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A56211 The soveraigne povver of parliaments and kingdomes divided into foure partsĀ· Together with an appendix: wherein the superiority of our owne, and most other foraine parliaments, states, kingdomes, magistrates, (collectively considered,) over and above their lawfull emperours, kings, princes, is abundantly evidenced, confirmed by pregnant reasons, resolutions, precedents, histories, authorities of all sorts; the contrary objections re-felled: the treachery and disloyalty of papists to their soveraignes, with their present plots to extirpate the Protestant religion demonstrated; and all materiall objections, calumnies, of the King, his counsell, royallists, malignants, delinquents, papists, against the present Parliaments proceedings, (pretended to be exceeding derogatory to the Kings supremacy, and subjects liberty) satisfactorily answered, refuted, dissipated in all particulars. By William Prynne, utter-barrester, of Lincolnes Inne. It is on this second day of August, 1643. ordered ... that this booke ... be printed by Michael Sparke ...; Soveraigne power of parliaments and kingdomes Prynne, William, 1600-1669. 1643 (1643) Wing P4087A; ESTC R203193 824,021 610

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irregularities I make no question that they would have joyntly answered as I doubt not but our Parliaments Kingdomes and all other Nations were they at this day to institute their preerected Principalities and Kings would answer to that they had never any imagination to erect such an absolute eternall unlimited uncontrollable irresistable Monarchy and plaine tyranny over them and that they ever intended to reserve the absolute originall Soveraigne Jurisdiction in themselves as their native hereditary priviledge which they never meant to divest themselves of that so by means thereof if their Princes should degenerate into Tyrants they might have a just authority power and remedy residing in them whereby to preserve themselves the Nation Kingdome from utter desolation ruine and vassalage An impregnable evidence that the whole Kingdom and Parliament representing it are the most Soveraign power and above the King himselfe because having the supream Jurisdiction in them at first they never totally transferred it to our Kings but reserved it in themselves which is likewise further confirmed by that notable passage of Philocheus Archilacus in his Somnium Viridarii c. 171. Royall power is instituted three manner of wayes First by the will and pleasure of the people because every people wanting a King of their own not being subject to the Emperour or some other King MAY BY THE LAW OF NATIONS MAKE THEMSELUES A KING 94. Dist. c. Legitima If a Royall Principality be thus instituted as it is in the proper pleasure and power of the people to ordaine that the King shall be either Successive of Elective so it is in their pleasure to ordaine That Kings succeeding hereditarily shall enjoy their power due nnto them either immediately before any Coronation or any other solemnity or that they shall receive this power onely by their Coronation or any other solemnity about him Thereason whereof is Because as every one in the delivery of the gift of his owne goods may impose what covenant or condition he pleaseth and every man is moderator and disposer of his owne estate so in the voluntary institution of a King and Royall Power IT IS LAWFULL FOR THE PEOPLE SUBMITTING THEMSELUES TO PRESCRIBE THE KING AND HIS SUCCESSORS WHAT LAW THEY PLEASE so as it be not unreasonable and unjust and directly against the rights of a Superiour Therefore lawfull to reserve ●he Soveraigne Power in and to themselves and not to transfer it wholly to their Kings 14 There is one cleare Demonstration yet remaining to prove the supreme power of Parliaments above Kings themselves which is this That the Parliament is the highest Court and power to which all Appeal●s are finally to be made from all other Courts and Iudges whatsoever yea from the Kings own personall resolution in or out of any other his Courts and such a transcendent ● ribunall from whence there is no appeale to any other Court or person no not to the King himselfe but onely to another Parliament If any erroneous Judgement be given in the Kings Bench Exchequer-Chamber Chancery Court of Wards or any other Court within the Realm or in the Parliament in Ireland it is finally to be reversed or determined in Parliament by a Writ of Error or upon a Petition or Bill If any sentence be unjustly given in any Ecclesiasticall Courts or before the D●legates the finall Appeale for redresse must be to the Parliament Illegall sentences in the now exploded extravagant Courts of Star-Chamber or High Commission Injuries done by the King and his privy Councell at the Councell Table are examinable and remediable in this high Court Nay if the King himselfe should sit in person in the Kings Bench or any other Court as sometimes our Kings have done and there give any Judgement it is not so obligatory or finall but that the party against whom Judgement is pronounced may appeale to the Parliament for reliefe as Seneca epist. 