Four. SPEECHES MADE BY Sr. EDWARD DEERING in the high Court of PARLIAMENT.  
Concerning the Archbishop and divers other Grievances.  
LONDON, Printed for Francis Coles, 1641.   

sufferer (as all good men are) under the gene●… oblique of a P●…itan, as with other things wa●… admirable delivered by that silver Trumpet at the bar, the pursuivant watched his door, and divides him and his Cure asunder to both their griefs, for it is not with him as perhaps with some that set the pursuivant at work, glad of an excuse to be out of the Pulpit, it is his delight to preach. About a week since I went over to Lambeth to move that great Bishop (too great indeed) to take this danger from off this Minister and recall the pursuivant; And withal did undertake for Mr. Wilson (for so is your Petitioner called) that he should answer his accuses in any of the King's Courts at Westminster: The Bishop made me this answer in His verbis, I am sure that he will not absent from his cure a twelvemonth together, and then I doubt not but once in a year we shall have him. This was all that I could obtain, but I hope (by the help of this House) before this year of threats be run out, his Grace will either have more Grace or no Grace at all. For our griefs are manifold and do ●…ill a mighty and vast circumference, yet so that from every part, our lives of sorrow do lead unto him and point at him, as the centre from whence our miseries do grow.  
Let the Petition be read, and let us enter upon the work.   

The second speech.  
Mr. Speaker.  
YOu have many private particular petitions, give me leave by word of mouth to interpose one more general, which thus you may receive: God's true religion is violently invaded by two seeming enemies, but in deed they are like Herod and P●…late, ●…ast friends for the destruction of Truth: I mean the Papists for the one part, and out Prelati●…g faction for the other; between these two in their several progress, I observe the concurrence of some few parallels, sit (as I conceive) to be represented to this honourable House.  
First, with the Papists there is a severe Inquisition, and with us (as it is used) there is a bitter High Commission both these 〈…〉 are judges in their own case: yet herein their Inquisi●… are better than our High Commissioners, they (for aught that I ever heard) do not (〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉) punish for deli●… and offenders such as 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as it is established by the laws of the Land where they live.  
But with us, how many poor distressed Ministers? nay how many scores of them in a few years past have been suspended, degraded and excommunicated? not guilty of the breach of any established laws: The Petitions of many are here with us, more are coming, all their prayers are in heaven for redress: down therefore with these Money-changers; They do confess commutation of penance, and I may therefore justly call them so.  
Secondly, with the Papists there is a mysterious Artifiice, I mean their Index Expurgatorius, whereby they clip the tongues of such witnesses whose evidence they do not like: To these I parallel our late Imprimators Lycensers for the press, so handled, that truth is suppressed and Popish Pamphlets fly abroad Cum privelegio, witness the audacious libels against true Religion, written by cousins, Dowe, Heylin, 〈◊〉, Meade, Shalford, Swan, Roberts, and many more, I name no Bishops but I add, &c.  
Nay they are already grown so bold in this new trade, that the most learned Labourers of our ancient and best divines, must be new corrected and defaced with a Deliniatur, by the supersillious pen of my Lord's young chaplain, fit perhaps for the Tecknicall Arts, but unfit to hold the chair for Divinity.  
But herein the Roman 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 than our English Lycences, they thereby do prove the current of their own established Doctrines, a point of wisdom; but with us our Innovators by this Artifice do alter our settled Doctrines, nay they do subinduce points repugnant and contrary: and this I do affirm upon myself to prove.  
One parallel I have more, and that is this: Amongst the Papists there is one acknowledged Pope, supreme in honour over all, and in power, from whose judgement there is no appeal: I confess M. Speaker. I cannot altogether match a Pope with a Pope, yet one of the ancient Titles of our English Pri●…, was Alteri●… 〈◊〉 Pope, but thus far I can go (ex ●…re 〈◊〉) it is in Print; he pleads fair for a patriarchal; and for such a one whose judgement (he beforehand pro●…th) ought to be final, and then I am sure it ought to be unerring; put these two together, and you shall find that the final determination of a Patriarch, will want very little of a Pope, and then we may say, 〈…〉: he pleadeth Popeship, under the name of a Patriarch, and I much 〈◊〉 the end and top of his Patriarch●… 〈◊〉 may be as that of ●…dinall Poole his Predecessor; who would have two heads, one Cap●…t Reg●…le, the other Cap●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it proud parallel to set up the My●… above the crown.  
But herein I shall be free and 〈◊〉, if one there must be, be it a Pope, be it a Patriarch, this I resolve upon for mine own choy●…, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pr●…t a fu●…ine, I had rather serve one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Tiber, then to have him come to 〈…〉 the Thame●…, 〈◊〉 Pope at Rom●… will do me less●… 〈◊〉, than a Patriarch may do at Lambeth.  
I have done, and for this third parallel, I submit it to the wisdom and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this grave Committee for Religion: 〈◊〉: 〈…〉 I do ground my Motion upon the former 〈◊〉, and it is this in brief.  
That you would be pleased 〈…〉 Committee of 4. 6. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and to i●…power them for the discovery of the 〈◊〉 numbers of oppressed ministers, under the Bishop's tyranny for these ten years' 〈◊〉 pas●…, we 〈◊〉 the complain●…s of some, but more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are patient and will not complain●…, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fearful and 〈◊〉 no●…, many dea●…, and many beyond the Seas and cannot complain.  
And in the second place, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Committee may examine the 〈◊〉, what 〈◊〉 by bad licence, have been corrup●… issued 〈◊〉. And what good books have been (like good Ministers) silenced, ●…lipped or 〈◊〉.  
The work I conceive will not b●… 〈◊〉, but will quickly return into your hands ●…ull of weight. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   

