A COPIE OF A LETTER SENT By Mr. SPEAKER, To all the Corporations in England. And the like alſo to all the Juſtices of Peace, in the ſeverall Counties of England: Drawn out by Order of the Houſe of COMMONS.
ALSO, A Worthie, Learned, and Religious Speech; Delivered by the Earl of Cork, to the Proteſtant Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of Ireland, at a Generall Aſſembly holden at Cork, Ian. 20. 1641.
WHEREIN Is expreſſed, the generall Calamitie of that Kingdome, with his Encouragement and deſire unto the ſaid Aſſembly, to provide preſent Relief and Succour for the diſtreſſed and afflicted Proteſtants.
LONDON. Printed for Robert Hodgekinſonne. 1642.
The Endorcement was thus; TO A.B. Major of C. and to D.E. Recorder, and to all His Majeſties Juſtices of Peace of the ſaid town: and ſo the like to the Juſtices of the ſeverall Counties.
It is now ſome months ſince, that the Proteſtation taken by the Lords & Houſe of Commons was ſent down into the Country, with an expectation that it ſhould be generally taken throughout the Kingdome for a teſtimony of their good conourrence with the Parliament, but through the remiſſeneſſe of ſome of thoſe who had the care of recommending it to others, very many there be that have not hitherto taken it.
Novv the Houſe of Commons having diſcovered many dangerous deſigns plotted againſt the Parliament, eſpecially of the 4th of this inſtant Ianuar ▪ which had it taken effect, would have ſtrucken not only at the Priviledges, but the very Being of Parliaments, as will appeare more by the Declaration herevvith ſent unto you, vvhich the Houſe deſires you to publiſh in your Corporation, and the Liberties and Parts thereof (as the ſame is alſo to bee publiſhed by the Iuſtices of the ſeverall Shites) have thought fit once again to recommend the taking of this Proteſtation.
And have therefore commanded me in their names, to deſire you the Major, and Iuſtices of the Peace of the ſaid Corporation, to meet together in one place, as ſoon as poſſibly you may, and there to take the Proteſtation your ſelves; and there alſo calling the Miniſters of the ſeverall Pariſhes vvithin your ſaid Corporations, and the Conſtables, Church-vvardens, and Overſeers of the Poore, and all other the Inhabitants of the ſame Corporation, both Houſe-holders, and others being of 18, years of age, or upvvards, to tender unto them the ſaid Proteſtation, to be taken in your preſence, and to take the names both of them that do take, & do refuſe to take the ſame Proteſtation, and to make return therof to the Burgeſſes, ſerving for the ſaid Corporation, before the 12th of March next, wherein the Houſe deſires your great care and diligence, as a matter very much importing the good both of the King, and Kingdome, which being all I have in Command, I reſt,
THe occaſion of this preſent Aſſembly, (but I could heartily deſire, that ſome more happy cauſe had called us together) is the general calamity, which like a Leopard hath overſpread, and over-run almoſt the body of this Kingdome. We have bin a very long time under a moſt heavie perſecution of a moſt bloody and barbarous enemy, whoſe, as yet uncontrolled malice, hath ſo farre proceeded, that it hath brought to ruine whole amilies, nay deſtroyed, and quite overthrown the faireſt of our buildings, and whole towns and Cities. I intend not now to paint over our ſorrowes, or to renew our griefes by the ſad recapitulation of them; for I am fully perſwaded that none here preſent, but like mine, their hearts do bleed at the heavie remembrance and conſideration of the now preſent miſeries of this Kingdome.
The enemies have ſo much inſulted over our names and perſons, that they have indeavoured to pleaſe and ſatisfie themſelves with choice and variety in our afflictions, and hath made it part of their triumphs to invent and afflict upon us new and vnparallel'd torments. You have heard rhe cryes of diſtreſſed mothers, who hourly expected that the ſame which made them widdowes and childleſſe, ſhould prove mercifull vnto them, and make them breathleſſe. You have here ſeen the ſtout-hearted husband forced and conſtrained to behold a ſpectacle as full of ſorrow, as inhumanity, while the barbarous enemy took his deareſt and boſome friend, and raviſht her, he was made a beholder, and was much more grieved at his own impotency to relieve, then the cruelty of that moſt vnnaturall ſpectacle, whoſe heart being now filled with the horn of ſo due a ſight, and yet not yeelding to its own wait of miſery, intreated and found the mercifull hand of the enemy to diſpatch from all his ſorrow. My Lords, and the reſt of this worthy Aſſemblie, theſe are but a few of the thouſands of cruelty, which our brethren have ſuffered, and ſince as yet groan vnder, every day affords vnto vs new matter of griefe, and ſhold I be as voluminous in my relations, as they in their practiſes, I ſhould tire out the day, and your patience, and yet not reach the head of their bloody actions.
