A DISCREET AND LEARNED SPEECH: Spoken in the PARLIAMENT, on Wednesday, the 4. of January, 1641. BY Mr. HAMPDEN, burgess for Buckingham. Concerning the Accusation of High Treason, preferred by His Majesty, against himself the Lord Kimbolton, Sr. Arthur Haslerig, Mr. Pym, Mr. Strowd, Mr. Hollis, worthy Members of the House of COMMONS. Therein worthily declaring the difference betwixt a good subject and a bad, and referring his own trial to the judgement of that honourable Assembly.   depiction of cockfight 
London Printed for F. Coules, and T. B. 1641.   

Mr. HAMPDEN His Speech in PARLIAMENT on Wednesday, the 4. of January 1641, Concerning the accusation of high treason preferred by his Majesty, against himself, the Lord Kimbolton, Sr. Arthur Haslerig, Mr. Pym, Mr. Strowd, and Mr. Hollis, Worthy members of the Lower House▪ of PARLIAMENT.  
Mr. Speaker,  
IT is a true saying of the Wise man, that all things happen alike to all men, as well to the good man as to the bad, there is no state or condition whatsoever, either of prosperity or adversity, but all sorts of men are sharers in the same, no man can be discerned truly by the outward appearance, whether he be a good subject, either to his God, his Prince, or his country, until he be tried by the touchstone of loyalty: give me leave I beseech you, to parallel the lives of either sort, that we may in some measure discern truth from falsehood, and in speaking I shall similize their lives.  
First, in Religion towards God. Secondly, in loyalty and due subjection to their sovereign, in their affection towards the safety of their country.  
First, concerning Religion, the best means to discern between the true and false Religion is, by searching the sacred Writings of the old and new Testament, which is of itself pure, and indicted by the Spirit of God, and written by holy men, unspotted in their lives and conversation, and by this sacred Word may we prove whether our Religion be of God or no, and by looking in this glass we may discern whether we are in the right way or no.  
And looking into the same, find that by this truth of God, that there is but one God, one Christ, one Faith, one Religion, which is the gospel of Christ, & the doctrine of the Prophets, and Apostles.  
In these two Testaments is contained all things necessary to salvation, if that our Religion doth hang upon this Doctrine, and no other secondary means, than is true to which comes nearest the Protestant Religion, which we profess, as I really and verily believe, and consequently that Religion, which joineth with this Doctrine of Christ, and his Apostles, the traditions and inventions of men, Prayers to the Virgin Mary, Angels, Saints; that useth in the exercise of their Religion, strange and superstitious worshipping, cringing, bowing, creeping to the Altar, using Pictures, Dirges, and such like, cannot be true, but erroneous, nay devilish, and all this is used and maintained in the Church of Rome, as necessary as the Scripture to Salvation. Therefore it a false and erroneous Church, both in Doctrine and discipline, and all other Sects and schisms, that learns not only on the Scripture, though never so contrary to the Church of Rome, is a false worshipping of God, and not the true Religion. And thus much concerning the Religion, to discern the truth and falsehood thereof.  
2. I come now M. Speaker to the 2d. thing intimated unto you; which was how to discern in a State between good Subjects and bad, by their loyalty and due subjection to their lawful sovereign; in which I shall under favour observe two things.  
1. Lawful subjection to a King in his own Person, and the Commands, Edicts, and Proclamations, of the Prince and his privy council.  
Lawful obedience to the laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, made, enacted by the King and the Lords, with the free consent of his great council of State assembled in Parliament.  
1. For, the first to deny a willing and dutiful obedience to a lawful sovereign and his privy council; for as Camden truly saith, the commands of the Lords privy counsellors, and the Edicts of the Prince is all one, for they are inseparable, the one never without the other, either to defend His royal Person, and kingdoms and against the Enemies of the same, either public or private. Or to defend the ancient privileges and Prerogatives of the King, pertinent and belonging of right to his Royal Crown and the maintenance of his Honour and Dignity. Or to defend and maintain true Religion established in the Land, according to the truth of God, is one sign of an evil and bad subject.  
2 Secondly, to yield obedience to the commands of a King, if against the true Religion, against the Ancient and fundamental laws of the Land, is another sign of an ill Subject.  
3 Thirdly, to resist the lawful power of the King, to raise insurrection against the King, admit him averse in His Religion, to conspire against His Sacred Person, or any ways to rebel, though commanding things against our Consciences in exercising Religion, or against the Rights, and privileges of the Subject, is an absolute sign of a disaffected & traitorous subject. And now having given the signs of discerning evil and disloyal Subjects, I shall only give you in a word or two, the signs of discerning which are loyal and good Subjects, only by turning these three signs already showed on the contrary side.  
1 He that willingly and cheerfully endeavoureth himself to obey his sovereign's commands for the defence of his own person and kingdoms, for the defence of true Religion, for the defence of the Laws of his Country, is a loyal and good Subject.  
2. To deny obedience to a King, commanding any thing against God's true Worship and Religion, against the Ancient and fundamental laws of the Land, in endeavouring to perform the same, is a good Subject.  
Not to resist the lawful and royal power of the King to raise sedition or Insurrection against his Person, or to set division between the King and his good Subjects by rebellion. Although commanding things against conscience, in the exercise of Religion, or against the rights and privileges of the Subject, but patiently for the same to undergo his Prince's displeasure, whether it be to his imprisonment, confiscation of goods, banishment, or any other punishment whatsoever, without murmuring, grudging, or reviling against his sovereign or his proceedings, but submitting willingly, & cheerfully himself and his cause to Almighty God, is the only sign of an obedient and loyal Subject.  
I come now to the second means to know the difference between a good Subject and a bad, by their obedience to the Laws, Statutes and ordinances made by the King, with the whole consent of his Parliament. And in this I observe a twofold subjection: In the particular members thereof, dissenting from the general Votes of the whole Parliament. And secondly, the whole State of the kingdom to a full Parliament.  
1. First I conceive, if any particular member of a Parliament, although his judgement and Vote be contrary, do not willingly submit to the rest, is an ill Subject to the King and Country.  
And secondly, to resist the Ordinance of the whole State of the kingdom, either by the stirring up a dislike in the hearts of his majesty's Subjects▪ of the proceedings of the Parliament. To endeavour by levying of arms to compel the King and Parliament to make such laws as seem best to them, to deny the power, Authority, and privileges of Parliament, to cast aspersions upon the same and proceedings; thereby inducing the King to think ill of the same, and to be incensed against the same, to procure the untimely dissolution and breaking off of a Parliament, before all things be settled by the same, for the safety and tranquillity both of King and State, is an apparent sign of a treacherous and disloyal Subject against his King and Country. And th●s having troubled your patience, in showing the difference between true Protestants, and false loyal Subjects and traitors, in a State or kingdom; and the means how to discern them. I humbly desire my Actions may be compared with either, both as I am a Subject, a Protestant, and a native in this Country; and as I am a member of this present and happy Parliament, and as I shall be found guilty upon these articles exhibited against myself, and the other Gentlemen, either a bad or a good Subject to my gracious sovereign and Native Country. To receive such sentence upon the same, as this honourable House shall be conceived, to agree with Law and Justice.  
FINIS.