Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	king_n	parliament_n	session_n	5,616	5	10.5793	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94265	Syllogologia; or, An historical discourse of parliaments in their originall before the Conquest, and continuance since. Together with the originall growth, and continuance, of these courts following, viz. [brace] High Court of Chancery, Upper Bench, Common-Pleas, Exchequer, Dutchy, and other inferiour courts now in use in this Commonwealth.	J. S.	1656 (1656)	Wing S93; Thomason E1646_1; ESTC R203463	29,703	88

his wisemen to Excester and consulted with them for the better observation of the peace of his own Realm And he also at another time by the advise of his wisemen renued and confirmed the league that Alfred had before taken with the Danish Captain King Ethelstane concludeth his famous Parliament holden at Grateley thus All this was ordained in that great Synod at Grateley at the which was the Arch-Bishop Walfhelme with all the Noblemen and Wisemen that King Ethelstane gathered together and the same King did also afterward call another assemblie of his wisemen to Excester to consult for the better execution of those former Ordinances Edmond the King summoned a great Synod at London both of the order of the Spiritualty and Temporalty the which in the second part of the Law there made he called by a generall name his Witena wisemen and thanketh them all for their help in that advice And after him King Edgar published certaine lawes which were made as he saith by the Counsell of his wisemen K. Edgar made lawes frequenti senatu he began to raign 959. Lambard f. 62. Etheldred had consilium sapientium and be began to raign 979. Lam. f. 88. The like title and conclusion have those statutes also which King Etheldred ordained at Woodstock and the league which he made with Anlaf another of the Captaines of the Danish armie is intituled to be made by him and his wisemen And certain other acts there be though hitherto not imprinted of a Parliament that was assembled in the yeare of Chist 1008. which fell under the raign of the same King which are there reported to have passed under the authority of the King and his wisemen both spirituall and lay in which said last ordinances this one thing for this purpose is worthy of observation That whereas in the beginning of the lawes all the acts are said to passe from the King and his wisemen both of the Clergie and Laytie It is also supposed that the senatus consultum de monticolis Walliae was in this Kings time the title is Consultum quod Angliae sapientes Walliae consiliarij de monticolis fecerunt Lamb. 94. in all the body and processe of the law each statute saith thus And it is the advice of our Lord and his Wisemen so as it seemeth plainly that it was then a received speech to signifie both the Spiritualty and Laity that is to say the Nobility and Comons by the onely word Witena or Wisemen Finally those lawes of the great King and Monarch Canute or Knoate which he made at Winchester and be yet remaining do beare face and testimonie that they were made by him and his wisemen Se of this Guliel Lamb. 97. And there is an antient written treatise intituled Modus tenendi parliamentum tempore regis Edwardi filii Etheldredi to be seen in many hands purportng the very order forme and manner of all this stately Court and Assemblie Now as these written authorities do undoubtedly confirm our assertion of the continuance of this manner of Parliament so is there also unwritten law or prescription that doth no lesse infallibly uphold the same for it is well known that in every quarter of the Realm a great many Boroughs do yet send Burgesses to the Parliament which neverthelesse be so antiently and so long since decayed and gone to naught that it cannot be shewed that they have been of any reputation at any time since the Conquest and much lesse they have obtained that priveledge by the Grant of the King succeeding the same so that the interest they have in Parliament groweth by an ancient usage before the Conquest whereof they cannot shew any beginning which thing also is confirmed by a contrary usage in the selfesame thing for it is likewise known that they of ancient demeasne do prescribe in not sending to the Parliament for which reason also they are neither contributaries to the wages of the Knights there neither are they bound by sundry Acts of Parliament though the same be generally penned and do make no exception of them But there is no ancient Demeasne saving that only which is described in the book of Domesday under the title of Terra Regis which of necessitie must be such as either was in the hands of the Conquerour himselfe who made that booke or of Edward the Confessor that was before him And so again if they of ancient demeasne have ever since the Conquest Mirror c. 1. sect 2. prescribed not to send Burgesses to the Parliament then no doubt there was a Parliament before the Conquest to the which they of other places did send their Burgesses which seeing it is so let us come neerer and examine whether the same order have