Historical Vindication Part 3, Title page – To the reader
The Third Part of a Seaſonable, Legal, and Hiſtorical VINDICATION Of the good old Fundamental Liberties, Franchiſes, Rights, Properties, Laws, Government of all ENGLISH FREEMEN; With a Chronological Collection of their ſtrenuous Defences, by wars, and otherwiſe: of all Great Parliamentary Councills, Synods, and chief Laws, Charters, Proceedings in them; of the publike revolutions of State, with the ſins and vices occaſioning them; and the exemplary Judgements of God upon Tyrants, Oppreſſors, perjured perfidious Traitors, Rebels, Regicides, Uſurpers, during the reigns of our Saxon and Daniſh Kings, from the year of our Lord 600. till the Coronation of William the Norman, Anno 1066. Collected out of our antienteſt, and beſt Historians, With brief uſefull obſervations on and from them.
By William Prynne Eſq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Jer. 22. 15. &c.
Shalt thou reign becauſe thou cloſeſt thy ſelf in Cedar? did not thy Father eat and drink, and do judgement and juſtice, and then it was well with him? But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy Covetouſneſs, and for to ſhed innocent blood, and for oppreſſion, and for violence to do it. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord concerning J…hoiakim King of Judah; They ſhall not lament for him, ſaying, ah my Brother, or ah his glory. He ſhall be buried with the burial of an Aſſe, drawn and caſt forth beyond the gates of Jeruſalem. Write ye this man childleſs, for noman of his ſeed ſhall proſper ſitting on the Throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
Xenophon Memorabilium, l. 1. p. 718.
Quid autem vis & Legum everſio? An non cum fortior imbecilliorem non perſuadendo, ſed vim inferendo cogit? Ergo quaecunque Tyrannus non perſuaſis civibus praeſcribit, atque ut illi faciant, cogit, aliena ſunt a lege. Quaecunque verò pauci, multitudine non perſuaſa, ſed rerum potentes ſcribunt, illa omnia videntur Vis potius eſſe quam Lex.
LONDON, Printed by Francis Leach. 1657.
To the Ingenuous Unprejudiced READER.
I Here preſent thee with The Third part of a ſeaſonable, Legal, and Hiſtorical Vindication of the good old Fundamental Liberties, Franchiſes, Rights, Properties, Laws, Government of all Engliſh Freemen; with A Chronological Collection of their Strenuous Defences by Wars, and otherwiſe; of all the Great Parliamentary Councils, Synods, chief Laws, Charters, and other Proceedings, in them; the great fatal Publick Revolutions, Invaſions, Wars, National Sinnes, occaſioning them; and the exemplary Judgements of God upon Tyrants, Oppreſſors, Perjured perſons, Rebells, Traytors, Regicides, Uſurpers, under our Saxon and Daniſh Kings, ſince the year of Chriſt 600. till the Coronation of King William the Norman, anno 1066. with ſome Short Obſervations of mine own here and there ſubjoined, for the Readers benefit, and inſtruction. A work neither unſeaſonable for, nor unſutable, unſerviceable to our preſent times, worthy the ſerious peruſal of all who profeſs themſelvs trons of the Publique Fundamental, Rights, Liber-Paties, Laws, Properties, Government of the Engliſh Nation: or ſtudious of our old Parliamentary Councils Acts, Laws, Charters Proceedings or of our Engliſh Hiſtory. From which intelligent wiſe Chriſtian Readers, by obſerving the Providences, Judgements, Proceedings of God towards our anceſtors, and others, for their national, perſonal crying bloody ſins in former ages, may probably conjecture what Tragical Judgements, Events, our whole Nation in general, many tranſcendent Delinquents in particular, have now juſt cauſe to fear and expect, for their exorbitant iniquities, (equalling or exceeding any in thoſe former ages) unleſs their ſpeedy, real, ſincere repentance, reformation, and Gods infinite mercy, ward them off.
