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A91237	The opening of the great seale of England. Containing certain brief historicall and legall observations, touching the originall, antiquity, progresse, vse, necessity of the great seal of the kings and kingdoms, of England, in respect of charters, patents, writs, commissions, and other processe. Together with the kings, kingdoms, Parliaments severall interests in, and power over the same, and over the Lord Chancellour, and the lords and keepers of it, both in regard of its new-making, custody, admi nistration [sic] for the better execution of publike justice, the republique necessary safety, and vtility. Occasioned by the over-rash censures of such who inveigh against the Parliament, for ordering a new great seale to be engraven, to supply the wilfull absence, defects, abuses of the old, unduely withdrawne and detained from them. / By William Prynne, Utter-Barrester of Lincolns Inne. ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1643 (1643)	Wing P4026; Thomason E251_2; ESTC R234376	44,104	39

THE OPENING OF The Great Seale OF ENGLAND Containing certain Brief Historicall and Legall Observations touching the Originall Antiquity Progresse Vse Necessity of the Great Seal of the Kings and Kingdoms of England in respect of Charters Patents Writs Commissions and other Processe Together with the Kings Kingdoms Parliaments severall Interests in and Power over the same and over the Lord Chancellour and the Lords and Keepers of it both in regard of its New-making Custody Administration for the better Execution of Publike Justice the Republique necessary Safety andVtility Occasioned by the Over-rash Censures of such who inveigh against the Parliament for Ordering a new Great Seale to be Engraven to supply the wilfull absence defects abuses of the Old unduely withdrawne and detained from them By WILLIAM PRYNNE Utter-Barrester of Lincolns Inne Esther 8. Write ye also for the Jews as liketh you in the Kings name AND SEAL IT WITH THE KINGS RING for the Writing which is written in the Rings name AND SEALED WITH THE KINGS RING may no man reverse It is this fifteenth day of September Anno Dom. 1643. Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons concerning Printing that this Treatise intituled The Opening of the Great Seale of England be forthwith Printed by Michael Sparke Senior JOHN WHITE LONDON Printed for MICHAEL SPARK Senior 1643. TO THE READER COurteous Reader having copiously answered refuted all Royalilists Malignants Papists clamorous Objections and Primitive Exceptions against the Proceedings of this present Parliament in FOUR severall Treatises lately published concerning The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdoms which have given good satisfaction to many and silenced the Penns the Tongues of most Anti-Parliamenteers who have bin so ingenuous as seriously to peruse them I yet finde a New grand Objection lately started up and much insisted on among these Opposites by reason of the Commons late Order for making a New Great Seal now almost finished to supply the wilfull absence defects abuses of the old to the extraordinary prejudice dammage danger of the Houses Kingdom and delay of publike Justice which though sufficiently answered in the generall by sundry passages and Histories scattered in the former Treatises yet because not so particularly or fully debated as the consequence of this extraordinary weighty Act and the querelousnesse of the clamorous Opposites require I have therefore upon the motion of some friends to stop up this New-Breach and Clamour speedily collected and published by Authority these ensuing Historicall and Legall Observations concerning the Originall Antiquitie Progresse Use Necessity of the Great Seal of the Kings and Kingdome of England with reference to Sealing of Charters Patents Writs Commissions other Processe and given thee a summary account of the Kings Kingdoms Parliaments severall Interests in and Power over the Great Seal and the Lords Keepers of it too both in respect of its New-making Custody Administration for the better execution of publike Iustice the Republike necessary safety and utility clearing all contrary Objections of moment which I here submit to thy charitable Censure and Acceptation imploring thy Pardon and Direction in case I have casually erred out of Ignorance or Humane Frailty in tracing this Untrodden dangerous narrow Path wherein I finde no Footsteps or onely very obscure ones to direct my course Farewell THE OPENING OF The Great Seale OF ENGLAND NOt to enter into any impetinent tedious Discourse of the Antiquitie or use of Seales in generall which were very anciently used both by the Nations and Kings of the Jewes Persians Medes Babilonians and others as is manifest by a sundry Texts of Scripture to omit prophane Stories it is a question much debated among Antiquaries Historians Lawyers How ancient the use of Seales hath beene among the Kings of England in what age upon what occasion by what degrees they grew to be absolutely requisite for the ratification of Charters Patents Writs Commissions and other Processes The first originall Antiquitie of Seals among our Kings is very uncertain for it is apparent past all contradiction b that our ancientest Kings Charters Patents had no Seals at all annexed to them being ratified onely with the Signe of the Crosse oft-times in golden Characters the subscription of our Kings names with the names of divers Bishops Abbots Nobles Clerks and others under them as Witnesses who all made the signe of the Crosse before or after their subscriptions as is most evident by sundry ancient Charters of our English Saxon Kings yet extant in old Leger Books of Abbeys in Sir Robert Cottons Library and by the printed Copies of them in the Histories of Ingulphus M●lmesbury Hoveden Matthew Paris Matth. Westminster Holinshed Mr. Fox Mr Cambdens Britannia M. Seldens Titles of Honour History of Tythes Notes to Eadmerus Sir Henry Spelmans Councils and Glossary Sir Edward Cooks Preface to his 4 and 6 Reports his Institutions on Littleton and Magna Charta Joannis Pitseus Relatio Histor. de rebus Angl. Cl. Reynerus Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia M. Lambard his Perambulation of Kent and Archaion Bishop Vshers Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates with others which Charters though without a Seale have c ever been reputed as valid firme in point of Law from time to time and so admitted by our Judges Kings Parliaments as any punier Charters sealed with our Kings Great Seals To give you some few instances of the ancientest Charters of our Kings before the Conquest which I finde not sealed but thus subscribed King d Aethelbert Anno 605. made two Charters the first to the Church of Saint Pancras the other to the Monastery of Peter and Paul to be erected at Canterbury which are thus confirmed with the Signe of the Crosse not sealed ✚ Ego Aethelredus Rex Anglorum hanc donationem meam Signo sanctae Crucis propria manu confirmavi After which follow divers other witnesses who confirm it with the same signe There is extant a Bull of Augustine the first Bishop of Canterbury of an exemption granted by him to this Monastery with a Leaden Seale annexed to it the forme whereof you may view in e Sir Henry Spelman who suspects both these Charters with Augustines Bull and Seale the sealing of Buls being not so ancient and Leaden Buls being first brought in by Pope Adrian about the year of our Lord 774. as Polydor and others observe to be meer Counterfeits upon good grounds There is another Charter of the same King of Lands given to the same Monastery dated Ar. 610. subscribed as the former The next ancient Charter I finde is that of f Withred King of Kent dated An. Dom. 695. who the same year confirmed the great Councell of Beca 〈◊〉 with the signe of the Crosse such subscriptions as are aforesaid To these I shall adde the suspected Charter of g King Kenred and Offa. Anno 709. with the Charters of Egwin Bishop of Worcester Anno 709. The Charter of h King Eth Ibald An 718.

