A COPIE OF A LETTER SENT By Mr. SPEAKER, To all the Corporations in England. And the like also to all the Justices of Peace, in the severall Counties of England: Drawn out by Order of the House of COMMONS.
ALSO, A Worthie, Learned, and Religious Speech; Delivered by the Earl of Cork, to the Protestant Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of Ireland, at a Generall Assembly holden at Cork, Ian. 20. 1641.
WHEREIN Is expressed, the generall Calamitie of that Kingdome, with his Encouragement and desire unto the said Assembly, to provide present Relief and Succour for the distressed and afflicted Protestants.
LONDON. Printed for Robert Hodgekinsonne. 1642.
A Copy of a Letter sent by Mr. Speaker to all the Corporations in England, &c.
The Endorcement was thus; TO A.B. Major of C. and to D.E. Recorder, and to all His Majesties Justices of Peace of the said town: and so the like to the Justices of the severall Counties.
It is now some months since, that the Protestation taken by the Lords & House of Commons was sent down into the Country, with an expectation that it should be generally taken throughout the Kingdome for a testimony of their good conourrence with the Parliament, but through the remissenesse of some of those who had the care of recommending it to others, very many there be that have not hitherto taken it.
Novv the House of Commons having discovered many dangerous designs plotted against the Parliament, especially of the 4th of this instant Ianuar▪ which had it taken effect, would have strucken not only at the Priviledges, but the very Being of Parliaments, as will appeare more by the Declaration herevvith sent unto you, vvhich the House desires you to publish in your Corporation, and the Liberties and Parts thereof (as the same is also to bee published by the Iustices of the severall Shites) have thought fit once again to recommend the taking of this Protestation.
And have therefore commanded me in their names, to desire you the Major, and Iustices of the Peace of the said Corporation, to meet together in one place, as soon as possibly you may, and there to take the Protestation your selves; and there also calling the Ministers of the severall Parishes vvithin your said Corporations, [Page] and the Constables, Church-vvardens, and Overseers of the Poore, and all other the Inhabitants of the same Corporation, both House-holders, and others being of 18, years of age, or upvvards, to tender unto them the said Protestation, to be taken in your presence, and to take the names both of them that do take, & do refuse to take the same Protestation, and to make return therof to the Burgesses, serving for the said Corporation, before the 12th of March next, wherein the House desires your great care and diligence, as a matter very much importing the good both of the King, and Kingdome, which being all I have in Command, I rest,
A WORTHIE LEARNED, AND RELJGIOVS Speech, delivered by the right Honourable the Earl of Cork, &c.
THe occasion of this present Assembly, (but I could heartily desire, that some more happy cause had called us together) is the general calamity, which like a Leopard hath overspread, and over-run almost the body of this Kingdome. We have bin a very long time under a most heavie persecution of a most bloody and barbarous enemy, whose, as yet uncontrolled malice, hath so farre proceeded, that it hath brought to ruine whole [Page] amilies, nay destroyed, and quite overthrown the fairest of our buildings, and whole towns and Cities. I intend not now to paint over our sorrowes, or to renew our griefes by the sad recapitulation of them; for I am fully perswaded that none here present, but like mine, their hearts do bleed at the heavie remembrance and consideration of the now present miseries of this Kingdome.
The enemies have so much insulted over our names and persons, that they have indeavoured to please and satisfie themselves with choice and variety in our afflictions, and hath made it part of their triumphs to invent and afflict upon us new and vnparallel'd torments. You have heard rhe cryes of distressed mothers, who hourly expected that the same which made them widdowes and childlesse, should prove mercifull vnto them, and make them breathlesse. You have here seen the stout-hearted husband forced and constrained to behold a spectacle as full of sorrow, as inhumanity, while the barbarous enemy took his dearest and bosome friend, and ravisht her, he was made a beholder, and was much more grieved at his own impotency to relieve, then the cruelty of that most vnnaturall spectacle, whose heart being now filled with the horn of so due a sight, and yet not yeelding to its own wait of misery, intreated and found the mercifull hand of the enemy to dispatch from [Page] all his sorrow. My Lords, and the rest of this worthy Assemblie, these are but a few of the thousands of cruelty, which our brethren have suffered, and since as yet groan vnder, every day affords vnto vs new matter of griefe, and shold I be as voluminous in my relations, as they in their practises, I should tire out the day, and your patience, and yet not reach the head of their bloody actions.
This day and m [...]ting was designed for some other purpose, [...]n to rub over our old sores, that were but to aggravate, and not redresse them.
The intended action for this present time, is to procure a remedy for our eminent evils, which if not speedily administred, an universall sub [...]sion is like to succeed. We have bin a long while flattered w [...]th hopes of relief from England, and other Countries, but wee find them so slow in their succour, that if we feed our selves any longer, with such or the like expectation, it is to be justly feared that ruine will overtake and overwhelme us, and our whole estates, before the remedy be applyed, Wee have the too many and great encouragements to warrant our undertakings, which are not meerly supposall, but reall and substantiall.
It hath been held, and is at this day lawfull, and necessary dimicate pro aris & socis, to fight for our God, Religion, and our possessions, for the liberty of our Consciences, and the liberty of our persons. In both these we have much suffered under the inso [...]ent persecution of our barbarous enemy.
[Page] Let us not, my Lords, stand like men amazed, or distracted with such malicious proceedings, but let us quit our selves like men, and having the advantage of the cause, although not of power proceed valiantly. The battell we shall fight is the Lord of hosts, who is able to save and give victory aswell by few, as by a numerous army, and strength. Remember and consider, that God is not so confin'd to multitudes, neither can the number of multitudes prevaile in the day of battell, without the assistance and protection of the Almighty. Let us therefore, my Lords and Gentlemen, with one body, and with one affection, prepare and make ready, to oppose and countermand the contumacy and stubbornesse of the bloudy persecutor, who in all his passages breaths nothing but ruine and destruction. My person and assistance shall not be deficient to so good a cause, but I shall indeavour to serve my God, my King, and Country, with my utmost indeavour both of person and fortune, and shall count my self happy, if it be my lot to make my ruine & overthrow in the defence of so honourable a cause. For praestat per virtutem emori, quam per dedecus vivere, I had rather dye in a noble and religious cause, then live fortunate under so base an enemy both to God, the King, and his Country. And if there be any here, as I hope, and believe there are none, of so degenerate and base condition, that [Page] shall indeavour to shift themselves from off this undertaking, because their habitation is remote, and the danger hath not as yet took progresse so far to them. I thus reply, and answer them in the Popes language and phrase. Paries cum proximus ardes, tunc tua res agitur. When thy neighbours house is on fire, thou art not secure, but the same danger may reach thee also. There is no true, religious, and loyall brest, but hath a share in a publique calamity: neither is any Member so secure, but the same misfortune which made the head to ake, may also make the rest of the Members grieve. Mischief which is uncontrold goes apace, and overtakes the carelesse mind in his depth of security. J am afraid I have been too tedious in my discourse, but I will now end in a word; let not the insolency of the enemy, or consideration of the hazard, prevaile over the goodnesse and justice of the cause, and your noble and undanted courages, but be as valiant as your cause is just, and I doubt not, the successe will crowne your actions with honour, procure peace and quiet both to your Consciences and possessions, and so shall you inherit the everlasting names of men, religious and pious to your God, loyall to your Soveraign, and faithfull to your Country.