100. out of Tully de Repub. Fenestella Hugo Grotius de jure Belli l. 1. c. 4. s. 20. p. 65. record that among the Romanes in certain causes they might appeale from the King to the people But if the Parliament give any Judgement There can be no appeale to any higher Tribunall Court or person no not to the King but onely to the next or some other Parliament as is evident by experience by all Attainders of Trea●on by or in Parliament by all inconvenient and unjust Acts passed in Parliament which concerne either King or Subject which cannot be reversed nor repealed though erroneous nor the right heire restored in blood by any Charter from the King but onely by an act of repeale or restitution in another Parliament Now this is an infallible Maxime both in the Common Civill and Canon Law that The Court or person to whom the last appeale is to be made is the Supream●st power as the Kings Bench is above the Common Pleas the Eschequer Chamber above the Kings Bench and the Parliament above them all because a Writ of Error to reverse erroneous judgements given in the Common Pleas lyeth in the Kings Bench Errors in the Kings Bench may be reversed in the Eschequer Chamber and errors in all or either of them may be redressed finally in Parliament from whence there is no further appeale Hence the Canonists conclude a Generall Councell above the Pope the Pope above the Archbishop the Archbishop above the Ordinary because men may Appeale from the Ordinary to the Archbishop from him to the Pope but now with us to the Kings Delegates If there be any difference betweene King or Subject touching any inheritances Priviledges or Prerogatives belonging to the Crowne it selfe or any points of misgovernment yea which is more if there be any suite quarrell or difference betweene our Kings in Act and any other their Competitors for the Crowne it selfe which of them hath best title to it who of them shall enjoy it and how or in what manner it shall be setled the Lords and Commons in Parliament are and ought to be the sole and final● Judges of it Not to give you any instances of this kinde betweene King and Subjects which I have formerly touched nor to relate how our King Iohn condemned to death by a Parliament in France by French Peers for slaying his Nephew Arthur treacherously with his own hands and likewise to lose the crown of England or bow Henry the third K. Edward the first and other our Kings have Appealed to the Parliaments of France and England upon differences betweene the Peeres and Kings of France and them concerning their Lands and Honours in France Or how King Edward the third and Philip of France submitted both their Titles to the Kingdome of France to the determination in a French Parliament where they were both personally present which adjudged the Crowne to Philip. Nor yet to mention how the Parliaments and generall assembly of the estates of France have
in your Nostrils and God forbid but that I and all other true Members of our State and Church should cordially concurre with you in this Heroicall Covenant which the desperate Confederacies of our Romish Adversaries long prosecuted among us and now almost promoted to perfection have necessarily engaged Your Honors and the whole Kingdom to enter into for their Preservation Now the God of Peace and Lord of Hoasts be ever mightily present with and in Your Honourable Assembly to counsell direct protect prosper all your sincere endevours to promote his Gospell Truth Honour the publike welfare liberty tranquillity security of our endangered lacerated Church and Realmes Till the Lord shall looke mercifully upon Zion the City of our solemnities and till our eyes shall see our English Jerusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken downe not one of the stakes whereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken notwithstanding all the mighty oppositions against it And till you shall have built up the old waste places raised up the Foundations of many generations yea erected the very Top-stone of an exact universall Ecclesiasticall and civill Reformation in Church and State with shoutings crying Grace grace unto it That so all future Generations may really blesse and call you The Repairers of our manifold breaches the Restorers of Pathes to dwel lin Which is and shall be the dayly prayer of Your Honours most affectionately devoted Servant to live and die with You in the Common Cause of God Religion and our Native Country WILLIAM PRYNNE THE TREACHERY and DISLOYALTY OF PAPISTS TO THEIR SOVERAIGNES IN DOCTRINE AND PRACTISE Together with The first part of the SOVERAIGNE POWER OF PARLIAMENTS and KINGDOMES Wherein the Traiterous Antimonarchicall Doctrines Practises and Attempts of Papists upon the Persons Crownes Prerogatives of their Soveraignes with the dangerous designes effects and consequences of their present illegall Arming and accesse to the Kings Person Court Army by meanes of evill Counsellours are briefely discovered related The Iurisdiction Power Priviledges claimed exercised by our Popish Parliaments Prelates Lords and Commons in former ages exactly paralleld with those now claimed by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament which are manifested to be farre more loyall dutifull moderate more consistent with lesse invasive on and destructive to the pretended Soveraigne Power and Prerogative of the King then those of former ages And the high Court of Parliament proved by pregnant Reasons and Authorities To be the most Soveraigne Power of all other in this Kingdome in severall respects And superiour to the King himselfe who is not above but subject to the Lawes Together with a punctuall Answer to the chiefe Calumnies and grandest Objections of Royallists Papists Malignants Delinquents against the Parliaments Power and Proceedings with other Particulars worthy Observation The Second Edition Enlarged By WILLIAM PRYNNE Utter-Barrester of Lincolnes Inne Isai 24. 