the Kings charters made to the Abbey of Croyland Rex Edredus dedit Monasterium Croyland per Chartam suam dictatam ab eodem Turketulo writes Ingulphus p. 874. Fourthly That the Chancellor in his reigne sealed the Kings charters with his seale yet y whether he only did it or had the sole custody of the soale is uncertaine But though King Edward the Confessor z first brought in the great seale yet the custome of sealing charters patents therewith with other mens sealing Deeds grow not common universall or necessary a till the latter end of the Conquerours reign as b Ingulphus in these direct tearms avers from his own experimentall knowledge Et non tantum hunc morem of making Knights sed alias etiam consuetudines William the Conquerour and his Normans of whom he writes immutabant nam chirographtrum consectionem Anglicanam quae antea Vsque ab Edwardi Regis tempora fidelium praesentium subscriptionibus cum Crucibus Aureis aliisque saerts signaculis firma fuerunt Normanni condemnantes chirographa chartas vocabant Et chartarum armitatem cum cere impressione per untuscujusque speciale sigillum sub instillatione trium vel quatuor testium astantium whereas ancient charters had twenty or more witnesses conficere constituebant Conferebantur etiam prime multa praedia nudo verbo absque scripto velcharta tantium cum Domini gladio vel galea vel cornu velcratera plurima tenementa cum calcari cum striguli cum arcu non nulla cum sagitta Sed haec initio Regni sui posterioribus annis immutatus est isle modus Tantum tunc Anglicanos abominanti sunt c. So that by this Historians expresse testimony a man of great eminency in that age being Abbot of Croyland and much frequenting the Court yea taking more paines to search out and preserve ancient Charters then any in that age William the Conquerour and his Normans who c endeavoured to reduce the English to the customes lawes and ceremonies of Normandy especially in all matters of government law and justice his charters being of farre other tenour forme and brevity then those before or since in use were the first who introduced by insensible degrees the French custome of sealing charters and deeds with seales and this King with his Officers as all our Historians complaine being extraordinary covetous and oppressive using sundry new d●●●ses to fill their owne purses by exhausting the peoples it is very likely as Ingulphus words import and d others insinuate that he and his Chancellors of which I finde e nine in his reigne to make a benefit and project of his great seale did in his latter dayes ordaine that all charters patents should be thenceforth sealed with his royall seale or else be reputed invalid in law Three charters of his I find recorded in our writers The first made to the Abbey of Croyland at the sute of f Ingulphus who registers it subscribed by some witnesses without mention of any seale of his thereto annexed The second to the Abbey of Battle sealed with his great seale and subscribed by foure or five Bishops which Patent Seale to you may view in g Mr. Seldens Notes on Eadmerus The third to the City of London granted at the sute of William their Bishop written in the Saxon tongue confirmed with greene wax whereas the Saxons before used only to signe with gilt crosses the copy whereof you may read in Lamberts parambulation of Kent Holinshed and h Speed As for that charter of his recorded by Iohn Stom and Speed in his life out of the Book of Richmond I William King the third yeare of my reigne Give to thee Norman Hunter to me that are both leefe and deare The Hop and the * Hopton and all the bounds up and downe Vnder the earth to Hell above the earth to Heaven From me and mine to thee and to thine As good and as faire as ever they mine were To witnesse that this is sooth I bite the white wax with my tooth Before Iugge Maud and Margery and my youngest sonne Henry For a Bow and a broad Arrow when I come to hunt upon Yarrow I deeme it either a forgery or a charter granted only in merriment which Rast all in his Tearmes of the law f. 80. attributes rather to King Edward the third then to the Conquerour concluding that s●aling was not commonly used till the reigne of Edward the third which if true perchance of deeds betweene private persons yet not of Royall charters King William Rufus Henry the first Stephen and Henry the second had all their severall great seales the portraytures whereof you may behold in Iohn Spreds History before every of their lives and their severall Chancellors too whose names you may read i● i 〈◊〉 Francis Thinns Catalogue and k Spelman which Chancellors as is most likely kept their seales sealing both Patents and charters with them I read that l King Henry the first in the first yeare of his reigne granted a Charter of Liberties to his Subjects according to his promise and Oath before and at his Coronation much like to Magna Charta subscribed with Witnesses ET SIGILLI SVI TESTIMONIO ROBORATVM as Eadmerus and others write To this Charter he set both his hand AND SEALE commanding as many copies as there were Counties in England to be transcribed and kept in the Monasteries of every Province he was made a King by right of Election not of Succession his brother Robert being right heire In this Kings reigne I finde one Writ to Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury who used m a seale wherewith he sealed his letters written to this King with n Teste Walricho CANCELLARIO apud Merlebergam And another * Writ directed to him to respit the consecration of Thomas Archbishop of Yorke till Easter SIGILLO REGIS INCLVS AS the first Writ I to my remembrance finde sealed with any Kings Seale though Patents were commonly sealed before this time o King Stephen comming to the Crowne by the Nobles Election not by right of inheritance as next heire vowed to confirme their Liberties by his Charter and SEALE which hee did at Oxford in the first yeare of his Reigne this Charter you may read in the Marginall Authors being like to Magna Charta in substance That King Henry the second used to seale his Charters and Patents I finde apparent testimonies in our Historians For his Oath of Purgation which he made concerning the death of Thomas Becket registred at large by p Roger de Hoveden was put into writing in forme of a Charter and then sealed with his Seale and the Seales of the Cardinals as this Authour attests Et ut haec in memoria Romanae Ecclesiae haberentur Rex Pater FECIT APPONI SIGILLVM SVVM SCRIPTO ILLI in quo superdicta capitula continebantur una CVM SIGILLIS praedictorum Cardinalium Theodine

crimen falsi quod in quadam sui specie tangit coronam Domini Regis Vt si quis accusatus fucrit vel convictus FALSIFICATIONIS SIGILLI DOMINI REGIS CONSIGNANDO INDE CHARTAS VEL BREVIA Writs then were sealed with the Kings Seale as well as Patents apponendo signa adulterina quo casu si inveniatur inde culpabilis vel seisitus si Warrantum non habuerit pro voluntate Regis judicium sustinebit How the Lord Chancellors were elected and the Great Seale disposed of by Parliament in this Kings reigne I have a elsewhere related and shall touch againe anon King Edward the first comming to the Crowne and proclaimed King during his absence in the holy Land his b Lords and States without his privity made both a new great Seale and Chancellor to keepe it with which in the 25 yeere of his reigne he confirmed the great Charter and Charter of the Forrest in Parliament And in another Parliament in the 28 yeere of his reigne it was enacted That the great Charter of the liberties of England and Charter of the Forrest shall be delivered to every Sheriffe of England UNDER THE KINGS GREAT SEALE to be read foure severall times in the yeere before the people in the full County And for these two Charters to be firmely observed in every point and Article wherein no remedy was before at the Common law there shall be CHOSEN in every Shire Court BY THE * COMMINALTY OF THE SAID SHIRE three substantiall Knights or other lawfull wise and well disposed persons to be Justices which shall be assigned BY THE KINGS LETTERS PATENTS UNDER THE GREAT SEALE to heare and determine without any other Writ but onely their Commission such plaints as shall be made against all those as commit or offend against any point contained in the foresaid Articles in the Shires where they be assigned as well within Franchises as without c. Also e That all the Kings Takers Purveyors or Ratours