A SPEECH MADE TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CONCERNING EPISCOPACY.  
By the Lord Viscount Faulkland.  
LONDON Printed for Thomas Walkely, 1641.   

THE LORD FAULKELAND HIS SPEECH TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.  
MASTER SPEAKER,  
he is a great stranger in Israel who knows not, that this Kingdom hath long laboured under many and great oppressions, both in religion and liberty, and his acquaintance here is not great or his ingenuity less, who doth not both know and acknowledge that a great, if not a principal cause, of both these hath been some Bishops and their adherents.  
Master Speaker a little search will serve to find them to have been the destruction of unity under pretence of uniformity to have brought in superstition, and scandal, under the titles of reverence, and decency: to have defiled our Church; by adorning our Churches; to have slackened the strictness of that union which was formerly between us, and those of our religion beyond the sea, an action as unpoliticke, as ungodly.  
Master Speaker, we shall find them to have Tithed Mint and Anice, and have left undone the weightier works of the law, to have been less eager upon those who damn our Church then upon those, who upon weak conscience, and perhaps as weak reasons (the dislike of some commanded garment or some uncommanded posture) only abstained from it. Nay it hath been more dangerous for men to go to some neighbour's Parish, when they had no sermon in their own, then to be obstinate and perpetual recusants, while masses have been said in security; a conventicle hath been a crime, and which is yet more, the conforming to ceremonies hath been more exacted than the conforming to Christianity, and whilst men for scruples have been undone, for attempts upon Sodomy they have only been admonished.  
Master Speaker, we shall find them to have been like the henin Aesop, which laying every day an egg upon such a proportion of barley, her Mistress increasing her proportion in hope she would increase her eggs, she grew so fat upon that addition, that she never laid more: so though at first their preaching were the occasion of their preferment, they after made their preferment, the occasion of their not preaching.  
Master Speaker, we shall find them to have resembled another fable, the dog in the manger, to have neither preached themselves, nor employ those that should, nor suffered those that would. To have brought in catechising only to thrust out preaching, cried down lectures by the name of factions, either because their industry in that duty appeared a reproof to their neglect of it (not unlike to that we read of him, who in Nero's time and Tacitus his story was accused, because by his virtue he did appear Exprobrare vitia Principis) or with intention to have brought in darkness, that they might the easier sow their tares, while it was night: and by that introduction of ignorance, introduce the better that Religion, which accounts it the Mother of devotion.  
Master Speaker in this they have abused his Majesty, as well as his people, for when he had with great wisdom (since usually the children of darkness are wiser in their generation then the children of light; I may guess not without some eye upon the most politic action of the most politic Church) silenced on both parts those opinions which have often tormented the Church and have, and will always trouble the schools they made use of this declaration to tie up one side, and let the other lose, where as they ought either in discretion to have been equally restrained, or in justice to have been equally tolerated. And it is observable, that that party to which they gave this licence was that, whose doctrine though it were not contrary to law, was contrary to custom, and for a long while in this Kingdom was, no oftener preached than recanted.  
The truth is Master Speaker, that as some ill Ministers in our state first took away our money from us, and after endeavoured to make our money not worth the taking, by turning it into brass by a kind of Antiphilosophers-stone: So these men used us in the point of preaching, first depressing it to their power, and next labouring to make it such, as the harm had not been much, if it had been depressed, the most frequent subjects even in the most sacred auditories, being the Jus divinum of Bishops and tithes, the sacredness of the clergy, the sacrilege of impropriations, the demolishing of puritanism and propriety, the building of the prerogative at Paul's, the introduction of such doctrines, as admitting them true, the truth would not recompense the scandal, or of such as were so fare false, that as Sir Thomas Moor says of the casuists, their business was not to keep men from sinning but to inform them Quàm propè ad peccatum sine peccato liceat accedere, so it seemed their work was to try how much of a Papist might be brought in without Popery, and to destroy as much as they could of the Gospel, without bringing themselves into danger of being destroyed by the law.  
Master Speaker, to go yet further, some of them have so industriously laboured to deduce themselves from Rome, that they have given great suspicion, that in gratitude they desire to return thither, or at least to meet it half way, some have evidently laboured to bring, in an English, though not a Roman popery. I mean not only the outside and dress of it, but equally absolute a blind dependence of the people upon the clergy, and of the clergy upon themselves, and have opposed the papacy beyond the sea, that they might settle one beyond the water. Nay common fame is more than ordinarily false, if none of them have found a way to reconcile the opinions of Rome, to the preferments of England; be so absolutely directly and cordially Papist, that it is all, that fifteen hundred pounds a year can do to keep them from confessing it.  