True it is, that the infallible certainty of future contingent judgements, and events, national or perſonal, are aIſay. 41. 22, 23, 26. Acts 1. 7. Deut. 29. 29. Dan. 2. 18, 19, 22.known only to God himſelf, bDan. 2. 21, c. 4. 32, 35. Pſal. 75. 6, 7. Pſal. 135. 6. Jer. 1. 10. Iſ. 40. 23, 24.who changeth the times, ſeaſons, removeth Kings, and ſetteth up Kings; pulleth down one and ſetteth up another: roots up, pulls down, deſtroyes, builds, plants Nations, Kingdomes, Cities, Families, Perſons, at his pleaſure; doing whatſoever pleaſeth him, both in heaven, earth, the Sea, all deep places, and amongſt all the Inhabitants of the earth; and none can ſtay his hands, nor ſay unto him, What doſt thou? Yet notwithſtanding wiſe intelligent Chriſtians by a ſerious trutination, and comparing of the Judgements of God, expreſly threatned againſt, and uſually inflicted upon Nations or Perſons, for ſuch and ſuch tranſgreſſions, in precedent generations; cProv 22. 3. c. 27. 12. Iſay. 26. 20, 21. Amos 3. 6, 7. Rev. 18. 4. See the the life Dr. James uſher p. 39, 86. …0 92. 166.may probably conjecture & predict, what ſevere exemplary puniſhments our late preſent tranſcendent wickedneſſes, & outragious crimes, are like to draw down upon our impenitent, ſecure perjured ſinfull Nation, and the hairy ſcalps of all thoſe Grand Offenders, who go on ſtill in their exorbitant treſpaſſes, though they deem themſelves dIſay. 14. 10. to 15. Obad. 3. 4. Jer. 49, 16.advanced above the reach of any Powers or Tribunalls which may pull them down, and execute juſtice on them, anſwerable to their bloody crimes, and violences, there eEccleſ. 5. 8. Deut. 32. 35, Pſal 94. 8, 9.being an higher than the higheſt, who is both able and reſolved, to execute vengeance on them in his due ſeaſon, as well as on all Notorious grand Offenders in former ages, though never ſo many, if their repentance prevent it not.
It was Davids profeſſion to God (though a victorious King, General, and Man of War) fPſal. 119. 120.My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. O that this were the preſent temper of our ſecure Nation, and all the ſinners, warriours, and Grandees in it, in this fearleſs ſtupid age; wherein though gMich. 7, 3.we commit wickedneſs with both hands, hIſay. 3, 8, 9.our tongues & doings are againſt the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory: and we all proclaim our ſins like Sodome, and hide them not, iPſai. 10. 5, 11. 13.yet Gods judgements are far above out of our ſight, and we all ſay in our hearts (like thoſe ſecure Atheiſts mentioned in the Pſalmiſt) we ſhall never be moved, we ſhall never be in adverſity: God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never ſee nor require it: Yea, notwithſtanding all Gods threats, curſes againſt, his late ſevere puniſhments of our National, perſonal ſins: kDeut. 29. 19, 20.We bleſſe our ſelves, and ſay in our hearts, we ſhall have peace, though we walk in the imaginations of own hearts, to add drunkenneſſe to thirſt: quite forgetting what follows thereupon, The Lord will not ſpare ſuch men, but the anger of the Lord, and his jealouſly ſhall ſmoke againſt them, and all the curſes that are written in his book ſhall lie upon them, & the Lord ſhall blot out their names from lunder heaven.
Let therefore the contemplation of the National, Perſonal judgements of God upon our Anceſtors here recorded, for thoſe crimes of wch we are now as deeply guilty as they were then, awaken us from our preſent Let hargy, leſt we be lProv. 28. 1. … 24. 21, 22.ſodainly deſtroyed, and that without remedy; and teach us all this Goſpel leſſon, Rom. 11. 20, 21. Be not high minded but fear: for if God ſpared not the naturall branches (heretofore, or of late) take heed leſt he alſo ſpare not thee.
*Mat Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 368.Rumor de V…teri faciet futura timeri.
The fourth Section of the third chapter (which begins this third part) ſhould have been printed with the Second part, as a branch thereof, above two years ſince, but that the Stationer then kept it back for fear it ſhould ſwell that Part overbigg for his preſent Sal…; whereby th… bulk of this Third Part, is now augm…nted beyond its firſt intended proportion; which all Readers may do well to binde up with the two former parts, to which it hath ſpecial relation, more particularly to the ten Propoſitions in the Firſt Part, to which the Propoſition figures in the margin refer.