FROM HENCEFORTH shall have their warrant with them UNDER THE KINGS GREAT OR PETY SEALE declaring their authority and the things whereof they have power to make price or purveyance the which Warrants they shall shew to them whose goods they take before that they take any thing And Chap. 6 There shall NO WRIT FROM HENCE-FORTH that toucheth the Common law goe forth UNDER ANY OF THE PETY SEALES These are the first Statute lawes extant prescribing that the Kings Charters Patents Commissions Warrants Writs should issue forth under the Great or Pety Seales though they did so usually before his reigne rather through custome which crept in by little and little by degrees from Edward the Confessours daies unto this very Parliament as the premises evidence till it got the reputation of a received common Law and usage and at last was thus established as simply necessary by these present Acts which se●led the law in point of necessity of sealing all Writs Charters Patents with the Great Seale and added such Majesty to the Seale it selfe that Britton an eminent Judge and Lawyer flourishing in this Kings reigne writing his booke as in this Kings name reso ves expresly c. 3. f. 10. c. 8. f. 16. that the * counterfeiting of the KINGS SEALE IS HIGH TREASON and that the Justices ought to enquire concerning the falsifiers of THE SEALE Not only whether any have actually connterfeited it but also whether any have hanged ANY SEAL by an Engyn to any Charters without license or having stollen or taken away ANY SEALE or otherwise finding it HAVE SEALED WRITS without other authority And Chap. 48. Exceptions aur Brefe f. 122. He writes It is a good exception to abato a Writ s●ule Brete ne fuit unques enseale de nostre Seale ou si le Ordinance et le Seal de nostre Chauncery us s●it point contenu And Andrew Horne another great Lawyer living in or neere this time in his My●rour of Justices cap. 3. sect. 6. p. 191. Among Exceptions to the power of the Iudge enumerates this for one IF THE COMMISSION BE NOT SEALED WITH THE KINGS GREAT SEALE OF THE CHANCERY Car al Privy Seale le Roy ou al Sealed ' l' Eschequer ou Autre Seale forsque Solement al Seals que est assigne dée conud ' le Cominalty del peopls nosmement en Iurisdiction Bres Originals ne estoit a nul obeyer des letes usages ●el Royalme st non solement pur le Roy Du elle puira ée viciouse Pur le Seale counterfoit ou anterment fausse This falsifying of the Kings Seale to Writs cap. 1 sect. 6. De Fansonners pag. 28 29. he makes a crime next to high Treason which forging he saith may be indivers manners As where a Writ is SEALED whereof the grosse and matter or the forme is not avowable by the King nor by the Law nor by the rights and customes of the Realme If a man seale after that the Chancellor or other Keeper knoweth that he hath lost his Warrant by death or any other manner When a Writ or Letter passeth the Seal against the Kings defence When men seale with counterfeit Seales or seale by ill art or Warrants not avowable and so it is falshood in those who seale and have no authority And Chap. 4. Sect. 2. p. 233. Thus * OUR ANCIENTS ORDAINED A SEALE AND A CHANCELLOUR FOR TO KEEPE IT and to give remeliable WRITS to all persons without delay Then describing what manner of Writs must issue he concludes thus And now may Justices Sheriffs and their Clarks withdraw rase amend and impaire them without discerning or paine for the Writs that are made close to the abuse of right Wherefore THE SEALE ONELY is the jurisdiction assignable to all Plaintiffs without difficulty And to doe this the Chancellour is chargeable by Oath in allegiance of the charge of the King that he shall * neither deny nor delay to render right or a Writ remediable to any one Thus have I given you a briefe Historicall and Legall Narration of the Originall Growth Progresse Vse and Necessity of the Great Seale of England and of the manner of making subscribing and sealing Charters Patents Writs with other Instruments in our Realme from King Aethelberts first Charter Anno 605. till the end of King Edward the first his reigne when Seales and * sealing grew more common and our ordinary Law-books which recite few or none of the premises begin to make mention of Seales and sealing of whose autiquity kinds and present use in point of Law if any desire further satisfaction let them consult with Polydor Virgil De inventoribus Rerum lib. 8. cap. 2. Henrici Spelmani Glossarium title Bulla Rastals Exposition of the Termes of the Law title Faits Sir Edward Corkes Institutes on Magna Charta pag. 554 555 556. his 11 Report f. 92. and Ashes Tables title Seales it being not my intention to trouble the Reader

Parliaments have enjoyed such a power and Jurisdiction over the great Seal the Chancellours and Keepers of it heretofore when there was just cause they may exercise the selfe-same power over them now especially when both of them have bin purposely withdrawne detained from the Parliament so long to retard annihilate its proceedings contrary to Law and the Act for its continuance Thirdly The Parliament hath exercised a power over the great Seale and other Seales of the King as the Dutchy Seal Exchequer Seale Seale of the Court of Words and Liveries of the Court of Augmentations of first fruits and Tenths Staples Surveyors Seales of cloth and other Merchandize safe conducts Customes Ecclesiasticall Courts and the like in prescribing what Patents Charters Commissions Protections Warrants Grants Writs Pardons should bee passed under them or any of them and what not And where the great and priety Seale shall be used to promote right and where not used to stay right or justice in any case whatsoever This is evident by the severall Statutes of 13. E. 1. of Acton Burnell and statute Merchants 25. E. 1. c. 1. 28. E. 1 c. 1. 2. 6. 20 18. E. 2. Statute E. 1 Prses 2. E. 3. c. 8. 4. E. 3. c. 4. 5. E. 3. c. 2. 14. E. 3. c. 14. 15. Stat. 3. c. 1. Stat. 4. 15. E. 3 c. 3. 18. E. 3. Stat. 2. c. 1. 36. E. 3. c. 2. 42. E. 3. c. 9. 1. R. 2. c. 6. 5. R 3. c. 9. 10. 14. 6. R. 2. c. 4. 18. R. 2. c 1. 12 R. 2. c. 8. 13 R. 2. c. 2. 13 R. c. 2. Stat. 2 c. 16. R. 2 c. 6. 2. H. 5. c. 4. 5. H 5 c. 7. 10. H. 6. c. 7. 15. H. 6. c. 3. 20. H. 6. c 1. 31. 13. Eliz c. 7. 14. Eliz. c. 6. H. 6. c. 2. 1. E. 4. c. 1. 3. H. 7. c 1. 4 H. 7. c. 14. 14. 15. H 8. c 4. 21. H. 8. c. 16. 17. 20. 23. H. 8. c. 7. 25. H. 8. c. 19. 21. 22. 27. H. 8. c. 2. 5 11. 15. 16. 27. 34. 35. H. 8. c. 16. 21. 26. 1. E. 6. c. 2. 5. 8. 12. 14. 3 4. E. 6. c. 8 39. Eliz. c. 5. 43. Eliz. c. 4. 11. 12. 5. 6. E. 6. c. 1. 1. Eliz. c. 1. 5. Eliz. c. 1. 4. 2 3. Phii. Mar. c. 20. Above all by * the Act for the preventing inconveniences happening by the long intermission of Parliaments made this Parliament when fullest by his Majesties and both Houses unanimous assents with infinite other Statute And as the Parliament hath thus ordered and limited the use of the Kings own Seales so likewise the Seales of Sheriffes Coroners Corporations Mayors of Staples Iustices Iudges Searchers and other Officers together with the Seales of Jurors Electors of Knights Burgesses of Parliament and sundry other persons as to publike uses Witnesse the Statute of Rutland 10. H. 1. 13. E. 1. the Statute of Acton Burnell and of Statute Merchants 13. E. 1. c. 13. 31. 39. The Statute of Quo Warranto 18. E. 1. 1. E. 3. c. 8. 2. E. 3. Stat. 3. c. 5. 5. E. 3. c. 2. 10. E. 3. c. 3. 14. E. 3. c. 16. 25. E. 3. Parl. 5. c. 1. 5. 21. 27. E. 3. Parl. 2. c. 4. Parl. 3. c. 1. 9. 42. E. 3. c. 3. 43. E. 3. c. 1. 12. R. 2. c. 7. 8. 13. R. 2. c. 11. 18. 1. H. 4. c. 19. 2. H. 4. c. 17. 4. H. 4. c. 6. 7. H. 4. c. 13. 9. H. 4. c. 2. 11. H. 4. c. 6. 1. H. 5. c. 9. Parl. 2. c. 5. 3. H. 5. c. 3. Stat. 2. 6. H. 6. c. 4. 8. H. 6. c. 18. 9. H. 6. c. 10. 11. H. 6. c. 9. 16. 15. H. 6. c. 6. 18. H. 6. c. 19. 33. H. 6. c. 7. 1. E. 4. c. 1. 4. E. 4. c. 1. 8. E. 4. c. 1. 1. R. 3. c. 8. 14. 15. H. 8. c. 3. 23. H. 8. c. 7. 25. H. 8 c. 19. 26. H. 8. c. 14. 