Two Speeches
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The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
TWO SPEECHES Of the Lord Chancellor of SCOTLAND:
THE ONE, To the King at Newcastle; declaring, that if His Majesty refuses the advice given Him, He will lose His Friends, Cities, and all England join against Him; whereas, if he hearken to their Council, they will sacrifice their lives and fortunes for establishing of His Throne.
THE OTHER, At a Conference with a Committee of both Houses of Parliament; in answer to certain Votes in Parliament; and giving the reasons, that the Kingdom of Scotland have an equal interest to the Person of the King; and that He cannot be disposed of without the advice of that KINGDOME.
And, that they cannot in Duty nor Honor deliver Him (without His own consent) to be disposed of, as the Two Houses of PARLIAMENT shall think fit.
London, Printed for T. H. Novemb. 9. 1646.
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, his Speech to the Kings Majesty at Newcastle.
YOur Majesty was pleased on Monday last, to call the Lord's of your privy Council of Scotland, and the Committee to acquaint them with the Propositions, and told, that before the delivery of your answer, you would make the same known to them: the time assigned for the stay of the Commissioners is so short, and the consequence of your Majesty's answer is of so great importance, either for the preservation or ruin of your Crown and Kingdoms, as we could not be answerable to God, nor to that trust reposed in us, unless we represent to your Majesty how necessary it is (as the condition of affairs now stand, and in so great an extremity) that your Majesty should assent to the Propositions, & that the danger and loss of your refusal will be remediless, and bring on sudden ruin and destruction.
I shall begin first with the last, which is the danger, and shall next speak a word of the remedy. The differences between your Majesty and your Parliament (which no man knows better then your Majesty's self) are grown to such a height, that after many bloody battles, there is no cure but a present peace, otherwise nothing can be expected but certain destruction. The Parliament is possessed of your Navy, and of all the Forts, Garrisons, and strong Holds of the kingdom. They have the Excise, Assessments, and Sequestrations at their disposal, & have authority to raise all the men & money in the kingdom, and (after many victories and great successes) they have a strong Army on foot, & are now in such a posture for strength and power, as they are in a capacity to do what they will both in Church and State: And some are so afraid, others so unwilling to submit themselves to your Majesty's Government, as they desire not you, nor any of your race longer to reign over them. Yet the people are so wearied of the wars, and great burdens they groan under, are so desirous of peace, and loath to have Monarchial government (under which they have lived so long in peace and plenty) changed, that such as are unwearied of your Maj. Government, dare not attempt to cast it totally off, till once they send Propositions of Peace to your Majesty, lest the people (without whose concurrence they are not able to carry on their design) should fall from them. And therefore all the people being desirous, that (after so great wars & troubles) that they may have a perfect security from oppression & arbitrary power, The houses of Parliament have resolved upon the Propositions, which are tendered to your Majesty, as that without which the kingdom & your People cannot be in safety, and most part of the people think, that there cannot be a firm peace upon any other terms.
Your Majesty's friends, and the Commissioners from Scotland (after all the wrestling they could) were forced to consent to the sending of those Propositions, or to be hated as the hinderers of peace, and to send no Propositions at all. And now, Sir if your Majesty (which God forbid) shall refuse to assent to the Propositions, you will lose all your friends, lose the city and all the country, and all England will join against you as one man, and (when all hope of reconciliation is past) it is to be feared, they will process and depose you, and set up another Government, they will charge us to deliver your Majesty to them, and to tender the Northern Garrisons, and to remove our Army out of England, and upon your Majesty's refusing the Propositions, both kingdoms will be constrained (for their mutual safety) to agree and settle Religion and Peace without you, which (to our unspeakable grief) will ruin your Majesty & your Posterity. And if your Majesty reject our faithful advice who desire nothing on earth more, then the establishment of your Majesty's Throne) and lose England by your willfulness, your Majesty will not be permitted to come & ruin Scotland.