16 17. Woe unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yea the Treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously Feare and the pit and a snare are upon thee O Inhabitant of the Earth Psalme 120. 5 6. My soule hath long dwelt with them that are enemies unto peace I labour for peace but when I speake unto them thereof they make them ready to Battle It is this second day of May 1643. Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament for Printing that this Booke Intituled The Treachery and Disloyalty of Papists to their Soveraignes c. with the Additions be re-printed by Michael Sparke senior Iohn White Printed at London for Michael Sparke Senior 1643. To the Reader Courteous Reader THE importunity of some Members of Parliament hath induced me to enlarge the first Part of this Discourse with sundry pertinent Additions and to Re-print it in a greater Character then before yet distinct from the following part for the ease the benefit both of Stationer and Buyer When I first entred upon this necessary publike Theame my Primitive Intention was to have Collected the chiefe Heads Reasons Authorities of this and the ensuing Members into one compendious Summulary and so to publish them all together in an intire Briefe But afterwards considering the extraordinary weight and consequence of that Grand common Cause both of Parliament and Kingdome which I was to plead the Novelty and Rarity of the Subject matter the extraordinary Prejudice of the ignorant long-deluded world against it the Potency Policy Multitude of learned Advocates as well Divines as Lawyers of the opposite Royall and Malignant party the insufficiency and unsatisfactorinesse of all late Printed Pleas for the Parliaments Interest through defect of punctuall Precedents and Authorities to backe their rationall Discourses and that a Summary slight debate of these important publicke differences would give but small satisfaction to the Adversary and rather prejudice than advance the Parliaments Kingdomes Native Rights and Priviledges I did thereupon enlarge my Meditations my Collections so farre forth as straites of Time with other avocating Imployments would permit seconding all my Arguments fortifying all my Reasons with such Domesticke Foraine Precedents and Authorities of all sorts as well Divine as Humane Politicall Historicall as Legall as through Gods concurrence with and blessing on my impotent endevours may effectually convince the obstinate wils abundantly satisfie the most seduced prejudicated Judgement finally resolve the most scrupulous Consciences and eternally silence the ignorant the most malicious Tongues and Pennes of all Royallists c. Anti-parliamentary Malignants who are not wilfully wedded to their long-espoused Errors or more enamored with sordid Court flattery for private selfe-ends then fairest though hated ungainfull verity which aimes at nothing but the Publicke good For my part I seriously protest before the great Judge of Heaven and Earth that I have herein wittingly maintained nothing at all but what my Judgement and Conscience both byassed with no sinister ends no private respects ayming at nought else but the Glory of God the settled weale and Tranquillity of our distracted bleeding dying Church and State the onely Motives engaging me in this Service informe me to be a well-grounded ancient pregnant though lately over-clouded undiscovered neglected much-oppugned Truth and albeit most particulars therein debated have for many yeares hitherto beene deposed that I say not stigmatized for seditious dangerous Antimonarchicall Paradoxes if not worse by the generall Torrent of Court-Parasites Lawyers Religion Nature Law Policy the various Precedents and Authorities of former ages and throughly digested without prejudice or partiality they will appeare yea shine forth as most necessary profitable loyall State-securing Peace-procuring verities yea as the very Nerves and sinewes to unite the Pillars to support the Bulwarkes to protect both Church and State against all invasions of heresie or tyranny and to keepe all the Potent Members of them within their Legall bounds Peruse it therefore with an upright heart a dis-ingaged Judgement an unbiassed affection and when
