HIS MAJESTY'S Last Speech, and Protestation, which he made on Sunday. the fifth of this instant February, in the Cathedral Church of Oxford, the Lords and the chief of the Vnivorsity being present, before the receiving of the Sacrament, for the renouncing of Popery.  
WITH THE PIOUS JOY OF A TRUE HEART enlarged on the contemplation, and assurance of so great a happiness, to the great comfort of all His Majestye; subjects, which will live and die in the Protestant Religion and abhor Popery.  
1642 Oxford Printed for W. Web, and since reprinted at London for R. Sutton.   

HIS MAJESTY'S Speech and Protestation on Sunday the fifth of February, before the Lords and University of Oxford, for the renouncing of Popery.  
THere is not that Blessing which Man on Earth can be capable of, but it may be obtained by Prayer. Our many sins had tempted the Almighty's Wrath, and pulled down judgements on our Heads; our many Prayers have wooed again the Almighty's Mercy, and procured new Blessings to descend upon us. We have felt the edge of the Sword, and languished under the Iron hand of War: we now again begin to hear the sounds of joy, and to behold the smooth Brow of Peace to smile upon us. This is the work of God, and the event of the Prayers of holy men; and as it was procured by the Exercise of Religion, so Religion gins to flourish, and to be confirmed by it, and fears no more the thick Clouds of Superstition and Popery shall shadow and overspread this Kingdom.  
On the fifth of this present Month, his Majesty being resident at Oxford, and attended with a brave Train of the Nobility, heard that morning a Sermon in the Cathedral Church: which being ended, and the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist being that day to be celebrated, his Majesty beholding a great multitude or his Nobility round about him, spoke thus unto them.  

My Lords;  
Although I am not bound to give account to any of my thoughts but unto God alone, yet for your better satisfaction, and that my people might understand how much I have suffered by prejudicated rumour and opinion; I this day protest before the face of Almighty God, and before you all, that in my heart I am fare from Popery, and so by God's grace will continue unto the end of my life; neither did my Queen ever to my knowledge so much as persuade me once to alter my Religion.   
When he had spoke this, with great gratulation and joy of his Nobility, he received the holy Sacrament.  
And this assurance of his Majesty hath been since seconded in hi● Answer to the Petition of both his Houses of Parliament; wherein he assureth them of his pious resolution to maintain the true Protestant Religion, and for the abolishing of Superstition and Popery: which hath turned our weeping into laughter, and our sorrows into song● of joy.. God give us the grace, to give his glorious Name the praise, to be grateful unto him, to rejoice in him with true thank fullness, when such a Blessing is imparted, and now our s●●●●…es are comforted. To this purpose the Story of the jews, being delivered from all their fears, is very remarkable. The Text saith, That they rested the same day, and made ●t d●y of feasting, and gladness, a good day, and sent portions and presents one to another: But wherefore was all this? for saving their lives, and prevailing against their enemies.  
But, O thou God of Heaven! That ride upon the wings of the Wind, and holdest the reins of the Kingdoms of the World in thy hand, to let lose or restrain at thy pleasure: Thou knowest that we have more causes to rejoice, and be glad, than the jews in their Purim▪ for if we may compare the less with the greater, they had but the preservation of their bodies, & a flight triumph against their temporal enemies; we are in the way to save our souls, and put our spiritual adversaries to flight, the Flesh, the World, and the Devil.  
What, is Papistry to be suppressed, the Priests and jesuits to be banished, and the Gospel of jesus Christ to flourish? My soul leaps for joy, and my heart is inditing a good matter, I speak of the things which I have made touching the King: My tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer. O blessed be God for this alteration.  
Doth not jeremy tell us, that in Ramah there was a voice heard, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not. Did not all England wring their hands for sorrow, and begin to mourn, and to be affrighted, when they saw the Papists so arrogantly mischievous, to insult in every Town and Shire, and mock us to our faces? To bring up their Armies, and defy our Religion, and threaten utterly to demolish it, as if Sandolet and Tabiah were come again to deride the jews, when Nehemiah did re-edify the Temple. And hath not God put it into the King's heart, to dam up this inundation, and to keep the raging Sea within its bounds, that it should not overflow the lower and more fruitful grounds?  
Mark but the progression of this Business: How have the Papists behaved themselves within these two years, and especially since his Majesty hath absented himself from his Parliament? How insolently have they bragged of their Forces? How illegally have they mustered and drawn them together? And being now under the command of the Earl of Newcastle, how impudertly have they threatened the overthrow of us all, especially of our late flourishing and renowned City of London.  