1 E. 6. c. 14. with other Acts. Therefore the Parliament may by the same or a like reason exercise a Iurisdiction in making a new great Seale and directing the ule of it for the common good to supply the absence of the old Fourthly the Parliament hath caused this new Seale to be made principally to compleat the House of Commons by sealing Writs for new Elections of Knights and Burgesses in places of the old who are dead or justly expelled and what power the Kingdom and Parliament have anciently exercised in this or the like cases I shall give you a briefe account First the Lords and Commons have sundry times in former ages not onely enforced our Kings to summon Parliaments against their wills when necessary but likewise sent out Writs to summon a Parliament and elect Knights and Burgesses under the great Seale of England in our Kings names without their privity and assent as I have * elsewhere manifested by sundry Presidents And by the very Act for the * Trieniall Parliament assented unto by His Majesty and all the Lords and Commons who are or were with him at Oxford this very Session of Parliament it is expresly provided That in case the King refuse or neglect to summon a Parliament every three yeeres next after the last day of the last Parliament preceding it by Writs under THE GREAT SEALE OF ENGLAND so frequently stiled in this Act that then every Lord Chancellour of England the Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England and every Commissioner and Commissioners for the keeping of the Great Seale of England for the time being within sixe dayes after the tenth day of September in every such third yeere shall in due forme of Law without any further Warrant or direction from His Majestie His Heirs or Successors SEALE issue forth and send abroad severall Writs of Summons to the respective Peeres of the Realme and Writs of Election to the Sheriffs of the severall Counties Cities and Boroughs of England and Wales c. for the electing of Knights Citizens and Burgesses to serve in Parliament prescribing that every Lord Chancellour Keeper and Commissioner aforesaid shall take an Oath truly and faithfully to issue forth and send abroad all Writs of Summons to Parliament for both Houses at such time and in such manner as is expressed in this Act under paine of being disabled ipso facto from their places in case of refusall or neglect And then the Lords are ordered to meet at Westminster without Writ or Summons and any twelve of them are enabled to grant out Writs of Summons under their hands and Seales to all Sheriffs of Counties Cities and Boroughs which shall be of the same force to all intents as the Writs of Summons to Parliament under the great Seale of England And in case the Lords neglect or refuse to issue such Writs then the Sheriffs Majors and Bailieffs of Counties Cities and Boroughs without any Writ at

made to Saint Guthlar and the Abbey of Croyland with his Generall Charter of Priviledges granted to all Churches and Monasteries dated Anno 749. The Charter of i King Ina granted to the Abbey of Glasterbury supposed to be spurious Anno 725. Of k King Offa to the Abbey of Croyland Anno 793. The l Decree of Adardus Archbishop of Canterbury and the Councell of Clovesho An. 803. The Charter of m King Kenulphus to the Abbey of Croyland Anno 8●6 The n Decrees of the Synod of Clevesh● under King Beornwulfe Anno 824. and of the Council of London under King Egbert Anno 833. The Charter of o Witlasius King of M●rcia to the Abbey or Croyland Anno 833. The Charter of King Bertulphus to the same Abbey An. 851. with the p Canons of the Councell of Kingesbury confirmed and subscribed by this King and others the same year with the signe of the Crosse The Charters of q Aeth Iwulphus to the Abbey of Croyland Anno 855. and to all Churches and Monasteries which he offered up to God upon the Altar of Saint Peter t Winchester where the Bshop received it and sent it to all Churches to be published The Charter of r B●orredus King of Merciae to the Abbey of Croyland Anno 860. of * Queen Aethelsw●th to Cuthwulfe An. 868. of king ſ Edmund to the Abbey of Glastenbury An. 944. of t king ●●dred to the Abbey of Croyland An. 948. the charters of u king Edgar to the Abbey of Croyland An. 966. 970. 974. to the x Abbey of Glastenbury An. 965. 971. and to the Abbey of Malmesbury An. 974. his charter of Oswelds Lawes An. 964. his charter to his new Monestery of Winchester An. 966. and another charter Ar. 964. the charter of y King Aeth●lred An. 995. to Vlfric with z his charter of priviledges granted to the Church of Canterbury An. 1006. the a charter of king Knute or Canutus to the Church of our Saviour at Canterbury An. 1018. and to the Abbey b of Croyland An. 1032. of Thorold to the Abbey of Croyland An. 1051. and of King Edward the Confessor to the same Abbey about the yeare 1050. All these ancient Charters of our Kings before the Conquest had no seales at all annexed to them but were only ratified with the signe of the Crosse subscribed by the Kings themselves and these who made them together with their names and with the names and crosses of the witnesses And it is observable that all or most of these ancient charters of our kings which granted any lands or priviledges to Abbeys or Churches were made in full Councels and Parliaments with the unanimous consent and approbation of the Bishops Prelates Abbots Dukes Earls Lords and great men therein present who commonly subscribed them the reason was because none of our ancient kings as I have proved had any power to grant or alien the lands of the Crown which they enjoyed only in the kingdoms right and for its use to any without the consent of their Nobles and people in full Parliament and in most of these Charters Abbeys and Church-lands were exempted from all taxes tallages and temporall services whatsoever except the repairing of high wayes bridges and castles for the common good and c thereby were anciently exempted from Danegeld as I have elsewhere manifested Which of our kings first used a seale is not certainly determined Sir Edward Cook in his Institutes on Littleton fol. 7. a. records that the charter of King Offa whereby he granted Peter-pence doth yet remaine under his seale Now this charter as d Sir Henry Spelman and our e Historians generally in his life record was dated in the yeare of our Lord 793. or 794. and is the first charter scaled if true by any of our kings There is another f Charter of King Edwin of certaine land called Iecklea in the Is●le of Ely bearing date Anno 956. sealed with his owne seale and with the seale of Elfwin Bishop of Winchester I read in Francis Thinne his Catalogue of Chancellours and in Sir Henry Spelman his Glossary fol. 126. 132. that our Saxon kings Aethelstan Edmund Edred Edgar and Aethelred had their severall Chancellors but whether they had any seales or not is uncertaine if they had any it is certaine writes g Sir Henry Spelman that they scarce used them at all or very rarely most of their charters having no seales at all but only crosses or subscriptions of these Kings names and witnesses The very h first of all our Kings who used a large br●ad seale was Edward the confessor who being brought up in Normandy introduced that with some other of the Normans Guises with him and had three Chancellors Vnder this i seal he granted a Charter of sundry liberties and priviledges to the Church of Saint Peters in Westminster Anno Dom. 1066. which was sealed by his Chancellor Reynbaldus as is evident by this his subscription to that deed Ego Reynbaldus Regis CANCELLARIVS relegi SIGILLAVI This is the first Charter for ought appears that ever was sealed with a Royall broa● Seale or by a Chancellor But that all this good Kings charters or any of his writs or commissions were thus sealed by this great scale or that the Chancellor then had the custody of the seale which the Chancellors in the reigne of Charles the great and Ludovicus Pius had not in France as Sir Henry Spelman proves in his Glossary p. 127. out of Capit. l. 2. c. 24. and Eg●lismensis in vita Caroli p 15. and the passage of Ingulphus concerning the office of the Chancellor in his time cited in Spelman seemes to disprove is a non liquet unto me The exact forme of this Kings great seale you may behold in * Iohn Speed together with the various effigies of all our succeeding Kings broad seales prefixed by him before their severall lives Two things there are which in this enquiry after the originall use of our Kings great seales seeme somewhat dubious unto me First when how and by what law or meanes it came to passe that our Kings Charters and Patents ought of necessity to be sealed with the great seale contrary to the primitive usage in former ages or else to be reputed invalid and meere nullities in law Secondly when and by what law or grounds and in what Kings reigne Writs Commissions and other Processe of law began to be issued out under the great seale or else to be disallowed as illegall it being evident unto me that Charters and Patents were usually sealed by some of our Kings before any of their writs commissions or legall processe issued under their seales These two doubts I confesse are beyond my skill exactly to assoile yet this I conjecture as most consonant to truth That k Edward the Confessor being trained up in Normandy and addicted to the customes of the

