The Opening of the Great Seal of England, Title page – To the reader
THE OPENING OF The Great Seale OF ENGLAND.
Containing certain Brief Hiſtoricall and Legall Obſervations, touching the Originall, Antiquity, Progreſſe, Vſe, Neceſsity of the Great Seal of the Kings and Kingdoms of England, in reſpect of Charters, Patents, Writs, Commiſſions, and other Proceſſe.
Together with the Kings, Kingdoms, Parliaments ſeverall Intereſts in, and Power over the ſame, and over the Lord Chancellour, and the Lords and Keepers of it, both in regard of its New-making, Cuſtody, Adminiſtration for the better Execution of Publike Juſtice, the Republique neceſſary Safety, and Ʋtility.
Occaſioned by the Over-raſh Cenſures of ſuch who inveigh againſt the Parliament, for Ordering a new Great Seale to be Engraven, to ſupply the wilfull abſence, defects, abuſes of the Old, unduely withdrawne and detained from them.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE, Utter-Barreſter of Lincolns Inne.
Eſther 8.
Write ye alſo for the Jews, as liketh you, in the Kings name, AND SEAL IT WITH THE KINGS RING: for the Writing which is written in the Rings name, AND SEALED WITH THE KINGS RING, may no man reverſe.
It is this fifteenth day of September, Anno Dom. 1643. Ordered by the Committee of the Houſe of Commons, concerning Printing, that this Treatiſe, intituled, The Opening of the Great Seale of England, be forthwith Printed by Michael Sparke Senior. JOHN WHITE.
LONDON. Printed for MICHAEL SPARK Senior. 1643.
TO THE READER.
COurteous Reader, having copiouſly anſwered, refuted all Royaliliſts, Malignants, Papiſts, clamorous Objections and Primitive Exceptions, againſt the Proceedings of this preſent Parliament, in FOUR ſeverall Treatiſes, lately publiſhed, concerning The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdoms; which have given good ſatisfaction to many, and ſilenced the Penns, the Tongues of moſt Anti-Parliamenteers, who have bin ſo ingenuous as ſeriouſly to peruſe them: I yet finde a New grand Objection lately ſtarted up, and much inſiſted on among theſe Oppoſites, by reaſon of the Commons late Order for making a New Great Seal (now almoſt finiſhed) to ſupply the wilfull abſence, defects, abuſes of the old, to the extraordinary prejudice, dammage, danger, of the Houſes, Kingdom, and delay of publike Juſtice; which, though ſufficiently anſwered in the generall by ſundry paſſages and Hiſtories ſcattered in the former Treatiſes; yet becauſe not ſo particularly or fully debated, as the conſequence of this extraordinary weighty Act, and the querelouſneſſe of the clamorous Oppoſites require; I have therefore (upon the motion of ſome friends) to ſtop up this New-Breach and Clamour, ſpeedily collected and publiſhed by Authority, theſe enſuing Hiſtoricall and Legall Obſervations, concerning the Originall, Antiquitie, Progreſſe, Uſe, Neceſſity of the Great Seal of the Kings and Kingdome of England; with reference to Sealing of Charters, Patents, Writs, Commiſſions, other Proceſſe; and given thee a ſummary account of the Kings, Kingdoms, Parliaments, ſeverall Intereſts in, and Power over the Great Seal, (and the Lords Keepers of it too) both in reſpect of its New-making, Cuſtody, Adminiſtration, for the better execution of publike Iuſtice, the Republike neceſſary ſafety and utility, clearing all contrary Objections of moment; which I here ſubmit to thy charitable Cenſure and Acceptation; imploring thy Pardon and Direction, in caſe I have caſually erred, out of Ignorance or Humane Frailty, in tracing this Untrodden dangerous narrow Path, wherein I finde no Footſteps, or onelyonly very obſcure ones, to direct my courſe.
Farewell.