A WORTHY SPEECH MADE IN THE house OF COMMONS this present Parliament, 1641.  
1 That Parliaments are the only way for advancing the King's affairs.  
2 That the restoring of the property of goods and freedom of the Subject is a chief means to maintain Religion and obedience to his majesty.  
By Mr. WALLER.  
LONDON, Printed for John Nicholson, 1641.   

Mr. Waller's Speech in the House of Commons this present Parliament. 1641.  
Mr. Speaker, i will use no Preface as they do who prepare men to something to which they would persuade them and move their affections, I will only propose what I think fit for the House to consider, and shall be no more concerned in the event than they that shall hear me. Two things are considerable which I observe in his majesty's demands; First, the Supply: Secondly, our speedy dispatch thereof, touching the first his majesty's occasions for Money are too evident; For (to say nothing) how are we neglected abroad, or distracted at home, the calling of this Parliament and our sitting here is an effect which no light cause could in those times have produced, and enough to make any reasonable man believe that the Exchequer abounds not so much in money as the State doth in occasions to use it, and I hope we shall appear willing to disprove those who thought to dissuade his Majesty from this way of Parliaments, as doubting it uncertain, and to let him see it is as ready and more safe for the advancement of his affairs then any new (or pretended old way) whatsoever.  
2. Now Mr. Speaker, for the speedy dispatch required, which was the second thing, which not only his Majesty but (Res ipsa loquitur) the occasion seems to importune no less, nec●ssity is come upon us like an armed man, and yet the use of Parliaments heretofore (as appears by the Writs which call us hither) was to advise with his majesty of things concerning the Church and commonwealth; and Mr. Speaker, it hath ever been the custom of Parliaments by good and wholesome laws to refresh the commonwealth in general, yea to descend into the Remedies of particular grievances before any mention made of supply, look back on the best Parliaments and still you shall find that the last Acts are for the free gift of the Subjects on the people's part, and general pardons on the King's part, even the wisest of Kings have first acquainted their Parliaments, with their designs and the reasons thereof, and then demanded the assistance both of their counsels and purses.  
But Mr. Speaker, physicians though they be called of the latest, must not stomach it or talk what might have been but apply themselves roundly to the cure. Let us not stand too nicely upon circumstances, nor to rigidly post the matter of supply to the healing of our lighter wounds, let us do what may be supplyably done with reason and honesty on our parts, to comply with his M●jesties desires, and to prevent the eminent evils that threaten us.  
But consider Mr. Speaker, that they who think themselves already undone can never apprehend themselves in danger, and they that have nothing left can never give freely; nor shall we ever discharge the trust of those that sent us hither, or make them believe that they contribute to their own defence and safety, unless his Majesty be plea●ed first to restore them to the propriety of their good and lawful liberties, wh●reof they esteem themselves now out of possession. I need not tell you, that the propriety of our goods is the mother of courage and nurse of Industry, which makes us valiant in war and good husbands in peace, the experience I have of former Parliaments, and my present observations of the care the Country hath had to choose persons of worth & courage makes me think this House like the Spartans whose forward valours required some faster music to allay and quiet their spirits, too much moved with the sound of martial Instruments. It is not the fear of imprisonment or (if need be) of death itself that can keep a true hearted Englishman from the care to leave his part of the Inheritance as entire to posterity as he received it from his Ancestors. This therefore let us first do (and the more speedily) that we may come to the matter of supply, let us give new force to the many laws which have been heretofore made for the maintaining of Rights and privileges, and to restore this Nation to the fundamental and vital liberties, the propriety of our goods and freedom of our persons; no way doubting but that we shall find his Majesty as gracious and ready as any of his royal progenitors have been to grant our just desires therein, for not only the simplest do think but the wisest do know; that what we have suffered, we have suffered for his Ministers, but the person of no King was ever better beloved of his people, and that no people were ever better satisfied with the ways of levying of moneys are two truths which may serve to demonstrate the other, for such is their occasion to the present courses, that neither the admiration they have of his majesty's inclination to Justice and clemency, nor the pretended cont●nt of the judges could willingly submit themselves to this late tax, and such is their natural love and just esteem of his majesty's goodness, that no late pressure could provoke them nor any example invite them to disloyalty or disobedience. But what is it that hath bred this misunderstanding betwixt the King and the people, how is it that having so good a King we have so much to complain of? Why Mr. Speaker, we are told of the son of Solomon that he was a Prince of a tender heart, and yet by the advice of violent Counsellors, how rough an answer he gave his people, that his finger should be heavier than his father's loins. I dare say, that it was not his own but the voice of some persons about him, that wanted the gravity of moderation requisite for the Counsellors of a young King. I love not to press Allegories too far, but the Resemblance of Job's story with ours holds so well, that I can not but observe it to you: it pleased God to give his enemies to afflict him, and yet he was no● provoked to rebel against him so much as with his tongue (although he had no good example of one that lay near him) and felt not the half which he suffered. I hope his Majesty will imitate God in being near it too, and as he was severe to Job only whilst he discoursed with another concerning him, but when he vouchsafed himself to speak to him, began to rebuke those who had mistaken and misjudged his case, and to restore the patient man to his former prosperity: so now his Majesty hath admitted us his presence and spoken face to face with us, I doubt not but we shall have fairer days and be as rich in the possession of our own, as ever we were I cannot but wonder at those who seem to doubt the success of this Parliament, or the misunderstanding betwixt the King and the people should last any longer now we are so happily met.  