French then to provide for the safety of those in the East in proper person Which I onely note in the by having omitted it in its due place First to manifest what high esteem our Kings have had of the resolutions and advise of their Parliaments to which they wholly submitted their owne judgements acquiescing in their resolves Secondly to evidence the Soveveraigne power of Parliaments over our Kings then who might not desert the Realme not take any new honour or dominion upon them without their previous consents and advice Thirdly to shew the dutie of Kings to their Subjects and Kingdomes King Richard the first succeeding his Father Henry the second rather by Election then Succession and d not stiled a King by our ancient Writers before his Coronation was the first of all our Kings as Our e Writers accord who sealed with a Seale of Armes all our former Kings seales being but the Picture of the King sitting in a Throne on the one side of the seale and on horse-backe on the other side in divers Formes with various inscriptions of their Names and stiles which you may view in Speed But this King bare two Lions Rampant combatant in a shield in his first and three Lions passant in his latter Seale borne ever after by our Kings as the Royall Armes of England His first f Chancellour was William Longchamp Bishop of Ely Legate to the Pope whom hee made his Vice-Roy and Iusticiar of England when hee went to the Holy Land against the Saracens committing the Kingdome to his Government chiefely who infinitely oppressed and tyrannized over it as all our Historians evidence g Matthew Paris give this Character of him Erat idem CANCELI ARIVS MAXIMVS inter omnes occidentales REX ET SACERDOS in Anglia qui omnia pro nihilo ducebat cum Episcopali tantum dignitate non contentus nimis alta se sperare denotavit In prima namque Literarum suarum fronte vanitatem elationem expressit cum dixit Willielmus DEI GRATIA commonly used before in and since that age by and to Bishops Popes Abbots in publique Writs as well as Kings as the h Marginall Authors manifest Eliensis Episcopus DOMINI REGIS CANCELLARIUS totius Angliae Iustitiarius Apostolicae sedis Legatus c. Has autem dignitates quos pretio obtinuerat immoderato excessu exercuit volens locellos quas in earum impetratione evacuerat reficere c. This Chancellour as is probable had the custody of one part of the Seale in this Kings absence for the better administration of justice though the King carried the other part of the great Seale with him into the warres pretended to be there lost as you shall presently heare I finde divers of this Kings Charters Letters Writs before and after his voyage to the Holy-land recited in i Hoveden These Charters which questionlesse were sealed with his Seale were subscribed by sundry witnesses the Writs and Charters concluding with a Teste meipso apud Chinonem c. The Charter of the Manor of Sadburgh to Hugh Bishop of Durham is thus dated Datum anno primo regni nostri 18 die Septembris apud Eatingat per manum Willielmi de longo campo CANCELLARII NOSTRI During this King Richards imprisonment in Germany Henry the Emperour sent Letters to the Nobles of England for this King by William Longchamp his Chauncellour AUREA BULLA IMBULLATAS in hac forma sealed with a golden Bull in this forme And soone after this k Chancellor William Briwere and others concluding a peace betweene this King and Phillip King of France authorized thereto by the Kings Letters Patents these Commissioners not onely sware to but sealed the Articles of this truce as this close of it manifests Quae omnia praedicta ut rata permaneant inconcussa ego Willielmus de Rupibus ego Joannes de Pratellis ego Willielmus Briwere per praeceptum Regis Angliae Domini nostri SIGILLORUM NOSTRORUM ATTESTATIONE ROBORAVIMUS Actum Meduneae Anno ab incarnatione Domini 1193. octav● Idus Julii And the very next yeere the l Letters and instrument of the truce made between these two Kings by Drogo and Anselme and sworne by them in the French Kings behalfe have this conclusion Et nos ut omnia praedicta firma sint stabilita universa praedicta SIGILLIS NOSTRIS ROBORAVIMUS Actum inter Vernelium Thilers Anno incarnati verbi 1194. 23 die Iulii King Richard being released this very yeere which was the sixt of his raigne out of prison and new crowned among other oppressve projects to raise moneys to maintaine his warres which made him an extraordinary oppressiour of his people m caused a NEW BROADE SEALE TO BE MADE the portrayture whereof you may view in Speed pretending that the old was lost when Roger his VICE-CHANCELLOR was drowned before Cyprus and that his CHANCELLOR during his imprisonment had abused THIS SEALE whereupon he tooke it from him requiring and cōmanding that all persons as well Clergy men as Lay men who had Charters or confirmations UNDER HIS OLD SEALE should bring them in to be renued UNDER HIS NEW SEALE and unlesse they did so that nothing which had beene passed BY HIS OLD SEALE should be ratified or held good in Law By which device he drew a great masse of Money to his Treasury subscribing his new-Sealed Charters thus This was the tenor of our Charter under our first Seale which because it was lost and at the time of our being captive in Almayne in the power of another WE CAUSED TO BE CHANGED c. Which n Hoveden thus relates Et imputans Cancellario suo hoc per ipsum fuisse factum ABSTULIT AB EO SIGILLUM SUUM facit sib NOVUM SIGILLUM FIERI tum quia CANCELLARIUS ille operatus fuerat inde minus discrete quàm esset necesse tum quia SIGILLUM ILLUD perditum erat quando Rogerus malus catul●o VICE-CANCELLARIUS SUUS submersus erat in maeri ante insulam de Cypro praecepit Rex quod OMNES tam clerici quam laici qui Chartas habebant venirent AD NOVUM SIGILLUM SUUM ad Chartas suas renovandas nisi fecerint NIHIL quod actum fuerat PER SIGILLUM SUUM VETUS RATUM HABERETUR Praterea Rex statuit torniamenta fieri in Anglia Chartasua confirmavit c. making them also a money matter By which passages it is apparent First that all these Kings Patents Charters were sealed with his great Seale Secondly that the abuse losse or absence of the great Seale is a sufficient cause to make a new one Thirdly that the profit made by the great Seale and project of raising moneys by new Charters sealed with it was the true originall cause all sealing of Charters and VVrits with his Seale and making it simply necessary in Law there being no publique resolution or

declaration declaring Charters or Writs not sealed with the great Seale to be voyd in Law for ought I finde before this project unlesse that forementioned touching the Conqueror passe for a Law and judgement in this particular Fourthly that the Chancellour in this Kings raigne had the custody of the Great Seale the indiscreet use and abuse whereof was good ground in Law to deprive him of its custody What the Office and dignity of the Chancellour really was in that age appeares by this description of it written in or neere that time o Cancellarii dignitas est ut SECUNDUS A REGE in Regno habeatur ut ALTERA PARTE SIGILLI REGII QUOD ET AD EIUS PERTINET CUSTODIAM PROPRIA SIGNET MANDATA Vt capella Regia in illius fit dispositione cura Vt vacantes Archiepiscopatus Episcopatus Abbatias Baronias cadentes in manum Regis ipse suscipiat conservet Vt omnibus Regiis assit consilis etiam non vocatus accedat Vt omnia SIGILLIFERI CLERICI REGII sua manu signentur Item ut suffragantibus ex Dei gratia vitae meritis non moriatur nisi Archiepiscopus vel Episcepus si voluerit And by the blacke Booke of the Exchequer attributed to Gervasius Talburiensis par 1. c. 5. Cancellarius ficut in Curia sic ad Scaccarium MAGNUS est adeo ut sine ejus consensu vel consilio nihil magnum fiat vel fieri debeat Verùm hoc habet officium dum residet ad Scaccarium ADIPSUM PERTINET CUSTODIA SIGILLI REGII quod est in Thesauro sed inde non recedit nisi cum praecepto * Justiciae ab inferiori ad superius Scaccarium à Thesaurario vel Camerario defertur ad