the Abby of Croyland the same year and to the Abby of Malmesbury Anno 974. with many other Charters of our Saxon Kings to Abbies Bishops and Churches recorded in Ingulphus Malmesbury Spelman and others all which were made and confirmed by these Kings with the consent and approbation of their Bishops Abbots and Nobles assembled in their Great Parliamentary Councils and ratified confirmed by them being else void in Law and repeaâ—lable as appeares by the Generall Council of Kingston Anno 838. Wherein the Manor of Mallings in Kent which King Baldred had formerly given to Christs Church in Canterbury being afterwards revoked and substracted from it because the Nobles offended with the King would not ratifie that donation nor suffer it to remain firm was resetled and confirmed to this Church in and by this Council specially summoned for that purpose by King Egbert and his Son Athelwelfe CONSENTI ENTIBVS DEMVM MAGNATIBVS the Nobles now at last consenting to it in this Council which they refused formerly to doe A clear Evidence of the Noble-mens Negative and Affirmative Voyces to the Saxon Kings grants of their Lands and Charters to pious uses and of their invalidity without their concurrent assents thereto In most of these forecited Charters of our Kings to these Churches and Monasteries it is observable that they exempted them and their Lands AB OMNIBVS PVBLICIS VECTIGALIBVS ONERIBVS REGIIS EXACTIONIBVS ET OPERIBVS nisi in structionibus Arcium vel Pontium quae nunquam ullâ—s possint Laxari From which notwithstanding King Ive exempted the Abby of Glastonbury and King Aethulwulfe and Beorred the Abby of Croyland ab expeditione militari And therefore as they could not thus exempt them from publick Tributes Burdens Regal Exactions and Services without common consent in Parliamentary Councils so they could not impose any publick Tributes Burdens Exactions or Services on them without common grant and consent in such Councils unless by special referrations as I shall by ensuing Presidents most fully evidence How carefull the Saxon Nobles and Subjects were from the first erection of their Kings and Kingdomes in England to preserve their Priviledges Liberties Properties Lawes from the usurpations Invasions and arbitrary power of Tyrannical Kings or Usurpers and how unâ—nimous magnanimous they shewed themselves in their just defence will appear by these few Presidents of their Proceedings against their Tyrannicall Oppressing Kings which I shall muster up together in their Chronologicall Order Anno Dom. 756. Sigebert King of the West-Saxons growing insolent and proud by the Successes of his Predecessors in their Warres became intolerable to his People treating them very ill by all kind of meanes LEGESQVE ANTECESSORVM SVORVM PROPTER COMMODVM SVVM VEL DEPRAVARET VEL MVTARET endeavouring to dâ—prave or change the Laws of his Ancestors for his own private luchre and using EXACTIONS CRUELTIES UPON HIS SUBJECTS setting asidâ—â— ALL LAWES Whereupon his most Noble and Faithful Counseller Earle Cumbra lovingly intimating to him the complaints of all the people perswaded the King to govern the people committed to his Charge more mildly and to lay aside his inhumanity that so he might become amiable to God and man he thereupon soon after commanded him to be wickedly slain and becoming afterwards more cruell to the people augmented his Tyranny Vpon which the rest of the Pâ—ers seeing their State and Lives were every day in danger and the Common Subjects WHOSE LAWES WERE THUS VIOLATED being incensed into fury all the Nobles and People of his Realm assembling together rose up against him and upon provident mature deliberation AND UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF ALL they before he had reigned full two yeares expelled him out of the Kingdom and elected and made Kenulphus sprung from the bloud royall King in his stead Whereupon flying into the Woods like a forlorn person for shelter he was there slain by Cumbra his Swineherd in revenge of his Masters death Ita crâ—delitas Regis omnem pene Nobilitatem pervagata in homine ultimae sortis stetit writes Malmesbury To which Henry Huntindon addes this memorable observation Ecce manifestum Domini Judicium ecce quomodo Domini justitia nonsolum in futuro seculo verum etiam in isto digna meritis recompensat Eligens namque Reges improbos ad contritionem promeritam subjectorum alium diu insanire permittit ut populus pravus diu vexetur Rex pravior in aeternum acrius crucietur veluti Edâ—lboldum regem Merce praesatum alium vero cita disterminatione praeoccupat ne populus suus nimia Tyrannide oppressus non respiret immoderata Principis requitia citissimas ultionis aeternae debito paenas incurrat veluti Sigebertum hunc de quo tractamus Qui quanto nequior extitit tanto vilius a Subulco interfâ—ctus a dâ—lore in dolorem transiit Vnde Domini justitiae aeternae laus gloria nunc semper In the year of our Lord 758. the people of the Kingdome of Mercia rising up against their King Beornred pro eo quod populum non EQVIS LEGIBVS sed PER TYRANNIDEM GVBERNARET because he governed his people not by their JUST LAWES but by arbitrary Tyranny they all of them as well NOBLES as IGNOBLE assembled together in one and Offa a most valiant young man being their Generall they expelled him out of the Realm which being accomplished BY THE UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF ALL as well Clergy as People they crowned the said Offa King This Beornred treacherously murdered King Ethelbald his Soveraign whose Captain he was and then usurped his Crown but was himself deprived of it and slain soon after by Offa who succeeded him by divine retaliation So Edwin King of Mercia in the year 857. for his Misgovernment his despising the Wise-men and Nobles of the Realm who hated his vicious and oppressive courses affecting and fostering ignorant and unrighteous persons his forcible expelling the Monkes and others out of their possessions by armed men his banishing Dunstan into France for reprehending his vices and other injurious and Tyrannicall Actions against Law and Right was utterly forsaken and rejected by all his Subjects and by the unanimous consent of all dejected deposed from his royall Dignity and his Brother Edgar Elected King in his place Deo dictante annuente populo by the dictate of God himself and the peoples consent AB OMNI POPVLO ELECTVS as our Historians write By these Presidents pretermitting others it is apparent that the ancient Saxons held their Kings Supremacy to be bounded within the rules of Law and Justice and that they esteemed their Kings to lose both the name and office of Kings when they ceased to Govern them according to Law and Justice or exalted themselves above their Lawes and Liberties which was not onely the ancient Divinity of those former times as appeares by Pope Eleutherius his forecited Letter to King Lucius but the received Law amongst the Saxons as
HAVE COMPANIONS FOR TO HEAR AND DETERMINE IN PARLIAMENT ALL THE WRITS AND PLAINTS OF THE WRONGS OF THE KING OF THE QUEEN AND OF THEIR CHILDREN and especially of those OF WHOSE WRONGS ONE COULD NOT HAVE RIGHT OTHER WHERE And these Companions are now called Counts after the Latine word Comites every oâ—e of which had at first a Country delivered to him to guard and defend it from the Enemies which Country is now called a County and in Latine Comitatus and these Counties together with the Realm were turned into an Inheritance So Horne in his Mirrour of Justice in the reign of King Edward the first These English Saxons from the first Settlement of their Kâ—â—gdomes and Monarchies had no Soveraign Power at all tâ— make alter or repeal Lawes impose Taxes or alien their Crown Lands but onely by common consent in General Parliamentary Councils much lesse to imprison conâ—emn exile out-law any mâ—ns person or to deprive him of his Life Lands Goods Franchises against the Law without any Legall triall as these Subsequent Historicall Collections will at large demonstrate That they had no Power nor Authority to make alter or repeal any Lawes but onely by common advice and consent of their Nobles and Wise-men in their Great Parliamentary Councils of the Realm is evident by this passage of our Venerable Beda concerning Ethelbert King of Kent the first Christian Saxon King and Law-maker He about the year of Christ 605. Inter caetera bona quae genti suae consulendo conferebat etiam Decreta illi juxta exempla Romanorum CVM CONSILIO SAPIENTVM CONSTITVIT Quae conscripta Anglorum sermone hactenus habentur observantur ab ea In quibus primitus posuit qualiter id emendare deberet qui aliquid rerum vel Episcopi vel reliquorum ordinum furto aufernt volens scilicet tuitionem eis quos quorum doctrinam susceperat praesiare Malmesbury and Huntingdon write of him Quin etiam curam extendens in posteros LEGES PATRIO SERMONE TVLIT quibus bonis praemia decerneret improbis per remedia meliora occurreret NIHIL SVPER ALIQVO NEGOCIO INFVTVRVM RELINQVENS AMBIGVVM The first Law this Christian King ever made BY THE COUNCIL OF HIS WISE-MEN was for God his Church and Ministers to protect them and theirs from violence a Jove principium and the next for to Protect Great Councils and their Members from Injury thus recorded by Sir Henry Spelmau out of a famous ancient Manuscript called Textus Roffensis 1. Quicunque Res Dei vel Ecclesiae abstulerit duodecima componat solutione Episcopires undecima solutione Sacerdotis res nona solutione Diaconires sexta solutione Clerici res trina solutione Pax Ecclesiae violata duplici emendetur solutione Pax Monachi duplici etiam solutione 2. Si Rex populum suum convocaverit hos ILLIC quispiam injuria afficerit duplex esto emendatio praeterea 50. Solidos Regi pendito Let the forcers of Parliaments consider it To these I might subjoyn all the Ecclesiasticall and Civil Lawes Canons Constitutions of all our other Saxon Kings before the Normans reign recorded in Mr. Lambards Archaion and scatteringly mentioned in Beda Ingulfus William of Malmesbury Huntindon Mathew Westminster Florentius Wigorniensis Brompt Antiquitates Eccl. Britannicae Mr. Seldens Titles of Honour Mr. Fox Acts and Monuments with other Antiquaries and Historians all made altered amended repealed from time to time by common advice and consent in their Great Parliamentary Councils which because I have particularly insisted on in my Antiquity Triumphing over Novelty and Historicall Collection of the ancient Great Councils and Parliaments of England I shall forbear here to repeat at large being never yet denied by any and a truth beyond contradiction That our Saxon Kings from their original institution could not alienate or transferre to any other uses no not to endow Churches support Gods Worship or Ministers any of their Crown Lands Demesnes or Revenues without common consent of their Nobles and Prelates in their Great Parliamentary Councils is apparent by the three first Charters we read of granted by Ethelbert the first Christian Saxon King to the Church of Peter and Paul in Canterbnry Anno Dom. 605. Wherein the King CVM CONSENSV venerabilis Augustini Archiepiscopi AC PRINCIPVM MEORVM by the consent of Archbishop Augustine and his Princes first gave and granted a parcell of Land of his Right in the East part of the City of Canterbury to build a Church and Monastery to the honour of St. Peter and after that by a second Charter of the same date confirmed by his own the Arch-bishops and Nobles subscriptions thereto with the Sign of the Crosse he gave and granted other Lands in Langeport to God and his Church and after that by a third Charter Anno 610. he granted other Lands and Priviledges to it as a testimony of his gratitnde to God for his conversion from the Errour of false Gods to the worship of the onely true God adjuring and commanding in the name of the Lord God Almighty who is the just Judge of all things that the said Lands given to this Church by the said subscribed Charters should be perpetually confirmed so that it should not be lawfull for himself nor for any of his Successors Kings or Princes or for any Secular or Ecclesiasticall Dignity to defraud the Church of any part thereof And if any shall attempt to diminish or make void any thing of this Donation let him be at present separated from the holy Communion of the body and bloud of Christ and in the day of Judgement let him be separated from the fellowship of all the Saints The two first of his Charters and Donations to this Church were approved and confirmed in a Common Councill assembled by this King at Canterbury 5. January Anno 605. Omnium singulorum approbatione consensu BY THE APPROBATION AND CONSENT OF ALL AND EVERY OF THEM as you may read at large in Sir Henry Spelman and William Thorne This truth is further abundantly confirmed by the Charter of Immunities of Withraed King of Kent granted to the Churches under him Anno 700. The Charter of Ethelbald King of Mercia to the Church of Croyland An. 716. The Charter of King Ive of Lands and Priviledges to the Church of Glastonbury Anno 725. The Charter of King Offa of Lands and Priviledges to the Courch of St. Albanes Anno 794. The Charter of King Egfred to the same Church Anno 797. The Charter of Bertulph King of Mercia to the Abbot of Croyland made in the Parliamental Great Council of Biningdon Anno 850. and of Kingsbury Anno 851. a memorable president recorded at large by Abbot Ingulphus Hist p. 858. to 863. the Charter of King Aethelstan to the Abby of Malmesbury An. 930. The Charter of King Edmond to the Abbot of Glastonbury Anno 944. and of the same Edmund to the Abby of Hyde Anno 966. and to
is evident by the Lawes of King Edward the Confessor Lex 15. hereafter cited The Law was the sole Umpire between these Kings and their people which Law as no Great man nor any other in the whole Kingdome might violate or abolish as Ive the great Saxon King confesseth in his Lawes So the Kings themselves were to submit thereto in all things as well as their Subjects Whence Aethelstan the Saxon King in his Prologue to his Lawes made at the Great Councill of Gratâ—ley Anno Dom. 928. by the advice of the Arch Bishops Bishops Nobles and Wise men of the Realm used this memorable expression as the Law of that age between King and people Ea mihi vos tantum modo comparatis velim QVAE JVSTE AC LIGITIME PARARE POSSITIS Neque enim mihi ad vitae usum QVICQVAM INJVSTE ACQVIRI CVPIVERIM Etenim cum ea ego vobis LEGE VESTRA omnia benigne largitus sum ut MEA MIHI VOS ITIDEM CONCEDATIS prospicitote sedulo ne quis vestrum neve â—â—rum aliquis qui vobis paruerit offensiâ—nâ—m aut divinam aut nostram concitâ—tis Indeed some of the Saxons being too much addicted to Faction Treason Sedition and Rebellion against their Kings abused their just Liberties and Priviledges to the unjust murther and destâ—â—ction of their Kings especially those of the Kingdome of Northumberland to prevent which excessâ—s in the famous Council of Calchuth Anno 787. held 〈…〉 of Northumberland his Bishops and Nobles and Ofâ— King of Mercians and his Bishops and Nâ—lles there 〈…〉 memorable Lawes and 〈◊〉 both for the Security Immunity of King and people which they with all their Subjects assented to and with all devotion of mind to the uttermost possibility of their power vowed through Gods assistance to observe in every point Cap. XI Of the Duty and Office of Kings Vndecimus Sermo fuit ad Reges Principes ut Regimen suum cum magna cautela disciplina peragant cum Justitia judicent ut scriptum est Apprehendite disciplinam ne quando irascatur Dominus pereatis c. Habentque Reges Consiliarios prudentes Dominum timentes moribus honâ—stos ut populos bonis exemplis Regum Principum eruditus confirmatus proficient in laudem gloriam omnipotentis Dei Cap. XII De Ordinatione Honore Regum who were then generally Hereditary not Elective We decree that in the Ordination of Kings none may permit the assent of evill men to prevail but KINGS SHALL BE LAWFULLY ELECTED BY THE PRIESTS and ELDERS OF THE PEOPLE and those not begotten of Adultery or Incest for as in our times by the Lawes a Bastard cannot be admitted to the Priesthood so neither can he be able to be the Lords annointed and he who shall be born out of lawfull Wedlock shall not be King of the whole Realm and Heire of his Country the Prophet saying Know yee that the Lord ruleth in the Kingdom of men and the Kingdome is his and he will give it to whomsoever he will Therefore we admonish all in generall that they would with a unanimous voice and heart intreat the Lord that he who electeth him to the Kingdome would himself give unto him the regiment of his holy discipline to govern his people Likewise honour is to be rendred to them by all men the Apostle saying Honour the King and in another place Whether it be to the King as Supream or to Governours as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of Malefactors but to the praise of them that doe well Likewise the Apostle Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers for there is no power given but of God And the powers that are are ordained of God Therefore who ever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and those who resist acquire damnation to themselves Let no man detract from the King for Solomon saith Thou shalt not detract from the King in thy mouth neither shalt thou curse the Prince in thy heart because the birds of the air shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the word LET NO MAN DARE TO COMMUNICATE IN or conspire THE KINGS DEATH BECAUSE HE IS THE LORDS ANOINTED and if any shall have adhered to such a Wickednesse or Treason if he be a Bishop or any of the Priestly Order let him be thrust out of it and cast out of the holy inheritance as Judas was ejected from his Apostolicall degree and every one whosoever he be who shall assent to such a Sacriledge shall perish in the eternall bond of an Anathema and being associated to JVDAS THE TRAITOR shall be burnt in sempiternal burnings as it is written Not onely those who doe such things but those also who consent to such who doe them shall not escape the Judgement of God For the two Eunuches consenting to slay Ahasuerus were hanged on a Gallowes Consider what David said to the Captaines when the Lord had said unto him I will deliver Saul into thy hands when he found him sleeping and was exhorted by the Souldiers to slay him Let this sin be farre from me that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed Yea he cut off the head of that Souldier who after his death came unto him protesting that he had slain Saul and it was reputed unto him for righteousnesse and to his seed after him And it is often proved among you by examples that WHOEVER HAVE HAD A HAND IN THE MURDER OF THEIR KINGS HAVE ENDED THEIR LIFE IN A SHORT SPACE utroque Jure caruerunt it should be corruerunt and have perished by both Lawes civill and sacred Cap. 13. De Judiciis Justis ferendis Let Great and Rich men execute just Judgements neither let them accept the Person of the Rich nor contemn the Poor nor swerve from the rectitude of Judgement or Law nor receive gifts against the innocent but judge in righteousnesse and truth the Prophet saying Judge justly yee sons of men Also elsewhere Thou shalt not doe that which is unjust nor judge unjustly thou shalt not stand against the bloud of thy neighbour Likewise Isaiah Seek Judgement releive the Oppressed judge the Fatherlesse defend the Widow then come and let us reason together saith the Lord. Also elsewhere Vndoe every bond of iniquity undoe the heavy burdens let those who are oppressed goe free and break every yoak Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily The Lord saith in the Gospel For with whatsoever judgement yee judge you shall be judged and whatsoever measure you meet it shall be measured to you again Neither shall you take BY FORCE FROM ANY ONE THAT WHICH IS HIS OWN as it is said Thou shalt not covet the thing which is thy Neighbours Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his house nor his oxe
THE SECOND PART OF A SEASONABLE LEGAL and HISTORICAL VINDICATION and CHRONOLOGICAL COLLECTION Of the Good old Fundamental Liberties Franchises Rights Lawes Government of all English Freemen their best Inheritance and onely Security against all Arbitrary Tyranny and Aegyptian Taxes Wherein the extraordinary Zeal Courage Care Vigilancy Civill Military and Parliamentary Consultations Contests to preserve establish perpetuate them to Posterity against all Tyrants Vsurpers Enemies Invaders both under the ancient Pagan and Christian Britons Romans Saxons The Laws and Parliamentall Great Councils of the Britons Saxons With some Generall Presidents concerning the limited Powers and Prerogatives of our British and first Saxon Kings the Fundamental Rights Liberties Franchises Laws of their Subjects the severe punishments of their Tyrannicall Princes on the one side and of unrighteous Vsurpers Traytors Regicides Treason Perfidiousnesse and Disloyalty on the other recorded in our Historians are Chronologically Epitomized and presented to publick View for the benefit of the whole English Nation By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Swainswick Esquire Prov. 22. 28. Remove not the Ancient Land-markes which thy Fathers have set 2 Sam. 10. 12. Be of GOOD COURAGE AND LET US PLAY THE MEN FOR OUR PEOPLE and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good Dan. 7. 25 26. And he shall think TO CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times But the Judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end London Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Edward Thomas dwelling in Green Arbour 1655. ERRATA IN the Epistle p. 2 l 38. r. 1540. p. 5. l. 10. r. secure p. 9. l. 2. 5. r. s. p. 10. l 37. r. Kings Queenes p. 16. l 3. dele they p. 19. l. 2. 1502. r. 1602. p. 22. l. 1. proceeding p. 24. l. 20. Oath of Supremacy p. 25. l 24. for this p 27. l 4. r. 1653. p. 35. l. 20. r. and our religion from c. p 47 l 18 Constantius l 26 for if p 51 l 2 p 52 l 37 twenty four r. fourty two Margin p. 20. l. 1. whether In the Book p. 2. l. 19 20. r. each single p. 39. l. 19. Dubricius p. 41. l. 11. quod p. 47. l. 13. Christianismum p. 53. l. 29. reservations p. 62. l. 9. by r. of p. 64 l. 20. Subditos p 67 l 23 dat r eat p. 71. l. 31. r. Schoole p. 72. l. 27. dele a. Margin p. 55. l. 29. r. Eventibus To all truely Christian Free-men of England Patrons of Religion Freedom Parliaments who shall peruse this Treatise Christian Reader IT hath been one of the most detestable Crimes and highest Impeachments against the Antichristian Popes of Rome that under a Saint-like Religious Pretext of advancing the Church Cause Kingdom of Jesus Christ they have for some hundred yeers by-past usurped to themselves as sole Monarchs of the world in the Right of Christ whose Vicars they pretend themselves to be both by Doctrinal Positions and Treasonable Practises an absolute Soveraign Tyrannical Power over all Christian Emperours Kings Princes of the World who must derive and hold their Crowns from them alone upon their good behaviours at their pleasures not onely to Excommunicate Censure Judge Depose Murder Destroy their sacred Persons but likewise to dispose of their Crowns Scepters Kingdomâ— and translate them to whom they please In pursuance whereof they have most traiterously wickedly seditiously atheistically presumed to absolve their Subjects from all their sacred Oaths Homages natural Allegiance and due Obedience to them instigated encouraged yea expresly enjoyned under pain of interdiction excommunication and other censures their own Subjects yea own sons sometimes both by their Bulls and Agents to revolt from rebel war against depose dethrone murder stab poyson destroy them by open force or secret conspiracies and stirred up one Christian King Realm State to invade infest destroy usurp upon another onely to advance their own antichristian Soveraignties Usurpations Ambition Rapines worldly Pompe and Ends as you may read at leisure in the Statutes of 25 H. 8. c. 22. 28 H. 8. c. 10. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 13 Eliz. c. 2. 23 Eliz. c. 1. 35 Eliz. c. 2. 3 Jacob. c. 1 2 4 5. 7 Jacob. c. 6. the Emperour Frederick his Epistles against Pope Gregory the 9. and Innocent the 4. recorded in Matthew Paris and others Aventinus Annalium Boiorum Mr. Tyndal's Practice of Popish Prelates the second Homily upon Whitsunday the Homilies against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion Bishop Jewels view of a seditious Bull John Bale in his lives of the Roman Pontiffs Doctor Thomas Bilson in his true difference between Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion Doctor John White his Sermon at Paul's Cross March 24. 1625. and Defence of the Way c. 6 10. Doctor Crakenthorpe of the Popes temporal Monarchy Bishop Morton's Protestants Apology Doctor Beard 's Theater of Gods Judgements l. 1. c. 27 28. Doctor Squire of Antichrist John Bodin his Common-wealth l. 1. c. 9. The learned Morney Lord du Plessy his Mystery of Iniquity and History of the Papacy The Grimston's Imperial History Matthew Paris Holinshed Speed Cambden and others in the lives of Henry the 3. Queen Elizabeth and other of our Kings and hundreds of printed Sermons on the 5 of November The principal Instruments the Popes imployed of late years in these their unchristian Treasonable Designes have been pragmatical furious active Jesuites whose Society was first erected by Ignatius Loyola a Spaniard by Birth but A SOULDIER by Profession and confirmed by Pope Paul the 3. Anno 1640 which Order consisting onely of ten persons at first and confined onely to sixty by this Pope hath so monstrously increased by the Popes and Spaniards favours and assistance whose chief Janizaries Factors Intelligencers they are that in the year 1626. they caused the picture of Ignatius their Founder to be cut in Brass with a goodly Olive Tree growing like Jesses root out of his side spreading its branches into all Kingdoms and Provinces of the World where the Jesuites have any Colledges and Seminaries with the name of the Province at the foot of the branch which hath as many leaves as they have Colledges and Residencies in that Province in which leaves are the names of the Towns and Villages where these Colledges are situated round about the Tree are the Pictures of all the illustrious Persons of their Order and in Ignatius his right hand there is a Paper wherein these words are ingraven Ego sicut Oliva fructifera in domo Dei taken out of Ps 52. 8. which pourtraictures they then printed and published to the World wherein they set forth the number of their Colledges and Seminaries to be no less then 777. increased to 155 more by the year 1640. in all 932. as they published in like Pictures Pageants printed at
