Man's Property or Liberty shall ever be invaded to him these will he command his Learned Judges to cherish with Upright and Impartial Justice And in his Speech to both his Houses he ends thus I will Wednesday Feb. 5. 1672. pag. 4. conclude with this Assurance to you that no 27. The King steady in maintaining all his Promises to us concerning Property and ready to give fresh Instances of his Zeal for preserving the established Laws Mans Property or Liberty shall ever be Invaded What Expressions can go higher And how can the King more expatiate himself to you Is not this Security a Satisfaction equal to all your Wishes BUT To proceed be pleased to hear the words of the King again to his Parliament Saith he I hope I need not use many words to perswade you that I The King's Speech Monday October 27. 1673. pag 4. am steady in maintaining all the Professions and Promises I have made you concerning Property And I shall be very ready to give you 28. For his Heart is perfectly with his Peoples in it fresh Instances of my Zeal for preserving the Established Laws as often as any Occasion shall require AND The Lord Chancellor tells us in his Speech then I 29. Reverence and Obedience will be given to Laws when they are well understood that they conduce to the Peoples Profit can add nothing to what His Majesty hath said For as to Property his Heart is with your Heart pag. 9. perfectly with your Heart IT Was a right Ground of Considence such a The Lord Chancellor's Speech Monday May 19. 1662. pag. 14. 15. one as seldom deceives Men that the great Law-maker the wise Solon had when he concluded that Reverence and Obedience would be yielded to his Laws because he had taken the pains to make his Citizens know and understand that it was more for their profit to obey Law and Justice than to contemn and break it and indeed the Profit Benefit and Ease is very great which always attends a chearful Obedience to Laws and Government NO Wonder then we stand up so vigorously for our Old Laws since in maintaining them consists our Perfect Freedom our greatest Liberty And herein too is the King chiefly solicitous because it tends so much to our real Good and Happiness Therefore saith he to his Parliament I shall consent to any reasonable Bills you shall offer me for the Good 30. His willingness to consent to any reasonable Bills for the Good of the Nation The King's Speech Thursd May 23. 1678. pag. 6. and Safety of the Nation AND He thus continues MY Lords and Gentlemen I shall say no more but only to assure you whatsoever some ill Men would have believed I never had 31. The King never had any Intentions but of Good to his People and will do all things for their Safety any Intentions but of Good to you and to my People nor ever shall but will do all that I can for your Safety and Ease AND Wherein does our Safety and Ease more consist than in an orderly Government by Law which preserves to every Man his true Rights and Interests And is there any Invasion on us here Are not the
those Moneys to the ends for which they were presented 175. And upon this Supplying him how doth he thank and assure them that he will make it go as far as he can towards the satisfying of his Debts him saith he I heartily thank you for the Supply you have given me and I assure The King's Speech April 11. 1670. p. 9. you I will make it go as far as I can towards the Satisfying of my Debts THE Lord Chancellor most admirably speaks to both the Houses saying His Majesty is resolved to give his People as much respite from Payments and Taxes as The Lord Chancellor's Speech Feb. 5. 1672 3. pag. 5. the necessity of his Business or their Preservation will permit You see it is only absolute Necessity 176. The King resolved to give his People much respite from Payments and Taxes even as much as ever he could and a Paternal Princely Regard to the Security Peace and Quietness of his People that puts the King at any time to ask a Supply of his Parliament WHEN you consider we are an Island it is not Riches nor Greatness we contend for yet those The Lord Chancellor's Speech Octob. 27. 1673. pag. 8 9. must attend the Success but it is our very Beings are in Question We fight pro aris focis in this War We are no longer Free-men being Islanders and Neighbours if they master us at Sea there is not so Lawful or Commendable a Jealousie in the World as an English Man's of the growing Greatness of any Prince or State at Sea If you permit the Sea our British Wife to be ravished an Eternal Mark of Infamy will stick upon us THE King declares and shall we not believe him 177. The King not in love with War for War's sake that He is very far from being in Love with The King's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 4 5. War for War's sake And as that cannot be well made without a Supply so neither can Peace be had without being in a posture of War Therefore the way to a good Peace is to set out a good Fleet and if after a good Peace should follow saith he yet the Supply 178. The Supply well given and the reason why would be well given And why so perhaps some may be apt to say Why the King gives you a very good reason for goeth he on whatever remains of it I am willing should be appropriated for building more Ships No putting into his Coffers no but all should be disbursed the more to secure us and to keep up the Honour Ease and Happiness of the Nation This is the best Account of our Supply 179. Our Enemies cannot be gratified more than by our denying a Supply our Hearts can wish and there cannot be a higher The Lord Keeper's Speech to the same p. 17. Gratification of our Enemies than to be backward in this point which we are sure shall be so well laid out for us THE Safety and Honour of the State are then best provided for when we keep up the Strength and Reputation of our Fleet. SO the Roman State thought when as the Orator tells us they decreed Non solum praesidii sed etiam The Lord Keeper's Speech Apr. 13. 1675. pag. 14. ornandi Imperii causa Navigandum esse AS for his own Debts saith the King to his Parliament 180. The King's Debts great You know me to be under a great burthen of Debts and how hard a shift I The King's Speech Thurs Feb. 15. 1676 7. pag. 3. am making to pay them off as fast as I can NOW as the Lord Chancellor's Words are Justice 181. And Justice and Honour obliges the King not to forsake them who have assisted him with their Estates for the publick Good and Honour oblige the King not to forsake those who have assisted him with their Estates in the The Lord Chancellor's Speech to the same pag. 10. Defence of the Publick And although the necessary Issues of his Revenue in the many new and chargeable Emergencies of State did for a while postpone their Satisfaction yet His Majesty hath now gone very far in it and hath provided for the Security and Payment of an Immense Sum with such difficulties as none but a Just and Generous Prince would ever have undergone WHEN the King came and told his Houses that We cannot 182. We cannot have less than Ninety Sail of Capital Ships constantly maintained nor less than 30 or 40000 Land-Men have less on our parts than ninety Sail of Capital Ships constantly maintained nor The King's Speech Mond Jan. 28. 167â— â— pag. 5 6. less than thirty or forty thousand Land-Men with their Dependencies to be employed upon our Fleets and elsewhere Now mark how he is pleased to go on And because there shall be no fear of mis-employing what you shall give to these Vses I am contented that such Money be appropriated to those ends 183. And therefore what shall be given to these Uses shall be appropriated to those ends as strictly as we can desire as strictly as you can desire I have given testimony enough of my Care in that kind by the Progress I have made in building the new Ships wherein for the making them more useful I have directed such larger Dimensions as will cost me above one hundred thousand Pounds more than the Act allows I have gone as far as I could in repairing the old Fleet and in buying of necessary Stores for the Navy and Ordnance And so he proceeds giving his Parliament an exact Account how just he hath been in laying out all their Moneys and a great deal more of his own for his People's Good and Welfare ALAS Saith His Majesty in another Speech 184. The King's Revenue under great Anticipations My Revenue is under great Anticipations The King's Speech to both Houses Mond Octob. 21. 1678. pag. 5. and indeed all things conâ—â—dered how can it be otherwise Seeing as the King himself protests it was at the best never equal to the constant 185. Never was equal to the constant and necessary Expence of the Government and necessary Expence of the Government whereof I intend to have the whole State laid before you and require you to look into it and consider of it with that Duty and Affection which I am sure I shall always find from you I think now by all this that has been repeated to you it is evident that there is no real Cause why any fears of our Liberties or Properties should disturb us for what hath the King done himself to secure them to us upon the best and most lasting Foundations How often hath he invited and conjured his Parliament if it be possible to find out more ways to satisfie his People that it is only their Good and a firm Establishment of all their Civil 186. Our Kingdom likely to continue a long time safe and happy