Sir, we have laid our hands upon our hearts, we have asked counsel and direction from God & have laid our most serious thoughts about the remedy, but can find no other (as affairs stand for the present) to save your Crown & Kingdoms, then your Maj. assenting to the Propositions. We dare not say, but they are higher in some things (if it were in our power & option to remedy it, then we do approve of: But when we see no other means for curing the distempers of the kingdoms & closing the breaches between your Maj. & your Parliaments, our most humble & faithful advice is That your Maj. would graciously 〈◊〉 to assent to them, as the best way to procure a speedy & happy peace; because your Maj. shall thereby have many great advantages. You will be received again in your P • rl. with the applause and acclamations of your people: By your Royal presence your friends will be strengthened, your enemies (who fear nothing so much as the gra • ting of the Pr • positions) will be weakened: Your Maj. will have a fit opportunity to offer such Propositions, as you shall in your wisdom judge fit for the Crown & kingdom. All Armies will be disbanded, and your people, finding the sweet fruits of your peaceable government, your Maj. will gain the hearts & affections, which will be your strength & glory, and will recover all that your Maj. hath lost in this time of tempest & trouble. And if it please God so to incline your Royal heart to this advice of your humble & faithful servants, who (next to the honor of God) esteem nothing more precious then the safety of your Person & Crown, our actions shall quickly make it appear to all the world; that we esteem no hazard too great for your Maj. safety & that we are willing to sacrifice our lives and fortunes for establishing of your Throne. And now, Sir, we prostrate ourselves at your Maj. feet, & in the lowest posture of humility do beg; that your Maj. may (in end) grant the suit of your most humble servants & faithful subjects, who have no private aims but only the glory of God, & safety of your Maj. Person, Posterity, and Crown before our eyes. And the granting of our desires will revive our fainting spirits, refresh our sad harts, which are over-whelmed and like to break with sorrow, and will turn the prayers and tears of the many thousands of your people, in praises to God, and make them embrace your Majesty with acclamations of joy.
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland his Speech, at a Con • e • ence in the Painted Chamber with a Committee of both Houses, October 10. 1646.
My Lord's and Gentlemen,
THis day I hope will bring our Conference to some results to be reported to the Houses, and therefore I shall frame my Discourse and Arguments with that succinctnesse as may bring us soonest to a close,
At our first meeting, the subject of our debate was; whether the Right Power of disposing the Person of the King is solely in the two Houses as they shall think fit, or in the two Kingdoms; and at our last meeting, we had some arguing about the same question, but your Lordships did still assert the Vote of the Houses, and we say in respect of the interest and relations which both Kingdoms have equally to the King, especially in the present juncture of affairs, when both Kingdoms are entered in the same League and Covenant, have jeoparded their lives in the same War, are laboring under the same danger, are seeking the same remedies, and stand in need of the same peace and security; and both Kingdoms are bound by our Covenant to preserve unity, and are obliged by Treaty that none of us shall make any peace, cessation, or agreement whatsoever, without mutual advice and consent of both) That the Person of the King cannot be disposed of without the joint advice and consent of both Kingdoms. But as we do acknowledge that England hath parity of interest with Scotland, so do we still offer that they shall have parity of power in disposing of the King: and we do affirm, That the Person of the King, who is King of Scotland as well as of England, and is Head and Monarch of both Kingdoms, cannot be disposed of by any one of the Kingdoms alone: but what ever is to be done concerning his Majesty's person, ought to be done by joint advice and common consent of both, as may serve most for the Peace, security, and happiness of the Kingdoms, which we did prove by several Arguments: To which there was nothing answered in effect, but, that the King being within England, his Person was to be disposed of as the two Houses shall think fit, and that the King being with the Scottish Army, and they being paid by the Parliament of England, he is in effect in the power of the Houses, & ought to be at their disposing in the •• me way as if he had come to the Army of Sir T. Fairfax, or any other of the Parliaments Armies▪ To which we shall not need to make any reply other then we have made already, That the Kings present residence in England, nor no locality, can take away the reality of our relations formerly mentioned by us, far less can it take away the engagements and stipulations between the Kingdoms; and though the Scottish Army paid by the Parliament of England, yet they are the Army of Scotland, raised for pursuance of the ends of the Covenant, and are to be ordered and directed by the Parliaments or Committees of both Kingdoms; And therefore they cannot with conscience, duty, nor honor deliver the person of the King without his own consent to be disposed of as the two Houses shall think fit: but we have declared and do still declare▪ That we are content that the person of the King be disposed of (the word Disposed being taken in a right sense) as may serve most for the peace, safety, security honor and happiness of the King and both Kingdoms: and did offer to your Lordships consideration his Majesty's coming to or near London, as the most probable means for a speedy and well-grounded Peace. And seeing your Lordships have done us the honor to meet with us in this free and brotherly Conference, we do expect that you will concur and assent to this Proposition. or propound a better expedient for the good of both Kingdoms.
