THese Petitions which have bin now read, they are all Remon­strances of the generall and u­niversall grie­vances and di­stempers that are now in the State and Go­vernment of the Church and Common-wealth, and they are not them alone: But his Majesties gratious Expressions the first day [Page 2] of Parliament, that calls me up to speake at this present, contrary to my owne Intenti­ons.

Mr. Speaker, his Majesty, who is the head of the body politique, and the Father of the Common-wealth, hath complained first, declaring his sensiblenesse of our sufferings, and amongst other things, hath put us in mind of our grievances, and hath freely left it to our selves (for our redresse and repaire therein) to begin and end, as we shall thinke fit. And this drawes me on with much cheer­fulnesse and zeale to contribute my poore indeavours to so great a worke.

And Mr. Speaker, I conceive it will not be altogether impertinent for your direction and guidance in that great place, which by the favour of his Majesty, and this House you now possesse, a little to recollect our selves in the remembrance of what was done the last Parliament, and where we ended.

It will likewise be very considerable what hath bin done since that Parliament, and who they are that have bin the Authors and Causers of all our miseries and distractions, both before and sithence.

[Page 3]Mr. Speaker, the last Parliament, as soone as the House was setled, a Subsidiary aid and supply was propounded, and many Argu­ments used to give the precedencie before all other matters and Considerations what­soever.

On the other side, a multitude of Com­plaints and Grievances of all sorts; aswell concerning our Eternall as our Temporall e­states were presented and put in the other ballance: The wisedome of that great Coun­cell waighing both indifferently, and looking not onely upon the dangers then threatned from SCOTLAND (which are now upon us) but likewise taking into their consideration the Condition and Constitution of the pre­sent government here at home, concluded that they were in no capacity to give, unlesse their grievances were first redressed and re­moved.

For Mr. Speaker, it then was, and still is, most manifest and apparent, that by some judgements lately obtained in Court of Justice, and by some new wayes of Go­vernment lately started up amongst us; the Law of property is so much sha­ken, that no man can say he is master [Page 4] of any thing: But all that we have, we hold as Tenants by courtesie, and at will, and may be stripped of it at pleasure.

Yet Mr. Speaker, desirous to give his Majesty all possible satisfaction and content­ment, aswell in the manner of supply for ex­pedition, as in the substance and matter of it, we confined and limitted our selves but to three particulars onely, and to such matters as properly and naturally should have refe­rence and relation to those 3. heads.

• 1. The first was the priviledges of Parliament.
• 2. The second mattees of Religion.
• 3. The third, the propriety of our goods and Estates.

And we began with the first, as the great Arke, in which the other two, Religion and property are included and preserved.

Mr. Speaker, the violations complained of the last Parliament, touching our privi­ledges, were of two sorts; either such as had bin done out of Parliament.

Concerning the violations of the first sort, it was resolved by vote, that the Speaker refusing to put a question, being thereunto required by the House.

[Page 5]Or to adjourne the house upon any command whatsoever, without the con­sent and approbation of the House it selfe; were breaches and violations that highly impeached our priviledges.

And having passed the vote, J conceive it were fit we should now proceed a lit­tle further, and consider of a way how to be repaired against them that have beene the violators: For Execution does ani­mare Legem. The putting of an old Law in Execution, you know Mr. Speaker, does oftentimes doe more good then the making of a new one.

As concerning the violations of the o­ther sort, done out of Parliament in Courts of Justice, and at the Counsell board, where neither our persons nor our pro­ceeding ought to have bin controlled or medled withall; And as concerning matters of Religion, and the property of our goods and estates, there were di­vers things then likewise agreed upon by vote, whereupon a conference was desired to have beene had with the Lords: [Page 6] But what interjections and rubs we met withall by the way, and how the Lords counter voted the precedency of our grievances. And how our Speaker was taken away from amongst vs, and what an vnhappy conclusion we had at the last. The remembrance of it were a sub­ject too sad to begin another Parliament withall.

Therefore M ^r. Speaker, I shall passe from what was done the last Parliament and come to what hath beene done since that Parliament ended.

M ^r Speaker, there are some worthy Gentlemen now of this house that were members of the last Parliament, that carried themselves in the matters and bu­sinesses then and there agitated and deba­ted, with great Wisedome and vnex­ampled moderation. But what had they at last for all their paines in attending the publique strince of the Common-wealth, As soone as ever the Parliament was en­ded, their studies and pockets were sear­ched as if they had beene Fellones and Traytors, and they committed to seve­rall [Page 7] Goales with an intention J am confi­dent of their vtter ruine and destruction, had they not fore-seene a danger approa­ching; For Mr. Speaker, if J be truely informed an information was drawne, or at least, directions given for the draw­ing of it, against them in the Starre-Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, there hath beene since the last Parliament a Synod, and in that Synod a new Oath hath beene made and framed, and enjoyned to be taken.

Mr. Speaker, they might as well have made a new Law, and enjoyned the exe­cution of that, as enjoyned and vrged the taking of the other, not being established by Act of Parliament and in point of mischiefe, the safety of the Common-wealth, and the freedome and liberties of the Subject are more concerned in the doing of the one then if they had done the other.

The next exception J shall take to it, is to the matter contained in the oath it selfe.

[Page 8]Mr. Speaker, they would have us at the very first dash sweare in a damnable Heresie, that matters necessary to salva­tion are contained in the Discipline of our Church.

Whereas Mr. Speaker, it hath ever bin the tenet of our Church, that all things necessary to salvation are comprehended and contained in the Doctrine of our Church onely; And that hath alwaies been vsed as an Argument vntill this very present, against Antidiscipli­narians, to stop their mouthes withall; And therefore that for that reason they might with the lesse regret and offence conforme and submit themselves to the Discipline of our Church.