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
GAROLUS SECUNDUS Dei Gratia Angl Scotice Francice Et Hibernice Rex Fidei Defensor etc. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT MEMORABILIA Or the most Remarkable Passages and Counsels Collected out of the several DECLARATIONS AND SPEECHES That have been made by the KING HIS L. Chancellors and Keepers AND THE SPEAKERS Of the HONOURABLE House of Commons IN PARLIAMENT Since His Majesty's Happy Restauration Anno 1660. till the End of the last Parliament 1680. Reduced under Four Heads Viz. 1. Of the Protestant Religion 2. Of Popery 3. Of Liberty and Property c. 4. Of Parliaments By Edward Cooke of the Inner Temple Esquire Humbly Dedicated to the GRAND COUNCIL or SENATE of this KINGDOM LONDON Printed for Nevil Simmons Tho. Simmons and Sam. Lee at the Three Cocks at the West End of S. Paul's the Princes Arms in Ludgate-Street and the Princes Arms in Lombard Street MCDLXXXI THE INTRODUCTION SOME Persons there are in the World of a humour not to be pleased with any thing they shall see in Print unless withall the Author puts himself to the trouble of giving them some considerable Reason which induced him to that undertaking now whether or no this that I shall give them will be to their greater satisfaction I am not certain but however I will thus far ingenuously confess my self to them as to declare it was the true and only One that moved me to present the World with these following Sheets HAVING too notoriously observed of late since this licentious Sickness of the Press the many abominable Pamphlets that have come abroad no doubt with Malitious design enough to alienate the Affections of the good people of England and to infuse strange Perplexing Fears and Jealousies into them of the King and the Government as if presently the whole Nation was to be turn'd Topsy Turvy our Laws Cancell'd our Liberties and Properties to be quite taken away from us our Parliaments to be cashiered our Religion changed and our Lives wholly at the Merciless Devotion of Thirsty men of bloud I say having observed with great and sorrowful Resentment these ill and dangerous Books that have with a too open and insolent face appeared to the heinous scandal as well as disturbance of the peace of these Kingdoms This is to prevent His Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects Dec. 26. 1662. p. 12. the mischiefs aim'd at by the cager endeavours of rash and unquiet men whom though weak and credulous Persons may be beguiled by them yet I am sure all honest and good men will look upon with detestation as the most dangerous Enemies of the Crown and of the peace and happiness of the Nation AND among the many venemous Insinuations which have been Lord Keepers Speech Jan. 7. 1673. Fol. 18. 19. made use of the Fears and Jealousies of Religion and Liberty are of the worst sort and the most dangerous impressions CERTAINLY Malice was never more buisy than it hath been in these Reports and it hath been assisted by a great deal of invention BUT it is to be hoped that no mans Judgment or Affections will be either misled or disturbed by such reports THIS as nothing is capable of gratifying them more the great Lord Keepers Speech Ap. 13. 75. Fol. 18. Enemies of our security are most industrious to promote as knowing very well that this alone will do them more Service than the best of their Auxiliaries These are they that hope to see and Practise to bring about new Changes and Revolutions in the Government 'T IS almost an irreparable reproach the Protestant Religion hath Lord Chancel Speech Sep. 13. 1660. p. 22. undergone from the divisions and distractions which have been so notorious within this Kingdom This you shall find hereafter I will demonstrate to you in its proper place AND as differences and distempers in Religion have too much disturbed Lord Ch. Sp. Sep. 13. 1660. p. 19 20. the Peace of the Kingdom which is a consideration that must make every Religious heart to bleed to see that Religion which should be the strongest Obligation and Cement of Affection and Brotherly kindness and compassion made now by the perverse wranglings of Passionate and Froward men the ground of all Animosity Hatred Malice and Revenge So no less heaty and distempered have some persons been on the other hand in wickedly labouring to set us altogether by the Ears and to put us into a fatall Combustion by their slanderous Calumnies and Factious reproaches of the State Never was this Spirit of Libelling more Lord Ch. Sp. Monday May 19. 6â— at their Prorog p. 10 11. pregnant than it is now nor King nor Parliament nor Church nor State ever more exposed to those flagella linguae those stroaks of the Tongue from which God Almighty can only preserve the most Innocent and most Excellent Persons as if repining and murmuring reviling and affronting publick Authorities were the peculiar exercises of the Nation to keep it in health as if England had so much of the Merchant Nunquam habendi fructu faelix semper autem quaerendi Cupiditate Miserrima Now does it not His Majesties Speech Mond March 21. 1663. p. 5. behoove us all to be as watchful to prevent as they are to contrive their mischief Should not we make it our business to strengthen the hands of Government and to shame the Enemies of it by bannishing all manner of distrust If we do not we shall be in danger to Lord Ch. Sp. Thurs May 23. 78. p. 18. become not only the most miserable but the most unpittied Nation under heaven Let this then be to restore the whole Nation to its primitive temper Lord Ch. Sp. Thurs Sep. 13. 1660. p. 12. and integrity to its old good manners it 's old good humour and it 's old good nature a Vertue so peculiar so appropriated by God Almighty to this Nation that it can be translated into no other language and hardly practised by any other people His Majesties Speech Tuesday July 30. 1661. The Day of Their Adjurr p. 5. And though there are very many alas too many distempered Spirits which lie in wait to do mischief by laying Reproaches upon the Court upon the Government reproaches upon the King reproaches upon the Parliament yet I hope by our Joynt Unity right understanding our vigilant carefulness and application we may be able to weigh down and prevent any Mischief they intend against us Forreign Nations have laid it down for a Maxime in their Politicks Lord Chancel Speech Thurs March 6. â—â—78 p. 18 that England can never be destroyed but by its self and that 't is in vain to make any attempt upon this Nation until they be in some great disorder and confusion amongst themselves Let us then every one in the way of our several capacities indeavour to make the ambitious despair as soon as we can by establishing so perfect an intelligence
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
