from many who before they saw that this pretended Reformation must inevitably End in Anarchy and Confusion in the Church appeared Vigorously for it And here I cannot omit a very Remarkable Passage and Speech of Sir Edward Deering's Collection of his own Speeches which take in his own Words UPon occasion of the Remonstrance 19th Novemb. wherein divers passages then were concerning Religion and the Church Government and some in particular as I conceived very aspersive to our Religion in the solemn Practice of it by our publick Liturgie * This Charge upon this occasion was afterwards Expunged the Declaration charging it in Hypothesi with vain Repetitions and with savour of Superstitions I did humbly move That some of that Committee who framed up that Remonstrance for us would please to assign what those vain Repetitions are in our Liturgy and what passages of Superstition Nothing at all was said as I remember to that point of Superstition But at length a Gentleman did adventure to name that which he seemed to think to be vain Repetition He said That the Lords Prayer is 8 or 9 or 10 times repeated I did with the Leave of the House reply That such Repetition toties quoties how oft soever was if heart and words did go together far from vain That in my Book the Lords Prayer was but twice in the whole Morning Service unless the additionals of Baptisme Churching Communion Burial c. did occur That then in every several Act of Divine Service it was once and but once repeated as the high compleature of all our devout Expressions That this Repetition in it self was warrantable as by our Saviours Example who although he had not the Spirit by measure yet in the Garden he prayed three times using the same Words The further debate of this was put off till the next day and then it did grow toward a Question Whether all Exceptions against the Liturgie should be totally laid by or further debated I did not hold our selves the proper Judges of this point I did think that from hence occasion might again be taken inductive to renew my Motion for a free National Synod which I desired to enforce the best I could Especially there being now obtained a general promise of a Synod in this very part of that Declaration or Remonstrance Hereupon I thus adventured Mr. Speaker Sir Edward Deering's Speech about the Declaration of the State of the Kingdom Nov. 20. 1641. THe Question is whether these Clauses concerning some pretended Erroneous Passages in our Liturgy shall be laid by or not I am of Opinion to decline them here but not to bury them in a perpetual silence In this very Period you give us in general terms a promise of a National Synod I do still wish the presence thereof it being to my understanding the only proper Cure and Remedy for all our Church distractions and may be proved if proof be needful to have been practised in the Book of God This promised Synod is too far off let me have a better assurance then a promise which that I may obtain I will be bold to give you some reasons to introduce that Assembly is to speed it also Mr. Speaker much hath been said and something attempted to be done to regulate the Exterior Part of our Religion but Sir we bleed inwardly Much endeavour hath been to amend the deformed Forms we were in and to new Govern the Government Yet Sir this is but the leaves of good Religion fit I confess notwithstanding to be taken care of for Beauty and for Ornament Nay some leaves are fit and necessary to be preserved for shaddow and for shelter to the Blossoms and the Fruit. The Fruit of all is good life which you must never expect to see unless the Blossoms be pure and good that is unless your Doctrines be sound and true Sir Sir I speak it with full grief of heart whil'st we are thus long Pruning and Composing of the Leaves or rather whil'st some would pluck all Leaves away our Blossoms are blasted and whilst we sit here in Cure of Government and Ceremonials we are poysoned in our Doctrinals And at whose door will the Guilt and Sin of all this lye Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet It is true that this mischief grows not by our consent and yet I know not by what unhappy fate there is at present such an all-daring Liberty such a lewd licentiousness for all Mens venting their several Sences senceless Sences in matter of Religion as never was in any age in any Nation until this Parliament was met together Sir it belongs to us to take heed that our countenance the countenance of this Honourable House be not prostituted to sinister ends by bold Offenders If it be in our power to give a remedy a timely and a seasonable remedy to these great and growing Evils and that we being also put in mind shall neglect to do it we then do pluck their sins upon our own heads Alienum qui fert scelus facit suum Shall I be bold to give you a very few instances one for a hundred wherewith our Pulpits do groan Mr. Speaker There is a certain new-born unseen ignorant dangerous desperate way of Independency Are we Sir for this Independant way Nay Sir are we for the elder Brother of it the Presbyterial Form I have not yet heard any one Gentleman within these walls stand up and assert his thoughts here for either of these ways and yet Sir we are made the Patrons and Protectors of these so different so repugnant Innovations witness the several dedications to us Nay both these ways together with the Episcopal come all rushing in upon us every one pretending to a Fore-head of Divinity 1. Episcopacy says its by divine right and certainly Sir it comes much nearer to its claim then any other 2. Presbytery That says it 's by divine right 3. Nay this Illegitimate thing this New-born Independency that dares to say it 's by divine right also Thus the Church of England not long since the Glory of the Reformed Religion is miserably torn and distracted You can hardly now say which is the Church of England Whither shall we turn for Cure Another instance If I would deal with a Papist to reduce him He answers I have been answered so already To what Religion would you perswade me What is the Religion you profess Your 39 Articles they are contested against your publick solemn Lyturgy that is detested * * Protestation protested denies the Church of England to have the 3 Marks of a true Church And which is more then both these the 3. Essential proper and only Marks of a true Church they are protested against what Religion would you perswade me too where may I find and know and see and read the Religion you profess I beseech you Sir help me an answer to the Papist Nay Sir the Papist herein hath assistance even among our selves
true I confess I think Bishop Atherton was unknown to His Majesty and that I my self recommended him to the Bishoprick and at that time I thought the Bishop a Person fit for that Charge But suppose he had a secret fault of his own God knowes it was unknown to me may not a man be deceived in his Judgment of a man but this shall be turned against him It is a very easie thing for a man to cover his faults from the eye of the World I thought him not a Vicious man he proved so and he had his merit he suffered for it And unless I had the Inspection of Almighty God I suppose this cannot be laid to my Charge if any private End or Respect should appear in the doing of it I desire no more of Your Lordships Favour and I profess I had rather be out of the World than not have the Favour of Your Lordships and the Honourable House of Commons of whom I desire that they would hear me with that Equity that they hear every thing For the Bishop of D. all that is mentioned against him is That he is Impeached of High Treason by the Commons House of Parliament in Ireland And how the Bishop will acquit himself I know not but for that the Bishop must Answer for himself not I. This Bishop hath lived in my House a long time as my Chaplain and I humbly recommended him to that Bishoprick taking him and I hope he will so approve himself to be a very Learned man and that I think no body will deny certainly he hath the Elements to make him a very Worthy Church-man as most I know For that Gwyn I profess I never heard of him before nor do I know him But recollecting my thoughts I think he was recommended to me by my Lord of D. for in Matters of the Church I did use that Gentleman and if I were to begin the World again I would use him still holding him a very honest Worthy Man And I think there was some Rectory or Impropriation that the Earl of Corke had possession of which was restored to the Church and it was of so small and trivial a value that they knew not who to get to serve the Cure and on that occasion this man was recommended to it And I think that if it shall come to be examined Thirty pounds a Year will go far in his Preferment And if such a thing should happen and miscarry in his hands it is no such hainous Crime as is objected But I desire leave to shew what I have done in this kind instead of this Mr. Gwyn and Your Lordships may see a List of those I have preferred to the Church of Ireland and perhaps they may be known to some of Your Lordships and to many Gentlemen of the House of Commons And first I say I preferred Mr. Gray and have done for him according to the means I had by the Favour and Goodness of the King perhaps he hath that which is worth 3 or 4 or 500 l. a Year by my Gift And this Mr. Gray if I be not mistaken was sometimes Chaplain to a Noble Person that sits on the Earls Bench and if it were material further to enquire of him I might give satisfaction what he is I likewise brought into that Kingdom Mr. Tilson now Bishop of Elphin and sometimes Fellow of Vniversity Colledge of Oxford a most Worthy Honest Religious Person he is and those that know him I am sure will give him that Testimony I likewise preferred Dr. Margetson Dean of Christs Church he was of Cambridge and a Worthy man Mr. Forward Dean of Drummore an Oxford man who if he were known would appear worthy of that Preferment Mr. Dean Cressy an Oxford man Mr. Roade Dean of Derry a Cambridge man of Sydney Colledge Dr. Wentworth Dean of Armagh of Oxford Dr. Price Dean of Conaught of Christs Church in Oxford Mr. Thorpe a Cambridge man I preferred likewise one Mr. Parry whom I found in Ireland but all the rest I brought and sent for out of England Nay I sent for them and did those things for them before they did ask the Question or knew of it That being a means under Gods Blessing to conform that Kingdom to the Church of England And these and far greater numbers than these to my best Judgment and Understanding I made use of as Instruments to Gods Glory His true Service and the reducing of the People to the Profession of the same Religion that 's here in England and for no other end But concerning my Carriage of the Trust reposed in me by the King touching these Ecclesiastical Preferments I desire no other Testimony or Witness for me but the Lord Primate of Ireland who is sick and cannot come hither To whom I will appeal whether I have not in my preferring to the Church Preferments carried my self with all clearness and care I could possibly To the point of increasing of Protestants if Your Lordships please to hear any thing in that kind I shall call my Lord Dillon and Sir Adam Loftus who if they should be asked Whether there be more Protestants in Dublin now than when I first came thither I doubt not but they would give an account of a greater number My preferring of none but Protestant Officers if I mistook not E. of Strafford the Noble Gentleman did acknowledge meaning Mr. Pym. To the disposing of the Army without Grievance to the Subject I leave that Billetting of Soldiers in Dublin which was spoken with so much Advantage and Ability above any thing that from such a poor man as my self could be expected and proceed to that which was proved observing That one only Testimony was produced viz. Alderman J. who said they have a special Charter at Dublin to exempt them from Billetting of Soldiers But whether it be so or no it hath ever been denyed by the Deputies And by his own Confession the Foot-Companies of my Lord of Faulkland were Billetted in Dublin And whereas it was said they had Lodgings not Money That was altered upon a Composition with the Soldiers who can expect only Lodging but if for the Ease of the Town they will allow the Soldier Money and leave him to provide for himself it is all one For the Horse Troops My own is and ever since I was there hath been Billetted in Dublin And it is in the power of the Deputy to Garrison part of the King's Army where he pleases and without controversie hath been so at all times And I desire that my Lord Ranulagh may be asked Whether the Soldiers of the Company he hath be not Billetted in Athlone at least some part of it It is true my Lord of Faukland's Troop was not Billetted in Dublin but they were in the Counties round about which was more chargeable And besides here is produced but one single Witness and I hope my own Answer may stand equal and in as much Credit as a
Protestation I hope Gentlemen you do think that neither the fear of Loss nor love of Reputation will suffer me to belye God and mine own Conscience at this time I am now in the very door going out and my next step must be from time to Eternity either of Peace or Pain To clear my self before you all I do here solemnly call God to witness I am not Guilty so far as I can understand of the great Crime laid to my Charge nor have ever had the least inclination or Intention to damnifie or prejudice the King the State the Laws or the Religion of this Kingdom but with my best endeavours to serve all and to support all So may God be merciful to my Soul Then rising up he said He desired to speak something to the People but was affraid he should be heard by few in regard of the Noise but having first fitted himself to the Block and rising again he thus addressed himself to the Spectators MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords The Earl of Strafford's Speech upon the Scaffold May 12. and the rest of these Noble Gentlemen It is a great Comfort to me to have your Lordships by me this day because I have been known to you a long time and I now desire to be heard a few words I come here my Lords to pay my last Debt to Sin which is Death And through the Mercies of God to rise again to Eternal Glory My Lords If I may use a few words I shall take it as a great Courtesie from you I come here to submit to the Judgment that is passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a forgiveness not from the Teeth outward as they say but from my heart I speak in the presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not a displeasing thought that ariseth in me against any Man I thank God I say truly my Conscience bears me Witness that in all the Honour I had to serve His Majesty I had not any Intention in my heart but what did aim at the Joynt and Individual prosperity of the King and His People although it be my ill hap to be misconstrued I am not the first Man that hath suffered in this kind It is a Common Portion that befals men in this Life Righteous Judgment shall be hereafter here we are subject to Error and Misjudging one another One thing I desire to be heard in and do hope that for Christian Charities sake I shall be believed I was so far from being against Parliaments that I did always think Parliaments in England to be the happy Constitution of the Kingdom and Nation and the best means under God to make the King and his People happy As for my death I do here acquit all the World and beseech God to forgive them In particular I am very glad His Majesty conceives me not meriting so severe and heavy a punishment as the utmost Execution of this Sentence I do infinitely rejoyce in it and in that Mercy of His and do beseech God to Return Him the same that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all prosperity and happiness in the World I did it Living and now Dying it is my Wish I profess heartily my apprehension and do humbly recommend it to you and wish that every Man would lay his hand on his heart and consider seriously Whether the beginning of the Peoples happiness should be written in Letters of Blood I fear they are in a Wrong Way I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood rise up in Judgment against them I have but one word more and that is for my Religion My Lord of Armagh I do profess my self seriously faithfully and truly to be an obedient Son of the Church of England In that Church I was born and bred in that Religion I have lived and now in that I dye Prosperity and Happiness be ever to it It hath been said I was inclined to Popery if it be an Objection worth the answering let me say truly from my heart That since I was Twenty one years of age unto this day going on 49 years I never had thought or doubt of the truth of this Religion nor had ever any the boldness to suggest to me the contrary to my best remembrance And so being reconciled to the Mercies of Jesus Christ my Saviour into whose bosom I hope shortly to be gathered to enjoy Eternal Happiness which shall never have an end I desire heartily to be forgiven of every Man if any rash or unadvised Words or Deeds have passed from me and desire all your Prayers and so my Lord Farewel and farewel all things in this World The Lord strengthen my Faith and give me Confidence and Assurance in the Merits of Christ Jesus I trust in God we shall all meet to live Eternally in Heaven and receive the accomplishment of all Happiness where every Tear shall be wiped from our Eyes and sad thoughts from our Hearts and so God bless this Kingdom and Jesus have Mercy on my Soul Then turning himself about he saluted all the Noblemen and took a solemn leave of all considerable persons on the Scaffold giving them his Hand And after that he said Gentlemen I would say my Prayers and I intreat you all to pray with me and for me Then his Chaplain laid the Book of Common-Prayer upon the Chair before him as he kneeled down on which he prayed almost a quarter of an hour then he prayed as long or longer without a Book and ended with the Lords Prayer then standing up he spyed his Brother Sir George Wentworth and call'd him to him and said Brother We must part remember me to my Sister and to my Wife and carry my Blessing to my Eldest Son and charge him from me That he fear God and continue an Obedient Son of the Church of England and that he approve himself a Faithful Subject to the King and tell him That he should not have any private Grudge or Revenge towards any concerning Me and bid him beware to meddle not with Church Livings for that will prove a Moth and Canker to him in his Estate and wish him to content himself to be a Servant to his Countrey as a Justice of Peace in his County not aiming at higher Preferments Carry my Blessing also to my Daughter Ann and Arrabella charge them to fear and serve God and he will bless them not forgetting my little Infant that knows neither good nor evil and cannot speak for it self God speak for it and bless it Then said he I have nigh done One stroke will make my Wife Husbandless my dear Children Fatherless and my poor Servants Masterless and seperate me from my dear Brother and all my Friends but let God be to you and them all in all After that going to take off his Doublet and to make
and Concourse of People to those places Thirdly To the Poor who found there a constant relief from their Hospitality Fourthly To the King's Revenues for that besides their First-fruits Tenths c. no sort of Men did more readily grant Subsidies to his Majesty or were more willing at this time to contribute to the publick Charges of the Kingdom He trusted much he said in the Honour and Justice of this Honourable House in regard that though they were Accused of great and flagitious Crimes yet he could not hear of the least proof offered against them and therefore he hoped that they who professed so much sincerity in Religion would never have St. Paul's censure deservedly laid upon them Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Which he did not see how it could be avoided if they destroyed these Religious Foundations which were dedicated and set apart for the solemn Service and Honour of God Concluding That upon the Ruine of the Rewards of Industry and Learning no Structure could be raised but Ignorance and upon the Chaos of Ignorance nothing but Confusion Prophaneness Irreligion and Atheism But Alas All this was but Surdis Canere Upon this there arose a warm debate and the Episcopal Party in the House who were by far over-numbered urged That they took the late Protestation to be the meaning and intention of the House to defend the Protestant Religion and not to destroy it according to the first Clause of the said Protestation But they soon found themselves in Solomon's Snare who informs them that is a Snare to devour holy things and after vows to make Enquiry for whatever their intention was in taking it the imposers had one very far different and meant it as an Engine to pull down the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy as a Relique of Popery and therefore they now explained their meaning to be That Explanation of the Protestation by the True Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within the Realm contrary to the same Doctrine is meant only the Publick Doctrine professed in the said Church so far as it is opposite to Popery and Popish Innovations and that the said Words are not to extend to the maintaining of any Form of Worship Discipline or Government nor of any Rites or Ceremonies of the said Church of England So that upon the Matter hereby the Government of the Church by Arch-bishops Bishops c. together with the Liturgy were plainly designed for Extirpation which is the Presbyterian way of Reforming Thus by an unhappy Artifice were many worthy and sound men not only for the Doctrine but Government of the Church as it were drawn into a Confederacy to destroy her And if their too inconsiderate compliance drew them into this danger how deeply were they Guilty who designedly drew them into the making a solemn Protestation Vow and Promise in the presence of Almighty God to perform something which by their own Confession was so mysterious and doubtful as to need an Explication a Vow made without the knowledge or consent of their Supreme Lord and Sovereign and as they Explained it not only directly contrary to their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy but such a one as their Sovereign could not permit them to keep but he must violate his Coronation Oath by which he had obliged himself to defend the Church in all her Priviledges and Immunities as then by Law possessed and enjoyed A most impious affront to the Supreme Majesty of Heaven making him a Party to a Vow so rashly made that the very framers of it to their Eternal Infamy acknowledged by this Explanation carried so much Ambiguity as to render it not sufficiently understood to be taken with a safe Conscience nor by many of those who took it be kept without perjury and making shipwrack of their Consciences However this advantage Posterity will be able to make of it not to be again imposed upon by such wily stratagems of pretenders to Reformation but for the future will more easily be able to discover the design and meaning of such Protestations and Associations and in what sense they who diffent from the Church of England understand the True Protestant Religion of which they boast themselves such great Champions and Assertors and that though for a time to serve their Interest they may dissemble yet they esteem the Discipline Rites and Ceremonies of the present Established Church of England no better than Popery and Popish Innovations And that notwithstanding the Testimony of Antiquity long before either Popery or Presbytery came into the World recommends them to us as the Primitive Government and Usages of the Universal Church notwithstanding that the first Reformers set to their Testimony by Martyrdom which they suffered from the Papists an evident demonstration that they are not Popish Notwithstanding that they are agreeable to the Rule of Scripture enjoyned by those Laws and Legislators who detested abhorred and banished the Pope and Popery out of England yet if ever they can get the Power proportionable to their Wills they will endeavour to Extirpate Root and Branch the most truly Primitive and Apostolical Church in the whole Christian World A Message from the House of Commons by Mr. Arthur Goodwin Message from the Commons about the Bill to restrain Ecclesiastical persons from medling in Secular Affairs who delivered the Bill for the abbreviation of Michaelmas Term which the Commons had passed with the amendments And to desire their Lordships from the Commons to take into Consideration as soon as they can the Bill touching the Restraining of Bishops and Persons in Holy Orders from intermedling in Secular Affairs This day two Letters were read in the House of Commons one from Mr. Peter Heywood Thursday May 13. Fears of the French another from Thomas Smith of Dover to one James Buckhurst of the great fears of the French and their being about to Ship many thousands of men to be landed in England the Consideration of which were referred to the Committee of Seven Thus did they by continual Alarms of Fears and Dangers even upon the slightest and most trivial Grounds as it were to keep the People perpetually awake and force them into those dreadful State-Phrensies which were the deplorable Consequences of these Reports and Rumors His Majesty came this day into the House of Lords and having Seated himself in his Chair of State the Lords being in their Robes fitting uncovered the House of Commons were sent for the Royal Assent being to be given to three Bills viz. One for the Abbreviation of Michaelmas Term Another for Pressing and Levying of Marriners and others for the Service of the Kingdom and the third For the Remainder of the Six Subsidies Upon the presenting of which Mr. Speaker made this Speech as I find it in the Book of Speeches Pag. 204. May it please Your Most Excellent Majesty Mr. Speaker's Speech at the passing
Barcock George Ewer George Pitcher Tho. Low The Names of those that committed the Disorder in the Church of St. Olaves in Southwark in time of administring the Communion Robert Wainman _____ Bonace Hugh Evans John Moor. Ordered That the persons aforenamed be sent for to appear before this House as Delinquents to answer their several Offences The Commons fell this Day upon the Root and Branch Bill Friday June 11. Debate about the Bill for abolishing Episcopacy c. and the House being resolved into a Grand Committee of the whole House the Title of the Bill was first Voted and many Speeches and Arguments were on both sides Urged for and against it but it is my Misfortune as I must always complain as well as the Reader 's loss that he can hear little of the matter but Ex parte for such was then the prevalency of the Faction that what Ever was spoken in the behalf of Episcopacy was stifled discouraged and suppressed and in this small Tract of time since the Revolution utterly lost and forgotten whereas all the Speeches of the Leading Men of the Faction were either by their own or by the Order of the House Printed Published and Dispersed throughout the Kingdom by which Art they did not only then persuade the Nation who saw nothing in Answer to these Libellous Speeches that their Reasons were unanswerable but they came by falling into so many hands to be preserved I hope as Eternal Monuments of Infamy to their Authors and Excellent Cautions to future Ages who will Easily be able to Judge when they hear of the like Speeches what a kind of Reformation and what defences of Liberty and Property they are to Expect from such pretended Patriots and Speech-makers who pull up the very Foundations of the Government under the pretence that it is Unsound and Rotten And indeed were it not that these Collections are generally like to fall into such Judicious hands as will be able to separate the insinuating Malice and Poison from them and thereby make them Useful by framing Arguments against them and winnowing the Chaffy part of their reasoning from them I could not judge it Expedient to transmit these four Grapes to Posterity nor to revive them did I not believe they might serve as useful precautions to preserve their Teeth from being set on Edge Upon this subject Sir Henry Vane who was now become not only the Proselyte but Favourite of the Faction for the Famous Blow he had given the Earl of Strafford made this insuing Speech at the Committee of the whole House Mr. Hide being in the Chair Mr. Hide THE Debate we are now upon is Sir Henry Vane's Speech against Episcopal Government June 11. 1641. Whether the Government by Archbishops Bishops Chancellors c. should be taken away out of the Church and Kingdom of England For the right stating whereof we must remember the Vote which passed Yesterday not only by this Committee but the House which was to this Effect That this Government hath been found by long Experience to be a great impediment to the perfect Reformation and Growth of Religion and very Prejudicial to the Civil State So that then the Question will lie thus before us Whether a Government which long Experience hath set so ill a Character upon importing Danger not only to our Religion but the Civil State should be any longer continued amongst us or be utterly abolished For my own part I am of the Opinion of those who conceive that the strength of Reason already set down in the Preamble to this Bill by Yesterdays Vote is a necessary decision of this Question For one of the main Ends for which Church-Government is set up is to advance and further the perfect Reformation and Growth of Religion which we have already Voted this Government doth contradict so that it is destructive to the very end for which it should be and is most necessary and desireable in which respect certainly we have cause enough to lay it aside not onely as useless in that it attains not its end but as dangerous in that it destroyes and contradicts it In the second place we have Voted it prejudicial to the Civil State as having so powerful and ill an influence upon our Laws the Prerogative of the King and Liberties of the Subject that it is like a spreading Leprosie which leaves nothing untainted and uninfected which it comes near May we not therefore well say of this Government as our Saviour in the Fifth of Matthew speaks of Salt give me leave upon this occasion to make use of Scripture as well as others have done in this Debate where it is said that Salt is good But if the Salt hath lost its savour wherewith will you season it It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men So Church-Government in the general is good and that which is necessary and which we all desire but when any particular Form of it hath once lost its savour by being destructive to its own ends for which it is set up as by our Vote already passed we say this hath then surely Sir we have no more to do but to cast it out and endeavour the best we can to provide our selves a better But to this it hath been said That the Government now in question may be so amended and reformed that it needs not be pulled quite down or abolished because it is conceived it hath no original sin or evil in it or if it have it is said regeneration will take that away Unto which I answer I do consent that we should do with this Government as we are done by in regeneration in which all old things are to pass away and all things are to become new and this we must do if we desire a perfect Reformation and growth of our Religion or good to our Civil State For the whole Fabrick of this Building is so rotten and corrupt from the very Foundation of it to the top that if we pull it not down now it will fall about the Ears of all those that endeavour it within a very few years The universal rottenness or corruption of this Government will most evidently appear by a disquisition into these ensuing particulars First Let us consider in what Soil this root grows Is it not in the Pope's Paradise do not one and the same Principles and Grounds maintain the Papacy or universal Bishop as do our Diocesan or Metropolitan Bishops All those authorities which have been brought us out of the Fathers and Antiquity will they not as well if not better support the Popedome as the Order of our Bishops So likewise all these Arguments for its agreeableness to Monarchy and cure of Schisme do they not much more strongly hold for the acknowledgment of the Pope than for our Bishops And yet have Monarchies been ever a whit the more absolute for the Pope's universal Monarchy or their Kingdoms less
