afterward their life and maturity from the signature of his Excellent Majesties Royal consent Again the King may challenge a preeminence over the whole body of the people in respect of his right of dominion over them upon which account he is indued with the more peculiar image of God which as a King is imprinted in him and therein doth represent the person of God in his soveraignty which the whole community of the people cannot pretend to in relation they are subjects and that notion speaketh an inferiority And though subordinate Magistrates in a sort represent Gods Person yet it is not directly they immediately representing the Kings as he doth Gods so that the best of the people who are Magistrates or the Kings Vicegerents as he onely is Gods who is the sum of all power and the King is his Ray and all inferiour Magistrates are but shadows of that ray of Divinity The Phanatiques insisting on the pretended principles of publick safety peace and liberty have practised licentiousness war and ruine to the kingdom and therefore they most confidently assert that all Laws Statutes Ordinances Covenants Engagements Promises Protestations all acknowledgements Vows and Covenants and all manner of obligations and expressions hereof are onely binding unto the publique safety and not at all as they will have it to the persons of the Governours but with reference thereto Pray be pleased strictly to perpend these damnable Positions anciently contrived by the Romanists and lately distilled into the factious spirits of this nation to teach us first to destroy our lawfull Governours by the plausible pretences of new-modelled principles of Common Reason justice and equity have almost nulled all Religion and Government according to the ancient fundamental common and Civil laws at last to make us a rasa tabula if not somewhat worse that we might be forced to deem it more rational to have their Religion a bad one rather then none at all imprinted in us This plot is much more subtile then that of Gun-powder Treason when the old Jesuits or the new Quakers by the under-hand insinuations of Religion peace and liberty have put the Phanatiques on the most horrid contrivances immaginable and by a blasphemous impulse of spirit did advise them to justifie many extraordinary strange and very illegall actions as taking up arms raising and forming Armies against the King fighting against his person imprisoning impeaching arraigning trying and executing him cutting off his head banishing his children abolishing Bishops Deans and Chapters took away Kingly Government and the House of Lords brok the Crowns sold the Jewels Plate Goods Houses and Lands belonging to the Kings of this Nation erected extraordinary Courts of justice and therein impeached arraigned and condemned his Majesties most loyall subjects Persons eminent for moral honesty and great piety as so many notorious enemies to the publick Peace of the kingdom when the laws in being and the ordinary Courts of justice could not reach them these were unknown strange practises in this nation and not at all justifiable by any known Laws and Statutes And now I have been bold to present you with a view of the gross crimes of the late times most humbly desiring the honourable Houses to concurre with the King in the constitution of such wholesome Laws as a sanctuary to defend the nation from the like horrid perpetrations for the future and to give an impression and terror to others not to dare to commit the like violations upon the incuring of penalties proportioned to their demerits Now I offer to your most serious consideration in your most retired thoughts how God out of a continued series of justice hath pleased in these various scenes of his Providence to give to divers actors in those late fatal tragedies a true sight of their great Errors in a grievous sense of their high sufferings First a faction of the Houâ—e in the beginning of their Session connived at tumultuary commotions assaulting the late Kings most sacred Person in disfavour of that noble Hero the Earl of Strafford as a means where they could not conquer by strength of argument to out-talk with clamor of the multitude pretending to satisfie their just importunities which indeed were arrogant mutinies concluded to judge him whose powerfull wisdom would have bounded their insolence by a new coined word law of accumulative treason when it had served their turn they condemned the law with the person and truly more guilty then him lest it should rise up in judgement against them to make them exemplary for their injustice Not long after these new Justiciaries were secluded the House by the minor part of it by power of the Army to make them sensible how by a force of the tumults they first sentenced Strafford and afterwards by listed tumults they themselves were ejected by their fellow-members who not long after having pulled down the House of Lords murdered the Lords Anointed and banished his royal relations and ruined his loyal subjects were twice ejected by Cromwell and the Army to give them a reflection of their wicked actions and speak a check to their farther disloyalty oppression and ambition And now at last the late Juncto whose being and base contrivances had been entombed in their own empty sculls had they not been hatched by the warmth of a military power have well requited the army their former civilities in cashiering them their commands and paid them their long score of Arrears with a short empty vote of indemnity which I hope will make them sensible of their gross misdemeanours in the just turn of their miseries And here I cannot but eternally give my thanks to that great God who after so many strange alterations of Governors and governments will make you instrumental in your sage counsels to make a perfect settlement in our distracted State and distressed Church And this putteth me in mind of paying of my most humble gratitude to that most excellent Gen. Monke who out of a great principle of honor hath preserved the ancient and famous City the Metropolis of the kingdom from being made the prey of some Boutefeus of the late Juncto who intended as I am informed had not they been prevented by the infinitte mercy and power of God after they had pulld down the Gates rased the Walls and imprisoned the most considerable persons for Religion and loyalty in the Common Council whom they would at last have executed at their own doores and then burnt the Charter of the City and disarmed and plundred the most conscientious Citizens if they would not prostitute the honour of their souls in a base compliance with them in the acknowledgement of the late barbarous Juncto to be the supreme Authority of the Nation My most humble desires unto your Excellency are that as you have been already pleased in a handsome act of clemency to open the doores to the secluded members you will adde a further obligation of your justice in protecting the two honourable
