Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A11376
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Of the antient lavves of great Britaine. George Saltern
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Salteren, George.
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1605
(1605)
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STC 21635; ESTC S116514
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35,849
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88
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homicides of escapes of Tearmes kept at London of Recoueries of Exchanges Historia Eliensis of Feoffements of jntales of CoÌ„mons inclosures and the Law of Curia Claudenda of the lawe of disceit it in selling thinges corrupt or vitious of dowers Leases Rents Farmes seruices c. And many other as things theÌ„ in vse which were allowed as agreeable to Gods word by those Saxon ChristiaÌ„s being vtter enemies to the Britaines and yet most deuout in Religion and sincere in Iustice as their Lawes doe testifie For which cause I will touch certaine of the notable Saxon lawes onely to shew the Godlinesse of those auncient Saxons and Scottish Kings and how in that time the matters of our common Lawes were vsuall and common Inas about the yeare of our Lord 720. beginneth his lawes thus Inas by the grace of God west Saxon King by the perswasion and instruction of Cenred my Father and of Hedda and Erkenwald my Bishops and with al my Aldermen the eldest wisemen of my people in a great summons of Gods Seruants for the health of our soule conseruation of our kingdome I haue enacted that right Lawes and IudgemeÌ„ts be confirmed throughout our kingdome Cap. 1. That the ministers of God obserue the appointed rules and maners of liuing Then followeth Lawes for obseruation of the Sabaoth against theft robbery murder many other offences and therein is mencion also made of Land-lords of Tennants of Rents and seruices Kennethus the most worthy Scottish King soone after the same time maketh verye iust and good Lawes wherof this was one In euery Shire this was before Alfred Let skilfull men in the Lawes bee appointed to reside hee that blasphemeth the name of God of the Saints of his Prince or of the Captaine of his tribe let his tongue bee cut out The most religious K. Alfred about the yeare 880. beginneth his lawes thus The Lord spake vnto Moses these words saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of Bondage thou shalt haue none other Gods besides mee And so foorth as in the decalog and other Iudicialles of Moses Then follow certaine lawes against periury concerning Intayles against Sacriledge Treason Quarrelling Fighting Fornication yea against immodest touching of a womaÌ„ with other lawes of greate sinceritie a manifest and approued Vicar and Lieuftenant of God a second Dauid whose delight is in the Lawe of the Lord which to confirme the same King translated the new Testament out of Latin into the Vulgar SaxoÌ„ for the vse of his subiects some Copies whereof as it is said are yet remaining amongst vs. So farre did the learning of those daies differ from the ignorance of these Romane innouators Edward Anno Dom. 920. Thus beginneth I Edward K. commaund all Gâ—eeues that they giue right iudgements to all according to their iudgement Booke Alfred and Guthrun thus made their league by act of Parlament Ante omnia Deum vnum c. before al things that one God is to be loued Worshipped Secondly that humane Lawes are to be proclaimed as common to Christ and the King Then followe Lawes for payment of Tithes for obseruation of the Sabaothes c. Ioh. Picus cited by Mr Lamb. Arc. And by this league Guthrunus which some call Gurmundus was in Baptisme named Ethelstane obteyned Suffolke Norfolke Northumberland to be giuen to him to holde by Fealty of the King Edmund sets this preface to his Lawes I Edmund King to al my Subiects doe plainely signifie that in a solemne assembly both of the Clergie and Laity I haue studiously inquired of the wisest of my kingdome by what meanes the ChristiaÌ„ faith might be most aduanced And to vs all it seemed most comodious that loue and mutual kindnes should be maintayned amongst all men throughout our Kingdome Etenim taeâ—…et nos harum quotidianarum pugnarum For we are tired with these quotidian fightings and contentions O godly Prince O true Vicar of the God of Peace Edgar enacteth Lawes for the obseruation of the Sunday and of publike feasts and fasts vnder the paines contained in the iudiciall booke And that euery man shall freely enioy the benefit of the common Law Note the common lawe euen then named before St. Edward the Conqueror Canutus the Dane thus First let all men most deuoutly religiously worship one God Al men obserue one rule of Christian Religion Al men obey Canutus the King with due fidelity and obseruance All defend and keepe the church of Christ with holy euerlasting peace continually frequeÌ„t the same c with many other most Godly and Christian lawes after many Footesteps of auncient Lawes which yet remaine in vse he concludeth with a moste ardent exhortation to all men to turne vnto God and to obey his commaundements another Lieftenant or vicegerent of Christ Edgar the peaceable confirmeth the Liberties rights of the Church amongst other things enacteth that euerie man shall enioy the benefit of the common Lawe Like matters are found in the Lawes of Ethelstane Etheldred St. Edward and VVilliam the Conqueror who confirmeth the same with some small addition and hath left them to vs consecrated by his owne othe and the othe of all his successors You see then the sacred Maiestie of our Imperaill Princes whoÌ„ God hath vouchsafed not onely by the coÌ„fesson of strangers enemies but by these their Lawes to be his Vicars defenders of his faith And by these things that haue been said it may fully appeare first how sincerely and deuoutlye those excellent Princes followed the counsell of Elutherius giuen to Lucius in taking lawes for their kingdome out of the word of God and how true it is that we affirme that our auncient common lawes were begun in the times of the first Britains grounded vpon the lawes of God printed in Nature and Scripture continued by the Saxons in their iudgement bookes transmitted to vs by Saint Edward and the Conqueror And consequently the ground of Sir Iohn Fortescues testimony that this land hath bene possessed by Britannes Romanes Saxons Danes and Normans And in all the times of these seuerall Nations and of their Kings this Realme was still ruled with the selfe same lawes and customes which if they had not bene right good some of those Kings mooued eyther with Iustice or with reason or affection wold haue chaÌ„ged or abolished them speciallye the Romaneâ— who did iudge all the world by their owne Lawes Thirdly what direction and Presidents our Princes and Parlaments haue had to follow in making Lawes and what Lawes the whole Kingdome is bound to obserue by that solemn othe that is taken for the obseruation of St. Edwards lawes and the Lawes of the Realme as partly also is noted vnto vs in the preface of that famous Statute made against Prouisors in the 25. yeare of King Edward the third And lastly what reason may be giueÌ„