Clergy-man no Dignitary whose Books have cost him a Thousand Pounds which when he dies may be worth to his Wife and Children about Two Hundred It will be a shameful reproach to so flourishing a Kingdom as this to have a poor beggarly Clergy For my part I think nothing too much nothing too good for a good Minister a good Clergy-man They ought least to want who best know how to abound Burning and shining Lights do well deserve to be set in good Candlesticks Mr. Hide I am as much for Reformation for purging and maintaining Religion as any man whatsoever but I profess I am not for Innovation Demolition nor Abolition Possibly the Reader will now be desirous to see this Bill which gave so much business to the Parliament and therefore I here present him with a Copy of it as I find it in the Paper-Office An Act for the Abolishing and taking away of all Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissaries Deans Deacons and Chanters Arch-Deacons Prebendaries and Canons and all other their Under-Officers of the Church of England WHereas the Government of the Church of England by Arch-Bishops and Bishops The Bill against Episcopal Government and the Hierarchy of the Church their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Arch-Deacons and others their Cathedral Officers have been found by lang experience to be a great Impediment to the perfect Reformation and Growth of Religion prejudicial to the Civâ—l Government of this Kingdom Be it therefore Enacted by the King 's most excellent Majesty the Lords and Commons Assembled in this present Parliament by the Authority of the same That from henceforth there shall be no Arch-Bishops Chancellors or Commissaries of any Bishopricks Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons Prebendaries Chanters Canons or Pety-Canons or any other of their Officers within this Church or Kingdom And every Parson that shall hereafter use or exercise any Power Iurisdiction Office or Authority Ecclesiastical or Civil by Collection of any such Name Title Dignity or Office or Iurisdiction to incur the Penalty and a Forfeiture contained in the Act of Premunires made in the 16 R. 2. That all which hereafter done by any Arch-Bishopricks their Chancellors Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons Prevendaries Canons Petty-Canons or any other Office by Collection of any of their Dignities or Officers aforesaid shall be meérly void in Law any Statute or Ordinance heretofore made to the contrary any wise notwithstanding And that all Mannors Lands Territories Impropriations Houses Rents Services and other Hereditaments whatsoever of the said Arch-Bishopricks Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons Prebendaries Canons Petty-Canons which they or any of them have in Right of the said Churches or Dignities shall be disposed and ordered of in such manner sort and form as the King 's most excellent Majesty the Lords Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled shall appoint And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction fit to be exercised within this Church and Kingdom of England shall be committed to such a number of Persons and in such manner as by this present Parliament appointed Divers Papers were upon this occasion presented to the Consideration of the House of Commons and many even of the Presbyterians who were for altering some things yet were not for Extirpation of Root and Branch among the rest I find these two in the Paper-Office THe Agitation of change of Government in the Church A Proposition concerning Bishops and Ecclesiastical Affairs and Church Government in the House of Commons is a Business of so high a Consequence that it is necessary to prevent any Resolution by Voting their judgment alone lest that being brought up with prejudice to the Lords who are and ought to be equally interessed may also prejudice the Cause It is a doubtful Case in the heat of this dispute how farr the Commons may go in the Declaration of their Opinions in which if the Lords shall not concur it may prove a great Rock of offence between the two Houses Therefore 't is very requisite that the Lords of the Higher House do timely interest themselves in the discussion and before any Resolution in either House To this purpose the Lords may be pleased to make a Committee in their House for the Reformation of Church Affairs and Government and thereupon demand a Conference with the Committee of the House of Commons that the business may be handled by Consultation on both sides pari passu and gradu At this Conference the Lords may be pleased to propose these grounds 1. That neither by Example nor Reason in any Age or State Matters Ecclesiastical or Mutations in Church Affairs were ever alone determined by Lay-men 2. In the Primitive Church and most Ancient times matters of this nature were always debated in General Councils or National Synods in the blessed Reformation the business was agitated by a Choice number of Divines who communicated their proceeding with Reformed Divines abroad and admitted some Strangers into their Consultations for the satisfaction of their Brethren and Peace of the Church 3. The publick Enemy of our Religion will take infinite advantage at every Alteration and especially at any that shall be resolved above by Lay-men 4. It must of necessity produce a dangerous Schism in the Church if without all Respect of Edification and satisfaction to the Parties different in judgment any conclusion should be imposed upon both without their consent 5. It is impossible that any Resolution taken in Heat and Passion can be so permanent but that time will discover a Necessity of fresh alterations to the shame of the whole Reformation 6. It is necessary to proceed in such a way as may not be Scandalous to the Churches abroad and may give satisfaction to both Parties opposite and contending at Home and may be Honourable Durable Obliging and Fortified with the consent and agreement of the Ecclesiastick and the Authority of the Parliament To effect which it is most agreeable to true Wisdom and Policy that both Houses of Parliament determine and declare for the present that the Laws Established for Church Government shall be obeyed And because all things in the first Reformation could not be fore-seen or some things were necessarily for other respects overseen which Time and great Liberty and Light have discovered and which may now be more fitly taken into consideration That therefore both Houses may be pleased to move His Majesty for the calling of a National Synod I mean of a Select number of Divines of all three Nations subject to His Majesty equally and impartially chosen of Moderate and Learned Men of both sides in which may be discussed and resolved a setled and uniform Model of Government to be presented unto the Parliament of all the Kingdoms there to receive Strength and Approbation In which Assembly Godly Men and lovers of Peace assisted by the Spirit of God may doubtlessly be induced to receive satisfaction from one another in
mercy but I declare good People before God and his Holy Angels and all of you that hear me that I never had any Commission from the King for what I have done in Levying or Prosecution of this War and do heartily beg your Prayers all good Catholicks and Christians that God may be merciful unto me and forgive me my sins More of his Speech I could not hear which continued not long the Guards beating off those that stood near the place of Execution All that I have written as above I declare to be true and am ready if thereunto required upon my Corporal Oath to attest the truth of every particular of it And in Testimony thereof do hereunto Subscribe my Hand and affix my Seal this 28th day of February 1681. John Ker Locus Sigilli Nor will it appear at all strange to Posterity that those Infamous Usurpers of the Presbyterian and Indepenent Faction of the Parliament who afterwards Murthered his Sacred Person should attempt to Assasinate the Fame and Honour of that Royal Martyr but when under the Just and Easie Government of the Son of that Father persons who seem extremely solicitous for the Truth and to deliver the most impartial account of those Affairs to Posterity shall adventure to dip their Pens in the same Ink and revive the old sleeping Calumnies and Insinuations it will be absolutely necessary by way of precaution to future Ages to set some Mark upon them and to do Justice to the Memory especially of that Injured and Oppressed Prince by clearing it from these false and unjust Aspersions lest otherwise he should again suffer a Martyrdom in his Innocent Memory and after times come to entertain suspicions that the Crimes objected against him were not altogether Groundless since they find them supported by those who seem to have espoused his Interest and who make such fair pretensions to exact Truth in the Relation of this Horrid Rebellion I will not insist upon a late Paper which hath already received the marks of His Majesties just displeasure for insinuating a Scandalous Reflexion upon his Royal Father in affirming That the Committees of the Parliament of Ireland were in at the Intrigues of the Popish Faction at Court which words however endeavoured to be palliated with a Restriction only to the Papists who without employes of Ministers or Privy Councellors followed the Court contrary to Law yet in the Natural import must signifie a Managing Plotting and Designing People to whom for their Interest and Power the Committees made this Application and what ever Construction Loyal Subjects may make of such Words the Turbulent and Factious always by Faction at Court understand those Ministers of State and Privy Councellors whom they according to the Liberty they take are wont to call also Evil Councellors Popish Councils of which it is easie to give a Thousand Instances and how dangerous such Reflexions are to the Government his late Majesty sufficiently felt and his Son our Royal Sovereign hath had just ground to fear and the more when they are propagated by persons whose Station gives them a Popular Credit and evil disposed persons will be apt to draw inferences from such Authorities to support the dangerous Calumny against the Court of the Son of which the Fathers is how falsely soever Accused But though I insist not upon this Books of that bigness being not long lived in the World especially when so marked by publick reprehension yet I cannot pass by what a late Historian whose Works are more likely to survive the present and some future Ages has upon this subject interspersed to the Scandal of his late Majesty and one of his most Faithful and Loyal Subjects his Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the then Marquess now Duke of Ormond whose generous fidelity to the Crown of England and constant services to the Church and State the Protestant Religion and Interest and his wise conduct of the Affairs of Ireland with which he hath been so successfully entrusted by his Royal Master might have expected a far better treatment then now when the signal hand of Providence hath as a Recompence of his Loyalty and Sufferings conducted his Grace to an Age of Glory to raise new storms of Detraction against his Reputation and Honour even when he seems to have come to an Anchor in the Favour of his Prince and the esteem of all good and faithful Subjects to the Crown The History though his name is not affixed to the Title Some Animadversions upon Dr. Borlase's History of the Execrable Irish Rebellion goes generally under the name of Dr. Borlase's and if it be so Dr. Borlase must excuse me if I take the liberty to affirm that he has not followed Old Tully's Honourable Character of an honest Historian Ne quid falsi audeat dicere of which I think he hath not only failed in many particulars but again raised up the Spirit of Detraction Of the Good Old Cause to persecute the Ashes of the Illustrious Martyr and wound the future Honour of his most faithful Ministers I do not intend to write a solemn Confutation of his Book and more then that I do think it in many things true and so useful that I shall make use my self of such Authorities in it as are fortified by Truth but I must still have freedom to dissent from him wherever hereafter I find him discrepant from Truth I shall only in this place in short take notice of some few passages wherein he seems not only to swim down the Popular Torrent of the Calumnies of the late times of Usurpation but to bring the Stream of his own Sentiments and Reasonings to supply that Channel which was so near dry as to be almost Fordable by the most indifferent Understandings in the Transactions of the late Troubles and in my Opinion are of so dangerous Consequence to the raising of new ones that nothing but an ingenuous Confession of not attending to the Consequences of reviving and promoting such insinuations can make any tolerable excuse for the mischiefs they may do and an indeavour to prevent them by making the acknowledgment of the mistakes as publick as the mistakes are dangerous But since as I lately am informed the Author is by his Death put out of the possibility of making that Reparation to the Government I think it of absolute necessity to shew the World those mistakes which surviving in his Writings if not detected may do more mischief after his Death then his publick Recanting and Retracting of them could have done Justice to the injured Memory of his late Majesty his Ministers and Government had he lived and been so ingenuous as to do it And first He seems to stumble at the very Threshold of his Work in matter of Fact which is but an Ominous setting out for an Historian and must be either out of Ignorance or Design either of which are very ill Ingredients towards the composing a History An instance of which in the very first Page
sorry for having administred unto their Lordships any Occasion of so high an Offence by letting fall Words touching the Bible of the Church of England and protesteth that his Design was not to affront their Lordships or the professed Religion of this Kingdom and he did assure their Lordships That as all Catholick Subjects have ever done so he did neither refuse to swear upon the English Bible nor held himself disobliged to Answer truely whatsoever was Demanded He therefore humbly beseecheth their Lordships to Pardon his great Offonce upon this his humble Submission and Acknowledgment and to grant his Inlargement assuring their Lordships he is most willing and ready not only to depose the Truth as by his Oath he is bound in whatsoever shall be Interrogated in this particular Cause but also shall ever Pray c. Upon which their Lordships sent a Message to the Commons giving them an account of this Petition and to let them know that having given this Satisfaction they were inclined to Pardon him but will not release him out of his Imprisonment before they had acquainted them therewith according to their Lordships former Ingagement Sir Henry Vane brought up a List of the Names of such Papists as the House of Commons desired should be secured as also an Order for the Lord Admiral to set forth 4 Ships for the Service of Ireland in which they desired the Lords to joyn with them Then were read two Letters from the Lords Justices in Ireland Letters from Ireland dated Nov. 13th 1641. the one to the Lord Keeper the other to the Lord Lieutenant the Purport of which was That some Ships may be appointed to Guard the Coasts of Ireland That the Rebels have taken divers Houses and Castles That they have spoiled the County of Cavan and have made a Remonstrance of the Ground of their Revolt They desire that 10000 Foot and 1000 Horse with Arms and Munition and 100000 l. be presently sent them with a Supply of Victuals and Oats for Horses And lastly they presented an Examination of one William Shales taken the 10th of November upon Oath ministred by the Clerk of the Council of Ireland by Direction of the Board which Examination was read in the House as followeth WIlliam Shales Shales's Accusation of Sir Henry Beddingfield of Oxborough Hall in Norfolk Sergeant of the Foot Company under the Command of Sir Arthur Loftus Knight saith That about the latter End of April last he being then in Norfolk at Oxborough Hall in the House of Sir Henry Beddingfield the said Sir Henry hearing that this Examinant was lately come out of Ireland sent for him in to his Garden whither when he came he found the said Sir Henry walking with one Poole whom this Examinant supposeth was a Priest and saith That as soon as he came into the said Garden the said Sir Henry asked him whether he knew how the state of Ireland then stood To which the Examinant said That he thought that all things were quiet and at Peace there Why quoth Sir Henry doth the Army there do nothing To which the Examinant Replied That they carried themselves quietly and that any man might walk in Ireland with a Thousand pounds and a Wand only in his hand He saith also That the said Sir Henry told him That he was about to take a House in Kilkenny of one of the Butlers for that there was no safety in England for any of his Religion and asked of the Examinant Whether there were any good Hawking thereabouts To which the Examinant said That there was Then the said Sir Henry said That now his Mind was altered and that he meant to stay in England and added That he did believe that before Christmass Day next there should be seen such Combustions in England and Ireland as the like were never seen before and thereupon Cursed the Scots as Authors of these Troubles Jurat Coram nobis Ja. Ware Rob. Meredith William Shales Whereupon it was Ordered That Sir Henry Beddingfield should be sent for in safe Custody by the Gentleman Vsher of the House and none permitted to speak with him but in the presence of the Messengers and that his Study should be sealed up by the two next Justices of the Peace till the further Pleasure of the House be known Sir Thomas Barington brought up a Message from the Commons to desire that Phillips the Priest may not be released of his Imprisonment until they be first made acquainted with it To which the Lords assented and appointed the Earl of Dorset the Queens Chamberlain to give her Majesty an account of these proceedings The List of the Prime Papists who were desired to be secured by the House of Commons Next the List of Recusants Names were read which the House of Commons desire may be secured which were as follows In the County of Lancaster Mr. Preston of the Mannor Mr. Clifton of Litham Mr. Chorley Sir William Gerrard Mr. James Anderton of Clayton Sen. Mr. Blundel of Crosby Mr. Robert Cranfield of Robbs Hall Sir John Talbott Sir Cecil Trafford Mr. Hugh Anderton of Eurton Sir Alexander Barlow In the County of Stafford Sir Richard Fleetwood Baronet Mr. Jo. Wells of Horecross Mr. Dreycott of Painsley Mr. Peter Gifford of Chillington Mr. Tho. Leveson of Ashburn Mr. Francis Harcott In the County of Southampton Lord Stourton Mr. Gage of Bawbridge Mr. John Bishop of Pilewell Lord Baltimore Mr. William Owen of Abberston John Arundell Esquire In the County of Sussex Lord Viscount Mountague In the County of Warwick Robert Throgmorton Esquire Mr. Morgan of Weston Mr. William Sheldon of Weston Sir Charles Smith In the County of Montgomery Sir Piercy Herbert Knight In the County of Worcester The Earl of Shrewsbury Francis Hanford Esquire Mr. Walter Blunt Edward Sheldon Esquire Mr. William Abbington Jun. In the County of Chester Mr. Poole of Poole Mr. Starkey of Darley Mr. Stanley In the County of Monmouth The Earl of Worcester Sir Charles Sommersett Mr. Morgan of Llantern In the County of Pembroke Sir Nicholas Lewis In the County of Suffolk Sir Robert Rookwood In the County of Salop. Thomas Vnton Esquire In the County of Northumberland Roger Widdrington Esquire In the County of Northampton The Lord Brudnell Mr. Poulton Mr. Sanders In the County of Dorsett John Webb of Cansford In the County of Lincoln Sir John Thimbleby Knight Ralph Evers of Washingborough Mr. Townley of Norton Edmond Thorold of Hough Esq Anthony Mounson The Lord Harris Lord Arundel of Wardour Sir Kenelm Digby Sir John Symonds Sir John Winter Sir William Mounteth Lord Herbert Sir Robert Lyme Sir Basil Brook Sir Alexander Gordon Sir William Mounson Sir Henry Gifford After which it was Ordered That the Consideration of this List should be debated upon Munday following In the House of Commons they were still upon the great work of the Declaration of the State of the Kingdom which was not so smoothly carried but that it met with great Opposition even
have a Copy of the Declaration against him and shall put in his Answer thereunto on Tuesday come seven Night The Commons were also in an extraordinary heat about the Halberdeers who were set to prevent Tumults and Riots Routs and unlawful Assemblies which now frequently resorted to Westminster to cry out against the Bishops and their Votes in Parliament some of the Halberdeers were called to the Bar and Examined and they giving the same Account as was before given to the Lords the Bailiff of Westminster the Constable of St. Clement Danes and the Under-Sheriff of Middlesex were ordered to be sent for to give an Account of the Reason of placing those Guards about the Parliament House And thereupon it was Voted Resolved c. That the setting of any Guards about this House Vote of the Commons concerning the Guard of Halberdeers set about the Parliament House without the Consent of the House is a breach of the Privilege of this House and that therefore such Guards ought to be dismissed And thereupon the Serjeant at Armes attending the House was appointed to Command them to depart which was done accordingly The House then sell into Debate concerning the treating with the Scottish Commissioners concerning raising Men for the relief of Ireland and upon the Question it was Resolved c. That this House doth Approve and Consent that his Majesties Commissioners named by the House and appointed to treat with the Scotch Commissioners shall treat with them for the raising of 10000 Scots for the Occasions of Ireland Sir Walter Earl then gave Information to the House of some dangerous Words spoken by several Persons but did not Name them whereupon it was Ordered That Mr. Speaker should issue out a Warrant to apprehend such Persons as Sir Walter Earl shall nominate to him for speaking Words of a dangerous Consequence This was one of the common Arts which they used to restrain those who were able from informing the People of the dangerous Consequences of their own Proceedings and Liberty of Speech seemed now to be wholly confined within the Walls of St. Stephen's Chappel or if any of that common Privilege of Mankind was indulged it was only to the Favourites of the Faction the Sectaries and Schismaticks who they were assured would be very serviceable to them in imploying that Liberty to traduce and Calumniate the King the Bishops the Government of the Church and whatever was either Orthodox or Loyal but for others if they once dared to Intrench upon the Privilege of the Pretended Sects or to correct those Liberties they took to defame the King and his Ministers the Church and her Governors or to arraign any of the violent Proceedings of the Faction these Religious Spies and Setters immediately gave Informations against them to some of the Members of the Commons and these Men had a certain devise to punish Men who had transgressed no known Law for Crimes which would not bear an Indictment or the Test of a Jury of their Peers by bringing them under the Rod of the Commons House for Words of dangerous Consequence for which constructive Offences their Persons were imprisoned and their Purses fleeced by the Serjeant and his Officers as if they had been the most notorious Malefactors Such precious beginnings had this Dawning of the glorious Day which they promised the People should be nothing but one continued Sun-shine of Liberty and Property without the least Cloud of Arbitrary or Exorbitant Government But as a great Man said upon another Occasion in this present Parliament Misera est servitus ubi jus est vagum et incertum Where known Law ends there Slavery begins And where our Law knows not how to lay an Indictment it must certainly be something Arbitrary that inflicts a Punishment But this was the Case of Loyalty Men were not only made Offenders for a Word but for such Words as were justifiable by the Laws of God and Man His Majesty whose Zeal for the Church was as Eminent as his Piety and Devotion were singular and most extraordinary observing what an Inundation of Schisme and Errors were flowing in upon the Church the Pretence of Reformation letting loose all the Schismaticks who pretended to be the great Reformers issued out a most Excellent Proclamation to prevent that Disorder Division and Separation which he too Prophetically foresaw would indanger the Subversion of the very Essence and Substance of Religion The Proclamation was as follows A Proclamation for Obedience to the Laws Ordained for Establishing of the True Religion in this Kingdom of England HIs Majesty considering that it is a Duty most beseeming A Proclamation for Obedience to the Laws for Establishing the true Religion in England Dec. 11. 1641. and that most obligeth Soveraign Authority in a Christian King to be careful above all other Things of preserving and advancing the Honor and Service of Almighty God and the peace and tranquility of the Church to which end His Majesty with his Parliament hath it under Consideration how all just Scruples might be removed And being in the mean time sensible that the present Division Separation and Disorder about the Worship and Service of God as it is Established by the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom in the Church of England tendeth to great Distraction and Confusion and may endanger the Subversion of the very Essence and Substance of true Religion hath resolved for the preservation of Vnity and Peace which is most necessary at this time for the Church of England to require Obedience to the Laws and Statutes Ordained for establishing of the True Religion in this Kingdom whereby the Honor of God may be advanced to the great Comfort and Happiness both of His Majesty and his good Subjects His Majesty doth therefore Charge and Command That Divine Service be performed in this His Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as is appointed by the Laws and Statutes Estadlished in this Realm and that Obedience be given by all His Subjects Ecclesiastical and Temporal to the said Laws and Statutes concerning the same And that all Iudges Officers and Ministers Ecclesiastical and Temporal according to Iustice and their respective Duties do put the said Acts of Parliament in due Execution against all willfull Contemners and Disturbers of Divine Service contrary to the said Laws and Statutes His Majesty doth further Command That no Parsons Vicars or Curates in their several Parishes shall presume to introduce any Rite or Ceremonies other then those which are Established by the Laws and Statutes of the Land Given at His Majesties Palace of White-Hall the tenth Day of December in the Seventeenth Year of His Majesties Reign God save the KING But the Root of the Schism lay too deep to be Cured by a Proclamation and the Separatists knew where to take Sanctuary not only for their Disobedience to the Laws made in favor of the Church but of the Crown too or otherwise they would not in such riotous and Tumultuous Manner
for the present being not very welcome These People notwithstanding the rebuke which Sir Thomas Aston had met with for a Petition of this Nature yet in the midst of these wicked Times durst be honest and publickly avow themselves so which was far more The Petition as I find it in a Collection of Petitions printed afterwards by his Majesties Command at York to let the World see that a very considerable Part of the Nation was utterly against the pretended Reformation was as follows To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty and to the Right Honorable the Lords and the Honorable the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament The Humble Petition of divers of the Nobility Justices Gentry Ministers Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester whose Names are contained in the Schedule Annexed YOur Petitioners with all Cheerfulness and Contentation The Cheshire Petition for the Common Prayer and suppression of Schismaticks c. affying in the happy settlement of the Distractions both of Church and State by his Majesties pious Care and the prudent and religious Indeavors of this Honorable Assembly and with due Humility and Obedience submitting to the unanimous Conclusions thereof yet conceive themselves bound in Duty Humbly to represent to your mature Considerations That the present Disorders of many Turbulent and Ill-disposed Spirits are such as give not only Occasion of present discontent to your Petitioners but seem to import some ill event without early prevention The pure Seed of our Faith the Doctrine of the Reformed Protestant Religion Established by so many Acts of Parliament and so harmoniously concurring with the Confessions of all other Reformed Churches being tainted with the Tares of divers Sects and Schismes lately sprung up amongst Vs Our Pious Laudable and Ancient Form of Divine Service composed by the Holy Martyrs and worthy Instruments of Reformation Established by the prudent Sages of State your religious Predecessors honored by the Approbation of many learned Foreign Divines subscribed by the Ministry of the whole Kingdom and with such general Content received by all the Laity that scarce any Family or Person that can read but are furnished with the Books of Common Prayer in the conscionable Vse whereof many Christian Hearts have found unspeakable Joy and Comfort wherein the famous Church of England our dear Mother hath just Cause to Glory and may She long flourish in the Practise of so blessed a Liturgy * * This the Reader will see presently in a Petition by Dr. Burgess c. of this Day Yet it is now not only depraved by many of those who should teach Conformity to Established Laws but in Contempt thereof in many Places wholly neglected All these dayly practised with Confidence without Punishment to the great dejection of many sound Protestants and occasioning so great insultation and rejoycing in some Separatists * * The true temper of the Separatists and Schismaticks from their first original to this Day as they not only seem to portend but menace some great Alteration and not containing themselves within the Bounds of Civil-Government do commit many tumultuous if not Sacrilegious Violences both by Day and Night upon divers Churches Therefore your Petitioners being all very apprehensive of the dangerous Consequences of Innovation and much scandalized at the present Disorders Do all unanimously Pray That there be admitted no Innovation of Doctrine or Liturgy that Holy Publick Service being so fast rooted by a long setled continuance in this Church that in Our Opinion and Judgments it cannot be altered unless by the Advice and Consent of some National Synod without an universal Discontent and that some speedy Course be taken to suppress such Schismaticks and Separatists whose factious Spirits do evidently indanger the Peace both of Church and State And Your Petitioners shall ever Pray c. Signed by Lords Knights Justices of the Peace and Esquires 94 By Gentlemen of Quality 440 By Divines 86 By Free-holders and others in all 8936 In all 9556 And in regard their Piety and Loyalty deserves a place in the Records of time and that in these Petitions the Reader will see the Temper and Genius of these Seditious and Turbulent Sectaries and Schismaticks the very Pests of Church and State the main Occasioners Managers Promoters Contrivers Encouragers Supporters and Conductors of this most Execrable Rebellion from its first Original till its last fatal Period most accurately pointed out in the just and too modest complaints of these Petitions for the Times and Persons would not bear truth unless apparelled in the most submissive Garb and Posture I will here subjoyn Sir Thomas Ashton's Petition which was presented to the Lords and for which he received a smart rebuke and narrowly escaped a Prison which I should have done in its proper place had this Collection of Petitions then come to my hands The Petition was as follows To the High and Honorable Court of Parliament The Nobility Knights Gentry Minsters Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester whose Names are Subscribed in several Schedules hereunto Annexed Humbly Shew THat whereas divers Petitions have lately been carried about this County against the present Form of Church Government The Cheshire Petition delivered to the House of Lords by Sir Thomas Ashton and the hands of many Persons of ordinary Quality sollicited to the same with pretence to be presented to this Honourable Assembly which we conceive not so much to aim at Reformation as absolute Innovation of Government and such as must give a great advantage to the Adversaries of our Religion We held it our Duty to disavow them all and humbly pray That we incur no mis-censure if any such Clamours have without our privity assumed the Name of the County We as others are sensible of the common Grievances of the Kingdom and have just cause to rejoyce at and acknowledge with thankfulness the pious Care which is already taken for the suppressing of the Growth of Popery the better to supply able Ministers and the removing of all Innovation and we doubt not but in your great Wisdoms you will regulate the Rigor of the Ecclesiastical Courts to suit with the Temper of our Laws and the Nature of Free-men Yet when we consider That Bishops were instituted in the time of the Apostles that they were the great Lights of the Church in all the first General Councils that so many of them sowed the Seeds of Religion in their Bloods and rescued Christianity from utter Extirpation in the Primitive Heathen Persecutions That to them we ow the Redemption of the purity of the Gospel we now profess from Romish Corruption that many of them for the propagation of the Truth became such Glorious Martyrs that divers of them lately and yet living with us have been so great Assertors of our Religion against the Common Enemy of Rome and that their Government hath been so long approved so oft Established by the Common and Statute Laws of
