66 "But his majesty is trusted and is he the only person trusted? And might they do what their "own inclination and fury led them to? Were they "not trusted by his majesty, when he first sent for "them; and were they not trusted by him, when "he passed them his promise, that he would not "dissolve them? Could it be presumed, (and pre sumptions go far with them,) that he trusted "them with a power to destroy himself, and to "dissolve his government and authority? If the people might be allowed to make an equitable "construction of the laws and statutes, a doctrine "avowed by them, would not all his good subjects swear, he never intended by that act of continuance, that they should do what they have since "done? Were they not trusted by those that sent " them? And were they trusted to alter the government of church and state; and to make "themselves perpetual dictators over the king and people? Did they intend, that the law itself "should be subject to their votes; and that whatsoever they said, or did, should be lawful, because they declared it so? The oaths they had taken "who sent them, and without taking which, themselves were not capable of their place in parlia"ment, made the one incapable of giving, and the other of receiving such a trust; unless they could "persuade his good subjects, that his majesty is "the only supreme head and governor in all causes, " and over all persons, within his dominions; and yet that they had a power over him to constrain "him to manage his trust, and govern his power, according to their discretion. 66 majesty, that they would never allow him (an "humble and dutiful expression) to be judge of "the law; that belonged only to them; they might, "and must, judge and declare. His majesty said, they all knew what power the pope, under pre"tence of interpreting scriptures, and declaring "articles of faith, though he decline the making "the one or the other, had usurped over men's "consciences; and that, under colour of having : : power of ordering all things for the good of "men's souls, he entitles himself to all the king"doms of the world: he would not accuse the "framers of that declaration, (how bold soever they were with his majesty,) that they inclined "to popery, of which another maxim was, that all 86 men must submit their reason and understanding, and the scripture itself, to that declaring power of his neither would he tell them, though they had told him so, that they use the very language of the rebels of Ireland and yet they say those rebels declare, that whatsoever they do "is for the good of the king and kingdom. But "his good subjects would easily put the case to themselves, whether if the papists in Ireland in "truth were, or, by art or accident, had made themselves the major part of both houses of par"liament there; and had pretended the trust in "that declaration from the kingdom of Ireland; thereupon had voted their religion and liberty to "be in danger of extirpation from a malignant party of protestants and puritans; and therefore, that they would put themselves into a posture of defence; that the forts and the militia of that kingdom were to be put into the hands of such 66 66 I persons, as they could confide in; that his majesty was indeed trusted with the towns, forts, "magazines, treasures, offices, and people of the "kingdom, for the good, safety, and best advan 66 tage thereof; but as his trust is for the use of "the kingdom, so it ought to be managed by the "advice of both houses of parliament, whom the kingdom had trusted for that purpose, it being "their duty to see it discharged according to the condition and true intent thereof, and by all possible means to prevent the contrary: his majesty said, let all his good subjects consider, if that "rebellion had been plotted with all that formality, "and those circumstances declared to be legal, at "least, according to the equitable sense of the law, "and to be for the public good, and justifiable by "necessity, of which they were the only judges, whether, though they might have thought their design to be more cunning, they would believe it the more justifiable. " Nay, let the framers of that declaration ask themselves, if the evil counsellors, the malignant party, the persons ill affected, the popish lords, " and their adherents, should prove now or hereafter, to be a major part of both houses, (for it "had been declared, that a great part of both "houses had been such, and so might have been "the greater; nay, the greater part of the house "of peers was still declared to be such, and his majesty had not heard of any of their conver"sion; and thereupon it had been earnestly pressed, "that the major part of the lords might join with "the major part of the house of commons,) would his majesty be bound to consent to all such 66 alterations, as those men should propose to him, "and resolve to be for the public good: and should "the liberty, property, and security of all his subjects, depend on what such votes should declare "to be law? Was the order of the militia unfit, “ and unlawful, whilst the major part of the lords "refused to join in it, (as they had done two or "three several times, and it was never heard, be"fore this parliament, that they should be so, and 66 SO often pressed after a dissent declared,) and "did it grow immediately necessary for the public safety, and lawful by the law of the land, as soon as so many of the dissenting peers were driven Iaway, (after their names had been required at "the bar, contrary to the freedom and foundation "of parliament,) that the other opinion prevailed? "Did the life and liberty of the subject depend upon such accidents of days, and hours, that it was impossible for him to know his right in " either? God forbid. 66 66 66 66 But now, to justify their invasion of his ma'jesty's ancient, unquestioned, undoubted right, "settled and established on his majesty and his "posterity by God himself; confirmed and strength"ened by all possible titles of compact, laws, oaths, perpetual and uncontradicted custom, by his people; what had they alleged to declare to the kingdom, as they say, the obligation that lieth upon the kings of this realm to pass all such bills, as are offered unto them by both houses of parliament ? A thing never heard of till that "day: an oath, (authority enough for them to "break all theirs,) that is, or ought to be, taken by the kings of this realm, which is as well to 66 66 : remedy by law such inconveniences the king may suffer, as to keep and protect the laws already in being and the form of this oath, they said, did appear upon a record there cited; and by a clause "in the preamble of a statute, made in the 25th year of Edw. III. 66 66 His majesty said, he was not enough acquainted with records to know whether that were fully and ingenuously cited; and when, and how, " and why, the several clauses had been inserted, or taken out of the oaths formerly administered "to the kings of this realm: yet he could not possibly imagine the assertion that declaration made, could be deduced from the words or the "matter of that oath : for unless they had a power "of declaring Latin, as well as law, sure, elegerit, 66 signified hath chosen, as well as will choose; and "that it signified so there, (besides the authority "of the perpetual practice of all succeeding ages; 66 66 a better interpreter than their votes,) it was "evident, by the reference it had to customs, con“suetudines quas vulgus elegerit: and could that be a custom, which the people should choose after this oath taken ? And should a king be sworn "to defend such customs? Besides, could it be imagined, that he should be bound by oath to pass such laws, (and such a law was the bill they brought to him of the militia,) as should put the power, wherewith he was trusted, out of himself, "into the hands of other men; and divert and "disable himself of all possible power to perform "the great business of the oath; which was to protect them? If his majesty gave away all his power, or if it were taken from him, he could |