The third Speech.  
Mr. Speaker.  
THIS, Morning is designed for the consideration of the late Cannons, and the former; and of that which the Clergy have miscalled a benevolence, I shall for the present, only touch the first of them, and that is the Roman: V●…lites, who did use to begin the battle: so shall I but 〈◊〉, and s●…rmish, whi●… the main battle is setting forwards.  
The Pop●…, 〈◊〉 they say; hath a triple crown answerable thereunto, and to support it, he pretendeth to have a threefold Law.  
1. The first that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopacy by Divine Right: and this he would have you think to be the crown next his head, which doth circle and secure his power our Bishops have in an unlucky time entered their Plea, and presented their 〈◊〉 to this crown Episcopacy▪ by Divine Right.  
2. The second is Ius humanum Constantii d●…notivum, the gift of Indulgent Prin●…s temporal power; this Law belongs to his middle or second crown, this is already pleaded for, by our Prelates in Print.  
3. These two crowns being already obtained, The POPE claims and makes the third himself, and sets it highest upon the top: This crown also hath its Law, and that is Ius Canonicum: This Cannon Law is of more use unto his Popeship (if once admitted) then both the other.  
Just so our prelates from the pretended divinity of their Episcopacy, and from the temp●…all power, granted them by our Princes, would now obtrude a new Cannon Law upon us: They have charged the Cannons to the ●…ull, and never fearing they would re●… into a 〈◊〉, they have rammed a prodig●… us and ungodly Oath into them: the illegality and invalidity of these Cannons, is manifested by one short question, (v●…s.) what do you ca●… the meeting wherein they were made?  
Mr. Speaker, who can frame an argument aright, unless he can tell against what he is to argue?  
Would you confute the Convocation-house, they were a holy Synod, they were commissioners? will you dispute their 〈◊〉? they will mingle all power together and perhaps answer, they were something else, that we neither knew nor imagined; unless they would unriddle themselves, and own what they were, we may prosecute non concludent Arguments.  
Mr. Speaker, I have conferred with some of the Founders of those Cannons, but I profess here, that I 〈◊〉 never meet with any one of that Assembly, who could well answer to that first question of the catechism, What is your name? Alas, they were parted before they knew what they west, when they were together.  
The sum of all the several answers that I have received, do altogether amount unto this: They were a convocational, synodical Assembly of Commissioners: Indeed a threefold Chamera, a Monster to our laws, a Cerberus to our Religion. A strange Commission, where no Commissioners name is to be found! A strange Convocation that 〈◊〉 when the Parliament was dead. A strange holy Synod, when the one part never saw nor conferred with the other.  
But indeed, there needed no conference, if it be true of these Cannons which I read of the former, Quis nescit, canon's Lambetha formari priusquam in Synodo ventilentur?  
Well Mr. Speaker, they have Innovated upon us; we may say, it is Lex talionis to Innovate upon them, and so I hope we shortly shall 〈◊〉  
In the mean time, my humble ●…otion is 〈◊〉 every member of that Assembly, who voted 〈◊〉 Cannons, may come severally to the 〈◊〉 this House, with a Book of Cannons in his hand, and there unless he can answer that catechism question, as I called it, better than I expect 〈◊〉 can, conceptis verbis, in such express I 〈◊〉 as this honourable House shall then 〈…〉 shall abjure his own Issue, and be commanded to give fire to his own Cannons.  
And this 〈◊〉 I take to be Iust.  
FINIS.   

