Mr. Speaker, J will use no Preface as they doe who pre­pare men to something to which they would perswade them and move their affections, I will onely propose what I thinke fit for the House to consider, and shall be no more concerned in the event then they that shall heare me. Two things are considerable which I observe in his Majesties de­mands; First, the Supply: Secondly, our speedy dispatch thereof, touching the first his Majesties occasions for Money are too evi­dent; For (to say nothing) how are we neglected abroad, or di­stracted at home, the calling of this Parliament and our sitting heere is an effect which no light cause could in those times have produced, and enough to make any reasonable man beleeve that the Exchequer abounds not so much in money as the State doth in occasions to use it, and I hope we shall appeare willing to dis­prove those who thought to disswade his Majesty from this way of Parliaments, as doubting it uncertaine, and to let him see it is as ready and more safe for the advancement of his Affaires then any new (or pretended old way) whatsoever.

2. Now Mr. Speaker, for the speedy dispatch required▪ which was the second thing, which not onely his Majesty but (Res ipsa loquitur) the occasion seemes to importune no lesse, nec [...]ssity is come upon us like an armed man, and yet the use of Parliaments heretofore (as appeares by the Writs which call us hither) was to advise with his Maiesty of things concerning the Church and Common-wealth; and Mr. Speaker, it hath ever been the Custome of Parliaments by good and wholsome Lawes to refresh the Com­mon-wealth in generall, yea to descend into the Remedies of par­ticular grievances before any mention made of supply, looke back on the best Parliaments and still you shall find that the last Acts [Page 2] are for the free gift of the Subjects on the peoples part, and ge­nerall pardons on the Kings part, even the wisest of Kings have first acquainted their Parliaments, with their designes and the reasons thereof, and then demanded the assistance both of their counsels and purses.

But Mr. Speaker, Physitians though they be called of the latest, must not stomack it or talke what might have beene but apply themselves roundly to the cure. Let us not stand too nicely upon circumstances, nor to rigidly post the matter of supply to the healing of our lighter wounds, let us doe what may be supplya­bly done with reason and honesty on our parts, to comply with his M [...]jesties desires, and to prevent the eminent evills that threa­ten us.

But consider Mr. Speaker, that they who thinke themselves al­ready undone can never apprehend themselves in danger, and they that have nothing left can never give freely; nor shall we ever dis­charge the trust of those that sent us hither, or make them beleeve that they contribute to their owne defence and safety, vnlesse his Majesty be plea [...]ed first to restore them to the propriety of their good and lawfull liberties, wh [...]reof they esteeme themselves now out of possession. I need not tell you, that the propriety of our goods is the mother of courage and nurse of Industry, which makes us valiant in warre and good husbands in peace, the experience I have of former Parliaments, and my present observations of the care y^e Country hath had to choose persons of worth & courage makes me thinke this House like the Spartans whose forward valours required some faster Musique to allay and quiet their spirits, too much moved with the sound of Martiall Instruments. It is not the feare of imprisonment or (if need be) of death it selfe that can keepe a true hearted Englishman from the care to leave his part of the Inheritance as intire to posterity as he received it from his Ancestors. This therefore let us first doe (and the more speedily) that we may come to the matter of supply, let us give new force to the many Lawes which have beene heretofore made for the main­taining of Rights and Priviledges, and to restore this Nation to the fundamentall and vitall liberties, the propriety of our goods and freedome of our persons; no way doubting but that wee shall find his Majesty as gracious and ready as any of his Royall proge­nitors have been to grant our just desires therein, for not onely [Page 3] the simplest doe thinke but the wisest doe know; that what we have suffered, we have suffered for his Ministers, but the person of no King was ever better beloved of his people, and that no peo­ple were ever better satisfied with the wayes of levying of monies are two truths which may serve to demonstrate the other, for such is their occasion to the present courses, that neither the admirati­on they have of his Majesties inclination to Justice and clemen­cy, nor the pretended cont [...]nt of the Iudges could willingly sub­mit themselves to this late tax, and such is their naturall love and just esteeme of his Majesties goodnesse, that no late pressure could provoke them nor any example invite them to disloyalty or diso­bedience. But what is it that hath bred this misunderstanding be­twixt the King and the people, how is it that having so good a King we have so much to complaine of? Why Mr. Speaker, we are told of the Sonne of Solomon that he was a Prince of a tender heart, and yet by the advice of violent Counsellors, how rough an answer he gave his people, that his finger should be heavier then his Fathers Loynes. I dare say, that it was not his owne but the voyce of some persons about him, that wanted the gravity of mo­deration requisite for the Counsellors of a young King. I love not to presse Allegories too farre, but the Resemblance of Iobes sto­ry with ours holds so well, that I can not but observe it to you: it pleased God to give his enemies to afflict him, and yet he was no [...] provoked to rebell against him so much as with his tongue (al­though he had no good example of one that lay neere him) and felt not the halfe which he suffered. I hope his Majesty will imi­tate God in being neere it too, and as he was severe to Iob onely whilst he discoursed with another concerning him, but when he vouchsafed himselfe to speake to him, began to rebuke those who had mistaken and misjudged his case, and to restore the patient man to his former prosperity: so now his Majesty hath admitted us his presence and spoken face to face with us, I doubt not but we shall have fairer dayes and be as rich in the possession of our owne, as ever we were I cannot but wonder at those who seeme to doubt the successe of this Parliament, or the misunderstanding betwixt the King and the people should last any longer now we are so happily met.