Antwerp 1640. In these Colledges and Seminaries of theirs they had then as they print 15591 Fellows of their society of Jesus besides the Novices Scholars and Lay-brethren of their Order amounting to neer ten times that number So infinitely did this evil Weed grow and spread it self within one hundred years after its first planting What the chief imployments of Ignatius and his numerous swarms of Disciples are in the World his own Society at the time of his Canonization for a Romish Saint sufficiently discovered in their painted Pageants then shewed to the people wherein they pourtraied this new Saint holding the whole world in his hand and fire streaming out forth of his heart rather to set the whole World on fire by Combustions Wars Treasons Powder-plots Schismes new State and old Church-Heresies then to enlighten it with this Motto VENI IGNEM MITTERE I came to send fire into the world which the University of Cracow in Poland objected amongst other Articles against them Anno 1622. Their number being so infinite and the Pope and Spaniard too having long since by Campanella's advice erected many Colledges in Rome Italy Spain the Netherlands and elsewhere for English Scotish Irish Jesuites as well as for such secular Priests Friers Nuns of purpose to promote their designs against the Protestant Princes Realms Churches Parliaments of England Scotland Ireland and to reduce them under their long prosecuted UNIVERSAL MONARCHY over them by Fraud Policy Treason intestine Divisions and Wars being unable to effect it by their own Power no doubt of late yeers many hundreds if not thousands of this Society have crept into England Scotland and Ireland lurking under several Disguises yea an whole Colledge of them sate weekly in counsel in or neer Westminster some few yeers since under Conne the Popes Nuntio of purpose to embroyle England and Scotland in bloody civil wars thereby to endanger shake subvert these Realms and destroy the late King as you may read at large in my Romes Master-piece published by the Commons special Order An. 1643. who occasioned excited fomented the first and second intended but happily prevented wars between England and Scotland and after that the unhappy Differences Wars between the King Parliament and our three Protestant Kingdoms to bring them to utter desolation and extirpate our reformed Religion The Kings Forces in which many of them were Souldiers after some yeers Wars being defeated thereupon their Father Ignatius being a SOULDIER and they his Military sons not a few of them secretly insinuated themselves as Souldiers into the Parliaments Army and Forces as they had formerly done into the Kings where they so cunningly acted their parts as extraordinary illuminated gifted brethren and grand States-men that they soon leavened many of the Officers Troopers and common Souldiers with their dangerous Jesuitical State-Politicks and Practises put them upon sundry strange designes to new-mould the old Monarchical Government Parliaments Church Ministers Laws of England erecting a New General Councel of Army-Officers and Agitators for that purpose acting more like a Parliament then Souldidiers And at last instigated the Army by open force against their Commissions Duties Oaths Protestations and Solemne League and Covenant to Impeach Imprison Seclude first eleven Commoners then some six or seven Lords after that to seclude seclude the Majority of the Commons House suppress the whole House of Lords destroy the King Parliament Government Priviledges Liberties of the Kingdom and Nation for whose defence they were first raised which by no other adverse power they could effect This produced new bloody divisions animosities wars in and between our three Protestant Realms and Nations and after with our Protestant Allies of the Netherlands with sundry heavy monthly Taxes Excises Oppressions Sales of the Churches Crownes and of many Nobles and Gentlemens Lands Estates to their undoing our whole Nations impoverishing and discontent an infinite profuse expence of Treasure of Protestant blood both by Land Sea decay of Trade with other sad effects in all our three Kingdoms yea sundry successive New changes of our publique Government made by the Army-Officers who are still ringing the changes according to Campanella's and Parsons Platforms So that if fire may be certainly discerned by the smoke or the tree commonly known by its fruit as the Truth it self resolves Matâ—h 12. 33. we may truly cry out to all our Rulers as the Jews did once to the Rulers of Thessaâ—onica in another case Act. 17. 6. THOSE Jesuites WHO HAVE TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN ARE COME HITHER ALSO and have turned our Kingdoms Kings Peers Monarchy Parliaments Government Laws Liberties yea and our Church and Religion too in a great measure UPSIDE DOWNE even by those very Persons who were purposely raised commissioned waged engaged by Protestations Covenants Vows Oathes Laws Allegiance and Duty to protect them from these Jesuitical Innovations and subversions Those who will take the pains to peruse all or any of these several printed Books most of them very well worth their reading written against the Jesuites and their Practises as well by Papists as Protestants as namely Fides Jesu Jesuitarum printed 1573. Doctrinae Jesuiticae praecipua capita Delph 1589. Aphorismi Doctrinae Jesuiticae 1608. Cambitonius De Studiis Jesuitarum abstrusioribus Anno 1609. Jacobus Thuanus Passages of the Jesuites Hist l. 69 79 83 94 95 96 108 110 114 116 119 121 124 126 129 131 132 134 136 137 138. Emanuel Meteranus his Passages of them Belgicae Hist l. 9 17 18 19 21 23 26 to 34. Willielmus Baudartius Continuation Meterani l. 37 38 39 40. Donatus Wesagus Fides Jesu Jesuitarum 1610. Characteres Jesuiticae in several Tomes Elias Husenmullerus Historia Jesuitici Ordinis Anno 1605. Speculum sive Theoria Doctrinae Jesuiticae necnon Praxis Jesuitaram 1608. Pasquier his Jesuite displayed Petrus de Wangen Physiognomia Jesuitica 1610. Christopherus Pelargus his Novus Jesuitismus Franciscus de Verone his Jesuitismus Sicarius 1611. Narratio de proditione Iesuitarum in Magnae Brit. Regem 1607. Consilium de Jesuitis Regno Poloniae ejiciendis The Acts of the States of Rhetia Anno 1561 and 1612. for banishing the Jesuites wholly out of their Territories NE STATUS POLITICUS TURBARETUR c. mentioned by Fortunatus Sprecherus Palladis Rheticae l. 6. p. 251 273. Melchior Valcius his Furiae Gretzero c. remissae 1611. Censura Jesuitarum Articuli Jesuitarum cum commonefactione illis opposita Anti-Jesuites au Roy par 1611. Variae Doctorum Theologorum Theses adversus quaedam Jesuitica Dogmata The Remonstrance of the Parliament of Paris to Henry the Great against the Re-establishment of the Jesuites And their Censure of Mariana his Book to be publickly burnt printed in French 1610. recited in the General History of France in Lewis 13. his life and Peter Matthew l. 6. par 3. Historia Franciae Variae Facultatis Theologiae Curiae Parisiensis quam aliorum opuscula decreta
Iames was no King at all before his Coronation and that therefore they might by force of Arms lawfully surprise his person and Prince Henry his Son and imprison them in the Tower of London or Dover-Castle till they inforced them by duress to grant a free toleration of their Catholike Religion to remove some evil counsellors from about them and to grant them a free Pardon for this violence or else they would put some further Project in execution against them to their destruction But this Conspiricy being discovered The Traytors were apprehended arraigned condemned and Watson and Clerk two Iesuited Priests who had drawn them into this Conspiracy upon the aforesaid Pretext with some others executed as Traytors all the Iudges of England resolving that King Iames being right Heir to the Crown by descent was immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth actually possessed of the Crown and lawful King of England before any Proclamation or Coronation of him which are but Ceremonies as was formerly adjudged in the case of Queen Mary and Queen Iane 1 Mariae there being no Interregnum by the Law of England as is adjudged declared by Act of Parliament 1 Iac. c. 1. worthy serious perusal 8. By their horrid Gun-powder Treason Plot contrived fomented by Garnet Superiour of the English Iesuites Gerard Tesmond and other Iesuites who by their Apostolical Power did not onely commend but absolve from all sin the other Iesuited Popish Conspirators and Faux THE SOULDIER who were their instruments to effect it Yea the Iesuitical Priests were so Atheistical as that they usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good success of this Hellish plot which was suddenly with no less then 36 Barrels of Gunpowder placed in a secret Vault under the House of Lords to have blown up and destroyed at once King Iames himself the Queen Prince Lords Spiritual and Temporal with the Commons assembled together in the Upper-House of Parliament upon the 5 of November Anno Dom. 1605. and then to have forcibly seised with armed men prepared for that purpose the persons of our late beheaded King then Duke of York and the Lady Elizabeth his Sister if absent from the Parliament and not there destroyed with the rest that so there might be none of the Royal Line left to inherit the Crown of England Scotland and Ireland to the utter overthrow and subversion of the whole Royal Family Parliament State and Government of this Realm Which unparallel'd inhumane bloody Plot being miraculously discovered prevented the very day before the execution in perpetual detestation of it and of the Iesuits and their traiterous Romish Religion which both contrived and approved it the 5 day of November by the Statute of 3 Iacobi ch 1. was enacted to be had IN PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE that ALL AGES TO COME might thereon meet together publickly throughout the whole Nation to render publick praises unto God for preventing this infernal Iesuitical Design and keep in memory THIS JOYFUL DAY OF DELIVERANCE for which special forms of publick Prayers and Thankesgivings were then appointed and that day ever since more or less annually observed till this present And it is worthy special observation that had this Plot taken effect it was agreed by the Iesuites and Popish Conspirators before-hand THAT THE IMPUTATION OF THIS TREASON SHOULD BE CAST UPON THE PURITANS TO MAKE THEM MORE ODIOUS as now they father all their Powder-Plots of this kinde which they have not onely laid but fully accomplished of late yeers against the King Prince Royal Posterity the Lords and Commons House our Englishâ—Parliaments and Government upon those Independents and Anabaptistical Sword-men reputed PURITANS who were in truth but their meer under Instruments to effect them When as they originally laid the Plots as is clear by Campanella's Book De Monarchia Hisp c. 25. and Cardinal Richelieu his Instructions at his death to the King of France And it is very observable that as Courtney the Jesuite Rector of the English Jesuits Colledge at Rome did in the yeer 1641. when the name of Independent was scarce heard of in England openly affirm to some English Gentlemen and a Reverend Minister of late in Cornwal from whom I had this Relation then and there feasted by the English Jesuites in their Colledge That they now at last after all their former Plots had miscarried they had found out a sure way to subvert and ruine the Church of England which was most formidable to them of all others BY THE INDEPENDENTS who immediately after infinitely increased supplanted the Prebyterians by degrees got the whole power of the Army and by it of the Kingdom into their hands and then subverted both the Parliament King and his Posterity So some Independent Ministers Sectaries and Anabaptists ever since 1648. have neglected the observation of the 5 of November as I am credibly informed and refused to render publick thanks to God for the deliverance thereon contrary to the Act for this very reason which some of them have rendred That they would not mock God in publick by praising him for delivering the late King Royal Posterity and House of Lords from destruction then by Jesuites and Papists whenas themselves have since destroyed and subverted them through Gods providence and repute it a special mercy and deliverance to the Nation from Tyranny and Bondage for which they have cause to bless the Lord Peforming that for the Jesuites and Powder-Traytors which themselves could not effect The Lord give them grace and hearts to consider how much they acted the Jesuites and promoted their very worst designes against us therein what infamy and scandal they have thereby drawn upon all zealous Professors of our Protestant Religion and what they will do in the end thereof 9. To omit all other forraign instances cited in Speculum Jesuiticum p. 124. to 130. where you may peruse them at leisure By their poysoning King James himself in conclusion as some of them have boasted 10. By the Popes Nuntio and Conclave of Jesuites Conspiracy at London Anno 1640. to poyson our late King Charles himself as they had poysoned his Father with a poysoned Indian Nut kept by the Jesuites and shewed often by Conne the Popes Nuncio to the Discoverer of that Plot or else to destroy him by the Scotish wars and troubles raised for that very end by the Jesuites in case he refused to grant them a universal liberty of exercising their Popish Religion throughout his Realms and Dominions and then to train up his Son under them in the Popish Religion To which not onely heretofore but now likewise they strenuously endeavour by all possible means to seduce him as appears more especially by Monsieur Militierre his late book dedicated to him for that purpose Surely all these premised instances compared together will sufficiently inform the world that the late unparellel'd capital Proceedings against our Protestant King Parliament Members Peers House and forced
detection and prevention of Jesuites and their treasonable forementioned practises against our Church Kingdomes Princes Religion Parliaments and Government by the wisdom and zeal of our best affected vigilant Protestant Parliaments I can neither hear nor read of any effectual means endeavoured or prescribed by any in power for the discovery of these Romish â—anizaries or banishing feretting keeping them out of England where they have wrought so much mischief of late yeers and whose utter ruine they attempt nor any encouragement at all given to the discoverers of their Plots and Persons but many affronts and discouragements put upon them and particularly on my self mewed up Close-Prisoner under strictest Guards in remotest Castles neer three yeers space whiles they all walked abroad at large of purpose to hinder me from any discoveries of their practises by my pen whiles they printed and vended publickly here in England above 30000 Popish books of several kindes during my imprisonment without the least restraint to propagate the Jesuites Plots and antichristian Romish Religion amongst us as you may read at large in the Stationers Beacon fired which seasonable book and Discovery of these Romish Emissaries books and plots some Officers of the Army in their Beacon quenched publickly traduced in print as a New Powder-treason of the Presbyterian Party to blow up the Army and that pretended Parliament of their own erection which themselves soon after blew up and dissolved in good earnest to carry on their designes against our Laws But most certain it is there hath been of late yeers not onely a General councel of Officers of the Army sitting many months together in counsel to alter and new model all our ancient Laws and Statutes in pursuance of Parson's design but likewise two Conventicles of their own selection and election sitting of late in the Parliament-House at Westminster assuming to themselves the Name and far more then the Power of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England together with the transcendent ambitious Title of The Supream Authority of the Nation in derogation of the Army-Officers Supremacy who sufficiently chastised them this strange Usurpation who have made it their chief business not onely to New-model our ancient Fundamental Government Parliaments Ministers Universities much according to Parsons and his Fellow-Jesuites forementioned Plat-formes and Thomas Campanella his Instructions to the King of Spain De Monarchia Hisp c. 25. but likewise to New-mould subvert eradicate the whole body of our Laws and with them the great Charter of our Liberties it self And in their last cashiered unelected Convention as some of their Companions now in greatest Power assure us in their True State of the case of the Commonwealth of England c. London 1654. p. 15 16 17 18. there was a strong prevailing Party whom nothing would satisfie but A TOTAL ERADICATION of the whole body of the good old Laws of England the Guardians of our lives and Fortunes to the utter subversion of civil Right and Propriety who likewise took upon them by vertue of a supposed right of Saintship in themselves to lay the foundation of a New Platform which was to go under the Name of A FIFTH MONARCHY never to have an end but TO WAR WITH ALL OTHER POWERS AND BREAK THEM TO PIECES baptizing all their proselytes into this Principle and Perswasion that the Powers formerly in being were branches of the Fourth Monarchy of England Scotland and Ireland which MUST BE ROOTED UP AND DESTROYED And what other Fifth Monarchy this could be but that projected universal Monarchy of the Jesuites which should bring the whole Monarchy of Great Britain and Ireland together with France Spain and all other Princes States in Christendom under the Jesuites subjection and break all other Powers in peices mentioned by Watson in his Quodlibets p. 306 to 333. or else that Elective New Monarchy of Great Britain and Ireland projected by Campanella and Cardinal Richeleiu which some Grandees now endeavour by their Instrument to erect and perpetuate for èver without Alteration in themselves and their Successors though they thus expresly brand it in others let themselves and wise men resolve it being apparent by the practises and proceedings of all the Propugners of this new Project that this Fifth Monarchy they intend to erect is neither the spiritual Kingdom of Jesus Christ in their own hearts mortifying their ambition covetousness pride self-seeking unrighteousness violence rapines and other worldly lusts nor the personal reign of Christ himself alone in and over our three Kingdoms and all other Realms and Nations for ever which they endeavour to evince from Dan. 2. 44 45. c. 7. 14 27. Micah 4. 1 2 7. Luke 1. 32 33. but a meer supream arbitrary temporal Authority without Bounds or Limits enchroached by and erected in themselves and their confederates without any colour of Right or Title by the Laws of God or the Realm and no wayes intended but refuted by all these sacred Scriptures and others which explain them This design of the Jesuites to alter and subvert the whole body of our Laws was so far promoted by the Jesuitical and Anabaptistical Party in this last Assembly elected onely by the Army-Officers that on August 20. 1643. as our News-books print they Ordered there should be a Committee selected to consider of A NEW BODY OF THE LAW for the Government of this Commonwealth who were to new-mould THE WHOLE BODY OF THE LAW according to Parsons his mould And hereupon our cheating Astrologers especially Lilly Culpeper the Jesuites grand Factors to cry down our Law Tythes and Ministers from the meer visible earthly Conjunctions Motions Influences of these New wandring excentrick Planets at Westminster onely not of any Coelestial Stars as they would make Country-Clowns believe took upon them in their Monthly Prognostications for this yeer 1654. almost in every Month to predict the pulling down of the Laws of the Nation and of Lawyers to the ground the calling of the great Charter it self into question with other Liberties as not suiting with English mens brains at this time The plucking up the Crabtree of the Law BY THE ROOTS to hinder the future growing of it there being no reason we should now be governed by the Norman Laws since the Norman Race is taken away by the same instrument the Sword that brought it in and the like But these Predicters of our Laws and Lawyers downfals could neither foresee nor predict the suddain downfal of these lawless earthly Westminster-planets from the Firmament of their new-created Power who should effect it by their influences Wherefore though I look upon these and all other their Astrological Predictions as meer Figments Cheats and Impostures in relation to the Coelestial Planets as are their twelve Signes and Houses of the Heavens whereon all or most of their artless Art and Predictions are grounded Yet I cannot but take notice of them as clear Discoverie of a strange
