thrown, In optimi principis finu occidit, is not fo much as his Excufe.

He not only by this Means made us liable to all the effects of an Invafion from without, but by a Destruction of our Industry, made us liable to the terribleft of all Inva-: fions, that of Want and Poverty at home fo that if what he plotted had taken root, and he made as fure of it, as his Declaration would make it that himself was Parliamentproof, in this Wealthy and Happy Kingdom there would have been left no abundance but of Grievances and Discontentments, and no Satisfaction but amongst the Guilty. It is ge nerally observed of the Plauge, that the infecting of others is an earneft and conftant Defire of all that are feifed by it; and as this Design resembles that Difeafe, in the Ruine and Diffolution it would have wrought, fo it feems no less like it in this Effect; he having fo laboured to make others fhare in that Guilt, that his Sollications were not only his Accounts, but his Works, making use both of his Authority, his Intereft, and Importunity, to perfwade, and of his Majefty's Name (whofe Piety is known) to give that extraordinary and godlike Prerogative to his Perfon, that the Law gives to his Place, not to be able to do wrong, to threaten the rest of the Judges to fign Opinions contrary to Law, to affign Answers contrary to their Opinions, to give Judgment which they ought not to

have given, and to recant Judgment when they had given it as they ought; fo that whofoever confiders this his Care of our Concerment both in the Growth and Immortality of this Project, cannot but by the fame way, by which the Wifeft Judgment found the true Mother of the Child, difcover him not only to have been the Fofterer, but the Father of this moft pernicious and envious Defign. I fhall not need to obferve that this was plotted by an Englishman against England, which increaseth the Crime to no lefs a degree, than Parricide is beyond Murder. That this was done in the greateft Matter against the greatest Trust joyn'd to the greateft Oaths, being againft the general Liberty and Publick Property, by a Sworn Judge; and if Salt it felf becomes unfavoury, the GoSpel it felf hath decided whither it must be caft; that he poisoned our very Antidotes, and turned our Guard into a Deftruction, making the Law the ground of Illegality; that he used this Law not only against Us, but against it felf, making it (as I may fay) Felo de fe, making the Pretence (for I can fcarce fay the Appearance) of it to contribute to the Utterance of it felf.

I fhall not need fay, that either this or nothing can be of the highest kind, and in the higheft Degree of Parliamentary Treafon; a Trea Jon which needs not a Computation of many feveral accounts, that alone were not Treafon,

to

to prove a Treafon altogether; and by a Demonftration of the Intention, to make that formerly Treafon; which was materially but a Mifdemeanor, a Treafon, as well againft the King, as against the Kingdom, for whatfoever is against the Whole, is undoubtedly against the Head, which takes from his Majefty the ground of his Rule, the Law; (for if the Foundation be deftroyed, the Pinnacles are most endangered) which takes from his Majefty the principal Honour of his Rule, the ruling over Freemen, a Power as much nobler than that over Villains, as that is over Beasts; which endeavoured to take from his Majefty the Principal Support of his Rule, their Hearts and Affections over whom he rules; a better and furer Strength and Wall to the King, than the Sea is to the Kingdom; and by creating a mutual Diftruft, and by that, mutual Difaffection among them, to hazard the Danger even of the Destruction of both.

My Lords, I fhall the lefs need to preys this, because it is Unreasonable in any Cafe to fufpect your Juftice, and your Intereft fo nearly united ; your great Share in the Poffeffions of this Land, giving you an equal Concernment in the Property; the Cares, and Pains used by your Noble Anceftors in the Founding and Afferting of our Common Liberties, rendering the Juft Defence of them your most proper and peculiar Inheritance; and both

exciting you to oppofe and extirpate all fuch Defigns, as did introduce, and would have Settled an Arbitrary, that is, an intolerable Form of Government, and even made your Lordships and your Pofterity but Right Honourable Slaves.

My Lords, I will fpend no more Words luctando cum larva, in accufing the Ghost of a departed Perfon, whom his Crimes accufe more than I can do, and his Absence accufeth no lefs than his Crimes; neither will I excuse the Length of what I have faid, becaufe I cannot add an excufe without adding to the Fault of my own Imperfections, either in the Matter or Manner of it, which I know muft appear the greater by being compared with that Learned Gentleman's great Ability, who hath preceded me at this time: I will only defire by the Command, and in the Behalf of the Houfe of Commons, that this Proceeding against the Lord Finch may be put in as fpeedy a way of Difpatch, as in fuch Cafes the Courfe of Parliament will allow.

Arch

256

Archbishop WILLIAMS's Speech against ta= king away the Bishops Votes in Parliament, in 1641.

I

Shall defire as much Time of your Honourable Lordships, as your Lordships can well afford in a Committee, because all I intend to speak in this Bufinefs must be to your Lordships only, as refolved, for my own Part, to make no remonftrance at all to his moft Excellent Majefty, for feveral Reafons; And therefore, being not like to make any farther Appeal, I humbly defire your Patience to fpeak for fome longer Time than I have accustomed in a Committee; in which length, notwithstanding I hope to ufe a great deal of Brevity, fome length in the Whole, and much fhortnefs in every parti cular Head, which I mean fo to diftinguish and beat out, that not only your Lord hips, but the Lords, my Brethren, may enlarge themselves upon all the Particulars, which neither my Abilities of Body can perform, nor does my. Intention or Purpose aim at, at this time. I will therefore caft this whole Bill into fix feveral Heads, wherein I hope to comprehend all that I fhall fay, or any Man elfe can materially touch upon in this Bill. The firft is, the Rife or Motive of this