The Sovereign Power of Parliaments and Kingdoms, Errata 2 – To the reader 4
Errata in some Copies.
PAg. 100. l. 8. to. by. p. 101. l. 32. Omri, Zimri. l. 40. ludah, Israel. p. 115. l. 12. that. p. 127. l. 36. of their. p. 128. l. 31. hence. p 136. l. 8. not a Bishop; a Bishop, not a Lay-man. p. 14. l. 17. dele as: p. 15. 1. 16. brevis. p. 26. l. 1. assistants. p. 94. l. 22. offer to, r. ask of. p. 17. 1. l. 8 no man should long. p. 105. l. …2. …ipodes. p. 106. l. 2. Rulers, l. 34. irresistance. p. 107. l. 3. by the. p. 121. l. 16. Emperours. l. 36. Emperour.
THE FOVRTH PART OF THE SOVERAIGNE POWER OF PARLIAMENTS and KINGDOMES. Wherein the Parliaments Right and Interest in ordering the Militia, Forts▪ Ships, Magazins, and great Offices of the Realme, is manifested by some fresh Records in way of Supplement: The two Houses Imposition of moderate Taxes and Contributions on the People in cases of extremity, without the Kings assent, (when wilfully denyed) for the necessary defence and preservation of the Kingdome; and their imprisoning, confining of Malignant dangerous persons in times of publicke danger, for the common safety▪ are vindicated from all Calumnies, and proved just. Together with an APPENDIX; Manifesting by sundry Histories and Foraine Authorities, that in the ancient Kingdome of Rome; the Roman, Greeke, German Empires; the old, the present Graecian, Indian, Aegyptian, French, Spanish, Gothish, Italian, Hungarian, Polmian, Bohemian, Danish, Swedish, Sc…ttish, with other Foraine Kingdomes; yea in the Kingdomes of Iudah, Israel, and other Gentile Royalties, mentioned in Scripture; the Supreame Soveraigne Power resided not in the Emperours, or Kings themselves, but in the whole Kingdome, Senate, Parliament, State, People, who had not onelyonly Authority to restraine, resist, yea call their Emperours, and Kings to an account, but likewise, when they saw iust cause, to censure, suspend, deprive them for their Tyranny, vice… ▪ mis-government; and sometimes capitally to proceed again… them. With a briefe Answer to the contrary Objections; and tenne materiall Observations, confirming all the Premises. By WILLIAM PRYNNE, Utter-Barrester, of Lincolnes Inne.
Ola…s Magnus l. 8. c. 32. De Iniquis, Consiliariis, &c. 33.
Iniqui Consilia… aiunt, Regem nihil injuste facere p…sse, quippe omnia … ipsos. Tantum… … esse proprium, quantum Regis Benignitas ei non …lemeirt, &c. … Principes, his & similibus consiliis & consiliariis, facti sunt eaules, miseri, infames, & inhabile, inse & p…eritate sua, amplius gubernandi. Principisitaque Officium est, ut non se…us curet subdi…os, quam fidelis Pastor … conservet.
It is this tenth day of Iuly, Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons con…erning Printing, that this Booke Intituled The fourth Part of the Soveraign power of Parliaments and Kingdoms, &c. be Printed by Michael Sparke senior.
Iohn White.
Printed at London for Michael Sparke Senior. 1643.
To the READER.
Courteous Reader,
I Here present thee with the last Part, of The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes, and An Appendix in pursuance of it; abundantly manifesting, from the very fundamentall Constitutions, L…es, Customes, Resolutions, Remonstrances, Oathes, Inaugurations▪ Elections, Ceremonies, Histories, publique Transactions, Treaties, Agreements, Wars, of Forain Empires, Emperors, Realmes, Kings, States, Senates, Diets, Parliaments, in all Ages, and the most judicious foraine Authours of all sorts; That whole Kingdomes, Parliaments, Senates, States, Nations collectively considered, have ever constantly enjoyed in all Ages, Nations▪ the most Soveraigne Jurisdiction, and Authority, and beene Paramount their Kings and Emperours, who were and are subordinate, account…ble for their actions to them; and copiously refuting the fond erroneous fancies of all illiterate flattering Court-Doctors, Theologasters, Lawyers, Statists, who, without any shadow of Truth or Reason, audaciously averre the contrary, not so much to f…atter or seduce their Princes, as to advance themselves; against whom the contrary constant practice and resolutions of most lawfull Kingdomes, that either are or have beene in the world from Adams dayes till now, shall unanimously rise in judgement, and passe a most Catholike irreversible sentence on them, for their notorious flatteries and Impostures.
For mine owne particular, as I have alwayes beene, and ever shall be an honourer, a defender of Kings and Monarchy (the best of Government, whiles it keepes within the bounds which Law and Conscience have prescribed;) So, I shall never degenerate so farre beneath the duty of a Man, a Lawyer, a Scholar, a Christian, as to mis-informe, or flatter either; nor yet (out of any popular vain-glory) court either Parliaments or People, to the prejudice of Kings just Royalties; but carry such an equall hand betweene them, as shall doe right to both, injury to neither; and preserve, support their just, Legall severall Soveraignties, Iurisdictions, Rights, within their proper limits, without tyrannicall invasions, or seditious encroachments, upon one another, to their mutuall and the Republickes prejudice.
