66 mighty and so manifest enormities and oppressions, as "the like have not been committed by any governor in 66 any government since Verres left Sicily; and after they had called him over from being Deputy of Ire"land to be in a manner Deputy of England (all "things here being governed by a junctillo, and the junctillo governed by him), to have assisted him in the giving such counsels and the pursuing of such courses, "as it is a hard and measuring cast whether they were more unwise, more unjust, or more unfortunate, "and which had infallibly been our destruction if by "the grace of God their share had not been as small "in the subtility of serpents as in the innocency of "doves. "Mr. Speaker, I have represented no small quantity and no mean degree of guilt; and truly I believe "that we shall make no little compliment to those, and "no little apology for those, to whom this charge belongs, if we shall lay the faults of these men upon "the order of the Bishops-upon the Episcopacy. I "wish we may distinguish between those who have been "carried away by the stream and those who have been "the stream that carried them-between those whose proper and natural motion was towards our ruin and "destruction, and those who have been whirled about "to it contrary to their natural motion by the force " and swing of superior orbs; and as I wish we may distinguish between the more and less guilty, so I yet "more wish we may distinguish between the guilty and 66 the innocent. "Mr. Speaker, I doubt, if we consider that, if not "the first planters, yet the first spreaders of Christianity and the first and chief defenders of Christianity against heresy within and paganism without, not only "with their ink but with their blood, and the main "conducers to the resurrection of Christianity, at least "here in the Reformation, and that we owe the light "of the Gospel we now enjoy to the fire they endured "for it, were all bishops; and that even now, in the greatest defection of that order, there are yet some I who have conduced in nothing to our late innovations "but in their silence-some who, in an unexpected and mighty place and power, have expressed an equal "moderation and humility, being neither ambitious "before nor proud after, either of the crozier's staff or "white staff-some who have been learned opposers of 66 66 Popery and zealous suppressors of Arminianism"between whom and their inferior clergy infrequency "of preaching hath been no distinction-whose lives are untouched, not only by guilt but by malice, scarce "to be equalled by those of any condition, or to be "excelled by those of any calendar ;-I doubt not, I say, but, if we consider this, this consideration will bring forth this conclusion-that bishops may be good men; and let us give but good men good rules, we "shall have both good governors and good times. 66 "Mr. Speaker, I am content to take away all those things from them which to any considerable degree "of probability may again beget the like mischiefs if they be not taken away. If their temporal title, power, and employment appear likely to distract "them from the care of, or make them look down with 66 66 66 66 contempt upon, their spiritual duty, and that the too great distance between them and those they govern "will hinder the free and fit recourse of their inferiors "to them, and occasion insolence from them to their "inferiors, let that be considered and cared for. I "am sure neither their Lordships, their judging of tithes, wills, and marriages, no, not their voices in "Parliaments, are jure divino; and I am sure that "these titles and this power are not necessary to their authority, as appears by the little they have had with us by them, and the much that others have had "without them. 66 66 66 "If their revenue shall appear likely to produce the "same effects--for it hath been anciently observed that Religio peperit divitias et filia devoravit matrem— "let so much of that as was in all probability intended "for an attendant upon their temporal dignities wait upon them out of the doors; let us only take care to "leave them such proportions as may serve in some 66 good degree to the dignity of learning and the encouragement of students; and let us not invert that "of Jeroboam, and, as he made the meanest of the people priests, make the highest of the priests the meanest of "the people. If it be feared that they will again 66 66 employ some of our laws with a severity beyond the "intention of those laws against some of their weaker "brethren, that we may be sure to take away that "power let us take away those laws, and let no cere"monies which any number counts unlawful, and no "man counts necessary, against the rules of policy and "St. Paul, be imposed upon them. Let us consider “that part of the rule they have hitherto gone by— "that is, such canons of their own making as are not "confirmed by Parliament-have been, or, no doubt, 'shortly will be, by Parliament taken away. That the "other part of the rule (such canons as were here re"ceived before the Reformation, and not contrary to “law) is too doubtful to be a fit rule; exacting an exact 66 knowledge of the canon law, of the common law, of "the statute law: knowledges which those who are thus "to govern have not, and it is scarce fit they should "have. Since, therefore, we are to make new rules, "and shall, no doubt, make those rules strict rules, and "be infallibly certain of triennial Parliaments to see "those rules observed as strictly as they are made, and "to increase or change them upon all occasions, we shall "have no reason to fear any innovation from their 66 tyranny, or to doubt any defect in the discharge of "their duty. I am as confident they will not dare "either ordain, suspend, silence, excommunicate, or 66 66 deprive otherwise than we would have them; and if "this be believed, we shall not think it fit to abolish upon a few days' debate an order which hath lasted (as appears by story) in most Churches these sixteen "hundred years, and in all from Christ to Calvin; or "in an instant change the whole face of the Church "like the scene of a mask. Mr. Speaker, I do not "believe them to be jure divino-nay, I believe them 66 not to be jure divino; but neither do I believe them "to be injuriâ humanâ. I neither consider them as "necessary nor as unlawful, but as convenient or incon"venient. But since all great mutations in govern "ment are dangerous (even where what is introduced by that mutation is such as would have been profitable upon a primary foundation); and since the greatest danger of mutations is, that all the dangers and incon"veniences they may bring are not to be foreseen; and "since no wise man will undergo great danger but for "great necessity, my opinion is, that we should not "root up this ancient tree, as dead as it appears, till we "have tried whether by this or the like topping of the "branches the sap, which was unable to feed the whole, 66 may not serve to make what is left both grow and "flourish. And certainly, if we may at once take away "both the inconveniences of bishops and the incon❝veniences of no bishops—that is, an almost universal "mutation-this course can only be opposed by those "who love mutation for mutation's sake. 66 66 Mr. Speaker, to be short (as I have reason to be "after having been so long), this trial may be suddenly "made. Let us commit as much of the ministers' "remonstrance as we have read, that those heads, both of "abuses and grievances, which are there fully collected, แ may be marshalled and ordered for our debate. If upon the debate it shall appear that those may be "taken away and yet the order stand, we shall not "need to commit the London petition at all, for the "cause of it will be ended; if it shall appear that the "abolition of the one cannot be but by the destruction "of the other, then let us not commit the London "petition, but let us grant it." 1 1 |
