TWO SPEECHES ſpoken in the houſe of the LORDS, By the Lord Viſcount Newarke.
The firſt Concerning the right of Biſhops to ſit in Parliament, May 21, 1641.
The ſecond about the lawfulnes and conveniency of their intermedling in Temporall affaires, May the 24th. following.
London, Printed 1641.
I Shall take the boldneſſe to ſpeak a word or two upon this ſubject, firſt as it is in it ſelfe, then as it is in the conſequence: For the former I thinke hee is a great ſtranger in Antiquity, that is not well acquainted with that of their ſitting here, they have done thus and in this manner, almoſt ſince the conqueſt, and by the ſame power and the ſame right the other Peeres did, and your Lordſhips now doe, and to be put from this their due, ſo much their due, by ſo many hundred yeeres ſtrengthened and confirmed,2 and that without any offence, nay, pretence of any, ſeems to mee to be very ſevere; if it be jus, I dare boldly ſay it is ſummum. That this hinders their Eccleſiaſticall vocation, an argument I heare much of, hath in my apprehenſion more of ſhadow then ſubſtance in it: if this be a reaſon, ſure I am it might have been one ſix hundred yeers ago.
A Biſhop, my Lords, is not ſo circumſcribed within the circumference of his Dioceſſe, that his ſometimes abſence can bee termed, no not in the moſt ſtrict ſenſe a neglect or hinderance of his duty, no more then that of a Lievtenant from his County, they both have their ſubordinate Miniſters, upon which their influences fall, though the diſtance be remote.
Beſides, my Lords, the leſſer muſt yield to the greater good; to make wholſome and good Laws for the happy and well regulating of Church and Common-wealth, is certainly more advantagious to both, then the want of the perſonall execution of their office, and that but once in three yeers, and then peradventure but a moneth or two, can be prejudiciall to either. I will go no further to prove this, which ſo long experience hath done ſo fully, ſo demonſtratively.
And now my Lords, by your Lordſhips good leave, I ſhall ſpeak to the conſequence as it reflects both on your Lordſhips, and my Lords the Biſhops. Dangers & inconveniences are ever beſt prevented è longinquo; this preſident comes neere to your Lordſhips, and ſuch a one, that mutato nomine devobis. Pretences are never wanting, nay, ſometimes3 the greateſt evils appeare in the moſt faire and ſpecious outſides, witneſſe the Shipmony, the moſt abominable, the moſt illegall thing that ever was, and yet this was painted over with colour of the Law; what Bench is ſecure, if to alleage, be to convince, and which of your Lordſhips can ſay then hee ſhall continue a member of this Houſe, when at one blow twenty ſixe are cut off. It then behoves the Neighbour to look about him cum proximus ardet Vcalegon.
And for the Biſhops, my Lords, in what condition will you leave them? The Houſe of Commons repreſents the meaneſt perſon, ſo did the Maſter his Slave, but they have none to doe ſo much for them, and what juſtice can tie them to the obſervation of thoſe Laws, to whoſe conſtitution they give no conſent, the wiſdome of former times gave proxies unto this Houſe meerly upon this ground, that every one might have a hand in the making of that, which he had an Obligation to obey: This Houſe could not repreſent, therefore proxies in room of perſons were moſt juſtly allowed.
And now my Lords, before I conclude, I beſeech your Lordſhips to caſt your eyes upon the Church, which I know is moſt deare and tender to your Lordſhips, you will ſee her ſuffer in her moſt principall members, and deprived of that honour which here and throughout all the Chriſtian World ever ſince Chriſtianity ſhe conſtantly hath enjoyed; for what Nation or Kingdome is there in whoſe great and publike aſſemblies, and that from, her beginning, ſhee had not ſome of hers if I may not ſay as eſſentiall, I am ſure I may ſay as integrall,4 parts thereof, and truly my Lords, Chriſtianitie cannot alone boaſt of this or challenge it only as hers, even Heatheniſme claimes an equall ſhare.
I never read of any of them, Civill or Barbarous, that gave not thus much to their Religion, ſo that it ſeems to me to have no other originall, to flow from no other ſpring than Nature it ſelfe.
But I have done, and will trouble your Lordſhips no longer, how it may ſtand with the honour and juſtice of this Houſe to p•ſſe this Bill, I moſt humbly ſubmit unto your Lordſhips, the moſt proper and only Judges of them both.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A81630)
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