But if the honorable Houses will not admit of this Proposition, our next desire is (that it may appear, no lawful and possible means are left unassayed which may procure a happy agreement betwixt the King and his Parliaments, and for our further exoneration) That Commissioners may yet once more be sent from both kingdoms to his Majesty, to show the meaning of our Propositions and to assert them, and to hear the Kings doubts and difficulties, and desires, who may further intimate that (if his Majesty shall not give a satisfactory answer to the Propositions) then both kingdoms will without making any such further application to him, take such course as they shall judge fittest for the peace and security of the kingdoms.
And as at the opening of this Conference I did begin with an humble, lawful, and laudable desire for unity in relation, the King, and amongst ourselves, so shall I close in the same dialict; for the first of Religion, if we do remember our vows to God to perform them, and uniformity according to our Covenant, we may certainly expect that God will crown this great work, wherein he hath honored us to be actors, with his blessing; but if in place of uniformity, which we are obliged to endeavor, there shall be a toleration of all Sects and sores of Religion, and if we neglect to build the house of God, and become insolent upon our successes, although we could mount up with Eagles wings, and build our nests as high as the stars, and had an army who for valor and strength could march to Constantinople, God shall lay our glory low in he dust, and suffer the work to fall in our hands, like the confusion of Babel; And whatever hath been moved by us concerning the King, we desire it may be rightly constructed, as proceeding from such as have not wavered from their first principles; for when the King was in the height of his power, we did not, and (I hope) never shall flatter him; and when the enemy was in the height of their pride and strength, Scotland did fear no colors: and now when the King is at his lowest ebb, and hath cast himself into our Army for safety, we hope your Lordships will pardon us from our sense of honor and duty to be very tender of the person, and posterity of the King, to whom we have so many near relations, and not like the worse of us: that we cannot so far forget our allegiance and duty as not to have an antipathy against the change of Monarchical government, in which we have lived through the descent of so many Kings, and under which both Kingdoms have been governed so many ages, and flourished in all • happiness. And now my last word shall be for constant unity between the Kingdoms, which as it hath been the chief means to pr • mote the great work wherein both kingdoms are so deeply engaged, so there is nothing can make us so informidable to our enemies, nor so much aiding one to another as the cherishing and continuing thereof; and I dare say that no man would divide the one from the other, but such as desire to fish in troubled waters, and are real enemies to both: God hath blest the joint endeavors of both Nations, both are in one ship, and are come through a very great storm, and now when we are come into the harbor, it would be great shame to both to split upon the rocks of division (& devorato bove deficere in cauda) and your Lordships may be confident that Scotland who have esteemed no hazard too great for settling of Religion and love to their Brethren, will stick so fast & firmly to you, (so • ong as you hold the principles of your Covenant) as no fear nor favor will ever be able to divide them from you, and we do expect that reciprocal amity which may perpetuate our un • ty.