moft irrevocable? But I fpeak not this as if any here would omit or extenuate the Supremacy of Juftice in the leaft Thought; to admonish you of that Point, were to bid the Moon keep her monthly Courfe, the Sphears to reduce themfelves in their Circumference, or the Sun to fhine upon the Earth: but I fpeak this only to add a Spur unto you, leaft we should at any time languish in our Heaven-proceeding Journey. The Cries of the People have come up unto me, the Voice of the whole Nation tingles in my Ears; and methinks I hear each Subject with, that we would briefly eftablifh the Church-Govern ment with all Expedition. Let us first begin to confirm our Religion, and God will bless our other Proceedings the better; that was al ways my Opinion, and I am fure the ExpeEtation of the whole Kingdom: How long have we fate here? and how little have we effected? How much Time have we confumed, and what little have we performed herein? How long have we laboured in this our daily Travel, and as yet have brought forth but an Embryo in what we did intend? 'Tis true, I confefs, we have fomented our felves with daily Troubles and Vexations, and been very folicitous for the Welfare of the Commonwealth; but what have we performed, or what have we perfected?

I will once more relate what my former Opinion was, let us (I fay) begin in the real

Efta

Establishment of our Religion, and (as I faid) all our other Determinations will fucceed with a better Omen; for, indeed, moft of our Delinquents are link'd to this Chain, they depend most on this Point, therefore we fhould do well to enter fpeedily upon the Work. Mr. Speaker, excufe my Zeal in this Cafe; for my Mouth cannot imprison what my Mind intends to let out, neither can my Tongue conceal that which my Heart defires to promulge. Behold the Archbishop, (that great Incendiary of this, Kingdom) lies now like a Fire-brand, rak'd up in the Embers, but if he ever chance to blaze again, I am afraid, what heretofore he had but in a Spark, he will fully burn down to the Ground in a full Flame. Wherefore, Mr. Speaker, let us begin, for the Kingdom is pregnant with Expectation in this Point: I confefs there are many more Delinquents, for the Judges and other Knights walk in Quirpo, but they are but Thunder-bolts forg'd in Canterbury's Fire: Look upon them all with an impartial Eye, and you will find them all but as polluted Rivers flowing from that corrupt Fountain, Well, is it fo then, that all depend on Religion? Why are we then fo backward in not reforming the Church? Why do we stick in this Point, and not rather proceed in it with all Expedition? For indeed, according to the Laws of this Kingdom, as it hath the Dignity of Preeminence,

eminence, fo let us give it the Priority in our Determinations.

Mr. Speaker, think with your felf, I pray, in what Faction the Church is now, in what Schifm, in what Confufion of diftracted SeEtaries it is promifcuoufly fhaken: Behold the Papift will have their Way, the Brownifts will have their Way, the Anabaptifts their Way, the Puritan (as fome call them) their Way, the Jefultical Priefts their Way ; and in these various Ways they make such a Labarynth of Religion, that few or none fcarce can find out the right way. It behoves us therefore, and is expedient that we Thould add a Period to thefe irregular Ways, that the Vulgar may no longer wander ftill in thefe diftracted Parts. A TO

Mr. Speaker, I have now unloaded my Mind of her weary Burthen, and I beseech you digeft my Words with your ferious Confiderations in this refpect of Establishing the Church-Government, in true, fincere, per fect, and unpolluted Religion; which if we do perform, and fully effect, we fhall do great Honour to God, get great Credit to our felves, and give great Satisfaction to the whole Kingdom.co

This is my Opinion, this is my Expectation, this is my Prayer; and laftly, this is my Hope.

The

300

The Earl of PEMBROKE's Speech in Parliament, on Monday the 19th of December, 11641. concerning Accommodation.

My Lords,

Have not used to trouble you

Speeches, I know I am an ill Speaker; but though I am no Scholar, I am an ho neft Man, and have a good Heart to my King and Country.

I have more to lose than many of these who so hotly oppose an Accommodation: I will not forfeit mine Eftate, to fatisfie; their Humours or Ambitions. My Lords, Tis time to look about us, and not to fuffer our felves to be fooled out of our Lives, our Honours, and our Fortunes, to help thofe Men, who, when their Turns are ferved, will defpife us, and begin to laugh at us already.

A Fellow here of the Town, an ordinary, fcurvy Fellow, told me the other day to my Face, That he cared not if I left them to Morrow; nay, if all the Lords (except three or four, that he named, and faid, he was fure would not leave them) went to the King, they fhould do their Business the better. Yet, my Lords, I think we have help ed them I am fure they could never have brought it to this without us, if we had not joynęd

1

joyned with them: I think the People would not have followed the House of Commons; now they can do their Bufinefs without us: "Twill be worfe fhortly, if we do not look about us. My Lords, we were told this time Twelve month, if we would put out the Bifhops out of the Lords Houfe, no further Attempt fhould be made upon the Church; I am fure I was promised fo, by fome who would be thought honest Men; and when I told them, it was reported, that they meant to take away Epifcopacy, and the Book of CommonPrayer; they protested to me, That in the firft they intended nothing, but to appoint fome godly Minifters to affift the Bishops in Ordination, and fome other Things that I do not understand: And for the Book of CommonPrayer, they who were ftricteft against it, and would never be prefent at it, affured me, That if it were once confirmed by Act of Parliament, (for they faid many Things were put into it by the Bifhops, without Au-. thority) they would be content, and, on my Confcience, fo they would, if they had the Places they then looked for

Now nothing will content them, but, No Bishop, no Book of Common-Prayer; and fhortly it will be, No Lords, no Gentlemen, and no Books at all, for we have Preachers already, that can neither Write nor Read.

My Lords, I wonder what we shall get by this War; we venture more than other Men';