Jesuitical and Anabaptistical Combination of a predominant party amongst us to carry on this ancient Plot of the Jesuites related by Watson against the great Charter of our Liberties the whole body of our Laws And truely when I seriously consider the late great Revolutions Changes both of our Government Parliaments Laws and the manifold extravagant publick Innovations changes Proceedings originally contrived by the Jesuites but visibly acted avowed by Anabaptists Independents and some Pseudo-Presbyterians in the Army and elsewhere formerly reputed Puritans it puts me in minde of 3 memorable Prophetical Passages of William Watson in his Quodlibets printed 52 yeers since Anno 1602. which I have frequently thought on of late yeers as now experimentally accomplished I shall beseech our late and present Grandees and New State-Mint-Masters seriously to consider them which I shall here relate in his very printed words 1. I make no question of it if the Jesuites prevail in England THEY INTEND AND WILL TURN ALL THINGS TOPSY-TURVIE UPSIDE DOWN Cinq shall up Size shall under In Parsons High Counsel of Reformation ALL THE WHOLE STATE MUST BE CHANGED and the Lands and Seignories of CLERGY AND NOBILITY Universities Colledges and what not must be ALTERED ABRIDGED AND TAKEN AWAY And is not all this visibly effected already for the most part and the rest projected and ne'er accomplished 2. I verily think that ALL THE PURITANS WILL JOYNE WHOLLY WITH THE JESUITES AT LENGTH how far off soever they seem to be and are yet in external profession of Religion there being at least half an hundred Principles and odd Tricks concerning GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY TYRANNY POPULARITY CONSPIRACY c. which THEY JUMPE AS JUST TOGETHER IN AS IF BOTH WERE MADE OF ONE MOULD And is not this really verified of by sundry Puritan Anabaptists Independents some temporizing Presbyterians and by many Army-Officers Souldiers in late or present Power if they will but compare their last six yeers actions with the Jesuites O let them consider it seriously in the fear of God and lament it with the greatest grief of heart 3. The Jesuites without all question are more dangerous pernicicus and noysome to the Commonwealth of England and Scotland then the Puritans as having more singular fine wits amongst them and many learned men on their side whereas the Puritans have none but Grossum Caputs they many Gentiles Nobles and some Princes to side with them the Puritans but few of the first rare to have any of the second and none at all unless it be one of the last on their side And so by consequent IF MATTERS COME TO HEARING HAMMERING AND HANDLING BETWIXT THE JESUITES AND PURITANS THE LATER ARE SURE TO BE RIDDEN LIKE FOOLS AND COME TO WRACK And whether they have not been ridden outwitted wracked by the Jesuites plots wits wiles instruments both in their late Councels Innovations of Government Forcible dissolutions subversions of Parliaments Laws Liberties Anomalous Proceedings Designs let our late dis-housed dis-mounted Puritan Grandees and Statizers of all sorts determine at their leisure and let those in present Power take heed they be not ridden by them too like fools as well as their Predecessors yea wracked by them at the last when they have served those turns for which they set them up on horse-back for to ride to death our Kings Parliaments Kingdomes and utterly consume devour them with our Ministers Tythes Glebes Universitie Colledge Lands by Monthly endless Taxes Excises and a perpetual Law Tythe-oppugning Army It is worthy observation that Thomas Campanella prescribed the sowing and continual nourishing of Divisions Dissentions Discords Sects and Schismes among us both in State and Church by the Machavilian Plots and Policies he suggests punctually prosecuted among us of late yeers as the principal means to weaken ruine both our Nation and Religion and bring us under the Spanish and Popish yokes at last witness his JAM VERO AD ENERVANDOS ANGLOS NIHIL TAM CONDUCIT â—UAM DISSENTIO ET DISCORDIA INTER ILLOS EXCITATA PERPETUOQUE NUTRITA Quod cito meliores occasiones suppeditabit and that principally by instigating the Nobles and chief Men of the Parliament of England UT ANGLIAM IN FORMAM REIPUBLICAE REDUCANT AD IMITATIONEM HOLLANDORUM which our Reipublicans lately did by the power of the Army Officers or by sowing the seeds of an inexplicable war between England and Scotland BY MAKING IT AN ELECTIVE KINGDOM as some now endeavour under another Notion or by setting up OTHER KINGS of another Race or by dividing us into many Kingdoms or Reipublicks distinct one from another and by sowing the seeds of Schismes and making alterations and innovations in all Arts Sciences and our Religion The old Plots of Campanella Parsons and late designs of Cardinal Richelieu and the Pope Spaniard Jesuites to undo subvert our Churches Kings Kingdoms and Religion as the marginal Authors irrefragably evidence all visibly set on foot yea openly pursued and in a great measure accomplished by some late nay present Grandees and Army-Officers who cry up themselves for our greatest Patrons Preservers Deliverers and Anti-Jesuites when they have rather been but the Jesuites Popes Spaniards and other Forraign enemies instruments and factors in all the late changes new-models of our Government Parliaments pretended reformations of our laws and Religion through inadvertency circumvention or self-ended respects as many wise and godly men justly fear Certainly whoever shall seriously ponder the premises with these passages in William Watsons Quodlibets concerning the Jesuites 1. That some of the Jesuites society have insinuated themselves into all the Princes Courts of Christendom where some of their Intelligencers reside and set up a secret counsel of purpose to receive and give intelligence to their General at Rome of the secrets of their Soveraignes and of all occurrents in those parts of the world which they dispatch to and fro by such cyphers which are to themselves best but commonly onely to themselves known SO THAT NOTHING IS DONE IN ENGLAND BUT IT IS KNOWN AT ROME WITHIN A MONTH AFTER AT LEAST AND REPLY MADE BACK AS OCCASION IS OFFERED to the consequent overthrow of their own natural Country of England and their native Prince and Realms by their unnatural Treasons against them that so the Jesuites might be those long gownes which should reign and govern the Island of Great Brittain 2. That the Jesuites hope and endeavour to have England Scotland and Ireland under them to make these Northern Islands a JAPONIAN ISLAND OF JESUITES and one JESUITICAL MONARCHY and to infeoffe themselves by hook or by crook IN THE WHOLE IMPERIAL DOMIMIONS OF GRAT BRITAIN with the remainder over TO THEIR CORPORATION or puni-Fathers succeeding them as heirs specially in their society by a state of perpetuity PUTTING ALL THE WHOLE BLOOD ROYAL OE ENGLAND TO THE FORMIDON AS BUT HEIRS GENERAL IN ONE PREDICAMENT together 3. That the Jesuites have Magistracy Kings Magistrates Ministers Priesthood
if they had some plague sores on them not only during their late restraints but likewise since their enlargments out of them enough to perswade them never to write speake act or suffer any thing more for such ingrate unworthy Creatures but rather to put their helping hands to make them and their posterities slaves for ever I have yet once more out of pure zeal love conscience towards my native Country adventured my life liberty and decayed estate considering the lawlessnesse and Danger of the times not the justice and goodness of the Common Cause I plead for the necessary defence of the Fundamentall Liberties Franchises Lawes Rights Parliaments priviledges and Government of our eâ—slaved Nation though every way unworthy to be beloved by God or men of noble spirits in this Seasonable Legall Historicall vindication and Collection wherein I have with all boldness faithfulness without the least fear or flatterie of any Mortals or created powers whatsoever argued evinced maintained my own particular with the whole Nations publique right and inheritance in them and endeavoured as much as in me lyes to preserve them from the severall Jesuitical plots our religion counsels specified in the whole Commons House Remenstrance of 13. December 1641 exact Collection pa 3. to 14. of late years revived and more vigorously pursued than ever and to rescue them out of the Claws of Tyrany and all usurping arbitrary powers which have avowedly encroached on yea trampled them under feet of late more than ever the worst of all our Monarchs or beheaded King did though declaimed against as the greatest of Tyrants by some who have transcended him in his worst Regall Exorbitances and particularly in this which the Lords and Commons in parliament in their Declaration of Aug. 4 1642. thus grievously complained of and objected against the Kings ill Counsellers That the LAWS were no protection or defence of any mans right all was subject to will and power which imposed WHAT PAYMENTS THEY THOVGHT FIT to drain the subjects purses and supply THOSE NECESSITIES which their ill counsell had brought upon the King and gratify such as were instrumentall in promooting most ILLEGAL and OPPRESSIVE COVRSES Those who yeilded and complied were countenanced and advanced all others disgraced and kept under that so their mindes made poor base as they were never so poor and base as now and THEIR LIBERTIES lost and gone as they were never so much as now they might be ready to LET GO THEIR RELIGION whensoever it should be resolved to alter it which was and still is the GREAT DESIGN and all the rest made use of as instrumentall and subservient to it Vpon which consideration they thus concluded that Declaration Therefore we the Lords and Commons are resolved to expose our lives and fortunes for the defence and maintenance of the true religion the king person honor and estate the power and priviledg of Parliament the just rights and liberty of the subject And we do hereby require all those who have any sence of piety honor or compassion To HELP A DISTRESSED STATE especially SVCH WHO HAVE TAKEN THE PROTESTATION and are bound in the same duty with us unto their God their King and Country to come in to their aid and assistance That which hath not a little encouraged me hereunto is not only this their publike call but likewise this memorable passage vow protestation of the Lords and Commons assembled in parliament in their printed Declaration in answer to his Majesties of October 23. 1642. Which I fear most of them since in power have quite forgotten and therefore I beseech them now seriously to remember it Though we know very well there are too many of the Gentry of this Kingdome who to satisfy the LVSTS OF THEIR OWN AMBITION are content like Esau TO SELL THEIR BIRTH-RIGHT CARE NOT TO SVBMIT THEMSELVES TO ANY ARBYTRARY AND VNLIMITED GOVERNMENT so they may FOR THEIR OWN TIME PARTAKE OF THAT POWER to trample and insult over others and have not are not some of these declarers and censurers such themselves yet we are assured that there are of the Gentry many worthy and true hearted patriots but where are those many now who are ready to lay down their lives and fortunes and of late have given ample testimony thereof for maintenance of their Lawes Liberties and Religion and with them and others of their resolution we shall be ready to live and die But how many of these declarers have made good this publike engagement yea have not some of them been and still are more ready to secure seclude disoffice imprison kill slay any such true hearted patrons as I have felt by sad experience then to live and die with them And we must own it as our duty to use our best endeavors that the meanest of the Commonalty may enjoy their owne Birthrights Freedome and Liberty of the Laws of the Land being equally entituled thereto with the greatest Subject I trust therefore the Greatest Grandees in late or present power neither will nor can be offended with me and that all the Nobility Gentry Commons and true hearted Patrons in the Nation who bear any love to the Laws Liberties Freedom of the people for which their Ancestors and they have so long so stoutly contended heretofore and lately with our Kings will live and die with mee in this their Vindication and Defence against any of their fellow-Subjects who shall endeavor to subvert or deprive them of the full and free enjoyment of all or any of them according to this engagement and Declaration Wherein there are these further observable passages relating to the Parliaments priviledges and its Members which I desire our Army-Grandees who impeached secured secluded my self with other Members of the last true parliament levied war against and forcibly dissolved it with the Contrivers of our late New Modelled Governments would seriously ponder who in common justice must bee content to be as freely told of and reprehended for their faults in print where the publike and every mans private interest Right Liberty Security is concerned as they have censured others as well their superiors as equalls oft in print though perchance less peccant than themselves in that they object against them For the matter of his Majesties raising an Army against the Parliament wherein many Papists priests Jesuites were imployed and taking away the priviledge thereof we shall refer it to the judgment of every ordinary capacity whether it be void of sense to say that this war is raised against the parliament But the truth is that it is not a few persons but the Parliament it self is the thorn that lies in these mens sides which heretofore when it was wont to prick them was with much case by a sudden dissolution pulled out But now that is more deeply fastned by the Act of Continuance they would force it out by the power of an Army hath not this been the very practise of some Army-Grandees
and defending them from the Justice thereof and by admitting such to bear places of great trust in the Army and to stand in defiance of the Parliament and the Authority thereof and it is not a far greater crime to make the Parliaments Army it self a Delinquent against the Parliament and Kingdome the fanctuary of such Delinquents against both and to continue such Officers in places of greatest trust in the Army who have levied actual war against the Parliament secluded secured members of Parliament kept divers years under their armed guards in defiance of the Parliament refusing to release them even when the Serjeant was sent from the House it self to demand the Members seised By all which it is apparent how our Priviledges have been torn from us by piece-meals from time to time And we might mention many passages whereby they were endeavoured to be pulled up by the root and totally subverted As the attempt to bring up the late Army from the North to force Conditions upon the Parliament His Majesties Letters and Commands to the Members of both Houses which found obedience in a great many to attend him at York and so By depriving the Parliament of their Members destroy the whole body And was not the actuall twice bringing up of the Parliaments own Army by the Army Officers against the Parliament it self to impeach secure some principall members of both Houses seclude the Majority of the Commons House suppresse the whole house of Lords break off the Preaty behead the King the Head of the Parliament against the Parliaments Votes alter the government force conditions on the Parliament it self to omit the 12 21 24 32 37 38 39. Articles of their New government with the secluding of all the Members lately admitted by Armed Souldiers till they took a New Engagement and keeping out all others a taking of the Priviledges of the Parliament from them all by whole-sale and a more desperate pulling up by the Roots and totall subversion of all the Priviledges and whole body of the Parliament then this objected against the Northern Army or the Kings Jesuiticall ill Councel VVhich is enough to prove the vanity of the Contrivers of that Declaration and of the Army Officers too to feed themselves with hope of beliefe That the Priviledges of Parliament are not Violated but intended to be preserved with all due observance Concerning the Allegation That the Army raised by the Parliament is to murder the KING oft alledged by the King and his Party in many printed PROCLAMATIONS Declarations before and after this here mentioned VVe hoped the Contrivers of that Declaration or any that professed but the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise such a SCANDALL especially when they must needs know the Protestation taken by every member of both Houses and Army Officers too whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God TO DEFEND HIS MAJESTIES PERSON The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both Houses upon the nomination of the Earl of Essex to be Generall and to live and die with him wherein is expressed THAT THIS ARMY WAS RAISED FOR DEFENCE OF THE KINGS PERSON Our oft earnest and most humble Addresse to his Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army c. A request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to His Person which hath and ever shall be dear unto us And concerning the imputation laid to our Charge of Raising this Army to Alter the whole Frame of Government and Established Laws of the Land which the King and his party frequently objected in print we shall need give no other Answer but this That the Army Raised by the Parliament is to no other end but for the Preservation of his Majesties Person to Defend themselves the Laws of the Land and the true Protestant Religion After which they there and elswhere conclude And by this time we doubt not but every man doth plainly discern through the Mask and Visard of their Hypocrisie what their the Kings ill Counsels design is To Subject both King and Parliament and Kingdome to their needy Ambitious and Avaritious Spirits and to the violent Laws Martial law of Governing the People by guards and by the Souldiers But alas for greife how superlatively have many of the Army Officers and their confederate members though parties to these Declarations and Protestations violated them and both Houses Faiths Trusts intentions ends in raising the Army in every of these particulars How have they verified justified the Kings Declarations Jealousies concerning the Parliaments Army in every point here and elswhere disclaimed by both Houses How have they exceeded out acted the Kings Jesuiticall Counsellers and most desperate Popish army in violating subverting both the Parliaments Priviledges Members and Parliaments themselves together with our Fundamentall Laws Liberties Government for whose preservation they were onely raised paid How have they pursued the Kings and his worst Counsellorsâ—ootsteps â—ootsteps in all the charges here objected against them by both Houses in relation to the Parliaments priviledges Members Constitution Rights Lawes to their utter Subversion dissolution and waged warre against them And doth not every man plainly discern through the Mask and Visard of their Hypocrisie to use both houses expressions that their designe is just the same with that here objected by the Parliament to the Kings ill Jesuited Counsellers and Popish army even to subject both King Parliament and Kingdome to their needy ambitious avaritious spirits and to the violent Laws marshall Law of Governing the people yea parliaments themselves by guards and by the Souldiers and By Conquest to establish an absolute and unlimited power over the Parliament and good subjects of this Kingdome as the Houses elsewhere thrice objected against the late King his Army and party being the very designe as many wisemen fear of the 27 Article of their new Government to settle a constant Annuall revenue for the maintenance of 20000 foot and 10000 Horse and Dragoones for the Defence and Security of England Scotland and Ireland O that they would now in the name and fear of God as they tender the eternal salvation of their souls the honour and priviledges of all future Parliaments the ease welfare settlement of our Nation Lay all this most seriously to their Hearts and make it a matter of their greatest lamentation and repentance Besides this have they not falsified that memorable late Declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament Novemb. 2. 1642. in Answer to his Majesties well worthy perusall now and made good both for the time past and all succeeding Parliaments whiles there shal be any standing Army in England able to over power them all the odious scandalous positions in relation to the English Parliament its Members and priviledges deduced from the Kings Declaration onely by inference but disclaimed by the King summed up by them in the close
of that Remonstrance and published in these ensuing terms as will evidently appear if applied to the Army and their Generall Counsel of Officers by adding or exchanging their names onely for the Kings in a parenthesis 1. That the King the Army General and their Generall Councell of Officers when he pleaseth may declare the Major part of both Houses a faction of Malignant Schismatical and ambitious Persons so that all Parliaments that have been heretofore and SHALL BE HEREAFTER AND ALL LAWS MADE IN THEM may by this means be called in question at pleasure yea nulled and repealed for ever as some former parliaments have been when held and over-awed by armed power or unduly elected packed summoned without Lawfull Authority or some of the Members forcibly secluded as you may read at large in the Statutes of 21. R. 2 c. 11 12. 16 17 18. 1. H. 4. c. 3. 1 H. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 22 23 36 48 66 70 39 H. 6. c. 1. and 17 E. 4. c. 7. worthy the serious perusal of our present Grandees and all illegitimate Parliaments where they may read the fatall end of all new unparliamentary projects laws devices wherein many now so much glory as if they would continue firm for ever when as in a few years space they will all probably prove nullities be for ever reversed yea branded to posterity as most pernicious presidents 2. That his Majesty the Army and their Generall Councell may declare what is the known Law of the Land against the judgement of the Highest Court and consequently of all his Courts So that the safety and right of King and people and THE LAW IT SELF must deupon his Majesties the Armie Generall and their Councels pleasure 4. That as the King hath a property in his Town Forts and Kingdomes so he the Army and their Generall Councell may dispose of them as he pleaseth and the Representative body of the whole Kingdome may not intermedle in discharge of his Majesties the Armies Generalls Councels trust though by the advice of evill Councellers they see it diverted to the hazard of the publique peace and safety of the Kingdome 5. That his Majesty the Army General and their Councell or any other person may upon suggestions and prâ—tences of Treason Felony or breach of peace or of their Trusts a fourth Army new minted cause Take the Members of Parliament without giving satisfaction to the House whereof they are Members of the grounds of such suggestion or accusation and without and against their consent as in the case of the late secured secluded Members and their two Juncto's since so they may Dismember a Parliament when they please and make it what they will when they will 6. That whosoever shall follow the King Army Generall and their Councell in the wars against the Parliament though it were to destroy Laws Liberty Religion the Parliament it self and the whole kingdome yet he shall be free from all crime or punishment And that on the other side to oppose by force any such force though in the most legall way and by authority of the representative body of the whole kingdome is to leavy war against the King Army Generall and TREASON with in the Letter of 25. E. 3. or of their new Knacks since So our Lands Liberties Lives Religion and Laws themselves Whereby all the Rights both of King and people are due to them and preserved for them shall be at the sole will and pleasure of the Prince Army General and General Councel of Officers in their new High Courts of Injustice or other martiall Judicatories O consider consider seriously by these particulars to what a sad low despicable condition all English parliaments are now for ever reduced by the late Army practises violences and rebellions insolencies against them never to be parallel'd in any age which hath really verified this clause in the Declaration of both Houses Aug. 4. 1642. objected against the King and his popish Army in relation to themselves That if the King by his army may force this Parliament as the parliaments army both forced and dissolved it they may bid farewell to all Parliaments for ever receiving good by them and if parliaments be lost they the people are lost their Laws are lost as well those lately made as in former times All which will be cut in sunder with the same sword now drawn for the Distruction of this Parliament Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria about the year of our Lord 340. objected this as a great crime barbarisme cruelty and violation of the priviledges of Councels to the Arrian Emperour Constantine That whensoever he called a Councel or Assembly of Bishops it was but for a shew For he would not permit them to be guided by the ecclesiasticall Canont but his will alone must be their onely Canon And when they advised him not to subvert the ecclesiasticall order nor bring the Arrian Heresie into the Church of God he would neither hear nor permit them to speak freely but grievously bending his brows for they had spoken crosse to his designes and shaking his sword at them commanded them to be taken away Whereupon he thus infers What Liberty for perswasion or place for advice is there left when he that contradicteth shal for his labour lose either his life or his Country VVhy hath the Emperour gathered so great a number of Bishops partly terrified with threats partly inticed with promises to condescend that they will not communicate with Athanasius And Hilary Bishop of Poictou An. 360. in his first Book against this Tyrannical Arrian Emperours Constantius thus censures his violent proceedings of this kinde to the subversion of the freedom and priviledge of Councils and their members Thou gatherest COVNCILS and when they be shut up together in one City thou TERRIFIEST THEM WITH THREATS as the Army Officers did the secluded members 6 and 7 Decemb. 1648 when they shut them up all night in Hell on the bare boards without beds in the cold and kept them fasting all the next day at Whit-Hall till 7 a clock at night thou pinest them with hunger thou lamest them with cold thou depravest them with Dissembling O thou wicked one what a mockery dost thou make of the Church and Councels Onely Dogs return to their vomit and thou compellest the priests of Christ to sup up those things which they have disgorged and commandest them in their confessions to allow that WHICH BEFORE THEY CONDEMNED what Bishops hand hast thou left innocent What tongue hast thou not forced to falshood Whose heart hast thou not brought to the condemning of his former opinion Thou hast subjected all to thy will yea to thy violence And have not some swaying Army Officers by their frowns menaces frauds open force upon the Parliament and its members beyond all the presidents in any ages done the like and exceeded this Arrian Tyrant And is it not then high time for all friends to Parliaments to protest and provide