means to prevent this great and threat'ning danger to his Majesties Royal Person and to our Religion Lives Liberties and Fortunes have thought good to give a timely Advertisement thereof to all his Majesties Subjects of the Reformed Protestant Religion declaring hereby That they hold it necessary and adviseable that with all Expeditithey put themselves into a good posture of Defence to provide fit Arms and Ammunition and be ready upon all occasions to defend the several Counties from Domestick Insurrections and Foreign Invasions and that the Sheriffs Justices of Peace Majors and Head-Officers within their several Limits do take Care that their Magazines of Powder Arms and other Ammunition be compleatly furnished and that they cause strong Guards and Watches to be set in convenient places for the Securing themselves and for the apprehending of such Persons who they shall have just cause to suspect and if upon Examination any grounds of danger shall appear to give notice thereof unto the Parliament and that all Officers take special care that no Soldiers Arms or Ammunition be raised or levyed nor any Castles Forts or Magazines delivered up without his Majesties Authority signified by both Houses of Parliament This hopeful Declaration had the misfortune to become only an Abortive for when it came up to the House of Lords how prevalent soever the Faction was there yet they were ashamed to own that for a Child of Parliamentary Authority which carried so many notorious Falshoods and Calumnies most easie to be detected in the Front of it and yet this thing which was to be imposed upon the Nation for so great a Truth was compiled out of 3 or 4 Parcels of the same kind of Stuff but much Coarser which were drawn up by the Committees at Guild-Hall and Grocers-Hall and out of which the Committee for this Declaration were by the appointment of the House Ordered to frame it and they accordingly licked those Monstrous and Deformed Cubbs into this Bear which begins with the Papists but flies directly at the Throat of his Sacred Majesty the best Protestant in all his Dominions And this was one of the greatest Artifices of the Faction to Sail with this Side-wind as if they intended to fall furiously upon the Papists but then to make a sudden Tack and pour in all their Broad-sides of Calumnies Plots and Conspiracies upon the King himself and the Loyal and Orthodox Protestants whom under the Notion of Malignants Popishly-affected and Adherents to the Papists they still drew into the Designs which they said were laid against the Parliament Kingdom and the King himself against whom the Bolt of their Thunder was always directly levell'd though the Noise and Crack sounded nothing but Papist There are two or three Passages very remarkable that I cannot but turn them upon themselves For when they charge these Plotters and Papists that they had a Design To make a Division of the Body of this Common-wealth from the Head thereof they themselves it seems were in that Design afterwards putting that horrid Plot in Execution by cutting off not only in a Political but Literal Sense that Illustrious Head of their Sovereign both from his own and the Body of the Common-wealth And whereas afterwards they Charge this Malignant Party with a Design by intestine Wars here amongst our selves to wast the Wealth and Substance and Totally to Annihilate the True Protestant Religion and the whole frame of Government in all his Majesties Dominions There certainly never was in so few words so true a Character of their own subequent Actions and had they sitten for their Picture in Miniature to the fam'd Appelles who used to boast of his Art that he painted for Eternity it had been impossible for him to draw them more exactly to the life with his Pencil then in these words they have drawn themselves with their own Ink the blackness of which though intended for the King and the Loyal Party will with an Ex ore tuo stick to their Memories so long as there remain any Records of time and Posterity will easily discern who were the Plotters to Subvert the Government not by the Charge but the Execution and may from hence draw this serviceable Aphorism That no Persons are more likely to design against a Government or to bring the People into Slavery then such Subjects as Arraign their Sovereign with Designs of Erecting Arbitrary Power and introducing Popery Which were the two main Engines by which this Rebellious Faction undermined and overthrew the best Church and Government in the Christian World and rendred the Freest People of Europe the most Abject Slaves in Christendom to the Arbitrary Usurpations of their fellow Subjects and Servants in every thing that Men esteem valuable whether Life Liberty Fortune or Religion But whether the Lords would consent or not the materials out of which this Declaration was drawn being the results of several Debates of the Committee at Guild-Hall and Grocers-Hall got immediately into the Press and from that Mint of mischief flew like Lightning through the Nation to the intolerable Scandal of his Majesty And yet the very chief Aggravation of this Action of his Majesties of the Insolence of the Soldiers is by one of the News-writers of the Party and Times before mentioned taken off from the King and his Retinue Who he saith demeaned themselves Civilly though this Declaration takes no notice of that And in truth who considers how ill the Parliament had treated the Soldiers both during their being in Arms and after the Disbanding will not think it strange for such a sort of Men who have Mars predominant should be apt to vent their private Resentments against those Persons whom the King had Impeached of Treason and to whom they owed all their Sufferings But to put this to the King's Score was a Barbarous injustice which none but such Men as had shaken hands with all Respect as well as Loyalty to the King could be guilty of But see the Paper it self A Declaration of the House of Commons The Debates at Guild-hall and Grocers-hall Drawn into a Declaration concerning Breach of Priviledge c. Mr. Glyn Reports from Guild-hall Jan. 6th 1641. Touching a late Breach of their Priviledges And for the Vindication thereof and of divers Members of the said House WHereas the Chambers Studies and Trunks of Mr. Denzill Hollis Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr John Pym Master John Hampden and Mr. William Strode Esquires Members of the House of Commons upon Munday the third of this instant January by colour of His Majesties Warrant have been sealed up by Sir William Killigrew and Sir William Flemen and others which is not only against the Priviledge of Parliament but the common liberty of every Subject Which said Members afterwards the same day were under the like colour by Serjeant Francis one of His Majesties Serjeants at Arms contrary to all former Presidents demanded of the Speaker sitting in the House of Commons to be delivered unto him that
Ant. Van Dyck pinxit R. White sculpsit THOMAS EARLE OF STRAFFORDE Viscount Wentworth Baron Wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse Newmarch Oversley Raby Ld. Lievtenant Generall and Generall Governor of the Kingdome of Ireland and Ld. President of the Councill established in the North parts of England Ld. Lievtenant of the County City of York one of his Maty most honble Privy Councel and Knight of ye. most Noble order of the Garter EN DIEU EST TOUT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE Printed for A. Mearne T. Dring B. Took T. Sawbridge and C. Mearne AN Impartial Collection OF THE Great Affairs of State From the Beginning of the SCOTCH REBELLION In the Year MDCXXXIX To the Murther OF King CHARLES I. WHEREIN The first Occasions and the whole Series of the late Troubles IN England Scotland Ireland Are faithfully Represented Taken from Authentick Records and Methodically Digested By JOHN NALSON LL. D. VOL. II. Published by His Majesty's Special Command LONDON Printed for S. Mearne T. Dring B. Toke T. Sawbrige and C. Mearne MDCLXXXIII TO HIS MOST Serene and Excellent MAJESTY King Charles II. GREAT SIR AS Your Majesties Gracious Incouragement gave the first Life and Being to this Work so it naturally in all humble Duty addresses it self for Protection under the Wing of Your Favour and Royal Mercy which Your Majesty so justly challenges as a Virtue more peculiarly Eminent and Conspicuous in your whole Life then in any of Your Illustrious Predecessors It is Necessity and not Presumption which obliges the Author to Prostrate himself and this Book at Your Royal Feet For though the whole World can shew nothing so Harmless and Innocent as Truth yet is she not able to defend her self from her constant Enemies Malice Error and ill Designs nor knows she whither to flie for a secure Refuge but to the Sanctuary of the Great Defender of the Faith to which the nearness of her Relation raises in her a comfortable hope that she shall participate of the same Royal Protection There are some Persons whose Interest it is to lie behind the Curtain even in the present Age and who therefore cannot with patience bear the drawing of it so as to let in the light into that which is past lest by comparing former Occurrences the Temper Inclinations Principles and Movements of those Times there should be discovered so near a Resemblance between the Lineaments and Proportions of the past and present as to be too convincing that there is no greater difference then between the elder and the younger Brother of the same Parents Rebellion and the Good Old Cause Nor is it strange to see some sort of People very angry with the hand which presents them with a Glass wherein they may see the Exact and true Image of Rebellion and Sedition when they can no sooner look into it but they find their own Faces there But it would be not only a Wonder but a Miracle if they should not shew their Resentments against both the Workman and his Work and by indeavouring to hurt his to secure their own Reputation But Your Majesties Grace and Favour is such an Amulet against the Poyson of the most Malignant Faction as is able to secure the happy Persons upon whom it is bestowed from the Infection of the most Malicious Breath and Venemous Tongues and in the Hopes of this the Author does with all humility present Your Majesty with the first opening of the Scene of that Deplorable Tragedy wherein Your Glorious Father had so large a share of Suffering there Your Majesty may see the several Steps and Progressive Advances which those Artists in Rebellion and Usurpation made towards the accomplishment of their Great Design of overthrowing the best Monarchy and Extirpating the most Apostolical Church in the whole World Here may Your Majesty take a view of the most supple Flattery and deep Hypocrisy of a Confederated Faction and how Rebellion to make the People in Love with her was represented to them in the Masquerading Habit and Accoutrements of Religion and Reformation how Slavery and Tyranny those two dreadful Monsters walk'd in the borrowed Equipage of the Liberty of the Subject and the Fundamental Laws and Birthrights of the People and how under the Mantle of Redressing Grievances the Nation came to labour under the greatest Grievance that ever the Necks of the Generous English Submitted to even the Mischief which they pretended to fear absolute Tyranny and the most Arbitrary Government of an Vsurping Faction Here Your Majesty may see the true Picture of the Men of those Principles and Times drawn from the Life by their own hands and in their proper and natural Colours and not only their outward Air Mine and Garb but the Picture of their very Souls their Thoughts Aims Contrivances and most Secret Designs and the black Conclusion at which all these were levell'd over which they so Industriously drew the fair Vails and Curtains of Sanctimony and pretended Loyalty seeming Humility and counterfeit Allegiance Your Majesty may be conducted into those Mines of Sedition unreasonable Fears groundless and unsatisfiable Jealousies of the Dangers of Popery and Arbitrary Government the very Powder which blew up the Foundations both of Church and State Your Majesty may see their Principal Engines of Battery amongst which the Liberty of the Press and I Blush to name it the Licentious abuse of the Pulpit were not the least or did the most Inconsiderable Execution towards the Ruin of the Government I shall not presume to say more but humbly Prostrate my self at Your Majesties Feet to beg the Liberty to add my most fervent Prayers and Wishes to my Sincere indeavours of Serving Your Majesty with my utmost Power May there be an Emulous Strife between the Number and the Glory of Your Majesties Years May the constant Care of Heaven and the Watchful attendance of its Glorious Militia still Guard Your beloved Life against all the Wicked attempts of the Enemies of Your Person and Government May every day that is added to Your Sacred Life contribute fresh Accessions of Happiness and Prosperity Peace and Tranquility to Your Auspicious Reign May You Triumph in the Hearts and Affections of Your People and over the Heads of Your defeated Enemies And could my Prayers Wishes or Indeavours prove as Successful as they are Sincere Your Majesty should not have one Subject in all Your Dominions less Zealous of Your Majesties Service sensible of their Duty and Interest or studious of Expressing their humble Loyalty then the Person who has placed all his Ambition and Glory in Indavouring to approve himself May it please Your Most Sacred Majesty Your Majesties most Humble most Obedient and Intirely Devoted Subject NALSON The Introduction THERE is certainly no manner of Diversion of which Wise and Great Men who indeavour to be really Serviceable to the true Interest of their Prince and Country can make more considerable Advantages or more agreeably spend their Leisure Minutes
Rules of Justice He hath taken away mens Inheritances And here My Lords is an offering of Rapine an offering of Injustice and Violence And will God accept such an Offering Must the Revenues of the Church be raised that way It is true it was the more in the way of his own Preferment He knew who sate at the Helme here the Archbishop of Canterbury and such services might win more credit with him It was not an Eye to God and Religion but an Eye to his own Preferment I shall speak no more of that 9. I come to the 9th head and that is the building of Churches Many Churches have been built since his Government Truly My Lords why he should have any Credit or Honour if other men builded Churches I know not I am sure we hear of no Churches he hath built himself If he would have been careful to have set up good Preachers that would have stirred up Devotion in men and made them desirous of the knowledg of God and by that means made more Churches it had been something But I hear nothing of Spiritual Edification nothing of the knowledg of God that by his means hath been dispersed in that Kingdom And certainly they that strive not to build up mens Souls in a Spiritual way of Edification let them build all the material Churches that can be they will do no good God is not worshipped with Walls but he is worshipped with Hearts 10. He saith in the 10th place That many Orthodox and Learned Preachers have been advanced by his means and the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England by his means Protected and Defended My Lords I shall give but two or three Patterns of the Clergy that he hath preferred If you will take Doctor Atherton he is not to be found now above Ground For he was hanged for many foul and unspeakable Offences Doctor Bramhill hath been preferred to a great Bishoprick but he is a man that now stands Charged with High Treason he hath been but few years in Ireland and yet hath laid out at least 30000 l. in Purchases I shall name but one Chaplain more and that is one Arthur Gwyn who about 1634. was an Vnder-Groom to the Earl of Corke in his Stable In the year after Dr. Bramhill preferred him to be a Clergy-man and a Parsonage and two Vicaridges Impropriate were taken from my Lord of Corke and given to this Arthur Gwyn I shall add no more Patterns of his Clergy 11. I go to the 11th and that is concerning the Army He hath many glorious Expressions of his Service concerning the Army That they are 1000 Horse and 2000 Foot And that there hath been very few Papists Soldiers or Officers and none preferred by himself Truly I think he says true or within one of true in this for there was but one preferred by himself and therefore I shall not stand upon that But he says this Army was paid out of the Revenue of the Crown which heretofore it was not wont to be To that I have spoken before and shewed that many years before his time all the Charges of Ireland were born within Ireland He says and I speak that as to the Army too That neither the Arms nor Wages have been burdensome to the People of Ireland but their Lodgings and Billettings have not been easie and not without discontent Why My Lords in Dublin it self where they have a Charter that Exempts them from Billetting of Soldiers they have been fain to pay for Billetting of Soldiers Nay those Soldiers that were Servants and Dwellers in his own houses and other places must have their Billetting moneys And of this there hath been Petitions and Complaints nay it hath been spoken of in Parliament there and yet he can tell you that the marching and laying of Soldiers is without burthen and grievance to the People that was the Eleventh 12. I go to the 12th and that is the great increase of Trade The increase of Shipping 100 to one Truly My Lords in a time of Peace and in a growing Kingdom as that was being formerly unhusbanded It is no wonder that when Land encreases in the Manurance and People increase in Number both Shipping and Trade increases But it is the advantage of the time not the advantage of his Government for My Lords his Government hath been destructive to Trade And that will manifestly appear by the multitude of Monopolies that he hath exercised in his own Person And that is all I shall speak to the 12th 13. The 13th is That Justice hath been administred without bribery without partiality without Corruption these are Glorious things But there will as much fall upon him of Corruption and Injustice as of any other Offence And that My Lords will appear to you through the whole Course of our Evidence I shall not now speak of the particulars And that we may not content our selves with particular witnesses only I shall humbly desire That the Remonstrance of the Parliament of Ireland both of the Lords and of the Commons may be read And they will give a sufficient Testimony of the quality of his Justice 14. The 14th My Lords is this That he hath been a Means to His Majesty for a Parliament in England It is true he was And it is as true that we count that as mischievous a part of his design as any thing else Into what a miserable Dilemma My Lords did he bring the Kingdom that we must surrender the Liberties of the Kingdom in Parliament or see them oppressed with Force and Violence out of Parliament The particulars of this I shall leave for the instant for there is an Article that concerns this I have now passed through all the material parts of the Apologetical Preamble He concludes with a desire that he may not be charged with Errors of his understanding or Judgment being not bred up in the Law or with weakness to which humane Nature is Subject Truly it would be far from us to charge him with any such mistakes No My Lords we shall charge him with nothing but what the Law in every man's breast condemns the Light of nature the Light of common reason the Rules of Common Society and that will appear in all the Articles my Colleagues will offer to you My Lords I have some few Witnesses which I shall desire may be heard to the points I have opened and I shall in the first place desire that Sir Pierce Crosby may be heard concerning the Breach of Priviledge in Parliament also Sir John Clotworthy Nich. Barnewell Nicholas Plunket and Sir James Montgomery I have some witnesses to the point of the Revenue Sir Robert Pye Sir Edward Warder and Sir Adam Loftus To all which bitter Invectives the Earl in his occasional replies answered with as much Temper and Moderation as the other spoke with Heat and Passion making his defence with that Vivacity of understanding clearness of Expression and with such a Decency both of
my Lord of Corke remembers very well there being Letters of his That Sir Pierce Crosby his Regiment should be put off and the money for maintenance thereof should go to defray the Charge of the King's Ships for guard of the Coast And yet the Charge is much more now than it was for the Charge was then only two Whelps as my Lord Mountnorris said And now there be three Ships The Swallow a Ship of the Third Rank and two lesser Vessels so that I concieve my Answer in my sense was true For the matter of having money out of the Exchequer I conceive my Answer to contain no matter of Untruth for I had out of the Exchequer only 15000 l. and for that the King will be answered 2000 l. a year good Fee-farm Rent in lieu of it which he thought was no ill bargain It is true I say the money spoken of by Sir Adam Loftus was borrowed on my own and Sir George Ratcliff's Bond to be paid upon sight At that time I praise God I had Credit for 20000 l. and at this time I thank God for that too I have not Credit for 20 d. Gods Will be done I obey it But this money is honestly and justly paid Where is the Crime then might not I borrow of a Gentleman that would trust me with money but it must be an Offence Is it true it was of the King's money but the King had no use for it at that time Had not I made use of it it must otherwise have lain in the Exchequer and yeilded no profit and besides I borrowed it of one that was Accomptable for it But since I am put to it I will shew that which will clear it from being a Crime indeed which according to the Duty I owe unto His Majesty my Master his Command hitherto have I kept private to my self And that is the King's Warrant being all of His own Hand-writing Sir Adam Loftus being then Vice-Treasurer and now demanded the question Whether that Warrant was produced to him at the borrowing of the money confessed Witness that my Lord of Strafford never told him of the Warrant The Warrant was read Kings Warrant read containing a Licence to make use of 40000 l. of His Majesties Treasure now in the hands of His Majesties Vice-Treasurer for three years Provided that for Security there be always left in the hands of the Comptrollers a Stock of Tobacco amounting to 40000 l. at the least with a direction to conceal this particular favour to him that it might not be brought into precedent then his Lordship proceeded There was accordingly so much Tobacco left But by what Law I know not The Magazines are seized on by Order from the Commons House of Parliament my Goods possessed and given over to others to sell at their own prices my People imprisoned as if they had been Traytors Goods and as if an Inquisition had been found upon me as a Traytor And this is my Misfortune to be very hardly dealt withal by the Commons House there to say no more And whereas by the Kings Goodness I had liberty to take 40000 l. I took but 24000 l. And where I had liberty to take it for three years which expires not till Michaelmas next I paid it in long before the time And by this one particular I hope it will appear to Your Lordships and the Gentlemen of the House of Commons how Noble it will be to believe Charitably of me till they hear all can be said for I trust in the whole course of this Trial to appear an honest man And whereas I said I never had but 15000 l. out of the Exchequer and yet had 24000 l. borrowed as aforesaid The King Commanded me I should not take notice of His gracious Favour and therefore I conceive that in Duty to my Master I ought not to have taken notice of it otherwise my Answer should have clearly and plainly exprest it I never having Disobeyed his Majesty nor by the Grace of God never will For the 7000 l. for the Guard of the Irish Coast that was mentioned already and I shall not need to Answer it further To the point of restoring the Possessions of the Church in a great measure I say there was not only a Restitution but a Preservation by an Act of Parliament for preserving the Possessions of the Church from being mis-used by the present Incumbent to the prejudice of the Successors which Act I wish were in England But that I conceive not to be Controverted but granted me But it is said The Possessions of the Church were restored in an Illegal way to please my Lord of Canterbury To which I Answer The Gentleman indeed spake it but there is no proof of it neither hath he offered any proof and till it be proved I conceive it not fit to trouble Your Lordships with Answering it I have done nothing in Church or Common-wealth but Justly and Uprightly Albeit I conceive it a hard case that having the Honour to be the Kings Deputy sitting in Council where there be Twenty who Voted as well as my self That I should be noted to Answer for them all though I did constantly submit my self to the Major part And as to my Lord of Canterbury I beseech Your Lordships to think That what I have done for the Church of Ireland was out of a faithful Conscience to God Almighty out of a desire to increase the Religion I Profess and which I will witness with my Blood by the blessing of Almighty God if there should be occasion And when I have done it with respect to that Piety of His Gracious Majesty which I would faithfully pay Him I desire it may not be put upon me as done in an respect only to my Lord of Canterbury where no such thing is proved No I did it out of Conscience my Duty to God to the King and to the People that they might be instructed in the way to Eternal Life And I beseech Your Lordships to believe I have a Heart a little greater than to do any such thing to please any man living with Modesty be it spoken For the Building of Churches I confess I built not any and in my Answer I say no more but that Churches were built which the Worthy Gentleman acknowledged in some part I confess they were not Built by me or at my particular Charge nor do I say otherwise in my Answer And it had been a vain thing to have said it though I had done it my self But it is said the Answer is not right in saying there be divers Worthy Church-men preferred and three are instanced in Bishop Atherton the Bishop of D. and one Gwyn To this I beseech Your Lordships that I may be bold to let the Gentlemen know That Bishopricks not in the gift of the Deputy but of the King and that he is not Responsible for what the King doth But not desiring to deny any thing that is
and not the whole Body of the Kingdom was as follows Honoratissimis viris Equitibus Civibus Burgensibus Supremae Curiae Parliamentariae Senatoribus Consultissimis summa cum Demissione The Petition of the University of Cambridge May 12. 1641. Senatores Honoratissimi NOn veremur ne volventibus tanta negotia molesti simus Academia Cantabrigiensis cum nihil sit aut ad Religionem certius aut ad splendorem nominis excelsius quam suscipere Litterarum clientelam in quo Studio cum singularis Animi vestri propensio semper eluxerit tum nulla in re magis possit eminere quam si Ecclesiae honestamenta ea quae sub optimis Regibus tam diu obtinuerunt indelibata tueamini Non enim agitur unius Academiae non unius Aetatis causa nam nec industria poterit non relanguescere nec bona indoles ali neque augeri nec vota parentum non in irritum cadere nisi spe non vana suffulciantur Quam praematurum bonis artibus occasum imminere si stipendium idem Militi sit quod Imperatori Sunt qui expediendis Scholasticorum ambagibus evolvendis antiquorum Patrum Monumentis expurgandae faeci Romanae velut Augaei stabulo se totos impenderunt nec aliam mercedem prensant quà m in Ecclesia Cathedrali tandem aliquando quasi in portu conquiescere ita fit ut quod ignavis Asylum inscitiae est id candidioribus ingeniis pro stimulo sit ad optima persequenda nec aequitas judiciorum vestrorum ferret improbitatem nonullorum in publicam Calamitatem redundare Impetigo Romana quam amplam tum sibi nacta videbitur se diffundendi materiam cum non sit nisi imbelles adversarios habitura neque enim certamini vacare possunt qui id unicè agunt ut in rostris concionibus sudent etiamnum persentiscere nobis videmur nudam atque inanem Academiam antiquam paupertatem quasi praeludio perhorrescimus Nec vestra progenies non aliquando ventura est in tantarum miseriarum partes Quin itaque Senatores amplissimi per spes parentum per illecebras industriae per subsidia simul ornamenta pietatis per vincula nervos firmamenta litterarum velitis splendorem Ecclesiae qui longissimis ab usque temporibus deductus est authoritate vestrâ communire Sed quia linqua nativa dolores desideria sua faelicius exprimit annexam Litteris Petitionem benevolis auribus excipietis Datae è Frequenti Conventu nostro Cantabr tertio Idus Aprilis 1641. Honori vestro Deditissimi Procancellarius reliquusque coetus Academiae Cantabrigiensis To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament The Humble Petition of the University of Cambridge Sheweth THat your Petitioners having heard of divers suggestions offered to this Honourable Court by way of Remonstrance tending to the subversion of Cathedral Churches and alienation of those Lands by which they are supported being the Ancient Inheritance of the Church founded and bestowed by the Religious bounty of many Famous and Renowned Kings and Princes of this Land other Benefactors both of the Clergy and Laity and Established and Confirmed unto them by the Laws of this Kingdom and so accordingly have been employed to the advancement of Learning the encouragement of Students and preferment of Learned Men besides many other Pious and Charitable uses May it please this Honourable Court out of their great Wisdom and tender Care for the cherishing of Learning and furtherance of the Studies and Pains of those who have and do devote themselves to the service of the Church graciously to protect and secure those Religious Foundations from Ruine and Alienation and withal to take order that they may be reduced to the due observation of their Statutes and that all Innovations and Abuses which have by some Mens miscarriages crept in may be Reformed that so the Students of our Vniversity which by the present fears both are and will be much sadded and dejected may be the better invited to pursue their Studies with alacrity and the places themselves disposed to the most serviceable and deserving Men according to their first Institution And your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray c This day The Defence of Deans and Chapters heard in the House of Commons for fashion sake those Gentlemen who desired to speak something in defence of the Deans and Chapters were heard before the House of Commons and after Dr. Burgess had inveighed against the singing of the Service alledging That Devotion vanished into Quavers and that St. Paul's Hymns were Legentibus non Cantantibus and had run a long Harangue upon the necessary use of Prayer and the power of Preaching Dr. Hacket made a learned Speech in defence of those Religious Foundations shewing how much they tended to the Glory of God the Advancement of True Religion Promoting of Piety Encouragement of Learning and the good of the Common-wealth The fum of his Defence so far as I can collect from those broken fragments which are Entred in the Journal of the House of Commons was as follows He shewed That in the beginning of the Reformation of this Church from Popery it was Queen Elizabeths great care to place the most Learned and Able Men in the Cathedral Churches and that from thence the great light of the Reformed Religion spread it self over this Nation by the constant preaching that was maintain'd there every Lord's Day besides a weekly Lecture That here were the Nurseries and Seminaries of Learning there being a Grammar-School to every Cathedral that the great Encouragement to Learning was the future expectancy of Rewards without which very few persons would be induced to fit themselves for Sacred Functions that the Labour and Industry must be great and long and the Charges extraordinary to qualifie any Person for the Service of God and the Church and that therefore these Encouragements are not more then enough to invite Men to these chargeable and laborious Studies Then he proceeded to shew the Primitive design of these Structures and Foundations which was That the Colledge of Presbyters might be as a Synod and Council to the Bishop to assist him in the Exercise of his Jurisdiction that they were greatly for the Honour of our Religion being the first Monuments of Christianity in our Nation dedicated to the Service of God and set apart for the continual Exercise of Christianity continual Prayers and Praises being there offered up to God Almighty for all sorts and conditions of Men. Then he proceeded to shew the advantage of those Foundations which the Church enjoyed by the Religious bounty of our devout Ancestors whose Wills ought to be had in Veneration As first to the Churches Tennants who had very advantageous Leases many times not much different from Inheritance paying only one part of Seven rather as an acknowledgment than a Rent Secondly To the Cities wherein they were by the great Resort
