ful things, and the Bishops will ever basely stoop to a servile humouring of them.

5. But they have their places only for their lives; and therefore, not fit to have a legislative power over the honours, liberties, properties of the subject:-First: If they have their Bishoprics but for their lives; yet there are scarce any of them, that have not so much temporal estate in fee, as may make them no less capable of a legislative power, than many of the House of Commons, who claim this right. Secondly: Is the case other now, than it hath been all this while? yet, for so many hundred years, there have been good laws, and just sentences given by their concurrence, notwithstanding this their tenure for life. Thirdly: If they be honest and conscionable, though they had their places but for a year or a day, they would not yield to determine ought unjustly and if dishonest and conscienceless, it is not the perpetual inheritance of our places, that can make our determinations just.

6. If dependencies and expectations of further preferment lie in our way, why not equally in many Temporal Lords', who are interested in offices, and places in Court? Why should we be more mis-carriageable by such possibilities or hopes, than others; especially, when our age is commonly such, and the charges of removes so great, that there is small likelihood of an equal gaining by the change?

7. If several and particular Bishops have much encroached upon the consciences of his Majesty's subjects, in matter of their property and liberty; what reason is there to impute this unto all? Why should the innocent be punished for the wrongs of the guilty? Let those, who can be convinced of an offence this way, undergo a condign censure. Let not an unjust prejudice be cast upon the whole calling, for the errors of a few.

8. It is not to be expected, but the whole number of Twentysix should be interested in the maintenance of that their jurisdiction, which both the laws of men and apostolical institution hath feoffed them in :-Why should they not defend their own lawful and holy calling, against all unjust opposition of gainsayers? If their hearts did not assure them their station were warrantable and good, they were beasts, if they would hold them; and, if their hearts do assure them so, they were beasts, if they would not defend them. But there are numbers in all the Three Kingdoms, that cry them down:-True: but there are greater numbers for them; perhaps, a hundred for one. And, if some busy factionists of the meaner sort hereabout (a body compounded of Separatists, Anabaptists, Familists, and such like stuff) make some show and noise, yet what are these, to the whole kingdom? Neither do these men more oppugn our votes in Parliament, than our stations in the Church: so

as this argument will no less hold for no Bishops, than for no votes; as likewise that instance in the practice of Scotland. "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy," they say: the more pity let them look, quo jure; and what answer to make unto that God, whose ordinance it is. But, I had thought it should have been a stronger argument, "England retains Episcopacy therefore, Scotland should;" than "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy: therefore England should do so too. Let there be any other Church named in the whole Christian World, that hath voluntarily abandoned Episcopacy, when it might have continued it: and, if their practice be herein singular, why should not they rather conform to all the rest of Christendom, than we to them?

9. But, the core of all is, that it sets too great a distance between us and our brethren of the Clergy: and so nourishes pride, in us; discontentment, in them; and disquietness, in the Church-an argument, that fights equally against all our superiority over our brethren, and against our votes here. By this reason, we must be all equal; none, subordinate: and what order can there be, where none is above other? What is this, but old Korah's challenge? Ye take too much upon you: wherefore lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? Now, I beseech you, whether was there more pride in Moses and Aaron, that governed; or in Korah and Dathan, that murmured and repined? It is pride, then, that causeth contention: but where is this pride? whether in those, that moderately manage a lawful superiority; or in those, that scorn and hate to be under government? were those brethren so affected as they ought, they should rather rejoice that any of their own tribe are advanced to those places, wherein they might be capable of doing good offices to them and the Church of God; instead of swelling with envy against their just exaltation and would feel this honour done to their profession; and not to the persons. Lastly, what a mean opinion doth this imply to be conceived of us by the suggesters, that we, who are old men, Christian philosophers and divines, should have so little government of ourselves, as to be puffed up with those poor accessions of titular respects, which those, who are really and hereditarily possessed of, can wield without any such taint or suspicion of transportedness!

:

Shortly, in all these Nine Reasons, there is nothing, that may induce an indifferent man to think there is any just ground, to exclude Bishops from sitting and voting in Parliament.

A SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT.

MY LORDS: -I have long held my peace, and meant to have done so still: but now, like to Cræsus's mute son, I must break silence. I humbly beseech your Lordships to give me leave, to take this too just occasion to move your Lordships, to take into your deep and serious consideration the woeful and lamentable condition of the poor Church of England, your dear Mother.

My Lords, this was not wont to be her stile. We have, heretofore, talked of the famous and flourishing Church of England: but, now, your Lordships must give me leave to say, that the poor Church of England humbly prostrates herself, next after his Sacred Majesty, at your Lordships' feet; and humbly craves your compassion and present aid.

My Lords, it is a foul and dangerous insolence, this, which is now complained of to you; but it is but one of a hundred of those, which have been of late done to this Church and Government.