continued since that time or no. The continuance of Parliament after the Conquest To looke for a Parliament assembled of the English nation and Commons soon after the Conquest were but to labour without expectation of good speed for Silent leges inter arma There were in the time of and since the conquest in the raigns of H 1. K. Stephen H. 2. R. 1. K. John H. 3. c. 280. Parliaments and acts made at every session Cook 1. Jnst sect 164. p. 110. See Polyd. l. 11. and Hollingsh p. 354. of the beginning of Parliaments in England And during all the raign of the Conquerour either the sword was not put up into the scabbard or if it were the hand was alwayes upon the hilt ready to draw it again So unwilling on the one part were the English men to take the yoak and more that rather their obedience was to be compell'd then their opinions to be consulted and so haughty on the other part were the Normans victors that to be called an English-man was in their eye a great contumelie and reproach His son William also did rather pretend in word some release of the former austerity in government than perform it in deed and experience But his other son the first Henry that ever raigned here did not only at his Coronation promise restitution of St. Edwards laws as we call them but also delivered out his free Charter of the Grant of the same in which as M. Paris reporteth he acknowledgeth that he was crowned by the Common-Councell of the Barons of the Realme of England and there it may happily seeme strange to affirm that this was a full Parliament in the which there is no other mention but of these Barons only But if it be considered first that the Germans expound and render the word Baro by Freehears a freeman then that Math. Paris saith that the Citizens of London were at that time called Barons And also that even yet Burgesses of the Five Ports do passe under the same name of Barons and that every man almost hath his Court-Baron It shall not be altogether without ground to say that both the Nobility and Commonalty of the Realme were meant under these words the

Barons of the Realm the rather because that speech is accompanied with the words Common-Councell and for that also the selfe same Author doth afterward use the words Comunis assensus Baronagii when he intendeth to signifie a just Parliament Ingulphus who died before 1109. saith Rex Eldredus convocavit magnates Episcopos proceres optimates ad tractandum de publ negotiis Regni Howbeit since I labour not with any penurie of proof I wil relinquish the advantage of this matter desiring only that they may be called to memorie which Polydore Virgil hath before acknowledged concerning the restitution of the form of the Parliament made by this very same King of whom also the Saxon Chronicles of Peterborough Abby do testifie that in the yeare after Christ 1123. he sent his writers over all England and bad his Bishshops Abbots and all his Theignes which signifie asmuch as Barons before that they should come to his Witena Gemote on Candlemas day to Glocester But to leave him and to leap over Stephen because he hath striven longer for the Crown then he enjoyed it King Henry the second saith Mathew Paris in the year of our Lord Christ 1185. Convocavit Clericos Regni populum cum omni nobilitate apud fontem Clericorum And yet again to passe over his two sons Richard and John whereof the one spent the most part of his Raign in battell abroad and the other in Civill warrs at home I read in the same Author that King Henry the third did in the year of our Lord 1225. call together Omnes Clericos laicos totius regni Which assembly the same writer also in some places expresseth by the words Vniversitas regni but what need I to hang long on the credit of Historians seeing from this time downward the authentique writers of the Parliaments themselves do offer mee present help The great Charter of England which passed from this King about this time and for which the English men had no lesse striven than the Trojans for their Helena beareth no shew of an Act of Parliament and yet I will prove by the Depositions of two sundry Parliaments That it was made by the comon assent of all the Realme in the time of King Henry the third for so saith the statute called Confirmatio Chartae Anno. 25. E. 1. in flat Termes and the statute made at Westminster Anno. 25. E. 3. Cap. 1. saith that it was made by the King Peeres and Commons of the land in the 20. year of the same King Henry the statute of Mert●n was published which saith thus Provisum fuit consessum tam a praedictis Archiepiscopis Episcopis Comitibus Baronibus quam ab ipso rege aliis And in the 52. yeare of his raign was the statute of Marle-bridge made provideat as it self speaketh ipso domino rege ac convocatis discetioribus eiusdem Regni tam majoribus quam minoribus provisum est statutum c. The statute of Westminster the first which was made in the third yeare of E. 1. hath this title The establishments of King Edward made by this Councell and by the Assent of the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Earles Barons and all the Comonalty of the