and habit of a Priest and to read Prayers in a Church And not only so but became an Earnest Suitor to his Majesty for a Deanery viz. that of Canterbury notwithstanding his bringing in this Bill against Deans and Chapters and his bitter Invectives upon no other ground but report as he then confessed But being by the King justly denied this Preferment he again turned Apostate to his Royal Master to whom he had fled for Sanctuary indeavoured by mean submissions to reconcile himself to those whom he had called Rebels and Traytors but being by them rejected also he not long after Ended his Unfortunate Life in grief and contempt Neither was this rough procedure from the Abuses of the Function had they been real as most certainly they were false to go about utterly to Abolish the Office so well relished but that divers of those who had hitherto sailed by the Compass of the Faction began now to make a tack and stand off from those dangerous Rocks upon which they saw if they pursued that Course not only the Church but even all Religion and their own Consciences must inevitably suffer shipwrack as appears by a Speech of Sir Benjamin Rudyard's Book of Speeches pag. 103. which I find in the Book of Speeches and several others when the matter came to be debated at a Committee of the whole House Sir Benjamin Rudyard's Speech was as there I find it Printed as followeth Mr. Speaker I Do verily believe that there are many of the Clergy in our Church Sir Benjamin Rudyard's Speech about Episcopacy who do think the simplicity of the Gospel too mean a Vocation for them to serve in They must have a Specious Pompous Sumptuous Religion with additionals of Temporal Greatness Authority Negotiation Notwithstanding they all know better than I what Fathers Schoolmen Councels are against their mixing themselves in Secular Affairs This Roman Ambition will at length bring in the Roman Religion and at last a haughty Insolence even against supream Power it self if it be not Timely and Wisely prevented They have amongst them an Apothegm of their own making which is No Miter No Scepter when we know by dear experience that if the Miter be once in danger they care not to throw the Scepter after to confound the whole Kingdom for their Interest And Histories will tell us that whensoever the Clergy went High Monarchy still went Lower If they could not make the Monarch the Head of their own Faction they would be sure to make him less witness one Example for all The Popes working the Emperor out of Italy Some of ours as soon as they are Bishops adepto sine cessat Motus They will Preach no longer their Office then is to Govern But in my Opinion they Govern worse than they Preach though they Preach not at all for we see to what Pass their Government hath brought us In conformity to themselves They silence others also though Hierom in one of his Epistles saith that even a Bishop let him be of never so blameless a Life yet he doth more hurt by his Licence then he can do good by his Example Mr. Speaker It now behoves us to restrain the Bishops to the Duties of their Function as they may never moâ—â—hanker after heterogeneous extravagant Employments Not be so absolute so single and solitary in Actions of Moment as Excommunication Absolution Ordination and the like but to joyn some of the Ministry with them and further to regulate them according to the usage of Ancient Churches in the best Times that by a well-temper'd Government they may not have Power hereafter to corrupt the Church to undo the Kingdom When they are thus circumscribed and the Publick secur'd from their Eruptions then shall not I grudge them a liberal plentiful Subsistence else I am sure they can never be given to Hospitality Although the calling of the Clergy be all glorious within yet if they have not a Large Considerable outward Support they cannot be freed from Vulgar Contempt It will alwaies be fit that the flourishing of the Church should hold proportion with the flourishing of the Common-wealth wherein it is If we dwell in Houses of Cedar why should they dwell in Skins And I hope I shall never see a good Bishop left worse than a Parson without a Gleab Certainly Sir this superintendency of Eminent Men Bishops over divers Churches is the most Primitive the most spreading the most lasting Government of the Church Wherefore whilest we are earnest to take away Innovations Let us beware we bring not in the greatest Innovation that ever was in England I do very well know what very many do very fervently desire But let us well bethink our selves whether a popular Democratical Government of the Church though fit for other Places will be either sutable or acceptable to a Regal Monarchical Government of the State Every Man can say It is so common and known a Truth that suddain and great Changes both in Natural and Politick Bodies have dangerous Operations and give me leave to say that we cannot presently see to the end of such a consequence especially in so great a Kingdome as this and where Episcopacy is so wrap'd and involv'd in the Laws of it Wherefore Mr. Speaker my humble Motion is that we may punish the present Offenders reduce and preserve the Calling for better Men hereafter Let us remember with fresh thankfulness to God those glorious Martyr-Bishops who were burn'd for our Religion in the Times of Popery who by their Learning Zeal and Constancy upheld and convey'd it down to us We have some good Rishops still who do Preach every Lords-Day and are therefore worthy of double Honour they have suffered enough already in the Disease I shall be sorry we should make them suffer more in the Remedy Mr. Bagshaw reports the Case of Mr. George Walker a Factious Minister Walker the Eactious Ministers Case Reported upon which it was Resolved c. That Mr. George Walker 's Commitment from the Council Board for Preaching a Sermon Oct. 14. 1638. at St. John the Evangelists London and his detainment for the same 12 Weeks in Pecher the Messenger's hands is against Law and the Liberty of the Subject Resolved c. That the prosecution of the said Walker in the Star-Chamber for preaching the said Sermon and his Close Imprisonment thereupon for 10 Weeks in the Gatehouse and the payment of 20 l. Fees to the said Pecher is against Law and the Liberty of the Subject Resolved c. That the 5. passages marked out in the Sermon by Mr. Attorney and Sir John Banks contained no Crime nor deserved any Censure nor he any punishment for them Resolved c. That the Enforcing the said Walker to enter into the Bond of 1000 l. for Confinement to his Brother's house at Cheswick and his Imprisonment there is against Law Resolved c. That the Sequestration of the Parsonage of the said Walker by Sir John Lamb was
said That thereby he gave them leave to put Royal Manacles upon Majestie and an opportunity after having bound him to despoil him of his Crown and Life But besides if there were any weight in this Reason it must always have had the same force and strength against Ecclesiasticks in any Age or Under any Government intermedling in Secular and Civil Affairs since it could not but be as much a hinderance to those of former Ages in the Exercise of their Ministerial Function as to these But the constant Usage of all Ages Places Times and Nations both Barbarous and Civil Pagan Jew and Christian manifest that the Universal Wisdom of Mankind has been of a Contrary Opinion Religious Persons having ever had an Extraordinary Deference paid them and having always been accounted Worthy for their Abilities Wisdome Learning and Integrity to be admitted into the Councils of Princes and having constantly had a great share and interest both in the framing Laws and managing the Civil Polities and Governments of Nations And more particularly the Sacred History gives us a clear account that in the Government of the Jewish Nation formed by God himself the chief Priest was not only the Supreme Governor of that People as well in things Sacred as Civil but the inferior Priests under him were the Judges of Temporal as well as Ecclesiastical matters brought before them and the same Objection lying as naturally and forceably against them as against these cannot Excuse these Objectors from affronting the Wisdom of the Divine Legislator who Expresly Ordered it to be so and truly it is but in other Words the Objection of Corah and his Accomplices against Moses and Aaron Ye take too much upon you ye Sons of Levi. To the Second which is the Solemn promise they who Enter into Holy Orders make That they will give themselves wholly to that Vocation The clear sense of that is That they will principally apply themselves to the Duties of their Calling and not to any Secular Imployments as Husbandry Merchandizing or other Mechanical Callings so as to hinder the performance of their Duty in the Offices of their Function which as before I have shewed the Bishops by Sitting and Voting in Parliament cannot be said to do And to make this Evident I will give a clear instance in the inferior Clergy for suppose any one of them by his frugal Parsimony hath got a Sum of Mony he may lawfully bargain purchase take and keep a Temporal Estate for the future subsistence of his Family he may lawfully Lett Sett Build Lease Receive Rents for such Estate or any one descending to him by Inheritance and manage it to his best advantage without the least danger of violating or intrenching upon this promise made at his Ordination and yet all these are Secular Affairs which he may do without prejudice to his ingagement so long as still he makes the Vocation which he undertook at his receiving Holy Orders the main scope of his Life and Actions and I think none will deny I am assured no person will be able to prove the contrary but that the Bishops notwithstanding the use of their Peerage yet make the Exercise of their Episcopal Function the main and principal business of their lives And so for the Third That Canons and Councils in several Ages do forbid them to meddle in Secular Affairs It is well known that even those who made those Canons were themselves at the same time Councellors to Princes and particularly that Arch-Bishop who made the Constitutions of Westminster mentioned by Linwood upon which these People were perpetually harping was a Peer who himself sate in Parliament and of the King 's Privy Council from which it is evident that by those Canons there was no design to intrench upon the Peerage of the Bishops but to prevent the inferiour Clergy from neglecting their Duty and entring upon the more gainful and tempting employs of Secular Persons besides that those Canons since the Reformation were not binding either to Bishops or Clergy As to the Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Reasons they are rather sly Insinuations and Calumnies then Reasons and such as having no substantial matters in them worth answering I shall therefore pass them over without any further notice then that admitting all for Truth there Objected which yet was most notoriously False yet they are but personal Crimes and therefore in Justice could only reach to those particular Bishops but not to the Function it self or the Successors of those Bishops and if personal failings had been a ground to disable the Members of Parliament from the Right of sitting and voting in that Assembly both for the present and future Succession 't is not impossible to be supposed but that a far greater number would for ever have been excluded out of the Commons House then these 26 Bishops out of the House of Peers And for the Eighth which is partly made up of Calumny and partly of the Example of Scotland in abolishing Episcopacy it is certainly the worst way of Reasoning in the World to argue a facto ad jus And the way of Tumults Treason and actual levying War against their undoubted Lawful Sovereign by which they got Episcopacy abolished were such methods as certainly no sober Christians can think justifiable either before God or Man and therefore no perswasive Reasons in their own Nature to do the same in England The Ninth and Last Reason is of the same Leaven with the former as if the promotion of those Reverend Prelates to those high Offices and Honours must of necessity blow them up with the vain Tumor of Pride The truth is the Covetousness of some of the Laity who greedily longed to devour the Revenue of the Church and the Pride and Envy of the Factious Presbyterian and other dissenting Ministers and not the Exaltation of the Bishops were the true Reasons of their discontent and of all the disquiets and great disorders which ensued this troublesome and restless Temper of the Non-conforming Ministers and of all the dreadful Revolutions which happened in these miserable Kingdoms to the utter Ruine and Overthrow both of Church and State and to the Eternal infamy of these Pretenders to Reformation and the True Protestant Religion That which seems to have the most force and weight and is therefore reserved to the last is taking away the Votes of the Abbots in the time of King Henry the Eighth upon the Dissolution of those Religious Houses To which notwithstanding the great strength it seems to have that for the same Reason the Bishops might also be removed from the Peerage of England it is easily answered That though some Abbots were Barons in Parliament and part of the Lords Spiritual yet the taking away their Voees did no more destroy the third Estate in Parliament then the Attainders of divers of the Nobility and Temporal Lords and thereby taking away their Votes did abolish the whole Order of the Peerage another of the Three Estates
subject to Schismes and Seditions Whatsoever other Kingdoms have been I am sure our Histories can tell us this Kingdom hath not and therefore we have cast him off long since as he is forrain though we have not been without one in our own Bowels For the difference between a Metropolitan or Diocesan or universal Bishop is not of kinds but of degrees and a Metropolitan or Diocesan Bishop is as ill able to perform the duty of a Pastor to his Diocess or Province as the Universal Bishop is able to do it to the whole World For the one cannot do but by Deputies and no more can the other and therefore since we all confess the Grounds upon which the Papacy stands are rotten how can we deny but these that maintain our Bishops are so too since they are one and the same In the second place let us consider by what hand this root of Episcopacy was planted and how it came into the Church It is no difficult matter to find this out for is not the very spirit of this Order a spirit of Pride exalting it self in the Temple of God over all that is called God First exalting it self above its fellow Presbyters under the form of a Bishop then over its fellow Bishops under the title of Archbishops and so still mounting over those of its own profession till it come to be Pope and then it sticks not to tread upon the necks of Princes Kings and Emperors and tramples them under its Feet Also thus you may trace it from it's first rise and discern by what Spirit this Order came into the Church and by what door even by the back-door of Pride and Ambition not by Christ Jesus It is not a Plant which Gods right Hand hath planted but it is full of Rottenness and Corruption that mystery of Iniquity which hath wrought thus long and so fit to be plucked up and removed out of the way Thirdly Let us consider the very nature and quality of this Tree or Root in its self whether it be good or corrupt in its own nature We all know where it is said A good Tree cannot bring forth corrupt Fruit nor a corrupt Tree good Fruit. Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles By its Fruit therefore we shall be sure to know it and according as the Fruits of the Government have been amongst us either in Church or Common-wealth so let it stand or fall with us In the Church 1. AS it self came in by the back-door into the Church and was brought in byf the Spirit of Antichrist so it self hath been the back-door and in-let od all Superstition and Corruption into the Worship and Doctrine of this Church ano the means of hastening us back again to Rome For proof of this I appeal tall our knowledges in late years past the memory whereof is so fresh I need enter into no particulars A second Fruit of this Government in the Church hath been the displacing of the most Godly and Conscientious Ministers the vexing punishing and banishing out of the Kingdom the most Religious of all sorts and conditions that would not comply with their Superstitious Inventions and Ceremonies in one word the turning the edge and power of their Government against the very Life and Power of Godliness and the Favour and Protection of it unto all Profane Scandalous and Superstitious Persons that would uphold their Party Thousands of examples might be given of this if it were not most Notorious A third Fruit hath bin Schism and Fractions within our selves and Alienation from all the reformed Churches abroad And lastly the prodigious Monster of the late Canons whereby they had designed the whole Nation to a perpetual Slavery and Bondage to themselves and their superstitious Inventions These are the Fruits of the Government in the Church Now let us consider these in the Civil State As 1. The countenancing all illegal Projects and proceedings by Teaching in their Pulpits the Lawfulness of an Arbitrary Power 2. The overthrowing all process at Common-Law that reflected never so little upon their Courts 3. The kindling a War between these two Nations and blowing up the Flame as much as in them lay by their Counsels Canons and Subsidies they granted to that end 4. The Plots Practises and Combinations during this Parliament in all which they seem to have been interested more or less Thus have they not contented themselves with encroachments upon our Spiritual priviledges but have envied us our civil freedom desiring to make us grind in their Mill as the Philistims did Sampson and to put out both our Eyes O let us be avenged of these Philistims for our two Eyes If then the Tree be to be known by its Fruits I hope you see by this time plainly the nature and quality of this Tree In the last place give me leave for a close of all to present to your consideration the mischiefs which the continuance of this Government doth threaten us with if by the wisedom of this Committee they be not prevented First the danger our Religion must ever be in so long as it is in the hands of such Governors as can stand firmly in nothing more then its ruin and whose affinity with the Popes Hierarchy makes them more confident of the Papists then the professors of the reformed Religion for their safety and subsistence Secondly the unhappy condition our Civil State is in whilst the Bishops have Vote in the Lords House being there as so many obstructions in our Body Politick to all good and wholesom Laws tending to Salvation Thirdly the improbability of setling any firm or durable Peace so long as the cause of the War yet continues and the Bellows that blow up this Flame Lastly and that which I will assure you goes nearest to my Heart is the check which we seem to give to Divine Providence if we do not at this time pull down this Government For hath not this Parliament been called continued preserved and secured by the immediate Finger of God as it were for this work had we not else been swallowed up in many inevitable dangers by the practises and designs of these men and their Party Hath not God left them to themselves as well in these things as in the evil administration of their Government that he might lay them open unto us and lead us as it were by the hand from the finding them to be the causes of our evil to discern that their rooting up must be our only cure Let us not then halt any longer between two opinions but with one Heart and Resolution give glory to God in complying with his providence and with the good fafety and peace of this Church and State which is by passing this Bill we are now upon I cannot pass by this Speech of Sir Henry Vane's without a short Animadversion upon that threadbare Topique which he builds the whole Fabrique of his Harangue upon of the Antichristianism of the very Order of
look to the repair and for the decoration thereof as is also elsewhere enjoyned 2. To preserve Discipline and Holy Rites 3. To be adjuments or assistants to the Bishops in Cathedrals as be the Archdeacons abroad Part of which Assistance is as seemeth to preach for them but the Bishops will excuse them that service as too painful nay forbid it as too dangerous but though they will not busie themselves in preaching yet have they leisure to be inventive and operative in poor beggerly toys and trifles which neither bring Honour to God nor good to the Church and People their Preaching and godly Life did anciently winn the Peoples Hearts to love God and them as his Ministers whom they received as Angels of God Ambassadors from Heaven Humility Piety and Industry laid the Foundation of all those magnificent Structures Dignities Titles Places Revenues and Priviledges wherewith the Church-men were anciently endowed what hath or is likely to demolish them is easie to conjecture King James hath delivered it in these Words The natural sickness that hath ever troubled and been the decay of all Churches since the beginning of the World hath been Pride Ambition and Avarice and these Infirmities wrought the overthrow of the Popish Church in this Country and divers others but the reformation of Religion in Scotland was extraordinarily wrought by God though many things were inordinately done by such as blindly were doing the Work of God Thus far that wise and religious Prince But lest I should forget a principal part of the Office Church Musick it shall have here the first Place the rather for that as I read the first coming in thereof was to usher Antichrist for I do find in my reading that Anno Dom. 666. the Year that was designed or computed for the coming of Antichrist Vitalian Bishop of Rome brought into the Church singing of Service and the use of Organs c. As we read in Plat. Baleus and others in the life of Vitalian who therefore was called the Musical Pope although at that time there was greater occasion of Sorrow the Longobards having entred and wasted Italy and therefore fasting and praying had been more proper then Musick and melodious singing Hereupon saith mine Author ignorance arose among the People lulled as it were asleep by the confused noise of many Voices This carried colour of advancing Devotion although it was no better as the case then stood then the Altar erected to the unknown God Acts 17. Hereby the Key of Knowledg was hid Luke 11. When the common People understood not what was sung and the heat of Zeal was quenched in Men of understanding whose Ears were tickled but Hearts not touched whilest as Saint Augustine complaineth of himself so most were more moved by the sweetness of the Song then by the sense of the Matter which was sung unto them working their bane like the deadly touch of the Aspis in a tickling delight or as the soft touch of the Hiena which doth infatuate and lull asleep and then devoureth if Service in the Latine or unknown Tongue whereof the simplest People understood somewhat was justly censured certainly this manner of singing Psalms and Service whereof the most learned can understand nothing is to be condemned I dislike not singing though by Musick of Organs and other Instruments but I wish that what is sung may be understood and as Justinian the Emperor commanded all Bishops and Priests to celebrate Prayer with a loud and clear voice non tacito modo that the Minds of the Hearers might be stirred up with more Devotion to express the Praises of God so wish I that Service and Psalms may be so Read and Sung that they may be understood and so edify the Mind as well as please the Ear. Now I am to declare that this Office doth neither tend to the Honour of God the propagation of Piety the advancement of Learning or benefit of the Common-weal but to the contrary as I have delivered rather to the dishonor c. But the Day being so far spent I will not assume too much boldness to press upon your Patience for further hearing thereof but will crave leave for further rendring thereof at fitter opportunity and for better conveniency In the Lords House the Lord Bishop of Winton reported the Conference delivered from the House of Commons touching the Canons made at the late Synod Then the Votes of the Commons being read The Lords Votes about the Canons the same with the Commons the Lords Voted the same verbatim viz. Resolved upon the Question That the Clergy of England convented in any Convocation or Synod or otherwise have no Power to make any Constitutions Canons or Acts whatsoever in matter of Doctrine and Discipline or otherwise to bind the Clergy or the Layety of this Land without Common consent of Parliament Resolved c. nullo contradicente That the several Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical treated upon by the Archbishop of Canterbury and York Presidents of the Convocations for the respective Provinces of Canterbury and York and the rest of the Bishops and Clergy of those Provinces and agreed upon with the Kings Majesties Licence in their several Synods begun at London and York 1640 do not bind the Clergy or Laity of this Land or either of them Resolved c. That these Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical treated upon by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York Presidents of the Convocations for the respective Provinces of Canterbury and York and the rest of the Bishops and Clergy of those Provinces and agreed upon by the Kings Majesties Licence in their several Synods begun at London and York in the Year 1640 do contain in them many matters contrary to the King's Prerogative to the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the Realm to the Right of the Parliaments to the Property and Liberty of the Subjects and Matters tending to Sedition and of a dangerous Consequence Resolved c. That the several Grants of the Benevolence or Contribution granted to his Majesty by the Clergy of the Provinces of Canterbury and York Anno Domini 1640 are contrary to the Law and ought not to bind the Clergy This Day also a Bill against Ship-Money was read the first time Mr. Mr. Tailor discharged from the Tower Saturday June 12. Order about Disbanding the Army Tailor late Burgess of Windsor was also this day discharged from the Tower The Commons fell upon the Consideration of Disbanding the Army and it was Ordered That the Souldiers should be allowed Eight pence for every Fifteen Miles to be conducted 300 in a Company homewards and not more their Arms to be all taken from them and laid up at York Hull and other Convenient Places the Scots and English to be Disbanded at the same time A Petition was read Sir will withrington and Mr. Herbert Price Petition the House wherein Sir William Withrington and Sir Herbert Price made their humble Submission to the House and desired to be
place of sitting and the chiefest part of the power I say the chiefest part I do not say the greatest part of power The power it was more eminent in him but it was virtually residing and domesticant in the plurality of his Assessors These Assessors were the Presbyters the Elders of the Church of whom Holy Ignatius a Father so primitive that he was Disciple to Saint John the Apostle and by some thought to be that very Child whilst he was a Child whom our blessed Saviour took and set before his Disciples whereof you read in three of the Evangelists Matth. 18.2 Mark 9.26 Luke 9.27 If Simon Zelotes were the last as some affirm This Ignatius I say in his Epistle to the Trallians doth call these Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Councellors and Co-Assessors of the Bishop Here was in this Age and yet this Father died a Bishop and a Martyr before the last Apostle went to Heaven here was a Fellowship yet such a Fellowship as destroyed not presidency and in another Epistle that to the Magnesians you have such a presidency as doth admit also of a Fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop being President the very Name and Office there as in the place of God and the Presbyters as a Senate of the Apostles I forbear to dilate upon this Episcopacy But I will be bold Ponere ob oculos to set him before your Eyes I will give him you even by way of demonstration Master Hide your self are now in this great Committee Mr. Speaker is in the House The Bishop of our Congregation You are in your selves but Fellow-Members of the same House with us returned hither as we also are to sit on these Benches with us until by our Election and by common suffrage you are Incathedrated then you have and it is fit and necessary that you should have a Precedency before us and a Presidency over us Notwithstanding this you are not diversified into a several distinct order from us you must not swell with that conceit you are still the same Member of the same House you were though raised to a painful and careful degree among us and above us This Bishop had as your self have here potestatem directivam but not Correctivam Correction in our House doth dwell in the General Vote You know the power you have â—s Limited and circumscribed by them who gave it you are no Dictator to prescribe us our Laws but must gather our Votes and then your pronouncing doth fix our not your single own Orders Neither you here Master Speaker in the House can Degrade any one of us from these Seats nor can you silence us in the due liberty of our Speech Truly Sir as yet advised I do heartily wish we had in every Shire of England a Bishop such and so regulated for Church Government within that Sphear as Master Speaker is bounded in and Limited by the Rules and Cancels of this House That were indeed a well tempered and a blessed Reformation whereby our times might be approximant and conformant to the Apostolical and Pure primitive Church But this I fear is magis optandum quám sperandum yet it being the cause of God who can then dispair This happiness I mean living under Episcopal Presidency not under a domineering Prelacy this is too high above our reach yet strong Prayers and Hearty endeavours may pull the Blessing down upon us In the mean time wo is our Churches portion for our Bishop President is lost and grown a Stranger to us and in his room is crept in and stept up a Lordly Prelate made proud with pomp and ease who neglecting the best part of his Office in Gods Vine-yard instead of supporting the weak and binding up the broken forrageth the Vines and drives away other Labourers The Vines indeed have both Grapes and Leaves and Religious Acts both Substance and Circumstance but the Gardener is much to blame who gives more charge to the Work-men of the Leaves then of the Fruit. This rough enforcement of late to that which is not the better part is an Episcopacy that turns all our Melody into a Threnody This makes many Poor Pious Christian Souls to Sing the Songs of Sion in a strange Land Psal 137. and 4. This Bishop will have no Assessors or if any so formally admitted and so awed as good have none no Senate no Consultation no Presbytery or common Suffrage but Elates himself up into usurped Titles and incompatible Power and sublimes it self by assuming a Soleship both in Orders and Censures Religion and Reason and Primitive Example are all loud against this Episcopacy This too elate subliming of one can not stand without a too mean demission I may say debasing of many other of the same order Nay this Bishop not content with Ecclesiastick Pride alone will swell also with ambition and Offices Secular Truly Sir you have done exceeding well to Vote away this Bishop for of this Bishop and of this alone I must understand the Vote you have passed until I be better instructed For your Vote is against the present Episcopacy and for the present you can hardly find any other Episcopacy but this an Authority how ever by some of them better exercised yet too solely entrusted to them all Away then with this Lordly domineerer who playes the Monarch perhaps the Tyrant in a Diocess of him it is of whom I read Episcopalis dignitas papalem fastum redolet This kind of Episcopacy it smels rank of the Papacy nor shall you ever be able utterly and absolutely to extirpate Popery unless you root out this Soleship of Episcopacy To conclude in short and plain English I am for abolishing of our present Episcopacy Both Diocesses and Diocesan as now they are But I am withal at the same time for Restauration of the pure Primitive Episcopal Presidency Cut off the usurped adjuncts of our present Episcopacy reduce the ancient Episcopacy such as it was in puris spiritualibus Both may be done with the same hand and I think in a shorter Bill then is offered now by way of addition Down then with our Prelatical Hierarchy or Hierarchical Prelacy such as now we have most of it consisting in Temporal adjuncts only the Diana and the Idol of Proud and Lazy Church-men This do but eâ lege on this condition that with the same hand in the same Bill we do gently raise again even from under the ruins of that Babel â—â—ch an Episcopacy such a Presidency as is venerable in its Antiquity and Purity and most behooveful for the Peace of our Christendom This is the way of Reforming and thus by yielding to the present Storm and throwing that over-board which is adventitious borrowed and undue Peace may be brought home unto our Church again the best of that building and the truth of Ancient Episcopacy may be preserved otherwise we hazard all This would be glorious for us and for our Religion and the glory thereof will