His majesty's wants are not so great but that we may find Means to supply them nor our desires so unreasonable or so incompatible with government, but that his Majesty, may well sat●sfie them, for our late experience I hope will teach us what roc●… to shun, and how necessary the use of moderation is, and for his Majesty he hath had experience enough, how that prospereth which is gotten without the concurrent good will of the people, for never more money was taken from the Subject, nor never more want in the Exchequer, if we look upon what we have paid it is more than the people of England ever did in such a time, if we look upon what hath been effected therewith, it seems we have acted the Belides part, whose punishment was the filling of a sive with water: whosoever gave advise for these courses hath made good the saying of the wise man, Qui conturbat domum suam possidebit ventum, by new ways they think to accomplish wonders, but in truth they graze the wind and are in the mean time ambobus Achilles, cruel to us and to the King too, for let the Common wealth flourish and then, he that hath the sovereignty can never want or do amiss so as he governs not according to the interest of others, but go the shortest and safest ways to his own and the Common good with regard how they stand in order to any private man's desires or preservation,  
The Kings of this Nation have always governed by Parliaments: if we look upon the success of things since Parliaments were laid by, it resembles that of the Grecians, Ex illo fluere & retro sublapsa referri Res Danaum, especially in the Subjects part, for though the King hath gotten little the subjects have lost all; but his Majesty shall now hear the truth from us, and we shall make to appear the errors and wanderings up and down of our Divines, who would persuade us that a Monarch can be absolute, and that the King may do all things ad libidinem; receding not only from their text, though that be a wandering too but from the way which their own profession might teach thenstare super vias antiquas, & remove not the ancient bounds and land marks which our Fathers have set. If to be absolute were to be restrained by no laws, then can no King in Christendom be so, for they all stand obliged to the laws of Christians, and we ask no more, for to this Pillar are our privileges fixed, our Kings at their Coronation taking a solemn Oath, not to enfring them. I am sorry these men take no more care of informing our faith of those things which they told us for our soul's health whilst we know them manifestly in the wrong, in that which concerns the liberty, and privileges of the Subjects of Engl●nd▪ but they get promotion and preferment, and then it is no matter though they neither believe themselves nor are believed of others: but since they are so ready to let loose the consciences of our Kings, we must be the more careful to provide for our protection against the Pulpit Law, by declaring and reinforcing the municipal laws of this kingdom. It is worth the observing, how now this opinion or rather this way of rising is ever amongst themselves &, yet Mr. Hooper who sure was no refractory man (as they term him) thinks that the first government was arbritary, until it was found that to live by one man's will, became the cause of all men's miseries, and that this was the original of inventing laws; And Mr. Speaker, if we look further back, our Histories will tell us that the Prelates of this kingdom, have often been the mediators between the King and his Subjects and to present and pray for redress to their grievances, and had then as much love and reverence from the people as now they want▪ but these Preachers are more active than their predecessors, and wiser than the laws, who have found out a better form of government, The King must be a more absolute Monarch than any of his predecessors, and to them he must owe it though in the mean time they hazard the hearts of his people and involve him into a thousand difficulties; For suppose the form of government were convenient (yet this is but a supposition) for these 500 years it hath not only maintained us in safety, but hath made us victorious over other Nations: but, I say, suppose they have another Idea of one more convenient, we all know how dangerous Innovations are, though to the better, and what hazard those Princes run that enterprise the change of long established government.  
Now Mr. Speaker, of all our Kings that have gone before, and of all that are to succeed in this happy Race, why should so good and so pious a King be exposed to this trouble and hazard besides that Kings so diverted can never do any great things abroad. But Mr. Speaker, whilst these men have bent their wits against the laws of their Country, whether they have neglected their own charge, and what Tares are grown up in the field, which they should have tilled, I leave it to a second consideration, not but that Religion ought to be the first thing in our purposes and desires; but that which is first in dignity is not always to preceded in order of time▪ for well being supposed a being, and the first impediment which men naturally endeavour to remove, is the want of those things without which they cannot subsist.  
God first assigned unto Adam maintenance of life, and gave him a title above the rest of the creatures before he appointed him a Law to observe, and let me tell you, that if our Adversaries have any such design, as there is nothing more easy then to impose Religion on people deprived of their liberties, so there is nothing more hard then to do it upon freemen; and therefore (Mr, Spe●ker) I conclude with this motion, that an order may be presently made, that the first things this House will consider of, shall be the restoring this Nation in general to its fundamental liberties, the propriety of our goods, and the freedom of our persons, and that then we will forthwith consider of the supply so much desired, and thus we shall discharge the trust reposed in us by those that sent us hither, his Majesty will see that we will make more than ordinary haste to satisfy his demands, and we shall let all those know, that seek to hasten the matters of supply, that they will so farred ●●lay it, as they give interruption to the former.  
FINIS.