least; but yet, in the interim, let them be made examples of punishment, who have been the authors of all those miseries, according to the counsel of Solomou, Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.'

A Fast appointed, &c.] Nov. 9. A day for a solemn Fast, with the consent of the king, was appointed. The next Lord's Day, after the fast, ordered for all the members to receive the sacrament. A select committee to see this punctually obeyed, and to take care that no Papist sit amongst them: to inquire what number of Papists are in London, and ten miles round it, and how armed, &c.-The same day the lord keeper signified to the lords, That his maj. taking notice at this time, of an extraordinary confluence of Popish Recusants to the cities of London and Westminster and the places adjacent, hath been graciously pleased, for preventing all inconveniences that may thence arise, to resolve of setting forth a Proclamation for their departure, and disarming with all speed. Also that because his maj. had been informed some jealousies had grown on his making a Constable of the Tower, and putting in a garrison there; which he did in favour of the city, to prevent the insolencies of base and loose people, his maj. had resolved that it should be left as before, without any constable or garrison.

Resolution against Monopolists.] This day, it was Resolved, upon the question, "That all Projectors and Monopolists whatsoever; or that have any share, or lately have had any share, in any monopolies; or that do receive, or lately have received, any benefit from any Monopoly or Project; or that have procured any warrant or command for the restraint or molesting of any that have refused to conform themselves to any such Proclamations or Projects; are disabled, by order of this house, to sit here in this house: aud, if any man here knows any Monopolist, that he shall nominate him: That any member of this house, that is a monopolist or projector, shall repair to Mr. Speaker, that a new warrant may issue forth; or otherwise, that he shall be dealt with as with a stranger, that hath no power to sit here." Resolved, upon the question, "That the word unlawful' should be joined to the word Monopolists."

This day the house resumed the affair of Grievances: upon this occasion

The lord Digby, eldest son of the earl of Bristol, and member for the county of Dorset, | spoke as follows:-" Mr. Speaker; You have received now a solemn account from most of the shires of England, of the several Grievances and oppressions they sustain, and nothing as yet from Dorsetshire. Sir, I would not have you think that I serve for a land of Goshen; that we live there in sun-shine, whilst darkness and plagues overspread the rest of the land. As little would I have you think, that being under the same sharp measure as the rest, we are either insensible or benumbed,

or that that shire wanteth a servant to repre-
sent its sufferings boldly.It is true, the county
of Dorset hath not digested its complaints into
that formal way of petition, which others, I see,
have done; but have entrusted them to my
partners and my delivery of them, by word of
inouth, to this honourable house. And there
was given unto us, in the county-court, the
day of our election, a short memorial of the
heads of them, which was read in the hearing
of the free-holders there present, who all una-
nimously, with one voice, signified upon each
particular, that it was their desire, that we
should represent them to the parliament;
which, with your leave, I shall do, and these
they are: 1. The great and intolerable burthen
of Ship-Money, touching the legality whereof
they are unsatisfied.
2. The many great
abuses in pressing of Soldiers, and raising Mo-
nies concerning the same. 3. The multitude
of Monopolies. 4. The new Canon, and the
Oath to be taken by lawyers, divines, &c. 5.
The oath required to be taken by church-offi-
cers, to present according to articles new and
unusual.-Besides this, there was likewise pre-
sented to us, by a very considerable part of
the clergy of that county, a note of remem
brauce containing these two particulars: 1.
The Imposition of the new oath required to be
taken by all ministers and others; which they
conceive to be illegal, and such as they cannot
take with a good conscience. 2. The requir
ing of a pretended Benevolence, but, in effect,
a Subsidy, under the penalty of suspension,
excommunication and deprivation, all benefit
of appeal excluded. This is all we had parti-
cularly in charge; but, that I may not appear
a remiss servant of any country and of this
house, give me leave to add somewhat of my
own sense. Truly, Mr. Speaker, the injurious
sufferings of some worthy members of this
house, since the dissolution of the two last par
liaments, are so fresh in my memory, that I
was resolved not to open my mouth in any
business, wherein freedom and plain dealing
were requisite, until such time as the breach
of our privileges were vindicated, and the
safety of speech settled. But since such ex-
cellent members of our house thought fit, the
other day, to lay aside that caution, aud to
discharge their souls so freely in the way of
zeal to his majesty's service and their country's
good, I shall interpret that confidence of theirs
for a lucky omen to this parliament, and, with
your permission, licence my thoughts too a
little.'-Under those heads which I proposed
to you, as the Grievances of Dorsetshire, I
suppose are comprized the greatest part of the
mischiefs which have, of late years, laid battery
either to our estates or consciences. Sir, I do
not conceive this the fit season to search and
ventilate particulars, yet I profess I cannot for-
bear to add somewhat to what was said, the
last day, by a learned gentleman of the long
robe, concerning the acts of that reverend new
synod, made of an old convocation. Doth not
every parliament-man's heart rise to see the