the confiscation of their goods and inheritances Whereupon getting into greater favour and power then before puffed up with their good successe and new honours they discontented not onely the Nobles but Queene too who going over into France with her sonne the Prince whose lives these favorites attempted She raised an Army beyond the Seas and returning with it into England most of the Lords and Commons resorted to her and fell off from the King who being destitute of friends and meanes demanded assistance of the City of London whose answer was That they would honour with all duty the King the Queene and Prince but would shut their gates against Foreiners and Traytors to the Realme and with all their power withstand them And under the name of Iohn of Eltham the Kings second sonne whom they proclaimed Custos of the City of the Land they got the Tower of London into their possession placing and displacing the Garrison and Officers therein as they pleased The King hereupon after he had commanded all men to destroy and kill the Queenes partakers none excepted but her selfe her sonne and the Earle of Kent and that none upon paine of death and losse of all that they might lose should aide or assist them and that he should have a 1000. l. who did bring the Lord Mortimers head f●ies to Bristol in the Castle whereof the elder Spen●er was taken by the Queenes Forces and without any formall tryall cruelly cut up alive and quartered being first at the clamours of the people 〈◊〉 and hanged in his proper armour upon the common Gallowes without the City After which the King forsaken of all his Subjects flies into Wales for shelter where he was taken prisoner and then by his Lords and Parliament forced to resigne his Crowne to his son confessing That for his many sins he was fallen into this calamity and therefore ●ad the lesse cause to take it grievously That he much sorrowed for this that the people of the kingdome were so exasperated against him that they should utterly abharre his any longer rule and Soveraignty and therefore he besought all there present to forgive and spare him being so afflicted Soone after he was murthered in Ba●kly Castle And so the sicknesse and wounds which the Common-wealth sustained by his ill raigne upon the change of her Physitian recovered not onely health and strength but beauty also and ornament writes Iohn Speed After all this King Richard the second in the ninth yeare of his reigne summoned a Parliament wherein Michael de la Pole Earle of Suffolke for cheating the King was put from his Lord Chancellorship of England by the Parliament and the Seal● taken from him against the Kings will and given to Thomas Arundell Bishop of Ely Whereupon both the Houses gave halfe a tenth and halfe a fifteene to be disposed of as the Lords thought fit for the defence of the Realme The Parliament was no sooner dissolved but the King recals de la Pole and other ill Counsellors to the Court shewing them greater favour then before In so much that at Christmas the King made de la Pole sit at his owne table not in the usuall garment of a Peere but of a Prince out of a stomacke and hatred against the Peeres whom from thenceforth be never regarded but feiuedly and then fals to plot the death of the Duke of Glocester and other Nobles who opposed his ill Counsellors For which purpose he appoints a meeting at Nottingham Castle with a few persons generally ill-beloved ill-adwised and ill-provided The course agreed upon by the King and that ill-chosen Senate was first to have the opinion of all the chiefe Lawyers who saith Speed seldome faile Princes in such turnes concerning certaine Articles of Treason within whose nets they presumed the reforming Lords were and if the Lawyers concluded those Articles contained Treasonable matters then umder a shew of justice they should be proceeded against accordingly The Lawyers who were the very men which in the last Parliament gave advice to the Lords to do as they did now meeting were demanded Whether by the Law of the Land the King might not disanull the Decrees of the last Parliament They joyntly answered he might because he was above the Lawes a most apparent errour confessing that themselves had in that Parliament decreed many things and given their judgement that all was according to Law which they acknowledged to be altogether unlawfull The King thus informed appointeth a great Councell at Nottingham and withall sends for the Sheriffes of Shires to raise Forces against the Lords who denyed saying that they could not raise any competent forces or Armes against them the whole Counties were so addicted to their favours and being further willed to suffer no Knights to be chosen for their Shires but such as the King and his Councell should name they answered that the election belonged to the Commons who favored the Lords in all and would keepe their usuall customes a good precedent for our present Sheriffes whereupon they were dismissed Then were the Lawyers and Judges Robert Trefilian and his companions called before the King to determine the judgements of Treasons against the Lords to be legall and to set their Seales thereto which they did Meane time the King and Duke of Ireland sent messengers to hire what Forces they could That they might stand with them if need were against the Lords in the day of battle Many of which answered that they neither could nor would stand against the Lords whom they knew for certaine intimately to love the King and to endevour all things study all things doe all things for his honour yet many out of simplicity thinking themselves to be hired promised to be ready upon the Kings notice The Lords hearing of these proceedings were much sadded being conscious to themselves of no guilt worthy the Kings so great indignation The Duke of Glocester sent his purgation upon Oath by the Bishop of London to the King who inclining to credit the same was in an evill houre diverted by De la Pole The Duke hereupon makes his and their common danger knowne to