I Do verily believe, that the Vote we have already passed for the Disbanding the Armies the first and tenth of March, will finde us no further on our way, then where we now are, besides the ill Accidents that may happen, and so much precious time spent, as till then.

Sir, The Main Businesse is, whether we shall have a present Treatie or no? and this concernes us in all that we Have and Are, since we Refused a Treatie at Not­tingham, I doe not find that we have gotten much ground, although our Armie then was fresh, full, and full payed: the people erect, bountifull, and forward to the warre. Now the Disposition of the Kingdome, for the greatest part, stands bent toward a Peace: so that wheresoever the Refusall or Delay of the way to it shall be fixt, the Disadvantage will fall on that side. How cleare soever the intentions of the House are, yet abroad it will be taken but as a shew without Reality, and so it will be returned upon us.

For the Propositions, I have not known nor heard, [Page]that all the Propositions in any Treatie of Importance, were ever swallowed whole. If some be harsh and rough, they may be wrought and suppled by wise Treaters, made fit for an acceptable agreement. If other be unpassable, they may be totally rejected. Those that are our unquestionable Rights may be so claimed and held.

Mr. Speaker, We have already tasted the bitter bloudy fruits of warre, we are growne exceedingly be­hind-hand with our selves since we began it: if we persist, there will such a confluence of Mischiefes break in upon us, as I am afraid will ruine the King, the Kingdome, the Nation; unlesse God be mercifull to us, and do step in with a great Miracle, for a little one will not serve our turne.

I have long and thoughtfully expected, that the cup of trembling which hath gone round about us to other Nations, would at length come in amongst us. It is now come at last, and we may drinke the Dregs of it, the worst; Which God divert.

There is yet some comfort left, that our Miseries are not likely to last long. For we cannot fight here as they doe in Germanie, in that great, large, vast continent: where although there be warre in some parts of it, yet there are many other remote quiet places, for trade and tillage to support it. We must fight as in a Cock-pit, we are surrounded with the Sea. We have no strong­er Holds then our own Sculls and our own Ribs, to keep out our enemies; so that the whole Kingdome will suddenly be but one flame.

It hath been said in this House, that we are bound in [Page]conscience to punish the shedding of innocent bloud: but Sir, who shall be answerable for all the innocent bloud which shall be spilt hereafter, if we doe not en­deavour a Peace, by a speedy Treatie? Certainly, God is as much to be trusted in a Treatie as in a warre: it is He that gives wisedome to treat, as well as courage to fight, and successe to both, as it pleaseth Him. Bloud is a crying sinne, it pollutes a Land: why should we de­file this Land any longer?

Wherefore Mr. Speaker, Let us stint Bloud assoone as we can. Let us agree with our Adversaries in the way, by a present, short, wary Treaty. God direct us.

IN the way we are, we have gone as farre as words can carry us: We have voted our own Rights and the Kings Duty: No doubt there is a Relative Duty be­tween a King and Sbujects; Obe­dience from a Subject to a King, protection from a King to His. The present unhappy distance between people His Majesty and the Parlia­ment, makes the whole Kingdome stand amazed, in a fearfull expectation of dismall Calamities to fall upon it: It deeply and conscionably concernes this house to compose and setle these threatning, ruining distracti­ons. Mr. Speaker, I am touched, I am pierced with an apprehension of the Honour of the House, and successe of this Parliament. The best way to give a stop to these desperate imminent mischiefs is, to make a faire way for the Kings return hither; It will likewise give best satisfaction to the People, and will be our best Justifi­cation. Mr. Speaker, that we may the better consider the condition we are now in, let us set our selves three years back: If any man then could have credibly told us that within three Years the Queene shall be gone out of England into the Low-Countries, for any cause whatsoever, The King shall remove from his Parlia­ment, [Page]from London to York, declaring himself not to be safe here, That there shall be a totall Rebellion in Ireland, Such discords and distempers both in Church and State here, as now we find; certainly, we should have trembled at the thought of it: Wherefore it is fit we should be sensible now we are in it.

On the other side, If any man then could have credi­bly told us, That within three yeares yee shall have a Parliament, it would have been good newes; That ship-money shall be taken away by an act of Parlia­ment, the Reasons and grounds of it so rooted out, as that neither it nor any thing like, it can ever grow up a­gain; That Monopolies, that the high-Commission Court, the Starre Chamber, the Bishops Votes shall be taken away, the Councell-Table regulated and restrai­ned, The Forrests bounded and limited, that yee shall have a trienniall Parliament; and more then that, A Perpetuall Parliament, which none shall have power to dissolve without your selves, we should have thought this a dream of happinesse; yet now we are in the reall possession of it, we doe not enjoy it, although his Ma­jestie hath promised and published he will make all this good to us we stand chiefly upon further security; wheras the very having of these things, is a conveni­ent faire security, mutually securing one another: there is more security offered, even in this last answer of the Kings, by removing the personall Votes of popish Lords, the better education of Papists children, by supplying the defects of Law against Recusants, be­sides what else may be enlarged and improved by a se­lect Committee of both Houses named for that pur­pose. [Page]Therfore Sir, let us beware we do not contend for such a hazardous unsafe security, as may endanger the losse of what we have already; let us not think we have nothing, because we have not all we desire; and though we had, yet we cannot make a Mathematicall security; All humane Caution is Susceptible of corruption and failing; Gods providence will not be bound, successe must bee his: he that observes the wind and rain, shall neither sow nor reap; if he doe nothing till he can se­cure the weather, he will have but an ill harvest.

Mr. Speaker, it now behoves us to call up all the wisedome we have about us, for we are at the very brink of combustion and confusion: If bloud once be­gin to touch bloud, we shall presently fall into a cer­tain miserie, and must attend an uncertaine successe, God knowes when, and God knowes what. Every man here is bound in conscience to employ his utter­most endeavours to prevent the effusion of bloud; bloud is a crying sinne, it pollutes a Land; let us save our Liberties, and our Estates, as we may save our souls too. Now I have clearely delivered mine own con­science, I leave every man freely to his.