prelates thus usurp to themselves the grand again upon the land only in hailstones and pre-emincuce of parliament? The granting of mildews, to batter and prostrate still more Subsidies, and that under so preposterous a and more our liberties, to blast and wither our name as of a Benevolence, for that which is a affections; had not the latter of these been Malevolence indeed: a Malevolence, I am still kept alive by our king's own personal confident, in those that granted it, against virtues, which will ever preserve him, in spight parliaments; and a Malevolence surely in of all ill counsellors, a sacred object both of those that refuse it, against those that granted our admiration and love.-Mr. Speaker, it it; for how can it incite less, when they see hath been often said in this house, and, I think, wrested from them what they are not willing to can never be too often repeated, That the part with, under no less a penalty than the loss king's of England can do no wrong:' but both of Heaven and earth; of Heaven, by though they could, Mr. Speaker, yet princes excommunication; and of the earth, by depri- have no part in the ill of those actions which vation; and this without redemption by ap- their judges assure them to be just; their peal? What good christian can think with pa- counsellors that they are prudent; and their tience on such an ensnaring Oath, as that divines that they are conscientious. This conwhich is, by the new Canons, enjoined to be sideration leadeth me to that which is more taken by all ininisters, lawyers, physicians, and necessary far, at this season, than any farther graduates in the universities? Where, besides laying open of our miseries; that is, the way the swearing such an impertinence, as that to the Remedy, by seeking to remove from our things necessary to salvation are contained in sovereign such unjust judges, such pernicious discipline; besides the swearing those to be counsellors, and such disconscient divines, as of divine right, which amongst the learned have of late years, by their wicked practices, never pretended to it, as the arch things in our provoked aspersions upon the government of hierarchy; besides the swearing not to con- the graciousest and best of kings.—Mr. Speaker, sent to the change of that, which the state let ine not be misunderstood; I level at no may, upon great reason, think fit to alter; man with a fore-laid design; let the faults, besides the bottomless perjury of an etcætera; and those well proved, lead us to the men: it besides all this, Mr. Speaker, men must swear is the only true parliamentary method, and the that they swear freely and voluntarily what only fit one to incline our sovereign: for it they are compelled unto; and, lastly, that can no more consist with a gracious and righthey swear that oath in the literal sense, teous prince to expose his servants upon irrewhereof no two of the makers themselves, that gular prejudices, than with a wise prince to I have heard of, could ever agree in the under- withold malefactors, how great soever, from standing. In a word, Mr. Speaker, to tell the course of orderly justice. Let me acquaint you my opinion of this oath, it is a covenant you with an aphorism in Hypocrates, no less against the king for bishops and hierarchy, as authentic, I think, in the body politic, than in the Scots Covenant is against them; only so the natural; this it is, Mr. Speaker, ‹ Bodies, much worse than the Scots, as they admit not to be thoroughly and effectually purged, must of the supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs, and have their humours, first made fluid and inovewe are sworn unto it.-Now for those parti- able. The humours, that I understand to have cular Heads of Grievances, whereby our estates caused all the desperate maladies of this naand properties are so radically invaded; I tion, are the ill ministers: to purge them away suppose, as I said before, that it is no season clearly, they must be first loosened, unsettled, now to enter into a strict discussion of them; and extenuated; which can no way be effected only thus much I shall say of them, with appli- with a gracious master, but by truly reprecation to the county for which I serve, that senting them unworthy of his protection. And Done can more justly complain; since none this leadeth me to my motion, which is, That can more justly challenge exemption from such a select committee may be appointed, to draw, burdens than Dorsetshire, whether you consider out of all that hath bere been represented, it as a county subsisting much by trade, or as such a Remonstrance as may be a faithful and none of the most populous, or as exposed as lively representation unto his majesty of the much as any to foreign invasion.-But, alas! deplorable estate of this his kingdom; and Mr. Speaker, particular lamentations are hard-such as may happily point out unto his clear ly distinguishable in universal groans. Mr. Speaker, it hath been a metaphor frequent in parliament; and, if my memory fail me not, was made use of in the lord keeper's speech at the opening of the last, That what money kings raised from their subjects, it was but as vapours drawn up from the earth by the sun, to be distilled upon it again in fructifying showers. The comparison, Mr. Speaker, hath held of late years, in this kingdom, too unluckily ; what hath been raised from the subjeet by those violent attractions, hath been formed, it is true, into clouds; but how? To darken the sun's own lustre, and hath fallen

6

and excellent judgment, the pernicious authors of it: and that this Remonstrance being drawn, we may, with all speed, repair to the lords, and desire them to join with us in it. And this is my humble motion.'

