TWO SPEECHES Of the Lord Chancellour 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 joyn againſt Him; whereas, if he hearken to their Councell, 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 equall 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 Honour deliver Him (without His owne conſent) to be diſpoſed of, as the Two Houſes of PARLIAMENT ſhall think fit.
London, Printed for T. H. Novemb. 9. 1646.
YOur Majeſty was pleaſed on Monday laſt, to call the Lords of your privie Councel 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 Majeſties anſwer is of ſo great importance, either for the preſervation or ruine of your Crown and Kingdoms, as we could not be anſwerable to God, nor to that truſt repoſed in us, unleſſe we repreſent to your Majeſty how neceſſary it is (as the condition of affaires now ſtand, and in ſo great an extremity) that your Majeſty ſhould aſſent to the Propoſitions, & that the danger and loſſe of your refuſall will be remedileſſe, and bring on ſudden ruine 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 knowes better then your Majeſties ſelf) are grown to ſuch a height, that after many bloudy battels, there is no cure but a preſent peace, otherwiſe nothing can be expected but certain deſtruction. The Parliament is poſſeſt of your Navy, and of all the Forts, Gariſons, and ſtrong Holds of the kingdome. They have the Exciſe, Aſſeſments, and Sequeſtrations at their diſpoſall, & haue 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 Majeſties Government, as they deſire not you, nor any of your race longer to raign over them. Yet the people are ſo wearied of the wars, and great burthens they groan under, are ſo deſirous of peace, and loath to2 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 tendred to your Majeſty, as that without which the kingdome & your People cannot be in ſafety, and moſt part of the people think, that there cannot be a firme peace upon any other tearms.
Your Majeſties 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) ſhal refuſe to aſſent to the Propoſitions, you will loſe all your friends, loſe the city and all the country, and all England will joyn againſt you as one man, and (when all hope of reconciliation is paſt) it is to be feared, they will proceſſe 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 Majeſties refuſing the Propoſitions, both kingdoms will be conſtrained (for their mutuall ſafety) to agree and ſettle Religion and Peace without you, which (to our unſpeakable grief) will ruine your Majeſty & your Poſterity. And if your Majeſty reject our faithful advice who deſire nothing on earth more, then the eſtabliſhment of your Majeſties Throne) and loſe England by your wilfulneſſe, your Majeſty will not be permitted to come & ruine 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 affaires ſtand for the preſent) to ſave your Crown & Kingdomes, 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 no3 other means for curing the diſtempers of the kingdoms & cloſing the breaches between your Maj. & your Parliaments, our moſt humble & faithfull advice is That your Maj. would graciouſly〈◊〉to aſſent to them, as the beſt way to procure a ſpeedie & 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 ſtrengthned, your enemies (who fear nothing ſo much as the gra•ting of the Pr•poſitions) will be weakned: Your Maj. wil have a fit opportunity to offer ſuch Propoſitions, as you ſhall in your wiſdome judge fit for the Crown & kingdom. All Armies will be disbanded, and your people, finding the ſweet fruits of your peaceable government, your Maj. wil 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 encline your Royall heart to this advice of your humble & faithfull ſervants, who (next to the honour 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 our ſelves at your Maj. feet, & in the loweſt poſture of humility do beg; that your Maj. may (in end) grant the ſute 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 wil revive our fainting ſpirits, refreſh our ſad harts, which are over-whelmed and like to break with ſorrow, and wil 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.
THis day I hope will bring our Conference to ſome reſults to be reported to the Houſes, and therefore I ſhall frame4 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 thinke fit, or in the two Kingdomes; 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 Kingdomes have equally to the King, eſpecially in the preſent juncture of affaires, when both Kingdomes are entred in the ſame League and Covenant, have jeoparded their lives in the ſame War, are labouring under the ſame danger, are ſeeking the ſame remedies, and ſtand in need of the ſame peace and ſecurity; and both Kingdomes 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 mutuall advice and conſent of both) That the Perſon of the King cannot be diſpoſed of without the joynt advice and conſent of both Kingdomes. 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 affirme, That the Perſon of the King, who is King of Scotland as well as of England, and is Head and Monarch of both Kingdomes, cannot be diſpoſed of by any one of the Kingdomes alone: but what ever is to be done concerning his Majeſties perſon, ought to be done by joynt advice and common conſent of both, as may ſerve moſt for the Peace, ſecurity, and happineſſe of the Kingdomes, which wee did prove by ſeverall 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 thinke 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 leſſe can it take away the ingagements and ſtipulations betweene the Kingdomes; 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 Kingdomes; And therefore they cannot with conſcience, duty, nor honour deliver the perſon of the King without his owne conſent to be diſpoſed of as the two Houſes ſhall thinke 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 honour and happineſſe of the King and both Kingdomes: and did offer to your Lordſhips conſideration his Majeſties comming to or neere London, as the moſt probable meanes for a ſpeedy and well-grounded Peace. And ſeeing your Lordſhips have done us the honour to meet with us in this free and brotherly Conference, we do expect that you will concurre and aſſent to this Propoſition. or propound a better expedient for the good of both Kingdomes.
But if the honourable Houſes will not admit of this Propoſition, our next deſire is (that it may appeare, no lawfull and poſſible meanes 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 kingdomes to his Majeſty, to ſhew the meaning of our Propoſitions and to aſſert them, and to heare 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 kingdomes will without making any ſuch further application to him, take ſuch courſe as they ſhall judge fitteſt for the peace and ſecurity of the kingdomes.
And as at the opening of this Conference I did begin with an humble, lawfull, and laudable deſire for unity in relation, the King, and amongſt our ſelves, ſo ſhall I cloſe in the ſame dialict; for the firſt of Religion, if we do remember our vowes to God to performe them, and uniformity according to our Covenant, we may certainly expect that God will crown this great work, wherin 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 ſtarres, 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 Babell; 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 feare no colours: and now when the King is at his loweſt ebb, and hath caſt himſelfe into our Army for ſafety, we hope your Lordſhips will pardon us from our ſenſe of honour and duty to be very tender of the perſon, and poſterity of the King, to whom we have ſo many neer relations, and not like the worſe of us: that we cannot ſo farre forget our allegeance and duty as not to have an antipathy againſt the change of Monarchicall 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 al•happineſſe. And now my laſt word ſhall be for conſtant unity between the Kingdoms, which as it hath been the chiefe meanes to pr•mote the great worke wherein both kingdoms are ſo deepely engaged, ſo there is nothing can make us ſo informidable to our enemies, nor ſo much ayding 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 reall enemies to both: God hath bleſt the ioynt endeavours of both Nations, both are in one ſhip, and are come through a very great ſtorme, and now when we are come into the harbour, 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 ſetling 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 feare nor favour will ever be able to divide them from you, and we do expect that reciprocall amity which may perpetuate our un•ty.
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