Mr. Speaker,

DElaying prosecution of any businesse of weight and consequence, is the on­ly way to produce danger, especially if it be tending to the removall of eminent evils practised and threatned by evill and wicked spirits, bending themselves on­ly to act such things, that the successe thereof must either prove the fulfilling of their owne desires, or the utter ruine and destruction of the State wherein they live.

Mr. Speaker. Light offences are easily dispensed withall or removed, but grievous crimes and great misdemeanours committed by high hand are trou­blesome to be restrained, hard to be corrected. In any proceedings against such, there must be both [Page] wisdome and courage equallizing the subtilty and power of the offenders: to accuse or impeach any person of any crime, whether treason or otherwise, is ordinary, but to prosecute such accusation or im­peachment to bring the same to perfection, to a pe­riod, to judgement, whether by the sword of justice to cut off such accused (if found guilty) as unsound and rotten members of a Common-wealth, thereby to preserve the whole, or to cleere and discharge the same, either way satisfying the Kings loyall Subjects concerning our proeeedings: if deserving death, you know Master Speaker how dangerous it is to protract time in their triall and just sentence: you know, dangerous to a City is the setting on fire but of one house in the same, you know no better remedy to prevent this danger, but by pulling down the next adjacent houses to that on fire: Even so, if there be in a City, State, or Kingdome, wherein are some fire-brands members, threatning desolation to the whole Common-wealth wherein they live, or any part thereof; whose tongues are set on fire even with the fire of Hell, issuing forth, flashes, sparkes, nay flames of wicked tenents and doctrines, plea­sant and delectable only to themselves and associ­ates; seducing in religion the children of God, nay I verily believe the saying is fulfilled foretold in Scripture, such seducers should be in the world, that if it were possible, they would seduce the very elect, drawing all men as they can to their faction, or else seeke their utter destruction, both of their lives, li­berties, and estates. These fire-brands, Mr. Speaker, hath catcht in divers places of this Kingdome, as well Cities, as Townes, and Villages; and if spee­dy [Page] course be not taken to extinguish them, by pul­ling downe, cutting off, not only the Originall root of this danger, but the neighbouring parties; not only to cut downe the body of the tree, but lop off also the branches, especially, the greatest armes thereof, for the lesser twigs, they may of themselves wither and dye in time: they will indanger the whole kingdome, and cause great trouble and haz­zard in preserving the same from ruine.

Mr. Speaker: The subject of my discourse is con­cerning our proceedings against the Bishops, by this honourable House accused of High Treason, That we with all convenient speed bring them to their tryall and judgement upon the same.

Mr. Speaker: It behoveth us to be men of cou­rage and magnanimity, not daunted with any feare, or discouraged by any opposition that hath beene made against us, and our proceedings concerning the same, to hinder our perfecting those things in our prosecution of these Incendiaries, so much im­porting the peace and security of his Majestie and all his kingdome. The evill effects that we have experimentally found, in not performing our de­sires, and the expectation of those that sent us hi­ther, by whom we are intrusted to preserve and de­fend them in their persons, free liberties, and right­full possessions; and the many and urgent petiti­ons which we have received, not only from the Ci­tizens of London, but from diverse oth [...]r parts of this kingdome, expr [...]ssing their loves and tender affections to his Royall Majesty and Princely Pro­geny; their confidence imposed in us of our faith­full integrity and true heartednesse towards our [Page] Countrey, in the right framing and rectifying all things that have beene amisse and disordered in the same; the redressing of their unjust grievances and oppressions, and the setling of true Religion in this kingdome: their loving encouragements for our cheerefull and willing performance of their just de­ [...]i [...]es, may as I conceive, be sufficient causes to stirre up our hearts and ardent affections to satisfie them therein, and not any longer, for any cause whatso­ever shall be pretended in opposition of the same, to procrastinate any further time, to bring these Bi­shops accused, and all other Delinnqents in this State to just tryall and deserved punishment.

Mr. Speaker: The evill effects that have succeded of late, by [...]eason of the intermission of our procee­dings against these Bishops and others, are not un­knowne to all men; of dangerous consequence, di­sturbing our peaceable and just proceeding in all our designes, touching the great affaires we have had in agitation both of Church and State; indan­gered our persons, by giving them liberty to endea­vour to put in execution their malicious and divel­lish plots against us the raising and causing great tu­mults and uproares about the Parliament, causing and procuring the members of our House, great Pillars in this our Temple, to be accused and que­stioned as criminous persons; thereby to avert our prosecution against them; causing evill suspitions and jealousies of our integrities and loyalties to our gracious Soveraigne, and our native Countrey; in­couraging thereby their favourites and well-wish­ers to their evill practises, to adventure upon any stratagem, against both our persons and proceed­ings: [Page] Which we, Master Speaker, (if we in time la­bour not to prevent the same) may with too late re­pentance, bewaile those greater dangers and irre­coverable troubles threatned by these fire-brands of State, who burnes with mischievous intentions of our utter destruction.

Mr. Speaker: My humble motion therefore is, that considering seriously with our selves those things which I have briefly mentioned unto you, we may lay aside all feares, depending only upon Almighty God his providence over us, and our Countries loves proffering to defend us, whose ser­vants we are; and cheerefully with good courage and magnanimous spirits, go on as we have begun, to bring all misdoers in this Kingdome, especially the greatest and chiefest of them, to their triall and condigne punishment.