It fares with Regall and Popular Powers, usually, as with Seas and mighty Rivers, if they violently breake downe, or swellingly overflow their fixed bankes, they presently cause an Inundation, and in stead of watering, surround, and drowne the Countries round about th…m, for a season, (sometimes for sundry yeares) ere they can be perfectly drained, and their bankes repaired, to confine them to their ancient proper Channels,; of which we have present sad experience, written in Capitall red Bloody Letters, throughout the Realme. To redresse, prevent which overflowing mischiefe for the future, I have without feare or flattery of any bumane Power, or party whatsoever, by Publicke Authority divulged this last, and the three preceding Parts of this Discourse: together with the Appendix, (all hastily collected, and more confusedly compacted through went of time, and sundry interrupting Avocations, then I desired) wherein I have impartially, according to my …udgement, conscience, defended nought, but ancient, undoubted, universall Truthes of reall State-Policy, and true Theologie, (almost forgotten in the world, yea cryed, Preached, Printed down for erronious, seditious Paradoxes, if not Treasons, by Sycophants and Malignants in these later ages;) out of a cordiall affect…on as much as in me lyeth, to restore and settle the weale, tranquillity, and safety of my bleeding, dying Country, now miserably distracted, wasted, consumed every where: (through the long fore plotted conspiracies of Romish Priests and Iesuites, to subvert the Protestant Religion and our Realmes) upon a pretended quarrell unhappily raised by them, betweene the two mu…h mistaken Grand Soveraigne Jurisdictions, of King and Parliament, Crowne and Kingdome, now miserably clashing one against the other, through ignorance and mistakes, and trying their Titles in the open field BY BATTAILE, in stead of Law; by the Sword of the Souldier, not of the Spirit, the onelyonly proper peaceable Iudges in these Quarrels, by which alone they can and must be finally resolved, settled; else neither King nor kingdome, can be ever quiet, or secure from dangers, and Commotions.
I dare not presume to arrogate to my selfe, a Spirit of in …errability in the grand Controversies here debated, wherein I have travelled in no beaten common road; No doubt*See the 21. Article of the Church of England, & Rogers ibidem. Generall, Nationall Councells, Parliaments, Popes, Kings, Counsellors, Statesmen, Lawyers, Divines, all sorts of men, both may, and usually doe erre from Truth, (especially in Questions which concerne their owne Iurisdictions, Honours, Profits;) and so may I. But this I dare with safe conscience protest to all the world, that I have not willingly erred in any particular; and if I have casually failed in any thing, out of humane frailty, I shall (upon better information) acknowledge and retract it. In the meane time, I trust, I have here sufficiently discovered, refuted, many common impostures and erroneous grosse mistakes in Law, Policy, Divinity, Antiquity; which have in later ages beene generally received as indubitable verities, by most men; yea professedly defended by sundry injudicious Lawyers, and ignorant Divines (though perchance reputed learned, solid in their own, and others opinions) who never tooke the paines to dive into the true originall fundamentall creations, institutions, publicke Lawes, Reasons, Policies, Iurisdictions, compositions, Rights, Customes, Histories of Kings, Kingdomes, Parliaments, States, Magistrates, People; the ignorance whereof, hath made them confidently vent many grand absurdities, and untruthes, to the prejudice, imbroyling, and almost utter ruine of divers Kings and States; which now, I hope, they will ingenuously acknowledge and recant with reall griefe and shame, that they have so grossely cheated, seduced Kings, Kingdomes, People, and oft times stirred up civill warres, to maintaine their idle lies, crazy fictions, as just Royall Rights, and indubitable Prerogatives, when as they are nothing lesse.
I shall not begge any mans beliefe, of any Truth here newly discovered, further than his own Iudgement & conscience, upon serious consideration, shall convince him of it; and himselfe discerne it fully ratified by substantial precedents and Authorities in the body and close of the Treatise & Appendix: Only this I shall request of every Reader, to peruse over all the Parts of this Discourse with a cordiall Love of Truth and Peace; and when he is convinced what is Truth, then to live and dye in Pauls resolution, 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can doe nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth. It was our Saviours owne reply to Pilate, John 18. 37. For this end was I borne, and for this cause came I into the world, THAT I SHOULD BEARE WITNESSE UNTO THE TRUTH; O then let it now be every ones end, and practice too; since it is the *Joh. 8. 32.Truth (and nothing else) that shall make (and keepe) us free: Free, from Errors, Troubles, Tumults, Warres; Slavery, Tyranny, Treachery, Popery, dangers, feares: Wherefore, *Zech. 6▪ 19.love the Truth and Peace, and then through Gods mercy we shall speedily regaine, retaine them both.
Farewell.