not express our great Joy and thankfulness for his Speak of the House of Commons Speech to the King in the Banquet-House at Whitehal Nov. 9. 1660. p. 3 4. continual and indefatigable labour and pains in repairing and making up our sad breaches and composing our unhappy differences and in particular for this his most gratious declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs wherein his Majesty hath provided wholesom food for all clean Stomacks strong meat for such as are able to bear it allowing them the use of our Church Liturgy together with comely vestments Ornaments and Ceremonies in the service and worship of God as likewise Milk for tender Babes dispensing with their Conformity in such matters and things as are not so much of the substance and Essence of Faith and Religion as of Decency and becomingness which giveth abundant 29. Which will abundantly satisfie all reasonable and sober men and such as are truly Religious satisfaction to all peaceable sober minded men and such as are truly Religious for those that are really and truly so will find themselves bound ever in Conscience to the observation and practice of that excellent lesson taught us by the Apostle which is sapâ—re ad temperantiam spartam ornare with a Vade tu fac simile AND this General Thanks of that whole house was not 30. His Majesty very well deserved that thanks of the House of Commons presented rashly and precipitately to the King for if you will please to hear further what he did for the settling of the Church upon firm foundations you will find they had good reason for their so doing For 1. Sayes he He do declare our 31. The Kings Resolution for promoting the power of Godliness in having the Lords day duly observed purpose and Resolution is and shall be to promote the power of Godliness to encourage the exercises of Religion both publick and private and to take care that the Lord's day be applied to holy exercises without unnecessary divertisements and that insufficient negligent and scandalous Ministers be not permitted in the Church 32. In turning insufficient Ministers out of the Church and that as the present Bishops are known to be men of great and Exemplary Piety in their Lives which they have manifested in their notorious and exampled sufferings 33. In providing learned and pious Bishops to govern in the Church during these late distempers so we shall take special care by the assistance of God to prefer no men to that office and charge The King 's Declarat concern Ecclesiast Affairs pag. 10. but men of Learning Virtue and Piety who may be themselves the best Examples to those who are to be governed 34. They shall be frequent Preachers unless sickness or some notable occasion excuse them by them And we shall expect and provide the best we can that the Bishops be frequent Preachers and that they do very often Preach themselves in some Church of their Diocess except they be hindered by sickness or other bodiln infirmities or some other justifiable occasion which shall not be thought justifiable if it be frequent AGAIN it is said in Pag. 12. 13. Fol. 5. We will take care that Confirmation be rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the consent of the Minister of the place who shall admit none to the Lords 35. Confirmation rightly performed Supper till they have made a credible profession of their Faith and promised Obedience to the will of God according 36. None to be admitted to the Lords Supper till they have professed their faith c. as is expressed in the considerations of the Rubrick before the Catechism and that all possible diligence be used for the instruction and reformation of scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared them 37. Care taken to instruct and reform all scandalous offenders and not to let such communicate c. selves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives as is partly expressed in the Rubrick and more fully in the Canons Moreover the Rural Dean and his Assistants are in their respective divisions to see that the Children and younger sort be carefully instructed by the respective Ministers of every Parish in the grounds 38. Ministers to see that youth be instructed in the grounds of Christian Religion of Christian Religion and be able to give a good account of their Faith and Knowledge and also of their Christian conversation conformable thereunto before they be confirmed by the Bishop or admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 6. NO Bishopsh all exercise any Arbitrary Power or do 39. Bishops only to act according to the law of the Land or impose any thing upon the Clergy or the people but what is according to the known Law of the Land Pag. 14. 7. WE are very glad to find that all with whom we 40. A set form of worship held lawful by all have conferred do in their Iudgments approve their Liturgy or set form of publick Worship to be lawful which in our Iudgment for the preservation of Vnity and Vniformity we conceive to be very necessary and though we do esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the book of Common Prayer and by Law established to be the best we have seen and We believe that We have seen all that are extant and used in this part of the world and well know what reverence most of the Reformed Churches or at least the most learned men in those Churches have for it yet since we find some exceptions 41. Yet since some things in the Liturgy are excepted against Divines on both sides shall reveiw and alter what is thought most necessary made against several things therein we will appoint an equal Number of learned Divines of both persuasions to review the same and to make such alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional forms in the Scripture phrase as near as may be suited unto the nature of the several parts of worship and that it be left to the Minister's choice to use one or other at his discretion In the mean time and till this be done although we do heartily wish and desire that the Ministers in their several Churches because they dislike 42. Tho some clauses be disliked yet let those parts be read against which there can be no exception some clauses and expressions would not totally lay aside the Book of Common Prayer but read those parts against which there can be no exception which would be the best instance of declining those marks of distinction which we so much labour and desire to remove yet in compassion to divers of our good subjects who scruple the use of it as now it is Our will and pleasure is that none be 43. But if not none shall be punished or
now suffer Sit Ecclesia Anglicana libera habeat libertates suas illaesas Magna Charta IN order to this great work the Commons have prepared 113 A Bill brought by the Commons to Repeal the Act fâ—â— exclusion of the Bishops from sitting in the House a Bill to repeal that Law was made in 17. Car whereby the Bishops were excluded this House These Noble Lords have all agreed and now we beg your Majesty will give it life speak but the word Great Sir and your Servants yet shall live TO which his Majesty presently was pleased to return this 114. The great thanks the King gives them for the Repeal of that Act as being an unhappy Act in an unhappy time most gracious Answer I thank you with all my heart indeed as much as I can The King's Speech to both Houses July 30. 1661. pag. 4 5. do for any thing for the Repeal of that Act which excluded the Bishops from sitting in Parliament it was an unhappy Act in an unhappy time passed with many unhappy circumstances and attended with miserable events and therefore I 115. It has restored Parliaments to their Primitive Institutions do again thank you for repealing it You have thereby restored Parliaments to their Primitive Institutions AND his Majesty was so greatly pleased with this Act of Repeal that he found it as it were impossible for him to forbear coming to his House of Lords even the very first day of their meeting after the Adjournment and what was it for you shall immediately know from his own words I know the Visit saith he I make you this day is not ne necessary is not of course yet if there were no more in 16. How the King visits them the first day of their next Meeting to give them thanks again and how he rejoyces to see the Lords Spiritual and Temporal House of Commons met together c. it it would not be strange that I come to see what You and I have so long desired to see The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons of England met together to consult for the peace and safety of Church and State by which Parliaments The King's Speech to both Houses on Wednesday Novemb. 20. 1661. pag. 1. are restored to their Primitive Lustre and Integrity I do heartily congratulate with you for this day THIS surely was a signal evidence of his true love to the Church his hearty joy to behold the great Supporters and Pillars of it restored to their rightful Seats in Parliament And this both the King and the Parliament knew was one ready way to restore to them their due honour and reverence from the People If the Authority of the Church should not carefully be upheld how quickly should we come to have no Church at all and into what sad Calamities should we lapse by such an abandonment which in some sense but little differs from a Persecution LET us suppose that possible which the piety and goodness of the Kng hath made next to impossible says the 117. What would become of the Church if her Authority were despiled Lord Keeper in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament but let it be for once supposed Lord Keepers Speech April 13. 