Mr. Speakers letter to the Kings most excellent Majestie, Febr. 16, 1641 concerning the great affayres, and state of the kingdome. Lenthall, William, 1591-1662. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A47689 of text R39009 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing L1076). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 13 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A47689 Wing L1076 ESTC R39009 18206137 ocm 18206137 107076 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A47689) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 107076) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1127:2) Mr. Speakers letter to the Kings most excellent Majestie, Febr. 16, 1641 concerning the great affayres, and state of the kingdome. Lenthall, William, 1591-1662. [8] p. Printed for John Thomas, London : 1641 [i.e. 1642] Attributed to Lenthall by Wing and Nuc pre-1956 imprints. Caption title dated "... February the 12. 1641" [i.e. 1642]. Imperfect: stained, with loss of print. Reproduction of original in the Bodleian Library. eng Constitutional history -- Great Britain. Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1625-1649. Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649. A47689 R39009 (Wing L1076). civilwar no Mr. Speakers letter to the Kings most excellent Majestie, Febr. 16. 1641. Concerning the great affayres, and state of the kingdome. Lenthall, William 1642 2488 23 0 0 0 0 0 92 D The rate of 92 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the D category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-02 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-03 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-03 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Mr. SPEAKERS LETTER To the Kings most Excellent Majestie , Febr. 16. 1641. Concerning the great Affayres , and State of the Kingdome . HONI SOIT QVI MAL L Y PENSE CR royal blazon or coat of arms London , Printed for Iohn Thomas , 1641. The Speakers Letter of the House of Commons to the Kings most Excellent Majestie , February the 12. 1641. SIR , BEsides my sorrowes ( which pressed me very sore , and remaineth still upon me ) the troubles and griefe that fell upon me for the lamentable breaches in Church and State , and for your Sacred Majesty & hopefull offspring , filled up my sorrowes , and in my thoughts J was grieved that those feares and Desolations fell out in your dayes , I confesse , charity suspects not , and the best minds thinkes the least hurt , and the freer a man is , from vice in himselfe , the more charitable he is of others , and this is that which hath proved ( formerly prejudiciall to your Majesty , but had your Majesty been the first , or the best , that had bin instead , misinformed , or ill rewarded it would be an hard thing to command patience , but griefe is asswaged either by presiden●s , or examples . Jt is true of late dayes your Majesty being misinformed against some of your best subjects , your Majesty thought to have dealt with them , as Ioseph thought to have dealt with Marie , and so put them away farre from you , but with Marie they travailing as it were with child , and that that which they travailed withall might not appeare an illegitimate the onely wise God , sent as it were an Angell unto you , to let you see , that like Marie they being contracted unto you in love , they have not as yet defiled their Marriage Bed , but remaine like Marie faithfull to their Head and Soveraigne , and your Majesty having beene formerly seduced by false opinions from others against them , J hope you will now be reduced unto them ( and by them ) by true perswasions , and that you may be so the onely wise God that gave your Majesty your being , and so knew you better then your selfe , hath dealt with your Majesty , as he did with Adam in Paradise , and so hath provided you a meet helper , when with Adam you thought no need of it , now desired it , and your Majesty yeelding as Adam did , ( in sparing a superfluous Rib for to make him a meet helper ) will become a great gainer , for your Majesty shall not onely loose those who may very well be spared , but you will gaine to your selfe and your posterity a meete helper , that will endeavour by all meanes that may be Lawfull to ease you of many burthens that otherwise might have layne heavie upon you , and this helper is many members of that body , whereof your Majesty is become the head ▪ and considering their paines and labour in Love , you should doe them iniustice if you should suffer any for to accuse them , J hope there is none ( or will be none ) neere you ( if neere you , yet dares not ) so ingrosse your favours any more to their owne advantage whereby your good Subject● may be bereaved of those Benefits that ought to be common to all , as for your Commons , they goe not about to steale your favours , but to purchase them them legally , and are become unto you as Abrahams Servant was to his Master , who would not either Eate , or Drinke , untill he had done his Masters busines , and I dare say if your Commons ( as your late Monopolists , and others ) had or did seeke themselves , or their owne advantages , ( more then the good of King and Kingdome ) they would have beene wearied after so much labour before now , but mee thinkes J heare your Commons say as Adam said , let us be but one , and that it may be so , they are willing , not onely for a time to be seperated from their Domesticke imployments , but to forsake all , and runne many hazards , to cleave only to your Maiesty in a solemne Contract , wherefore to make up the contract , you must with Isaacke part with something that was formerly neare unto you , and who would no● spare a part , to save the rest , being done it will prove to your Maiesty as comfortable and welcome , as Rebecca was into Isaacks Tent . This happy match being made , it would not onely refresh your people , but make glad your heart in time of feares & dangers , it is true , there is many that have brought your Majesty into troubles , and feared dangers ( and the more too blame they , for leaving your Majesty , having brought you into them ) it is true , there are many with Orpha , seeing your troubles , have left you , but your Commons like Ruth are resolved to stick close unto you , and will endeavour to helpe you , if with David you will be advised by them ( who blessed God for the seasonable Councell of a woman , when he was upon a desperate designe ) judge then of their loves & affections to your Majesty , by yours to them ; and then tell me , whether they doe not love you ▪ doubtlesse , yes ; accounting their lives not deare unto them , so that they may but finish their worke with ●oy ▪ and accomplish their good ends concerning you , and I doubt not , but that J speake it in the name of many & in truth by your late yeelding and free expression ; you have stollen me