TWO SPEECHES Made in the House of peers, On Monday the 19th. of December, For, and Against Accommodation. The one by the Earl of PEMBROKE, the other by the Lord BROOKE. The latter Printed by the desire of the House of COMMONS. Printed in the year M.CD.XLII. THE Earl OF PEMBROKE'S SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT on Monday the 19th of December concerning ACCOMMODATION. My Lords, I Have not used to trouble you with long Speeches, I know I am an ill Speaker, but though I am no scholar, I am an honest man, and have a good heart to my King and Country. I have more to lose then many of these who so hotly oppose an accommodation: I will not forfeit mine estate to satisfy their humours or ambitions. My Lords, 'tis time to look about us, and not to suffer ourselves to be fooled out of our Lives, our Honours, and our fortunes, to help those men, who when their turns are served, will despise us; and begin to laugh at us already. A fellow here of the town, an ordinary, scurvy fellow, told me the other day to my face, that he cared not if I left them to morrow: nay, if all the Lords (except three or four that he named, and said, he was sure would not leave: them) went to the King, they should do their business the better: yet my Lords, I think we have helped them: I am sure they could never have brought it to this without us. If we had not joined with them: I think the People would not have followed the House of Commons, now they can do their business without us: 'twill be worse shortly if we do not look about us. My Lords, we were told this time twelve month, if we would put out the Bishops out of the Lord's House, no further attempt should be made upon the Church: I am sure I was promised so, by some who would be thought honest men, and when I told them, it was reported that they meant to take away episcopacy, and the book of Common Prayer, they protested to me, that in the first they intended nothing but to appoint some godly Ministers to assist the Bishops in Ordination, and some other things that I do not understand: and for the book of Common Prayer, they who were strictest against it, and would never be present at it, assured me that if it were once confirmed by Act of Parliament (for they said many things were put into it by the Bishops, without Authority) they would be content, and on my conscience so they would, if they had had the places they then looked for. Now nothing will content them, but no Bishop, no book of Common Prayer, and shortly it will be no Lords, no Gentlemen, and no books at all, for we have Preachers already, that can neither write nor read. My Lords, I wonder what we shall get by this war, we venture more than other men. I am sure I venture more than five hundred of them, and the most I can look for is to scape undoing; what between being a traitor, and being a Malignant, we have but a narrow way to walk in: we hear every base fellow say in the street as we pass by in our Coaches, that they hope to see us a foot shortly, and to be as good men as the Lords, and I think they will be as good as their words, if we take this course. They say they will have no Peace without Truth: 'Death, have we no truth? Have we lived all this while in ignorance: I think our Fathers were as wise men as they. Had we no truth in Q. Elizabeth's time? Have not all our famous, Learned Divines been able to teach us truth, but must we learn it only out of Tubs. My Lords, I am no scholar, But I understand men, and I had rather continue ignorant still then enjoy the truth these men would have; I have served the King's Father, and himself, and though I have been so unhappy to fall into his displeasure, nobody shall persuade me to turn traitor, I have too much to lose. I am a true Protestant, and I love the King and kingdom, and I am sure war is good for neither of them. I would everybody's faults were forgiven them, and I think we should all than take heed how we committed new. Good my Lords, let us have Peace, and if these men will not consent to it, let us think of some other way to get it. The Lord Brook's Speech, in Answer to the former. My Lords, SOmewhat that fell from the Lord who spoke last calls me up, he tells you what he was promised by some, that this and that Reformation would content them, and they would press no further; besides the conversation that we all know hath been between them, he invited you by his eye to think a Noble Lord on the Viscounts Bench concerned: 'tis true, several discourses have often passed between them in my hearing of this business, and 'tis very like he did not usually acquaint him with all his thoughts. If he found he was not like to hold out to the end of the journey, he was not to be blamed for desiring his company as far as he was willing to go; the other part would be the easier performed by those to whom the Lord hath revealed his will. If he hath been made an Instrument of more service to God and his country than he intended, he should rather thank the means that cozened him to so much good, then because his faith fails in the race, reproach them