a Conscientious way and to yield to one another by the Rules of Charity for the publick Peace of the Church This solid course as it will allay the Heat and Precipitation of passionate Councils so it will have Authority in it self Honor in relation to other Forreign Churches and stability in these resolutions I will be bold to add another Motion that if we may be so happy to settle these troubles and scruples of tender Conscience by imbracing this only Counsel I could wish that an Intimation were made to all the Reformed Churches that if they please to send their Deputies and to assist in this Pious work they shall as Assistants be admitted And I hope there may arise from hence an occasion of re-uniting all the Protestant Churches at least in Fundemantals Leaving to every one a Christian Liberty in those Forms of Discipline which may be most agreeable to their Civil Government which would not only strengthen the General Cause of Religion but take away that strong objection of the publick Enemy of such a Division amongst our selves as make us appear outwardly to be twenty Churches or none at all for from this Branch of division and separation hath flown all the advantages both in the Estate and Church of the Papacy against the Reformation and the Princes professing one truth not fenced about with one Policy A Divine in the City gave his following Opinion upon these Particulars The Opinion of a City Divine concerning the Liturgy Church Government TO satisfie your Demands both Concerning the Liturgy and Episcopal Government First for the Book of Common Prayer it may be alledged 1. That God himself appointed in the Law a set Form of Benediction Numb 6.23 24 25 26. 2. That David himself set Psalms to be sung upon Special Occasions as the Title of them shewtth 3. That the Prophet Joel appointed a set Form of Prayer to be used by the Priest at Solemn Fasts Joel 2.7 4. That Christ not only Commands us to pray after such manner Matth. 6.9 But to use a set Form of words Luke 11.2 When you pray say Our Father 5. The Spirit of God is no more restrained by using a set Form of Prayer then by singing set Hymns or Psalms in Meeter which yet the Adversaries of our Common-Prayer practise in their Aslemblies 6. Of all Prayers premeditated are the best Ecclesiastes 5.2 7. And of premeditated Prayers those which are allowed by public Authority are to be preferred above those which are uttered by any private spirit 8. All the Churches in the Christian World in the first and best Times had their best Forms of Lyturgies wherof most are Extant in the Writings of the Fathers unto this day 9. Let our Service-Books be Compared with the French Dutch or any other Lyturgie prescribed in any of the Reformed Churches and it will appear to any indifferent Reader that it is more Exact and Compleat than any of them 10. Our Service-Book was Penned and allowed of not onely by many Learn'd Doctors but Glorious Martyrs who sealed the Truth of the Reformed Religion with their Blood Yet it cannot be denyed but that there are Spots and Blemishes naevi quidem in pulchro Corpore And it were to be wished so it be done without much Noyse 1. That the Kalendar in part might be reformed and the Lessons taken out of the Canonical Scriptures appointed to be read in the place of them for besides that there is no necessity of reading any of the Apocrypha for there are in some of the Chapters set in the Index passages repugnant to the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures as namely in some Chapters in Tobit 2. That in the Psalms Epistles and Gospels all Sentences alledged out of the Holy Scriptures the last Translation of King James his Bible may be followed for in the former there be many Passages not agreeable to the Original as might be proved by many Instances 3. That in the Rubrick whereof of late the word Priest hath been instead of the word Minister it may be Expunged and the word Minister restor'd which is less Offensive and more agreeable to the Languages of all the Reformed Churches and likewise that some Abuses which seem surreptitiously to have crept into it be expunged as namely after the Communion every Parishioner shall Communicate and also shall receive the Sacraments and other Rites according to the Order of this Book appointed which words can carry no good Sence in a Protestant's Ears nor those added against Private Baptisme That it is certain by Gods Word That Children being Baptized having all things necessary for their Salvation be undoubtedly Saved 4. That in the Hymns instead of the Songs of the Three Children some others placed out of the Canonical Scriptures and that a fitter Psalm were chosen at the Churching of Women for those Verses He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and the Sun shall not burn thee by day nor the Moon by night seem not very pertinent That in the Prayers and Collects some Expressions were bettered as when it is said Almighty God which only workest great Marvels send down upon the Bishops c. And Let thy great Mercy loose them for the honour of Jesus Christ's sake And from Fornication and all other deadly Sin as if all other Sins were not deadly and that among all the chances of this mortal Life they may be defended c. 5. And in the Visitation of the Sick I absolve thee from all thy sins and the like 6. That in singing of Psalms Either the lame Rhymes and superfluous Botches as I say and for why and homely Phrases As Thou shalt feed them with brown Bread And Take thy Hand out of thy Lap and give thy Foes a Rap and Mend this Geare and the like may be Corrected or at the least a better Translation of the Psalmes in Meeter appointed in the place of the old Secondly for Episcopal Government it may be alledged 1. That in the Old Law the Priests were above the Levites 2. That in the Gospel the Apostles were above the Seventy Disciples 3. That in the subscription of St. Paul 's Epistles which are part of Canonical Scripture as it is said That Timothy was Ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians That Titus was Ordeined the second Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians That Titus was Ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians 4. That if Episcopal Ordination and Jurisdiction hath express Warrant in Holy Scripture as namely Titus 1.5 For this Cause left I thee in Crete that thou should'st set in order things that are wanting and Ordain Presbyters that is Ministers in every City And 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly on no man And Vers 19. Against a Presbyter or Minister Receive no Accusation but under two or three Witnesses 5. The Angels to whom the Epistles were indorsed 2 3. of Apoc. are by the Vnanimous Consent of all the best
of this Church and Nation the Advancement of Religion and Learning the Encouragement of the Modest Hopes and Honest Endeavours of many Hundred Students in the Universities Who do and shall ever pray c. Dat. An. Dom. millesimo sexcent ' quad ' primo è Domo Convocationis in celebri Conventu Doctorum ac Magistrorum omnibus singulis assentientibus Upon Report from the Lords Committees for Priviledges The L. Morley to be Tryed by his Peers for the Murther of one Clark It is Ordered That the Lord Morley and Monteagle shall be Tryed at the Barr in this House touching the Murther of Peter Clarke and that a Writ of Certiorari shall be directed to the Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench to bring into this House the Indictment and Examinations against the said Lord Morley remaining now in the Court of Kings Bench that the King's Attorney and the rest of his Majesties Learned Counsel shall give in Evidence on the Kings behalf against the said Lord Morley And that the said Lord Morley shall have Liberty to have Counsel to speak for him in point of Law only but not to matter of Fact And lastly That the Complainants shall be heard by their Counsel at the Barr at their said Tryal if they desire it And because that in one and the same Indictment the said Lord Morley and Mr. Kirke are both contained this House doth further Order That the Record of the Indictment for so much as concerns the said Kirke shall by this House be remanded to the Court of Kings-Bench that there he may be proceeded against according to Law A Message was sent up from the Commons by Mr. Hollis Letters to be opened this Week who said he was Commanded to let their Lordships know That the Commons have taken Notice of the Secret Counsels of Jesuits and other ill-affected persons in the Kingdom which are fomented by our Enemies abroad to disturb the Peace of this Kingdom and Scotland the desire of the House of Commons was That all suspected persons be stopped at the Ports and if Cause Examined and that the Letters of this Week which come from France may be stayed and brought to this House to be perused as hath formerly been Upon which the Lords Ordered That the Post-Master Mr. Thomas Witherings should bring the Letters accordingly and that suspected persons should be Examined and if there were occasion for it apprehended And the L. Privy Seal Earl of Cambridg Earl of Holland Viscount Say and Seal were appointed by the House to acquaint his Majesty with what the House Resolved in this business His Majesty coming this Day to the House of Lords the Commons were sent for to attend him by the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in order to his giving the Royal Assent to the Bill for Tonnage and Poundage when the Speaker of the Commons House addressed himself to his Majesty with this following Speech THat policy most Gracious and Dread Soveraign Mr. Speaker's Speech to his Majesty at the passing the Bill for Tonnage and Poundage June 22. 1641. which weighs the Prerogative of the King and Property of the Subject in the same Scales and increases the plenty of the Crown and contentment of the People the even poising of this Beam enables both the one being ordained for the preservation of the other This Principle is so riveted into the Hearts of your Subjects by the Acts of their Ancestors and Traditions of their Fore-fathers that it hath Created a belief in them that their Wills are bound to a due Allegiance and their Fortunes and Estates as well as their Duty and Subjection must bend to the Commands of that Soveraign power with which God hath invested your Sacred Majesty Compulsary obedience advanced by the transcendent power of Prerogative is too weak to support the right of Government It is the Affections and Estates of your People tyed with the Threads of Obedience by the Rules of Law that fastens safety and prosperity to the Crown The experiment of elder times in the Reigns of the most Valiant puissant Princes hath concluded this the Soveraign Preservative against the Diseases of distraction and confusion and makes it manifest to the World that the Honour and Glory of this Throne is to command the Hearts of Free-men This admitted the permission of the least diminution or any Eclipsed interposition between the Honor and Plenty of the Crown contracts a Scorn upon the Nation Several Parliaments in former times have stampt the Character of a free gift upon the Fore-front of this Aid still offered by the People as a Sacrifice of Thanks-giving to the Crown for the safe conduct of your Merchants and provision of the Navy to strengthen your undoubted Dominion over the Seas which hath protected your Allyes and is a Terrour to your Enemies Our hopes were long since to have setled this for the measure and the time and with this to have presented to your Sacred Majesty the triumphant Palm of Tranquility in all your Kingdoms But as a Ship Floating upon a Rough Sea we have been cast upon the Rock of Fear and Dangers and tossed on the Billows of distraction and distrust of Church and Common wealth where we yet remain hopeless ever to pass through that narrow Channel which leads to the Haven of Peace unless we be speedily Steered on by the hand of your Sacred Wisdom Care and Providence In the midst of all these troubles and the several Opinions which have been amongst us no division had power to distract any one of us from the care and Duty we owne to your Sacred Person And to that end am I now sent by the Commons of England to present this as a Mark only whereby your Sacred Majesty may view the inward duties of our Hearts until time and opportunity will give Leave for a further expression of our Duties and Affections The acceptation of this Gift will glad the Hearts of your People and the approbation by the Royal Assent of this Bill being the largest for the measure which was ever given will joyn Wings to our desires and hopes which shall never return without that Olive-Leaf which may declare that the Waters are abated and your Sacred Majesty way have full assurance of the Faith and Loyalty of your Subjects To which his Majesty was pleased to return this Gracious Answer My Lords and Gentlemen I Do very willingly accept Your Offer made at this time as a Testimony of your Love The King's Speech at the Passing the Bill for Tonnage Poundage June 22. 1641. and of that Dutiful Affection You owe Me and I no way doubt but that You will perform that which You have intimated unto Me in perfecting the other Bill when you have Liezure Likewise in passing this Bill you cannot but see a great Testimony of the Trust and Considence I have in Your Affections as since this Parliament begun I have omitted no Occasion whereby I may shew such
Friday July 9. at which Mr. Denzil Hollis made this following Speech My Lords THe Knights Mr. Denzil Hollis his Speech about the Palatinate July 9. 1641. Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons have commanded me to let your Lordships know that they have taken into their serious Consideration His Majesties Proposal unto them of the Manifesto in which he is graciously Pleased to declare his Pious Intentions concerning his Royal Sister the Prince Palatine her Son and the rest of the Electoral Family They do with all Humbleness acknowledg His Majesties Favor in communicating unto them any part of His Royal Thoughts and asking their Advice and Counsel in a Business that doth so neerly concern Him as needs must the Happiness nay the Subsistence of these Distressed Princes of so Glorious an Extraction their Veins being enriched with the same Blood that is from so Royal Ancestors derived with Glory into his Sacred Person And in that Relation the House of Commons looks upon them with an Eye of Tenderness wishing that every drop of that Princely Blood may ever be illustrated with Honor and Happiness That His Majesty may be Crowned with this Blessing To see nothing but Glory in himself and in all that belong unto him To hear then that these Princes so nearly allyed unto the King should suffer that which is so unworthy of them instead of Honor of Greatness to find Oppression instead of a Fortune answerable to their Birth and Relation to have their ancient Patrimony torn from them and deteined by a Hand of Violence is a Thing which makes our Ears to tingle and our Hearts to rise within us My Lords The Loyal Subject of England is so well tuned in a sweet agreeing Harmony to the Person of his Prince that he is affected with the least Touch upon any part of the Princely String and Answers it instantly with a Sound proportionable If it be Good and Pleasant with Joy and Exultation if harsh and displeasant with Sorrow and Lamentation but a Sorrow not Womanish and Effeminate but accompanied with Indignation and vigorous magnanimous Resolution to be avenged upon whosoever dare give Offence to our Royal Sovereign This then is enough to make us zealous for the Redress of the Prince Electors Wrongs to desire with impatience to see him reinvested in his rightful Possessions were there nothing else to move us to it but our Love and Affection and our Duty to the King But My Lords There is yet another Motive which hath a strong irresistable Operation with us and it is the consideration how much this is of Importance to the good of Religion the advancement of the Protestant party and the redeeming many Souls from their Anti-Christian Bondage which hath a double Aspect and relates to us not only as we are Fellow-Members with them of the true Church which obliges us to a Care and Defence of them and gives us an assurance of a Reward in Heaven But doth more particularly concern us in point of Policy and Reason of State by supporting our Allies to advance this Kingdom to the highest pitch of Greatness and Reputation to make us formidable abroad to the Enemies of our Church and State and so injoy Peace and Safety and Tranquillity at Home For My Lords The Protestant Religion and this Kingdom are like Hippocrates's Twins that must both Live and Die together It is madness to think this State can subsist if Religion be subverted and as great a madness to think our Religion can continue here if we suffer it to be destroyed and eradicated out of our Neighbour Countries which can no more be that is our Religion and this Kingdom be preserved when our Neighbours of the same Religion and Belief with us be consumed then a Fort can hold out when all the Out-Works be taken or the Heart preserved when a Gangrene hath seized on the outward Parts of the Body My Lords As the true Religion is in the Truth the Heart of England which gives it Life and makes it flourish with Strength and Power so is England in Politick Respect the Heart of the Protestant Religion in all the other Parts of Christendom and upon Occasion must send out Supply into all the Neighbouring Countries professing the same Religion with it which to be themselves in safety must be under the Protection of this Fort under Contribution to this Garrison And on the other side if these Countries be one after another Invaded and Possessed by the Enemies of Religion that great Tye of Religion between us and those Bonds be Dissolved which only can Unite and Strengthen our mutual Affections and Relations as if they get one Part their Appetite will increase soon to swallow up another First The Palatinate then the other Parts of Germany afterwards the Low Countries and then Let us think in what Condition England will stand It will be left as a Cottage in a Vineyard as a Lodg in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City when all the Defences are gone it will soon fall to be a Prey to the Enemy My Lords This Consideration likewise works with the Commons of England and as the Wise-Man is to have his Eyes in his Head and look before him so they do look before them and had rather see this Evil met half-way then stay till it come to them rather see the eating Gangrene of the Austrian Ambition stop'd in Germany then tarry till it seize upon the Vital Parts of this Island and the death of Religion inevitably follow Sir Benjamin Rudyard also at a Committee of the whole House Mr. Whitlock being in the Chair spoke to this business as follows Master Whitlock IF we may do the Prince Elector good by our good word Sir Benjamin Rudyard's Speech at a Committee of the whole House about the Palatine July 9. 1641. I hope we shall not stick to afford it him A word spoken in due Season is worth more then Gold and Silver at an other time His Majestie 's Ambassador is now at the Dyet at Ratisbon where the Emperor and other Princes are by Friendly Treaties endeavouring to make up the Breaches of Germany If this opportunity be omitted His Highness's Affairs will be exceedingly cast behind-hand It is true that our Treaties heretofore have not been prosperous the reason hath been because of the unhappy distance between the King and His People which brought a Disvalue upon this Kingdom abroad But now when the World shall take notice of the good understanding between His Majesty and His Subjects by an earnest and solemn joyning of the whole Parliament with His Majestie 's Declaration the Propositions coming from hence will carry with them more Weight more Authority which is the way to redeem our engagement at an easie rate to save those great charges which some do so much fear If we should be backward in this great work we shall cancel the obligations of Nature of Honour of Reason of State of Religion which
and misdemeanors before expressed and do therefore pray that they may be forthwith put to their answers in the presence of the Commons and that such further proceedings may be had against them as to Law and Justice shall appertain Whether the Lords were satisfied with this Declaration of the Commons Reasons about the Protestation is uncertain but however they were satisfied that the Commons were Resolved to have it so with or without their Consent month August 1641. and possibly they saw that had they opposed a thing then so Popular as this was the inraged Commons would have impeached the greatest number of them who had opposed it as well as they did the Bishops or at least have exposed them to the Popular Rage of the Tumults as they did the Straffordians and by that means have excluded them the House without the help of either a Votâ— or Bill And from this Speech I am assured the most Partial Reader may easily satisfy himself what was the Original Design and Intention of this Solemn Protestation which at first appeared so harmless and Innocent that even many of the Bishops themselves took it For that it was not Religion but a perfect Politick Stratagem to enable the Faction to accomplish their long intended Design of altering the Government this Speech makes evident beyond the Possibility of Doubting it was to be the Shibboleth of the Party and the Character of Persons fit to be trusted with Offices and Power both in Church and State Thus did these Politicians stalk with Religion and make use upon all Occasions of that Sacred and Venerable Name the better to gain the Esteem of the People and to be able by their power more effectually to accomplish their own Designs Mr. Pym Reports the Conference with the Lords about disbanding That the Earl of Bristol was pleased to say Report of the Conference about disbanding That the Business he was to speak of was of great Importance and that no other Business but would be delayed at less Charges then this might be That the Lords Commissioners propounded to the Scots Commissioners to march homewards the 9th of August but many of them being then out of Town their Answer was uncertain but now my Lord of Lowdon being returned out of Scotland the Commissioners met yesterday and they gave this Answer It is impossible for them to return the 9th of August or any other prefixed Day because the removal of their Army depends upon the whole Arrears due to them from Vs and of 80000 l. part of the Brotherly Assistance which was promised by Vs they should receive and without this they could not disband their Army yet undertake that though there be no prefixed Day yet within 48 Hours after Payment of the Monies at New Castle they would not stay under any Roof till they were out of the Kingdom It was proposed to them to receive the 80000 l. the 10th of September My Lord Lowdon returned this Answer That there is an absolute impossibility to give Satisfaction to their Army to march away unless they have with their Arrears the 80000 l. for that they are in debt to their own Army 30000 l. which must be paid now And he further added That nothing but an impossibility should make them stick at any thing the Parliament doth desire My Lord of Bristol said further in his own Name and the Name of the Lords Commissioners for England That it was fit for both Houses to joyn together to pluck up this Business by the Roots He said That whereas there is about 28000 l. Debt due from the Scots to the County Palatine of Durham and New-Castle Certified under the Commissaries Hands that they would be content that that Summ might be deducted out of the 80000 l. here if the Country will be Content to be paid by the Parliament and desired that a Letter might be sent to the Commissioners of those Counties to treat with the County to get their consent accordingly He said further That this matter did not stand upon one string there is another matter which is concerning the Treaty the Commissioners being now returned have brought word that the Parliament in Scotland have viewed and passed the Treaty only some few things of Explanation altered some other things there were wherein they were not fully satisfied â—n their demands yet have declared this should breed no difference but would leave it to be settled by Commissioners at better leizure And so they have agreed this day to meet to Collate the Treaty and have resolved to draw it into the form of an Act of Parliament and they hope to finish it within a day or two The next thing was for the Security of the 220000 l. behind of the Brotherly Assistance and this was yielded to in the general having formerly signed this therefore desire this House to hasten the Bill for the Security for the payment of this Mony and that some 5 or 6 be named of the Commissioners to whom they might resort for the same and the rather to hasten this because the King takes his Journey on Monday for Scotland This being after the Conference debated in the House of Commons Sir William Darcy Sir John Conyers Mr. Hallyman Mr. Selwin and Mr. Lilburn undertake that the Country would not only accept payment of the Billet from this House but will thank this House if they shall please to appoint any such Course for the payment of the Billet Whereupon it was agreed That the House will undertake it and pay 28000 l. in November next or sooner Mr. Speaker to write Letters to this purpose for the consent of those Counties It was also Ordered That the Knights Citizens and Burgesses endeavour to expedite the gathering in of the Poll-mony in their respective Counties and Places and the sending up what is received Upon the Petition of the Lady Margaret Wotton Baroness of Marleigh Order about the Lady Wotton a Recusant Peeress complaining of an Indictment and Conviction of Recusancy prosecuted against her contrary to the Priviledges of Parliament It is Ordered That a Certiorari do issue forth to Return the Indictment into this House and that a Writ of Errour may also be brought to Reverse the Conviction if any Error shall be found therein whereupon their Lordships will proceed according as they shall think fit The Report of the Conserence about the Impeachment of the Judges The Lord Bishop of Lincoln reported the Conference with the Commons concerning the Judges to this effect That the House of Commons had formerly brought up six Impeachments against six several Judges one whereof was for High-Treason the proofs of which Impeachment will not arise from Witnesses but out of Records which have been Voted by this House already to be illegal c. It was further said That the House of Commons do understand that several Commissions are lately made to these several Judges who are Impeached for several Misdemeanours to go Circuits in several
c. Next the Bishop of Linclon reported that at the same Conference Mr. Nichols that was sent into Scotland to his Majesty from both Houses reported That he had delivered the Petition and the Draught of the Commission to his Majesty but his Majesty thought not fit to sign it for these Reasons which he commanded him to signify to the Parliament 1 That his Majesty conceives the Treaty of Pacification The King's Reasons for not signing the Commission sent into Scotland by Mr. Nichols from both Houses between the two Kingdoms is already ratified by the Parliament of Scotland 2 If this Commission should be granted it would beget new Matter 3 It would be a means to keep his Majesty longer there then he intended to stay 4 That the Scots Army is over the Tweed and that the Lord General hath almost Disbanded all Our Army and hath begun with the House A Letter from the Lord General was read declaring Contents of a Letter from the Lord General That he will pursue the Orders of Parliament in disbanding the Army but he understands that the Scots will keep 5000 Men undisbanded until our Army be all disbanded and our Fortifications at Barwick and Carlisle slighted and that to this purpose he had received Directions from his Majesty to demolish the Fortifications and remove the Ordnance and Munition from thence The Bishop of Lincoln Reported the Conference with the Commons concerning Disarming Recusants to this Effect THat the House of Commons had taken into consideration the Store of Arms in this Kingdom and they find The Conference about disarming Recusants Aug. 30. 1641. that there are many Arms in the hands of Popish Recusants for disarming of whom the House of Commons have frequently recommended to this House the disarming of them according to the Stat. of 3 Jac. but they have found that the good came not by this Statute as was intended for upon Indictments for Recusancy there were Certioraris's granted Therefore the House of Commons have taken these things into consideration again and the rather because of the Kings absence at this time in Scotland and that the time of the Recess draws nigh and considering the late Troubles of this Kingdom whch are not yet settled the House of Commons have considered of an Ordnance of Parliament and some Instructions to be given unto such Commissioners as they have named to see to the disarming of Popish Recusants according to the Statute of 3 Jacobi which Ordinance and Instruction they present to their Lordships desiring them to joyn with them herein Then the aforesaid Ordinance and Instructions were read in haec verba An Ordinance made and agreed by the Lords and Commons in Parliament for the speedy disarming of Popish Recusants and other dangerous Persons The Ordinance of Parliament for Disarming Recusants WHereas for the preventing and avoiding of dangers that might grow by Popish Recusants Provision hath been heretofore made by Act of Parliament for the disarming of all Popish Recusants convicted within this Realm which said Law hath not taken so good effect as was intended by Reason such Recusants and Persons Popishly affected have by subtle practices and indirect means kept themselves from being convicted or being outwardly conformable have caused or suffered their Children Grand-children and Servants to be bred up and maintained up in the Popish Religion and have otherways hindred the due Execution of the said Law to the great danger and grievance of the Common-wealth And for that it is too manifest that the said Popish Recusants have always had and still have and do practise most dangerous and pernicious designs against the Church and State and by the Laws of this Realm in times of imminent danger or of any forcible Attempts Designs or Practises against the Peace and Safety thereof all Armor Weapons and other Provisions that may tend or be imployed to the effecting of such mischievous Designs ought timely to be removed and taken away and all fit means used for the securing of the Peace and safety of the Realm And for the preventing of such further mischiefs as may happen by any Outrage or Violence to be offered It is therefore Ordained and Provided by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled That all such Arms Gun-powder and Munition of what kind soever as any Popish Recusant convicted or any Person or other which is or shall be Indicted for such Recusancy and such Indictments either are or shall be removed by Certiorari or being not removed shall not by Appearance and Traverse or otherwise be Legally discharged before this Ordinance be put in execution or which shall not have repaired to Church more then once in every Month or shall not have received the Holy Communion according to the Rites of the Church of England within one whole year next before the making hereof and which shall refuse to take the Oaths of Supremacy or Allegiance upon Lawful Tender thereof made or whose Children or Grand-children or any of them being at his or her dispose or living in the House with them is or shall be bred up in the Popish Religion or have not repaired to Church within one year next before the making of this Ordinance according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm or whose Houshold Servants or any two or more of them is or shall be of the Popish Religion hath or shall have in his and their House or Houses or elsewhere or in the hands and possession of any other to his or their use or at his or their disposition other then such necessary Weapons as shall be thought fit by the Persons Authorized to take and Seize the said Munition to remain and be allowed Arms for the defence of the Person or House of such Recusant or Person aforesaid shall forthwith be taken from every such Popish Recusant or Person as aforesaid and from all others which shall have the same to the use of any such Popish Recusant or Person by such Person and Persons as are and shall be by this Ordinance appointed and authorized in that behalf for every Shire County and Riding within this Realm and Dominion of Wales that is to say For the County of Bedford Sir Oliver Luke Sir Beuchamp St. John Sir Roger Burgoigne Knight For the County of Lancaster John Moor Alexander Rigby Esquire Members of the House of Commons and the two Knights that Serve for that County For Cheshire Sir William Brereton Baronet Peter Vennables Esquire For the City of Chester Francis Gamull Esquire the Major for the time being For the County of Stafford Sir Edward Littleton and Sir Richard Levison For the County of Derby Sir John Curson William Allestre Esquire For the County of Nottingham Sir Thomas Hutchinson Robert Sutton Esquire For the Town and County of Nottingham Sir Thomas Hutchinson Robert Sutton Esquire and the Major for the time being For the County of Lincoln Thomas Hatcher Thomas Grantham and John Broxholm Esquires
