HIS majesty's REASONS Against the pretended jurisdiction of the high Court of justice, which he intended to deliver in writiting on Monday January 22. 1648.  
Faithfully transcribed out of the original copy under the Kings own Hand.  
HAving already made my protestations not only against the illegality of this pretended Court, but also that no earthly power can justly call me (who am your King) in question as a Delinquent, I would not any more open my mouth upon this occasion, more than to refer myself to what I have spoken, were I alone in this case concerned. But the duty I owe to God in the preservation of the true Liberty of my People, will not suffer me at this time to be silent: For, how can any freeborn Subject of England call life or any thing he possesseth his own, if power without right daily make new, and abrogate the old fundamental Law of the Land, which I now take to be the present case. Wherefore when I came hither, I expected that you would have endeavoured to have satisfied me concerning these grounds, which hinder me to Answer to your pretended impeachment; but since I see that nothing I can say will move you to it (though Negatives are not so naturally proved as Affirmatives) yet I will show you the Reason why I am confident you cannot judge me, nor indeed the meanest man in England; for I will not (like you) without showing a reason, seek to impose a belief upon my Subjects.  
There is no proceeding just against any man, 
Hereabout I was stopped, and not suffered to speak any more concerning Reasons  but what is warranted either by God's laws, or the municipal laws of the Country where he lives. Now I am most confident, that this days proceeding cannot be warranted by God's Law, for on the contrary the authority of obedience unto Kings is clearly warranted and strictly commanded both in the Old and new Testament; which if denied, I am ready instantly to prove: and for the question now in hand, there it is said, That where the word of a King is, there is Power, and who may say unto him, what dost thou: Eccles. 8.4. Then for the laws of this Land, I am no less confident, that no learned Lawyer will affirm that an impeachment can lie against the King, they all going in his name; and one of their maxims is, that the King can do no wrong. Besides the Law upon which you ground your proceedings, must either be old or new; if old, show it; if new, tell, what authority warranted by the fundamental laws of the Land hath made it, and when. But how the House of Commons can erect a Court of Judicature, which was never one itself (as is well known to all Lawyers) I leave to God and the World to judge; And it were fall as strange that they should pretend to make laws without King or Lords-House, to any that have heard speak of the laws of England.  
And admitting, but not granting, that the people of England's Commission could grant your pretended power, I see nothing you can show for that; for certainly you never asked the question of the tenth man of the kingdom, and in this way you manifestly wrong even the poorest ploughman, if you demand not his free consent; nor can you pretend any colour for this your pretended, Commission without the consent at least of the major part of every man in England, of whatsoever quality or condition, which I am sure, you never went about to seek; so farlare you from having it. Thus you see that I speak not for my own right alone, as I am your King, but also for the true Liberty of all my Subjects, which consists not in sharing the power of Government, but in living under such laws, such a Government as may give themselves the best assurance of their lives and propriety of their goods. Nor in this must or do I forget the privileges of both Houses of Parliament, which this day's proceedings doth not only violate, but likewise occasion the greatest breach of their public Faith that (I believe) ever was heard of, with which I am far from charging the two Houses: for all the pretended Crimes laid against me, bear date long before this late Treaty at Newport, in which I having concluded as much as in me lay, and hopefully expecting the two Houses agreement there unto, I was suddenly surprised, and hurried from thence as a prisoner, upon which account I am against my will brought hither, where since I am come, I, cannot but to my power defend the ancient laws and Liberties of this kingdom, together with my own just right; then for any thing I can see the higher House is totally excluded.  
And for the House of Commons, it is too well known that the major part of them are detained or detered from sitting, so as if I had no other, this were sufficient for me to protest against the lawfulness of your pretended Court. Besides all this, the peace of the kingdom is not the least in my thoughts, and what hopes of settlement is there so long as power reigns without rule of Law, changing the whole frame of that Government under which this Kingdom hath flourished for many hundred years, (nor will I say what will fall out in case this lawless unjust proceeding against me do go on) and believe it the Commons of England will not thank you for this change, for they will remember how happy they have been of late years under the Reign Q. Elizabeth, the King my Father, and myself, until the beginning of these unhappy troubles, and will have cause to doubt that they shall never be so happy under any new. And by this time it will be too sensibly evident, that the arms I took up were only to defend the fundamental laws of this Kingdom, against those who have supposed my power hath totally changed the ancient Government.  
Thus having showed you briefly the Reasons, why I cannot submit to your pretended authority without violating the trust which I have from God, for the welfare and liberty of my People; I expect from you either clear Reasons to convince my Judgement, showing me that I am in an error (and then truly I will readily answer) or that you will withdraw your proceedings.  
 
This I intended to speak in Westminster-Hall on Monday 22. January, but against reason was hindered to show my Reasons.   

Printed in the year 1648.