1675. pag 12 13. that the Church of England were forsaken her Authority made insignificant her Government precarious suppose her disarmed of all those Laws by which she is guarded denied all Aid from the Civil Magistrate and that none were obliged to obey her commands but those that have a mind to it would not this turn a National Church into nothing else but a Tolerated Sect or Party in the Nation Would it not take away all appearance of Establishment from it would it not drive the Church into the Wilderness again where she should be sure to find her self encompassed with all sorts of Enemies if at least she should find her self at all in the midst of so many Tolerations THEREFORE is it not most fitting that a strict Rule should be observed and that we could have the Law to be that Rule and not to leave every Man to be a Law and Rule unto himself WELL then may the King say to his Parliament what 118. His Majesties assurance that he will preserve the True Reformed Protestant Religion and the Church as now established he has said since in almost every one of his Speeches to them I will conclude with this assurance to you that I will preserve the True His Majesties Speech to both Houses Feb. 5. 16672. pag. 4. Reformed Protestant Religion and the Church as it is now Established in this Kingdom and in the whole course of my indulgence to Dissenters I do not intend that it shall any ways prejudice the Church but I will support its Rights and it in its full power THE Church of England and all good Protestants says 119. The Church and all good Protestants have reason to rejoyce in this their Defendour the Lord Chancellor to this Speech of the King in his own pag. 12 13. have reason to rejoyce in such a Head and such a Defendour His Majesty doth declare his care and concerns for the Church and will maintain them in all their Rights and Priviledges equal if not beyond any of his Predecessours He was born and bred up in it It was that his Father died for 120. Good reasons to induce his Majesty to it We all know how great temptations and offers he resisted abroad when he was in his lowest condition and he thinks it the honour of his Reign that he hath been the Restorer of 121. He hopes to bring it into greater lustre than ever yet it has been the Church 'T is that he will ever maintain and hopes to leave to posterity in greater lustre and upon surer grounds than our Ancestours ever saw it but his Majesty is not convinced That violent ways are the interest of Religion or the Church 122. violent ways not conducing to it AND after his Majestie 's conclusion of his Speech let me 123. Let us then all bless God and the King conclude nay let us all conclude with blessing God and the King Let us bless God that he Idem pag. 14. 15. hath given us such a King to be the Repairer of our Breaches both in Church and State and the Restorer of our paths to dwell in LET us bless the King for taking away all our fears and 124. That God hath given us such a King who makes the Church of England his great care leaving no room for jealousies for those assurances and promises he hath made us Let us bless God and the King that our Religion is safe that the Church of England is the care of our Prince what more hath a good English Man to ask but that this King may long Reign 125. Long therefore should we pray that this King may Reign WHEN He met his Parliament
do so should be denied some part of that mercy which we 16. For that would seem unjust have obliged our Self to afford to ten times the number of such who have not done so Besides such are the Capital 17. It is grievous to put any to death for their Opinions in matters of Religion only Laws in force against them as though justified in their vigour by the times in which they were made We profess it Would be grievous unto us to consent to the execution of them by putting any of our Subjects to death for their Opinions in matters of Religion only but at the 18. Yet let them all know if they hope for Toleration of their Profession c. or that Priests shall appear and avow themselves to the scandal of good Protestants and of the Laws we will be severe same time That we declare our little liking of those Sanguinary Ones and our Gracious Intentions already expressed to such of our Roman Catholick Subjects as shall live peaceably modestly and without scandal We would have them all know that if for doing what their Duties Loyalties obliged them to or from our acknowledgment of their well-deserving they shall have the presumption to hope for a Toleration of their Profession or a taking away either those marks of distinction or of our displeasure which in a well-governed Kingdom ought always to be set upon Dissenters from the Religion of the State or to obtain the least remission in the strictness of those Laws which either are or shall be made to hinder the spreading of their Doctrine to the prejudice of the True Protestant Religion or that upon our expressing according to Christian Charity our dislike of Bloodshed for Religion only Priests shall take the boldness to appear and avow themselves to the offence and scandal of good Protestants and of the Laws in force against them They shall quickly find we know as well to be severe when wisdom requires as indulgent when charity and sense of Merit challenge it from us WitH this we have thought fit to arm our good Subjects 19. This is to arm the good Subjects minds against the practises of our ill ones minds against the practises of our ill ones by a True Knowledg of our own of which now rightly perswaded we make no question but that whatsoever they be from whom they can derive the spreading or somenting of 20. That those who foment such suggestions are the most dangerous Enemies of the Crown and the peace of the Nation any of those wicked suggestions they will look upon them with detestation as the most dangerous Enemies of our Crown and of the Peace and Happiness of the Nation I thought it could not be too tedious either for me to Recite or for you to hear thus much of his Majesties Declaration upon this Head because he has in it so clearly fully delivered himself as one would think it should be to the general if I may not say Eternal satisfaction of all his loving and dutiful Subjects IS it not a superlative expression for the King to say of those 21. What can be higher said than this that give out that most pernicious as well as malicious scandal of his favour to Papists that he looks on it as the most unpardonable offence that any can be guilty of towards him and that those wicked Aspersers by all his good and Loyal People will as they deservedly ought to be looked upon as the most dangerous Enemies both to his Crown and the Peace and Welfare of the Kingdom AND whereas still some men would fain possess the people 22. Never any Prince hath given more convincing proofs to the contrary of his favouring Papists that his Majesty is a Favourer of Popery though never any Prince in Christendom hath given more convincing and irrefragable proofs of the contrary let them take heed and consider that by such aspersion they run the hazard of a Praemunire upon the Act for the safety of the King's Person in scandalizing his Majesty for a Favourer of Popery NOW where the humours and spirits of men are too rough 23. Where mens humours are too rough for soft indulgence shar Laws must be made to break their Stubborness and boisterous for the soft remedies of signal indulgence and condescensions of suspension of the rigour of former Laws there must be prepared sharper Laws and penalties to contend with those refractory Lord Chancellor's Speech to both Houses May 19. 1662. pag. 16. persons and to break that stubbornness which will not bend to gentler applications and it is great reason that they upon whom Clemency cannot prevail should seel that severity they have prcvoked I pray hear what the Speaker of the House of Commons could say in his Address to the King from the whole House they being there present Above The Address of the House spoke by Sir Edw. Turner Feb. 28. 