of the Peace of each several County Shire or Riding within England or Wales and also the Majors Bailiffs Justices of the Peace Jurats or other Head-Officers of or within any Town Corporate or Priviledged place respectively or any one or more of them together with some or one of the Persons nominated in the said Ordinance are to see the same forthwith put in Execution and shall have power to call the High Sheriff of every County and his Ministers all Constables and Tithing men and other Officers or any of them when and as oft as they shall think fit to be aiding and assisting to them from time to time within their several Limits and Jurisdictions in the due performance of this Service and to do and execute all and every such thing or things as shall be requisite and necessary in that behalf and the said Members of the said House of Commons are respectively required to see the said Ordinance forthwith put in execution II. The said Persons Authorized are to inform themselves by all convenient means and ways of all such Arms Gun-powder and Munition of what kind soever as any Popish Recusants convict or other Persons whatsoever either of the Nobility or others which is or shall be Indicted for Popish Recusants and such Indictments either removed by Certiorari or being not removed shall not by appearance and Traverse or otherwise be Legally discharged or which shall not have repaired to Church more then once in every month or shall not have received the Holy Communion according to the Rites of the Church of England within one whole year next before the making of the said Ordinance or which shall refuse to take the Oaths of Supremacy or Allegiance upon lawful tender thereof made or whose Children or Grand-children or any of them being at their dispose or in the House with them are bred up in the Popish Religion or have not repaired to Church within one whole year next before the making of the said Ordinance according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm or whose Houshold Servants or any numbers of them are of the Popish Religion hath or have in his or her House or Houses or elsewhere or in the Hands and Possession of any other to his or her use or at his or her disposition and are to search all such places where any such Arms Gun-powder or Munition of any such Popish Recusant or other Person whose Arms by the said Ordinance is to be taken away is placed or deposited or supposed to be placed or deposited III. They are to take and Seize all such Arms Gunpowder and Munition as aforeaid in whose hands or Custody or in what place the same shall be other then such Weapons as shall be by the said Persons so Authorized thought fit to remain and be allowed to the said Recusants or other Popish Persons as aforesaid for the defence of his or her Person or Houses and shall cause the same to be placed in some City or Town Corporate or other convenient Town of the same County and there safely kept at the costs and charges of the owners thereof and the Armorer to be admitted to dress and amend the same so oft as need shall require IV. And if any such Popish Recusants or other Persons as aforesaid or any other Person or Persons which have or hath or shall have any such Arms Gun-powder or Munition in his or their hands or Possession to the use of such Recusant or other Person as aforesaid or by his her or their appointment shall conceal the said Arms Gunpowder and Munition or any part thereof or shall refuse to discover the same to the said Persons so Authorized or otherwise wilfully oppose hinder or disobey the said Persons Authorized or any of them in the execution of the said Ordinance that then every such Popish Recusant and other Person so offending shall be held a contemptuous Person and be liable to such further punishment as by the Parliament upon certificate thereof made shall be thought fit and the Persons Authorized are to certify their names accordingly They are also to make Certificates to the Parliament of all such Arms Gunpowder and Ammunition as they shall take or seize by force and vertue of the said Ordinance as also the Person and Persons whose the same were and from whom they were so taken and in what places the same are found or taken and where and in what City Town or Place and in whose custody the same shall be left or deposited and what Order they shall take concerning the same and shall likewise certify what Arms and Munition they shall leave to such Recusants or Persons as aforesaid for the defence of his or her Person or House V. They are to inquire what Popish Recusants have lately had any Arms or Munition taken away by whom and by what means and where and in whose hands the same remain and to take care that the same be safely placed and kept in such manner as aforesaid and to make Certificates thereof to the Parliament VI. To take care that the said Arms and Munition so to be Seized and taken away by force of the said Ordinance may so be placed and disposed of as there may not be too great a quantity thereof at the same time in one and the same City Town or Place but that it may be distributed and placed in several Towns and Places in such manner and proportion as shall be most conveninet for the use and safety of the Kingdom After which it was Ordered Tuesday August 31. That this House agrees and Concurs with the House of Commons in the whole Ordinance and Instructions The foresaid Ordinance and Instructions were appointed to be delivered privately to the House of Commons to be Ingrossed A Message was sent by the Lords by Dr. Exceptions taken by the Commons for the Lords sending a Message by one Person only Bennet for a Conference to let them know the Lords desired the Ordinance for disarming Recusants might be Ingrossed but the House taking notice of it that the Message came by a single Person the Commons took Exceptions at it and Mr. Hollis was sent to signifie so much and to let them know that for this time they were willing to pass it over only desiring it might not be drawn into President hereafter as also to desire that the Ordinance signed by the Speakers of both Houses might be printed and published throughout the Kingdom which was done accordingly And the Lords by another Message signified to the Commons that the Reason why they sent but one Messenger was because they had no more Assistants then present A Vote was also passed for removing the Communion Table Resolved upon the Question That this House holds it fit that the Church-Wardens of every Parish Church or Chappel do forthwith remove the Communion Table Vote for Removing the Communion Table from the East end of the Church Chappel or Chancel where they stand
with any Forreign Prince or State their Ambassadors Agents or other Ministers of any Forreign Prince or State concerning raising or transporting any Forces either Horse or Foot to be imployed in the Service of any such Prince or State And it is further Ordered That it shall not be lawful for any Owner or Master of any Ships in either of the said Kingdoms to Contract or Agree for the transporting of any Forces Horse or Foot out of these Kingdoms for the Service of any Forreign Prince or State and that no such Forces shall be Raised Transported or Imployed by any Person whatsoever in the Service of any Forreign Prince or State without the Special License of His Majesty with the Consent and Advice of the Lords and Commons in Parliament It is further Ordered That none of the Ships of any of his Majesties Subjects of England or Ireland which have or shall be imployed in the Service of any Forreign Prince shall be used or imployed against any Forces which shall be any where commanded by his Majesties Commission by Sea or Land but such of his Majesties Subjects as are in any such Service shall forthwith withdraw themselves from the same and refuse to bear Arms in such Case It is likewise further Ordered That whosoever shall Contemn or disobey this Ordinance shall be taken to be a high Contemner of the Authority of the Houses of Parliament and shall be liable to such further Censure as shall stand with their Honor and Justice in that behalf This Order to continue and be in Force unto the first Day of November next and to be forthwith Printed and Published After which Mr. Pym Reports the Declaration of the Commons in Parliament made September 9. which was as followeth A Declaration of the Commons in Parliament made September the Ninth 1641. THe Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House A Declaration of the Commons without the consent of the Lords for Reformation of several Matters in the Church Sep. 9. 1641. having received many great Complaints from the several Parts of this Kingdom of heavy Grievances upon divers of his Majesties Subjects by the excessive pressing of some Matters concerning Religion which are in their own Nature indifferent by Pretext or Colour of the Laws now in force and by the unlawful enforcing other things without any Colour of Law and considering that a full Reformation cannot be made in this streight of time did for the Comfort and Ease of the People frame an Order in manner following Die Mercurii 8. Septemb. 1641. WHereas divers Innovations in or about the Worship of God have been lately practised in this Kingdom by enjoyning some things and prohibiting others without Warrant of Law to the great Grievance and Discontent of his Majesties Subjects For the suppression of such Innovations and for the preservation of the Publick Peace It is this day Ordered by the Commons in Parliament Assembled That the Church-Wardens of every Parish-Church and Chappel respectively do forthwith remove the Communion Table from the East end of the Church Chappel or Chancel into some other convenient Place and that they take away the Rails and level the Chancels as heretofore they were before the late Innovations That all Crucifixes scandalous Pictures of any one or more Persons of the Trinity and all Images of the Virgin Mary shall be taken away and abolisht and that all Tapers Candlesticks and Basins be removed from the Communion Table That all Corporal bowing at the Name JESUS or towards the East End of the Church Chappel or Chancel or towards the Communion Table be henceforth forborn That the Orders aforesaid be observed in all the several Cathedral Churches of this Kingdom and all Collegiate Churches or Chappels in the two Universities or any other part of the Kingdom and in the Temple Church and the Chappels of the other Innes of Court by the Deans of the said Cathedral Churches by the Vice-Chancellor of the said Universities and by the Heads and Governors of the several Colledges and Halls aforesaid and by the Benchers and Readers in the said Innes of Court respectively That the Lords Day shall be duly observed and Sanctified All Dancing or other Sports either before or after Divine Service be forborn and restrained and that the Preaching of God's Word be permitted in the Afternoon in the several Churches and Chappels of this Kingdom and that the Ministers and Preachers be encouraged thereunto That the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities Heads or Governors of Colledges all Parsons Vicars Church-Wardens do make Certificates of the performance of these Orders and if the same shall not be observed in any of the Places aforementioned upon complaint thereof made to the two next Justices of Peace Mayor or Head Officers of Cities or Towns corporate It is Ordered that the said Justices Mayor or other Head-Officer respectively shall examine the truth of all such Complaints and certifie by whose Default the same are committed All which Certificates are to be delivered in Parliament before the thirtieth of October next ANd did upon the eighth of September in a Conference with the Lords desire their Lordships to Consent unto it and to joyn with them in the Publishing thereof whereunto they never received Answer but contrary to their Expectation upon this present ninth of September being the Day intended for the Recess of both Houses they received in a Conference from their Lordships an Order dated January the sixteenth 1640. In these Words Die Sabbati 16. Januarii 1640. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in the High Court of Parliament Assembled That the Divine Service be performed as it is appointed by the Acts of Parliament of this Realm And that all such as shall disturb that wholsome Order shall be severely Punished according to the Law And the Parsons Vicars and Curates in the several Parishes shall forbear to introduce any Rites or Ceremonies that may give Offence otherwise then those that are established by the Laws of the Land And one other of this present ninth of September In these Words Resolved upon the Question this ninth of September 1641. That the obovesaid Order shall be Printed and Published DEsiring that the Commons would joyn with them in publishing thereof which being presented to the House of Commons it was thought unseasonable at this time to urge the severe Execution of the said Laws Whereupon it was voted that they do not consent to those Orders or either of them And they have thought fit to make this Declaration that it may be understood that the last Order of the Lords was made with the Consent only of Eleven Lords and that nine other Lords then present did dissent from it so that it may be still hoped when both Houses shall meet again that the good Propositions and Preparations in the House of Commons for preventing the like Grievances and reforming the Disorders and Abuses in Matters of Religion may be brought to perfection Wherefore
Reasons hereafter as they shall think fit The Lords Adjourned their House into a Committee during pleasure to Debate these Matters the Proposition concerning securing Recusants was deferred till the Commons brought up a List of the Particular Names of the Recusants they desired should be Secured When the other Proposition about the Isle of Wight came under Consideration the Earl of Portland affirmed That his Father lived and died a Protestant as he can make it appear by credible Witnesses that were with him when he died if his Wife be one it was against his Will and for himself his Lordship protested That his Father bred him a Protestant and he would ever live and die one Which giving good satisfaction to the House it was Ordered to be put in Writing and delivered at a Conference to the House of Commons Mr. William Crofts was Sworn and Ordered to be Examined before the Deputed Lords The Earl of Holland Reported Message from the Venetian Ambassador That the Venetian Ambassador had been with him and desired That the ill Expressions in his Paper may be Excused for he professes he meant nothing in derogation of any Member of this House but spoke it as what Reputation other States had of such an Action and that he further signified That he hath written a fair Letter to the State of Venice concerning the opening of his Letters which he hopes will satisfie them This day Wall upon his Petition was Released from the Fleet Wall released where he had been committed for neglecting to deliver the Order of the House to search for Priests and Jesuits but with this condition not to be admitted any more to the Service of the House Inquiry after the transporting of Horses It was Ordered in the Commons House That the Knights and Burgesses of the County of Kent and the Barons of the Cinque-Ports do forthwith send to the Officers that do register the Horses that are Transported beyond the Seas and to send up a List of the Number of them that have been Transported within these 12 Months and by what Warrant and by whom such Warrants were obtained Though Disloyalty to the King and Disobedience to the Church which rarely are seen asunder began now to be much in Fashion and Esteem and to depress the Prerogative and oppress the Church were accounted Great Recommendations for men to set up for Patriots of the Country and Reformers of Religion yet wanted there not some Brave Spirits who to their Eternal Reputation darest even in the face of the Breach indeavour to stop the Deluge of Schism and the Inundations of Errors which they apparently saw must overwhelm the Church upon throwing down the Banks of Episcopal Order and Government How Unwelcom these bold Truths were to the Faction appears by an Order of the House of Commons of this Day made purposely to discountenance Petitions of this Nature for maintaining the Church Government as by Law it was Established and to deterr others from attempting to give them any Interruption in their pretended Reformation Order to discourage Petitioners for Episcopacy Ordered That it be referred to the Committee for the Ministers Remonstrance to consider what indiscreet and irregular Wayes and Means have been Vsed to procure Hands to Petitions presented or to be presented for or against Episcopacy This latter clause or against was only for colour to make the other pass more fairly for it is Evident that they themselves were the Great Promoters of Petitions not only against that but for whatever they had a design to obtain as will hereafter upon occasion appear But upon this Occasion I cannot but present the Reader with a Petition which I find in a Collection of Petitions of the like Nature Printed by His Majesties particular Order which though it came from one of the smallest Counties of England yet had not the least Learning or Reason And if it received neither Countenance nor Answer it is not much to be wondred at being indeed Unanswerable The Petition was as follows To the High and Honorable Court of Parliament The Humble Petition of the Knights Esquires Gentlemen and Householders in the County of Rutland in behalf of our Selves and our Families And of the Parsons Vicars and Curates for the Clergy in behalf of themselves and their Families THat whereas there have been diverse Petitions exhibited to this Honorable Court The Rutland-Shire Petition for Episcopacy Nov. 18. 1641. by Persons disaffected to the present Government for the utter Extirpation of the Apostolical Government of the Church by Bishops they by Sedulity and Zeal supplying the want of fair Pretences for the Abolition of that which we hope no just Reason can Condemn And on the other side many Pious Persons true Sons of the Church of England have represented their just Desires of the continuance of it upon great and weighty Causes both in Divinity and true Policy We also lest We might seem unconcerned and for fear lest our Silence should be exacted as a Crime at our Hands if We be deficient to what We are persuaded is the Cause of God In pursuance of their pious Intendments and in allowance of their Reasons do also press to your great Tribunal to beg of you to do that which is the Honor of Kings to be Nutricii of the Church and her most Ancient and Successive Government We therefore humbly beg of you to leave us in that state the Apostles left the Church in That the Three Ages of Martyrs were governed by That the 13 Ages since them have always gloried in by their Succession of Bishops from the Apostles proving themselves members of the Catholique and Apostolick Church That our Laws have Established so many Kings and Parliaments have protected into which we were baptized as certainly Apostolical as the Observation of the Lords Day as the distinction of Books Apocryphal from Canonical as that such Books were written by such Evangelists and Apostles as the Consecration of the Eucharist by Presbyters as any thing which you will do by upholding the Government of the Church by Bishops which we again and again beg of you to do having Pity on our Consciences and not forcing us to seek Communion as yet we know not where So shall we be bound to pray with a Multiplyed Devotion for the increase of Publique and Personal Blessings to your Honorable Assembly to your Noble Persons We also do with all humility beg leave to represent these our Considerations subjoyned which we hope you will favourably Expound to be a well-meant Zeal and at least a Conscience of Duty and Charity to those our Fathers from whom we have received and daily hope to receive many issues of Spiritual Benedictions 1. We Consider That Christ either left his Church without a lasting Government or else Bishops and Presbyters under them are that Government the former we fear to say lest we might seem to accuse the Wisdom of the Father of Improvidence in the not providing
held by Bishops the greatest Fires and Pests of Christendom the Old Heresies were by their Industry extinct Church Discipline and Pious Constitutions by them Established many Nations by them converted many Miracles done for the Confirmation of the Christian Faith one of the Gospels written by a Bishop St. Mark of Alexandria if we believe as authentick Records as any are extant Three of the Epistles of St. Paul written to Bishops seven Epistles by the Holy Ghost himself recorded in the Revelation and sent to the Seven Asian Bishops as all ancient Fathers accord * * Timotheus Titus Clemens Limus Marcus Dyonisius Onesimus Caius Epaphroditus Jacobus Hierosolimit Euodias Simeon the Names of twelve Men besides Apostles mentioned in Holy Scripture which all Antiquity reports to have been Bishops most of the Fathers whose Works all Posterity embraces with much Zeal and Admiration were Bishops these also in our Apprehensions advance that Holy Function to a high and unalterable Estimation 17. Very many of the fairest Churches and Colleges and Places of Religion were built by Bishops which are fair Characters to shew their prompiness to do Publick Acts of Piety and that Persons so well qualified as they were that is Governors and Clergy and fairly endowed is an excellent Composition to advance publick Designs for the Honor of God in the Promotion of Publick Piety 18. Since it hath pleased this Honorable Court of late to commend a Protestation to Vs which We by solemn Vow engaged our selves to Attest with our Lives and Fortunes the established Doctrine of the Church of England We consider that since the 36 Article hath approved and established the Book of Consecration of Bishops the Abolition of Bishops would nullifie that Article and should We not make humble Remonstrance to the contrary we should suddenly recede from our great and solemn Protestation for maintenance of our Church Doctrine But may it please this Honorable Assembly We consider on the other side 19. The introducing of Lay Elders must bring an insupportable Burthen to all Parishes by maintaining them at the Parish Charge for they must be maintained or else a Transgression is made against the Apostolical Rule Tim. 5. for the principal and indeed only colourable pretended Place for Lay-Elders injoyns their Maintenances so that either the People must be Oppressed with so great a Burthen or else St. Paul's Rule not obeyed or else there is no Authority for Lay Elders as indeed there is not 20. And also there can be no less fear of Vsurpation upon the Temporal Power by the Presbytery then is pretended from Episcopacy since that Presbytery challenges Cognisance of more Causes and Persons then the Episcopacy does so making a dangerous Entrenchment upon the Supremacy and derives its Pretence from Divine Institution with more Confidence and more immediate derivation then Episcopacy though indeed more vainly as We conceive 21. We crave leave also to add this That these two viz. Episcopacy and Presbytery being the only two in contestation if any new Design should justle Episcopacy we are confident that as it hitherto wants a Name so it will want a Face or Form of Reason in case of Conscience when it shall appear Signed by Knights Justices Gentry and Free-Holders about 800 By Ministers about the Number of 40. Though this Number seem but small yet the County is so too and certainly the Reasons which they offered were great and altogether unanswerable But the Word of the Faction was Delenda est Carthago Root and Branch must up though the 12 Apostles themselves had Petitioned them and remonstrated against this Violent and Anti-Christian Enterprize as in reality both they and all Apostolick Men as is well urged in this Petition did This day a Petition was read in the House of Lords Friday Novemb. 19. Officers of the late Army Petition for their Pay Presented by the Colonels and Chief Commanders in the late King's Army shewing That whereas there was a Trust desired by the Parliament of the said Officers for part of their Pay and thereupon an Act was made for their satisfaction to be given positively on the 10th of this Instant November They therefore desire That the Parliament may be moved to make good their Act. Whereupon it was Ordered to be propounded to the Commons at a Conference The Press breaks loose against Church and State The Press now began to break loose as indeed every thing that looked like Order seemed to be wholly Abandoned to Libertinisme both in Church and State for daily Complaints were made of abusive Pamphlets against both particular Persons and the Government Civil and Ecclesiastical Complaint had been some time before made to the House of a Libel against the Earl of Worcester another against the French Ambassador a third for Printing and Publishing a Book Intituled Leicester's Commonwealth upon all which the Honourable House of Lords who had not yet ejected the Bishops and others of the Loyal Nobility had animadverted and this Day it was Ordered That Lewis Hughs a Minister be sent for to attend this House to see if he will avow the making of a Book Intituled The Grievances and Errors of the Service-Book and that the Company of the Stationers do take Care to find out the Printer of the same Ordered Wall restored to his Place That Thomas Wall shall be restored to his former Imployment about the Vpper House of Parliament which although it is in the Gentleman Vshers disposure yet the Lords do presume that he will give way unto it by reason that his Dismission from the Imployment was by Order of this House for the reglect of his Duty to their Lordships only and the Business that concerned the House The Commons were still busy with the Declaration which having been the Work of many Daies and some Nights the Faction watching the opportunity of a thin House when most of the Loyal Party were tired and risen was at last brought to that perfection that it was Ordered to be Ingrossed A Motion was made for encouraging voluntary Contributions for the Relief of the poor English in the Kingdom of Ireland to which Sir John Packer presently gave 100 l. The Lord Brooks acquainted the Lord Thursday Novemb. 20. That he had informed the Venetian Ambassador with the Order of this House concerning Priests and Jesuits and the Ambassador saith he hath none that are the King 's Native Subjects if he had any such he would discharge them as for Father Jones and Father Andrews he saith he knows none such The Petition of Robert Philips the Priest was read Philips the Priest Petitions to be released from the Tower Craving Pardon for having presented formerly to their Lordships such Petitions as have not afforded expected Satisfaction which he humbly beseecheth may not be imputed to his backwardness but rather unto want of Experience in forming Petitions of that Nature And further he beseecheth their Lordships to believe that from his Heart he is
Fifth and 6 Sixth 5 W. C. 6 Mr. S.S. That I go the way to spoyl all their work so I hope I do 7. A Seventh 7 Dr. B. from others That it is said I am fallen from Grace so some men seem desperately to look into the Ark of God 8. An Eighth 8 Dr. W. That I have contraried all that I said before let the Doctor shew me that now 9. A Ninth is told 9 R. L. B. That I am Apostated I doubt his Religion in quantum it differs from that of the Church of England is an Apostacy 10. A Tenth 10 Mr. F. That I am gone over to their Adversaries 11. An Eleventh and Twelfth 11 S. A. H. 12 T. W. That the Primate of Ireland and Dr. Brownrig have infected me I dare drink their poyson 13. That the two Learned and Painful Equals without match 13 G. H. Mr. Reading and Mr. Abbot abusing my trust in them and good opinion of them do mislead me a slander upon three at once 14. That Dr. Burges and I have conferred Notes 14 S. E. P. I wish we had 15. That I am for Bishops 15 Mr. K. for Crosses and for Images true and false 16. That if I had held where I was there had not been a Bishop in the Land before August last a false Wizard I did hold where I was and yet the Bishops are where they were 16 I. K. 17. That I have lost the prayers of many Thousands 17 Civis Ignotus 18. That I have lost the honour I had and that my Conscience is not so good as it was in the beginning of this Parliament 18 T. C. Good Mr. C. you who would have Bishops out of their Chairs come you out of the chair of the scornful You are one of them who jog our elbowes and boar our Parliament Ears with Babylon Antichrist and the Mystery of Iniquity which I dare say is grosly misunderstood by your self and many others of your Rooting Tribe Before this Parliament was convened you would have joyed upon that day when the sting of ill executed Episcopie the high Commission had been taken away and the pest of the Chair soleship of power retrenched One is done and both had been effected if you and such as you had not over-heated a Furnace that was burning hot before and with pressing for Ruine have betrayed the time of a blessed Reforming Take it unto you for upon you and the blind ignorant wilfulness of such as you I do here charge the sad account of the loss of such a glorious Reformation as being the revived image of the best and purest Ages would with its Beauty and Piety have drawn the Eye and Heart of all Christendom unto us The Horse-leaches daughters do cry Give give And you that might have had enough do still cry More more The greedy Vulture of an insatiate appetite is incurable To reform Episcopacy it is in your esteem too faint Prov 30.15 Mr. F. too cold a work it is labour ill bestowed and unthankfully accepted nay one of you said in my hearing It is a sin to labour in the dressing and proining of that Plant which say you is not of God and must be digged up And with Episcopacy away with the burden of our Liturgy a a S. M. If you take not off this burden also it will be girded upon us closer and stronger then ever Away with the thought of a National Church also b b Protestation protested p. 20. It hath no pattern in the Scripture c c Mich. Quintin p. 4. It is impossible for a National Church to be the true Church of Christ Let us have no Church but Congregations d d Eaton 's Sermon vouched by Sir Th. Aston p. 4. and let them be without all superintendency As much to say as let every Family be a Church and have Religion as they please Away with all e e Assertion of Scotrish Government p. 3. 5. distinction of Clergy and Laity it is Popish and Antichristian Let us then banish from us such Popish Names and send them home to Rome f f Quintin p. 9. The Church is a Body of parity whose members are all Kings and Priests g g Spincers Pamphlet And every man must exercise his Gifts in common So also the Learned but herein absurd and gross h h Thought to be Salmasius against Petavius p. 397 398. Walo Messalinus Omnes olim Presbyteri erant Laici And again Waldenses Lutherus crediderunt justos ac fideles Laicos posse omnes quae in Ecclesiâ Dei agi necesse est agere omnibus muneribus Ecclesiasticis defungi These things thus pressed and pursued I do not see but on that rise of the Kingship and Priestship of every particular man the wicked sweetness of a popular parity may hereafter labour to bring the King down to be but as the first among the Lords and then if as a Gentleman of the House professed his desire to me we can but bring the Lords down into our House among us again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All 's done No rather all 's undone by breaking asunder that well-ordered Chain of Government which from the Chair of Jupiter reacheth down by several golden even Links to the protection of the poorest creature that now lives among us What will the issue be when hopes grow still on hopes and one aim still riseth upon another as one wave follows another I cannot divine In the mean time you of that party have made the work of Reformation far more difficult than it was at the day of our meeting and the vulgar mind now fond with imaginary hopes is more greedy of new Atchievements then thankful for what they have received Satisfaction will not now be satisfactory They and you are just in a a De Benef. l. 2. c. 27. Seneca's description Non patitur aviditas quenquam esse gratum Nunquam enim improbae spei quod datur satis est Eo majora cupimus quo majora venerunt Aequè ambitio non patitur quenquam in eâ mensurâ conquiescere quae quondam fuit ejus impudens votum Vltra se cupiditas porrigit foelicitatem suam non intelligit Learn moderation Mr. C. unless as b. J. H. H. M. some of you Rooters do seem to hold you do think moderation it self a Vice The Stoick was in that point more Pious then such Christians Epictetus his Motto was and your Lesson is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bill for securing Papists Tuesday Novemb 23. being presented by the King's Council was read a first and second time this Day and committed to a Committee who with some few amendment of Names and little Alterations presented it again to the House it was read thrice and being approved was Ordered To be Ingrossed and receiving the last reading it was upon the Question Resolved to pass as a