against such detestable treasonable violences for the future destructive to all Parliaments if permitted or silently pretermitted without question censure righting of the imprisoned members or any provision to redresse it for the future Our prudent Ancestors were so carefull to prevent all violence force arms and armed men in or near any places where Parliaments were held to terrifie over Qaw or disturb their proceedings or members That in the Parliament of 7 E. 1. as you may read in Rastals Abridgement Armour 1. Provision was made by the King by common consent of the Prelates Earls and Barons by a geciall act That in all Parliaments Treaties and other Assemblies which should be made in the Realm of England FOR EVER every man shall come without Force and withour Armour well and Peaceably to the honour of the King and of the peace of him and of his Realm and they together with the Commonalty of the Realm upon solemne advise declared That it belonged to the King and his part it is by his Royal Signiory strictly to defend wearing of Armour and all other Force against his peace at all time when it shall please him especially at such times and in places where such Parliaments Treaties and Assemblies are held and to punish them which shall do contrary according to the Laws and usage of the Realm And hereunto they are bound to old the King as their Soveraign Lord at all seasons when need shall be Hereupon our Kings ever since this statute by virtue thereof and by the Law and Custome of the PARLIAMENT as Sr. Edward Cook in his 4 Institutes c. 1. p. 14. informs us did at the beginning of every Parliament make a speciall Proclamation prohibiting the bearing of arms or weapons in or neere the places where the Parliament sat under pain of forfeiting all they had Of which there are sundry presidents cited by St. Edward Cook in his Margin whereof I shall transcribe but one which he omits and that is 6. E. 3. Rot. Parliament n. 2. 3. Because that before these dayes at the Parliaments and Councels of our Lord the King Debates Riots and commotions have risen been moved for that people have come to the places where Parliaments have been summoned and Assembled Armed with privy cotes of plate spears swords long knives or daggers and other sort of arms by which the businesses of our Lord the King and his Realm have been impeached and the great men which have come thither by his Command have been affrighted Our Lord the King willing to provide remedy against such mischiefs defendeth that no man of what estate or condition soever he be upon pain of Forfeiting all that he may forfeit to the King shall be seen armed with a Coat of Male nor yet of plate nor with an Halberd nor with a speare nor sword nor long knife nor any other suspicious arms within the City of LONDON nor within the Suburbs thereof nor any place neer the said City nor yet within the Palace of WESTMINSTER or any place neere the said Palace by Land or Water under the foresaid pain except onely such of the kings men as he shall depute or by his command shall be deputed to keep the peace within the said places and also except the Kings servants according to the Staâ—ute of Northampton And it is not the intention of our Lord the King that any Earle or Baron may not have his Lance brought to him in any place but onely in the Kings Presence and in the place of Councell The like Proclamations were made in the beginning of the Parliaments of 9. 13 17 18 20 25. Ed 3. and sundry others more necessary to be revived in all succeeding English Parliaments now then ever heretofore since the unpresidented forces upon the late Members of both Houses and the Parliament it self by the Army-Officers and souldiers raised to defend them from violence The Treasonablenesse and Transcendency whereof being at large related in my Epistle to the Reader before my Speech in Parliament 4 December 1648. I shall not here criminally presse or insist on but referre them thereunto However for the future security and freedome of our Parliaments from violence I must crave liberty to imform these Army Parliament-drivers forcers dissolves habituated to this trade That if the late Kings march to the House of Commons accompanied onely with some of his Pensioners and others armed with Pistols and Swords meerly to demand but five Members thereof to be delivered up to Justice particularly impeached by him of High-Treason some dayes before to wit That they had traterously endeavoured to Subvert the Fundamentall Laws and Government of this Kingdome To deprive the King of his Royall power To place over the subjects an Arbitrary and Tyrannicall power To Subvert the very Rights and being of Parliaments and by force and terrour to compell the Parliament to joyn with them in their designs for which end they had actually raised and countenanced Tumults against the King and Parliament Or if the Kings bare tampering with some Officers of his own Northern Army to draw a Petition from them to the Houses or march towards London from their quarters not to seise upon force or dissolve the Parliament or its Members but only to overaw them and impeach the freedome of their debates Votes touching Episcopacy Church-Government and the Kings Revenews were such high transcendent violations of the Priviledges and Freedome of Parliament and unsufferable injuries as both Houses of Parliament seperatly and joyntly proclaimed them to all the world in severall Declarations during his life Or such capitall crimes as those who condemned and executed him for a Traytor and Tyrant have published in the Declaration of 17. March 1648. touching the grounds of their proceedings against him and setling the Government in the way of a Free State without King or House of Lords since his beheading in these very words But above all the English Army was laboured by the King to be engaged against the English Parliament a thing of that strange impiety and unnaturalnesse for the King of England that nothing can answer it but his being a Forraigner neither could it have easily purchased belief but by his succeeding visible actions in full pursuance of the same as the Kings comming in Person to the House of Commons to seise the five Members whether he was followed with some hundreds of unworthy debauched persons armed with swords and pistols and other arms and they attending him at the door of the House ready to execute what the Leader should command them This they charged against the King as the highest of his unparralleld Offences for which they appeal to all the world of indifferent men to judge whether they had not sufficient cause to bring him to Justice Though neither he nor his followers then seised secured secluded injured any one Member when they thus went to the Commons House Yea presently retracted and offered all satisfaction that should
Representative body of the whole Kingdome since dissolved by the Army is a Faction of Malignant Schismaticall ambitious Persons whose DESIGNE IS AND ALWAYES HATH BEEN TO ALTER THE WHOLE FRAME OF GOVERNMENT BOTH OF CHURCH AND STATE AND TO SUBJECT BOTH KING AND PEOPLE TO THEIR OWN LAWâ—ESSE â—â—BITRARY POWER AND GOVERNMENT and that they DESIGNE THE RUINE OF HIS MAJESTIES PERSON and OF MONARCHY IT SELF and consequently that they are TRAITORS â—nd all the Kingdome with them for 〈◊〉 act is the act of the whole Kingdome And whether their punishment and ruine may not also INVOLVE THE WHOLE KINGDOME IN CONCLUSION AND REDUâ—â—â— INTO THE CONDITION OF A CONQUERED NATION as some ARMY-OFFICERS and SOULDIERS openly averred we are now reduced to by and under them NO MAN CAN TELL BVT EXPERIENCE SHEWETH Vâ— and now we finde it most true in the ARMY-OFFICERS COUNCELL SOULDIERS THAT SVCCESSE OFTEN DRAWS MEN NOT ONELY BEYOND THEIR PROFESSION but also many times beyond their first intentions Surely as the Armies and their Confederates late proceedings in relation to themselves though not unto the forced dismembred dissolved Parliament and secured Members have fully verified this charge in every particular then reputed most false and scandalous which I thus press upon their consciences at this time and so largely insist on not to defame or asperse them to the world but to vindicate the Innocency Integrity of the Majority and secluded Members of both Houses against the scandalous printed aspersions of Militiere and other Papists to preserve and justifie the Honour of our Reformed Religion and of the most zealous Professors thereof to restore re-establish if possible the Priviledges the Freedom of all Future Parliaments much impaired endangered by their heady violent Proceedings to convince them by what Jesuitical Popish old Court-Principles Counsels Practises they have hitherto been mis-guided and to reclaim them as much as in me lieth for the future from the like destructive Practises for the publick Safety Peace Settlement of our distracted Kingdoms and do most earnestly beseech them as they are English men Souldiers Christians seriously to repent of and lay to heart lest they perish eternally for them at last So the Army-Officers Souldiers Great Successes in all their Wars Designs and forcible Proceedings against the King Parliament Kingdom Government Laws and Liberties as it hath caused them not onely beyond their Professions but also beyond their first Intentions Commissions Protestations to forget that Gospel-Precept given to Souldiers Luke 3. 14. to advance themselves to a more absolute Soveraign arbitrary Power over them then ever any Kings of England claimed or pretended to as their late Proceedings Remonstrances and transcendent Instrument of the Government of the three Kingdoms manifest so it hath been the principal Ground whereby they have justified all their unpresidented forementioned Exhoâ—bitances as lawful commendable Christian and that which hath struck such a stupyfying pannick fear such a stupendious cowardize baseness sottishness into the Generality of the Nobility Gentry Ministery and Commons of our late most heroick English Nation that there is scarce a man to be found throughout the Realm of any Eminency though we should seek after him like Diogenes with a Candle that dares freely open his mouth against the most irregular illegal violent destructive arbitrary Proceedings Usurpations Innovations Oppressions Taxes Projects to the shaking and utter subverting of our ancient Fundamental Laws Liberties Rights Properties Parliaments Parliamentary Priviledges Government and taking away of the very Lives of some and thereby endangering the Lives of all other English Freemen of all Degrees in mischristened High Courts of Justice Such a strange Charm is there in Success alone to metamorphise Men into meer temporizing slavish sordid sotts and beasts yea to cause not onely persons truly honourable but the very Devil himself and the worst of beasts to be wondred after applauded adored not onely as Saints but Gods We read Rev. 13. of a Monstrous deformed BEAST to whom the Dragon the Devil gave his Power Seat and Great Authority whereupon all the world wondred after the Beast and worshipped not onely the Dragon that gave him power but the Beast likewise saying Who is like unto the Beast WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM And there was given unto him a Mouth speaking Great things and blasphemies and power was given him to continue and make war forty and two months And power was given unto him to make war with the SAINTS AND TO OVERCOME THEM and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations And HEREUPON IT FOLLOWS all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Lambes Book of Life And another Beast under him caused the earth and all that dwell therein to set up the Image of this Beast and to worship it and he caused all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive the mark of the Beast in their right hand and in their foreheads and none might buy or sell but he that had this mark and as many as would not worship this Beasts Image were ordered to be killed Yet this Blasphemous Beasts reign and power continued but twenty four Months Rev. 13. 5. This Beast in the height of his Power and Victories was by God himself threatned to go into captivity and be killed with the Sword as he had led others into captivity and killed them with the Sword ver 10. All his followers and worshippers shall soon after drink of the wine of Gods wrath and be tormented with fire and brimstone c. Rev. 14 9 10 11. The Saints at last shall get this victory over the Beast Rev. 15. 2. And the Beast himself notwithstanding all his former Victories Friends and great Armies was at last taken and his false Prophet with him and were both cast alive into a lake burning with fire and brimstone and all his Forces were slain with the Sword and the fowls were filled with their flesh Rev. 19. 19 20 21. From which Texts I have frequently silenced confounded some of our conquering Army-Officers and Souldiers whiles prisoner under them when they were vapouring of their Great Victories Successes and concluding from thence both their Saintship and the Goodness of their Actions saying oft-times like the Beasts followers here Who is able to make war with us And that with these genuine deductions from these Texts which they could not reply against worthy all Souldiers their saddest meditations 1. That God may nay oft-times doth give great power to the very worst and most blasphemous of all Men and Beasts that not only over one or two but many Tongues Nations as in this Text and Dan. 7. 3 to 29. c. 8. 4. to 27. 2. That such Beasts many times may and do not onely make war with but even overcome the very Saints themselves in battel as the Babylonians Assyrians and other ungodly Beasts did the Israelites Gods own Saints and People Psa
Prynne A Legall and Historicall Vindication of the Fundamentall Rights and Laws of England CHAP. III. I Have in the two precedent Chapters fully proved That the Kingdome and Freemen of England have some antient hereditary just Rights Liberties Franchises Laws and Customes properly called Fundamentall together with a Fundamentall Government no wayes to bealtered undermined subverted directly or indirectly to the publick prejudice underpain of high Treason in those who shall attempt it especially by fraud force or armed power and given you likewise the heads of the chiefest of them in X brief Propositions I shall now in the third place proceed in a Chronologicall way to present you with a large Historicall Catalogue of the severall Nationall Parliamentall Legall Martiall publick and private contests great Charters Lawes Statutes Votes Declarations Remonstrances Claimes Records Evidences Writs Oathes Vowes Protestations Covenants Excommunications Confirmations Judgments Resolutions and principall Authorities in all ages both under the antient Britons Saxons Danes Normans and English Kings till our present times plentifully undeniably evidencing declaring vindicating asserting establishing perpetuating these Fundamentall Hereditary Rights Liberties Priviledges Franchises Customes Lawes and abundantly manifesting the extraordinary zeal courage wisdome and vigilancie of our Ancestors to defend preserve and perpetuate them to posterity without the least violation or diminâ—tion I shall begin with the highest Antiquities extant in our Histories pertinent to my Theame and so descend to those of punier times relating all of them for the most part except here and there where the identity of the subject matter and desire of brevity occasion me to vary somewhat from this intended method according to their Antiquity and Chronologicall series of time referring such particulars of them as relate to each of the forementioned X. Propositions in the second Chapter only with figures in the margin designing the severall Propositions unto which they have more immediate reference without reducing these Historicall Collections to distinct heads under every Proposition in order as I have proposed them which course would have interrupted my Chronologicall Method and caused a frequent repetition of sundry passages Charters Acts Oathes Records relating to severall of these Propositions for the most part not to one of them alone which I shall now avoid by affixing the number of single Proposition whereunto they refer in the margin eachwherewith the Reader may easily compare them with more delight and as much satisfaction as if I had marshalled them all in rank and file under those distinct Propositions whereunto they have relation As for those Historicall passages which contain the severall publick Parliamentall or Martiall contests of our Ancestors with their Kings and other invading Nations for their Liberties Rights Laws Customes and great Charters in the generall I have annexed no figures unto them every of them for the most part referring to all or most of these Propositions in grosse though not particularly specified in these contestations for them And because I intend for the better confirmation of our antient Fundamentall Liberties Priviledges Freedomes Rights Lawes Government and greater benefit of Posterity briefly to passe through the severall successive Reigns and Dominions of the Britons Romans Saxons Danes Normans as well as of our English Kings since the Conquest as we usually style it whereon I shall principally insist as of greatest nearest concernment to us of this generation I shall for order sake divide this Chapter into distinct Sections the rather because the largenesse of it may occasion the Stationer to publish it as he did the two first Chapters in severall parts as they shall be Printed the compleating of the whole requiring longer time in respect of my remotenesse from the Presse and the largenesse thereof then the present usefulnesse of each part and the longing desires of some Readers after it would willingly allow for its publication in one whole volume which every mans purse who desires it cannot so easily purchase in these necessitous times as it may do in parcels SECTION I. Concerning the Ancient Britons contests for their Liberties and Lawes against Tyrants and Invaders of their Fundamentall Government Rights and of their great Councels till the Romans Couquest IT is agreed by all our Historians that the Britons were the originall known Inhabitants of this Iland from whom it was stiled Britain but from what forrain Nations the Britons descended our Antiquaries differ in opinion our later writers herein dissenting from those of former ages with whom I must begin Most of our antient Historians and the whole famous Parliament held at Lincolne Anno 28 E. 1. in the learned Letter therein compiled and agreed to be sent by the King to Pope Boniface to prove the subjection and homage of the Kingdome and Kings of Scotland from time to time to the Kings of England Iure Dominii as Supreme Lords thereof by Historicall precedents in former ages collected out of all Histories and Records then extant unanimously record That the Britons originally descended from the Trojans that they arrived here in Britain about the dayes of Ely the Priest under Brute their first King who divided it at his death into three distinct parts and Kingdomes between his three Sons leaving that part thereof now called England then Loegria to Loerinus his eldest Son and his Heirs as an hereditary not elective Kingdome according to the custome of the Trojans Petebal enim Troana consuetudo ut dignitas Hereditatis primogenito perbeniâ—et as our Historians and that whole Parliament of 28 E. 1. resolve So that an Hereditary Kingdome and Monarchicall Government by Kings was the originall Fundamentall Government setled in this Iland by Brute and that as well in those parts thereof since called Scotland and Wales as England which all our Historians asserting this originall of the Britons unanimously attest with that answer which Diana gave unto Brute before his arrivall in Britain when she directed him to come and seat himself therein further evidenceth if we may give any credit hereunto Brute sub occasu Solis trans Gallica Regna Insula in Oceano est undique clausa mari Insula in Oceano est habitata Gigantibus olim Nunc deserta quidem Gentibus apta tuis Hanc pete namque tibi sedes erit illa perennis Hic fiet natis altera Troja tuis Hic de prole tua reges nascentur ipsis Totius terrae subditus orbis erit With this concurreth the more authentick testimony of Cornelius Tacitus The Britons heretofore were governed by Kings now they are divided by petty Princes into Parties and Factions with that of Pomponius Mela Britain bringeth forth Nations and Kings of Nations The very first act that made their first King Brute most famous before his arrivall in Britain was his delivering of 7000 Trojans his native Countrymen with their wives and children from their Servitude and Bondage under King Pandrasus and the Graecians whom he vanquished and took Prisoner in Battle
