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A91892 The peoples plea: fully vindicating the povver and proceedings of the Parliament. Occasioned by a defence of the covenant. / Robinson, John, prebendary of Westminster. 1646 (1646) Wing R1697; Thomason E328_3; ESTC R200667 15,619 24

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LONDON Printed according to Order by Thomas Paine for VVilliam Ley at Paules-Chaine 1646. The Peoples Plea Fully vindicating The POVVER and PROCEEDINGS OF THE PARLIAMENT Occasioned by a defence of the COVENANT Written by a reverend Divine That Rule is eternall Salus Populi suprema Lex The Peoples safety is the highest Law Jos Nor. The Peace-maker Sect. 22. Published by Authority LONDON Printed for ROBERT BOSTOCK at the Kings Head in PAULS Church-yard 1646. To the Reader Christian Reader LEt me desire thee not to mistake This small Tract was not written so much out of desire to perswade one Minister as out of hope that such motives wherewith my selfe was satisfied may prevaile with others also rationall men which are so doubtfull I know it will appear but as a little Skeleton a few sinews and bones without that filling of flesh and ornaments of learning which a better accommodation for books might have afforded Not many perhaps of my calling have been more verst in this argument or more averse from popularitie than I have been But I have ever held my course according as mine owne interest did seeme to lead me with the tide of that time nor did I want reasons out of Barkley Blackwood Bodine Hayward King James and others to work mee into a beleefe of some truth in those opinions For Facilè credimus quod volumus Especially two Achillean arguments as they appeared then the one from a Kings Supremacie which in a true Monarchy did seem unquestionable much more in such a Monarchy where it was sworne to The other argument from a Kings immediate dependance upon God But in these great differences of the State seeing so many wise and religious men of a different beleefe and being resolved to sacrifice to the Publike all mine owne poore private interest in Church-preferments I took off my selfe a while from those pre-conceptions and freely examined all from the verie originall and ground-work of all government and compared it with the practice of our own State where I found things much differing from what I did imagine before For indeed neither I nor many others did ever truly understand the nature of an English Parliament before It is verie true the King is supreme and we do sweare it in these two respect First in the ordinarie administration of the Government and execution of the Lawes and Customes of the Realme hee is the Supreme the Primuin Mobile the first Wheele that sets all the rest a going Secondly in relation to all other forraine Princes and States especially the Pope he is supreme Independent holding from none nor owing subjection or fealtie to any and this is the ground of our oath The Duke of Normandy heretofore and other free Princes of France were supreme in their owne Dominions in the former sense but were not so by the latter because they did owe homage and held in chiefe from the Crowne of France So doth not the King of England from any forraine Prince or Potentate in the world Yet upon examination I found all this Supremacie too short for our purpose and too weak a foundation to beare all that building which was raised upon it For I am perswaded his Majestie out of his wisdome will not deny for all this but that there is a greater and an higher Power within this Realme than his owne single For there is a Power that can oblige the whole Kingdome by Laws that can dis-oblige them again from Laws that can levie what taxes they shall think requisite that can take away the life libertie and estate of any man by a Legislative Power without any written Law I am confident his Majestie is more just and wise than to pretend of himselfe alone to this Power and Supremacie which is the high●st in England Beside the argument from Supremacie I did imagine as many others do that Kings hold their authoritie immediately from God But upon a review I cannot find any one Text in all the Scripture that doth avouch it Let me then entreat thee if thou be any way scrupulous in this point to lay aside all prejudiciall conceits and to examine the matter from the Originall sincerely and impartially no doubt but our good God being duly called upon will open thine eyes and heart to understand the verie truth which shall be my heartie prayer on thy behalfe The Peoples Plea To my reverend Brother c. SIR I Was troubled not a little to heare that you are so much troubled with the Covenant as that your taking thereof and leaving all your meanes are put in the ballance Your particular doubts if they were knowne might no doubt receive particular satisfaction Now at large I conceive that as the publike difference of the State so your private scruples may concerne either the Ecclesiasticall Government or the Politike power of king and Parliament In the former you are loth perhaps to vow the extirpation of the Prelacy In the other you may stick at preserving the Rights of Parliament and Liberties of Kingdome which are your owne with your estate and life which as some interpret is by a warre against the King that may seem unlawfull To begin with the former give me leave to aske whither you do thinke our Hierarchy to be prescribed by Gods Word as alone necessarie for the Church or only the best and most convenient but that other formes of Church government be lawfull and allowable as well as that If you conceive out late forme absolutely necessary and alone 1 You will finde it impossible to make good the whole frame of that Government by any Scripture Episcopacy it selfe Diocesan Episcopacy doth labour much in proving its Originall Title to be divine And the reverend Bishop who Jos Nor. The Peace-maker Sect. 6. undertooke that proofe doth now acknowledge this forme not to be essentiall to the being of a Church though much importing the well or better being of it As for Deanes and Chapters Archdeacons Chancellours Commisseries c. much lesse can they plead any warrant from Gods Word 2 It is too evident that this government hath been verie much abused by the pomp and pride the avarice and sloth of the Clergie by their too neare complyancy with the Idolatrous Church of Rome by their medling too much in Civill and State aff●ires improper for their calling but especially by the abominable corruption and fowle dealing of Chancellours Commissaries Registers Proctors and Apparators in Ecclesiasticall Courts To say nothing of the Clergies dependance upon and flatterng service to the Kings Court in raising the Kings power to the prejudice of the Kingdome as it is generally conceived 3 By that opinion of the divinitie of our late Government you must needs condemne all other Protestand Churches especially those which are best reformed and most agreeing with us in Doctrine for want of that Government and Discipline which alone you say God hath appointed in his Church But I hope you will be advised better then to