1662. pag. 7. all saith he we can never enough remember to 24. The Speaker of the House of Commons acknowledges His Majesties most solemn invitations of them to make Laws against the growth of Popery the Honour of Your Majesties Piety and our own unspeakable comfort those solemn and most indearing invitations of us Your Majesties Subjects to prepare Laws to be presented to Your Majesty against the growth and increase of Popery and withal to provide more Laws against Licentiousness and Impiety at the same time declaring Your own resolution for maintaining the Act of Uniformity And when a little after both the Lords and Commons Petitioned His Majesty by his Proclamation to command all Romish Priests and Jesuits c. to depart this Kingdom by a day at the reception of the Petition His Majesty thus begins his Speech to them My Lords and Gentlemen You do not expect that I should give you an Answer presently to your petition yet I will tell you that I will speedily send you an Answer which I am confident will be to your satisfaction and was it not so think ye when he in his Gracious Answer on the 1st of April 1663. told them that he did readily concur with their advice and that he had given order for such a Proclamation as they desired which you may see more at large a little before This made the Speaker of the House of Commons no doubt so sensible that he could not be kept off from a fresh mention of it when he spake to his Majesty although it was almost four years afterwards Saith he We have been allarum'd from all parts of the Kingdom 25. His Majestie commands all his Officers and Souldiers to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy â—d and Priests an Jesuits to de part by a day which much secures us aginst fears c by the insolencies of Popish Priests and Jesuits who by their great numbers and bold writings declare to all the world they are in expectation of a plentiful harvest here in
And will daily indeavour to find out what more he can and desires his two Houses assistance in that work to find out what more I can both of the Id. p. 5. Plot and Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and shall desire the Assistance of both my Houses in that work I have not been wanting to give Orders for putting all the present Laws in Execution against Papists and I am ready to joyn in the making such further Laws as may be necessary for the securing of the Kingdom against Popery 68. He hath ordered that the present Laws be put in execution against Papists and is ready to add such further Laws as may secure the Kingdom against Popery I will conclude as I begun with my earnest desires to have this an healing Parliament and I do give you this assurance that I will with my Life defend both the Protestant Religion and the Laws of this Kingdom AND now my Lord Chancellor coming to speak to them I pray take notice with what force and Eloquence he delivers himself The Considerations saith he which now are to be laid before you are as urgent and as weighty as were ever yet offered to any Parliament or indeed ever can be So great and so surprizing have been our dangers at home so formidable are the appearances of danger from abroad that the most united Councels the most sedate and 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 Id. p. 10. 69. The Plot industriously carryed on by Priests and Jesuits and their Adherents who to subvert our true Religion find the most likely way to be by wounding us in the Head and by Killing the King AT home we had need look about us for his Majestie 's Royal Person hath been in danger by a Conspiracy against his Sacred Life malitiously contrived and industriously carried on by those Seminary Priests and Jesuits and their Adherents who think themselves under some obligation of Conscience to effect it and having vow'd the Subversion of the true Religion amongst us find no way so likely to compass it as to wound us in the Head and to kill the Defendor of the Faith Id. Ibid. HIS Majesty wanted not sufficient evidence of his zeal for our Religion without this Testimony from his Enemies who 70. His Majesty needed not this Evidence to testifie his zeal for our Religion were about to Sacrifice him for it but it hath ever been the practice of those Votaries first to Murther the Fame of Princes and then their Persons first to slander them to their people as if they favoured Papists and then to Assassinate them 71. What has ever been the practise of the Roman Votaries for being too zealous Protestants And thus by all the ways and means which our Law calls Treason and their Divinity calls Merit and Martyrdome they are trying to set up the Dominion and Supremacy of the Pope as if the Dignity of his Triple-Crown could never be sufficiently advanced unless these Three Kingdoms were added unto him and all brought 72. The search into this Plot has been closely pursued back again under that yoke which neither we nor our Forefathers were able to bear 73. More Evidence found Pag. 11. THE Enquiry into this Conspiracy hath been closely pursued and the Lords of the Councel have been careful to prosecute 74. More Malefactors discovered this Discovery ever since the Rising of the last Parliament and the King doth now recommend it to you to perfect 75. Justices stirred up to perform their duty More Evidence hath been already found out and more Malefactors discovered some in hold some fled Justices of Peace have been quickened in the Execution of their duty the 76. Faithful Messengers sent all over the Kingdom where any hopes of service was to be done Negligent have been reproved and punished the Diligent encouraged and assisted in doubtful cases by the Opinions of the Judges active and faithful Messengers have been sent into all the corners of the Kingdom where there was any hope of Service to be done the very Prisons have been searched to 77. Prisons have been searched see whether any had fled thither to hide themselves there and under pretence of Debt to escape the pursuit and if any have desired leave to go beyond Sea they have first given security 78. Persons going beyond sea first have given security not to go to Rome nor send their Children to be bred up in Forreign Seminaries not to go to Rome nor send their Children to be bred in any Forreign Seminaries and then they have been obliged to give in a List of all their Menial Servants and those Servants too have been examined upon Oath and order is given that they be again examined at the Ports and make Oath they are the same persons were examined above so that all possible care hath been taken that no Malefactors might escape us in 79. Their menial Servants are Listed and examined upon Oath Disguise Ibid. AND though the Priests themselves do not keep the Confessions of their Proselytes more secret than these keep the Injunctions of their Priests yet enough hath appeared 80. All care taken that no Malefactors should escape in disguise Pag. 12. to bring some Capital Offenders to publick Justice and to convict them of the Crime some of the Traitors have been Executed several Priests have been Arrested and Imprisoned 81. Some have banished themselves others Imprisoned for not taking the Oaths all are hiding themselves and lurking in secret corners like the Sons of darkness The Murderers of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey have been Condemned and suffered death some Papists have banished themselves out of the Kingdom others are Imprisoned for not taking the Oaths all are prosecuted towards Conviction 82. And the shame that attends such practises hath converted several and the very shame and reproach which attends such abominable practises hath covered so many faces with new and strange confusions that it hath proved a powerful argument for their Conversion nor is it to be wondered at that they could no longer believe all that to be Gospel which their Priests taught them when they saw the way and means of introducing it was so far from being Evangelical Ibid. IN a word so universal is that Despair to which the Papists 83. Their despair is so universal that all their hopes now are that we may over-do our own business are now reduced that they have no other hopes left but this That We may chance to over-do our own business and by being too far transported with the fears of Popery neglect the Opportunities we now have of making sober and lasting Provisions against it Ibid. AND 't is not to be doubted but that it would infinitely 84. How pleased they would be to see us