explenda solum negotia scaccarii Quibus peractis in loculum mittitur loculus à Cancellario consignatur sic Thesaurario traditur custodiendus c. The custody therefore of the great Seale was then reputed an unseparable part of the Chancellors Office and honour King Iohn succeeding his brother Richard by the Nobles and peoples election rather then by discent as p Matthew Paris with others observe had both a great Seale and q Chancellors who kept it with which he sealed divers Charters Among others one Letters Parents SIGILLO NOSRO MUNITAS to the Archbishop of Canterbury Monkes and other Prelates persecuted by him r restoring them to their liberties and possessions which was dated the 13. day of May in the 14. yeere of his reigne Another dated 〈◊〉 15. of the same moneth at the house of the Templars neere Dover Chartam SIGILLO NOSTRO MUNITAM of his most detestable resignation of the Kingdome and Crowne of England to the Pope delivered to Pandulph the Popes Legate to whom he did homage for England and Ireland after this surrender which Charter first sealed with Wax and after delivered to Pandulph was the same yeere afterwards in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul before the high Altar in the presence of the Clergie and people AURO BULLATA EST sealed with gold and delivered to Nicholas Bishop of Tusculan the Popes Legate to the use of the Pope and Church of Rome to whom he then did homage to his eternall infamy which so much discontented his Nobles Prelates and people that they tooke up Armes against him and inforced him in an Assembly and Treaty at Running-mead to grant them the great Charter of their Liberties and Charter of the Forest ratified with his SEALE Oath Witnesses Subscriptions the Bishops Excommunications and Popes Bull and then sent his Letters Patents to all the Counties of England commanding the Sheriffs to sweare all the men within their Bailywicks to observe the said Lawes and Liberties thus granted and ratified in the 17. yeere of his reigne In briefe the Charter of the truce betweene King Iohn and King Philip of France registred in ſ Hoveden was sealed with his Seale concluding thus Qua ut perpetuum robur obtineant prae sentem Chartam authoritate SIGILLI NOSTRI corrobora●●● Anno 1200. mense Maii. In this Kings raigne the Chancellors place through the benefit of the Seale became so gainefull t that Walter de Gray afterward Archbishop of York profered the King 5000 Markes pro habenda CANCELLARIA which was then no Court but the Office of making and sealing royall Writs and Charters Domini Regis tota vita sua pro habenda inde Charta Dom. Regis which great place he then obtained or rather purchased by his money not merits King Henry the third comming to the Crown by the Lords and Commons u election rather then by discent when he was but nine yeeres and some odde moneths old in the ninth yeere of his raigne ratified x Magna Charta and the Charter of the Forest in Parliament under His hand and Seale with Witnesses thereunto subscribed and commanding as many Charters to be engrossed as there were Counties in England ET REGIO SIGILLO MUNITIS and ratified WITH THE ROYALL SEALE he sent one of the great Charters into every Shire and one Charter of the Forest into every County where there were Forests to be there reserved But this unconstant King comming to age within two yeeres after y in a Parliament at Oxford a fatall place for ill advice to our Kings through ill Councell to the great discontent of his Nobles and Commons annulled the Charter of the Forest declaring it voyd as granted in his non-age when he had no power of Himselfe NOR OF HIS SEALE and so of no validity and causing Proclamation to be made that hath the Clergie and all others if they would enjoy those Liberties should renew their Charters AND HAVE THEM CONFIRMED UNDER HIS NEW SEALE which he had then caused to be made onely by way of project to raise moneys as Richard the first had done For which they were constrained to pay not according to their ability but the will of the chiefe Iustice Hugh de Burgh to whom was laid the charge of this mischiefe which procured him the generall hate of the Kingdome and begat a new insurrection of the Lords and Commons who taking up Armes hereupon enforced the King to call a Parliament and therein to new ratifie those Charters at his full age In this Kings reigne all Patents if not Writs and Commissions too usually issued under the Great or Lesser Seale of which there are divers presidents extant in Matthew Paris and in the clause and Patent rolls of this King to which I shall referre you And such notice was then taken of the dignity and necessity of the Kings Seale to Charters and Writs that Henry de Bracton a famous Lawyer in those daies writes expresly That it was no lesse then Treason to counterfeit the Kings Scale z Est aliud genus criminis lesae Majestatis quod inter graviora numeratur quia ultimum inducit supplicium mortis occasionem scil

publike ends alone I humbly conceive the Parliament both lawfully may cause a new Great Seale of England to be engraven constitute a Chan●ellour to keepe it and seale Writs for new Elections Writs of Errour in Parliament with other necessary Writs and Commissions with it for the publike administration expedition of Justice the better transaction of all Parliamentary State affaires now obstructed to which the great Seale is requisite This I shall endeavour to make good by Presidents by reasons of Law and State-policy beginning with the new making and then proceeding to the keeping and ordering of the Seale during the present differences and necessity First there are two memorable Presidents in our Histories and Records of making a new great Seale by the Lords and Commons in Parliament without the Kings actuall assent which will over-rule our present case I shall begin with the ancientest of them * King Henry the third departing this life whiles his sonne Prince Edward was militating in the Holy Land against Christs enemies hereupon the Nobles and States assembled at the new Temple in London the day after the Kings funerall proclaimed Prince Edward his sonne King ordained him successor of his Fathers honours though they knew not whether he were living ET FACTO SIGILLO NOVO writes Matthew Westminster And CAUSING A NEW SEALE TO BE MADE so Daniel they appointed faithfull Ministers and KEEPERS for the faithfull custody both of the Seal Kings Treasure and Kingdoms peace Loe here a new great Seale made by the Lords and States in the Kings absence without his privity for the necessary execution of justice either in an assembly out of Parliament as some suppose this meeting was or at least wise in a Parliament assembled held yea ordaining a new great Seale new Officers of King and State without the Kings presence or privity and then it is our present case in effect For if this Assembly of the States even out of or in Parliament in this case of necessity during the Kings inevitable absence might lawfully make both a new great Seale Chancellour Treasurer Judges Justices of peace and other Officers of King and State as they did and conceived they might justly doe none then or since disavowing or censuring this Act of theirs for ought I reade but all approving applauding it as legall then certainly this Parliament assembled and ratified by the King himselfe being the greatest soveraigne power and having farre more Jurisdiction then any Councell or Assembly of Lords out of Parliament may much more justly and loyally cause a new great Seale to be engraven and appoint a Keeper of it during the wilfull absence both of the King Keeper and old great Seale from Parliament contrary to all Law and former Presidents for the better expedition of Justice and transaction of the affairs of the Parliament being the Parliaments proper Seale and anciently appointed by it as Hornes * preceding words import The second president is that of King Henry the 6 his reigne who being but an * infant of 9. moneths age when the Crown descended to him there * issued forth a Commission in this Babes name to Humfry Duke of Gloucester his Uncle then Protector to summon and hold a Parliament in his name which being assembled Num. 14. The Bishop of Durham Lord Chaeuncellor to Henry the 5th resigned up the old Seale of England to King Henry the 6. in the presence of divars credible witnesses and the Bishop of London Chancellor of the Dutchy of Normandy resigned