and thereby restored them to their lost Liberty After which Victory Brute majorâ—â— naâ—u convocavit assembling the Elders of the People in nature of a Parliament demanded their advice what he should do with Pandrasus and what things and conditions he should for their benefit demand of him which he would willingly grant being in their power Whereupon some advised him to demand a part of his Kingdome for them freely to inhabit others counselled rather to demand of him free liberty for them all to depart thence with accommodations for their voyage to seek another habitation elsewhere others advised to bring Pandrasus forth aâ—d to put him to death and seise upon his Realme in case he refused to grant their demands At last Mempritius a great Counsellor standing up said Regem interficere cupiditate Dominandi nefas mihi videtur cum omnibus licitum sit pro patria pugnade To slay a King out of a desire of reigning in his stead seemes a wickednesse unto me seeing it is lawfull to all men to fight for their Country this was the Divinity and Morality of the very Pagan Britons in that age Whereupon I rather advise that we should demand his eldest daughter from him as a Wife for our Captain Brute and a good sum of Gold and Silver with her for her dowry with Ships and all other necessaries for our jouruey and free license to transport our selves to some other Country because we can never hope to live peaceablely there seeing the Children and Nephewes of those which we have newly slain in these Warres would meditate revenge To the which Tota Multiâ—udo acquievit all the Multitude assented and Pandrasus to save his life and gain his inlargement willingly condescended to furnishing them with Ships and Provisions With which Brute and all his associates arriving at Totnes in Albion seating themselves there Brute from his name styled this Iland Britain and his Companions Britons destroying those few Gyants which formerly possessed it and then building a City which he styled Troy-Novant now London dedicavit eam civibus jure victuris deditque legem qua pacifice tractarentur In this History of our first British King Brute we have these 5. remarkable particulars 1. A Warre to shake off Slavery and recover publick Liberty 2. A kinde of Generall Parliamentary Councell summoned by Brute of all the Elders of the Britons to advise of Peace Warre and of their common safety and affaires 3. A resolution against killing even a Tyrannicall oppressing King taken in the field in Battle out of Covetousnesse to enjoy his Crown and Dominions as a most wicked act 4. A setling of an hereditary Kingly Government in this Isle upon the very first plantation of the Britons in it 5. Lawes made and given to the people whereby they might live peaceably without injury or oppression This Kingdome descended in lineall succession from Brute and his Posterity to Leir Son of King Bladud who reigning 60. years and having only three Daughters Consilio procerum Regni by the Counsell of the Nobles of the Realme assembled in Parliament gave two of his Daughters in marriage to the Dukes of Cornwall and Albania with one Moiety only of the Iland whiles he lived and the whole Monarchy of Britain after his death After this Porrex slaying his elder Brother Ferrex to get the Crown was slain by his own Mother and her maids for his Treason and Fratricide whereupon civill discord arising a long time the Kingdome thereby was subjected to five severall Kings who infested one another with mutuall slaughters till Dunwallo Molmutius succeeding his Father Clotho King of Cornwall in the Crown slaying the usurping Kings of Loegria Wales and Albania reigned alone over them about the time of Nehemiah After which he enacted certain Laws called Molmutine Laws which for many ages after were very famous and generally observed among the Britons yea used commended by the Saxons and English and inserted into Edward the Confessors Lawes being famous till William the Conquerours time What these Lawes were in particular in relation to the Liberty and Property of the Subject appeares not but the issue proves that they tended to publick peace and preservation of the Subjects persons and estates from violence For in his Reign after these Lawes published for confirmation whereof he built the Temple of Concord in Troynovant where he was afterwards buried Latronum mucrones cessabant Raptorum saevitiae obturabantur nec lâ—erat usquam qui violentiam alicui ingereret The swords of theeves ceased the cruelties of Plunderers and violent takers of mens Goods and possessions were prevented neither was there any to be found in any place who would offer violence to any man Moreover he ordained That the Temples of the Gods and Cities and the wayes leading to them and the Ploughs of Husbandmen should enjoy the priviledges of Sanctuaries so as every person who fled unto them through guilt or otherwise might depart quietly with leave and without arrest before his enemy After his death about 400. yeares before our Saviours Nativity his two Sons Brennus and Belinus by consent divided his Kingdome between them till Brennus the younger Son aspiring after the Monarchy of the whole Iland was vanquished and expelled by his Brother into France In which Warre Gurthlac King of Denmarke ayding Brennus was taken Prisoner by Belinus Qui convocavit omnes Regni proceres c. who called together all the Nobles of the Realme to Yorke consilio eorum tractaturus to debate by their Councell in nature of a Parliament what he should do with Gurthlac who proffered to submit himself with his Kingdome of Denmarke to him to pay him an annuall Tribute and to ratifie this agreement by his Oath and sureties for his inlargement and ransome Whereupon the Nobles Resolved that he should be enlarged upon this condition which was done accordingly Convocatis proceribus cum id judicatum fuisset assensum prebuerunt cuncti that he should be enlarged upon these conditions as the Marginall Authors record After which King Belinus obtaining the Government of the whole Iland Confirmed his Father Molmutines Laws commanding upright and stable Justice to be done throughout the Land and the wayes to the Temples to be marked out in all places with stones that they might not be ambiguous being priviledged from arrests and violence This King addicting himself constantly to Justice the people thereby became more wealthy in few years then ever they had been in former times After this Brennus arriving with an Army out of France to recover his right Belinus being ready to encounter him in a set Battaile their Mother mediated a Peace between them whereupon they lovingly embraced each other and going to Troinovant inito concilio quid agerent having there hold a Councell what they should do they Resolved to send a common Army to conquer France and other Forain parts which they put in execution Here we have matters of Warre
and Peace and Lawes concluded and ratified in and by a Parliament of Nobles in this age King Guithelin to whom the Crown lineally descended from Belinus married Martia a Noble woman learned in all arts who invented the Law which the Britons called Martiana which King Alfred approving translated into the Saxon tongue and called it Marchen Leage King Edward the Confessor making use of it in the collection and compiling of his Lawes hereafter mentioned Though this Queen first invented this Law no doubt it was ratified by publick consent of the King her Husband and the Nobles in their generall Councell in that age else it could not have the force of a Law by her bare penning of it Gorbonius grandchild to Guithelin and Martia coming to the Crown by descent governed his people most justly according to these forecited Lawes it being his continuall custome to give due honour to the Gods in the first place and then to administer right justice to the people He encouraged Husbandmen in their tillage and defended them from the injuries of their Lords and he inriched his Souldiers with gold and silver so as none of them had need to do any injury or violence to any other Archigallo his Brother succeeding degenerated from him in all his actions for he endevoured every where Nobiles quosque deprimere to depresse all that were Noble and to advance ignoble persons to take away rich mens goods and mony by violence thereby heaping up infinite treasures which the Nobles of the Realm refusing to endure any longer rose up against and deposed him from his royall Throne creating his brother Elidurus King in his stead He after five years reign meeting his deposed brother in a wood as he was hunting ran to him imbraced kissed and brought him to his own royall Bedchamber privately and then summoned Proceres omnes et principes all the Nobles and Princes of the Realm to come speedily to his City of Alclud who repairing thither he saigning himselfe to be very sick commanded every of them one by one to come into his Bedchamber to visite him which they thus doing he threatned presently to cut off all their heads as they entred singly unlesse they would consent to submit themselves again to Archigallo as their Soveraign which they through fear of death assenting to he made an agreement between them and then carrying him to Yorke took the Crown from his own head and set it on his brothers Archigallo For which memorable self-denying pious act to his brother he was styled Elidurus pius Archigallo upon his restitution corrected his former errors deposed all ignoble persons advanced the Nobility permitted every man to enjoy what was his own and administred right justice to his people Ennianus his Son King after him treating his Subjects ill was deposed by them from the Throne of the Kingdome because he contrarying justice preferred Tyranny Edwallo being made King in his place who instructed by his Predecessors oversights Jus atque rectitudinem colebat followed Law and rectitude as did others of his successors Our Histories record that about 54. years before our Saviours birth Julius Caesar having conquered France espying Britain from thence having learned the name of the I le and Nation sent messengers thence to Cassibelan King of Britain exacting with threats an annuall Tribute from him and the Britons to be paid to the Roman Senate as well as from other Naiions else he should be enforced to transport his Army and shed their bloud Whereupon Cassibelan returned this answer to him in writing Cassibelanus King of the Britons to Cajus Julius Caesar Marvellous O Caesar is the covetuousnes of the Roman people who thirsting after gold and silver in all places cannot suffer us placed beyond the World within the perils of the Ocean to be quiet but presume to affect our Tribute and Revenues which we have hitherto peaceably possessed Neither verily will this suffice unlesse renouncing our Libertie we shall make subjection to him and thereby undergoe perpetuall servitude therefore Caesar thou hast demanded A shamefull thing seeing the vein of common Nobility flowes from Aeneas both to the Britons and Romans and one and the same bond of kindred lives still in both whereby they ought to be knit together in firme amity This therefore should have been required of us not servitude because we have learned rather to give this then to bear the yoake of Servitude For we have been so much accustomed to inioy Liberty that we are altogether ignorant what it is to obey Servitude Which Liberty if the Gods themselves should endeavour to take from us verily we would strive with all our might to resist them that we might retain it Be it known therefore to thee Caesar That we are prepared and resolved to fight for it and for our Realm if as thou hast threatned thou shall begin to come upon the Isle of Britain Hereupon Câ—sar preparing his Navy and Forces arrived with his army at the mouth of Thames the Britons though at civill warres among themselves before upon this necessity united themselves together to oppose the Romans and communi consilio as Caesar himself and others write by common advice and assent in a Parliament of that age elected Cassibelan for their Generall and committed the managing of the Warres to him who gathering the whole strength of the Britons together consilium querens a Principibue Regni as some and a proceribus suis as others record taking councell with the Princes of the Realme and his Nobles how to reâ—â—e the enemies they resolved to resist their Landing and to assault them in their tents before they had fortified themselves or taken any Towne and so to repell them Which advice they pursuing opposed their landing and forced the Romans that were landed to their ships and compelled Caesar to returne into France as our British Historians assert though Caesar in his Commentaries to cover his dishonour relates the contrary The year following Caesar recruiting his Army landed again in Cornwall and was repulsed by Cassibelan the second time with great losse Whereupon Cassibelan joyfull of his victory returning to Troinovant Edictum fecit ut omnes proceres Britannie Convenirent made an Edict that all the Nobles of Britain should assemble together at Troinovant to offer publick prayses and Sacrifices to his Gods who had made him to triumph over so great an Emperor as Caesar At this assembly Evelin Nephew to Androgeus Duke of Trionovant playing with Herelgas Nephew to Cassibelan upon a sudain quarrell between them cut of Herelgas head at which the King being very angry commanded Evelin to be brought before his presence and to be ready sententiam quam proceres Dictarent or talem sententiam quam proceres Regni judicarent subire to undergoe such a sentence and judgment as the Nobles and Peers of the Realme should pronounce that Herelgas might net remain unrevenged in case he were unjustly slain Androgeus
suspecting the Kings minde towards his Nephew answered Seâ—e suam curiam habere et in illa diffiniri debere quicquid aliquis in homines suos clamaret Si ergo rectitudinem Evelino decrevisset appetere ipsum in urbe Troinovanto ex veterum traditione recepisset That he had his own Court and that in it what ever any one complained of against his men ought to be determined therefore if he decreed to desire justice against Evelin he might receive it in the City Troinovant according to the custome of the Ancients Upon this answer they departing discontented one from another Cassibelan threatned to invade and waste Androgeus his Country withfire and sword unlesse he delivered up his Nephew to justice which he peremptorily refusing Cassibelan wasted his Country accordingly notwithstanding all his entreaties by his kindred and friends to divert him from it Hereupon Androgeus sent messengers to Caesar complaining of this ingrate and injurious violence and craving assistance from him against Cassibelan who endeavoured to disinherit him of his Country by whose meanes he had inherited his own and gotten the victory over the Romans promised to joyne his forces with him and so make him Lord of all Britain if he would by his power restore him to his former dignity and possessions for which he giving Hostages to Caesar he thereupon returning into Britain routed Cassibelan and his whole Army by Androgeus his means and besieged him in a steep mountain to which he fled where he was very likely to be taken prisoner in a few dayes by famine Cassibelan thus destressed sent to Androgeus to remit the former injuries he had done him and to make his peace with Caesar Upon which he returning to himself taking pity on his own nation and Soveraign though he had done him so much injury repaired and used these memorable words to Caesar Behold thou hast sufficienily revenged thy self upon Cassibelan and subjected Britain to thee by my assistance Noluerunt dii omnipotentes nostri ut Dominum meum morte turpissima condemnnari aut vinculis patiar irretiri Habeto igitur misericordiam de eo Quia me vivente ipse periolitari non poterit cui auxilium meum reddere non erubescam nisi consilio meo parueris For our omnipotent Gods will not that I should suffer my Lord and King to be condemned to a most shamefull death or to be bound in Chaines Have mercy therefore upon him because whiles I live he shall not be in danger to whom I will not be ashamed to contribute my aide unlesse thou wilt obey my counsell O the memorable faith and Loyalty of this much oppressed injured Noble Pagan Briton to his Soveraign in his distresses notwithstanding all his former injuries and oppressions worthy all heroick Saints and true Christian Loyall English Subjects imitation and shaming some strange extravagant contrary practises of late times Upon which speech Caesar being pacified made this agreement with Cassibelan That he should promise to render to Caesar and the Romans three thousand pounds of silver every year by way of Tribute And so being made friends they bestowed mutuall gifts on each other After which Caesar wintering in the Island returned in the Spring with his Army into France and from thence marched towards Rome against Pompey From these few passages of the antient Britons before and till the Roman Conquest it is apparent 1. That the ancient Fundamentall Government of the Britons in this Island was only an Hereditary Kingship and Dominion And although about Caesars time they had many petty Kings and Kingdomes yet those Kings had the style honor power of Kings within their respective Kingdomes and were hereditary as Tacitus Dion and others cited by Mr. Camden attest as well as our British stories 2. That the British Kings were obliged to governe their subjects justly and righteously according to the established Lawes of those times which secured their Liberties Properties Goods Lives against all violence and arbitrary Tyranny Rapines Taxes 3. That the Britons had their nationall Councels or Parliaments consisting of their Kings Princes and Nobles wherein they consulted of all weighty affaires concluded of Warre and Peace and enacted and confirmed publick Lawes And the rarity of these Common-Councels by reason of their intestine discords was the greatest help and advantage the Romans had to conquer them as Tacitus observes in the life of Agricola 4. That they had Legall and proper Courts for trying all differences and malefactors according to their Lawes and ancient Customes and tryals by their Peers 5. That they were very zealous carefull and couragious to defend their Liberties Properties Laws against all Tyrannicall oppressing Kings Usurpatioâ—s and forain Invaders and to spend their lives in their defence not induring Slavery Bondage or Tributes 6. That their Nobles were persons of greatest power had in great respect and consulted with by their Kings upon all occasions as their Great Councell they doing nothing of moment but by their advice and consent 7. That though they were stout opposers of Tyrannicall oppressing Princes yet they were very Loyall and obedient to those who were just and never offered violence to any of their persons whom they deposed for misgovernment And so much concerning the ancient Britons before and till their begun Conquest by Julius Caesar before our Saviours Nativity 54. years SECTION II. Concerning the Britons Contests and Warres against Tyrants and forain Invaders for their Liberties Couutry Lawes and their Great Councels or Parliaments from Caesars Conquests during the Romans Dominion and untill the Saxons supplanted them and succeeded in their places AFter the death of Caesar and Cassibelan the Britons continuing for a time under the Government of their own hereditary Kings Tennancius the next succeeding King though he was warlike yet vigorem Justitiae colebat he executed Justice vigorously Kymbelinus his Son succeding him being educated by Augustus Caesar fell into so great friendship with the Romans ut cum possit Tributum eorum detinere gratis impendebat that he freely bestowed their Tribute on them when as he might have detained it being imposed on Cassibelan only by power of the invading sword of Caesar without right which bound neither him nor the Britons in Justice or conscience both Caesar and Cassibelan being dead In the 5. year of his Reign our Saviour Christ was borne In the 22 year of our Saviours Nativity Guiderius succeeding his Father Kymbelinus refused to render the accustomed tribute to the Romans which none of his Ancestors from the time of Julius Caesar durst to refuse Hereupon Anno Christi 44. the Emperor â—laudius with a great Army invaded the Island to conquer and reduce it under Tribute who was encountred and routed by Guiderius at the first but he being afterwards slain by the policy of Laelius Hamo the Britons being likely to lose the field Arviragus the slain Kings brother putting on his Armes encouraged the Britons so that they forced the
Romans to forsake the field Claudius afterwards besieging Arviragus who succeded his brother in Winchester they fell to a treaty Claudius proffered Arviragus that he should marry his daughter and hold the Kingdome of Britain peaceably from the Romans under the ancient Tribute upon which suaserunt majores natu Arbiago promissionibus Claudii acquiescere The elders assembled no doubt in councell about it perswaded Arviragus to consent to Claudius his promises for they said it was no disgrace to him to be subject to the Romans seeing they enjoyed the Empire of the whole world Paruit Arviragus consilio suorum Cesari subjectionem fecit Arviragus obeyed and by the advice of his councell did homage to Caesar Anno Christi 52. Arviragus refused to be any longer subject to the Roman power or to pay them Tribute Whereupon Claudius sent Vespasian to reduce him to obedience who after one battaile fought with great losse on both sides came to an agreement After which Anno 63. Joseph of Arimathea with XI more of Phillips Disciples arrived in Britain and preached the Gospell boldly to whose Preaching Arviragus cum proceribus suis with his Nobles and People hearing such new and unaccustomed things utterly refused to consent to their Doctrine neither would they change the traditions of their Fathers yet because they came from far and their lives held forth modesty and meeknesse the King at their Petition granted them the Isle of Glastonbury then horrid and untilled surrounded with woods bushes and lakes to inhabit Which grant his two next successors Marius and Coillus who exercised Justice and Law reverenced the Nobles of the Realme and paid the Tribute to the Romans because all the world was subject to them by his example confirmed giving to each of them one hide of Land a piece to this day called the 12. hides of Glastonbury confirmed to the Abby of Glastonbury afterwards by the Charters of many of our Christian Saxon Kings ratified in their great Councels and Parliaments By these passages it is clear That Taxes and Tributes not granted and assented to in Parliament though imposed by a Conquering Invader binde not the Nation or succeeding Kings That matters of Peace and Warre were determined in Common-Councels and Parliaments in that age That no publick change in Religion or Customes could be made without the Kings and Nobles consents and that the grant of the King of any Crowne Lands without common consent in Parliament bound not his successors unlesse they specially confirmed them by their new Charters How many bloudy Battails with various successe the ancient Britons under the conduct of their Kings and Queens fought against the Roman Emperors Claudius Vespasian and their Generals Officers and Forces after Julius Caesars time for defence of their Native Liberties Rights Lawes Government Country and to exempt themselves from all Tributes Taxes Purveyances imposed on or exocted from them by the Romans How impatient they were of bearing any Taxes or Imposts they never knowing what Servitude was being borne only for themselves and alwayes free unto themselves free from all contagion of Tyranny How oft they revolted from and rebelled against the Romans from time to time for their Oppressions Taxes turning them out of their ancient inheritances by force and using them rather like Slaves then Freemen You may read at large in Cornelius Tacitus Annal. l. 14. and in the life of Agricola in Mr. Camdens Britannia p. 24 to 48. Speed Holinshed and others and more especially in the notable speeches of Caractacus and Galgacus encouraging the Britons manfully to fight for their Country Liberty Lawes c. recorded in these Authors the later of them thus justly taxing the Romans Usurpation Ambition Covetousnesse Rapines and Tyranny in these words Robbers they be of the world who having left no more land to spoile now search also the Sea If their enemies be rich they covet their wealth if poor they seek to gain glory to take away by main force to kill and spoyle they falsely terme Empire and Government when they lay all wasie as a Wildernesse that they call Peace That every man should hold his own children and bloud most dear nature hath ordained and even those are pressed for Souldiers and caried away to serve as Slaves elsewhere our substance they draw from us for Tribute our Corne for provision our very Bodies and Lands they wear out and consume in paving of Bogs and ridding of Woods with a thousand stripes and reproachfull indignities besides Slaves yet which be born to bondage are bought and sold once for al and afterwards fed and found at their own expences But Britain dayly buyeth dayly feedeth and is at dayly charge with her own Bondage And as in a private retinâ—e of household Servants the fresh man and last comer is laughed and scoffed at by his other-fellowes even so in this old servitude of the whole World our destruction only is sought as being the latest and vilest in accompt of all other c. We as yet were never touched never foiled never subdued as men therefore that mean to maintain their Freedome not for the Present but for ever let us shew straightwayes in the first joyning what manner of men Caledonia reserved in store for her self c. It is not by their own vertue but by our jarrings and discords that yet the Romans are grown into fame to our shame be it spoken many of our own Nation now lend their lives to establish a forain Vsurper not out of any loyall affection but out of fear and terrour weak linkes and bonds of love Remove but them once those who shall cease to fear will soon begin to hate The free Cities are discontent and in factions while those who are under them obey with ill will and they that do govern rule against right Here is the Generall and here is the Army there are the Tributes here be the metall mines and other miseries inseparably following them that live under the subjection of others which either to continue or endure for ever it lyeth this day in this field Wherefore as you are going to Battle bear in your minds both the Freedome of your Ancestors and the Bondage of your Posterity Upon which Speech they manfully sought with the Romans preferring their Liberties before their lives About the year of Christ 50. the Romans extraordinarily oppressed the Britons under Claudius the Emperor Laetus Decianus their Procurator renewed the confiscation of their goods which Claudius had pardoned The Roman Colony at Camolodunum thrust out the ancient Inhabitants seating themselves in their possessions without any other recompence but reproachfull termes calling them their drudges slaves and vassals and the Temple there erected in honour of Claudius was now become an eye-sore to them as an Altar of their perpetuall subjection whiles the Augustaâ—l Priests there attending wasted all their wealth under pretext of Religion And that which was their greatest grievance Prasutagus King of the