be put in or out but by Authority of Parl. no Lord-Lieutenant or Deputy-Lieutenant nor no Officer in the Navy during the Reign of any Popish Successor be put in or removed but either by Authority in Parliament or of such persons as the Parliament shall intrust with such Authority 'T is hard to invent another Restraint to be put upon a Popish Successor considering how much the Revenue of the Successor 97. And 't is hard to invent another Restriant upon a Popish Succes will depend upon consent of Parliament and how impossible it is to raise Money without such Consent But yet if any thing else can occur to the Wisdom of the Parliament which may further secure Religion and Liberty against a Popish Successor 98. And if a Parl. can think of any thing else further to secure Religion the K. will consent to it without defeating the Right of Succession it self his Majesty will most readily consent to it BEAR with me now in this necessary Repetition which you had at the latter end of the last Chapter Thus watchful is the 99. Thus watchful is he for all our Safeties 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 we may tell those desperate wretches who yet harbour in their thoughts wicked designes against the sacred person of the King in order to the compassing their own Imaginations That God Almighty would not have led him through 100. And certainly now God would never have done so much but for a servant whom he will always preserve from the utmost malice of his Enemies so many Wildernesses of Afflictions of all kinds conducted him through so many perils by Sea and perils by Land snatched him out of the midst of this Kingdom when it was not worthy of him and when the hands of his Enemies were even upon him when they thought themselves so sure of him that they would bid so cheap and so vile a price for him he would not in that Article have so covered him with a Cloud that he travelled even with some pleasure and great observation through the midst of his L. Chancellor's Speech Decemb. 29. 1660. page 21 22. Enemies he would not so wonderfully have new-modelled that Army so inspired their hearts and the hearts of the whole Nation with an honest and impatient longing for the Return of their dear Soveraign and in the mean time have so exercised him which had little less of providence in it than the other with those unnatural or at least unusual Disrespects and Reproaches abroad that he might have a harmless and an innocent appetite to his own Country and return to his own People with a full value and the whole unwasted bulk of his Affections without being corrupted or by assed by extraordinary forreign Obligations And let me adde that he would not now have so miraculously as it were preserved him from the many late most wicked and hellish Conspiracies of the Papists God Almighty would not have done all this but for a Servant whom he will always preserve as the Apple of his own Eye and always defend from the secret Machinations of his Enemies 101. Let us to the utmost then labour to improve the confidence between the King and his People LET us then extinguish our fears and jealousies and lay out our utmost endeavours to improve the confidence between the King and all his people He sufficiently takes notice that the malice of his Enemies hath been very active in sowing so many Tares as are almost enough to spoil that harvest of Love and Duty which his Majesty 102. He finds he has Enemies enough to grapple with Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. pag. 18. 19. may justly expect to reap from all the good seed which he himself hath sown FOR Calumnies and Slanders of this nature are like Comets 103. But Calumnies are nothing after a while in the Air they may seem perhaps especially to the fearful to be ill Prognosticks and the direct fore-runners of mischief but in themselves they are vain Apparitions and have no kind of solidity no permanence or duration at all For after a little while the Vapour spends it self and then the base Exhalation quickly falls back again into that Earth from whence it came LET not the whispers or evil surmises of those who lie in 104. Let not ill surmises endanger the state of the Government wait to deceive make any man the unhappy occasion of endangering the safety Lord Chancellor's Speech on Thursday May 23. 1678. page 18. 19. of the Government by mistrusting it But let the world now see that our Zeal 105. But let the world see our Zeal to preserve it to preserve the Government is the same it was when we were ready to die for its restoration LET us labour to shew the world the most effectual significations 106. And by our Loyalty and Duty let us dsscourage our Enemies of our Loyalty and Duty that we are able to express for nothing in Lord Chancellor's Speech Oct. 21. 78. page 15. the world can more discourage our Enemies 107. Then shall the King possess the greatest Glory that of reigning in our hearts and we the highest felicity that this world can afford as on the contrary nothing does or can so ripen a Nation for destruction as to be observed to distrust their own Government THEN shall the King be possessed of that true Glory which 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 CHAP. III. Of Liberty and Property c. AND now having thus at large shewn you the Pious 1. The Proem Zeal of the King and his firm resolution to maintain and defend the Church of England as it is now established by Law in all its Rights and Privileges as also his great and extraordinary care to suppress the Growth of Popery by awakening all his Laws against the Papists and Popish Recusants and by his frequent Declarations to his Parliaments of his readiness to concur with them still in all further necessary Bills against them which are fit and reasonable for them to present 2. How affectionate the King is and how desirous to keep up the just Measures of our Liberties him with to pass into Laws I presently imagine that you will in the next place be desirous to hear what he hath said in the behalf of your Liberties and Properties I am sure to your Religion that is the Second thing in all your thoughts and I wish to God my fears may be groundless if I should tell you that in truth I am jealous whether your Liberties and Properties are not a great deal dearer to most of you than your Religion which
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
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
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
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
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
people as my Lord Chancellor well observed Id. p. 21. than that he hath staid these four days to take his leave of you and that he might give you this days work all these good Laws hath denied himself so long the enjoying the greatest comfort he is assured of in this World 61. That Parliament satisfied in the King's love to them and in his Judgment that the happiness of the Crown consists in the frequency of Parliaments THE Parliament was so very well satisfied with the King's love to them that Mr. Speaker could not forbear using these expressions at their Prorogation May 7. 1664. We are assured not only of your personal affection to Parliaments but of your Judgment also that the happiness of the Crown consists in the frequency of Parliaments HIS Majestie 's love to Parliaments is yet further evidenced by his love to have good appearances when they meet He having as he saith himself most confidence in full Houses 62. His love to Parliaments further shewn in his love to have full Houses where the well-being of the Church and all other King's Speech Mond Feb. 14. 1669 70. p. 3 interests of the Crown and Nation are best secured AND the King can never doubt his Parliament 63. The King could never doubt such a Parliament a Parliament who in their affection and loyalty to Lord Chanc. Speech Feb. 5. 72 3. p. 10. Id. p. 14 15. their Prince have exceeded all their predecessors a Parliament with whom the King hath many years lived with all the caresses of a happy Marriage Has the King had a Concern You have wedded it Has his Majesty wanted Supplies You have readily chearfully and fully provided for them You have relyed upon the Wisdom and Conduct of his Majesty in all his affairs so that you have never 64. Who never exceeded their bounds attempted to exceed your bounds or to impose upon him whilst the King on the other hand hath made your Counsels the foundations of all his proceedings and hath been so tender of you 65. Their Counsels the foundations of the Kings proceedings that he hath upon his own Revenue and Credit endeavoured to support even Forcign Wars that he might be least uneasie to you or burdensome to his people THEREFORE the King may not only assure himself of your 66. And he hopes that his Parliament will do what they can to beget a mutual confidence between him and his People which may extinguish all fears and jealousies affections to him but from such affections so known and so tried as yours he may expect that you Lord Keeper's Speech Jan. 7. 