Master Speaker I come now to speak of our liberties, and considering the great interest these men have had in our common Master, and considering how great a good to us they might have made that interest in him, if they would have used it to have informed him of our general sufferings; and considering how little of their freedom of Speech at Whitehall, might have saved us a great deal of the use we have now of it in the Parliament house, their not doing this alone were occasion enough for us to accuse them, as the betrayers though not as the destroyers of our rights and liberties. Though I confess if they had been only silent in this particular I had been silent too: But alas they whose ancestors in the darkest times excommunicated the breakers of Magna charta; did now by themselves and their adherents both writ, preach, plot, and act against it, by encouraging Doctor Beale, by preferring Doctor Mannering, appearing forward for monopolies and ship-money: and if any were slow and backward to comply, blasting both them and their preferment, with utmost expression of their hatred, the title of Puritans.  
Master Speaker, we shall find some of them to have laboured to exclude both all persons, and all causes of the clergy from the ordinary jurisdiction of the temporal magistrate, and by hindering prohibitions (first by apparent power against the judges, and after by secret agreements with them) to have taken away the only legal bound to their arbitrary power, and made as it were a conquest upon the common law of the Land, which is our common inheritance, and after made use of that power to turn their brethren out of their freeholds, for not doing that which no law of man required of them to do, and which (in their opinions) the law of God required of them not to do. We shall find them in general to have encouraged all the clergy to suits; and to have brought all suits to the Council-table that having all power in Ecclesiastical matters, they laboured for equal power in temporal, & to dispose as well of every office as of every benefice, and lost the clergy, much revenue and much reverence, (whereof the last is never given when it is so asked) by encouraging them indiscreetly to exact more of both than was due, so that indeed the gain of their greatness extended but to a few of that order, though the envy extended upon all.  
We shall find of them to have both kindled & blown the common fire of both nations, to have both sent and maintained that book, of which the author no doubt hath long since wished with Nero; Utinam nescissem literas, and of which more than one Kingdom hath cause to wish, that when he writ that, he had rather burned a library, though of the value of ptolemy's. We shall find them to have been the first and principal cause of the breach, I will not say of, but since the pacification at Berwick. We shall find them to have been the almost sole abettors of my Lord of Strafford, whilst he was practising upon another Kingdom, that manner of government which he intended to settle in this, where he committed so many, so mighty, and so manifest enormities and oppressions as the like have not been committed by any Governor in any government since Verres left Sicily. And after they had called him over from being deputy of Ireland to be in a manner deputy of England, (all things here, being governed by a Juntillo, and that Juntillo governed by him) to have assisted him in the giving of such Counsels, and the pursuing of such courses, as it is a hard and measuring cast, whether they were more unwise, more unjust, or more unfortunate, and which had infallibly been our destruction if by the grace of God their share had not been as small in the subtlety of Serpents as in the innocency of doves.  
Master Speaker, I have represented no small quantity, and no mean degree of guilt, and truly I believe, that we shall make no little compliment to those, and no little apology for those to whom this charge belongs, if we shall lay the faults of the men upon the order of the Bishops, upon the Episcopacy. I wish we may distinguish between those, who have been carried away with the stream, and those who have been the stream that carried them; between those, whose proper and natural motion was towards our ruin and destruction, and those who have been whirled about to it contrary to their natural motion by the force and swinge of superior Orbs, and as I wish, we may distinguish between the more and less guilty; so I yet more wish, we may distinguish between the guilty and the innocent.  
Master Speaker, I doubt if we consider, that if not the first Planters yet the first Spreaders of Christianity, and the first and chief Defenders of Christianity against heresies within and paganism without, both with their ink and with their blood; and the main conducers to the resurrection of Christianity: (at least) here in the reformation (and we own the light of the Gospel we now enjoy to the fire they then endured for it) were all Bishops: and that even now in the greatest perfection of that order, there are yet some who have conduced in nothing to our late innovations, but their in silence; some who in an unexpected and mighty place and power have expressed an equal moderation and humility, being neither ambitious before, nor proud after, either of the Crosiers staff or white staff: some who have been learned opposers of Popery, and zealous opposers of Arminianism, between whom and their inferior clergy in frequency of preaching hath been no distinction, whose lives are untouched, not only by guilt, but by malice; scarce to be equalled by those of any condition, or to be excelled by those in any Calendar. I doubt not I say, but if we consider this, this consideration will bring forth this conclusion, that Bishops may be good men, and let us give but good men good rules, we shall have both good governor's and good times.  