The moſt of that large tract (of 450. years ſpace) I have here Chronologically run through, was ſpent either in bloody inteſtine wars between our Saxon Kings themſelves, or the Welſh Buitons, warring upon and againſt each other: or elſe in defenſive Wars both by Land and Sea, againſt the invading, bloody, p…dening Danes, Norwegians, Scots, Normans, and other Foreign Nations. During which Military ſeaſons Religion, Devotion, Piety, Law, Iuſtice, Parliamentary Councills, Synods, and juſt Government, are uſually caſt a ſide, and quite trampled under foot; yet it is very obſervabl… (for the perpetual honour of our Kingdom and Kings) that, as during the reign of our antient Britiſh Kings, (before the Saxon race here ſeated, our Kingdome of Brittain produced mSee part 2. p. 21. 24. Antiqu. Eccleſ. Brit. Spelmanni Concilia, Fox, Speed, Holinſhed in their lives, uſſerius, De Eccleſrit. Primordiis, c. 3, 5. Godwins converſion of Britain,Lucius the firſt Chriſtian King, Helena the firſt Chriſtian Queen, and Conſtantine the great, her ſon, the firſt Chriſtian Emperour in the world, who publickly imbraced, profeſſed, countenanced, propagated the faith and Goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt, and aboliſhed Pagan Idolatry in their Dominions: And of later times as our Engliſh Realm brought forth nFox Acts and M…num…nts, Hall, Hayward, Speed, Holinſhed, and others in their lives. Raſtal, Rome, Crown, Monaſteries, Firſt-fruits, Maſs, Service, and Sacraments.King Henry the 8th, the firſt Chriſtian King in the world, who by Acts of Parliament, aboliſhed the Popes uſurped power and juriſdiction out of his Dominions; King Edward the ſixth his ſon, the first Chriſtian King, and Queen Elizabeth the firſt Chriſtian Queen we read of in the world; who totally aboliſhed, ſuppreſſed Popery, baniſhed it their kingdoms, and eſtabliſhed the publike Profeſſion of the Proteſtant Religion, by publike Statutes made in their Parliaments: So during the reigns of our Saxon Kings, after they turned Chriſtians, this Realm of England procreated oCapgrave in his Chronic. Sir Henry Spelman in his Epiſtle Dedicato…y before his Councils.more devout, holy, pious, juſt and righteous Kings, eminent for their piety, juſtice, excellent Eccleſiaſtical and Civil Laws, tranſcendent bounty to the Church, Clergy, and Martyrdom for the defence of Religion, and their Country againſt Pagan Invaders, than any one Kingdom throughout the World. There being pSee Mat. Weſtm. Capgraves Chronicle, Sir Henry Sp…lman his Epiſtle to his Councils.no leſs then 15 or 16 of our Saxon Kings, and 13 Queens within 200 years ſpace, who out of piety, devotion, and contempt of the world (according to the piety of that age, …ut of date in this) voluntarily renounced their earthly Crowns, and Kingdoms, and became profeſſed Monks, Nuns, to obtain an incorruptible Crown and Kingdom in Heaven; & 12 Kings crowned with Martyrdom, being ſlain by Pagan invaders, 10 of them being canonized for tranſcendent Saints, and enrolled for ſuch in all Martyrologies, Liturgies of the Church; which I doubt few of our new Republican Saints will he: Yea the piety of our Kings in that age was generally ſo ſurpaſsing, Ut mirum tunc fuerat Regem non Sanctum videre, as qPreſace to his Chroicle.John Capgrave informs us. Whence Wernerus (a forein Chronologer) in his Faſciculus temporum, records; Plures ſe inveniſſe ſanctos Reges in Anglia, quam in alia mundi Provincia quantumcunque populoſa. And rDe Vita & Miraculis Edwardi Confeſſoris, col. 369, 371.Abbot Ailred long before him, gives this memorable teſtimony of the Sanctity, Martyrdom, Juſtice and ſtudy of the peoples publike we al before the private, ſhining forth in our Saxon Kings, more than in any other kings throughout the world. Verum prae cunctis civitatibus Regniſve terrarum, de ſanctitate Regum ſuorum Anglia gloriatur: quorum alii coronati martyrio, de terreno ad caeleſte Regnum migraverunt: alii exilium patriae praeferentes, mori pro Chriſto peregre deligerunt; nonnulli poſito diademate, diſciplicinis ſe monaſticis ſubdederunt: quidam in juſtitia et ſanctitate regnantes, prodeſſe ſubditis quam praeeſſe maluerunt (whoſe footſteps I wiſh the pretending ſelf-denying antimonarchical domineering Saints over us would now imitate) inter quos iſtud Sydus eximium, glorioſus Rex Edwardus, emicuit, quem cernimus & in divitiis egenum, & in deliciis ſobrium, in purpura humilem, & ſub corona aurea ſe…uli contemptorem: So as the Propheſies of Pſal. 72, 2, 6. Iſay. 42, 4, 10, 12. c. 49. 