But was this all? No, no, the several Shires of England, worse by fare than the jews, who poisoned the Springs of Sweet Water, in these days had and still have malicious Instruments to corrupt the Youth of the Country; and the Priests, jesuites, Friars have run from House to House, and made them all amazed with crying out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
The Court at Oxford, and the frequent Visitations of our Malignants in London, have their Assemblies mingled with a number of audacious and peremptory Romanists, who not only branded us for lukewarmeness, and uniustifiable Actions, but boasted in their Disputations that they had put the true and learned Ministers and Servants of God to silence, as if Sidkiah should strike Machaiah on the face, and peremptorily ask him, When the Spirit of God departed from him, to be infused in such an Underling.  
The Court had not only every Corner, but public Walks filled with Papists and Hispaniolized Temporizers: and what did they, but appear in several disguised forms, and their corrupt hearts taught their tongues to vent forth Blasphemies and notorious Abuses? For as you read how jeremy was taken by his enemies, and brought before the Princes and Priests, for weakening the hands of the Men of War, and daunted their hearts that wished well to the Peace of Zion; so played these imposturing Spirits, charming all men with such Subtleties, that they would believe nothing true, but what proceeded from themselves.  
Most infinite i● the difference between the government of the Protestant and Papist Churches; the Papists committing blasphemous Idolatry, derogating from the Honour of God, attributing it to the adoration of Creatures; they dissemble with God and their own souls, and all that deal with them, they allow of murder and monstrous impiety, and in a word are poisoned with the dregs of abomination wherewith the whore of Babylon hath filled her cup, when the true protestant and zealous Christian alloweth God the pre-eminence of all adoration, will by no means blaspheme with idolatrous▪ Exorcisms detesteth whoredom and all incestuous leprosy, desieth the participation of God's glory to murder simply and plainly contriveth his affairs, and keepeth his word though it be to his own hindrance intermeddles not with matters of State, except he be called to places of Eminency; and dares not abuse the Majesty of Princes by interiecting a jealousy and suspicion between the Prince and the Subject. And is not this a great alteration? and cause enough to induce us to thank God, and acknowledge his mercy and kindness, that our King and Parliament would go and buy eyesalve without money perspicuously to look into the enormities of the Church and Common wealth, and not only with Nehemias' to abridge the extremity of usury to compel a relaxation of debts and oppression: to keep and sanctify the Sabbath, to put away their Idolatrous wives, but also will not suffer the Ammonites and Moabites to come into God's temple but enforce them to banishment out of Jerusalem, and thus (thanks be to God) our great Nehemiah the King hath been pleased now to express Himself against the Papists, He not only thinks them as pricks and thorns in the sides of good Christians; but He finds them (for all their pretences of assisting Him) as noisome and infectious weeds in the Commonwealth, to eat up and choke the sweet flowers and the spring-grasse.  
Shall such a man as I fly (saith Nehemiah?) And shall such a King as I (saith our Sovereign) Who hath been trained up from my infancy to deny Popery now suffer my Kingdom of great Britain the Nursery of zealous Professors, the Mirror of Purity and Piety to be defiled and contaminated with the poison of superstition?  
Now I have recollected myself, shall I give way to rotten and filthy Policy to eat up the heart of true Relion, or suffer private ends to thicken themselves like some obscure and dangerous cloud to stand as an interposition between the sunny splendour of God's Word, and the fair progress of government? No, no, I will now be myself, and therefore if either the Pope or Sectary derides me with Michol for dancing before the Ark, and bringing it into God's house I will answer with David, I will yet become more vile and zealous for the Lord, and as he told his wife that therefore God had taken the Kingdom from his father and invested him with the Diadem of it, so may now King Charles answer all Malignants, that therefore God will make Him mighty in His Provinces in despite of Malignant opposition: And Great Brittaize shall not be able only to stand firm, but like an impregnable rock in all honour, riche●, and prosperity, and of sufficiency to protect distressed neighbours, and recover unfortunate and surrepted Province.  
Therefore away ye Priests & jesui es, and let us hear no more of your daring impostures, and that you will yet remain Papists and with the adder stop your ears though the charmer charmeth never so wifely, let us see the backs of our adversaries, and th● banishment of those that hate us that we may see our honest neighbours sublevated with care & diligence, the whole Island flourishing with prosperity and confidence the poor relieved the trade restored, the City repaired, the Merchant countenanced▪ the true soldier honoured, the clergy man beloved, the well-deserving reverenced, the weak supported▪ the obstinate punished the offendor, through frailty remitted, and all just actions practised to the glory of God, and the comfort of our own souls.  
FINIS.