land thither sumoned The statute made at Gloucester in the 6. year of the same Kings raign is there said to be thus made Purrelant le Roy apelles le pluis discretes de son Royalme auxibien des greinders come des meindres establie est concordantment ordenie To draw to an end King Edward the second held a Parliament in the 14. year of his raign wherein are these words Le Roy per assent des Prelates Counts Barons tout le Comunaltie de son Realme en le Parliament c. and the like speech hath he in another statute that he made Ne quis occasionetur pro morte Petri de Gaveston I do not think that I shall need to speake for further proofes amongst the Records of Parliaments after this time for they do from henceforth not only shew themselves in such store and plenty but also set forth the severall states themselves the duty of their presence the paines of their default or departure and sundry other circumstances so particularly and plainly that as I might well be charged if you would stand upon them in a matter not doubtfull to have used speech nothing at all needfull and yet least any man should suspect that any of the two estates of this Assemblie derived his voice in Parliament from the authority of any of these later lawes I must leave him to understand that in one short Statute of Parliament holden in the 5 year of King Richard 2. statute 2. ca. 4. he may reade it 4. severall times plainly spoken that this was done anciently and of old time So that here again also Prescription is ready to serve the turne and to say the truth this one law may stand for an Interpreter of all the rest for whether they be said to be made by the King and his Barons or by the King and his Clergie and Laytie or by the King and his discreeter men both great and small or by the common Assent of all the Realme as I have already shewed or by the King and his Wisemen or by the King and his Councell or his Comon-Councell or by the King Earles Barons and other Wisemen or after such other like phrases whereof you may meet with many in the volumes of Parliament it cometh all to this one point namely that the King his Nobilitie and Commons did ordaine them And which is more if you shall find any act of Parliament seeming to passe under the name and authoritie of the King only as some have that shew indeed yet you must not by and by judge that it was established without the Assent of the other estates To take one example for the rest The statute of Gloucester made the 6. E. 1. speaketh thus Our soveraigne Lord the King for the amendment of the land hath provided the statutes under-written c. But yet the statutes made at Westminster in the 13 year of that King and the statute of Quo Warranto set forth in the ●0 year of that King also ●eciting that statute of Gloucester do plainly acknowledge the one that it was provided by the more discreet men of the Realme aswell of the high as of the low degree being called together and the other that it was made by the King calling together the Earles Prelates Barons and his Councell And therefore it was well noted by Judge Brook That though magna Charta and sundry other old statutes do run in the name of the Prince only yet the other estates are supplyed in all good understanding Againe whether the forme of an Act be thus The King with the Assents of the Lords and Commons doth establish or thus It is enacted at the request of the Lords and Commons whereto the King assenteth or thus by the

Assent of the King and of the Lords spirituall and Temporall and of the Commons it is enacted or thus It is enacted by the authority of this present Parliament It is also all one in effect and substance for the words assenteth and enacteth are equivalent in this case 7. H. 7.14 2 H. 7. ●7 as it is holden 7. H. 7.14 2. H. 7.27 whereas otherwise the necessitie of the Assent of all the 3. estates of Parliament is such as without any one of them the rest will lose their labour For it fell out upon a time that the King in Parliament willed that a certain man should be attainted and should lose his hands whereunto the Lords assented But because there was nothing spoken of the Commons it was adjudged by all the Iustices 4. H. 7.18 That this was no Acte that might binde 4. H. 7.18 and therefore the partie was restored Hitherto of the Continuance and Assent of this our first and highest Court This Court of Parliament maketh inlargeth diminisheth abrogateth repealeth and reviveth Lawes statutes c. concerning matters ecclesiasticall capitall criminall common civill martiall maritine c. Cook 1 Inst fol. 110. sect 164. see 4. Inst chap. Parlia ment whereunto after that I shall have added a word or two of the jurisdiction thereof I will proceed to the rest if all judgements as Cicero said be conversant either in the punishment of offences or in the decision of controversies then is the Judgment of our Parliament of as ample authority as the assent of any or all other Courts whatsoever for it declareth the lawes that do bind all persons in all Causes aswell ecclesiasticall as temporall whereof you may see a great many examples in the volume of