the rest of the Lords upon which they severally gather Forces that they might present their griefes to the King How he favoured Traytors not onely to them but to the Publique to the imminent danger of the Realme unlesse it were speedily prevented The King on the other side by Trayterous Counsellours advise sought how to take them off single before they were united but in vaine by reason their party was so great Meane time some peaceable men procured that the Lords should repaire safe to Westminster and there be heard Thither approaching they are advertised by some who had sworne on the Kings behalfe for good dealing to be used during the interim that in the Mewes by Charing-Crosse a thousand armed men which without the Kings privity Sir Thomas Trivet and Sir Nicholas Brambre knights were reported to have laid for
Liberty Justice and the whole Realme would ensue If any therefore cavill at the Act for continuance of this Parliament till both Houses shall agree to adjourne or dissolve it or at the Bill for Trienniall Parliaments which when they meete shall not be dissolved without their consents for fifty dayes space next after their first meeting Let them now learne that this is no Innovation nor encroachment on the Crowne but an ancient Priviledge of Parliament both claimed practised and resolved in times of Popery in an higher degree then now it is And thus you see how in these particulars the Popish Parliament Prelates Lords and Commons in former times have claimed and exercised farre greater Priviledges and Jurisdictions than this or any other Protestant Parliament hath hitherto claimed or practised which I hope will forever silence the clamourous tongues of all ill Counsellours Courtiers Royalists Malignants Papists and Cavaliers against the present Parliament of whose highest yet moderate proceedings themselves alone have beene the occasions and therefore of all others have least cause to complaine against them BUT to returne againe to the first grand Objection Thirdly I answer that the High Court of Parliament and whole kingdome which it represents may in divers respects be truely and properly said to be the Highest Soveraigne power of all others and above the King himselfe which because it may seeme a dangerous paradox and tends much to the vindication both of the Priviledges Honour and Iurisdictions of our High Court of Parliament now so much undervalued because not really known to most and to the justification of the proceedings in this present Parliament which many out of ignorance and malice so much declaime against both by word and writing in a most licentious manner I shall take a little liberty to demonstrate the truth of it by such convincing reasons and Authorities as no rationall man I hope shall be able to contradict but must necessarily submit to First it is undeniable that the Court of Parliament hath a lawfull power to question all the Kings Patents Charters Commissions Proclamations Grants Warrants Writs and Commitments whatsoever whether they be Legall yea to cancell or repeale them in case they be illegall mischievous or onerous to the Subject not onely without but against the Kings consent and mandate to the contrary as appeares by infinite precedents in this and all foremer Parliaments the scourges of Monopolists Patentees and Projectors the Pests of the Commonwealth The like power have all other Courts of Justice within the kingdome in some degree when such Charters and Writs of the King are brought judicially before them because they are Courts of the Law to which the King and all his Actions are and must be subject Now that which can thus question cancell disanull revoke the Kings owne Royall Charters Writs Commissions Patents c. though ratified with the Great seale and regall power even against his will must certainely be a Soveraigne power and Authority which in point of Law and Justice is superiour to the King This is Bractons resolution l. 2. c. 16. f. 34. a and Fletaesl 1. c. 17. Where they affirme the Law and Parliament to be above the King because they may censure judge and rescinde the Kings Acts Charters legally and judicially even against his personall though not legall Will which is the Law Secondly It is unquestionably true that in all cases of difference betweene the King and all or any of his Subjects though they concerne the Kings Prerogative and the highest branches thereof the Parliament is the supreamest and most proper Judge and its resolution from which there is no appeale to any higher tribunall shall finally binde not onely all the Subjects but the King himselfe notwithstanding his owne personall disassent This is manifest by the many late resolutions given in Parliament against sundry Patents Commissions Writs Charters Impositions Loanes Shipmoney Forest-Bounds Marshall Law Pressing and Billetting Souldiers Imprisonment by speciall Command of the King or his Privy Counsell Tonnage and Poundage Knight-hood and Taxes the Commission of Array and the like which obliege both King and Subject the King in receiving justice in such cases being subject to the Law as well as the meanest of his Subjects as Bracton truely avers against all Royalists mistakes Now that which can thus finally conclude and binde the King himselfe even volens nolens in cases of highest concernment entrenching farthest upon his