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felfe, may we be apprehended and taken from this house upon the fame our Tryall, will be by force immediately, to cutt us of although his Majestie no ether-wife conceives and is really minded we should legally be proceeded againft, of fuch powerfullnes, are thofe perfons that were the Authors of

them.

Master Speaker the Articles if actually guiltie of are many of them, I confeffe high treafon as to endeavour to fubuert the fundamentall lawes to introduce an Arbitrary forme of government to the ftate actually to levi warr against the King to procure forraigne aide to inuade this Land and the like is Treafon I need not speake much to cleare my felfe of these crimes I hope this honourable house will make fuch a favorable conftruction of all my actions fince I have had the honour to fitt in the fame, that it will be manifeft to all the world that they have been far with out the compaffe of treafon either against my King or Country.

And Mafter Speaker if it fhall be conceived by this honourable affembly, as learnedly it hath already been delivered by that worthy Gentleman that laft fpake, that as members of a Parliament, to agree with the fame in all their votes, for the punishment of delinquents, fetling of religion, fecuring of their owne perfons by a guard defiring affiftance of our brethren in Scotland, to fuppreffe the rebellion in Ireland be Treason, then I thinke we are all guilty of thefe Articles, otherwife are wee cleere and innocent of the fame.

Mafter Speaker, I humbly defire of this honourable House, that I may have a speedy tryall upon the fame, that as I fhall bee found guilty by the Iudgement of this high Court, I may know my sentence, which I fhall willingly fubmit unto; be it to my condemnation, or prefervation, wishing and praying with all my heart, that none of thefe evill and malicious defignes. in agitation against the Parliament by any malignant perfons whatsoever may take effect to hinder the bleffed proceedings thereof, but that you may goe one with courage and cheerfulnes, to fettle all things aright, both in Church and State, for the government thereof in perpetuall peace and tranquillity.

Sir ARTHVR HASLERIGG his SPEECH in Parliament. Whereby, hee cleareth himfelfe of the Articles of High Treason, exhibited against Himselfe, the Lord KIMBOLTON, Mr. IOHN PYMM, Mr. HAMPDEN, Mr. STR OVD, and Mr. HOLLIS: By his Majestie on TUESDAY the 4th of JANUARY. 1642.

Mr. SPEAKER,

His misfortune of mine feems to me at the firft exceeding ftrange, not onely in respect of the Crimes laid to my Charge, but most of all having thereby incurred not only the disfavour but irefull difpleasure of his fa

cred

cred Majestie. For the firft, knowing the innocency and integrity of my heart, that it is free from any fuch Crime, either in thought, word or deed, againft either my gratious Soveraigne or my native Country, I fhall the more eafily beare the burthen of the Charge; but to groane under the burthen of a moft Pious and Wife Prince his displeasure, wounds me fore.

Mr. SPEAKER; I humbly defire fo much favour of this Honourable Houfe of which I have had the happines to be a Member, to fpeake something of my Innocence in all thefe Crimes I am charged withall.

This Honourable Houfe (Mr. SPEAKER,) can I hope witnes for me, the manner of my carriage and difpofition in any debate or Arguments wherein I have beene one. I hope nothing hath proceeded from me; that can come any wayes within the compaffe of Treafon.

In all Difputes and Conclufions of any matter by Vote of the Houfe my Vote hath commonly agreed with the Major part then I hope my Vote in Parliament being free cannot be Treason.

Mr. SPEAKER; The Articles that are exhibited against me and the other Gentlemen, are of moft dangerous and pernitious confequence, if wee fhould be found guilty of them, which GoD defend, I would to God thefe perfons that incenfed his Majeftie against us, (which is easily conceived who they are) were as free from thoughts, words nay actions within the limits of Treafon) as I hope we shall prove our felves, by Gods bleffing.