This day and m••ting was deſigned for ſome other purpoſe,•••n to rub over our old ſores, that were but to aggravate, and not redreſſe them.
The intended action for this preſent time, is to procure a remedy for our eminent evils, which if not speedily adminiſtred, an univerſall ſub•••ſion is like to ſucceed. We have bin a long while flattered w•th hopes of relief from England, and other Countries, but wee find them ſo ſlow in their ſuccour, that if we feed our ſelves any longer, with ſuch or the like expectation, it is to be juſtly feared that ruine will overtake and overwhelme us, and our whole eſtates, before the remedy be applyed, Wee have the too many and great encouragements to warrant our undertakings, which are not meerly ſuppoſall, but reall and ſubſtantiall.
It hath been held, and is at this day lawfull, and neceſſary dimicate pro aris & ſocis, to fight for our God, Religion, and our poſſeſſions, for the liberty of our Conſciences, and the liberty of our perſons. In both theſe we have much ſuffered under the inſo•ent perſecution of our barbarous enemy.
Let us not, my Lords, ſtand like men amazed, or diſtracted with ſuch malicious proceedings, but let us quit our ſelves like men, and having the advantage of the cauſe, although not of power proceed valiantly. The battell we ſhall fight is the Lord of hoſts, who is able to ſave and give victory aſwell by few, as by a numerous army, and ſtrength. Remember and conſider, that God is not ſo confin'd to multitudes, neither can the number of multitudes prevaile in the day of battell, without the aſſiſtance and protection of the Almighty. Let us therefore, my Lords and Gentlemen, with one body, and with one affection, prepare and make ready, to oppoſe and countermand the contumacy and ſtubborneſſe of the bloudy perſecutor, who in all his paſſages breaths nothing but ruine and deſtruction. My perſon and aſſiſtance ſhall not be deficient to ſo good a cauſe, but I ſhall indeavour to ſerve my God, my King, and Country, with my utmoſt indeavour both of perſon and fortune, and ſhall count my ſelf happy, if it be my lot to make my ruine & overthrow in the defence of ſo honourable a cauſe. For praeſtat per virtutem emori, quam per dedecus vivere, I had rather dye in a noble and religious cauſe, then live fortunate under ſo baſe an enemy both to God, the King, and his Country. And if there be any here, as I hope, and believe there are none, of ſo degenerate and baſe condition, that ſhall indeavour to ſhift themſelves from off this undertaking, becauſe their habitation is remote, and the danger hath not as yet took progreſſe ſo far to them. I thus reply, and anſwer them in the Popes language and phraſe. Paries cum proximus ardes, tunc tua res agitur. When thy neighbours houſe is on fire, thou art not ſecure, but the ſame danger may reach thee alſo. There is no true, religious, and loyall breſt, but hath a ſhare in a publique calamity: neither is any Member ſo ſecure, but the ſame misfortune which made the head to ake, may alſo make the reſt of the Members grieve. Miſchief which is uncontrold goes apace, and overtakes the careleſſe mind in his depth of ſecurity. J am afraid I have been too tedious in my diſcourſe, but I will now end in a word; let not the inſolency of the enemy, or conſideration of the hazard, prevaile over the goodneſſe and juſtice of the cauſe, and your noble and undanted courages, but be as valiant as your cauſe is juſt, and I doubt not, the ſucceſſe will crowne your actions with honour, procure peace and quiet both to your Conſciences and poſſeſsions, and ſo ſhall you inherit the everlaſting names of men, religious and pious to your God, loyall to your Soveraign, and faithfull to your Country.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A87849)
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