the old saxon Parliaments how strange a thing so ever the popish Clergie in former times have thought it to be it hath jurisdiction also in such causes which have need of help and for which there is no help by any law already in force And whereon the erronious Judgments of any other Courts must be reversed by a higher authority this Court doth not only reverse the errors of the upper Bench formerly called the Kings Bench which is superior to all other but it may also amend the errors committed by the Parliament it self if any such shall at any time appeare Ecclesiasticall Courts were many in number diverse in nature whereof the Chiefe was the Convocation of the Clergie of the whole nation of England and Wales which was assembled together with the estates of Parliament and it consisted of the Deanes Chapters Archdeacons Procurators of all the Cathedrall Churches the next were the 2. provinciall Synods of Canterbury and of Yorke to the later of the which there were only three Bishopricks subject that is to say Durham Carlisle and Chester and all the rest owed their obedience to the See of Canterbury After those were the generall Courts of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury that is to say the Consistory or Court of the Arches for Appellations the Court of Audience of the Chancellours Court which was wont to be in the Arch-Bishops house The Commissaries or the Praerogative Court which is now in being for probate of Testaments and the Court of Faculties for dispensations then followed the speciall Courts of this Arch-Bishop namely his Consistory holden by his Commissary at Canterbury for his diocaesse and lastly the Court of those peculiar Deanaries which did belong unto him and do ly in the diocaesses of other Bishopps The other Arch-Bishops and each other Bishop had in his owne Diocesse the Court of his Chancellour and the Court of his Archdeacon or his Officiall But forasmuch as the description of these ecclesiasticall Courts perteineth to another learning I meane to the Civill and Canon Laws by which they were governed and do withall require a double treatise by themselves I will content my self with this bare enumeration of them at this time and bend my labour to the discovery of the Lay or temporall Courts that now have place amongst us Lay Courts were of two sorts The sorts of Lay Courts in antient time at the first only base and high concerning the beginning whereof I read that even as Moses the speciall minister of Justice appointed by God finding himself unable to sustain the burden of deciding all the Controversies of the people Deut. 1. Exod. 18. did set Judges over Tribes Hundreds Fifties and Tenths of the multitude to whom he referred the determination of smaller causes reserving to himself the knowledge of matters that were of greater importance so also that Saxon but Christian King of England Alfred divided his whole Realm of England first into Shires Division of the Realm for juris diction then those shires into Rathes Rapes or Rideings and these again into Wapentakes or Hundreds and lastly those also into Leets Barons or Tything and did withall establish jurisdiction in every of these permitting to the Reeves or Judges of the lower roomes authority of hearing smaller suites granting greater power to the Shiriffs and Aldermen which have charge of greater Assemblyes and detaining to himself the decision of such matters as by just cause of appellation either for Law or equity should be brought unto him This Court of the whole Shire was of two sorts whereof the one then called Scyre-Gemote that is the Assembly of the Shire and now termed the Sheriffs turn was then as now also holden twice in one year And this Court was of like jurisdiction to the Court of the Leet or of the Boroughs or Tything as it was then called The second and the Hundred Court then named Hundre des-Gemote was in those appointed to be holden once in a month at the least and that was of like nature to the County Court which is now kept every month also unto the Court Baron antiently called healgemote and corruptly halymote that is as I said the Court of a Hall or chief place which is now at this day to be kept and maintained once in three weeks if the Lord will so have it I read further more in the Laws of the Saxon King Edgar thus ne Gesece nan man Sone Synz c. Let no man seek to the King in matter of variance unless he cannot find right at home but if that right be too heavy for him then let him seek to the King to have it lightned The very like whereof is to be seen in effect in the Laws of Canutus the Dane sometimes King of this Nation also The hygh Court of justice before the Conquest for Laws and equity Out of which laws I gather four things First that every man had means to use in these base Courts at home in the Countrey for the recovery of his right Secondly Then that no man ought to use it out of the County or to draw his plea from thence without good cause both which things lye plainly in the letter of this Law Thirdly that