The Church of England, as your Lordships cannot choose but know, hath been and is miserably infested on both sides: with Papists, on the one side; and Schismatics, on the other. The Psalmist hath, of old, distinguished the enemies of it, into wild boars out of the wood, and little foxes out of the burrows: the one whereof goes about to root up the very foundation of religion; the other, to crop the branches, and blossoms, and clusters thereof: both of them conspire the utter ruin and devastation of it.

As for the former of them, I do perceive a great deal of good zeal, for the remedy and suppression of them: and I do heartily congratulate it; and bless God for it; and beseech him to prosper it, in those hands, that shall undertake and prosecute it.

But, for the other, give me leave to say, I do not find many, that are sensible of the danger of it; which yet, in my apprehension, is very great and apparent. Alas! my Lords, I beseech you to consider what it is: That there should be in London and the Suburbs and Liberties, no fewer than fourscore congregations of several sectaries, as I have been too credibly informed; instructed by guides fit for them, Coblers, Tailors, Feltmakers, and such like trash: which all are taught to spit in the face of their Mother, the Church of England;

and to defy and revile her government. From hence have issued those dangerous assaults of our Church-Governors: from hence, that inundation of base and scurrilous libels and pamphlets, wherewith we have been of late overborne; in which Papists and Prelates, like oxen in a yoke, are still matched together. O my Lords, I beseech you, that you will be sensible of this great indignity. Do but look upon these reverend persons. Do not your Lordships see here, sitting upon these benches, those, that have spent their time, their strength, their bodies and lives, in preaching down, in writing down Popery? and which would be ready, if occasion were offered, to sacrifice all their old blood that remains to the maintenance of that truth of God, which they have taught and written? And shall we be thus despitefully ranged with them, whom we do thus professedly oppose? But, alas! this is but one of those many scandalous aspersions and intolerable affronts, that are daily cast upon us. Now whither should we, in this case, have recourse for a needful and seasonable redress? The arm of the Church is, alas! now short and sinewless it is the interposing of your authority, that must rescue us. You are the eldest sons of your dear Mother, the Church; and, therefore, most fit and most able to vindicate her wrongs. You are Amici Sponse: give me leave, therefore, in the bowels of Christ humbly to beseech your Lordships, to be tenderly sensible of these woeful and dangerous conditions of the times. And, if the Government of the Church of England be unlawful and unfit, abandon and disclaim it; but if otherwise, uphold and maintain it. Otherwise, if these lawless outrages be yet suffered to gather head, who knows where they will end? My Lords, if these men may, with impunity and freedom, thus bear down Ecclesiastical Authority, it is to be feared they will not rest there; but will be ready to affront Civil Power too. Your Lordships know, that the Jack Straws, and Cades, and Wat Tylers of former times, did not more cry down learning than nobility: and those of your Lordships, that have read the history of the Anabaptistical tumults at Munster, will need no other item: let it be enough to say, that many of these Sectaries are of the same profession. Shortly, therefore, let me humbly move your Lordships to take these dangers and miseries of this poor Church deeply to heart: and, upon this occasion, to give order for the speedy redressing of these horrible insolencies; and for the stopping of that deluge of libellous invectives, wherewith we are thus impetuously overflown. Which, in all due submission, I humbly present to your Lordships' wise and religious consideration.

A SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT,

IN DEFENCE OF THE

CANONS MADE IN CONVOCATION.

MY LORDS:-I cannot choose but know, that whosoever rises up in this cause must speak with the disadvantage of much prejudice; and, therefore, I do humbly crave your Lordships' best construction. Were it, my Lords, that some few doubting persons were to be satisfied in some scruples about matter of the Canons, there might have been some life in the hope of prevailing; but, now that we are borne down with such a torrent of general and resolute contradiction, we yield: but yet, give us leave, I beseech you, so to yield, that posterity may not say we have willingly betrayed our own innocence.

First, therefore, let us plead to your Lordships and the World, that, to abate the edge of that illegality, which is objected to us; it was our obedience, that both assembled and kept us together, for the making of Synodical Acts. We had the Great Seal of England for it; seconded by the judgments of the oracles of law and justice: and, upon these, the command of our superior, to whom we have sworn and owe canonical obedience. Now in this case, what should we do? Was it for us to judge of the Great Seal of England? or to judge of our judges? alas! we are not for the Law, but for the Gospel: or to disobey that authority, which was to be ever sacred to us? I beseech your Lordships, put yourselves a while into our condition. Had the case been yours, what would you have done? If we obey not, we are rebels to authority: if we obey, we are censured for illegal procedures. Where are we now, my Lords? It is an old rule of casuists, Nemo tenetur esse perplexus. Free us, one way or other: and shew us, whether we must rather hazard censure, or incur disobedience.

In the next place, give us leave to plead our good intentions. Since we must make new Canons, I persuade myself we all came, I am sure I can speak for one, with honest and zealous desires to do God and his Church good service; and expected to have received great thanks, both of Church and Commonwealth for your Lordships see, that the main drift of those Canons was to repress and confine the indiscreet and lawless