Prerogative Royall must doubtlesse be the most Soveraigne power Superiour to the Kings And in this sence every Court of Justice whose just resolutions and every petty Jury whose upright verdicts obliege the King because warranted by the Law which is Paramount the King as Bracton Fleta Fortescue King Iames Edward the Confessor yea and Aristotle resolve may be t●uely said to be above the Kings person which they binde but not above the Parliament which by its superlative power may examine all judgements and verdicts in other Courts by way of error or appeale and reverse them if there be cause when as the King in person cannot by law examine or reverse them but onely in his Courts of Justice by his Judges Thirdly Parliaments oft times doe and may as they see cause enlarge the Kings Prerogative and Royall power in sundry particulars in which the King had no such jurisdiction before these Acts witnesse the Statute de Praerogativa Regis The notable Parliament Roll of 1. H. 4. num 108. Where the Commons in Parliament grant the King that he shall be in as GREAT ROYALL LIBERTY as his Noble Progenitors were before him having formerly made the like Grant to King Richard the second who perverted it to the altering of the Lawes in many things as appeares by this Roll. 25 H. 8. c. 19 20 21. 26 H. 8. c. 1 3. 31 H. 8. c 9. 34 and 35 H. 8. c. 23. 27 H. 8. c. 15. 28 H. 8. c. 7. 17. 3 4 E. 6. c. 11 12. 1 Eliz. 1 2. with sundry other Acts. Now that Parliamentary power which onely can create and conferre on Kings a greater regall Authority and Prerogrative than they had before must needs be the Originall and supreame Authority for as we rightly argue That the Kings Authority is superiour to all other his greatest Officers and subordinate Ministers of Iustice because their power is by Patent or Commission derived from his So we may from the selfe-same reason conclude that the High Court of Parliaments power the representative Body of the whole kingdome is the most Primitive Soveraigne and greatest Authority of all other yea larger and higher than the Kings because it onely can enlarge the Kings Prerogative all whose originall or additionall Royalties proceeded not from the King himselfe or his Ancestors owne inherent hereditary power for what King could justly without his peoples consents usurpe a Crowne or lawfull Royall Prerogative to himselfe over an whole Countrey but
have been so esteemed in those times And thus I hope I have sati●factorily answered this objection without shifts or evasions and rectified these mistaken Fathers meanings with which our Opposites have seduced the illiterate over-credulous vulgar I have now through Gods assistance quite run through all Obiections of moment from Scripture Reason Fathers against the lawfulnesse of the Parliaments present defensive war and discovered divers grosse errors yea Impostures in our Opposites writings wherewith they have perverted many mens Consciences and cheated the ignorant seduced world I shall therefore here adjure them in the presence of Almighty God as they will answer the contrary before his Tribunall at the Day of Iudgement seriously to consider these my answers and publikely to retract those their Errors false grosse mis-interpretations perve●sions of Scriptures Authors which I have here discovered And since they pretend nothing but the satisfying and keeping of a good Conscience in by others concerned in this Controversie to shew a syncere ingenuous Conscience therein themselves where they have been mistaken since the contestation pretended is not for Victory Time-serving or Self-seeking but for Truth Gods glory and the publike weal and if I have over-shot my self in any thing I shall promise them a thankfull acknowledgement and ready paline dy upon their information and conviction of any apparent oversights I may casually fall into Now because they shall not deem me singular in my opinion concerning the lawfulnesse of subjects defensive Arms against their Soveraigns bent to subvert Religion Laws Liberties the Republike or deem it is a late upstart Novelty I shall conclude this discourse with such personall naturall and publike authorities as they shall not be able to balance with counter-resolutions in which I shall be as brief as I may be For personall Authorities I shall not be ambitious to remember many especially Papists whose common constant received opinion and practise hath alwayes been and yet is That Subjects upon the Popes command alone and absolution of them from their Soveraigns allegiance may and ought to take up even offensive Arms against their owne naturall Princes excommunicated interdicted deposed or onely declared contumacious Schism●ticall or Hereticall by the Pope without yea against their Kingdoms Parliaments privities or consents much more then with their approbation What Papists have determined and practised in this very point you may read at large in Gratiau himself Causa 15. Quaest. 6. and Causa 23. in the very Oath of Supremacie and Statut of 3. Iacobi ch 4. which prescribes it in Bishop Iewels view of a seditious Bull in Doctor Iohn W●ite his Defence of the way Chap. 6. 