from my selfe , yea , and am now wounded within me , and like Moses , who was wounded within himselfe , and could hardly endure to looke upon God 〈◊〉 he discended in mercy . Jt is true , there is nothing engageth a soule to God , or a Subject to a King , as the appearance of love , this made Moses to say : How dreadfull is thy place O God , and this is that which hath stollen me from my selfe , so that J am no more mine owne , but yours ; yea , by this returne of yours to your people , you will winne them to obedience with kindnesse , and by doing so ; you will make good that which you were sent for , whose eares ought to be imployed for the good of your Subjects ; knowing that their love is your greatest safety , and their prosperity your greatest honour and ●elicity ; & this is that which will make your bed easie ; when you shall possesse the just Title to the Crowne with the love of your people , and the continuance of it with the willing applause of the Subject , is the ●ighest way to a blessing , and the hopes of this is that which hath brought me to renue and confirme the Covenant that your Majesty made with me from your first entrance to the Crowne , and because you could not sweare by no greater , swore by the eternall God , that you would defend mee , and at the first of our contract we made but one , your power and all that you had was mine to defend me , & to do me good , but there have bin some of late , that have set your Majesty against mee . ( J speake it in the name of many ) and have perswaded you to beate me , and to force me to obedience , though of my selfe willing to obey , being of a nature sooner wonne , then compelled , and this is that which hath sore troubled me , yet this is not all , but when an Oath , ( with an et Coetera ) was put upon me , it wounded me ▪ for by the Oath that I had taken already ▪ I was bound fast enough , but the truth is when these things befell me , J was affraid that some evill minded men like to Potiphers wife , seing mine Innocencie , and more faithfull to you ▪ my Husband , then themselves , had complained against me without cause , and this I could hardly beare , for by this meanes our great adversaries , the Divill and Pope , laboured to sowe contentions , and jealousies betweene us and this is that which will be a meanes to undoe us both when your Majesty ( which is become my head , and husband ) speaks kindly unto me , and is ruled by those that love us both my heart is inflamed , with a love unto you , but when your Ministers abuse yo●●●ajesties kindnesse , and become tirants to their fellow Ser●●nts , yea when they shall goe about to Justifie themselves , and lay all their villany upon your Majestie , this J can hardly beare , for by this meanes J am deprived of my mariage bed , and of my wonted society , and am troubled within my selfe , when I see your Majesty ( which is become my head and husband ) strange unto me , but I hope every former breach will unite love the stronger wher●fore being now reconciled to your Commons , Feast , Live Love , and dye together , and be more firme in your neare vnion , then ever divided in your heartie unkindnesse , so shall you meete in the end and never Part , but be like Rachell and Leah , which two ▪ built up the house of Israell , you are now in the way , and it is sayd ▪ Genesis 24 , 27. That whilst the Servant of Abraham was in the way , God blessed him , the same God blesse you , and for your comfort , and incouragement ▪ know , by so much shall you grow to perfection , by how much you draw neare to vnitie , I confesse had the Balaacs and Baalams of our times beene so evill as they would have beene , the world had beene overrunne with evill , but such is the wisdome of God , that ofttimes he hides from evill men those times and seasons , that might prove prejudiciall to his people , so when Saul sought for David , it is true the good God might have destroyed the Baalams and wicked Sauls of our times , but many times he will not , for God hath something more for them to doe , and it is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men , as to vse their evill to his owne holy purposes , and gaineth many times more glory by working good by evill Instruments , then by destroying of them presently in their wicked purposes , for it is a true Maxime , that it sufficeth a good man ▪ that here resisteth the evill actions of the wicked , whilest they love their persons . J confesse , our Balaams and our Sauls , had gone very farre , but in some things God permits in indignation , not for that hee gives leave to the Act , but that he gives a man over to the sinne in the Act , and yet this sufferance imployes not favour but judgement , and God is contented the Devill should winne himselfe credit ( sometimes ) where he means to judge , I confesse our Sauls and our Baalams like Cisera , trusted in their strength , but like Cisera many of them runne away , yet in spight of them all , the Lord hath made a seasonable and hopefull provision for his people . Jt is too true by the meanes of our Sauls , your Majesty became to your people and Commons , as the Angell was unto Gydeon , and so made them affrayd , but like the Angell that made Gydeon affrayd , your Majesty hath returned to their comfort , and as God he useth , where he loues ▪ he imployes , and like Christ himselfe you are now willing to enjoy them b● a willing contract , and not by 〈◊〉 , and by this meanes you appeare now unto your people like Moses , who had more glory by his Vale , then by his face , and I doe no● doubt but when all things shall be made manifest , but that one faithfull DAVID will be in more 〈◊〉 with your Majesty ; then either the Sauls or Baalams 〈…〉 is true , by the meanes of our Sauls the Crowne 〈◊〉 become full of cares , and your Majesty 〈◊〉 almost beene wearied by them , would faine now take some rest , and that your Majesty may rest , J will with Iacob give God no rest untill he have blessed you , wherefore being now reconciled unto your Commons , you will become as sweet and pleasant to the Church , and the three Kingdomes , as the Tree that God shewed to Moses , which when he cast into the waters , the waters were made sweet ( which formerly were bitter ) J know that thankefulnesse and love , can doe more with good men , then merit or necessity , and me thinkes I see you like our Saviour who thirsted after the salvation of Mankind , and J beleeve it was not so much out of drynesse as out of love , goe you and doe so likewise , knowing that modest beginnings , and hopefull proceedings makes happy endings , and for your comfort know , that God whose Battels you fight , will provide a due reward , and so J commend the saying of Salomon unto you , Eccles. 9.10 . Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe , doe it with thy might , for there is no worke nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest . FINIS .