Master Speaker, I am content to take away all those things from them, which to any considerable degree of probability may again beget the like mischiefs, if they be not taken away. If their temporal titles power and employment appear likely to distract them from the care of, or make them look down with contempt upon their Spiritual duty, and that the too great distance between them, and those they govern will hinder the free and fit recourse of their inferiors to them; and occasion insolence from them to their inferiors. Let that be considered, and cared for, I am sure neither their Lordships, their Judging of tithes wills and marriages, no, nor their voices in Parliaments are Jure divino; and I am as sure, that these titles and this power, are not necessary to their authority, as appears by the little they have had with us by them, and the much that others have had without them.  
If their revenue shall appear likely to produce the same effects (for it hath been anciently observed that Religio peperit divitias, & Filia devoravit matrem;) Let so much of that, as was in all probability, intended for an attendant upon their temporal dignities, wait upon them out of the doors. Let us only take care to leave them such proportions, as may serve in some good degree to the dignity of learning and the encouragement of students, and let us not invert that of Jeroboam, and as he made the meanest of the people Priests, make the highest of the Priests, the meanest of the people.  
If it be feared, that they will again employ some of our Laws, with a severity beyond the intention of those Laws against some of their weaker Brothers, that we may be sure to take away that power, let us take away those Laws, and let no ceremonies which any number counts unlawful, and no man counts necessary (against the rules of Policy and Saint Paul) be imposed upon them. Let us consider that part of the rule, they have hitherto gone by, that is such canons of their own making as are not confirmed by Parliament have been, or no doubt shortly will be by Parliament taken away, that the other part of the rule (such canons as were here received before the reformation and not contrary to any law) is too doubtful to be a fit rule, exacting an exact knowledge of the canon law, of the common law, of the statute law knowledges, which those who are thus to govern have not, and it is scarce fit they should have. Since therefore we are to make new rules, and shall no doubt make those new rules, strict rules; and be infallibly certain of a triennial Parliament to see those rules observed as strictly as they are made, and to increase or change them upon all occasions, we shall have no reason to fear any innovation from their tyranny, or to doubt any defect in the discharge of their duty. I am confident, they will not dare either ordain, suspend, silence, excommunicate, or deprive otherwise, than we would have them. And if this be believed, I am as confident, we shall not think it fit to abolish upon a few days debate an order, which hath lasted (as appears by story) in most Churches these sixteen hundred years, and in all from Christ to Calvin, or in an instant change the whole face of the Church, like the scene of a Mask.  
Master Speaker, I do not believe them to be Jure divino, nay I believe them not to be Jure divino, but neither do I believe them to be Injuria humana. I neither consider them as necessary, nor as unlawful, but as convenient or inconvenient. But since all great mutations in government are dangerous, (even where what is introduced by that mutation is such as would have been very profitable upon a primary foundation) and since the greatest danger of mutations is, that all the dangers and inconveniences they may bring are not to be foreseen, and since no wise man will undergo great danger, but for great necessity; my opinion is, that we should not root up this ancient tree as dead as it appears, till we have tried whether by this or the like lopping of the branches, the sap which was unable to feed the whole, may not serve to make what is left both grow and flourish. And certainly, if we may at once take away both the inconveniences of Bishops, and the inconvenience of no Bishops, that is of an almost universal mutation; this course can only be opposed by those, who love mutation for mutations sake.  
Master Speaker, to be short (as I have reason to be after having been so long,) this trial may be suddenly made, let us commit as much of the Ministers remonstrance, as we have read, that those heads both of abuses and grievances which are there fully collected, may be marshaled and ordered for our debate; if upon that debate it shall appear, that those may be taken away and yet the order stand, we shall not need to commit the London petition at all: for the cause of it will be ended, if it shall appear, that the abolition of the one cannot be, but by the destruction of the other, then let us not commit the London-petition, but let us grant it.  
FINIS.