10. in Abbas Vsper ge●sis Sabellicus Valateranus Grimston and others in the Lives of the Roman and German Emperours in Aventine his Annalium Boyorum the Generall and Particular Histories of France Sparn Germany Italy Sicily Hungary England in Bishp Bilsons third part of the True Difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion In su●dry Sermons on the fift of November to which I shall refer you In Pope Paschal his letter to Robert Earl of Flanders about the year of our Lord 1107. exorting him to war against those of Leige Henry the Emperour and his Assistants wheresoever he should finde them excommunicated and deposed as an Heretike and enemy to the Church telling him that he could not offer a more gratefull sacrifice to God then to ware against them concluding Hoc tibi Militibus tuis in peccatorum remissionem Apostolicae sedis familiaritatem praecipimus ut his laboribus triumphis ad Coelestem Hierusalem Domino praestante pervenias Which Let er was excellently answered by those of Leige And in the Councel of Towres in France under Lewes the twelfth Anno 1510. it was unanimously resolved by the Church of France That if the Pope did make war upon temporall Princes in lands which they held not of the patrimony of the Church they might lawfully by force of Arms resist and defend both themselves and others not only repulse this injury but likewise invade the lands of the Church possessed by the Pope their notorious enemy not perpetually to retain but to hinder the Pope from becomming more strong and potent by them to offend both them and theirs And that it was lawfull for such Princes for such notorious hatred and unjust invasion to withdraw themselves from the Popes obedience and with armed force to resist all censures denounced by the Pope against them their subjects and Confederates and that such sentences ought not to be obeyed but are mear nullities in law which obliege no man Yet I must inform you further in brief that Iohn Maior a Popish Schoolman in Lib. 4. Sentent as Grotius writes affirms That the people cannot deprive themselves of the power not onely of resisting but deposing Kings in cases which directly tend to their destruction and that Iohn Barclay a late Scottish Priest though a strenuous defendor of Princes Prerogatives expresly averres That if a King will alienate and subiect his Kingdom to another without his subiects ●onsents or be carried with atr●e hostile minde to the dest●uction of all his people that his Kingdom is thereby actually lost and forfeited so as the people may not onely absolutely resist and disobey but depose him and elect another King to which Hugo Gortius a Protestant freely subscribes and Iohn Bodin●● ●oweth of Subjects resistance yea deposing kings in some Kingdoms absolutely and in some cases generally in all De Repub. l. 1. c. 10. l. 1. c. 5 l. 5. c. 5. 6. For Protestant personall authorities we have Huldericus Zuinglius Explanatio Articuli 40 41 42 43. Tom. 1. fol. 82. to 86. who allows not only Subiects actuall resistance but deprivation of Kings Where Princes set themselves to subvert Religion Laws Liberties and that by the common consent of the States in Parliament from whom Kings originally receive their Royall power and authority Martin Luther Bugenhagius Iustus Ionas Ambsdorfius Sp●lotinus Melancthon Cruciger and other Divines Lawyers Statesmen Anno 1531. who published a writing in justification of defensive Arms by subjects in certains cases Sleidan Hist. lib. 8. 18 22. David Chrytraeus Chron. Saxoniae l. 13. p. 376. Richardus Dinothus de Bello Civili Gallico Religionis causa suscepto p. 231. 232. 225 227 c. A book intituled De Iure Belli Belgici Hagae 1599. purposely justifying the lawfulnesse of the Low-countries defensive war Emanuel Meteranus Historia Belgica Praefat. lib. 1. to 17. David Par●us Com. in Rom. 13. Dub. 8. And. Quaest. Theolog. 61. Edward Grimston his Generall History of the Netherlands l. 5. to 17. passim Hugo Grotius de Iure Belli Pacis lib. 1. cap. 4. with sundry other forraign Protestant writers both in Germany France Bohemia the Netherlands and elsewhere Ioh● Knokes his Appellation p. 28. to 31. George Bucanon De Iure Regni apud
person or persons as the said Councell of warre should direct and that both those Treasurers and this Councell of war●e and all other persons trusted with the receiving issuing bestowing and imploying of those moneys or any part thereof their heires executors and administrators should be answerable and accomptable for their doings and proceedings therein to the Commons in Parliament when they shall be thereunto required by Warrant under the hand of the Speaker of the House of Commons for the time being and thereby they and every of them according to their severall places and imployments shall give a true and ready declaration and account of their severall respective dealings doings and proceeding therein and that the said Commons in Parliament shall have power by this Act to heare and determine the said account and all things thereto appertaining And withall they in this Act prescribe a specialloath to the Treasurers Not to issue out any moneys without the Warrant of the Councell of war under their hands And another oath to the Councell of warre To make no Warrant for any moneys issued which are given by this Act but for some of those ends which are expressed therein and that to the best of their meanes they should imploy the said moneys accordingly and that freely without requiring any reward or allowance whatsoever Which presidents with others forementioned made His Majesty return this Answer to the Petition of the Lords and Commons touching the Articles delivered February 2. 