THE SPEECH OF Denzill Hollis Esquire, at a conference with the Lords on Tuesday the third of August, 1641. In justification of the three last printed Votes by the House of COMMONS.  
LONDON Printed Anno Domini 1641.   

Master Hollis his Speech, on Tuesday the third of August, 1641, to the Lords, in justification of the three last printed Votes by the House of Commons.  
I Am commanded by the Knights, and Burgesses, to present unto your Lordships their answer to what was proposed yesterday.  
1 They take notice of your lordship's desire, that a true intelligence may be kept between the two Houses, for so your Lordships did express it  
In this they do with all cheerfulness concur with your Lordships, as knowing that this sweet conjunction between your Lordships and them is the golden Chain which binds up in one Gordian knot the strength, the beauty, the happiness of this Kingdom, which so knit together is not to be broken in sunder by the fiercest violence.  
Therefore, who desires to unlinke this chain, and dissolve this knot, or fails of his part, to the preserving and continuing it fast, and firm, and entire, let the sin of it lie at his door, nay, let it come into the midst of his house, and consume it let him perish, and his posterity inherit only his shame.  
So careful will the House of Commons be to cherish, and maintain, this good correspondency with your Lordships in all things.  
Then for the business about which your Lordships were then pleased to confer with them, which was a printed paper you had met with all, as you said, in your house, setting forth some resolutions of the House of Commons, concerning which you put unto us these two Interrogatories, videlicet, The first, and second Votes which were read.  

Die Veneris 30. Julij. 1641.  
1 THat this House doth conceive that the Protestation made by them is fit to be taken by every person that is well affected in Religion, and to the good of the commonwealth; And therefore doth declare, That what person soever shall not take the Protestation is unfit to bear Office in the Church or commonwealth.  
2 THat the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, and Barons of the Cinque-Ports respectively, shall forthwith send down to the several places for which they serve Copies of this Vote of the House, concerning the Protestation.  
3 THat these Votes shall be Printed and Attested under the clerk's hand.   
And not finding this paper attested by their clerk under his hand, they could not judge of it, till they had resorted to his book where their orders and their votes are entered: where they found their votes concerning their late Protestation taken both by your Lordships and them, and they found the contents of this paper to agree in terminis with what is entered in their clerk's book.  
Then they called to mind what had passed in the House upon that occasion when those resolutions of theirs were voted; How they had considered of that Protestation that it bound all men to defend the Religion here established, &c.  
This they conceived to be a true test of every good Subject, a Shibboleth to distinguish the Ephramits from the Gileadites, that whosoever was well affected in Religion, and to the good of the commonwealth would make this Protestation: and on the other side who would not make it was not well affected.  
And such a man, they held it their duties, in discharge of the trust reposed in them by the whole Body of the kingdom, all the Commons of England, who have set them out as so many Sentinels to watch for them, to give them notice of the good or the evil, friends or enemies, coming towards them, they held it I say their duties to declare their opinions, that such a man was not their friend, was unfit to bear any office in Church or State, and therefore they passed this Vote, that it is a thing fit and necessary to be done by them; and for such they do avow it.  
And besides they thought it fit to give an account to those who had employed them, the several Counties and boroughs that sent them, to give them a mark, by which they might know who were goodmen, lovers of their country, fit to be entrusted with Offices, with the oversight of any part of Church or State: and therefore they gave order this Vote should be sent down unto all the parts of this kingdom.  
And lastly, that it might be done speedily, and not stay the writing out of so many Copies, they gave order it should be printed, and be attested under the clerk's hand, with order &c.  
The copies of which three Orders your Lordships have in this printed Paper, which the Commons assembled in Parliament have commanded me to signify unto your Lordships, and that the passing of these Votes they do own, they do avow, they do justify.  
FINIS.