1673 4. p. 18. should do your endeavours to restore and improve the mutual confidence between him and his people and that you should do it to such a degree that it may recover its full strength and quite extinguish all their fears and jealousies FOR he does not only find himself safe but he 67. His safety and defence in them Lord Keeper's Speech 13 Ap. 1675. p. 21. thinks himself armed too whilst he is attended with such a Nobility such a Gentry as this AND who can wonder then that the King resolves to enter 68. He will therefore wholly relie upon his Parliament and give them whatever yet can be wanting for their good into terms of strictest correspondence with his Parliament to take your Counsel in his most weighty affairs to impart all his Cares to you to acquaint you with Lord Keeper's Speech Wednesd 13 Oct. 1675. p. 5. all his Wants and Necessities to offer you all that can yet be wanting to make you enjoy your selves to establish a right understanding between himself and his three Estates and between the Estates themselves to redress all your just complaints and to put all his Subjects at ease as far as in him lies and can consist with the honour and safety of the Government AND having made all these advances towards you he doubts 69. And doubts not but that they will behave themselves accordingly not but you will behave your selves like those that deserve to be called the King's Friends and that you Id pag. 6. will put him at ease too THE King expects your Advice and your Assistance your 70. This makes him to expect their advice and assistance Advice in matters of the highest deliberation your Assistance in matters of extreme and pressing difficulty YOUR deliberations will chiefly be exercised about those 71. Their deliberations will chiefly be exercised about the things which belong to the Kingdoms peace things which do belong unto your peace the peace of the Church and the peace of the State two considerations of so close a connexion between themselves that in the very original Writ of Summons by vertue of which you Chanc. Speech 15 Febr. 76 7. p. 5 6. sit here they are joyntly recommended to your Counsel and your Care AS to the former the peace of the Church I have handled it at large in my Chapter of Religion and shall not trouble you now with any repetition only I will mind you of this one Paragraph which ought never to be out of your consideration and it is That what Remedies are fit for those that disturb its peace whether 72. All things concerning Religious matters are entirely left to their considerations for the peace of the Church the poor mistaken Souls who deserve to be pitied or the malicious and designing men who deserve to be punished whether the fault be in the Laws or in the Id. p. 6 7. men in the men that should obey or in the men that should execute whether the Cure be a work of time and patience or of zeal and diligence or whether any new expedient can be found to secure the Ship from that Storm which the swelling of two contrary Tides seems to threaten is wholly left to your advice the King hath called you for that end and doubts not but your Counsels will be such as shall tend to safety and to establishment THE peace of the State requires as much of your care and vigilance 73. And so likewise the peace of the State is left to their care too our peace at home and our peace abroad AS for that abroad we are at this time blessed be God for 74. The peace abroad his mercy to us and blessed be the King for his care of us in perfect peace with all the Nations upon Earth such a peace as makes us the Envy of the Christian World and hath enabled us to do our selves right against the Infidels such a peace 75. It is now such a peace as brings with it all the fruits of peace as brings with it all the fruits of peace and deserves not Id. ibid. only our prayers for the continuance of it but our best and most watchful care that nothing may be done on our part to give it an interruption BUT
Specious pretences that it is high time to be watchful in preventing their contrivances of which it is not the least that they would by all the means they can devise make it unpracticable 118. Speeches abroad of dissolving the long Parliament long before it was any longer to continue this present Parliament for that reason I confess I cannot think such have any good meaning to Me and therefore when I consider how much the greatest part of this Parliament has either themselves or Fathers given me testimony of their affections and loyaltie I should be 119. But the King loth to gratifie such Enemies by parting with such Friends extreme loth to oblige those Enemies by parting with such Friends and they may be assured that none shall be able to recommend themselves to me by any other way than their good Services AND because the Season of the year would not permit any long 120. Therefore again he perswades them to be united in Counsel and Affections to disappoint such expectations Session and he did intend to meet them again in Winter therefore saith he in the mean time I earnestly recommend to you all such a temper and moderation in your proceedings Id. pag 5. 6. as may tend to unite us all in Counsel and Affections and disappoint the expectations of those who can hope only by violent and irregular Motions to prevent the bringing of this Session to an happy conclusion WHAT could be more obligingly spoken by any Prince in the 121. And what can be more World hath he not here laid out himself to unite the hearts of his Parliament and People to himself by all the Emanations of grace and goodness that from a great Lord Keepers Speech to the same p. 8. and generous Prince can be expected HIS Majesty said the Lord Chancellor then has not as yet learned to deny you any thing and he believes your wisdom and moderation is such he never shall he asks of 122. Peace in one another is the way never to be deceived you to be at peace in him as he is in you and he Lord Chanc. Sp. 27 Oct. 1673. p. 9. shall never deceive you NO influences of the Stars no consigurations of the Heavens 123. Nothing to be feared so long as these two Houses concur together and both with the King are to be feared so long as these two Houses stand in a good disposition to each other and both of Lord Keepers Sp. 13 April 1675. p. 17 18 19 c. them in a happy conjunction with their Lord and Soveraign WHY should we doubt it never was discord more unseasonable 124. Discord never more unseasonable Id. p. 18. THEY understand well enough that the best health may be 125. The best health may be destroyed by too much care destroyed by too much care of it an Anxious scrupulous care a care that is always tampering a care that labours so long to purge all ill humours out of the Body that at last Id. ibid. it leaves neither good Bloud nor Spirits behind WHO doth not see that there are in all Governments difficulties 126. Difficulties more than enough in all Governments more than enough though they meet with no intestine divisions difficulties of such a Nature that the united endeavours of the State can hardly struggle Id. p. 19. with but after all is done that can be they will still remain insuperable THIS is that which makes the Crowns of Princes when they 127. The Crowns of Princes at the best but glorious Thorns are worn by the clearest and noblest Title and supported by the mightiest Aids yet at the best but wreaths of glorious Thorns he that would go about to add to the cares Id. ibid. sequen and solicitudes of his Prince does what in him lies to make those Thorns pierce deeper and sit closer to the Royal Diadem than ever they did before NO Zeal can excuse it for as there may be a Religious Zeal 128. Religious Zeal and State-Zeal a Zeal for God which is not according to knowledge so there may be a State-Zeal a Zeal for the publick which is not according to prudence at least not according to that Id. ibid. degree of prudence which the same men have when they are not under the transport of such a fervent passion HATH is not been a strange mistake in some General Councils and a mistake which is fatal at this day to the peace of the Christian Church that in most of their Canons and Sanctions they have more considered whom they should oppose than what they should establish Id. p. 20. AND may it not prove a piece of as ill conduct in any Secular 129. 