Iceni famous for his riches which he had been a long time gathering by his will made Claudius and his own two daughters his heir thinking by his flattery to make his Kingdom and house sufficiently secure from Injurie which fell out quite contrary for his Kingdome by the Roman Centurions and his house by Slaves was seised on and spoyled as lawfull booty his wife Boadicia whipped his Daughters deflowred the chiefest persons of that Province dispossessed of their lawfull Inheritance and the Kings kindred reputed and used as slaves Hereupon the Icenians began seriously to discourse of their present bondage and miseries made subject to a Lieutenant which sucked their bloud and to a Procurator that sought their substance whiles with a servile fear they yealded to please the meanest Souldier as though the Heavens had framed them only for servitude and the earth appointed to bear their injuries unrevenged and meeting together in secret consultations they ripped up their wrongs and oppressions and aggravated them to the highest saying that no other good was to be looked for by their sufferance but that more grievous burdens should be imposed upon them still as men ready to bear all willingly c. That the Roman Souldiers from whose unsatiable avarice and unbridled lust nothing was free were but a handfull in respect of the Britons that if they would but endevour to follow the prowess and valour of their Ancestors and not be dismayed with the doubtfull successe of one skirmish or two they would soon enforce them to recede out of the Island c. In fine they resolved That Liberty was to be preferred though bought with their lives and Bondage to be avoided if not otherwise then by their deaths Whereupon chusing Boadicea for their Leader they suriously fell upon the insulting oppressing Romans slew no lesse then seventy thousand of them and their confederates sacked and plundered their free Town Verolamium resolving to extirpate and drive them out of the Island Upon this Suetonius the Roman Governor collecting all the Forces he could raise against her She made a most gallant encouraging Oration to her Britons thus aggravating their oppressions What abuse can be so vile that we have not suffered or indignity so contemptible that we have not borne my stripes yet felt and seen against their own Laws do witnesse well what Government they intend Your wealth is consumed by their wastfull wantonnesse your painfull travels upholding their idlenesse do seal the issues of our succeeding miseries if not timely prevented by one joynt endevour You that have known the Freedome of life will with me confesse I am sure that Liberty though in a poor estate is better then fetters of gold and yet this comparison hath no correspondency in us for we now enjoy no estate at all nothing being ours but what they will leave us and nothing left us that they can take away having not so much as our very heads tole free Other subdued Nations by death are quit from Bondage but we after death must live servile and pay tribute even in our graves Have the heavens made us the ends of the world and have not assigned us the ends of our wrongs Or hath nature among all her free works created us only Britons for bondage Why what are the Romans are they more then men or immortall Their slain carcasses sacrificed by us tell us they are no Gods But you will say they are our Conquerors Indeed overcome we are but by our selves our own factions still giving way to their invasions Our dissersions have been their only rising and our designes been weakned by homebred Conspiracies We have as much to keep as birthright can give us that is our Island possessed by our Ancestors from all antiquity ours by inheritance theirs by intrusion claimes so different in the scale of Justice that the Gods themselves must needs redresse Whereupon the Britons fighting valiantly lost eighty thousand of their lives to redeem their Liberties and Boadicea seeing her Army routed chose rather out of a noble spirit to end her life and miseries together by poyson then to live under the Roman bondage and see her Country languish under their intolerable oppressions About the year of our Lord 179. or rather 185. Lucius King of Britain who succeeded his Father Coillus by descent being converted to the Christian faith with most of his Nobles and Subjects the first Christian King and Kingdom in the world petitioned Pope Eleutherius as the marginall Authors testifie Ad Petitionem Regis et procerum Regni Britannie assembled no doubt in a general Councell when they made and sent this Petition to send a copy of the Imperial Roman Laws to govern the people by who returned the King this answer in writing You have requested from us that the Laws of Rome and Caesar might be sent over which you desire to use in the Realm of Britain The Roman and Caesars Laws we may alwayes reject but the Law of God in no wise You have received of late through Gods mercy in the Realm of Britain the law and faith of Christ yâ—u have with you in the Realm both Testaments out of them by Gods grace per consilium Regni vestri sume â—egem by the Councell of your Realm take a Law and by it through the patience of God govern your Realm of Britain For you are Gods Vicar in the Realm c. The Kings children are the Christian Nations who live and consist in the Realm under your protection and peace according to that in the Gospell As the hen gathereth the chickens under her wings the Nations and people of the Realm are yours which being divided you ought to congregrate into one tâ— reduce to concord and peace and to the faith and Law of Christ and to the holy Church to foster maintain protect governe and always to defend from injurious and malicious persons and from enemies Woe to the Realm whose King is a childe and whose Princes eat in the morning I call not a King a child from his Nonage but for his folâ—y iniquity and madnesse according to the royall Prophet Bloudy and deceitfull men shall not live out half their dayes c. A King is denominated from ruling not from a Kingdome Thou shalt be a King while thou rulest well which unlesse thou shalt do the name of a King shall not appear in thee and thou shalt lose the name of a King which God forbid Almighty God grant you so to rule the Realm of Britain that you may reign for ever with him whose Vicar you are in the Realm aforesaid This Epistle shewes that the power of making Laws was vested only at that time in this Popes judgment in the King and his great Councel of the Realm and that Kings only ought to rule and govern their people righteously according to the Laws of God and the Realm as Gods Vicars upon earth and to protect them from all violence wrong and enemies
Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury thus comments on this Epistle That in condendis legibus in making Laws the King needed not the Popes authority or assistance having the books of the old and new Testament out of which adhibito procerum consilio by the Counsell of his Nobles he might take holy Laws without any error being sufficiently supported with his own not a forain authority he being Gods Vicar in his own Realm and representing his power to his people After which this King by advice and consent of his Princes and Nobles built and endowed many Churches with Glebes and Lands abundantly confirming them with Charters and Muniments and likewise ordained that Churches and Churchyards should be so free that no Malefactor or other persons flying to them should be arrested or suffer any violence in them King Lucius dying without heir Anno Dom. 201 thereupon discord arose amongst the Britons which gave great advantage to the Romans who thought at first they suffered the British Kings to reign under them making them the instruments of their own and their peoples slavery by their compliance with the Romans yet at last perceiving that divers of thâ—se British Kings to regain their own and their peoples Liberties did oft times rebell and raise up warres and seditions against them Thereupon after King Lucius his death to keep the Island in greater quietnesse and subjection under them they made a decree That none of the British bloud or race should from thence forth be invested with royall dignity in the Isle as the principall means to keep them in perpetuall slavery and insteed of one King they placed over the Britons in every Province First a Lieutenant with severall Garrisons of horse and foâ—t who disarmed all the Natives they suspected sucked the peoples bloud and vexed them with Souldiers and Contributions Next a Procurator and Publicans who like greedyâ—Cormorants and horse-leeches confiscated their goods preyed upon their estates and vexed them with perpetuall exactions extortions and reproachfull abuses Also a Pretor and Proconsul with absolute power and commission to govern them after the Roman Laws not permitting them to use the ancient Laws of their Country and to minister Justice in all capitall matters with great pompe and severity So that the Roman Lawes were now only in use and force amongst the Britons which a learned Poet thus expresseth Cernitis ignotos Latia sub lege Britannos And withall they endevoured constantly to nourish discord and division amongst the Britons themselves and by these wily Policies kept them in subjection under them who yet upon all occasions and advantages endevoured to shake off the Roman yoak and restore their native Liberties Laws Government with the hazard of their lives as our Historians largely relate About the year of Christ 286. Carausius a Briton having gotten a Commission from Rome to defend the Sea coasts of Britain from the incursions of barbarous Nations raysing great forces under that pretext promised the Britâ—ns That if they would chuse him for their King he would expell the Romans and free the whole Island from the Barbarians Whereupon they all consented and made him King upon which he denied to pay the Romans their accustomed Tribute The Senate being informed hereof sent Alectus into Britain to reduce it who joyning battail with Carausius slew him and made a great slaughter of the Britons because they revolted from the Roman republick and subjected themselves to Carausius who preferred their liberties before their lives Alectus taking upon him the royall Diadem was soon after slain with most of his Roman Souldiers by Asclipiodorus Duke of Cornwall and the Britons fighting to regain their Liberties who crowned Asclâ—piodorus King by common consent He ruled them for X. years with right justice restraining the cruelty of Plunderers and swords of Robbers and freed them from the Roman tribute Coel Duke of Colchester slaying him and making himself King the Romans having lost their tribute for above ten years space sent Constantius into Britain to reduce it under obedience who no sooner landed but Coel hearing of his great fame and victories in other parts sent Ambassadors to him craving peace and promising subjection which he accepted of exacting nothing but the usual tribute Coel deceasing shortly after leaving one only daughter Helena to inherit the Kingdom Constantius maried and begot upon her that famous Constantine the Great This Emperor Constantius Chlorus coming into Britain to govern it about the year of Christ 302. finding the ill effects of others tyranny and rapine shewed himself very loving gentle affable and kind to the people little regarding his private profit but altogether reigning to enrich his subjects and to that end would often say I would our late and present Tax-imposing Governours would remember it That it was more behoovefull for the publick that the wealth of the Land should be dispersed into the Commons hands then to lie locked up in Princes coffers or in such a Common Treasury as our new Projectors have provided for it by the 28 29. Articles of their Ill-sounding instrument after which they would have us henceforth dance The Emperor Constantine the Great his Son borne and crowned both King and Emperor in Britain amongst other good Laws made these two memorable ones for the relief of poor Christians injuriously banished and deprived of their Lands and Goods by Diocletian Maximinian Licinius and other persecuting Pagan Roman Emperors about the year 313. wherein he restored the banished Christians to their native Countries Lands and former dignities as the Marginall Authors witnesse Which Lawes are recorded in Eusebius de vita Constantini l. 2. c. 30 31. The first of them is intituled A Law for freâ—ing or relieving banished men to this effect Therefore all those who being brought under the cruell sentences of Iudges at what time soever it befell them have been compelled to change their Country by exile because they neglected not what made for the honour of God and Religion to whom they had consecrated themselvos with the whole powers of their souls All these I say being restored both to their hereditary Possessions and their accustomed tranquillity may give thanks to God the setter free of all men And those who having been deprived of their Goods oppressed with the losse of their Estates have hitherto lived a most contemptible life these being likewise restored to their former houses families and goods may chearfully prayse the beneficencie of God who is best and mightiest The second inscribed A Law reducing those who were banished into Islands in these words Moreover we command that those who are now detained in Islands against their wils shall enjoy the benefit of this our provision and care to wit that whereas hitherto they have been shut up on every side in the narrow cliffs of mountains and invironed with the raging waves of the Sea being now freed from that bitter
where destroyed to the ground by the Saxons Anno 468. sent for Work-men and caused them to be new built placed Preshyters and Clerkes in them restored divine Service to its due state utterly destroyed the prophane Temples and Idols of the Saxons blotting out their memory from under heaven Moreover he studied and commanded to observe Justice and Peace to Churches and Church-men conferring many Gifts on them out of his Royall bounty with ample Rents commanding all to pray for the prosperity of the Realm and State of the Church The year following by his Letters directed to all the Coasts of Britain he commanded all who could bear Armes speedily to repair to him and to endeavour to exterminate the Pagans out of the confines of Britain Whereupon all of them being assembled together he marched with them against Hengist and the Saxons after a bloudy battel Hengist was taken Prisoner by Duke Eldol fore-mentioned and his whole Army routed The King upon this victory coming to Glocester calling his Captaines and Nobles together commanded them to resolve WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE CONCERNING HENGIST upon which Eldad Bishop of Glocester brother to Duke Eldol commanding all to be silent grinding his teeth for anger said Although all would set this man free yet I will hew him into peices O effeminate men why doe yee demurre Did not Samuel the Prophet when he hewed the King of Amaleck taken in warre in peices say As thou hast made many Mothers childlesse so will I this day make thy Mother childlesse among women So doe yee likewise concerning this other Agag who hath bereaved many Mothers of their Children Upon which words Eldol drawing forth his sword led Hengist out of the City and cutting off his head sent him packing to hell After this CONVOCAVIT REX CONSVLES ET PRINCIPES REGNI EBORACVM The King called the Consuls and Nobles of the Realm together to York and commanded them to repair the Churches the Saxons had destroyed himself building the Cathedrall there Then marching to London Anno 490. Octa and the other Saxons unable to withstand his power submitted to him confessing his God to be stronger than their Gods with whom he made this agreement that they should leave Kent and those other places they possessed and seat themselves in a Country neer Scotland which he gave them Then going to Ambri he caused great stones there remaining to this day to be set up as a Monument for the Noble Britons there treacherously slain Where he holding A COUNCIL WITH HIS BISHOPS ABBOTS and OTHER NOBLES was Crowned again on Whitsunday and granted the Metropolitical Sea of York then void to Sampson and that of the City of London to Dubritius and likewise REGNVM DISPOSVIT LEGESQVE RENOVAT set the Kingdomes in order and renued the Lawes After this he and the Britans had many battles with the Saxons to defend and recover their Country Liberties Lawes till at last he 〈◊〉 trâ—yterously poysoned Anno 497. whose death the Bâ—itons 〈◊〉 cum quo simul MILITIA ET 〈◊〉 Bâ—â—TONVM EXPIRAVIT as Mathew Westminster and others write From this memorable Story of Vortigerne Aurelius Ambrosius and the Britons and Saxons these particulars are observeable 1. That the British Kings in those times debated all their weighty affaires and concluded all matters touching Warre Peace and the publick defence of the Realm against invading Enemies in Grand Parliamentary Councils in which they likewise made Laws and Edicts 2. That the Princes Dukes and Nobles â—ere the onely or principle Members of the Great Councils of the Realm in those dayes by whose advice all things were managed 3. That Traytors to and Murderers of their lawfull Soveraignes usurping their Crownes bring commonly great fearful Judgements on the whole Kingdome and Nation in case they comply with them therein 4. That Vortegernes Treason in murdering his Soveraignes and usurping their Crown was the occasion of and punished with the long-lasting Warres with the Picts and Saxons yea the original cause of the great revolution of the Government Kingdome and Country of Britain from the Britons to the Saxons 5. That although a bloudy usurping Traytor may reign and deprive the right heir of the Crown of his right for many yeares yet his reign is usually full of warres vexations dangers troubles his end tragicall and the right heir called in and restored by the people themselves at last as herâ— Aurelius Ambrosius was after 21 yeares usurpation of his right and Joash in the seventh year of Athaliah's usurpation 2 Chron. 23. 6. That usurpers are apt to depresse the Nobility and oppresse the Natives of the Realm for fear they should oppose their Tâ—ranny and dethrone them 7. That aâ—l Heresies vices contempt of God and Religion usually sâ—â—ing up and overspread the Realm under Usurpers who give publick countenance to them to please all sides to suppoâ—â— uâ—just authority over them 8. That it is very dangerous to call in forrain Forces upon any necessity into a Kingdome as assistants who commonly prove worse Enemies in conclusion than those they are called in to 〈◊〉 9. That all Mercenary Guards and Souldiers especially Forraigners are for the most part very Treacherous and Perfidious forâ—ibly suppressing supplanting destroying those Princes and Nations they are hired to guard and protect 10. That lawful hereditary Kings are the cheifest Patrons of Gods Ministers Churches Religion and the death of such then religious just valient the greatest losse and misery that can befall a Nation 11. That all Subjects are obliged to defend with their armes and lives their Native Country and lawful Kings against Invaders and Usurpers 12. That the worst of Kings and Usurpers in cases of extream danger are enforced to all Common Councils and to crave the advice and assistance of their Nobles as Vortigerne did here as well as the justest Kings Aurelius Ambrosius dying by poson without Issue Anno 497. Vther Pondragon his Brother and next heir posting to Winchester assembled the Clergy and People of the Realm thither and took upon him the Crown of the Realm which done PRAECEPIT VTHER CONSVLES SVOS AT QUE PRINCIPES AD SEVOCARI VT CONSILIO SVORVM TRACT ARET QVALITER IN HOSTES IRRVPTIONEM FACERENT Vther commanded his Consuls and Nobles to be called to him that by their advice he might debate in what manner they should assault the Enemies whereupon they all assembling in the Kings presence upon mature debates they all agreed to the advice there propounded by Gorlois and encountring the Saxons slew many of them routed the rest took some chief Commanders Prisoners and put them in Prison at London whether the King repaired The feast of Easter approaching REX PRAECEPIT PROCERIBVS REGNI IBI CONVENIRE The King commanded all the Nobles of the Realm to assemble TOGETHER AT LONDON that wearing his Crown he might celebrate the holy day with due honour ALL PRESENTLY OBEYED and the King celebrated the Festivity with joy Among other Nobles
them seeing they deserted their defence when we substracted them from their Power The whole Council of Kings and Nobles present assenting fully to this his opinion and resolution promised him their assistance in this cause against the Romans Whereupon he returned Answer to the Roman Emperours by the said Messengers THAT HE WOULD BY NO MEANES RENDER THEM TRIBUTE NEITHER WOULD HE SUBMIT HIMSELF TO THEIR JUDGEMENT CONCERNING IT NOR REPAIR TO ROME yea that he demanded from them that which they had decreed by that their judgement to demand from him And hereupon some say he writ this Letter unto the Senate of Rome in answer of theirs Vnderstand among you at Rome that I am King Arthur of Britain and FREELY IT HOLD and SHALL HOLD and at Rome hastily will I be not TO GIVE YOU TRUAGE Tribute but to have Truage of you For Constantine that was Helens Son and others of mine Ancestors CONQUERED ROME and thereof were Emperours and that they had and held I shall have and hold by Gods grace Whereupon Lucius Tiberius by command of the Senate raising great forces amongst the Eastern Kings to subdue Britain was encountred and slain by King Arthur with all his Roman forces in the valley of Soisie in France Anno Dom. 537. since which this Tribute was never demanded This History whether true or seigned as it declares by the Resolution of thirteen Kings and a great multitude of Princes Dukes Nobles Prelates Souldiers that Titles and Tributes gotten by Force Violence Conquest are both irrational unjust and illegal So it resolves That the Matters of Warre Peace and other great Affaires of the Realm were determined in Parliament That the Kings Princes and Nobles were the onely Parliaments and Parliament men of that age That the Realm and Kings of England are neither tributary nor subject nor responsible to any Forraign Powers Jurisdictions or Courts whatsoever and that no Tribute or Tax can justly be imposed on or exacted from the Inhabitants of this Island but by their own voluntary Grants and Consents even by the Lawes and Customes of the Realm in the Britons times and that whatever Tax or Possession was then gained by force conquest or armed power without just right and Title was both unjust and unreasonable And so ought to be reputed now Quod ab initio non valet tractu temporis non convalescit being a Principle in our Law I read in the Lawes of King Edward before the Conquest c. 35. in Mr. Lambards Archaion fol 135 136. and Sir Edward Cook his 7 Report Calvins Case fol. 6 7. That this most famous King Arthur first invented and inacted this Law That all the Princes Earles Nobles Knights and all Free-men of the Realm of Britain ought to make and swear fealty to their Lord the King in the full Folkemote or Leet in this form commonly used in Leets till within the six yeares last past You shall swear that from this day forward you shall be true and faithfull to our Soveraign King Arthur and HIS HEIRES and truth and faith you shall bear to him of life and member and terrene honour and you shall neither know nor hear of any ill or dammage intended to him that you shall not defend So help you God And that by Autherity of this Law King Arthur expelled the Saracens it should be Saxons for no Saracens ever invaded Britain and Enemies out of the Realm And by Authority of this Law King Etheldred in one and the same day slew all the Danes throughout the whole Realm Surely such Oathes of Fealty Loyalty and Homage are very ancient as our Histories manifest King Arthur being mortally wounded in the battell he fought with his Nephew Mordred who usurped the Crown in his absence Mordred being slain in the fight Arthur despairing of life gave the Crown of Britain to Constantine his Kinsman Anno Dom. 542. who together with the rest of the British Kings neglecting all Lawes and Justice warring against each other and degenerating into Tyrants Usurpers Murderers Perjurious Persons Oppressors and the like declined daily in their power the Saxons continually incroaching upon them in all parts and about the year of our Lord 586. they were quite driven out of their Kingdomes together with their British Subjects by the Saxons into Wales Cornwall and Little Britain in France and reduced to the extremity of all misery as you may read at large in Gildas de Excidio Conquestu britanniae and others out of him Who thus describes the Tyrannies and vices of those times Vngebantur Reges non per Deum sed qui caeteris crudeliores extarent paulo post ab unctoribus non pro veri examinatione TRUCIDABANTUR ALIIS ELECTIS TRUCIORIBUS Si quis vero eorum mitior veritate aliquatenus pronior videretur in hunc quasi Britanniae Subversorem omnium odia telaque sine respectu contorquebantur omnia quae displicuerint Deoque placuerint aequali saltem lance pendebantur si non graviora fuissent displicentia Sicque agebant cuncta quae saluti contraria fuerunt ac si nihil mundo medicina a vero omnium medico largiretur c. Ita cuncta veritatis Justitiae moderamina concussa ac subversa sunt ut corum non dicam fastigium sed ne monimentum quidem in supra dictis propemodum ordinibus apparent exceptis paucis valde paucis c. Reges habet Britannia sed TYRANNOS Judices habet sed impios saepe praedantes concutientes sed innocentes vindicantes patrocinantes sed reos latrones CREBRO JURANTES SED PERJURANTES VOVENTES CONTINUO PROPEMODUM mentientes belligerantes SED CIVILIA ET INJUSTA BELLA AGENTES per patriam quidem fures magnopere insectantes eos qui secum admensam sedent non solum amantes sed munerantes in sede arbitraturi sedentes sed raro recti judicii regulam quaerentes innexios humilesque despicientes sanguinarios superbos parricidas commanipulares qui cum ipso nomine certatim delendi sunt pro ut possunt efferentes vinctos plures in carceribus habentes quos dolo sui potius quam merito proterunt catenis onerantes inter Altaria jurando demorantes hoec eadem ac si lutulenta paulo post saxa despicientes Cujus tanti nefandi piaculi non ignarus est immundae Leaenae Dâ—mnoniae tyrannicus Catulus Constantinus Hoc anno post horribile juramenti Sacramentum quo se devinxit nequaquam dâ—los civibus Deo primum jâ—requejurando Sanctorum demum choris Genetrice comitantibus frelis facturum in duarum venerandis matrum finibus Ecclesia earnalisque sub sancti Abbatis amphibalo Latera regiorum tenerrima pucrorum vel praecordia crudeliter duum totidemque nutritorum inter ipsa ut dixi sacrosancta Altaria nefando ense hastaque prodentibus laceravit c. Quid tu quâ—que catule Leonine Aureli Canine agis Nonne pacem Paâ—riae mortiferum ceu