who first encouraged him to run. If he hath done nothing but what his conscience persuaded him was just and fit, he hath no cause to complain; if otherwise, I am sure nothing that my friend said to him, or promised him, can be his excuse. He tells you much of what he hath to lose, and into what great contempt the Nobility will grow if there be not a speedy Accommodation; and I fear these vile Considerations hath hung Plummets on some of our wings, which by this time would have mounted us higher; but these are the baits the enemy of godliness and true holiness flings in the way to discourage worldly minds from fighting the good fight of the Lord. We do not find that among all the Acts of the Creation, the Almighty ever made an Earl, or a Lord; I will not deny but that sometimes (not always) the hearts of Princes have been moved by providence to advance some persons to those degrees; and surely if we shall be contented for the setting forward a good cause, to mingle ourselves with the meanest of the people, for the procuring a parity in the Church, to consent to a parity in the State; and for the subduing the pride of Kings, for a time to part with the power of Noblemen, I doubt not but when the good work in hand shall be finished, we shall be again advanced above our brethren, according to our several talents, and govern them according to that rule which shall most advantage God's cause. My Lords, that Lord shall not find fault with me for concealing my intentions, I will deal freely with him, I am with all my heart against this Accommodation, against any whisper or thought of Accommodation, till His majesty shall submit to our 19 Propositions, and to all the Propositions we have since made; and delivered up all those wicked evil Counsellors, who have saucily told him, 'tis lawful for him to deny us any thing: I know we have many difficulties to wrestle with, and that many fall from us daily; they who have much to lose (as that Lord said) will be quickly weary of us, and yet some men of good fortunes will not leave us; they who have a sense of gratitude, of passed obligations, or future hopes from His majesty, will be startled at our Resolution: yet I see many here the most notoriously obliged, indeed as much as servants can be to a master, in this good cause have mastered those vulgar considerations, and had the courage almost to despise him to his face; besides, the wisest men will not think themselves incapable of future favours, if they use their utmost power to reduce him to a necessity of granting: they who are transported with natural affection to their Fathers and Brothers, Kindred, Friends, will not keep us company; yet this troubles me the less, whilst I see those noble Lords in my eye, (upon whom I can never look enough) who banishing those womanish and effeminate fancies, cheerfully undertook to serve against that Army, wherein they knew their own Fathers were; and on my conscience (I speak it to their honour) had they met them alone, would piously have sacrificed them to the commands of both Houses. They who think that human laws can bind the conscience, and will examine the oaths they have taken, according to the Interpretation of men, will in time fall from us: But such who religiously consider that such moral Precepts are fitter for Heathens then for Christians, and that we ought to lead our lives according to the rule of God's Word; and that the laws of the Land (being but man's invention) must not check God's children in doing the work of their heavenly Father, will not faint in their duty. My Lords, it is a singular instance of God's blessing upon this Parliament, that these truths which the pride and superstition of the Bishops, used all possible means to smother, is now taught in Pulpits, that the poor people's zeal to God may not be corrupted by their duty to the King. By the Christian labour of these painful Preachers, we shall not want hands to bring all our wishes to pass; and let not us out of any worldly respects, of Estate, Wives, Children, Honour, good Nature, justice, Compassion, care of Trade, of laws, grow slack and lazy in our undertakings, upon the success of which the eyes of Christendom are fixed; but let us proceed to shed the blood of the ungodly. And so my Lords, hoping that what that Lord hath said, hath moved nothing with you, or the most of you; and that what he can do will prevail as little in other places: I have expressed the thoughts of my heart to you, and if the House shall incline that way, shall desire leave to enter my Protestation against any Accommodation. Wednesday the 21th of December. Resolved upon the Question, That Mr Boswell be desired to wait upon the Lord Brooke, and in the name of this House to give his Lordship thanks for the excellent Speech he lately made in the House of peers, against an Accommodation, and to desire his Lordship (since this House is informed that the Earl of Pembroke hath given many Copies of his Speech, which occasioned the other) that he will cause that Speech to be printed and published. Henry Elsinge, Cl. Dom. Com. FINIS.