conjunction can we expect there where the Bishops and Recusant Lords are so numerous and prevalent that they are able to Cross and Interrupt our best endeavours for Reformation and by that means give advantage to this malignant party to traduce our Proceedings They infuse into the People that we mean to abolish all Church-Government and leave every Man to his own Fancy for the Service and Worship of God absolving him of that obedience which he ows under God unto his Majesty whom we know to be intrusted with the Ecclesiastical Law as well as with the Temporal to regulate all the Members of the Church of England by such Rules of Order and Discipline as are established by Parliament which is his great Council in all Affairs both in Church and State We confess our Intention is and our Endeavors have been to reduce within Bounds that exorbitant Power which the Prelates have assumed unto themselves so contrary both to the Word of God and to the Laws of the Land to which end we past the Bill for the removing them from their Temporal Power and Imployments that so the better they might with Meekness apply themselves to the discharge of their Functions which Bill themselves opposed and were the principal Instruments of crossing it And we do here declare that it is far from our purpose or desire to let loose the golden Reins of Discipline and Government in the Church to leave private Persons or particular Congregations to take up what form of divine Service they please for we hold it requisite that there should be throughout the whole Realm a Conformity to that Order which the Laws enjoyn according to the Word of God and we desire to unburthen the Consciences of Men of needless and superstitious Ceremonies suppress Innovations and take away the Monuments of Idolatry And the better to effect the intended Reformation we desire there may be a general Synod of the most Grave Pious Learned and Judicious Divines of this Island assisted with some from foreign Parts Professing the same Religion with us who may consider of all things necessary for the Peace and good Government of the Church and represent the results of their Consultations unto the Parliament to be there allowed of and confirmed and receive the Stamp of Authority thereby to find Passage and Obedience throughout the Kingdom They have maliciously charged us that we intend to destroy and discourage Learning whereas it is our chiefest Care and Desire to advance it and to provide a competent Maintenance for conscionable and preaching Ministers throughout the Kingdom which will be a great Encouragement to Scholars and a certain means whereby the want meanness and ignorance to which a great part of the Clergy is now subject will be prevented And we intend likewise to reform and purge the Fountains of Learning the two Universities that the Streams flowing from thence may be clear and pure and an Honor and Comfort to the whole Land They have strained to blast our proceedings in Parliament by wresting the Interpretations of our Orders from their genuine Intention They tell the People that our medling with the power of Episcopacy hath caused Sectaries and Conventicles when Idolatry and Popish Ceremonies introduced into the Church by the command of the Bishops have not only debarred the people from thence but expelled them from the Kingdom Thus with Eliah we are called by this Malignant party the Troublers of the State and still while we endeavor to reform their Abuses they make us the Authors of those Mischiefs we study to prevent for the perfecting of the work begun and removing all future Impediments we conceive these Courses will be very effectual seeing the Religion of the Papists hath such Principles as do certainly tend to the Destruction and Extirpation of all Protestants when they shall have opportunity to effect it It is necessary in the first Place to keep them in such Condition as that they may not be able to do us any hurt and for avoiding of such connivence and favor as hath heretofore bin shewed unto them That his Majesty be pleased to grant a standing Commission to some choice Men named in Parliament who may take notice of their increase their Counsels and Proceedings and use all due means by execution of the Laws to prevent any mischievous designs against the Peace and Safety of this Kingdom That some good Course be taken to discover the counterfeit and false Conformity of Papists to the Church by color whereof Persons very much disaffected to the true Religion have been admitted into Place of greatest Authority and Trust in the Kingdom For the better preservation of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that all illegal Grievances and Exactions be presented and punished at the Sessions and Assizes and that Judges and Justices be careful to give this in charge to the Grand-Jury and both the Sheriff and Justices to be sworn to the due execution of the Petition of Right and other Laws That his Majesty be humbly petitioned by both Houses to imploy such Counsellors Ambassadors and other Ministers in managing his Business at Home and Abroad as the Parliament may have Cause to confide in without which we cannot give his Majesty such Supplyes for support of his own Estate nor such Assistance to the Protestant party beyond the Sea as is desired It may often fall out that the Commons may have just Cause to take Exceptions at some Men for being Counsellors and yet not charge those Men with Crimes for there be grounds of Diffidence which lye not in Proof there are others which though they may be proved yet are not legally Criminal to be a known favorer of Papists or to have been very forward in defending or countenancing some great Offenders questioned in Parliament or to speak contemptuously of either Houses of Parliament or Parliamentary Proceedings or such as are Factors or Agents for any Foreign Prince of another Religion such as are justly suspected to get Counsellors Places or any other of Trust concerning publick Imployment for Money For all these and diverse others we may have great reason to be earnest with his Majesty not to put his great Affairs into such Hands though we may be unwilling to proceed against them in any Legal way of Charge or Impeachment that all Counsellors of State may be sworn to observe the Laws which concern the Subject in his Liberty that they may likewise take an Oath not to receive or give Reward or Pension from any Foreign Prince but such as they within some reasonable Time discover to the Lords of his Majesties Council And although they should wickedly forswear themselves yet it may herein do good to make them known to be False and Perjured to those who imploy them and thereby bring them into as little Credit with them as with us that his Majesty may have cause to be in love with good Council and good Men by shewing him in an humble and dutiful
Instructions were read in haec verba YOV shall be careful to Express to the Commissioners of Scotland His Majesties Gracious Acceptance Instructions to the Commissioners appointed to treat with the Scots Commissioners concerning assistance for Ireland and the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for their readiness to assist this Kingdom against the Rebels of Ireland You shall receive the Answer of the Parliament and State of Scotland concerning the 5000 Men which we formerly desired might be sent from thence into Ireland and upon what Conditions of Imprest Mony for raising of them and Wages for their Entertainment or otherwise how they shall be sent Furnish'd and Transported for His Majesties Service and the assistance of this Kingdom against the Rebellious Irish And you shall by the best Ways and Means you can Expedite the Raising and Sending over of these Men. These Instructions the House agreed to but because it was conceived they were short in one particular the Lords thought fit this Aâ—dition following should be made unto them viz. You shall from time to time before you grow to any perfect agreement give an account of what is propounded in this Treaty unto His Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament and receive their Directions before you come to any binding Conclusion Which was accordingly the next day Voted in the Commons House to be added to the said Commissioners Instructions The Lord Steward delivered in a Petition from Huntingdon-shire touching Episcopacy which was in these Words To the Right Honorable The Huntingdon-shire Petition for Episcopacy c. delivered Decemb 8. 1641. the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament The Humble Petition and Remonstrance of the County of Huntingdon for the continuance of the Church-Government and Divine Service or Book of Common Prayer Sheweth THat whereas many Attempts have been practised and divers Petitions from several Counties and other Places within this Kingdom framed and Penned in a close and subtile Manner to import more then is at first descernable by any ordinary Eye or that was imparted to those who signed the same have carried about to most Places against the present Form and Frame of Church-Government and Divine Service or Common Prayer and the Hands of many Persons of ordinary Quality solicited to the same with Pretence to be presented to the Honorable Assembly in Parliament and under colour of removing some Innovations lately crept into the Church and Worship of God and reforming some Abuses in the Ecclesiastical Courts which we conceiving and fearing not so much to aim at the taking away of the said Innovations and Reformation of Abuses as tending to an absolute Innovation of Church Government and Subversion of that Order and Form of Divine Service which hath happily continued among us ever since the Reformation of Religion out of a tender and zealous regard hereunto We have thought it our Duty not only to disavow all such Petitions but also to manifest our Publick Affections and Desires to continue the Form of Divine Service and Common Prayers and the present Government of the Church as the same have been continued ever since the first Reformation and stand so established by the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom For when We consider That the Form of Divine Service expressed and contained in the Book of Common Prayer was with great Care Piety and Sincerity revised and reduced from all former Corruptions and Romish Superstitions by those holy and selected Instruments of the Reformation of Religion within this Church and was by them restored to its first purity according as it was instituted and practised in the Primitive Times standeth Confirmed Established and Injoyned by Act of Parliament and Royal Injunction and hath ever since had the general Approbation of the Godly and a publick Use and continuance within this Church And that Bishops were instituted and have had their being and continuance ever since the first Planting of Christian Religion among us and the rest of the Christian World that they were the Lights and glorious Lamps of God's Church that so many of them sowed the Seeds of Christian Religion in their Bloods which they willingly pouered out therefore that by them Christianity was rescued and preserved from utter extirpation in the fierce and most cruel Persecutions of Pagan Emperors that to them we owe the Redemption of the purity of the Gospel and the Reformation of the Religion we now profess from Romish Corruption that many of them for the propagation of that Truth became glorious Martyrs leaving unto us an holy Example and an honorable Remembrance of their Faith and Christian Fortitude that divers of them lately and yet living with us have been so great Assertors and Champions of our Religion against the common Enemy of Rome and that their Government hath been so Ancient so long Approved and so often Established by the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom and as yet nothing in their Doctrine generally taught dissonant from the Word of God or the Articles Established by Law and that most of them are of singular Learning and Piety In this Case to call the Form of Divine Service and Common Prayers Erronious Popish Superstitious Idolatrous and call the Government by Bishops a perpetual Vassalage and intolerable Bondage and at the first Step and before the Parties concerned be heard to pray the present removal of them or the utter Dissolution and Extirpation of them their Courts and their Officers as Antichristian and Diabolical we cannot conceive to savor or relish of Piety Justice and Charity nor can we joyn with them herein but rather humbly pray a Reformation of the Abuses and Punishment of the Offenders but not the Ruin or Abolition of the Innocent Now on the contrary when We consider the Tenor of such Writings as in the Name of Petition are spread among the Common People the Contents of many printed Pamphlets swarming at London and over all Countries the Sermons preached publickly in Pulpits and other private Places and the bitter Invectives divulged and commonly spoken by many disaffected Persons all of them shewing an extreme averseness and dislike of the present Government of the Church and Divine Service or Common Prayers dangerously exciting a Disobedience to the established Form of Government and Church Service their several Intimations of the desire of the Power of the Keys and that their Congregations may be independent and may execute Ecclesiastical Censures within themselves whereby many Sects and several and contrary Opinions will soon grow and arise whereby great Divisions and horrible Factions will soon insue thereupon to the Breach of that Union which is the sacred Bond and Preservation of the Common Peace of Church and State their peremptory desires and bold assuming to themselves the Liberty of Conscience to introduce into the Church whatsoever they Affect and to refuse and oppose all things which themselves shall dislike and what they dislike must not only to themselves but also to all others be Scandalous
enter into the hearts of this Wise and Honorable Assembly We will not presume to dispute the Right of Episcopacy whether it be Divine or not it sufficeth us to know That the Church Government by Bishops is ancient even near to the Apostles Days and that it hath pleased God from time to time to make them most Glorious Instruments for the Propagation and Preservation of Christian Religion which with their Blood they have frequently sealed to Posterity And how much this Kingdom in particular is indebted to them for their Piety their Wisdoms and Sufferings we trust shall never be forgotten Our Hearts desire therefore is That the Precious may be separated from the Vile that the Bad may be rejected and the Good retained Furthermore having heard that our Common Prayer hath been interrupted and despised of some mis-understanding or mis-led People to the Great Scandal of the Religion professed in our Church We humbly beseech you to take into your Care the Redress thereof as of an Impiety not to be endured as also to take Order for the severe punishment of those Men if they may be discovered who frequently publish Pamphlets under a Veil of Religion yet conducing to Confusion and Rebellion All which we humbly offer to your Wisdoms as the thoughts and desires of this County and as we are persuaded of multitudes of sound Members of the Church of England and his Sacred Majesties most Loyal Subjects Beseeching God to direct and prosper your Counsels and ye to pardon our Errors we rest At your Commands Knights Esquires Divines Gentlemen Free-holders Inhabitants of the County of Somerset none of them Papists but all Protestants of the Church of England and his Majesties Loyal Subjects 14350. Whereof Knights Esquires and Gentlemen 200 Divines 221 Jo. BrowneCler Parliament After which the Huntingtonshire Petition to the same Effect which had been tendred to the House upon Wednesday the 8th of December but then laid aside was also read This being done the High Constable The High Constable and Sheriff questioned concerning the Guards who was sent for to attend the House was brought in and asked by what Authority he gave Order for the Watchmen to Guard this House Who answered That he received Order from the Justices of the Peace Then the Under-Sheriff of Middlesex was called in and demanded by what Warrant the Watch-men are here he said he had received a Warrant from the Justices of Peace of Middlesex which they sent forth by virtue of the Kings Writ directed to them for preventing of Riots Routs and unlawful Assemblies according to the Statute of 2 H. 5. Whereupon the House appointed the Lord Chamberlain Lord Wharton Lord Brook and Lord Roberts to go into Westminster-Hall and other places near this House to see what Company there is whether any unlawful Assemblies or Routs there and these Lords Reported That there was no Face of any Routs or Assemblies nor any greater Number of People then Vsually Whereupon the House discharged the Guards in the King's Name And in regard it appeared that it was the precipitation of the Justices that Caused these Men to come by virtue of their Warrants It was Ordered That those Justices of the Peace for Middlesex and Westminster that subscribed the Warrant be sent for to attend the House to morrow to give a Reason why they sent forth those Warrants and what induced them to believe That there would be a Tumult this day in Westminster This day Inigo Jones Esq appeared before the Lords according to an Order of their Lordships to hear the Declaration read which was brought up against him from the House of Commons which was read in his presence in haec verba The Declaration of the Commons upon the Complaint and in thebehalf of the Parishioners of St. Gregories London against Inigo Jones Esquire THE Parish Church of St. Gregories The Declaration of the Commons against Inigo Jones concerning St. Gregories Church by St. Pauls adjoyning to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's in London aforesaid is and from the time whereof the Memory of Man is not to the contrary hath been the Parish Church for the Inhabitants of that Parish lately computed to be 3000 persons for the administration of Divine Service and Sacraments The said Inigo Jones being Surveyor of His Majesties Works and particularly those to be designed for the re-edifying of the said Church of St. Pauls would not undertake the Work unless he might be as he termed it the Sole Monarch or might have the Principality thereof conceiving that the Work would not well be done without pulling down the said Church of St. Gregories presented a Plott to his Majesty accordingly The said Inigo Jones having presented the said Plott his Majesty hereupon signified his Pleasure and in pursuance thereof several Orders also were made at the Council-Board That the said Church should be taken down by the Parishioners for the more convenient Repairing of the Cathedral Church of St. Pauls which the Parishioners refusing to obey as was lawful for them to do the said Inigo Jones in Execution of the Plot and Design by him presented as aforesaid and of his Majesties signification and the Orders at the Council-Board thereupon had in or about March 1639 did pull down and caused to be pulled down part of the said Church and did also threaten That if the Parishioners would not take down the rest of it then the Galleries should be sawed down and with Skrews the Materials of the said Church should be thrown down into the Street And the said Inigo Jones did further threaten the Parishioners That if they did not take down the said Church they should be laid by the Heels Whereby the Parishioners being thus affrighted and to save the Materials which not long before had cost them 1500 l. were inforced to take down some part of the said Church insomuch as it thereby was made altogether useless and the said Parishoners to that great number have been wholly destitute of any Place within their own Parish for the Publick exercising of Religion The Damages the Parishioners have hereby sustained is very great and the Charge of Re-edifying the said Church and restoring it to as good plight as it was in before it was so wrongfully taken down will amount at the least to 3000 l. all which the said Parishioners are ready to prove and Maintain For Remedy therefore and Redress herein and chiefly to the end that the said Church of St. Gregories may be fully repaired and restored to the Plight and Condition wherein it formerly was by and at the Charge of him and them by whose undue Means it was in part taken down or caused to be taken down as aforesaid It is desired That such Proceedings may be used and had against the Offenders herein as to Right and Justice doth appertain This being read the said Inigo Jones desired That he might have some time to answer by his Councel Whereupon It was Ordered That he
his Majesty evidently saw that their Design was to render his Person Reputation and Government Cheap Contemptible and Odious to his Subjects and this put him upon Printing likewise his Answer to the Remonstrance and issuing out a Declaration to all his Loving Subjects for his own Vindication And here began the Paper-War between the King and Faction of the two Houses in which they were plainly the Aggressors of his Honor Dignity and Reputation His Majesty only standing upon the Defensive The Answer to the Petition and the Declaration were in these Terms WE having received from you The King's Answer to the Petition which accompanied the Remonstrance as also the Declaration concerning it Dec. 1641. soon ofter Our Return out of Scotland a long Petition consisting of many Desires of great Moment together with a Declaration of a very unusual Nature annexed thereunto We had taken some time to consider of it as befitted Vs in a matter of that Consequence being confident that your own reason and regard to Vs as well as Our express intimation by Our Comptroller to that purpose would have restrained you from the Publishing of it till such time as you should have received Our Answer to it But much against Our expectation finding the contrary that the said Declaration is already abroad in Print by Directions from your House as appears by the printed Copy We must let you know that We are very sensible of the disrespect Notwithstanding it is Our Intention that no failing on your part shall make Vs fail in Ours of giving all due Satisfaction to the Desires of Our People in a Parliamentary Way And therefore We send you this Answer to your Petition reserving Our self in Point of the Declaration which We think unparliamentary and shall take a Course to do that which We shall think fit in Prudence and Honor. To the Petition We say That although there are divers things in the Preamble of it which We are so far from admitting that We profess We cannot at all understand them as Of a wicked and malignant Party prevalent in the Government Of some of that Party admitted to Our Privy Council and to other Imployments of Trust and nearest to Us and Our Children Of Endeavors to sow amongst the People false Scandals and Imputations to blemish and disgrace the Proceedings of the Parliament All or any of which did We know of We should be as ready to remedy and Punish as you to Complain of That the Prayers of your Petition are grounded upon such Premisses as We must in no Wise admit yet notwithstanding We are pleased to give this Answer to you To the first concerning Religion consisting of several Branches We say that for the preserving the Peace and Safety of this Kingdom from the designs of the Popish Party We have and will still concur with all the just Desires of Our People in a Parliamentary Way That for the depriving of the Bishops of their Votes in Parliament We would have you consider that their Right is grounded upon the Fundamental Law of the Kingdom and constitution of Parliament This We would have have you consider but since you desire Our concurrence herein in a Parliamentary Way We will give no further Answer at this time As for the abridging of the inordinate Power of the Clergy We conceive that the taking away of the High Commission Court hath well moderated that but if there continue any Vsurpations or Excesses in their Jurisdictions We therein neither have nor will protect them Vnto that Clause which concerneth Corruptions as you style them in Religion in Church-Government and in Discipline and the removing of such unnecessary Ceremonies as weak Consciences might check at That for any illegal Innovations which may have crept in We shall willingly concur in the removal of them That if Our Parliament shall advise Vs to call a National Synod which may duly examine such Ceremonies as give just cause of Offence to any We shall take it into Consideration and apply Our Self to give due Satisfaction therein But We are very sorry to hear in such general Terms Corruption in Religion objected since We are perswaded in Our Conscience that no Church can be found upon the Earth that professeth the true Religion with more purity of Doctrine than the Church of England doth nor where the Government and Discipline are joyntly more beautified and free from Superstition then as they are here established by Law which by the grace of God We will with Constancy maintain while We live in their Purity and Glory not only against all Invasions of Popery but also from the irreverence of those many Schismaticks and Separatists wherewith of late this Kingdom and this City abounds to the great dishonor and hazard both of Church and State for the suppressing of whom We require your timely Aid and active Assistance To the second Prayer of the Petition concerning the removal and choice of Counsellors We know not any of Our Councel to whom the Character set forth in the Petition can belong That by those whom We had exposed to Trial We have already given you sufficient Testimony that there is no Man so near unto Vs in Place or Affection whom We will not leave to the Justice of the Law if you shall bring a particular Charge and sufficient Proofs against him and of this We do again assure you but in the mean time We wish you to forbear such general Aspersions as may reflect upon all Our Councel since you name none in particular That for the choice of Our Counsellors and Ministers of State it were to debar Vs that natural Liberty all Freemen have and it is the undoubted Right of the Crown of England to call such Persons to Our secret Councels to publick Imployment and Our particular Service as We shall think fit so We are and ever shall be very careful to make Election of such Persons in those Places of Trust as shall have given good Testimonies of their Abilities and Integrity and against whom there can be no just Cause of exception whereon reasonably to ground a diffidence and to choices of this Nature We assure you that the mediation of the nearest unto Vs hath always concurred To the third Prayer of your Petition concerning Ireland We understand your Desire of not alienating the forfeited Lands thereof to proceed from your much Care and Love And likewise that it may be a Resolution very fit for Vs to take but whether it be seasonable to declare Resolutions of that Nature before the Events of a War be seen that We much doubt of Howsoever We cannot but thank you for this Care and your chearful ingagement for the suppressing of that Rebellion upon the speedy effecting thereof the Glory of God in the Protestant Profession the safety of the British there Our Honor and that of the Nation so much depends all the Interests of this Kingdom being so involved in that Business We cannot but quicken your
Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament The Humble Petition of sundry Ministers intrusted to Sollicite the Petition and Remonstrance formerly Exhibited to this Honourable House and many of their Brethren Most Humbly Sheweth THat the Petitioners do most thankfully value The Petition of the Remonstrating Ministers Dec. 20. 1641. and heartily acknowledge the indefatigable Pains and Piety of this Honorable Assembly manifested in very many things of high Concernment for the Glory of God the Honor of the King the Purging of the Church and the Safety and Prosperity of this and the rest of His Majesties Kingdoms but more especially in procuring that publick Fast at your first Sitting which hath prevented many Mischiefs and drawn down many Blessings upon the Kingdom ever since in your Zeal and Courage for the True Religion professed among us against all Popish Idolatry and Superstitious Innovations expressed by your Religious Protestation and Vow * * And discountenancing the publick Liturgy and the most indispensible Duty of Praying to make room for this Seditious Preaching In countenancing the Sacred Ordinance of Preaching after long and deep contempt cast upon it by too many who had almost Exiled it from divers Parts of this Kingdom In incouraging painful and godly Ministers formerly set aside and now again profitably imployed in many Congregations greatly needing them In discountenancing bold and unmeet Men that without sufficient calling have presumptuously intruded into that Holy Office as also of all Vnworthy and Scandalous Ministers that have been Convented before you In accepting a former Petition and Remonstrance from the Petitioners taking the same into your grave Consideration and vigorously prosecuting some part thereof In freeing divers godly Ministers out of Prison and Exile and many others from heavy Censures unjustly inflicted In preventing the utter Ruin of the Petitioners and of many more by breaking that wicked Yoak of the late pernicious Oath and Canons justly branded by both Houses of Parliament and by taking away the late dreadful Tyranny of the High-Commission Court and other illegal heavy pressures of the rest of the Courts Ecclesiastical In your worthy Orders for removing of all Illegal Rites and Ceremonies superstitious and scandalous Images and Pictures and other Innovations out of all Churches and Chappels In your prudent happy and timely re-uniting without spilling of Christian Blood the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland in a firm and Religious Peace unhappily disturbed to the apparent endangering of both in your honourable endeavours to relieve and rescue our distressed Brethren in Ireland from the barbarous Outrages and Butcheries of the Popish Rebels there In your constant Vigilancy to discover and defeat the many desperate and devilish Conspiracies against the King Parliament and the Kingdom plotted by Papists and their Malignant adherents implacable Enemies to our Religion and Peace together with all your excellent Labours for Reforming and settling the Affairs of the Common-wealth whereof the Petitioners do also with others Enjoy the comfort and the large and blessed Hopes given to the Petitioners of your further indeavours for perfecting the Reformation of Religion and the Church according to the necessity thereof in a Way best becoming the Honour of such a Grave and Religious Body All of which do much Encourage them to pour out their Souls in all possible thankfulness to God for you and to put up more fervent Prayers publiquely and privately upon all occasions in your behalf at the Throne of Grace But so it is That whereas your Petitioners did in their former Petitions represent unto you divers unsufferable Grievances arising from sundry Invasions made upon the publick Doctrine of this Church from some mixtures and blemishes in the publick Worship of God by Law Established as well as from sundry gross Innovations and Superstitions iâ— Rites and Ceremonies without Law introduced from many Exorbitancies and unsupportable Vsurpations in Ecclesiastical Government and from the scandalous defect of Ministers maintenance in too many places All of which do yet remain in greatest part unremoved by reason of your many necessitated diversions from this great work for the preservation of the very Being of this Kingdom and by means hereof many distractions and disorders about matters of Religion and the Church have to the great scandal and grief of the Petitioners happen'd and are still continued which puts them upon a necessity of renewing their former Suit for redress of the aforesaid Evils and for removing whatever shall appear to your Wisdom to be the Root and Cause of them And whereas further the Petitioners and very many others in whose name and behalf they now humbly supplicate desirous in all things to submit to the Laws so far as possibly they may yet meerly out of tenderness and scruple of Conscience dare not continue as formerly they did the Vse and Exercise of some things as now they-stand injoyned not only because they have more seriously weighed the Nature and Scandal of them and that sundry Bishops and other grave Divines called to their assistance by Order of the House of Peers have as they are informed discovered divers particulars needing alteration in the Liturgy and the Vse thereof and that there is not as they humbly conceive at this day commonly extant any Book of Common Prayer without so many Variations Alterations and Additions as render it in many Parts another thing from that which was by Law Established but chiefly because you also have vouchsafed to be so far sensible of the Defects thereof and of the just Scruples of the Petitioners thereabout as to take the Reformation thereof under Consideration which they hoped would be some shelter against the strict pressing the Vse of it till your pleasure upon the full Debate thereof had been declared in a Parliamentary Way for that it seems most equal that the Consciences of Men should not be forced upon that which a Parliament it self holds needful to consider the Reformation of and give Order in till the same be accordingly done And the Petitioners having been comfortably assured of some ease therein do now to their great sorrow apprehend that the same things are anew reinforced which contrary to the blessed Inclination and Intention of His Gracious Majesty may occasion much trouble and vexation to sundry worthy and peaceable Ministers which the Petitioners have more cause to fear because sundry of their Brethren have since the beginning of this Parliament been Indicted upon the Statute of 1 Eliz. 2. And others threatned for bare omissions of some things complained of to this High Court and still depending before you whiles in divers places your Religious Orders necessarily made and published for removing of things illegal are not observed and in other places where superstitious Rites and Practices had by virtue thereof been laid aside the same are again called back and re-practised without any Check or Animadversion And because the Premisses are of extraordinary Consequence and cannot receive a perfect Cure