might not be put off to shew cause from day to day which rather increaseth trouble and charges than either furthereth the suit for the hearing or benefits the parties in their cause Which thing whether it might be more couvenient than the present manner of motions I will leave to the judgement of such as have more wisdom to devise and power to execute And will sum up the rest of our Courts and make an end The Court of the Dutchy or County Palatine of Lancaster which is by a late Act of Parliament committed to the custody of a Commissioner grew out of the grant of King Edward the third The Court formerly called The Dutchy Court the jurisdiction whereof is now committed to a Commissioner or Commissioners County Palatine of Lanc. erected in Parliament 50 E. 3. and Iustices of Assises Gaole delivery and of the Peace have been since the erection of it Cook lib. 4. f. 204. 205. who first gave that Dutchie to his Son John of Gaunt and endowed it with such royall rights as the County Palatine of Chester had And forasmuch as it was afterward extincted in the person of King Henry the 4th by reason of the union of it with the Crown of the Realm the same King knowing himself more rightfully Duke of Lancaster then King of England determined to save his right in the Dutchy whatsoever should befall the Kingdom And therefore he separateth his Dutchy from the Crown and setleth it so in the naturall persons of himself and his heirs as if he had been no King or Pollitique Body at all in which manner it indured during the reign of King Henry the first and of King Henry the 6th that were descended of him But when King Edward the 4th had by recovery of the Crown recontinued the right of the House of York he feared not to appropriate that Dutchie to the Crown again And yet so as he suffered the Court and Officers to remain as he found them And in this manner it came together with the Crown to King Henry the 7th who liking well of that policy of King Henry the fourth by whose right he also obteined the Kingdom made by separation of the Dutchie as he hath done and so left it to his posterity It appeareth in our Books of the Tearms of King Edward the 4th The Star Chamber and the Report of cases happening under the usurpation of Richard the third This Court was in being before 28 E. 3. Cook lib. That sometimes the King and his Counsell And sometimes the Lord Chancellour and other great personages did use to sit Judiciall in the place then and lately called for that it is decked with certain Stats the Star Chamber But forasmuch as be like that Assembly was not ordinary therefore the next King Henry the 7th and his Son Henry the 8th took order by two severall Laws That the Chancellour assisted with others there named should have power to hear complaints against Reteinors Embraceries misdemeanours of Offices and such other offences which through the power and countenance of such as do commit them do lift up the head above other faults and for the which inferiour Judges are not so meet to give correction And because that place was before time dedicated to the like service it hath ever since also been so used untill it was taken away in the late King Charls his reign The Court of Requests The Court of the Requests being of the same nature as I said with the Chancery took beginning by Commission from King Henry the 8. before which time the Masters of the Requests had no warrant of ordinary Jurisdiction This Court had no warrant by act of Parliament or prescription to establ shit Cook lib. 4. fol. 97. but travailed between the Prince and Petitioners by direction from the mouth of the King The same King also established one Court of President and Counsell in the Marches of Wales 34. 35. H. 8. The Court of the Marches of Wales and that of the North parts were taken away in the late K Ch. his reign Anno 17. Car. And another like Court of President and Counsell in the North parts which Court in Wales was a Court of Law in its principall Jurisdiction although it did withall exercise other powers of equity by vertue of other severall Commissions that did accompany the same and the Court of York was in its principall Jurisdiction Equity and did exercise other powers by vertue of other Commissions Court of Wards The Court of Wards began about the 32th year of the reign of King Henry the 8 who also in the next year after added thereto the office of the Masters of the Liveries and withall conjoyned the names ordaining that it should be called The Court of his Wards and Liveries The same King likewise had erected one Court of the generall Surveiours of his Lands and one other of the Augmentations and Revenues of his Crown and a third Court of the first fruits and Tithes of Benefices But all these were afterwards dissolved and by Queen Mary united to the Court of Exchequer Thus having run along these Courts deriving them from the Crown I might proceed yet further to shew the originall and beginnings of some Courts erected by the late Parliament and the nature and beginning of the High Court of Justice that was erected in Westminster Hall Anno 1648. but they being so fresh in the memory of this age I shall not need to make mention thereof FINIS