up also the seale of that Dukedom to him After which Num. 15. It was enacted and provided by the Lord Protector Lords and Commons in that Parliament That for as much as the inheritance of the Kingdomes and Crownes of France England and Ireland were now lawfully descended to the King which Title was not expressed in the Kings SEALES whereby great peril might accrue to the King if the said Inscriptions were not reformed according to his Title of inheritance that therefore IN ALL THE KINGS SEALS as wel in ENGLAND as in IRELAND GVYEN and WALES this New Stile should be engraven Henricus Dei Gratia Rex Franciae et Augliae et Dominus Hibemiae according to the effect of his Inheritances blotting out whatsoever was formerly in them superfluous or contrary to the said stile And that COMMAND should be given to All the Keepers of the said Seales of the King to REFORME them WITHOVT DELAY according to the FORME AND EFFECT OF THE NEW SEALE aforesaid Num. 16. The Lords and Commons in this Parliament constitute and ordaine a new LORD CHANCELOVR OF ENGLAND Lord Treasurer and KEEPER OF THE PRIVY SEALE granting them saverall Letters Patents of these Offices in Parliament in the Kings name And Num 17. The Liberties Annuities and Offices granted by King Henry the 5. and his Ancestors to Souldiers in foreigne parts were confirmed in Parliament and their Parents ordered TO BE SEALED WITH THE KINGS NEW SEALES with our paying any Fee Here we have not onely the Great but Privy Seal yea all the Kings Seales in England Ireland France Wales Resigned Altered Ordered to be new made and the Chancellours and Keepers of them expresly Created by the Lords and Commons in Parliament without any Personal actual consent of the King then an Infant for the necessary administration of Iustice and great Affaires of the Realme No man ever questioning much lesse censuring this Act of theirs as illegall or treasonable within the Statute of 25. E. 3. of counterfeiting the Kings Seale but all approoving it as just and necessary Therefore doubtlesse the present Parliament may doe the like in this unparallel'd case both of the Kings L. Keepers the great and privy Seales wilfull absence and substraction from the Parliament of purpose to obstruct all proceedings in Parliament and the course of common Iustice These two famous Presidents are not singular but backed with the Authority of Iudge Horne fore-cited p. 15. and many other of like nature and reason even in printed Statutes The Statute of Acton Burnel made in the 13. yeare of King Edward the first for the more speedy recovery of the Merchants Debts gives the Mayors of London Yorke and Bristall authority to take Recognisances of Debts before them to be made by the Clerke appointed for that purpose whereunto the SEALE of the Debtor shall be put with THE KINGS SEALE THAT SHALL BE PROVIDED FOR THAT PVRPOSE the which SEALE SHALL REMAINE IN THE KEEPING OF THE MAIOR and CLERKE A FORE-SAID And THE KINGS SEALE shall be put unto the sale and delivery of the goods devisable for a perpetuall witnesse Wee have here a New Seal of the Kings with speciall keepers of it appointed for Recognisances and the uses thereof limited by a speciall Act of Parliament confirmed in another Parliament touching Statute Merchants made the same yeare 13. E. 1. which further enacts That ANOTHER SEALE SHALL BE PROVIDED that shall serve for Faires And that the same

together with all the Officers of that Court their Oathes and Fees So 34. H. 8. c. 26. enacts that there shall be severall Originall and judiciall SEALES MADE for the severall Counties and Circuits of Wales prescribes the severall parties that shall keepe these seales what Writts and Processes they shall seale with them and what fees they shall take for them as you may read at large in the Act. In like manner the statutes of 32. H. 8. c. 45. 33. H. 8. c. 22. enact the Court of Wards Liveries to be a Court of Record and that they shall have ONE SEALE to be engravin and made after such form fashion and manner as shall be appointed by the Kings Highnesse which shal remaine and be ordered as is afterward declared in those Acts prescibing who shall keepe it how it shall be used and what Fees shall be paid for it And 32. H. 8. c. 45. ordaines a particular SEAL for the Court of first Fruites and Tenthes which it erects with the Officers that shall keepe it their Oathes and Fees for sealing with it True it is these Statutes leave the forme and fashion of these Seales last mentioned to the Kings appointment which they might have likewise prescribed as in the former Acts being is matter of no great moment but the Keepers use ordering and fees of all these Seales are punctually limited by the Parliament and not left arbitrary to the King And to trouble you with no more Acts of this nature the statute of 1. E. 6. c. 2 enacts That all Arch-Bishops and spirituall persons under the paine of a Premunire even in the Kings Ecclesiasticall Courts shall make out all their Processes in the Kings name with the Kings stile as it is in Writs originall and judiciall at the Common Law and shall from the first day of I●ly have IN THEIR SEALES OF OFFICE THE KINGS HIGHNESSE ARMES DECENTLY SET with certaine Carects under the Annes for the knowledge of the Diocesse and shall use NO OTHER SEALE OF JURISDICTION but wherein his Majesties Armes be engraven Here the expresse forme as well as use of these seales is prescribed by the Parliament and not left Arbitrary to the King or Bishops If then our Parliaments in all these cases have thus prescribed New Seales of the Kings for his Courts and Officers together with the forme custody use and fees of them in these severall Acts why they may not likewise enjoy the making of a New broad Seal to supply the absence of the old in the cases fore-mentioned I cannot yet discover it being the Parliaments Seal and GREAT SEAL OF-ENGLAND and so commonly stiled in sundry printed statutes as well as the Kings in respect of the publike justice and affaires of the Realme of England and Parliament which represents it If the Major Bayliffes Bishop Dean President of a Colledge Mr. of a Company Abbot or Prior or chief Justice shall detaine or withdraw the common Seales of their severall Corporations or Courts the Common Counsell Aldermen Chapter Fellowes Livery-men and Courts may doubtlesse lawfully make new Seales without yea against their consents and use them too for their common affaires without injury or forgery And why the Parliament then may not in such cases make a new great Seale of England by like reason without the Kings consent when the old their onely Seal is purposely withdrawne and kept from them to hinder their proceedings I cannot yet discerne If any here object First that it is High Treason both by the Common and Statute Law to counterfeit or make the Kings great Seale without his privity or consent as is evident by Glanuil Bracton Britton here forecited 3 E. 1. c. 15. 25. E. 3. Stat. 5. C. 2. of Treasons 5. H. 4. C. 15. 27. H. 8. C. 2. 1. E. 6. C. 12. 1. Mar. Parl. 1. C. 6. Stamford L. 1. C. 1. Brooke Treason 3. 13. 17. Cromptons Iurisdiction of Courts 69. and generally all our Law-bookes Therefore for the Parliament or any else by their command to make and use a new broad Seale I answer 1 That this is true onely of private men who make a broad Seale by their owne particular Authority in deceite of the King and Kingdome not of the Parliament or any imployed to make or use it by their Authority The Parliament the Supreamest Power of all others being uncapable of Treason and out of the words and intention of the seand all Acts concerning Treason as I have a elsewhere proved at large to which I shall referre you Secondly the King hath his great Seale of England not in his owne particular but the Kingdomes and peoples right alone as their publique Minister and servant for their use and benefit the Kingdome and Parliament which represents it being the b Proprietors of this Seal which upon the Kings decease is ever surrendred to the successor King as belonging to the Kingdome as the seales of other Corporations goe to the Mayors Bishops Deanes Abbots Presidents Succesors not their Heires Executors or Administrators as other mens Seals doe The Kingdom and Parliament therefore being the true Proprietors of it as it is the publique Seal of the Kingdome not the King may lawfully give order for the new making of it even without the King in case of necessity when it is unduly withdrawn with-held Thirdly the Forging of the great Seale is high Treason onely as it is the c Kingdomes common Seale not the Kings private and particular Seale and an offence against the Kingdome and King himselfe only in his politick publike capacity as head of the Kingdome not in his private whence counterseiting of the Kings signe manual privy signet or privy Seales were no high Treason at Common Law being no publike but rather private Seales of the Kings till they were made so by 27. H. 8. c. 2. since repealed by 1. E. 6. c. 12. 