Error in Politicks the sowers of all Rebellion and Annarchy that Kings and all in Authority have their power from the People which is as truly false in it self as fatal to this Nation For though the People do nominate Kings c. in elective kingdoms or consent to them in Hereditary as ours is and the Crown ought to be transmitted to our most gracious Soveraign from a long series of his numerous and royal progenitors yet their nomination or consent is either by way of foâ—m or order to declare an approvement of or submission to the King as the supreme Power of the kingdom which is derived by divine institution from God himself the sole most obsolute eternal Monarch and fountain of all lawfull Power it being no more in the People to give Power to Kings then in their own Power to give themselves being All Power being Authoritative originally or radically in God as the first founder in the King Representative per modum subjecti as a subject capable of the just managery of it and in the People materially per modum patientis in the nomination of the Person not the constitution of Power in their choise in Elective kingdoms and by their consent do not give a Power be an attribute of obedience in their due subscription to it in hereditary We have Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it per me Regis regnant by me Kings reign By me Constitutive efficienter per modum Authoris as the supreme Agent and Kings do reign Ministerialiter per modum Dei locum tenentium as Gods Vicegerents their Power being a Ray of Divinity by whose benigne influence mankinde the flower of the universe watered in showers of graces from above and streams of Justice below receiveth its bud and perfection under his propitious conduct in a happy planting and orderly maturing all things in this inferiour world And therefore Kings and all in Authority are not of the Peoples but of Gods christionizing and that after his own Name I said ye are Gods whereupon for his sake and by virtue of his Commission as his Deputies the People are liable to pay a just tribute of obedience to them But suppose that Kings and those who are in Authority shall as the Phanaticks of this age object neglect the great end of Government and improve all opportunities and advantages of their Power and Grandeur unto their own personal and family interest especially when they shall wilfully and against universal reason and the apparent danger of the common safety then say they they determine their Authority and having in such cases quitted their care and respects to the Peoples protection they likewise quite the People from their Allegeance and obedience To this damnable and Jesuitical Position I thus reply It is rare to find Kings they and their People being Correlatives to have so much cruelty for themselves as in bauishing the universal Dictates of Reason in the common ruine of their kingdoms theirs and the Peoples being one joynt interest and their greatest concern next the glory of God is a mutual opposition of enemies and a joynt concurrence in vigorous endeavours for the support and promotion of each others happiness But grant that Kings should so far degenerate as to cancel all obligations to God and nature in order to Liberty and Propriety of their People it is no more then is clearly described in the sacred Oracles where Samuel stateth the absolute Prerogative of a King 1 Sam. Chap. 8. ver 2. to the 17. And he said this shall be the manner of the King that shall reign over you he will take your sons and appoint them for himself for his Chariots And let them take their much admired Calvins authentick Paraphrase on the text out of his care done to truth rather then Kings in the latter end of the 26 Paragraph De publica Administratione Ac si dixisset Samuel eo se proripiet licentiae Regum libido quam cohibere vestrum non erit quibus hoc restabit unum jussa excipere ac dicto audientes esse To such a height of Tyranny shall the will of Kings break forth which to restrain is not your duty in you this onely remaineth to hearken to his words and obey his commands with which you are in humble submission to comply and not in a rebellious resistance to dispute And to that effect is that most signal place of Scripture Jer. chap. 27. ver 6. and 8. And now have I given all those lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my servant c. Who this Nebuchadnezzar was is sufficiently known who had conquered Jerusalem the holy City and had by his absolute power invaded other Territories yet God styleth him Nebnchadnezzar my servant though a great Tyrant and Usurper by virtue of his unquestionable Commission which none but God himself could take from him And once more be pleased to take Calvins Comment upon the recited Text Videmus quanta obedientia Dominus tetrum illum ferocemque Tyrannum coli voluerit non alia ratione nisi quia Regnum obtinebat You see saith he with what obedience the Lord would have that cruel Tyrant observed upon no other account but as he was by himself invested with the Royal Throne And Calvin further urgeth in the same Paragraph Eodem decreto constitui etiam nequissimos Reges quo Regum authoritas statuitur nunquam in animum nobis seditiosae illae cogitationes venient tractandum esse pro meritis Regem nec aequum esse ut subditos ei non praestemus qui vicissim Regem nobis se non praestat By the same Commission are wicked Kings constituted by which the Authority of Kings in general is enacted and we must never entertain within our minds such