The Sovereign Power of Parliaments Part 4, Title page – To the reader
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 ſa…ety; 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, Polonian, Behemian, Daniſh, Swediſh, Scottiſh, with other Foraine Kingdomes; yea in the Kingdomes of Judah, 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 juſt cauſe, to cenſure, ſuſpend, deprive them for their Tyranny, vices, miſ-government; and ſometimes capitally to proceed againſt 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.
Olaus Magnus l. 8. c. 32. De Iniquis Conſiliariis, &c. 33.
Iniqui Conſiliarii aiunt, Regem nihil injuſte facere poſſe, quippe omnia omniunt ejus eſſe, ac homines etiam ipſos-Tantum vero cuique eſſe proprium, quantum Regis Benignitas ei non ademerit, &c. Ʋtcunque ſit, multi Principes, his & ſimilibus conſiliis & conſiliariis, facti ſunt enules, miſeri, infames, & inhabiles in ſe & poſteritate ſua, amplius gubernandi. Principis itaque Officium eſt, ut non ſecus curet ſubditos, quam fidelis Paſtor oves, ut dirigat, foveat, conſervet.
It is this tenth day of July, Ordered by the Committee of the Houſe of Commons concerning Printing, that this Booke Intituled The fourth Part of the Soveraign power of Parliaments and Kingdoms, &c. be Printed by Michael Sparke ſenior. John 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, Lawes, 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, accountable 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 flatter 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, Juriſdictions, 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 them, for a ſeaſon, (ſometimes for ſundry yeares) ere they can be perfectly drained, and their bankers 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 humane 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 want of time, and ſundry interrupting Avocations, then I deſired) wherein I have impartially, according to my judgement, 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 affection 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 Jeſuites, to ſubvert the Proteſtant Religion and our Realmes) upon a pretended quarrell unhappily raiſed by them, betweene the two much 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 Judges 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 Juriſdictions, Honours, Profits;) and ſo may I. But this I darewith 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, Juriſdictions, 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 judgement & 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.