1. Mariae Sest. 1. c. 1. Rastall Treason 13. and so no Treason at this day even as the compassing of the Kings death is no Treason considered onely as he is a private man but as a d publike person invested with his politick Royall capacity If then the Parliament the representative body of the Kingdome against which all treason in counterfeiting the Great Seal are principally committed the true proprietory of this seale shall order a New great Seale to be made or used for the service of it selfe and the Kingdome in this case of necessity it cannot possibly be high Treason in them or their Agents for then they should be Traytors to and against themselues and suffer for an Offence against themselves and the Realme done by their owne Votes and assents in Parliament Fourthly the counterfeiting of the Great Seale mentioned in those Law bookes and Statutes is that onely which is secret fraudulent traitorly in deceit of the King Kingdome Subjects f like to counterfeiting of false many ever joyned with it by private persons as our Law Bookes and

Magna Charta and other Acts be not delayed nor denied to any Subjects that desire or neede it being the supreamest Court of Justice to punish all offences neglects supply all defects in the highest Officers of Justice Therefore to provide a new broad Seale and Keeper of it since publike Justice is denied to most obstructed delayed to all by the unlegall wilfull absence of the old great Seale and Lord Keeper from the Parliament and Courts at Westminster Fifthly The Houses of Parliament in point of honour trust duty more especially since their late Protestations and Covenants are bound universally to preserve their own just Priviledges Rights and Liberties whereof these are indubitable ones That the Lord Chancellour Keeper of the Great Seal of England together with the Seal it selfe remaining in his custody ought alwaies constantly to attend the Parliament and be present with it First x because the Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seale is alwaies a necessary member of the Vppor-House and the Speaker of it by vertue of his very Office Secondly because not onely constant custome but y sundry Acts of Parliament require the Chancellours and Keepers speciall presence in Parliament in direct termes Thirdly because the Chancellour and Great Seale are and ought to be necessarily present in Parliament being the onely proper Seale of this highest Court for divers publique ends 1. To issue out Writs z of summons and new elections for summoning the Members of both Houses as oft as there is need to keep the Houses compleat 2. To seale Writs of a Error brought in Parliament 3. To Seale b Writs of Priviledge for members of Parliament or their meniall servants when there is cause 4. To issue and Seale such c new Writs as shall be devised in Parliament upon new occasions 5. To issue out and seale such d Commissions as shall be necessary upon publique imployments Trials criminall or judiciall Taxes or Subsidies appointed in and by Parliament 6. To seale such e Patents and Charters of Honours Lands Priviledges Offices and the like which shall be thought meet to be granted in Parliament as most old Charters were 7. To seale Parliament pardons and all Proclamations exemplifications of private Acts of Parliament and such Acts as are to be proclaimed to such who require them 2 H. 5. c. 4. 1 R. 2. c. 6. 1 H. 7. f. 23. 25. Coronc 49. 33 H. 6. 17. Parl. 1. 21 E. 4. 56. Dyer 135. Cooke l. 8. f. 7. 8. 28. 43 E. 3. c. 5. 2 H. 5. c. 46. 1 H. 6. c. 2. 26 E. 3. c. 16. Ashes Tables Proclamation 39. In all these respects with others the Lord Chancellours Keepers and great Seales presence being simply necessary in Parliament where by Law and custome they ever have beene and ought to be till this late president The Houses lawfully may and in point both of honour and justice ought for the maintenance of their owne undoubted priviledges to constitute a new great Seale and Keeper of it if the old be not returned to them speedily having beene wilfully above twelve Moneth space withdrawne detained from them on purpose to dissolve the Parliament retard or frustrate all its proceedings and stop the common course of justice contrary to all Law and Justice In few words this Parliament without any exception of King Courtiers Malignants or any other I have yet heard of have made a new master of the Mint at least restored an old one to his place who was dispossessed coyned money and made new stamps for that purpose where the old were broken or worne out without the Kings consent or any tax of treason or disloyalty Therefore by the selfe-same Law and reason they may lawfully make a new Great Seale and Lord Keeper of it for the ends aforesaid to supply the absence defects and prevent the grosse abuses of the old without any Treason or disloyalty The VOTES of the House of COMMONS together with their reasons for the making of a new Great Seale of England presented by them to the LORDS at a Conference Iuly 4. 5. Anno 1643. Resolved upon the Question June 14. 26. 1. THat the Great Seale of England ought to attend the Parliament 2. That the absence of it hath been a cause of great mischiefe to the Common-wealth 3. That a Remedy ought to be provided for these mischiefes 4. That the proper remedy is by making a New Great Seale The mischiefes occasioned by conveying away the Great Seale from the Parliament represented to the Lords at a Conference Iuly 5. 1643. are these 1. IT was secretly and unlawfully carried away by the Lord Keeper contrary to the duty of his place who ought himselfe to have attended the Parliament and not to have departed without leave nor should have beene suffered to convey away the Great Seale if his intentions had been discovered 2. It hath been since taken away from him and put into the hands of other dangerous and ill affected persons so as the Lord Keeper being sent unto by the Parliament for the sealing of some Writs returned answer That he could not Seale the same because he had not the Seale in his keeping 3. Those who have had the mannaging thereof have imployed it to the hurt and destruction of the Kingdome sundry waies By making new Sheriffes in an unusuall and unlawfull manner to be as so many Generals or Commanders of Forces raised against the Parliament By issuing out illegall Commissions of Array with other unlawfull Commissions for the same purpose By sending forth Proclamations against both Houses of Parliament and severall Members thereof proclaiming them Traitors against the Priviledges of Parliament and Lawes of the Land By sealing Commissions of Oyer and Terminer to proceed against them and other of His Majesties good Subjects adhearing to the Parliament as Traitors By sending Commissions into Ireland to treate a peace with the Rebels there contrary to an Act of Parliament made this Session Besides divers other Dangerous and illegall acts have been passed under the Great Seale since it was secretly conveyed away from the Parliament whereby great calamities and mischiefes have ensued to the Kindomes prejudice The mischiefes proceeding through want of the Great Seale 1. THe Termes have been adjourned the course of justice obstructed 2. No originall Writs can be sued forth without going to Oxford which none who holds with the Parliament can doe without perill of his life or liberty 3. Proclamations in Parliament cannot issue out for bringing in Delinquents impeached of High-Treason or other Crimes under paine of forfeiting their estates according to the ancient course 4. No Writs of Error can be brought in Parliament to reverse erronious judgements nor Writs or Election sued out for choosing new Members upon death or removall of any whereby the number of the Members is much lessened and the Houses in time like to be dissolved if speedy supply be not had contrary to the very