Rebellious thoughts how that the King is to be treated according to his demerits neither is it fit we should with draw our obedience as subjects though he doth not express his gracious clemency and Moderation as a King Therefore these Phanatick objections of this latter age since 1642 are very unjustifiable that service and obedience is to be wholly devoted onely to the just commands of superiors this is that disloyal principle which hath introduced so much Barbarisme and confusion among us which hath an ill aspect upon our Oeconomicks as well as Politicks and hath gained an opinion with wives children and servants that no service is to be given by the one to their Masters nor duty by the other to their Parents nor obedience by the third to their Husbands if Masters Parents or Husbands do as they conceive impose their severe commands upon them and if they act any thing contrary to their fancy they deem they may justly infringe all obligations whatsoever due by Religion Law and the right of Nature to their several Relations But suppose that Kings and all in Authority shall neglect the great ends of Government and improve all opportunities and advantages to
their own personal interest to the apparent danger of of common safety say the Phanaticks they determine their authority and having quitted their care of the Peoples protection they quit the People from their Allegiance and Obedience To this I answer That Kings though most absolute Tyrants cannot be justly deposed by the People I confess the end of all Government is the common good in a due administration of Justice to the promotion of which all their royal endeavours as so many lines ought to concenter themselves as in a point in the publick safety of their subjects And although Kings do not perform their duty in governing according to Law yet their Authority doth not determine it being supreme is lyable to give an account onely to God who onely determineth both the Power and Person And although the people do by Election or Consent confer a trust on Kings and Governors which is absolute no Governour being so weak as to take it on the condition of his good behaviour durante Populi beneplacito the will of the people being as mutable as fond and having not alwaies Reason for its Conduct and solid principles for its Basis under pretence of ill managery will speak a determination to the lawful power of a supreme Governour and the best modelled Government of a Nation It is very reasonable to grant that the people do give a very high trust to Kings and those in Authority which is sealed to them by Gods power Be subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake from whom Kings receive the Patent of their Authority which no body under any gloss how fair soever can cancel he being in no capacity to forfeit that power to man which he hath immediately derived from God alone I mean the sword of Justice it being not in the power of the people originally to kill one another without a Magistrate they being endued with an equality in nature and cannot exercise this soveraignty over each other And if the King could forfeit his trust by not discharging it according to the intention of the Donors and the Laws to which he hath obliged himself that the people cannot resume that trust when it hath received the approbation and confirmation of Gods power which the people cannot assume to themselves without the most impious arrogating one of the supreme Attributes of God to themselves But then it will be replyed that the people are in a sad condition having no sence against the arbitrary power of Kings to which I briefly answer they have for their refuge Tears and Prayers the Arms of the Church in their greatest straits and perplexities and God in whose hands the hearts of Kings are to turn them as he pleaseth according to his holy wisdom and for my part I shall ever deem it better to live under the Tyranny of Kings then under the Anarchy of the people I desire you would be pleased to make a deep inspection into those two erroneous principles so much cried up by the Phanaticks that salus populi est suprema lex and Rex est singulis major universis minor which they conceive are most absolute rules to walk by and a firm basis to secure their cursed actions from the titles of rebellion perjury sacriledge murder oppression c. To the first that the safety of the people is the supreme law I thus answer the safety of the people in strict speech is not a law but an end of it the law being made for the just conservation of the peoples safety but grant it in common language to be a law and then sure none is so void of sense and reason if an end may be called a law but to give to the ultimate end the attribute of supremacy and then Gloria Deiest suprema lex and indeed his word is a law and it is his glory to maintain it Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and God so far condescendeth as to give a reason of it for the Powers that are are ordained of God Now the debate will be who is supreme the King or the people I confess the people de facto have of late made themselves so but I hope they have not the boldness de jure to think so the Legislative power being ultimately in the King by whose Royal consent the results of the two Houses who are called and dissolved by his power receive the signature of Laws the house of Commons being Commissioned by him ad inquireddum and the house of Lords ad consulendum and in him their legal head is the supreme power ad determinandum de ordine negotiis regni it is his right with the advice of Parliaments his great Council to determine what is the safety peace and the just Rights of the nation and not in the people who are not a head of law but the body of the kingdom to be governed by it And if the People should deem in their private sense which cannot be so discerning and impartial as the publick judgement of those that are placed on the hill of government who see much more then they that kneel in the valley of subjection that the known fundamental Laws instituted by them who are Gods Ministers are diametrically opposite to the just interest of a nation yet if they cannot it being repugnant to their conscience to give an active observance