serpentem odiens CIVILIAQUE BELLA CREBRAS INJUSTE PRAEDAS SITIENS animae tuae caelestes portas pacis ac refrigerii praecludis Quid tu etiam insularis Draco MULTORUM TYRANNORUM DEPULSOR TAM REGNO QUAM ETIAM VITA snpradictorum novissime in nostro stylo prime in malo major multis potentia simulque malitia Largior in dando profusior in peccato robuste armis sed animae fortiâ—r excidiis Maglocune in tam vetusto scelerum aâ—ramento stolide volutaris Quare tantas peccaminum regiae cervici sponte ut ita dicam ineluctabiles celsorum seu Montium innectis moles Nonne in primis adolescentiae tuae annis avunculum Regem cum fortissimis propemodum militibus acerrime ense hasta igni oppressisti Parum cogitans propheticum dictum Viri inquiens sanguinum doli non dimidiabunt dies suos Quid pro hoc solo retributionis a justo judice sperares si non talia sequerentur quae secuta sunt itidem dicente per prophetam Vae tibi qui praedaris nonne ipse praedaberis qui occidis nonne ipse occideris cum dâ—siveris praedari tunc cades These sinnes brought the ancient British Kings with their Kingdomes and People to ruine Legitur in Libro Gildoe Sapientissimi Britonum Quod ijdem Britones propter Avaritiam rapinam Principum propter iniquitatem injuriam Judicum propter desidiam praedicationis Episcoporum propter luxuriam malos mores populi Patriam perdiderunt write Alcuinus and Malmesbury The Lord grant they may not bring our Kingdomes and Nations to like ruine and desolation now How many bloudy Warres and battles the Brotons after they were driven out of their Country into the Welsh Mountaines by the Saâ—ons fought with them for the defence of their Country Rights Liberties under the conduct of valient Cadâ—in who after twenty four yeares civill Dissention amongst the Britons and so long an Inter-regnum was by the UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF ALL THE PRINCES and NOBLES OF THE BRITONS ASSEMBLED TOGETHER in a great Parliamentary Councill AT LEGECESTER ELECTED and MADE 〈◊〉 OF THE BRITONS Which Nobles and Counsellor would not permit him to give way that Edwin the Saxon by his permission should be crowned King of Northamberland Aiebant enim CONTRA IVS VETERVMQVE TRADITIONEM ESSE Insulam unius CORONAE DVOBVS CORONATIS SVBMITTI DEBERE And after his decease under Cadwallo his Son who succeeded him in the Crown and under famous Cadwallader succeeding Cadwallo his Father in the Kingly Government by lineall dâ—scent by whose death both the royall blond with the Government of the Britons and the very name of Britain it self expired you may read at large in Geoffry Monmouth Bâ—da Gildas Maelmesbury Huntindon Mathew Westminster Fabian Holinshed Grafton Speed and others being over tedious to relate The divisions and discords amongst the British Nobility during Cadwalladers sicknesse seconded with eleven yeares sere pâ—stilence famine and all sorts of miseries whereby the land became desolate enforced them to forsake their native Country and to seek relief in forraign parts Whereupon the Saxons sending for more of their Countrymen into Britain replenished and planted the vacant Country dispossessing the Britons totally of their ancient rightfull Inheritance which they never since regained after they had possessed it from Brute to Cadwallader for two thousand seventy six yeares under one hundred and two Kings as John Brompton records in the beginning of his History col 725. And this shall suffice concerning the Britons Contests and Wars for their Liberties Laws Government Country Religion against the Romans Saxons and touching their Great Parliamentary Councils Proceedings in them from Julius Caesars to the Saxons Conquest and total supplantation of them by Treachery Violence and the Sword of which violent Intrusion Laeland our famous Antiquary and Archbishop Parker in his Antiquitâ—tes Ecclesiae Britannicae p. 12. give their Censure in point of Conscience who writing of Pope Gregories conversion of the Pagan Saxons who expelled the Britons to the Christian Faith conclude thus Debuerat Gregorius admonuisse Saxones GENTEM PERFIDAM ut si syncere Christiaâ—issimâ—m admittere vellent BRITANNIAE IMPERIVM QVOD CONTRA SACRAMENTVM MILITIAE PER TYRANNIDEM OCCVPAVERANT IVSTIS DOMINIS AC POSSESSORIBVS RESTITVERENT That is Gregory ought to have admonished the Saxons a PERFIDIOUS NATION that if they would sincerely embrace Christianity they then ought to restore the Kingdome of Britain which they had seised upon by Tyranny against the Oath of their Militia to the just Lords and Possessors thereof a Doctrine fit to be pressed on others now by all our Ministers which because they neglected to doe you may read what a divine retaliation their Postetity received from the Pagan Danes in the insuing Sections CHAP. III. SECT III. Comprising some remarkable Generall Historicall Collections proving the limited Power and Prerogative of the first Saxons Kings of England disabled to make any Lawes Warre Peace alienate their Crown Lands impose any Taxes Tributes in any Necessity or kind whatsoever but in and by common consent in the Generall Parliamentary Councils of their Nobles and Wisemen which they were obliged to summon upon all occasions when there was need and to govern their people justy according to Law The Saxons proceedings against their Tyrannicall oppressing Kings and the severe Judgements of God upon some Saxon Subjects for their Perjury Treachery disloyalty Rebellion against expulsions murders of their lawfull Soveraignes and unrighteous violent disinheriting the Christian Britons by the sword of their Native Country THe British Kings and Britons being for their Tyranny Perjury Treachery Injustice and other sinnes related reprehended by Gildas driven out and dispossessed of their Royalty and Country by the Saxons they about the year of our Lord 576. divided it into seven Kingdomes and set up seven Kings in severall parts of the Island who soon after waged civill Warres and more than civill Warres one with another These Kings all agreed utterly to delete the name of Britain and the memory of the Britons Whereupon they by common consent ordained That the Island should not be called Britain from Brute but England These Kings were at first elected by the Saxon Nobles and People to reign over them to govern the people of God and TO MAINTAIN and DEFEND THEIR PERSONS and GOODS IN PEACE BY THE RULES OF RIGHT And at the beginning so soon as they turned Christians they made their Kings to swear that they should maintain the Christian faith with all their power and GOVERN THEIR PEOPLE BY RIGHT without respect to any person and should be SUBJECT TO SUFFER RIGHT AS WELL AS OTHERS OF THE PEOPLE And although the King ought not to have any Peer in his Land for as much if he did wrong or offended against any of his people he or any of his Commissioners should not be both Judge and party it behoved of RIGHT THAT THE KING SHOULD
nor his sheep nor his field nor any thing that is his For the Prophet threatneth saying Wo to you who joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place that you may be placed alone in the midst of the earth These things are in my eares saith the Lord of Hosts Again the Prophet crieth Deliver the poor and needy rid them out of the hand of the wicked Remember what he deserveth who shall offend one of these little ones but whosoever shall receive one of these receiveth Christ from whom he shall deserve to hear in the day of Judgement Come yee blessed inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Cap. XIV De cohibendis Fraude RAPINIS ET TRIBVTIS ecclesiae INJVSTE IMPOSITIS Let Fraâ—d VIOLENCE AND RAPINE BE FEARED AND NO UNJUST OR GREATER TRIBUTES IMPOSED ON THE CHURCHES OF GOD then by the Roman Law and THE ANCIENT CUSTOMES OF FORMER EMPEROURS AND PRINCES HATH BEEN USED He who desires to communicate with the holy Roman Church and St. Peter the chief of the Apostles let him study to keep himself free from this vice of VIOLENCE So concord and unanimity shall be every where between Kings and Bishops Ecclesiasticks and Laicks and all Christian people that there may be unity every where in the Churches of God and peace in one Church concurring in one faith hope and charity holding the Head which is Christ whose Members ought to help one another and to love one another with continuall Charity as he himself hath said By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if you shall love one another These old established Saxon Lawes and Canons backed with sacred Scriptures manifest the Duty of our old Saxon Kings and their Officers towards their Subjects whom they could not injure oppresse or tax in any kind against their ancient Lawes Customes Priviledges as likewise what Loyalty and Obedience the people owed to their Kings which bounds when their Kings exceeded in an exorbitant manner you have seen how they proceeded with them and when the people exceeded them on the other hand against their Loyalty and Duties they did not escape unpunished Take but one memorable general president in this kind in the Seditious factious rebellious Saxons of the Kingdom of Northumberland who were infamous for their Insurrections and Rebellions against and Expulsions and Murders of their Kings William Malmesbury and Huntindow give us this Abbreviation of their Rebellions Treasons Regecides Osulf son of Egbrick reigned one year and was betrayed and slain by his Subjects and made way for Mollo who reigning diligently for two yeares was compelled to lay down his Regality and slain by Alred who succeeding him reigned eight yeares and then was chased out of his Realm and deposed by his people from the Throne he had invaded Adelred Son of Mollo succeeding him reigned three yeares and then was driven out of his Kingdome and forced to fly from the face of his Rebellious Dukes and Captaines Then Celwold alias Alfwold being cried up King after ten yeares reign mourned under the Treachery of his Subjects being slain without fault by the Treason of Duke Sigga Osred his Nephew the next King reigned scarce one year and then was chased by his Subjects out of the Realm and afterwards slain Adelred Son of Mollo reigned again four yeares taking severe vengeance against those Rebellious Dukes and others who first expelled and deposed him and then was slain by his alwayes most wicked people being unable to avoid the fate of his Predecessors Ardulf his Successor reigned twelve yeares and then was chased out of his Realm by his rebellious Subjects And Oswold after him holding the Title of King onely for twenty eight dayes was forced to save his life by flight unto the King of Picts After which the Northumbrians preoccupated with the madnesse of their folly continued divers yeares without a King For many Natives and Nobles being offended with these Rebellions and Murders of their Kings fled out of their Country as fearing some heavy plague to befall it Alcuinus that Country-man then in France with Charles the great being ready to return to his Country with gifts to King Offa from Charles the Emperor thought best to continue where he was writing thus to Offa That he knew not what to doe amongst his Country men amongst whom no man could be secure or doe any good in giving wholesome Counsell to them their holy places being wasted by Pagans their Altars defiled with perjuries terra SANGVINE DOMINORVM ET PRINCIPVM FAEDATA and their very land it self polluted with the bloud of their Lords and Princes and the raining of bloud then at York in the Lent time where their Religion first took its beginning in that Nation presaged that bloud should come from the Northern parts upon that BLOUDY LAND and Realm of Northumberland almost brought to desolation for its intestine dissentions bloud-sheds and fallacious Oathes which they violated to their Soveraignes The Emperour Charles himself having prepared divers Presents and Letters to be sent by Alcuinus and others to King Offa and King Ethelred and the Bishops of their respective Realmes after his Presents and Letters delivered into the hands of the Messengers hearing of the murther of King Ethelred and the Treachery of this Nation to their Kings by Messengers returning through Scotland from King Offa recalled all his Presents and Gifts and was so farre incensed against that NATION which he called PERFIDIOUS AND PERVERSE AND MURDERERS OF THEIR KINGS ESTIMATING THEM WORSE THAN PAGANS that unlesse Alcuinus had interceded for them he had presently substracted all the good he could from them and have done them all the hurt that possibly he could devise Malmesbury records that after Ethelred no man durst ascend to the Kingdome whiles every one feared in particular lest the chance of these foregoing Kings should befall himself and would rather live safe in inglorious idlenesse then reign pendulus in doubtfull danger Seeing most of the Kings of Northumberland departed out of this life by the Treachery and destruction by their Subjects Whereupon they having no King for thirty three yeares THAT PROVINCE WAS EXPOSED TO THE DERISION AND PREY OF THEIR NEXT NEIGHBOURS and the Barbarous Danes speedily in great Numbers invaded spoiled and possessed it all that time slew most of their Nobility and people till at last they were enforced to subject themselves to the power and pleasure of the West-Saxon Kings to defend them from the Danes who infested invaded and miserably slew wasted destroyed these Seditious Treacherous King-deposing King-murdering Northumberlanders Henry Huntindon and Mathew Westminster record that the year before the Northumberlanders trayterously slew their King Ethelred there were fiery Dragons seen flying through the air after which followed a very great famine which destroyed many of them soon after the Pagan Nations from Norwey and Denmark invaded and miserably
destroyed those of Northumberland and Lindesfaâ—ne horribly destroying the Churches of Christ with the Inhabitants at which time Duke Sigga who unworthily betrayed and slew his Soveraign King Alfwold of Northumberland worthily perished the whole Nation being first almost quite consumed with civill Warres and by these Pagan invaders whose Plague was farre more outragious and cruell than that of the Romans Picts Scots or Saxons Invasions and Depredations in former ages they most frequently invading and assailing the land on every side desiring not so much to obtain and rule over it as to spoile and destroy it with all things therein burning their houses carrying away their goods tossing their little children and murthering them on the top of their pikes ravishing their wives and daughters then carrying them away captives and putting all the men to the Sword which sad and frequent rumours from all parts struck such terrour into the hearts of King and people that their very hearts and hands failed and languished so that when they obtained any victory they had no joy nor hope of safety by it being presently encountred by new and greater swarmes of these Pagan Destroyers The cause of which sore Plague and Judgement he together with Mathew Westminster thus expresse In the Primitive Church of England Religion most brightly shined but in processe of time all vertue so withered and decayed in them VT GENTEM NVLLAM PRODITIONE ET NEQVITIA PAREM ESSE PERMITTERENT that they permitted no Nation to be equall to them IN TREASON AND WICKEDNESSE which most of all appeares in the History of the forecited Kings of Northumberland For men of every Order and Office DOLO ET PRODITIONE INSISTEBANT addicted themselves TO FRAUD AND TREASON in such sort as their impiety is formerly described in the Acts of their Kings Neither was any thing held disgraceful but Truth and Justice Nec honor nisi BELLA PLVS QVAM CIVILIA ET SANGVINIS INNOCENCIVM EFFVSIO causa dignissima caedis Innocentia Nor any thing reputed honourable but more than civill Warres and effusion of the bloud of Innocents and Innocency reputed a cause most worthy of death THEREFORE the Lord Almighty sent a most cruell Nation like swarmes of Bees who spared neither age nor sex to wit the Danes with the Gothes the Norwegians and the Sweeds the Vandals with the Prisons who from the beginning of King Edelwolfe to the coming of the Normans under King William wasted and made the fruitfull Land desolate for 230. yeares destroying it from Sea to Sea and from man to beast Which sore and dreadful long continued Judgement of God upon the Land for those crying sinnes now abounding amongst us as much almost as amongst the Northumberlanders and other Saxons then may cause us justly to fear the self same punishments or the like as they then incurred and the Britons before that under the bloudy Usurper Vortigenne unlesse we seriously repent and speedily reform them From these unparalleld prodigious Treasons Insurrections Regicides Rebellions of these Northumberlanders I conceive that infamous Proverb used by Maximilian the Emperor and frequent in Forraigne and other Writers first arose touching the English That the King of England was REX DIABOLORVM a King of Devils not of men or Saints SVBDICOS ENIM REGES EJICERE TRVCIDARE because the English especially the Northumberlanders so oft rebelled against expelled deposed and murdered their Kings beyond the Spaniards French and other Nations Which Proverb the late extravagant Proceedings of some Jesuitized pretended English Saints have now again revived out of the ashes of oblivion But I hope these sad recited old domestick Presidents will hereafter instruct both Kings Magistrates Parliaments and people to keep within those due bounds of Justice Righteousnesse Law Equity Loyalty Piety Conscience Prudence and Christian Moderation which the Lawes of God and the Land prescribe to both and the Council of Calchuth forecited long since prefixed them That the ancient English Saxon Kings at and from their primitive Establishment in this Realm had no power nor prerogative in them to impose any publike Taxes Imposts Tributes or Payments whatsoever on their people without their Common Consents and Grants in their Great Councils of the Realm for any spiritual or temporal use I shall evidence by the four first General publick Taxes that I meet with in the Histories of their times which I shall recite in Order according to their Antiquity though I shall therein somewhat swarve from my former Chronological Method in reciting some subsequent Lawes and confirmations relating to every of them for brevity sake out of their due order of time and coupling them with the original Lawes for and Grants of these general Charges and Taxes to which they have relation and then pursue my former method Henry Huntindon in the Prologue to his fifth Book of Histories p. 347. writes thus of those Saxons who first seised upon Britain by the Sword Saxones autem pro viribus paulatim terram Britanniae bello capiscentes captam obtinebant obtentam adificabant adificatam LEGIBVS REGEBANT not by arbitrary Regal power without or against all Law The first Taxes and Impositions ever laid under the Saxon Kings Government after they turned Christians upon the people of England were for the maintenance of Religion Learning Ministers Schollers long before we read of any Taxes imposed on them for the publick Defence of the Nation by Land or Sea all and every of which were granted imposed onely by common consent in their Great Councils before the Name of Parliament was used in this Island which being a French word came in after the Normans about Henry the third his reign without which Councils grant they could neither be justly charged nor levied on all or any Free-men of this Island by any civill or legall Right by those to whom they were granted and thereupon grew due by Law 1. The first General Tax or Imposition laid on and paid by the Saxon Subjects of this Land appearing in our Histories was that of Caericsceatae id est CENSVS ECCLESIAE in plain English Churchets or Church-Fees in nature of First-Fruits and Tythes The first Law whereby these Churchets Church-Fees or First-Fruits were imposed on the people and setled as an annuall duty on the Ministers paid onely before that time as voluntary Free-will Offrings to the Ministers of the Gospel by devout and liberal Christians was enacted by Ive King of the west Saxons in a Great Councill held under him Anno Dom. 692. Wherein by the exhortation advice and assent of Cenred his Father Heddes and Erkenwold his Bishops AND OF ALL THE ALDERMEN ELDERS AND WISE-MEN OF HIS REALM and a great Congregation of the Servants of God he established this Law among sundry others which none might abolish Cap. 4. De Censu Ecclesiae Cericsccata i.e. Vectigal or Census Ecclesiae reddita sint in Festo Sancti Maâ—â—tini Si quis hoc non compleat reus sit IX sol duâ—
