Harbottle Grimstone Esq his Speech.
Mr. Speaker,
WE are called hither by his Majesties Writ to consult of the great and weighty Af∣fairs of the State and Kingdom. There hath now a great and weighty Business been presented to this House, and a Letter hath been read, im∣porting (according to the Interpretation which hath been collected out of it) a Defection of the King's Natural Subjects. This is a great cause, and very worthy of the Consideration and Advisement of this great Council: But I am ve∣ry much mistaken, if there be not a Case here at home of as great danger, as that which is alrea∣dy put. The one stands without at the back∣door (for so dangers from thence in all our Hi∣stories have ever been termed) but the Case we will put, is a Case already upon our backs. And in these great cases of danger, (which so much concern the welfare of the Body Politick) we ought to do like skilful Physicians, that are not led in their Judgments so much by outward ex∣pressions of a Disease, as by the inward Symp∣toms and Causes of it: For it fares with a Body Politick, as it doth with a Natural Body. It is impossible to cure an ulcerous Body, unless you first cleanse the Veins, and purge the Body from the Obstructions and pestilent Humours that sur∣charge Nature; and that being once done, the Botches, Blanes and Scabs, which grow upon the superficies and outside of the Body, will dry up, shed, and fall away of themselves. The Danger that hath now been presented to the House, it standeth at a distance; and we hearti∣ly wish it were farther off: Yet as it stands at a distance, it is so much the less dangerous. But the Case that I shall put, is a Case of great Dan∣ger here at home. And is so much the more dan∣gerous, because it is home-bred, and runs in the Veins.
If the one shall appear to be as great a Danger as the other; we hope it will not be thought un∣reasonable at this time, to put the one as well as the other.
Mr. Speaker,
The Case is this; The Charter of our Liber∣ties, called Magna Charta, was granted unto us by King John, which was but a Renovation and Restitution of the ancient Laws of this King∣dom. This Charter was afterwards in the suc∣cession of several Ages, confirmed unto us above thirty several times, and in the third year of his Majesties Reign that now is, we had more then a Confirmation of it: For we had an Act decla∣ratory past: And then to put it out of all que∣stion and dispute for the future, his Majesty by his gracious Answer, Soit Droit fait come est desire, invested it with the Title of Petition of Right. What expositions contrary to that Law of Right have some men given to the undermining the Li∣berty of the Subjects, with new invented subtil distinctions, and assuming to themselves a pow∣er (I know not where they had it) out of Par∣liament, to supersede, annihilate and make void the Laws of the Kingdom? The Commonwealth hath been miserably torn and massacred, and all Property and Liberty shaken, the Church di∣stracted, the Gospel and Professors of it perse∣cuted, and the whole Nation over-run with swarms of projecting Canker-worms and Cater∣pilla••s, the worst of all the Egyptian Plagues: Then (as the case now stands with us) I conceive there are two points very considerable in it. The first is, What hath been done any way to im∣peach the Liberties of the Subjects, contra∣ry to the Petition of Right? The second is, Who have been the Authors and Causes of it?
The serious examination and discussion of these two Questions, do highly concern his Ma∣jesty in point of Honour, and his Subjects in point of Interest. And all that I shall say to it, are but the words that Ezra used to King Artaxerxes of the settlement of that State, which at that time was as much out of frame and order, as ours is at this present; that which cured theirs, I hope will cure ours: His words are these, Whosoever, saith he, hath not done the Laws of God and the King, let Judgment be speedily executed upon him, whether it be unto Banishment, or to Confiscation of Goods, or to Imprisonment. It may be some do think this a strange Text, and 'tis possible some may think it as strange a Case. As for the Text, every man may read it that will; and for the Case, I am afraid there are but few here, that do not experimentally know it, as bad as I have put it, and how to mend a bad Cause, I take it is part of the Business we now meet about.
His Majesty yesterday did graciously confirm unto us, our great and ancient Liberties of Free∣dom of Speech; and having his Kingly word for it, I shall rest as confidently upon it, as the great∣est security under Heaven, whilst I have the ho∣nour to have a place here, and I shall with all humility be bold to express my self like a Free∣man.
The Diseases and Distempers that now are in our Bodies Politick, are grown to that height, that they pray for and importune a Cure. And his Majesty, out of his tender care and affection to his People, like a Nursing Father, hath now freely offered himself to hear our Grievances and Complaints. We cannot complain we want good Laws; the wit of man cannot invent bet∣ter than are already made: There want only some Examples, that such as have been the Au∣thors and Causes of all our miseries and distracti∣ons in Church and Commonwealth contrary to these good Laws, might be Treacle to expell the Poison of mischief out of others.
But my part is but oftendere partem▪ there∣fore having put the Case, I must leave it to the Judgment of this House, Whether our Dangers here at home, be not as great and considerable, as that which was even now presented?
But Sir Benjamin Rudyard, to qualifie a little the heat of the foregoing Gentleman, adviseth Mode∣ration, that the House would proceed with all caution and tenderness, and to lay aside all Ex∣asperations, &c. as followeth.