And Mr. Speaker, for prevention in case the Wisedome of the state in this great Counsell, should at any time think fit to alter any thing in the government of our Church, they would anticipate and forestall our judgements, by making vs sweare before-hand, that we would ne­ver give our consent to any alteration.

[Page 9]Nay Mr. Speaker, they goe a little fur­ther, for they would have vs sweare that the government of the Church by Arch­bishops, Bishops, Deanes, Archdeacons, &c. is Iure divino, Their words are, as of right it ought to stand; Whereas Mr. Speaker, we meet not with the name of an Archbishop, or a Deane, or an Arch­deacon in all the new Testament; And whatsoever may be said of the Function of Bishops it is one thing: But for their Jurisdiction it is meerely Humana insti­tutione, and they must thanke the King for it.

As for their grosse, absurd, &c. where­in they would have men sweare they know neither what, nor how many fathome deepe: There is neither Divinity nor charity in it, and yet they would put that upon vs.

Mr. Speaker, what they meant and in­tended by this new Oath, and their booke of Canons, and their booke of Articles, which they would have our Church-war­dens sworne unto, to enquire of, and to present thereupon, J must con­fesse I know not, unlesse they [Page 10] had a purpose therein to blow up the Protestant Religion and all the faithfull professors of it, and to advance their Hierarchie a step higher which I sup­pose wee all feare is high enough al­ready.

Mr. Speaker, they have likewise in this Synod granted a benevolence, but the nature of the things agrees not with the name, for in plaine English it is sixe Subsidies to be paid by the Clergie in sixe yeares: And the penalty they have imposed upon the refusers, for non pay­ment, is to be deprived of their Functi­ons, to be stripped of their free-hold, and to be excommunicated, and this Act of their Synod is not published a­mongst their Canons, for which they might have some colourable see­ming authority: But it comes out, in a Booke alone by it selfe in the Latine tongue, supposing as I con­ceive that Lay-men are as igno­rant as they would have them; And thus they thinke they dance in a Net

[Page 11]And as in this, so in most of their new Canons if they be throughly considered, any Judicious man may easily discerne and perceive, that they doe therein like Water-men that looke one way and rowe another, they pretend one thing but intend nothing lesse; And certainly Mr. Speaker in this they have flowne a high pitch; For a Synod cal­led together upon pretence of reconci­ling and setling Controversies and mat­ters in Religion to take upon them the boldnesse thus out of Parliament to grant Subsidies and to meddle with mens freeholds, I dare say the like was never heard of before, and they that durst doe this will doe worse if the cur­rent of their raging Tyranny be not stopped in time.

Who are they (Mr. Speaker) that have countenanced and cherished Pope­ry and Arminianisme to that growth and heigth it is now come to, in this Kingdome?

Who are they (Mr. Speaker) that have [Page 12] given incouragement to those that have boldly preached those damnable Here­sies in our Pulpits.

Who are they (Mr. Speaker) that have given authority and licence to them that have published those He­resies in print?

Who are they (Mr. Speaker,) that of late dayes have beene advanced to any dignity or preferment in the Church, but such as have beene noto­riously suspitious, in their Disciplines, corrupt in their Doctrines, and for the most part, vitious in their lives?

And who are they (Mr. Speaker) that have overthrowne our two great Charters Magna Charta, and Charta de Forresta?

What imposition hath bin laid down or what Monopolie hath bin damned in any Court of Justice since the last Par­liament.

[Page 14]Hath not ship-money, Coale and con­duct money, and money for other milita­ry charges, bin collected and leavied, with as great violence as ever they were, in violation of our liberties, confirmed unto us in our Petition of Right; notwith­standing all our supplications and com­plaints the last Parliament.

And who are they Mr. Speaker, that have caused all those dangerous Convul­sions, and all the desperate unnaturall bloudy distempers, that are now in our body politique?

Mr. Speaker, J will tell you a passage: J heard from a Judge in the Kings-Bench. There was a poore man committed by the Lords, for refusing to submit unto a project, and having attended a long time at the Kings-Bench barre, upon his Ha­beas Corpus; and at last pressing very ear­nestly to be bailed. The Judge said to the rest of his brethren, come Brothers (said he) let us baile him, for they begin to say in the Towne, that the Judges have over­throwne the Law, and the Bishops the Gospell.

[Page 15]Mr. Speaker, I would not be misun­derstood in what J have said; for rhere are some of both, functions and pro­fessions, that J highly honour & reverence in my heart, for their wisedomes and inte­grities. But Mr. Speaker, J may say it; for I am sure we have all felt it, that there are some of both functions and professi­ons, that have bin the Authors and cau­sers of all the Miseries, Ruines, and Cala­mities that are now upon us.

Mr. Speaker, This is the Age; This is the Age (Mr. Speaker) that hath produced and brought forth Achitophells, Hammans Woolsies, Empsons, and Dudlies, Tricilians, and Belknapps Vipers and Monsters of all sorts. And J doubt not, but when his Majesty shall be truely informed of such matters, as wee are able to charge them withall; we shall have the same Justice against these, which heretofore hath been against their Predecessours, in whose wic­ked steps they have trodden.

And therefore Mr. Speaker, to put our selves into a way for our redresse and reliefe, J conceive it were fit that a Committee might be named to [Page 16] take these Petitions, that have now beene read, and all others of the like nature into their considerations, to the end, that the parties grieved, may have just repaire for their grievances; and that out of them, Lawes may be contrived, and framed for the preventing of the like mischiefes, for the future.