Mr. SPEAKER; It is alleadged, we have indeavoured to fubvert the Fundamentall Lawes of this Land, abridge the KINGS power, and deny his Royall Prorogatives. Give me leave, I besceech you, to fpeake concerning this Article. There is (as I conceive) not two Formes of Government in this Kingdome; there is not two forts of Fundamentall Lawes : there is but one forme of Government; One fort of Fundamentall Lawes, that is, the Common Lawes of this Land, and Acts Statutes and Ordinances of PARLIAMENT, these two Mr. SPEAKER, depend and hang one upon another, fo that they cannot be feperated; and he that fubverts the one, breaks and infringes the Priviledges of the other; and he that breakes the Priviledges of the one, fubverts the other. Now vnder favour Mr. SPEAKER, to fpeake freely in Parliament (freely called and affembled by his Majefties moft Royall Authority) to Vote freely in the fame, upon the conclufion of any Bill to be made a Law by the whole Confent of PARLIAMENT affented to by his Majeftie: to agree in Voting with the whole PARLIAMENT against Delinquents and Malefactors in the State, to bring them to condigne punishment for the fame: to give my Vote in the House for removing evill Councellors from his Sacred Majestie, to place loyall and faithfull ones in their Place: To affent with the whole State affembled together in Councell for the fetling of peace and tranquillity in the fame: To ordaine and enact fuch wholefome Lawes and Ordinances whereby his Majefties good Subjects may be governed in righteoufneffe and good obedience: To Vote with the Houfe for redreffing the many grievances of the Common-Wealth. If these be to fubvert the Fundamentall Lawes of the Land, then Mr. Speaker am I guilty of this Article in giving my Vote against the Earle of Strafford; in Voting thofe Acts already made and paffed

by

by his Majestie, in Voting against the Bishops; in Protesting to maintain the Fundamentall Lawes of the Land, the true Proteftant Religion, according to the true Doctrine of the Church of England. I fay then Mr. Speaker in this am I guilty of high Treason: but if this be not to fubvert the Lawes of the Land; then (as I conceive) am I cleare from being guilty of this Article. Which I humbly leave to the confideration of this Honourable House.

Under favour (Mr. SPEAKER) I come now to the other Articles of the Charge: I will onely recite the fubftance of them; for they all harpe on one thing: To indeavour to bring in an Arbitrary and tyrannicall Forme of Goverment: To invite Tumults, and unlawfull reforts of multitudes of People to the Parliament to be a colour for our Defignes: To raife Forces and Armies in this Land to affift me in my practifes: To invite forreign Princes to bring an Army into the Land: To indeavour by Declarations, Proclamations, and otherwife to alienate the hearts of his Majefties loyall Subjects from their lawfull Soveraigne therby to avert their due obedience from him, and having an evill opinion of his facred Majefty, to fide with us, and take our parts to effect our Defignes.

Give me leave I befeech you to speak concerning these Crimes: And first Mr. Speaker to indeavour to bring in an Arbitrary power and tyrannicall Forme of Goverment in the Subject, is to deny Parliamentary proceedings: To oppofe the Lawes enacted by Parliaments: To incenfe his Majestie against Parliaments; To proteft and petition against the proceedings thereof, is to bring in an Arbitrary forme of Goverment. But to agree with the Parliament being a Member therof by Vote to make and enact Laws; I conceive this cannot be termed Arbitrary; neither I perfwade my felfe can the effects thereof be tyrannicall.

Secondly, concerning the late Tumults about the House, I am innocent thereof; neither came they by my invitation or incouragement: I alwayes thought their reforts in that fort were illegall and riotous: I have Voted with this Houfe for their fuppreffing; have affented to all Orders for their appealing; agreed with the Parliament in all things concerning their Petitions and Requests: Then I hope this Honourable Houfe will not conceive me guilty of this Crime: if it be one, and granted; yet I conceive far without the limits of Treafon for these reasons.

1. They came not with Armes to force any thing to be done in Parliament; but humbly by Petition fhewed their grievances, and defired redreffe therof which is one Priviledge (and one of the greateft) to make their griefes knowne to a Parliament, and by them to be relieved.

2 They offered no Affault; but (being affaulted) preferved themfelves and departed.

3 The matter of their clamor was not against the King nor any of his Councell: It was not against the Lords, nor House of Commons: It was only against Delinquents, against fuch as had been the greatest oppreffors of them.

