IT is a true saying of the Wise man, that all things happen alike to all men, 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 truely by the outward appearance, whether he bee a good subject, either to his God, his Prince, or his Countrey, untill he be tryed by the touchstone of loy­alty: give me leave I beseech you, to parallell the lives of either sort, that we may in some measure dis­cern truth from falsehood, and in speaking I shall si­milize their lives.

[Page 2] First, in Religion towards God. Secondly, in loy­alty and due subjection to their Soveraigne, in their affection towards the safety of their Countrey.

First, concerning Religion, the best meanes to dis­cerne between the true and false Religion is, by sear­ching the sacred Writings of the old and new Testa­ment, which is of it selfe pure, and indited by the Spi­rit of God, and written by holy men, unspotted in their lives and conversation, and by this sacred Word may we prove whether our Religion bee of God or no, and by looking in this glasse we may discern whe­ther we are in the right way or no.

And looking into the same, find that by this truth of God, that there is but one God, one Christ, one Faith, one Religion, which is the Gospell of Christ, & 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 meanes, than is true to which comes nearest the Protestant Religion, which wee professe, 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 useth 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 divelish, and all this is used and maintained in the Church of Rome, as necessary as the Scripture to Salvation. [Page 3] Therefore it a false and Erronious Church, both in Doctrine and discipline, and all other Sects and Shismes, that learnes not onely 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 the Religion, to dis­cerne the truth and falsehood thereof.

2. I come now M. Speaker to the 2^d. thing intima­ted unto you; which was how to discerne in a State betweene good Subjects and bad, by their loyalty and due subjection to their lawfull Soveraigne; in which I shall under favour observe two things.

1. Lawfull subjection to a King in his owne Per­son, and the Commands, Edicts, and Proclamations, of the Prince and his Privie Councell.

Lawfull obedience to the Lawes, Statutes, and Or­dinances, made, enacted by the King and the Lords, with the free consent of his great Councell of State assembled in Parliament.

1. For, the first to deny a willing and dutifull obe­dience to a lawfull Soveraigne and his Privie Coun­cell; for as Camden truely saith, the commands of the Lords Privie Councellours, and the Edicts of the Prince is all one, for they are inseparable, the one ne­ver without the other, either to defend His Royall Person, and Kingdomes and against the Enemies of the same, either publike or private. Or to defend the ancient priviledges and Prerogatives of the King, pertinent and belonging of right to his Royal Crown and the maintenance of his Honour and Dignity. Or to defend and maintaine true Religion established in the Land, according to the truth of God, is one signe of an evil and bad subject.

[Page 4] 2 Secondly, to yeeld obedience to the commands of a King, if against the true Religion, against the Ancient and fundamentall Lawes of the Land, is an­other signe of an ill Subject.

3 Thirdly, to resist the lawfull power of the King, to raise insurrection against the King, admit him a­verse in His Religion, to conspire against His Sacred Person, or any wayes to rebell, though commanding things against our Consciences in exercising Reli­gion, or against the Rights, and Priviledges of the Subject, is an absolute signe of a disaffected & traite­rous subject. And now having given the signes of dis­cerning evill and disloyall Subjects, I shall only give you in a word or two, the signes of discerning which are loyall and good Subjects, only by turning these three signes already shewed on the contrary side.

1 He that willingly and cheerefully endeavoureth himselfe to obey his Soveraignes commands for the defence of his owne person and Kingdomes, for the defence of true Religion, for the defence of the Laws of his Country, is a loyall and good Subject.

2. To deny obedience to a King, commanding any thing against Gods true Worship and Religion, against the Ancient and Fundamentall Lawes of the Land, in indeavouring to performe the same, is a good Subject.

Not to resist the lawfull and Royall power of the King to raise sedition or Insurrection against his Person, or to set division betweene the King and his good Subjects by rebellion. Although commanding things against conscience, in the exercise of Religi­on, [Page 5] or against the rights and priviledges of the Sub­ject, but patiently for the same to undergo his Prin­ces displeasure, whether it be to his imprisonment, confiscation of goods, banishment, or any other pun­nishment whatsoever, without murmuring, grudging, or reviling against his Soveraigne or his proceedings, but submitting willingly, & cheerefully himselfe and his cause to Almighty God, is the only signe of an obedient and Loyall Subject.

I come now to the second meanes to know the difference betweene a good Subject and a bad, by their obedience to the Laws, Statutes and ordinances made by the King, with the whole consent of his Par­liament. And in this I observe a twofold subjection: In the particular members thereof, dissenting from the generall Votes of the whole Parliament. And secondly, the whole State of the Kingdome to a full Parliament.

1. First I conceive, if any particular member of a Parliament, although his judgement and Vote bee contrary, doe not willingly submit to the rest, is an ill Subject to the King and Country.

And secondly, to resist the Ordinance of the whole State of the Kingdome, either by the stirring up a dislike in the hearts of his Majesties Subjects▪ of the proceedings of the Parliament. To endeavour by lea­vying of Armes to compell the King and Parliament to make such lawes as seeme best to them, to deny the power, Authority, and priviledges of Parlia­ment, to cast aspersions upon the same and procee­dings; thereby inducing the King to thinke ill of the [Page 6] same, and to be incensed against the same, to pro­cure the untimely dissolution and breaking off of a Parliament, before all things be setled by the same, for the safety and tranquility both of King and State, is an apparant signe of a treacherous and dis­loyall Subject against his King and Country. And th [...]s having troubled your patience, in shewing the difference betweene true Protestants, and false loy­all Subjects and Traytors, in a State or Kingdome; and the meanes how to discerne them. I humbly de­sire my Actions may be compared with either, both as I am a Subject, a Protestant, and a native in this Country; and as I am a member of this present and happy Parliament, and as I shall be found guilty up­on these articles exhibited against my selfe, and the other Gentlemen, either a bad or a good Subject to my gracious Soveraigne and Native Country. To receive such sentence upon the same, as this Honora­ble House shall be conceived, to agree with Law and Justice.