Mr. PYM, HIS SPEECH.  
On Tuesday the 8th of February, To the LORDS, at a conference of both Houses, concerning the Petition of the Knights and Gentry of the County of Kent.  
Delivered to the Lords, February the Ninth, Anno Domini, 1642.  
LONDON, Printed for john Hammond, 1641.   

Mr. PYM, HIS Speech to the Lords, at a conference of both Houses, Concerning the Petition of the Knights and Gentry of the County of Kent, on Tuesday the 8. of February, delivered to the Lords: February 9 1641.  
My LORDS,  
THE Bill which by both Houses is passed for the taking away the Votes of the Prelates in this Honourable House, and dissabling them from temporal Employment; and for the setting the Kingdom into a Posture of War, for its defence, hath occasioned this present Petition of the Knights and Gentry of the County of Kent; In which is fully expressed their great joy and thankfulness, for the happy Congruity, and Concurrence between both Houses, in passing the said Bills; desiring also therein this Honourable House to go on with the House of Commons to a through reformation in Religion, according to the Word of God, To dispatch aid for Ireland; To expedite proceed against desinquents, to vindicate Parliament Privileges, to discover, remove and punish evil Counsellors: to deprive the Popish Lords of their Votes; to disarm and search out Papists, and put them into safe custody, to suppress Mass both in public and private; To cast out scandalous Minister, plant painful Preachers every where, And discover who are Church Papists, as well as known Recusants.  
MY LORDS,  
This Brief Catalogue of all the Business we have in agitation for the good government, and settling peace and tranquillity both in Church and Commonwealth, I desire under favour to speak somewhat to every particular, showing the great necessity to bring to a happy Conclusion our endeavours and intentions concerning the same.  
MY LORDS,  
1 Religion is the first thing is desired to be settled and established in such a manner and form, as may agree with the pure and Sacred Word of God; there hath been many orders made by this present Parliament, whereby many corruptions in the Ministry and dispensation of the Word and Sacraments, are in some good measure purged, Many scandalous and vicious Teachers, in their lives and conversations, removed; and many painful and Learned men restored again to their offices in the Ministry, whereby the Word of God hath been purely taught since the sitting of this happy Parliament, we have now by this Bill regulated the chiefest of the Clergy; But yet is there not a through Reformation; the proceeding of the Parliament, therein having been so much opposed by the Votes of Bishops and Popish Lords, which inconveniency by the blessing and good Providence of God, and wisdom of this great and high Court, is for future time, prevented by this Bill, and proceeded against, as touching the Prelate's opposition; The evils that have happened for want of through Reformation, is too apparent, men give themselves to all manner of vice and uncleanness; practising nor professing rightly, but loosely and profanely any Religion; Multitudes have forsaken the Protestant, and joined themselves to the Romish Religion, Many have forsaken our Church, & become Separatists, Brownists and Annabaptists; yet this whole state seems as it were composed of naught else but of divers factions, sects & schisms, and all through want of a full Reformation of Religion, and settled establishment thereof, whereby God is highly dishonoured, the Gospel shadowed and eclipsed, public profanation increaseth, Division and distractions by this means raised in the State, there being so many several opinions, that it is impossible to please all, or know how to discover disaffected to the True Religion, till the same be really established.  
2. Ireland that distressed Kingdom lies gasping, even as it were ready to yield up itself into the hands and power of merciless and Cruel Miscreants, Rebels, and Traitors to their King and Country, enemies to God and his true Religion; It is high time to put to our helping hand for their aid and relief: I beseech you, my Lords, let us have a fellow feeling of our brethren's miseries, let us bezealous for the cause of God and true Religion; let not the blood of the slain be a stumbling-blocke to our peace and safety, being united brethren under one God, in one religion, faithful subjects under one Sovereign, if while it is time we go not out to their defence, to fight the battles of the Lord, and his anointed against their wicked and rebellious enemies.  
3. To proceed to the punishment of delinquents; My Lords, so long as ill instruments remain unpunished, we cannot expect either peace or safety, they still working and endeavouring their own liberties and enlargement to the destruction and confusion of all that labour to bring them to deserved punishment for their evil and notorious crimes, be it King or Parliament: wherefore i● is of necessity to expedite our proceed against them, ●est protraction of time in the same, produce fare more evils and troubles in this Commonwealth then hitherto.  
4. To vindicate Parliament privileges, my Lords, if the members of the Parliament may not freely vote, freely debate and dispute concerning such things as are by them in agitation for the safety, peace and prosperity of true Religion, his sacred Maiestiy and his Kingdoms, without reprehension, accusation or impeachment for the same, then will Parliaments prove useless and of no validity in this Kingdom, which have been ever esteemed the best and safest way of government that ever was, or could be for the same.  
5. To remove evil Councillors: So long as such remain about the Court, we cannot expect any good issue of our proceed in the great affairs of this Kingdom.  
6. The daily examples of the evil practices of Papists and Recusants to disturb our peace, I hope is sufficient to make us careful and willing to prevent the same in time by disarming them, and putting the Laws in execution against obstinate and wilful Recusants, against Priests and jesuits that shall be found any where lurking in this Kingdom, seducing his Majesty's good subjects in their Religion, and alienating their hearts and affections from due obedience to his Majesty, and the Laws and Ordinances of the Kingdom, made and enacted by the whole State of the Kingdom, and confirmed by his most excellent Majesty.  
7. To remove Popish Lords from sitting, or having any voice in this honourable House, to suppress Mass in public and private, to cast out scandalous Ministers out of the Church, and to place good ones in their rooms, to discover who are Church Papists, and known Recusants. The necessity of all which is grounded upon the same reasons as are the other particulars. These being removed and avoided, the rough way of our proceed in the great affairs of the State, will be made plain. Through these difficulties we must pass unanimously with one consent, in the name and fear of God, in obedience and dutiful affection to our gracious Sovereign, and in faithful integrity to the peace and safety of our Country, of whom we are entrusted to counsel, determine, and conclude of all things that may tend to the e●erlasting peace and tranquillity of both Church and State: Which that we may do, God grant us unity of hearts, and magnanimity and courage of mind, to bring to a happy conclusion all things we have in hand for the quiet and peace of King and People.  
FINIS.