Sir John Colepeper, one of the knights of the shire for Kent, spoke as follows: Mr. Speaker; stand not up with a petition in my hand. I have it in my mouth; and have it in charge

I

In the Journals of the Commons for this day, is this entry.Sir John Colepeper represented the Grievances of Kent by word of inouth,'

at the council-board, where neither our persons nor our proceedings ought to have been controlled or meddled withal; and as concern

wealth, hath complained first, declaring his and violations that highly impeached our pri sensibleness of our sufferings; and, amongst vileges. And, having passed that vote, I conother things, hath put us in mind of our griev-ceive it were tit we should now proceed a litauces; and hath freely left it to ourselves, for the further, and consider of a way how to be our redress and repair therein, to begin and repaired against them that have been the vioend as we shall think fit. And this draws me laters: for execution does animare legem, The on, with much cheerfulness and zeal, to con- putting of an old law in execution does oftentubute my poor endeavours to so great a times do more good than the making of a new work. And, Mr. Speaker, I conceive it will one. As concerning violations of another sort, not be altogether impertinent, for your direc-done out of parliament, in courts of justice, and tion and guidance in that great place, which, by the favour of his maj. and this house, you Tow possess, a little to recollect ourselves in the remembrance of what was done the lasting matters of Religion, and the Property of parliament, and where we ended. It will likewise be very considerable what hath been done since that parliament, and who they are that have been the authors and causers of all our miseries and distractions, both before and since. In the last parliament, as soon as the house was settled, a subsidiary Aid and Supply was propounded, and many arguments used to give it precedency before all other matters and considerations whatever. On the other side, a multitude of Complaints and Grievances of all sorts, as well concerning our eternal as our temporal estates, were presented, and put in the other balance: the wisdom of that great council, weighing both indifferently, and look ing not only at the dangers then threatened from Scotland, which are now upon us; but lewise taking into their consideration the condition and constitution of the present government here at home, concluded that they were in no capacity to give, unless their Grievances were first redressed and removed.--For Mr. Speaker, it then was, and still is, most manifest and apparent, that, by some judgments lately obtained in courts of justice, and by some new ways of government lately started up amongst us, the law of property is so much shaken, that no man can say he is master of any thing; but all that we have we hold as teaants, by courtesy and at will, and may be stripped of it at pleasure. Yet, Mr. Speaker, desirous to give his maj. all possible satisfaction and contentment, as well in the manner or Supply for expedition, as in the substance and matter of it, we confined and limitted ourselves but to three particulars only, and to such matter as, properly and naturally, should have reference and relation to these 3 heads. 1. The Privileges of Parliament. 2. Matters of Religion. 3. The Property of our Goods and Estates. And we began with the first, as the at ark in which the other two, Religion and Property, are included and preserved.-Mr. Speaker, the violations complained of the last parliament, touching our Privileges, were of two sorts; either such as had been done in parliament, or out of parliament. Concerning the violations of the first sort, it was resolved, by vote, That the Speaker's refusing to put a question, being thereunto required by the house, or to adjourn the house upon any command whatsoever, without the consent and approbation of the house itself, were breaches VOL. II.

our Goods and Estates, there were divers things then likewise agreed on by vote, whereupon a conference was desired to have been held with the lords: but what interjections and rubs we met withal by the way, and how the lords controverted the precedency of our Grievances, and how our Speaker was taken away from amongst us, and what an unhappy conclusion we had at the last, the remembrance of it were a subject too sad to begin another parliament withal. Therefore, I shall pass from what was done the last parliament, and come to what hath been done since that parliament ended.--Mr. 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 wisdom, and unexampled moderation. But what had they at last for all their pains, in attending the public service of the commonwealth? Why, as soon as ever the parliament was ended, their studies and pockets were searched, as if they had been felons and traitors; and they committed to several goals; with an intention, I am confident, of their utter ruin and destruction, had they not forescen a danger approaching; for, Mr. Speaker, if I be truly informed, an information was drawn, or at least directions given for the drawing of it, against them in the Star-chamber. Mr. Speaker, there hath been, since the last parliainent, a synod; and in that synod a new Oath hath been made and framed, and enjoined to be taken. They might as well have made a new law, and enjoined the execution of that, as enjoined and urged the taking of the other, not being established by act of parliament; and, in point of mischief, the safety of the commonwealth, and the freedom and liberties of the subject, are more concerned in the doing of the one, than if they had done the other.The next exception I shall take to it, is to the matter contained in the Oatlitself. Mr. Speaker, they would have us, at the very first dash, swear to a damnable heresy, that matters necessary to salvation are contained in the discipline of our church: whereas, it hath ever been the tenet of our church, That all things necessary to salvation are comprehended and contained in the doctrine of our church only; and that hath always been used as an argument, until this very present, against anti-disciplinariats, to