but by Authority of Parliament and that a free Synod of this Nation * * That is from the Law which appoints it and gives the Members equal Privilege and Protection with the Members of the H. of Commons differing in the whole Constitution from the present Convocations of the Clergy now in Vse among us might be as the Petitioners apprehend of great Vse for that purpose and that not only this but all other your great Consultations might be much furthered by a more earnest and assiduous seeking of God by the joint and publick Fasting and Prayers of the whole Kingdom in these sad times so full of distractions and Hellish Conspiracies at home and bloody Cruelties of those Popish Rebels against our own Flesh and our Bones in Ireland The Petitioners humbly pray That you would vouchsafe to lay hold upon the first opportunity that your important Affairs will permit of reassuming into your further consideration their former Petition and to proceed thereupon as you shall find cause either by committing the same to the Debate and Disquisition of a free Synod or otherwise and in the mean time to become Mediators to His Gracious Majesty who could not take notice of their former Petition to this Honourable House for some relaxation in matters of Ceremonies and of reading of the whole Liturgy which as the Petitioners verily believe and hope to prove have been of late times urged further then ever the Law intended And a free Synod of Grave Learned and Judicious Divines of this Kingdom the Dominion of Wales and the Islands adjacent may be by the Authority of Parliament Indicted for the more through and fruitful Debate of the Premisses to expedite a full Reformation by the High Court of Parliament for the setling of a Godly and Religious Order and Government in this Church as your Wisdom shall find convenient And that a publick Fast may be Commanded and Religiously observed throughout the Kingdom once in every Month during your sitting in Parliament for the more effectual procuring of Gods protection of your Persons and of his blessing upon your proceedings and till the miseries of our Brethren in Ireland be happily put to an end And the Petitioners shall be ready further to attend the pleasure of this House with their Reasons of their present Suit for a free Synod of this Nation and of a new Constitution thereof differing from those now in Being when they shall be required and to pray without ceasing c. Were I to give Instructions to draw the Exact Pourtraicture of a Non-Conforming-Conforming Church Hypocrite with Peace in one hand and Fire and Sword in the other with a Conscience like a Cockle-shell that can shut so close when he is under the fear of the Law or losing his Living that you cannot Croud the smallest Scruple into it but when a tide of liberty wets him can lay himself open and display all his resentments against that Government in the Church to whose Laws he had sworn obedience and by that horrid sin of Perjury must confess himself a Villain of no manner of Conscience to Swear without due Consideration and to break his Oath without a lawful Determination that it was unlawful I would recommend this Petition as a rare Original to Copy after I cannot tell how it will relish with the Readers Palate but I must profess my self so tyred with this miserable Crambe that I am under the irresistable temptation of refreshing my self with laying aside for one moment the Gravity of an Historian and Burlesquing the intolerable Flatteries of this Petition and these Hypocritical Petitioners by making them speak Truth for in their Courtship to the Faction for whose Goust this delicate Petition was Cook't and Spiced when they recount their wonderful Atchievments in the Work of Reformation there is still I find a Supplement of some material Truth in matter of plain Fact wanting which I will make bold to add They acknowledge the Pains and Piety of the Faction manfested in many things of high concernment for the Glory of God by affronting his Solemn-publick Established Worship the Honor of the King by indeavouring to degrade him and divert him of the Beams of Majesty his Royal Prerogative the purging of the Church by purging it quite out of the Kingdom they commend their Zeal and Courage for the true Religion against all Popish Idolatry and Superstitious Innovations manifested by letting in a whole Flood of Errors Heresies Sects and Schisms at the Breach of the Banks of the Church-Government by tender Conscience in encouraging Preaching of Sedition and Disobedience to Laws Government and Governors and justling out all Praying out of the Church except the Wild Extravagant Dangerous Libelling Extempory Enthusiasms of bold and presumptuous Men who called their own acquired Art of Impudent Non-sence a gift of the Spirit as doubtless it was of that Spirit which rules in the Children of Disobedience in encouraging painful godly Ministers formerly set aside and justly for Preaching Sedition Schism and Faction for good Divinity in discountenancing bold and unmeet Men that darst Preach the Doctrine of rendring to Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things of God that without sufficient calling presumptuously intruded into that Holy Office by only gently reproving them for the present and afterwards permitting Tagg and Ragg Godly Coblers and Gifted Tinkers Zealous Taylors and the most sordid illiterate Mechanicks to invade the Pulpit to vilifie the Petitioners with the Title of Hirelings dumb Dogs Baal 's Priests c. by Adonibezeck 's Law without Controul or Animadversion from the Honorable Faction for taking away the Tyranny of the High-Commission and Ecclesiastical Courts and setting Mens Tongues at liberty to Rail without Reason to Quarrel with their Superiors without Cause to affront them with impunity and in conclusion to Murther them Religiously and in the Fear of the Lord for their worthy Orders for removing illegal Rites and Ceremonies Superstitious and Scandalous Pictures and other Innovations and setting up in their stead the Bell and Dragon of these Mens Inventions and for bringing in the greatest Innovations a Church without a Bishop a Religion without Divine Service a Minister without Lawful Ordination a Christian without Baptism a Sacrament without Consecration and at last a Heaven without Repentance of any or all these horrid Sins and Incapacities For their Care to suppress the Irish Rebellion and Butcheries of the bloody Papists by imploying the Men and Money raised for that Service to butcher the Loyal Protestants in England who held the Popish and Malignant Doctrine that they ought to Fear God and Honor the King and die at the Feet of their Sacred Sovereign in defence of his Person Crown and Dignity against these Religious Rebels But Manum de Tabulâ I will not Tire my self and the Reader with Epitomizing their Villanies which are able to fill Volumes and with which he will find these stow'd Tuesday Decemb. 21. Message from the
Soams Alderman Pennington and Mr. Venn do repair to the Common-Council of the City of London when they are sitting and to acquaint them with the Information this House received what Practices have been used to the Inns of Court and those other Informations of the like Nature that have been given to this House of the Preparations of Armed Men about White-Hall and those other Preparations at the Tower And to inform them in what danger the Parliament the Kingdom and the City is in It was also Ordered That Mr. Whittaker Sir Robert Pye and Mr. Pury do presently repair to the House of the Marquess de Neuf-ville and see if his House be furnished with Warlike Ammunition as the House is informed Memorandum Mr. Hollis Mr. Pym Sir Arthur Haslerigg Mr. The 5 Members appearance Entred in the Journal Hampden and Mr. Strode appeared to day according to the Injunction of the House And I find among the Prints of that time a Speech of Mr. Hampden's upon the occasion of his Impeachment which confirms this Memorandum which was as followeth Mr. Speaker IT is a true Saying of the Wise Man That all things happen alike to all Men Mr. Hampden's Speech in Vindication of himself against his Impeachment Jan. 4. 1641. as well to the good Man as to the bad There is no state or condition whatsoever either of Prosperity or Adversity but all sorts of Men are sharers in the same no man can be discerned truly by the outward appearance whether he be a good Subject either to his God his Prince or his Country until he be tryed by the Touchstone of Loyalty Give me leave I beseech you to parallel the Lives of either sort that we may in some measure discern Truth from Falshood and in speaking I shall similize their Lives 1. In Religion towards God 2. In Loyalty and due Subjection to their Soveraign in their Affection towards the Safety of their Country 1. Concerning Religion the best means to discern between the True and False Religion is by searching the Sacred Writings of the Old and New Testament which is of it self pure indited by the Spirit of God and written by Holy Men unspotted in their Lives and Conversations and by this Sacred Word may we prove whether our Religion be of God or no and by looking in this Glass we may discern whether we are in the Right Way or no. And looking into the same I find that by this Truth of God that there is but one God one Christ one Faith one Religion which is the Gospel of Christ and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles In these two Testaments is contained all things necessary to Salvation if that our Religion doth hang upon this Doctrine and no other secondary Means then it is true to which comes nearest the Protestant Religion which we profess as I really and verily believe and consequently that Religion which joyneth with this Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles the Traditions and Inventions of Men Prayers to the Virgin Mary Angels Saints that are Used in the Exercise of their Religion strange and Superstitious Worshipping cringing bowing creeping to the Altar using Pictures Dirges and such like cannot be true but Erroneous nay devillish and all this is used and maintained in the Church of Rome as necessary as the Scripture to Salvation therefore is a false and Erroneous Church both in Doctrine and Discipline and all other Sects and Schisms that leans not only on the Scripture though never so contrary to the Church of Rome is a false worshipping of God and not the true Religion And thus much concerning Religion to discern the truth and falshood thereof 2 I come now Mr. Speaker to the second thing intimated unto you which was how to discern in a state between good Subjects and bad by their Loyalty and due Subjection to their Lawful Sovereign in which I shall under favour observe two things 1. Lawful Subjection to a King in his own Person and the Commands Edicts and Proclamations of the Prince and his Privy Council 2. Lawful Obedience to the Laws Statutes and Ordinances made Enacted by the King and the Lords with the Free Consent of his Great Council of State assembled in Parliament For the First To deny a willing and dutiful Obedience to a Lawful Soveraign and his Privy Council for as Cambden truly saith The Commands of the Lords Privy Councellors and the Edicts of the Prince is all one for they are inseparable the one never without the other either to defend his Royal Person and Kingdoms against the Enemies of the same either publique or private or to defend the Antient Priviledges and Prerogatives of the King pertaining and belonging of Right to his Royal Crown and the maintenance of his Honor and Dignity or to defend and maintain true Religion Established in the Land according to the truth of God is one sign of an Evil and Bad Subject Secondly To yield Obedience to the Commands of a King if against the true Religion against the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of the Land is another sign of an ill Subject Thirdly To resist the Lawful Power of the King to raise Insurrection against the King admit him adverse in his Religion to Conspire against his Sacred Person or any wayes to Rebel thô Commanding things against our Consciences in Exercising Religion or against the Rights and Priviledges of the Subject is an absolute sign of a Disaffected and Trayterous Subject And now having given the Signs of discerning Evil and Disloyal Subjects I shall only give you in a word or two the Signs of discerning which are Loyal and Good Subjects only by turning these Three Signs already shewed on the contrary side 1. He that willingly and chearfully endeavoureth himself to obey his Soveraign's Commands for the Defence of his own Person and Kingdoms for the Defence of True Religion for the Defence of the Laws of his Country is a Loyal and good Subject 2. To deny Obedience to a King commanding any thing against Gods true Worship and Religion against the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of the Land in endeavouring to perform the same is a good Subject 3. Not to resist the Lawful and Royal Power of the King to raise Sedition or Insurrection against his Person or to set Division between the King and his good Subjects by Rebellion although commanding things against Conscience in the Exercise of Religion or against the Rights and Priviledges of the Subject but patiently for the same to undergo his Prince's Displeasure whether it be to his Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods Banishment or any other Punishment whatsoever without Murmuring Grudging or Reviling against his Soveraign or his Proceedings but submitting willingly and chearfully himself and his Cause to Almighty God is the only sign of an Obedient and Loyal Subject I come now to the Second Means to know the difference between a good Subject and a bad by their Obedience to the Laws Statutes and Ordinances made
groaning under the Burden of Tyrannical Oppression inflicted on them unjustly and maliciously by Unmerciful and Wicked Men that have Usurped unto themselves Places and Offices of Power and Authority both in Church and State Mr. Speaker This Great and high court is not only the Powerfullest of all other Courts whatsoever but the Prudentest and Wisest made and compacted not only of Men sound in Religion well Learned but Ripe in their Judgments contracted from all Parts of this Kingdom Elected Chosen with the free consent of the whole body Politique of the Kingdom this great and high Council is not only of such Power and Wisdom but indued and attended with the most and greatest Priviledges thereof that not only the meanest of his Majesties Subjects but the greatest Personages of the Kingdom are in danger if infringers of the same to be called in Question and by them punished therefore give me leave Mr. Speaker to speak somewhat of the Priviledges in this particular incident and appertaining to this Wise Senate and in speaking thereof I shall observe these three particulars 1. The Rights and Priviledges belonging to the same in the free Votes and Judicature thereof 2. The Rights and Priviledges belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction thereof 3. The Rights and Priviledges in the Continuances thereof being freely called and assembled by his Majesties Authority not to be dissolved or broken off till all things agitated therein for the good both of Church and Common-Wealth be fully concluded and determined First Mr. Speaker concerning the Priviledges of a Parliament belonging to the free Votes and Judicature thereof I shall observe these three particulars First To speak freely without Interruption or Contradiction in any Debate Dispute or Argument upon any business agitated in the same being a Member thereof I conceive to be one Priviledge of a Parliament Secondly Not to be questioned or any such free Dispute Argument or Debate to be taxed or accused for the same either during the free sitting thereof or after is another Priviledge of Parliament Thirdly Freely to give Vote Judgment or Sentence upon the Reading of any Bill to be made a Law or any Bill either of attainder or other Charge against Delinquents and Criminous Persons against the State at their Tryal upon the same is a third Priviledge of Parliament Fourthly To defend and Maintain the Free Vote Judgments and Sentences of the whole House by Protestation Remonstrance or other Declaration if not consented unto or opposed by the House of Lords is a Fourth Priviledge Fifthly For any Member of the House not to be accused of any Crime or Impeached for Treason by any Person whatsoever during the continuance of the Parliament for things done in the same without Legal Accusation and Prosecution of any such Member by the whole House is another Priviledge of Parliament Sixthly Not to be apprehended upon such Impeachment or arrested by any Officer or to have studies broken open their Books and Writings seized upon without consent or Warrant of the whole Parliament is another Priviledge of the same and thus much Mr. Speaker shall suffice to be spoken concerning the Priviledges and Rights of Parliament pertinent to the Subjects of which I am to speak I come now to the Second thing I proposed to your Audience which was the Rights and Priviledges belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction of the Parliament in which I shall observe these particulars First to consult and consider of what Laws are fit to be made and Enacted in this Kingdom for the good Government thereof is one Priviledge belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction of this High Court. Secondly to Justifie or abrogate repeal make Void to ratifie and Confirm Establish and Maintain Laws Statutes and Ordinances made and Enacted by precedent Parliaments by Councils of State or other Courts of Judicature is a second Priviledge pertaining to the Power and Jurisdiction of the Parliament Thirdly To give Subsidies to raise Taxes to impose Loans and other charges upon the Subject is another Priviledge belonging to the Power Jurisdiction of the Parliament Fourthly to Accuse or Impeach any Incendiaries or Delinquents in this Kingdom of any Crime notorious tending to the prejudice of his Majestie or any of his Loyal Subjects whether it be for Treason or other wayes be they Members of the Parliament or no is another Priviledge belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction of the Parliament Fifthly and lastly To prosecute and bring to Judgment such Persons so Accused or Impeached for any Crime whatsoever is another Priviledge belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction of this Court. And thus much of the Rights and Priviledges belonging to the Power and Jurisdiction of a Parliament And now Mr. Speaker I come to the last thing I Mentioned to you concerning the Priviledges belonging to the Continuance and Free sitting till all things be concluded of for the Good Government of Church and State in which I shall also observe these particulars First that for a Parliament when Freely called and Assembled by Royal Authority not to be to debate or argue any one particular business appointed by any person whatsoever is one Priviledge belonging to the Continuance of a Parliament Secondly Not to break off or dissolve a free Parliament until all the Grievances and oppression of all his Majesties Loyal Subjects be fully redressed and Remedied is a Second Priviledge belonging to the continuance of Parliament Thirdly Not to break off or dissolve a Parliament till all Incendiaries and Delinquents in the State be brought to condigne punishment for their Crimes Fourthly and lastly To Accuse or Impeach any Member of the Parliament thereby to hinder and interrupt the Legal Proceedings thereof in the Weighty Affairs of the Common-Wealth is another Priviledge belonging to the Continuance of a Parliament And thus having briefly declared to you the Power and Jurisdiction of a Parliament above all other Courts of Judicature in this Land the Wisdom and Policy of a Parliament above all other Councils the Rights and Priviledges of a Parliament in respect of the free Votes and Judicature thereof the Power and Jurisdiction thereof and the free continuance thereof I humbly leave to the Consideration of this House whether the accusation of these Gentlemen accused by his Majesty and the illegall breaking open upon this their Accusation of thir Chambers Truncks and studies be not a breach of some of the Priviledges of Parliament which I have Mentioned unto you I have nothing to say against the Real Priviledges of the High Court of Parliament but certainly that of a Parliaments sitting till all pretended Grievances are Redressed which is tantamount to sitting perpetually since there will be alwayes such Pretences is so far from being a Real Privilege of Parliament that among all the Rolls and Records of our Parliaments there cannot be found one single Instance of any Parliament that pretended or laid Claim to such a Privilege And there cannot be a more demonstrative Agreement against this
the Impeachment of the Bishops 448. concerning the Commons Declaration 483. Votes of the House of Commons after the hearing of the Earl of Strafford 152. upon the Bill of Attainder 157. in favour of Lilburn 211. against Mr. Finch Vicar of christ-Christ-Church London 233. Mr. Ashton Vicar of Painswick 238. Dr. Uty Rector of Chigwel 246. the Scots desire of Vniformity in Religion between the two Kingdoms 246. Walker a Factions Preacher 250. Captives at Algiers 254. in favour of the Scots 255. about the Customers 258. Collonel Goring 272. the Council Board 324. one Faunt 324. Bishop Wren 330. Priviledge in the Case of Hollis 331 373. the Palatinate 373. Ambassadors entertaining Priests Natives of England 373. Bill for abolishing Episcopacy 380. Papists ibid. the Manifesto 386. Lord Digby 's Speech 389. the Conspiracy to seduce the Army 407 408. a Vice-Roy in the Kings absence 412. taking the Protestation and Impeaching the Bishops 415. Commissioners to be sent into Scotland 439. one Small a Minister 446. one Cooper 454. London-Derry 461. disbanded Souldiers 466 495. Communion-Table 475. their Declaration 483. the Soap business 512. selling Protections 596. Collonel Lunsford 780. Earl of Bristol 793. the Bishops their Petition and Protestation 796. Sealing of some Trunks c. 813. a Committee at Guild-Hall 823. the Lieutenant of the Tower 846. the Attorney General 874. Vox Populi a Libel against Bishops and Common-Prayer 807. Arch Bishop Usher present with the Earl of Strafford at his Death 198. an Abstract of his opinion of the Apostolical Institution of Episcopacy 279. ordered to Preach before the House of Lords on the Fast day for Ireland 754. Dr. Uty Voted a Scandalous Minister 246. W. WAde a Witness against the Earl of Strafford 74. Waferer a Clergy-man in Custody released 244. Waldron a Witness against the Earl of Strafford 58. Walter a Factious Preacher restor'd by the House of Commons 250. Walker a Phamphleteer against Bishops sent for 763. Wall a Door-keeper committed to the Fleet 650. released 655. restored to his place 660. Mr. Waller 's Speech at the Impeachment of Justice Crawley 349. Elias Walley sent for as a Delinquent 245. P. Walsh his Narrative of some matters moving the Irish to Rebel 557. Sir Edward Warder a Witness in the Case of the Earl of Strafford 39. accused for a Conspiracy to seduce the Army 232. Warrant from the King to the Earl of Strafford to make use of 40000 l. of the Treasure 42. of the Earl of Strafford to the Bishop of Down concerning Contemners of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction 63. of Sir William Peniman to his Serjeant Major to raise Money 93. of Sir Edward Osborn to Levy Money 98. of the King to Sir John Byron Lieutenant of the Tower 845. Watch ordered by the House of Commons to be doubled 794. Welch Petition 317. Sir â—â—nth Welden a Conjecture concerning him 838. Welch a Witness against the Earl of Strafford 70. Christopher Wendeford Esquire made Lord Deputy of Ireland 560. dies 564. Wentworth see Strafford Sir George Wentworth a Witness for the Earl of Strafford 57. present upon the Scaffold at the Execution of the Earl of Strafford 199. Weston Lord Treasurer his acquaintance with Sir Thomas Wentworth 3. Mr. Baron Weston impeached 343. Articles against him 356. Lord Wharton a Witness in the Case of the Earl of Strafford 93. Mr. Whitacre sent to the Tower for breach of Priviledge 3â—4 White Chairman of the Committee for scandalous Ministers 233 238 246. one of the Committee to expedite the charge against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 265. his Speech against Bishops 885. Whitlock sent to the Lords by the House of Commons to aver the accusation of the Earl of Strafford 36. one of the Committee to expedite the Charge against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 265. Sir Thomas Widdrington carries up the Articles against the Bishop of Ely 329. his Speech at the delivery of them 395. Sir William Widdrington sent to the Tower by the House of Commons about Candles 272. discharged 288. Wife and Children relieved against a Husband refusing to Cohabit 381. Isle of Wight a motion of the House of Commons that it be put into safer hands 524 608 650. their reasons 655. Bishop Williams a Witness against the Earl of Strafford 89. Wi. Williams called to answer breach of Priviledge bailed 377. Mr. Williamson in Custody for a Sermon bail'd 780. Sir Francis Willoughby Governor of Dublin Castle 628. Lord Wilmot a Witness for the Earl of Strafford 60. Commissary Wilmot sent to the Tower on suspition of Treason 288. bail'd 377. voted guilty of Misprison of Treason and expell'd the House 725. Marquess of Winton an Information of Arms in his House 453. has leave to sell them 600. Bishop of Winton disclaims the Petition and Protestation of the Bishops 799. Sir Thomas Wiseman a Witness against the Earl of Strafford 89. Wishert 's information that Cardinal Richelieu fomented the Irish Rebellion 897. Witnesses examined against the Earl of Strafford 11 35 36 53. Toby Wood Committed to Newgate for Treasonable words 817. Lady Wotton a Recusant Peeress an Order about her 420 457. Sir John Wray smells Gun-powder 192. Bishop Wren Articled against 329. the Articles 398 releas'd of Tenths upon the Poll-Bill 780. Writts of Error an Order about them 272. FINIS
Counsellors and Loyal Subjects The Lieutenant of the Tower being come Lieutenant of the Tower at the Bar as a Delinquent was brought to the Bar as a Delinquent and the Lord Keeper by direction of the House asked him Why he committed the high Contempt Yesterday in refusing to attend both Houses of Parliament according to the Order served upon him Hereupon he Answered That he was between His Majesties Commands and their Lordships Order but he understanding since that the King's Command is included in their Lordships Order and one in Effect he desired their Lordships Pardon for his not coming Yesterday protesting he did it not out of any Disobedience or Contempt of the Parliament This being done he withdrew and the Lords sent to the Commons to acquaint them That the Lieutenant of the Tower had been at the Bar and the Answer he gave And after some Attendance it was Ordered That the Lieutenant of the Tower shall be dismissed of his Attendance for the present until he have further Order to attend this House The Bishops were also this day Ordered to put in their Answers upon Monday next and this Order was sent to the House of Commons by Sir Robert Rich and Mr. Page to give them Notice to be present if they think fit The Attorney General was then heard what he could say to justifie himself The Attorney General justifies his proceedings against Kymbolton c. for charging the Lord Kymbolton and the five Members that it was a Parliamentary proceeding and no breach of Priviledges And first he said That for the matter of the Charge and the framing of the Articles he had nothing to do with them neither did His Majesty advise with him therein but the bringing of the Charge into this House which he did by His Majesties Command and only in Obedience thereunto And for the Legality of this proceeding he insisted upon and opened at large the whole proceeding of the King's Attorney in the Earl of Bristol's Case 1 2 Car. which being done The House appointed to take this business into further consideration to morrow The Lord Kymbolton upon His Majesties late Message concerning himself and the five Members moved That since His Majesty waved the former proceeding the House would become Suitors to His Majesty that he may be brought to as speedy a Tryal as may be that so he might not lye under this Accusation but be cleared or judged And truly he could in no sense be blamed for that especially considering that to be well assured of the favour of his Judges must needs give any Person a desire to come to a Tryal where he hopes to be acquitted and is in very little apprehension of a Sentence The Commons having desired liberty to Examine the Attorny General The Commons desire to examin the Attorney General upon certain Interrogatories he made it his humble Request to the House That he may be excused from answering to any Questions to discover what the King hath Committed to him as secret Council where by his Oath he is bound not to reveal but what concerns himself he would willingly and ingeniously Answer unto And it was the sense of the House That if Mr. Attorney at the Conference shall desire not to Answer to some Questions as may be asked him the House will take it into Consideration whether it be fit for him to Answer or not A Message was brought from the House of Commons by Mr. Whitlock That he was Commanded to present to their Lordships a Declaration for putting the Kingdom into a Posture of Defence which having passed the House of Commons they desired their Lordships to joyn with them therein that it may be dispersed through the Kingdom Which was read as followeth WHereas the Papists and other ill affected Persons within this Kingdom A horrid Calumniating Declaration to put the Kingdom into a Posture of Defence both before and since the Parliament by many Wicked and Traiterous Designs mentioned in a Remonstrance of the State of this Kingdom have Plotted and Laboured the Confusion of this State and Government the Subversion of the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and a division of the Body of this Common-wealth from the Head thereof to the End they might the better Effect their Devilish and Bloody purposes for the utter destruction of the True Reformed Religion and the Professors of the same and in further pursuance of their wicked indeavours have and daily do contrive all possible means to bring this Kingdom into the like miserable condition of that of Ireland as do clearly appear to the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament by sundry Informations and Examinations produced before them and the better to bring the same to pass here as they have already done in Ireland they secretly and cunningly work to raise disturbance in this Kingdom by high breaches of the Priviledges of Parliament plotting to have some of the Members thereof to be Accused of High Treason and some of them to be taken by Force out of the House of Commons and to that End resorting in great numbers in a Warlike manner to the very Doors of the said House Armed with Swords Pistols and other Weapons ready and intending to fall upon the said House and to have cut the Throats of the Members there as by divers Examinations clearly appears whereby this Parliament might have been Dissolved in Blood and Confusion the relief of the Protestants in Ireland prevenâ—ed and an evident and speedy way opened to the Ruin of us and our Religion here in this Kingdom but failing of their hopes therein through the great Mercy of God towards us nevertheless they still persist in their Wicked and Traiterous Courses Confederating themselves with Strangers and Instigating Foreign Princes to joyn their Councells and Forces and by Invasion from abroad and Intestine Wars here amongst our selves to wast the Wealth and Substance and Totally to Annihilate the True Protestant Religion and the whole Frame of Government in all his Majesties Dominions and building upon that Foundation great Numbers of Soldiers Papists and other dis-affected Persons to our Existence and Well-being have Inrolled themselves in a List under the Command of Persons fit for the Execution of their wicked Designs and have made great preparations of Arms Ammunition and Victuals in several Parts of the Kingdom where they have likewise had frequent Assemblies to consult how they might compass their detestable Machinations and through Malignant Counsels have prevailed so far as to have the Tower of London and other places of Eminent Strength and Trust to be put in the hands of such Persons as we have just cause to suspect will adhere to them and turn the Strength of the Kingdom against it self All which the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled as Watch-men trusted for the good and well-fare of the Kingdom Church and State having taken into their serious Consideration and Labouring by all fit