1, 23. c. 51, 5. c. 60, 9, 10, 11. c. 66. 19. ſeem to be principally intended and verified of our Kings & Iſle above all others in the world. No wonder then that theſe ages of theirs afford us (not withſtanding all the wars, tumults, combuſtions therein) ſundry memorable Preſidents of great Parliamentary Councils, Synods, Civil and Eccleſiaſtical excellent Laws and Canons made in, & royal Charters confirmed by them, with divers memorable Mouuments both of our Parliamentary Councils, Kings, Princes, Nobles, Peoples conſtant care, diligence, prudence, fortitude, in defending, preſerving, vindicating, and perpetuating to poſterity the good old Laws, Liberties, Franchiſes, Rights, Cuſtoms, Government, publike juſtice and Propriety of the Nation; to ſuppreſs, aboliſh all ill Law, tyrannical, unjuſt Proceedings, Oppreſſions, Exactions, Impoſts, Grievances, Taxes, repugnant thereunto; & to advance Religion, Pi…ty, Learning, the free courſe of Iuſtice, and the peoples welfare. Which I have here in a Chronological method (for the moſt part) faithfully collected out of our antienteſt beſt Hiſtorians and Antiquaries of all ſorts; where they ly confuſed, ſcattered, and many of them being almoſt quite buried in oblivion, and ſo far forgotten, that they were never ſo much as once remembred, or inſiſted on, either in our late Parliaments and Great Courts of Iuſtice, in any late publike Arguments or Debates, touching the violation or preſervation of the fundamental Laws, Liberties, Properties, Rights, Franchiſes of the Nation, now almoſt quite forgotten, and trampled under foot, after all our late contests for their defence.
I have throughout theſe Collections ſtrictly confined my ſelf to the very words and expreſſions of thoſe Hiſtorians I cite, coupling their relations together where they accord in one, citing them ſeverally where they vary, and could not aptly be conjoyned, tranſcribing their moſt pertinent paſſages in the language they penned them (omitted by our vulgar Engliſh Chronologers) and annexing ſome brief obſervations to them for Explanation or Information, where there is occaſion.
The whole undertaking I here humbly ſubmit to the favourable acceptation and cenſure of every judicious Reader; who if upon his peruſal thereof, ſhall eſteem it worthy of ſuch an Encomium, as ſHiſtoria Anglicana. ſcriptores, cal. 1757.William Thorne (a Monk of Canterbury) hath by way of Prologue praefixed to his own Chronicle; Valens labor & laude dignus, per quem ignota noſcuntur, occulta ad noticiam pateſcunt; praeterita in lucem, praeſentia in experientiam, & futura temporibus non omittantur; & quia labilis eſt humana memoria, neceſſe conſtat ſcriptis inſeri memoranda, ne humanae fragilitatis contingens oblivio, fieret poſteris inopinata confuſio. It will ſomewhat incourage me to proceed from theſe remote, obſcure times, to ages next enſuing, in the like, or ſome other Chronological method. But if any out of diſaffection to the work, or diverſity from me in opinion, ſhall deem theſe Collections uſeleſs or ſuperfluous, I hope they will give me leave to make the ſelfſame Apology for my ſelf and them, as our moſt judidicus Hiſtorian (t) William of Malmesbury De Geſtis R…g Angl. l. 5. p. 173, 174.long ſince made for himſelf and his Hiſtorical collections. Et quidem erunt multi fortaſſis in diverſis Regionibus Angliae, qui quaedam aliter ac ego dixi, ſe dicant audiſſe vel legiſſe. Veruntamen ſi recto aguntur judicio, non ideo me cenſorio expungent ſtilo. Ego enim veram Legem ſecutus Hiſtoriae, nihil unquam po…ui, niſi quod à ſidelibus relatoribus, vel ſcriptoribus addidici. Porro, quoquo modo haec ſe habeant, privatim ipſe mihi ſub ope Chriſti gratulor, quod continuam Anglorum Hiſtoriam ordinaveram, vel ſolus, vel primus, (at leaſt wiſe in this kind) Si quis igitur poſt me ſcribendi de talibus munus attentaverit, mihi debeat collectionis gratiam, ſibi habeat electionis materiam. Quod ſupereſt, munus meum dignanter ſuſcipite, ut gaudeam grato cognitoris arbitrio, qui non erravi eligendi judicio.
Thus craving the Benefit of thy Prayers for Gods Bleſſing on theſe my publications, for the common liberty, weale and Benefit of the Nation, I commend both them and thee to Gods tuition and benediction.
WILLIAM PRYNNE. Lincolns Inne December 6. 1656.