1641. For the securing you from all dangers or jealousies of any His Majesty will be content to put in all the places both of FORTS and MILITIA in the severall Counties such persons as both Houses of Parliament shall either approve or recommend unto Him so that you declare before unto His Majesty the names of the persons whom you approve or recommend unlesse such persons shall be named against whom He shall have just and unquestionable exception And thus much by way of supplement touching the Militia Concerning the Parliaments interest and right in electing and removing the Officers of the realme and the Kings meniall servants I shall onely adde these Precedents to the forementioned In the Parliament rolls ●4 E. 3. N●m 1. Foure Bishops foure Earles and foure Barons were assigned to the King without whose consent or of foure of them no great businesse was to be transacted 14 E. 3. Num. 36. in the Parliament rolls The Parliament agreeth that the Duke of Cornwall be Custos of England during the Kings absence in the warres of France In the Parliament rolls of 1 R. 2. Num. 18. 19. The Commons requested first that it would please the King to ordaine and nominate to them now in this present Parliament some sufficient persons of divers estates to be continually resident of his counsell for the affaires of the King and of the realme and to have the Officers of the King of such persons who best knew and would and might most diligently travell for the redresse of the foresaid mischiefes and the good government and salvation of the realme so that the Commons may be clearely ascertained of the names of those Counsellors which shall be disbursers and orderers of that which they shall grant for the warres and thereby to have greater encouragement to doe to our Lord the King that which they have in charge concerning him as is aforesaid Also that it would please them to ordaine and nominate in this Parliament the persons which shall be about or have the custody of the person of our Lord the King himselfe who is of such tender age and that those persons shall be of the most vertuous honestest and sufficientest of the Realm so that our said Lord who is a person sacred and anointed be nobly governed and brought up in good vertues and manners to the pleasure of God whereby all the Realme may be secured and amended and that it be likewise or●dained that our Lord the King and ●is house be governed with good moderation and defray his expences onely out of the revenues of the Realme and other rights and seigniories of his Crowne And that all that which shall be granted to our Lord the King in maintenance of his wars shall be applied and expended in the warres and no part thereof otherwise in aid and discharge of his said commonaltie In the Parliament of 11. Richard 2. Num. 23. The Commons pray That no person of what state or condition he be should meddle with any manner of governance about the person of our Lord the King nor with the businesses of the Realm nor yet to councell our Lord the King but those Lords which are assigned and ordained in this present Parliament if it be not by ordinance of the continuall Councell and by assent of our Lord the King upon grievous paine And the same Lords which shall bee about the person of our Lord the King and of his Councell shall cause to remove all the persons which they think sit to remove in the houshold of our Lord the King without shewing favour to any and to put others in their places whom they shall think sufficient and vertuous And that the said Lords of the Councell be charged to keep and sustain the estate of our Lord the King in ' its regalty and to doe and use that which may turne to the honour and profit of our Lord the King and of his Realme to their power according to the form of the O●●h contained in a Schedule made in this present Parliament annexed hereunto to the intent that it may be notoriously known thorowout all the Realme that good and sufficient Councell is about the person of our Lord the King to the comfort of all his Commons and firme assurance and establishme●t of the Realme aforesaid the which Oath was made in forme ensuing You shall swear That you will not assent nor yet suffer as much as in you lieth That any Judgement 〈◊〉 or Ordinance made or given in this present Parliament be any way annulled reversed or repealed in any time to come and moreover That you shall keep the good Laws and usages of the Realme afore these times made and used and shall firmely keep and cause to be kept good peace quiet and tranquillity in the Realm ●according to your power without disturbing them in any manner So helpe me God and his Saints The Answer As to the first point of this Article the King wil● it And as to the second point If there be any Lord of the Councell or other Lord of the Realme which will informe the King That he hath any person about him not sufficient nor honest he wils that it being proved he shall be outed and removed and another sufficient by his advice put in his place In the Parliament of 5. Henry 4. Num. 16. Upon certain prayers and requests made before by the Commons divers times touching the removing of divers persons as well aliens and others by reason of