decuplareddat ipsum Cericsceatum So one Coppy renders it out of the Saxon another thus Cyricsceata idest PRIMITIAE SEMINVM ad celebre divi Matini Festum redduntor qui tum non solverit qua raginta Solidis mulctator ipsas praeterea Primitias duodecies persolvito After which there is this second Law subjoyned Cap 62 De Cyricsceatis Primitias Seminum quisque ex eo dato domicilio in quo ipse natali die Domini câ—mmoratur These Duties were afterwards enjoyned to be paid by the Lawes of King Adelstan Anno 928. c. 2. Volo ut Cyricscâ—atha reddantur ad illum locum cuirecte pertinent c. By the Lawes of King Edmund made Anno 944. in a Great Synod at London AS WELL OF ECCLESIASTICAL AS SECULAR PERSONS summoned thither by the King c. 2. Decimas praecepimus omni Christiano super Christianitatem suam dare emendent Cyricsceattam id est Ecclesiae censum Si quis hoc dare noluerit excommunicatus sit By the Lawes of King Edgar Anno 965. c. 2 3. and the Lawes of King Aethelred made by him and his Wise-men apud Habam about the year of Christ 1012. Cap. 4. DE CONSVETVDINIBVS sanctae Dei Ecclesiae reddendis Praecipimus ut OMNIS HOMO super dilectionem Dei omnium sanctorum DET CYRISCEATTAM ET RECTAM DECIMAM SVAM sicut in DIEBVS ANTECESSORVM NOSTRORVM FECIT quando melius fecit hoc est sicut aratrum peragrabit DECIMAM ACRAM omnis consuetudo reddatur super amicitiam Dei ad Matrem Ecclesiam cui adjacet ET NEMO AVFERAT DEO QVOD AD DEVM PERTINET ET PRAEDECESSORES CONCESSERVNT By which Laws it seemes that these Cyricsceata or Church-Fees were of the same nature with Tythes if not Tythes in truth and the tenth acre or tenth part of all their Corn and arable Lands increase Tithes both in the Fathers Councils Writers of this and some former ages being usually stiled First-Fruits though most esteem them duties different from Tythes Which duty the people being backwards as it seems to pay King Knâ—te by the advise and consent of his Wise-men in a Great Council Anno 1032. quickned the payment of them by this additionall Law increasing the first penalty by a superadded fine to the King Cyricsceata which the Latine Translation renders Seminum primiciae ad festum Divi Matini penduntor Si quis dare distulerit eas Episcopo undecies praestato ac Regi ducenos viginti Solidos persolvito Et dat omnis Cyricsceot ad matrem Ecclestam per omnes Liberas domus I find by the Surveyes and Records of our late Bishops Revenues That these Churchets of later times were certain small portions of Corn Hens Eggs and other Provisions paid by each House or Tenement according to the several values of them for the Maintenance and Provisions of the Ministers which were constantly rendred to our Bishops by their Tenants under the name of Cyricsceata or Churchets in divers Mannors till they were lately voted down This was the first kind of publick Tax imposed on the people for the Maintenance of the Ministry and that onely by common grant and consent in Common Councils of that age as were their annuall Tributes for Lights Parish Almes and their Soul-shot or Mortuaries at every mans decease first granted by common Consent in Parliamentary Councils which I shall but name 2. The second principle annuall Charge or Tribute imposed on and paid by the people under the Saxon Kings was Tythes of the annuall increase of their Lands and Goods for the maintenance of Gods Worship Ministers and Religion which though due by Gods Law and a Divine Right to Ministers as the first Law made for their due and true payment recites and I have lately proved at large in my Gospel-Plea c. yet they could not be legally imposed nor exacted from the people by the Ministers in foro humano without publick consent and grant Whereupon in the Generall Councill of Calchuth held in the year of our Lord 787 Cap. 17. Vt Decimae solvantur this Law was made In paying tithes as it is written in the Law of God Thou shalt bring the tenth part of all thy Corn and First Fruits into the House of the Lord thy God c. Wherefore likewise WE COMMAND with an obtestation that all men be carefull to render Tithes of all things they possesse BECAUSE IT IS THE PECULIAR PORTION OF THE LORD GOD c. Which Law being read in that publick Council by Gregory Bishop of Ostia before King Alfwoldus Arch-Bishop Eanbald and all the Bishops Abbots Senators Dukes and PEOPLE OF THE LAND they all assented to it and with all devotion of mind according to the uttermost of their power bound themselves by vow that by Gods supernall assistance they would observe it in all things ratifying it with the Sign of the Crosse and Subscription of their Names thereto according to the Custome of that age After which it was read before King Offa in the Councill of the Merâ—ians and his Senators Jambertus Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the rest of the Bishops of the Realm with a loud voyce both in the Latine and Germane tongue that all might understand it who ALL WITH A UNANIMOUS VOYCE AND CHEARFUL MIND ASSENTED TO IT promised that they would by Gods Grace assisting them with A MOST READY WILL to the best of their power observe this and the rest of the Statutes there made in all things And then ratified them with the sign of the Crosse and subscription of their Names thereto It seemes very probable by this Clause in the Lawes of Edward the Confessor confirmed by William the Conquerour Cap. 9. Of Payment of Tithes of Cattel Bees and other things Haâ—c enim beatus Augustinus praedicavit docuit Et haec CONCESSA SVNT A REGE ET BARONIBVS ET POPVLO That upon the preaching of Augustine first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Ethelbert King of Kent with his Barons and People assembled in a great Parliamentary Council after their Conversion by him to the Christian Faith granted Tithes of all things to him and their Ministers by a speciall Act or Law which if true must be about the year of our Lord 603. at least one hundred and eighty years before the Council of Calchuth But because I find no such speciall Law of his extant in any Author and this passage may be intended of Augustine Bishop of Hippo flourishing about the year of Christ 410. who hath sever all Homiles concerning the Due payment of Tithes as Hom. 48. inter Sermones 59. Sermo De Tempore 219 ad Fratres in Eremo Sermo 64. and in Psal 146. and because this clause may be as well intended of King Alfwold or King Offa and his Barons and People in the Council of Calchuth as of King Ethelbert and his Barons and People I have therefore begun with their Law for Tithes being
extant certain whereas the other is but conjecturall yet made by common grant and assent of the King and his Barons and People if there were any such After this Councill of Calchuth I find very many Lawes confirming continuing establishing in all successions of ages till this day this charge and payment of Tythes all made by Common Consent in Generall Councils or Parliaments both before and since the Conquest which because they are all extant in John Bromptons Chronicle printed at London 1652. Mr. Lambards Archaion Sir Henry Spelmans Councils Rastals Abridgement of Statutes and accurately collected in a Chronological order by Mr. Selden in his History of Tythes ch 8. where all may peruse them I shall wholly pretermit them here and referre the Reader to these Authors All which Lawes are clear Evidences of the first Propositions verity The third General ancient Saxon Tax and Charge occurring in our Histories imposed on the People was that of Rome-scot or Peter Pence to wit one penny out of every House each year paid on the Feast of St. Peter ad vincula for and towards the maintenance of the English School and Schollars at Râ—me from the payment whereof all the Lands belonging to the Abby of St. Alâ—anes were exempted by King Offa by whom this Tax or Almes was first granted for the maintenance of the English Schollars at Rome and that by the UNANIMOUS antecedent and subsequent CONSENT of Arch-Bishop Humbert and his Suffragans ET PRIMATIBVIS SVS VNIVERSIS and of all his Nobles or chief Men assembled in a PROVINCIAL COUNCIL at Verolam in the year of our Lord 793. This School as Malmesbury De Gestis Regum Angliae l. 2 c. 1. and Balaeus Cent. 1. c. 15. record was first founded by King Offa before his going to Rome which Sir Henry Spelman proves out of Brompton and others But it appeares by Mathew Westminster that this School was there first built and endowed with Peter-pence by King Ive 66. yeares before King Offâ—aes grant and endowment For he writes that King Ive going to Rome Anno 727. built a House in that City by the consent and will of Pope Gregory which he caused to be called the School of the English To which the Kings of England and the royall Stock with the Bishops Elders and Clergy-men might come to be instructed in the Catholick doctrine and faith and so being stedfastly confirmed in the faith might return home again For the Doctrine and Schooles of the English from the time of St. Augustine were interdicted by the Roman Bishops by reason of the daily Herisies which had sprung up by the coming of the English into Britain whiles the Pagans intermixed with the Christians corrupted both the grace of holy conversation and the Christian Faith He likewise built a Church dedicated to the Honour of the Virgin Mary near to this School where the English coming to Rome might celebrate divine Mysteries and be likewise buried if they died there Then he addes ET HAEC OMNIA VT PERPETVAE FIRMITATIS ROBVR OBTINERENT STATVTVM EST GENERALI DECRETO made in General Council of the Realm PER TOTVM REGNVM OCCIDENTALIVM SAXONUM in quo praedictus Ina regnabat ut singulis annis de singulis familiis denarius unus qui anglice ROME-SCOT appellatur beato Petro Ecclesiae Romanae mitteretur VT ANGLI IBIDEM COMMORANTES VITALE SVBSIDIVM INDE HABERENT Which grant Offa King of Mercians first inlarged and granted in his Kingdome distinct from that of Ive 66. yeares after this as aforesaid This Annuall Contribution towards this Schooles maintenance was afterwards confirmed and the due payment thereof prescribed under penalties by the successive Lawes of King Edgar King Ethelred Canutus Edward the Confessor and William the Conquerour made in successive GREAT COUNCILS held in their times BY AND WITH THE ADVICE AND ASSENT OF THEIR ARCH-BISHOPS BISHOPS WISEMEN NOBLES AND SENATORS in the years of our Lord 967 1009 1012 1032 1060. or thereabouts and 1070. By vertue of which Lawes this Tax was duly paid every year in all succeeding ages till it was finally abolished and taken away by name by the Statute of 25. H. 8. c. 21. being perverted from its primitive intended use and made a constant Revenue by and for the Popes themselves against the Donors mindes and their Successors who so long continued it for the foresaid uses of the English schoolings These three most ancient Taxes and Charges originally granted imposed and afterwards continued onely by Common grant and Consent of the King Nobles People in Generall Councils and Parliaments are a most pregnant proof of the first Proposition and of the Peoples most ancient Originall Fundamentall Right of Property in their Goods and Estates exempt from all Impositions and Tallages whatsoever but onely by their free Grants and Consents in Parliament For if our ancientest Christian Saxon Kings and greatest Monarchs could not by their Prerogatives or absolute Power alone but onely with and by the free and common consent and grant of their Nobles Wise-men Prelates and People in the Great Parliamentary Councils of their Realmes impose the Payment of First Fruits and Tithes upon their Subjects though due by the very Law of God towards the Maintenance of Gods Worship and Ministers for the publick good instruction salvation of all their Soules nor yet the Payment of Peter-pence for the Maintenance of Learning and Schollars to supply the Ministry and furnish the Realm with able learned Men for the common benefit both of Church and State being things of greatest Concernment for the Peoples Kingdomes Happinesse Government and Prosperity much lesse then could they lay on them any other Tax Tribute Aid or Assessement whatsoever of lesse necessity and concernment for any inferior uses or for Defence of the Realm by Land or Sea against Enemies or Rovers by their own absolute Authority but onely by and with their voluntary Grants and Consents in Generall Parliamentary Councils of the Realm as every rationall man must acknowledge The fourth Publick Tax or Imposition on the people in point of time is that of Danegeld the first Civill Tax we everread of whereof there was two sorts The first paid to the Danes themselves by way of Composition as to a prevailing Conquering Enemies to prevent their Plunders Rapines Incursions The second paid for the maintenance of valient Souldiers and Mariners to defend the Sea Coasts and Seas against the Invasions Piracies of the Danes and other Enemies The first Payment I find of any monies to the Danes by way of Composition was in the year of our Lord 871. When Bernredus King of Mercians compounding friendly with them Pecuniis Inducias impetravit obtained a Truce with them for money as Mathew Westminster records After this Anno 873. Merciarum Gentes dato munere appeased those Pagans with a Gift What the sum of Money or Gift was is not expressed nor how it was raised nor yet
dissolved late Parliament too proceeded not from the Principles of our reformed Protestant Religion as this Monsieur in his printed pamphlet would make his Reader the young King to whom he dedicates it and all the world believe but from the Popes and Jesuites forecited Treasonable Opinions seconded with their clandestine Sollicitations and Practices and that they with some French Cardinals Jesuites as well as Spanish English then present in England were the chief original Contrivers Promoters of them whoever were the immediate visible Instruments as I have elsewhere more fully demonstrated for the wiping off this scandal from our reformed Religion and the sincere Professors of it who both abominated and protested against it in print 3. That the Jesuites ever since the Establishment of their Military Order under Ignatius their Martial General have been the principal Firebrands Bellows Instruments of kindling fomenting raising continuing all the publick commotions wars seditions and bloody fewdes that have hapened in or between any Kings Kindoms States Princes Soveraigns or Subjects throughout the Christian world and more particularly of all the Civil commotions wars in France Germany Transylvania Bohemia Hungary Russia Poland England Scotland and Ireland to the effusion of whole Oceans of Christian blood which one poetically thus expresseth Quicquid in Orbe mali passim PECCANTE GRADIVO EST Quicquid turbarum tempora nostra vident Cuncta Sodalitio mentito nomine JESU Accepta Historiâ teste referre licet Ite modò vestrae celebrate Encaenia Sectae MILITIS INVENTUM LOIOLANA COHORS Yea it is well worthy observation that Jacobus Crucius a Jesuite Rector of the Jesuites Novices at Landsberge presumed to publish in his Explication of the Rules of the Jesuites Anno 1584. in these words The Father of our Society OUGHT TO BE A SOULDIER because as it is the part of a SOULDIER to rush upon the Enemy with all his Forces and not to desist till he become a Conquerour so it is our duty to run violently upon all who resist the Pope of Rome AND TO DESTROY AND ABOLISH THEM not onely with COUNCELS WRITINGS AND WORDS Sed invocato etiam brachio seculari IGNE ET FERRO TOLLERE ET ABOLERE sicut PONTIFEX ET NOSTRA VOTA contra Lutheranos suscepta VOLUNT ET MANDANT But likewise by calling in to our assistance the secular Arm of an Army to take away and destroy them with FIRE AND SWORD as the POPE AND OUR OATHES taken against the Protestants WILL AND COMMAND And may we not then safely conclude they have been the Original Contrivers Fomentors Continuers of all our late intestine and forraign wars by Land and Sea with our Christian Protestant Brethren and Allyes as sundry Parliamentary Declarations of both Houses aver and attest 4. That they have endeavoured attempted the convulsion concussion subversion not onely of the Empires Realms and ancient setled Governments and States of Germany Russia Bohemia Hungaria France Poland but likewise of England Scotland and Ireland and to new model them into other Forms of Government What mould of Government they intended to cast England into is thus long since described by William Watson a Secular Priest in his Quodlibets Anno 1502. p. 309 310 330 331. England is the main chance of Christendome at this present by seditions factions tampering and aspiring Heads the onely But Mark White the Jesuites aim at as well in intention as execution of their pretended expedition exploit and action I am of opinion that no man on earth can tell what Government it is they intend to establish ratifie and confirm when they come to their preconceited Monarchy no not any of their Plot-casters No question it is but their Government sall be as uncertain as their New-conceited Monarchy their Monarchy as mutable as their Reign and their Reign as variable as the winde or Proteus in his Complements But no question is to be made of it but that the Government they do directly intend at this present is A MOST ABSOLUTE SOVERAIGNTY DOMINION AND STATE CLEARLY EXEMPTED from any Subordination TO ANY LAW or Legifer divine or humane and therefore it is rightly called DESPOTICON in the highest degree of exemplary immunity IMPERIALITY AND ABSOLUTE REIGN RULE AND AUTHORITY as convaining in it three sorts of Government Scil. Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical in matters of Counsel and managing of Commonwealths causes not in point OF REGALITY HONOUR AND INHERITANCE For there shall be neither Title nor Name nor Honour given taken or done to any Prince Duke Marquess Earl Viscount Lord Baron or the like all the Jesuitical Governours being Puritan-like Seniors Elders Provincials c. neither shall there be any succession by Birth or Blood TO ANY HONOUR OFFICE OR MAGISTRACY from the Monarch Pater General to the Minor Pater Minister but ALL SHALL GO BY ELECTION OR CHOICE Whether our late and present variable floating New-Moulded Governments have not been cast by this long since predicted Jesuitical Mould let wise men with all our late and present Governours now sadly consider and determine 5. That as the whole House of Commons in their Remonstrance of 15 December 1641. charge the Jesuites and late Jesuited Court-Counsellors with a Malignant and pernicious designe of SUBVERTING THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWES and Principles of Government upon which the Religion and Justice of the Kingdom are firmly established So William Watson a Secular Priest chargeth Father Parsons the English Jesuite and his Jesuited Companions in their Memorial for Reformation of England when it should be reduced under the power of the Jesuites as Parsons was confident it would be though he should not live to see it written at Sevil in Spain Anno Dom. 1590. that they intended to have Magna Charta with our Common Fundamental Laws and Liberties abrogated and suppressed thus expressed by William Watson in his Quodlibets p. 92 94 95. Father Parsons and the Jesuites in their deep Jesuitical Court of Parliament begun at Styx in Phlegeton have compiled their Acts in a compleat Volume intituled THE HIGH COURT OF REFORMATION FOR ENGLAND And to give you a taste of their intent by that base Court OF A TRIBE OF TRAYTORS sawcily like to Cade Jack Straw and Tom Tiler USURPING THE AUTHORITY OF BOTH STATES ECCLESIASTICAL AND TEMPORAL IN ALL THEIR REBELLIOUS ENTERPRISES these were principal points discussed set down and so decreed by them c. He first mentions three of them relating to Church-men Scholars and Church and Colledge-Lands which were to be put into Feoffees hands and they all to be reduced into arbitrary Pensions c. And then proceeds thus to the fourth The Fouth Statute was there made concerning THE COMMON LAWS OF THIS LAND and that consisted of this one principal point That ALL THE GREAT CHARTERS OF ENGLAND MUST BE BURNT the maner of holding Lands in Fee-simple Fee-tail Kings Service Soccage or Villanage brought into villany scoggery and popularity and in few THE
COMMON LAW MUST BE WHOLLY ANNIHILATED ABOLISHED AND TRODEN DOWN UNDER FOOT and Caesars civil Imperials brought amongst us and sway for a time in their places All whatsoever England yields being but base barbarous and void of all sence knowledge or discretion shewed in the first Founders and Legifers and on the other side ALL WHATSOEVER IS OR SHALL BE BROUGHT IN BY THESE Out-casts of Moses stain of Solon and refuse of Lycurgus must be reputed for METAPHYSICAL SEMI-DIVINE AND OF MORE EXCELLENCY THEN THE OTHER WERE Which he thus seconds Quodlibet 9. Artic. 2. p. 286. First it is plain that Father Parsons and his Company divide it amongst them how they list HAVE LAID A PLOT as being most consonant and fitting for their other Designments THAT THE COMMON LAWS OF THE REALM OF ENGLAND MUST BE forsooth EITHER ABOLISHED UTTERLY or else BEAR NO GREATER SWAY IN THE REALM THEN THE CIVIL LAW DOTH And THE CHIEF REASON IS FOR THAT THE STATE OF THE CROWN AND KINGDOM BY THE COMMON LAWS IS SO STRONGLY SETLED AS WHILST THEY CONTINUE THE JESUITES SEE NOT HOW THEY CAN WORK THEIR WILLS And on the other side in the civil Laws they think they have some shreds whereby they may patch a cloke together to cover a bloody shew of their Treasons for the present from the eyes of the vulgar people Secondly the said good Father hath set down a course how every Man MAY SHAKE OFF ALL AUTHORITY AT THEIR PLEASURES as if he would become A NEW ANABAPTIST or KING JOHN OF LEYDON to draw all the World into Mutiny Rebellion and Combustion And the Stratagem is how the Common people may be inveigled and seduced TO CONCEIT TO THEMSELVES SUCH A LIBERTY OR PREROGATIVE AS THAT IT MAY BE LAWFUL FOR THEM WHEN THEY THINK MEET TO PLACE AND DISPLACE KINGS AND PRINCES as men do their Tenants at will hirelings or ordinary Servants Which ANABAPTISTICAL AND ABOMINABLE DOCTRINE proceeded from a turbulent Tribe of Trayterous Puritanes and other Hereticks this TREACHEROUS JESUITE WOULD NOW FOIST INTO THE CATHOLICK CHURCH as a ground of his corrupt Divinity And p. 330 332. He intends TO ALTER AND CHANGE ALL LAWS CUSTOMES AND ORDERS of this noble Isle He hath prejudiced the Law of Property in instituting Government Governours and Hereditary Princes to be AD BENE-PLACITUM POPULI and all other private possessions AD BENE-PLACITUM SUI c. Whether any such new deep Jesuitical Court of Parliament and high Court of Reformation for England to carry on this old Design of the Jesuites against our Laws hath been of late yeers sitting amongst us in or neer Westminster or elsewhere in secret Counsel every week as divers intelligent Protestants have informed me Hugh Peters reported to divers on his own knowledge being well acquainted with their Persons and Practises of late yeers it concerns others neerer to them and more able then I to examine Sure I am a Greater man by far then Hugh Peters in an Assembly of Divines and others for reconciling all dissenting parties not long since averred to them on his own knowledge That during our late innovations distractions subversions in Church State and overturning of Laws and Government the Common adversary hath taken many advantages to effect his designs thereby IN CIVIL AND SPIRITUAL RESPECTS That HE KNEW VERY WELL that EMISSARIES OF THE JESUITES NEVER CAME OVER IN THOSE SWARMES AS THEY HAVE DONE SINCE THESE THINGS WERE SET ON FOOT That DIVERS GENTLEMEN COULD BEAR WITNESS WITH HIM That they had a CONSISTORY AND COUNCIL ABROAD THAT RULES ALL THE AFFAIRS OF THE THINGS IN ENGLAND That they had fixed in England in the limits of most Cathedrals of which he was able to produce the PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT an Episcopal power with Archdeacons and other persons to pervert and deceive the people And all this whiles we were in this sad and deplorable distracted condition Yea most certain it is that many hundreds if not some thousands of them within these few yeers have been sent over from Forraign Seminaries into England under the disguises of converted Jews Physitians Chirurgions Mechanicks of all sorts Merchants Factors Travellers Souldiers and some of them particularly into the Army as appears by the late printed Examination of Ramsey the Anabaptized New-dipped Jesuite under the mask of a Jewish convert taken at New-Castle in June 1653. and by sundry several instances I could name To pretermit all instances of particular Jesuites within these few yeers yea months come over and discovered in England by persons of credit I shall for brevity acquaint you onely with one discovering what swarms are now amongst us under other disguises An English Protestant Nobleman a person of honour whose Ancestors were Papists being courteously entertained within these two yeers in the Jesuites chief Colledge at Rome by some eminent Jesuites was brought by them into a Gallery having Chambers round about it with Titles written over every door for several Kingdoms and Provinces and amongst the rest one for ENGLAND Upon which he enquiring of the Jesuites what these titles signified was answered by them That they were the Chambers of the Provincial Jesuites of each kingdom and Province written over the respective doors wherein they had any members and Emissaries of their society now residing who received all Letters of intelligence from their Agents in those places every week and gave account of them to the General of their Order That the Provincial for England lodged in the Chamber over which the title ENGLAND was written who could shew him the last news from England if he desired to see it Upon which they knocked at the door which was presently opened the Provincial being informed who and what he was read the last news from England to them Hereupon the Nobleman demanded of them Whether any of their society were now in England how they could stay there with safety or support themselves seeing most of the English Nobility Gentry and Families that were Papists were ruined in their states or sequestred by the late wars and troubles so as they could neither harbour conceal or maintain them as they had done heretofore They answered It was true but the greater the dangers and difficulties of those of their society now in England were the greater was their merit And that THEY HAD THEN ABOVE FIFTEEN HUNDRED OF THEIR SOCIETY IN ENGLAND ABLE TO WORK IN SEVERAL PROFESSIONS AND TRADES which they HAD THERE TAKEN UPON THEM THE BETTER TO SUPPORT AND SECURE THEMSELVES FROM BEING DISCOVERED This Relation I have heard from the mouth of a Reverend Divine more then once to whom this Noble Lord upon his return into England not many Months since seriously related the Premises averring the truth of them upon his Honour Yet for all this since the stupendious pretended repeals and annihilations of the Oaths and Allegiance and that of Abjuration of Popery consented to by the late King in the Isle of Wihgt purposely made for the better