Thirdly, I come in a word to the other Articles of the Charge which I intend to speake of (under favour) altogether: I pray you who raised any Army

Army actually in this Land but the trained Bands, which was done by the Parliament for the fecurity of their own Persons in the Kings abfence; and in obedience to his commands at his return home they were discharged, and afterwards againe raised by his Majefties owne Royall Authority. And for inviting or procuring any forreigne Princes to ayd mee with an Army, I am altogether innocent therein; I know of no ayd required but from Scotland, which is done by the Parliament, my Vote as a Member thereof onely agreeing with them in the fame: And that ayd is procured for his Majefties affiftance in fubduing the Rebellion in Freland, and (as I conceive) for no other purpose. And for the laft Article wherewith I am charged, I hope to be cleered by this whole Houfe for what Declamations or Proclamations have beene published but by Authority of the Parliament, joyn'd with his Majesties moft Royall Power and affent thereunto. It is manifeft to all People that nothing is published by the Parliament; or any of the Members thereof but tendeth to the winning of the hearts of his Majefties Subjects to dutifull obedience and intire love and tender affection towards their gracious Soveraigne. And I dare confidently say, that there is none of his Majefties Subjects that are true Proteftants, and well affected to Religion; but upon the leaft command of his Majefties, will spend their deareft blood in defence of his Sacred Perfon, his Queen and Princely Iffue, of the Laws and Conftitutions of this Kingdome, of Parliaments and the Rights and Priviledges thereof; of Religion and the Doctrine of the Church of England. And therfore I conceive I am far from intending any Treafon either against his Majestic or Kingdome. And thus craving pardon for my prefumption and humbly thanking this Honourable Houfe for their patience, befeeching them to have a good opinion of mee and my Actions, that I may receive fuch Tryall as to their wifedomes fhall feeme meet, with my hearty Prayers for the happy continuance of this Parliament; to effect and finifh fuch great matters both in Church and State, as may advance Gods glory, fettle all things in a right frame for the good Gover ment of this Kingdome, and the everlafting peace and tranquillity of his Majefty and all his Kingdomes.

VOL. II.

E

A DISCREET

A DISCREET and LEARNED SPEECH: Spoken in the PARLIAMENT, on WEDNESDAY, the 4. of JANUARY, 1641. By Mr. HAMPDEN, Burgeffe for BUCKINGHAM, Concerning the Accufation of High Treafon, preferred by His Majefty, against himselfe the Lord KIMBOLTON, Sir ARTHUR HASLERIGG, Mr. P Y м, Mr. STROWD, Mr. HOLLIS, worthy Members of the Houfe of COMMONS. Therein worthily declaring the difference betwixt a good fubject and a bad, and referring his own Triall to the Iudgment of that Honorable Affembly.

Mr. Speaker,

I

T is a true faying of the Wife man, that all things happen alike to all men, as well to the good man as to the bad, there is no ftate or condition whatfoever, either of profperity or adverfity, but all forts of men are sharers in the fame, no man can be difcerned truely by the outward appearance, whether he bee a good fubject, either to his God, his Prince, or his Countrey, untill he be tryed by the touchftone of loyalty: give me leave I befeech you, to parallell the lives of either fort, that we may in fome meafure difcern truth from falfehood, and in fpeaking I fhall fimilize their lives. First, in Religion towards God. Secondly, in loyalty and due fubjection to their Soveraigne, in their affection towards the fafety of their Countrey. Firft, concerning Religion, the beft meanes to difcerne between the true and falfe Religion is, by fearching the facred Writings of the old and new Teftament, which is of itfelf pure, and indited by the Spirit of God, and written by holy men, unfpotted in their lives and converfation, and by this facred Word may we prove whether our Religion bee of God or no, and by looking in this glaffe we may difcern whether we are in the right way or no. And looking into the fame, I find that by this truth of God, that there is but one God, one Chrift, one Faith, one Religion, which is the Gospell of Christ, and the doctrine of the Prophets, and Apostles.

In thefe two Teftaments is contained all things neceffary to falvation, if that our Religion doth hang upon this Doctrine, and no other fecondary meanes, than is true to which comes nearest the Proteftant Religion, which wee profeffe, as I really and verily believe, and confequently that Religion, which joyneth with this Doctrine of Chrift, and his Apoftles, the traditions and inventions of men, Prayers to the Virgin Mary, Angels, Saints; that ufeth in the exercise of their Religion; ftrange and fuperftitious worshipping, cringing, bowing, creeping to the Altar, ufing Pictures, Dirges, and fuch like, cannot be true, but erroneous, nay divelifh, and all this is ufed and maintained in the Church of Rome, as neceffary as the Scripture to Salvation.

Therefore

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