'T is ill to pursue good ends by violent means Assembly to pursue good ends by violent means and in the heat of that pursuit to choose rather to lose that good they might have compassed than to fall short of any of those good ends which they have once proposed unto themselves Ibid. p. 21. My Lords and Gentlemen THE King is far infinitely far from fearing any excess of this 130. The King will not apprehend any kind of error either in the Parliaments Judgments or Affections kind here he knows too well the Wisdom the Honour and the Loyalty of this great Assembly to apprehend any kind of error either in your Judgments or your Affections Id. ibid. YOU that were able to raise the King's affairs when they were 131. For those that raised his affairs when at lowest ebb will surely keep them from relapsing in their lowest and most deplored condition will surely be able to keep them from any relapse Ibid. YOU that were able to make this Government take root again will surely be able to preserve it in a growing and a flourishing Estate Ibid. SUCH Pilots need not fear a Storm Ibid. IF you could this consideration alone were enough to support you that you carry Caesar and his Fortunes you serve a Prince 132. In our King's preservation Miracles are become familiar in whose preservation Miracles are become familiar a Prince in whose stile Dei gratia seems not to be written by a Vulgar Pen but by the arm of Omnipotence it self Ibid. p. 22. RAISE up then by your example the hearts and hopes of all those whom ill men have wrought upon to such a degree as to cast them into a sadness and into a despondency which is most unreasonable Id. p. 22. CONFIRM the Faith of those that are made weak by shewing 133. Give the King all his Subjects hearts in the present of your own them the stedfastness of your belief give the King the hearts of all his Subjects by making him a present of yours Id. p. 23. THEN though this Session should close in a few weeks yet it 134. It would make the Session memorable
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
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
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
Majesties Laws shall afterwards Assemble They must â—o brought to condign punishment and of his Indulgence also seditiously assemble themselves under pretence of Religious Worship his Majesty doth require his Parliament and all in Authority under him vigorously to suppress such Meetings and to bring the pretended Preachers and Ring-leaders of such unlawful Assemblies to condign and exemplary punishment AGAIN his Majesties Commissioners Speech to the Parliament of Scotland that were met at Edinburgh 102. The King is unalterable in his zeal to maintain the True Reformed Protestant Religion and Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops mentioning Religion has these words I July 28. 70. p. 5 6 7. need not repeat the assurances of his Majestie 's constant and unalterable zeal for maintaining and defending the true Reformed Protestant Religion in this his Kingdom and that with no less zeal and constancy he will maintain the Antient Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops now Happily Restored and Established here for in 203. And will not endure those numerous Conventicles that tend to Sedition and Schism all the exercises of his Royal Authority he doth daily give full and undeniable testimonies thereof AT the opening of the first Session of this Parliament I told you in his Majesties Name that he would not endure those numerous and unlawful Conventicles that tend to Sedition 104. But will have them supprest and the most guilty brought to punishment and Schism which had been too frequent in some Shires of this Kingdom and the King did then require you and all in Authority under him vigorously to suppress such Meetings and to bring the most guilty to condign punishment In prosecution of which the Lords of the Privy Council 105. Field Conventicles look more like rendezvouzes for Rebellion than any thing for Religion have done their duty carefully though not with that success which they desired for his Majesty hath been informed that this Summer divers Seditious and numerous Conventicles have been kept even in the open fields which look liker endeavours to rendezvous for Rebellion than any pretence 106. Because it was in contempt of the Kings Authority and of the Parliament which they knew so soon would Assemble of Religious Worship and that in high contempt of his Majesties Authority and of this Parliament which they well-knew was so soon to Assemble Yea such hath been the Insolent Barbarity of that incorrigible sort of Non-Conformists that in some places the Houses of Orthodox and Peaceable Ministers have been Robb'd their persons and Families wounded and they threatned to be murther'd 107. And some of those Non-conformists robb'd the Conformable Ministers houses wounded the Parsons and threatned to kill them if they stai'd in their Churches if they stay at their Churches THEREFORE His Majesty doth most seriously recommend 108. Therefore good reason why the King recommends them to make good Laws and vigorously to prosecute them it to your special care by good Laws and vigorous prosecution of them to curb punish and prevent those Seditious Conventicles to cure the withdrawing of Protestants from their Paroch Churches and the Ordinances there which is the occasion of those Conventicles and cannot 109. For this cannot be conscience but deâ—â—gn to perpetuate Faction and Schism be pretended for conscience but must be esteemed only out of design to perpetuate Faction and Schism seeing the Form of Worship here is the same which hath been since the Reformation as also to punish Exemplarly those Barbarous Robberies and Assassinates committed against honest and peaceable Ministers and generally to provide what you shall think necessary for continuing the peace of the Kingdom The Work will be easie and I doubt not your care in it The Kingdom generally is Loyal Peaceable and Dutiful it is but 110. The Kingdom generally is Loyal Peaceable and Dutiful a small part of it which is tainted with such principles and practices pag. 7. AND again further in the year 1672. His Majestie 's High Commissioner for his Kingdom of Scotland at the opening of that Session of Parliament continues the same Language to them and assures them his Majestie 's Resolution is not in the least altered saith he I am particularly commanded to renew again to you His Grace the Duke of Lauderdail 's Speech June 12. 1672. to the Parliament of Scotland pag. 12. 111. The Kings Resolution continues the same still for the Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops and for suppressing of Conventicles preventing the growth of Schism and securing the peace of the Church the assurances of his Majesties most constant continuance in his unalterable resolutions to maintain the True Reformed Protestant Religion and the Government of this Church by Arch-Bishops and Bishops whatever Seditious and Disaffected Persons may suggest to the contrary and I am fully impowred to all such further Acts as you shall judg convenient for the quieting the minds of peaceable people and for curbing and punishing Seditious Conventicles for preventing the increase of Schism and by all good means securing the Peace of the Church BY this you may see that his Majesty was not only resolved to settle Episcopacy in this his Kingdom but his pious intentions were all along visible firmly to Establish it throughout all his Dominions BUT to return to our selves here of England when the House of Commons Presented the Bill to his Majesty to Repeal that Law which was made in 17 Car. whereby the Bishops were Excluded the House how great was the King's joy and thankfulness to them at the Receipt of it You shall hear both their Speeches of this Matter AND first to begin with the Speaker's when he Presented the Bill saith he Your Majestie 's Royal Grandfather was often wont Sir Edward Turner 's Speech delivered on Tuesday July 30. 1661. at their Adjournment pag. 4 5. to say no Bishop no King we found 112. No Bishop no King found true in the late times of confusion his words true for after they were put out the Feaver still encreasing in another Fit The Temporal Lords followed and then the King himself nor did the humour rest there but in the Round The House of Commons was first Garbled and then turn'd out of their doors IT is no wonder when a Sword is put into a mad Man's hand to see him cut off Limb by Limb and then to kill himself WHEN there is a great Breach of the Sea upon the low Grounds by the violence of the Torrent the Rivers of sweet Waters are often turn'd aside and the Salt Waters make themselves a Channel but when the Breach is made up good Husbands drain their Lands again and restore the Antient Sewers THANKS be to God the Floud is gone off the Face of this Island our Turtle Dove hath found good footing Your Majesty is Happily Restored to the Government The Temporal Lords and Commons are restored to sit in Parliament and shall the Church alone
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