2 U

:

and cherished Popery and Arminianism to that growth and height it is now come to in this kingdom? Who are they, Mr. Speaker, that have given encouragement 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 days have the church, but such as have been notoriously suspicious in their discipline, corrupt in their doctrine, and, for the most part, vitious in their lives? And who are they, Mr. Speaker, that have overthrown our two great charters, Magna Charta, and Charta de Foresta? What Imposition hath been laid down, or what Monopoly hath been damned, in any court of justice since the last parliament ? Hath not Ship-Money, Coat and Conduct-Money, and Money for other Military Charges, been collected and levied with as great violence as ever they were; in violation of our liberties, confirmed unto us in our Petition of Right, notwithstanding our supplications and complaints the last parliament? And who are they, Mr. Speaker, that have caused all those dangerous convulsions, and all the desperate, unnatural, bloody distempers that are now in our body politic?--Mr. Speaker, I will tell you a passage I heard from a judge in the King'sBench. There was a poor man committed by the lords of the council, for refusing to submit to a project; and having attended a long time at the King's-Bench bar, upon his habeas corpus, and, at last, pressing very earnestly to be bailed, the judge said to the rest of his brethren, Come, brethren,' said he, let us bail him, for they begin to say in town, that the judges have overthrown the law, and the bishops the gospcl.'-Mr Speaker, I would not be misunderstood in what I have said, for there are some of both functions and protes sions, that I highly honour and reverence in my heart, for their wisdoms and integrities: but, I may say it, for I am sure we have all felt it, that there are some of both functions and professions that have been the authors and causers of all the miseries, ruins, 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 Achito phels, Hamans, Woolseys, Empsons and Dudlies, Tresilians and Belknapps, vipers and monsters of all sorts. And I doubt not but, when his majesty shall be truly informed of such matters as we are able to charge them withal, we shall have the same justice against these which heretofore hath been against their predecessors, in whose wicked steps they have trodden. And therefore, Mr. Speaker, to put ourselves into a way for our redress and relief, I conceive it were fit that a committee might be hamed to take these Petitions that have now been read, and all others of the like nature, into their consideration; to the end that the parties grieved may have just repair

stop their mouths withal; and therefore, for that reason, they might, with the less regret and offence, conform and submit themselves to the discipline of our church. And, for prevention, in case the wisdom of the state, in this great council, should at any time think fit to alter any thing in the government of our church, they would anticipate and forestal our judgments; by making us swear, beforehand, That we would never give our consent to any alte-been advanced to any dignity or preferment in ration. Nay, they go a little further; for they would have us swear, That the governinent of the church by archbishops, bishops, deans, archdeacons, &c. is jure 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 dean, 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 merely humana institutione, and they must thank the king for it. As for their gross and absurd etcætera, wherein they would have men swear they know neither what, nor how many fathom deep there is neither divinity nor charity in it, and yet they would put that upon us. Mr. Speaker, what they meant and intended by this new Oath, and their Book of Canons, and their Book of Articles, which they would have our church-wardens sworn unto, to inquire of, and to present thereupon, I must confess I know not; unless they had a purpose therein to blow up the Protestant Religion, and all the faithful professors of it, and to advance their hierarchy a step higher; which, I suppose, we all fear is high enough already. They have likewise, in this synod, granted a Benevolence, but the nature of the thing agrecs not with the name; for, in plain English, it is 6 Subsidies, to be paid by the clergy in 6 years and the penalties they have imposed upon the refusers, for non-payment, is to be deprived of their functions, to be stripped of their freehold, and to be excommunicated; and this act of their synod is not published amongst their canons, for which they might have soine colourable seeming authority: but it comes out, in a book by itself, in the Latin tongue, supposing, as I conceive, that laymen are as ignorant as they would have them; and so they dance in a net.--And as in this, so in most of their new canons, if they be thoroughly considered, any judicious man may easily discern and perceive, and they do therein like watermen, that look one way and row another; they pretend one thing, but intend nothing less and certainly, Mr. Speaker, in this they have flown a high pitch; for a synod called together upon pretence of reconciling and settling controversies and matters in religion, to take upon them the boldness thus, out of parliament, to grant Subsidies, and to meddle with men's frecholds, I dare say the like was never heard of before; and they that durst do this will do worse, if the current of their raging tyranny be not stopped in time.-Who are they, Mr. Speaker, that have countenanced