The fourth Speech.  
Mr. SPEAKER.  
YEsterday we did regulate the most important business before us: and gave them motion, so that our great and weighty affairs, are now on their feet in their progress, iourning on towards their several periods, where some I hope will find their latest home.  
Yet among all these I observe one, a very main one, to sleep sine die: give me leave to awaken it; it is a business of an immense weight, and worth; such as deserves our best care, and most severe circumspection. I mean the Grand Petition long since given in by many thousand Citizens against the domineering Clergy.  
Wherein (for my part) although I cannot approve of all that is presented unto you, yet I do clearly profess, that a great part of it, nay the greatest part thereof, is so well grounded, that my heart goes cheerfully along therewith.  
It seems that my country (for which I have the honour to serve) is of the same mind, and lest you should think that all faults are included within the walls of Troy, they will show you 
Iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra.   
The same grievances which the city groans under, are provincial unto us, and I much fear they are national among us all.  
The pride, the avarice, the ambition and oppression, by our ruling Clergy is epidemical, it hath infected them all. There is not any, or scarce any of them who is not practical in their own great cause in hand, which they impiously do miscall, the Piety of the times, but in truth, so wrong a Piety, that I am bold to say, 
In facinus iurasse putes.—   
Here in this Petition is the disease represented, here is the cure entreated.  
The number of your Petitioners is considerable, being above five & twenty hundred names, and would have been four times as many, if that were thought material.  
The matter in the Petition is of high import: But your Petitioners themselves are all of them quiet and silent at their own houses, humbly expecting & praying the resolution of this great Senate, upon these their earnest and thrice hearty desires.  
Here is no noise, no numbers at your door: they will be neither your trouble nor your jealousy; for I do●… not know of any one of them this day in the town: so much they do a●…e in the justice of their Petition, and in the goodness of this house.  
If now you want any of them here to make avowance of their Petition, 〈◊〉 am their servant. I do appear for them and for myself, and am ready to avow this Petition in their names, and in my own.  
Nothing doubting, but fully confident, that I may justly say of the present usage of the Hierarchy in the Church of England, as once the Pope (Pope Adrian as I remember) said of the Clergy in his time: A vertice c●…pitis ●…d plan●…am pedis, nibil est sanum in toto ordine ecclesiastic●….  
I beseech you read the Petition, regard us, and relieve us.  
FINIS.   

THE. SPEECHES OF Sr. EDWARD DEERING in the high Court of PARLIAMENT.  
Concerning the Archbishop and divers other Grievances.  
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1641.