His Majesties wants are not so great but that we may finde [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] meanes to supply them nor our desires so unreasonable or so in­compatible with government, but that his Majesty, may well sa­t [...]sfie them, for our late experience I hope will teach us what roc [...] to shun, and how necessary the use of moderation is, and for his Majesty he hath had experience enough, how that prospereth which is gotten without the concurrent good will of the people, for never more money was taken from the Subject, nor never more want in the Exchequer, if we looke upon what we have payd it is more then the people of England ever did in such a time, if wee looke upon what hath beene effected therewith, it seemes wee have acted the Belides part, whose punishment was the filling of a sive with water: whosoever gave advise for these courses hath made good the saying of the wise man, Qui conturbat domum suam possidebit ventum, by new wayes they thinke to accomplish wonders, but in truth they grase the wind and are in the meane time ambobus Achilles, cruell to us and to the King too, for let the Common wealth flourish and then, he that hath the Soveraignty can never want or doe amisse so as he governes not according to the interest of others, but goe the shortest and safest wayes to his owne and the Common good with regard how they stand in or­der to any private mans desires or preservation,

The Kings of this Nation have alwayes governed by Parlia­ments: if wee looke upon the successe of things since Parliaments were layd by, it resembles that of the Grecians, Ex illo fluere & retro sublapsa referri Res Danaum, especially in the Subjects part, for though the King hath gotten little the subjects have lost all; but his Majesty shall now heare the truth from us, and we shall make to appeare the errours and wandrings up and downe of our Divines, who would perswade us that a Monarch can be absolute, and that the King may doe all things ad libidinem; re­ceding not onely from their text, though that be a wandering too but from the way which their owne profession might teach thē Stare super vias antiquas, & remoove not the ancient bounds and land markes which our Fathers have set. If to be absolute were to be restrained by no Lawes, then can no King in Christen­dome be so, for they all stand obliged to the Lawes of Christians, and we aske no more, for to this Pillar are our Priviledges fixt, our Kings at their Coronation taking a solemne Oath, not to en­fring [Page 5] them. I am sorry these men take no more care of informing our faith of those things which they told us for our soules health whilst we know them manifestly in the wrong, in that which concernes the libertie, and priviledges of the Subjects of Engl [...]nd▪ but they get promotion and preferment, and then it is no matter though they neither beleeve themselves nor are beleeved of o­thers: but since they are so ready to let loose the consciences of our Kings, we must be the more carefull to provide for our pro­tection against the Pulpit Law, by declaring and reinforcing the municipall Lawes of this Kingdome. It is worth the observing, how now this opinion or rather this way of rising is ever amongst themselves &, yet Mr. Hooper who sure was no refractory man (as they tearme him) thinkes that the first government was arbrita­ry, vntill it was found that to live by one mans will, became the cause of all mens miseries, and that this was the originall of inven­ting Lawes; And Mr. Speaker, if we looke further back, our Histo­ries will tell us that the Prelates of this Kingdome, have often been the mediators betweene the King and his Subjects and to present and pray for redresse to their grievances, and had then as much love and reverence from the people as now they want▪ but these Preachers are more active then their predecessours, and wi­ser then the Lawes, who have found out a better forme of govern­ment, The King must be a more absolute Monarch then any of his predecessours, and to them he must owe it though in the meane time they hazard the hearts of his people and involve him into a thousand difficulties; For suppose the forme of government were convenient (yet this is but a supposition) for these 500 yeares it hath not onely maintained us in safety, but hath made us victo­rious over other Nations: but, I say, suppose they have another Idea of one more convenient, we all know how dangerous Inno­vations are, though to the better, and what hazard those Princes run that enterprise the change of long established government.

Now Mr. Speaker, of all our Kings that have gone before, and of all that are to succeed in this happy Race, why should so good and so pious a King be exposed to this trouble and hazard besides that Kings so diverted can never doe any great things abroad. But Mr. Speaker, whilst these men have bent their wits against the Lawes of their Country, whether they have neglected their owne [Page 6] charge, and what Tares are growne up in the field, which they should have tilled, I leave it to a second consideration, not but that Religion ought to be the first thing in our purposes and desires; but that which is first in dignity is not alwaies to preceed in or­der of time▪ for well being supposed a being, and the first impedi­ment which men naturally endeavour to remove, is the want of those things without which they cannot subsist.

God first assigned unto Adam maintainance of life, and gave him a title above the rest of the creatures before he appointed him a Law to observe, and let me tell you, that if our Adversaries have any such designe, as there is nothing more easie then to impose Re­ligion on people deprived of their liberties, so there is nothing more hard then to doe it upon Free-men; and therefore (Mr, Spe­ [...]ker) I conclude with this motion, that an order may be presently made, that the first things this House will consider of, shall be the restoring this Nation in generall to its fundamentall liberties, the propriety of our goods, and the Freedome of our persons, and that then we will forthwith consider of the supply so much desired, and thus we shall discharge the trust reposed in us by those that sent us hither, his Majesty will see that we will make more then ordi­nary haste to satisfie his demands, and we shall let all those know, that seek to hasten the matters of supply, that they will so farred [...] ­lay it, as they give interruption to the former.