A WORTHY SPEECH made by Master Pym, TO THE LORDS ON FRIDAY THE thirty one of December concerning an Information against the Lord DIGBY.  
Wherein is discovered the dangerous effects of the said Information, if not suddenly prevented, against the Royal power Prerogative of the King, and privileges of Parliament.  
In the free votes and proceed thereof.  
London, Printed for Thomas Banckes. and F. Coles. 1641.   

MASTER Pym his Speech to the Lords, at a conference on Friday the the 31 of December concerning an Information against the Lord DIGBY.  
My Lords,  
THe Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament, have commanded me to present to your Lordships this Information which they have received against the Right Honourable George Lord Digby, of dangerous consequence, that if not prevented, evil and troublesome events may ensue, to the great hazarding of the peace of this Kingdom, and a great hindrance of the happy proceed of this Parliament.  
My Lords,  
I humbly crave your patience to declare to your Lordships what I am commanded concerning the said Information, which is that he the said Lord Digby should give forth report upon reading of the Petition and Protestation of the 12 Bishops, That this Present Parliament was a forced one, That the Act, vote, and La●es that shall be Enacted herein without the votes and assent of the Bishops are void and of none effect, and not binding to the Subject.  
My Lords,  
This report is of great danger to the State if proved against the said Lord, in these three respects as I under your Lordship's favour conceives.  
First, It is a great breach of the Rights and Privileges of Parliament.  
Secondly, It intrencheth much on the prerogative of the King, and abridges his Royal Power.  
Thirdly, it is the first step to bring into this State an Arbitrary and Tyrannical form of Government.  
First my Lords it is a breach of the privileges of Parliament for these reasons.  
First, it is against the free votes of Parliamentary proceed, which ought to be reserved and unquestionable, during the free sitting thereof.  
Secondly, It is against an Act of Parliament in that case provided for not adjourneing or abrupt breaking off of the same. These Acts my Lords was freely voted by both houses freely and willingly passed by his Majesty without any force or compulsary means used in any, or private working or inducing his Majesty by any of the Members of either of the Houses to do the same: An Act voted aswell by the said Lord as the rest of this Honourable House; this report now of his must needs be against his knowledge and former free consent in passing that Act contrary to this Information.  
3. One Privilege of Parliament, and that is one of the greatest is to accuse and freely proceed to the punishment of delinquents, that have caused the troubles in this State, both in Church, and Commonwealth; this report is against this Privilege, It opposes altogether our Proceeding against the Bishops, accused as the greatest delinquents both in Church and State; for my Lords if a Parliament is forced in the absence of the Bishops, how may then the Parliament proceed lawfully against them; If the Bishops sit and have their votes (although delinquents) in Parliament how can we proceed (I beseech you) against their votes, therefore under favour I conclude this repoer of the said Lord is against this Privilege of Parliament.  
4. To redress the greivances of the Commonwealth, is a Privilege of Parliament, this report is against this Privilege, how I pray you my Lords can our greivances be redressed, when the oppressions, Injustice and vexations, troubling of his Majesty's loyal Subjects, may not by the Bishops, may not be called in qutstion, nor the misdoers ●herein prosecuted and punished for the same.  
5. This report is against divers acts of Parliament in this Kingdom, that have been made without the voice or Bishops in Parliament, as is on record in the journals of those, and thus my Lords, I have showed you that how this report is against the privileges of Parliament.  
2. My Lords, this information intrencheth on the royal power and Prerogative of the King, And that in two respects.  
1. His royal Prerogative in making, and enacting laws by Parliament, it resting only in his Power to pass or, refuse the votes of Parliament.  
My Lords.  
The King of this kingdom have the greatest prerogative (to require the Council an assistance the whole state upon any occasion whatsoever, when pleaseth him) of any Prince in the world unless France, and under favour my Lords, I conceive a Parliament cannot be termed forced, when it is freely called, and willingly continued by the King, I conceive my Lords a forced Parliament (is) when against the free consent of a King and his Lords without lawful called by wtit men assembleth themselves, and by force of arms sit in Council and enact laws, not tending to the welfarre of the Kingdom. The Parliament holden at Oxford in the reign of Edward 2. after the unhappy dissolution of the Parliament at Westminster, in the 10. year of that King's reign, was a forced Parliament, compelling by undue means, the King and that Parliament to enact laws tending to the ruin of the whole state of this Kingdom.  
2 My Lords, this Information intrencheth on the Royal power of the King in making of Laws, for as before I have touched Parliaments have bive with out Bishopps Laws made and enacted without their vots, then by this supersiou my Lords should they be of no validity the King restrained in his power, and let Bishops be never so vile and dissaffected to the tranquillity and securety of the state yet must they have votes in rectifiing and setting in order such things as are am●sse in the same, (aswell by their own procureing as others) which is not then likely to take any good effect, nay my Lords it is too Apparent they have been the greatest opposers of our proceed in this Parliament the Chiefest cause no more is dove by the same.  
3 Lastly my Lords this Information is the first step to bring in an Arbitrary and tyrannical form of Government, and that under favour for these reasons.  
1 Free Parliaments are the securest and safest Government that ever could be found for this nation, and that in respect of the power and wisdom theirof, it is upholden defended atd preserved by the whole body of the kingdom, therefore powerful, the members thereof are men elected, one of ten thousand by the whole state, therefore the wise, then to oppose the proceeding there of to deny the Government thereof is, to the intent to change the same and if charged to another form (None being so secure, so powerful and so wise) must needs be Arbitrary and so, Tyrannical.  
2. My Lords, I no laws can be binding to the subject, but such as are voted and assented to by the Bishops, than none can be expected, but such as are destructive to the state, their affections being altogether aberted from free Parliamentary proceed and their designs, only agitated, for the oppossing the government thereof, and we cannot but daily fear thereby the utter confusion thereof, of the same.  
Now my Lords having to my weak Ability fulfilled the command of the House, in speaking somewhat of this Information I am to desire your Lordships from them, that the said George Lord Digby may answer the said Information, or otherwise be proceeded against, as the Parliament shall think fit.  
FINIS.