to those laws made as they apprehend against the safety of the people yet they are oblieged to give a passive obedience to the Governours who as they are ordained if good are to give him onely an account of their actions in an humble submission to whatsoever punishments shall be imposed by them And here the people are readily to write after our blessed Saviours excellent copy who submitted to an unjust power in the loss of his life contrary to all law rather then dispute his own ordinance and so it is better for them in Christian patience to die Martyrs then by an illegal resistance to be rebells To that their maxime being a main foundation upon which the Phanaticks have at first built and still endeavour to support that most unhandsome superstructure of Rebellion Sacriledge Perjury and in a word their violation of all humane and divine Laws that Rex est singulis major universis minor the King is greater then any single person and lesser then the community of the people to which I reply that the body of the people cannot pretend to be superior or rival with him except his two Houses of Parliament who have no being unless they receive birth by his summons consulere de arduis negotiis regni and so they may be justly styled his Counsellours to advise and not his superiours to command The Legislative power which to vindicate he is armed with the Militia of the Nation being principally seated in him that those wholesome laws which derive their rough draught and first delineation of parts from the two Houses and
the King and people and all sacred moral and national laws and liberties to their own base tyranny and avarice Though for the present for the breaches of priviledges of Parliament and the unlawful resistance of Kingly power we have been lately whipped by the divine hand inflicting great sufferings on us as a due punishment for our greater sins into a thought of restoring the supreme Magistrate to whom as Gods Vicegerent we truly intend to pay a just duty of Allegiance Yet succeeding ages being not sensible of our smarts and ills may be so dandled with the same vain phantasies the people being naturally adorers of power and licentiousness should being led by their forefathers example whom they may count honourable to imitate when before prepossessed with their own ambitious desires may by our fault fall into our errors and miseries if the King being disarmed in the loss of his Militia shall not be able to defend himself and his loyal subjects against the insolence of his rebellious oppressors Be not pleased to entertain your selves with the least suspicion that the King will not weild the sword of justice in the most prudent and pious Managery of his government over us with the greatest moderation and integrity imaginable be pleased seriously to consider in his low ebbe of condition being exposed to the charity of forreigners how obnoxious he was rendered to a sea of temptations when he was highly imbarqued among them courting him with a powerfull assistance in order to the restauration of his Royall dignities if he would innovate his Religion choosing rather to dure the worst of fortune then by a forreign invasion to gain a Crown in the forfeiture of his honour conscience and religion What can be more pleasing to God and advantageous to the nation then honourably to possess the King with his own without ugly obligations which will reasonably induce him he being so much a friend to himself to improve his utmost endeavours to free himself from those bonds which shall be unjustly imposed upon him and this will create such a perpetual jealousie between him and his people that it must necessarily speak them both mutually unhappy But the great Remora and obstruction of the Kings Royal and free inauguration in order to civils is the opposition of those who have possessed themselves of the Crown Bishops Dean and Chapter Lands and Revenues in answer to which the King out of his gracious condescension to a firm peace will vouchsafe not to be his own carver wholly refering himself to the Honourable Houses who will assuredly treat them with all the justice and equity imaginable And for his own part let them read for their ample satisfaction his late Declaration wherein he promiseth they shall have his lands and the Churches till they are reimbursed of the money principal and interest which they have paid for them and they are bound in conscience to restore them to the true owners the Church and Crown In order to Ecclesiasticks the onely way to make up the sad breaches of the Church in point of doctrine and discipline is to restore the ancient and Reverend Fathers of it instituted by the holy Apostles as conservatours of it against heresie and schisme and our gracious Soveraign when he shall be intrusted with the government out of his Princely care and Royal inclinations will preserve the unity of of the Church that nothing shall be imposed on truly consciencious persons contrary to their different judgements professing the same fundamentals of Orthodox Christian Religion and differing onely in circumstancials conditionally they deport themselves with humility not intrenching on the publick in giving a disturbance to the unity of the Church and peace of the nation Nothing can give me a greater truth and admiration then by sad experience to see England most eminent heretofore for Religion and Loyalty should in this present age so far degenerate from the principles of our Church and the ancient honour of the nation who have had so high a duty for their native Prince that they had rather quit thier lives then their sense of Allegiance Wherefore my most humble request to the two honourable Houses our faithful Trustees is that they would be pleased to repair the honour of the nation so lost abroad that no traveller dareth own himself an English man being in danger of being sacrificed except he recant the publick errors of the nation in the most honourable reception of the King most Illustrious in vertue and Religion According to his just Rights by law and vindicate the ancient priviledges of Parliament and the due liberty and propriety of the subject which will speak glory to God and honour to your selves and the Nation FINIS