A DECLARATION OR, REMONSTRANCE OF The Office of a PRINCE, and his COUNSELLORS.  
ALSO, The Duty and Obligement of the People, and Subjects; collected and extracted forth of the most Divine and Politic AUTHORS, that have treated of the same SUBJECT.  
NEWLY Sent from York, by a Gentleman now residing there, to intimate a Loyalty to his Majesty, and love to his Country; with an humble desire for a true understanding between our King and his People.  
Whereunto Is annexed the King's Majesties five last Propositions to the Parliament; with their determinate Answer by way of Resolution in three distinct VOTES.  
August 3d LONDON, Printed by john Hammond, and Math: Rhodes. 1642.   

A Declaration or Remonstrance of the office of a Prince and His Counsellors.  
THE Council of a Prince, is a certain congregating or meeting together of select men, to advise the Prince in the time of War or Peace. Whose Office is to be mindful of time past to look to the present and to foresee those to come, the success of their Consultations are happy shunning inconveniences or at last they find some means to extenuate them.  
A Counsel (their respect to the Prince preserved) do by course play the part almost of all his senses as his understanding, memory, eyes, ears, speech, hands, and feet. But to the People they are a Father, Tutor, and Governor; If a Prince and Council be unanimous they are God Vicegerents on earth, from hence by the constitution of good Counsel the Prince receives his essence the Councillors their due honours the People their Protection under good Laws giving honour both to Prince and Counsellors as to the true Ministers of GOD called lawfully to govern them, But on the contrary by bad Council, or by misunderstandings or dissensions between the Prince and Council, the Prince honers not only hourly blemished and his estate and dignity in danger of subvertion but the People also to be destroyed and Country to be laid waist by a foreign Invasion, or by Civil Dissension to be utterly ruined.  
These things are of that weight that I do not think any thing in this life can be found of greater moment, and therefore in my judgement, it is not the least duty of a Prince to be diligent in finding, circumspect in electing, and cautions in constituting and authorising so needful a part of himself as is a Council, least choosing such as are more fraught with honours then wisdom, or those that are rich in the goods of Fortune, wanting the richer endowments of the mind, the one should prove covetous to add wealth to his honours, and the other ambitious to add honour to his riches, and so whilst either perpetrate their own Designs, neglecting the chief end for which they were chosen, the whole Commonwealth fall into a most dangerous hazard, till at last finding their own errors, and being unwilling to publish their own frailties to the world's public knowledge, they are enforced to inngulfe themselves in the justification of most dangerous falsehoods, and still in what they may to lay the whole burden on the innocent Prince, or at least on some pretended Councillors about him, still urging and pretending new doubts and fears, those jealousies being firmly grounded on a malignant Party, which indeed is to be found (and that nor seldom) amongst themselves.  
Many Councillors when by their own ambitions and malignant practices they find the State disturbed and out of order, and things not to succeed according to their desires, they usually command their Bid-dayes to be kept, and the People to fast for the Sins of the Council, alleging to them, that God Almighty for Sin doth punish the Nation; and in this (indeed) I verily believe they speak the perfect truth; for Envy or Ambition, Mistrust or disagrements in or between a Council and their Prince and such Sins as bring not only to themselves, but even to the whole Commonwealth ruin and calamity; in consideration whereof, I would advise the Council to ask nothing of their Prince but what is sit for him to grant, and the Prince to deny them nothing that is sit for them to ask; for it is the duty both of Prince and Councillors so to be have themselves towards the Commonwealth, that the justice of the Law may not only be equally distributed, and the poor defended from the oppression of the rich; but also that peace may be maintained with foreign Princes, and public Commerce increased, to the profit of the Subject, and honour of the Kingdom.  
It is the duty of the Council, who are the Members of the Body Politic, in all humility and obedience, to advise and treat with their Prince the head of that Body; for as in a Body natural it would appear altogether preposterous to see the feet to spurn at the Head, or the hands ready to strike at it; so it is a thing altogether as uncomely, and of fare more dangerous consquence, to have any Member or Members of the Body Politic to presume to rebel against their Head the Prince.  
A Prince ought to look on his great Council as on the representative Body of the Kingdom, being lawfully called together and elected by the People general Suffrages: But that Council ought to look on their Princes as on the representative soul of the whole Commonwealth elected and authorized by the power or God himself, his Government being established by his lineal Succession, and confirmed by the Laws of the Land being invested and received with the general applause of all his Subjects. Should a Prince after his election and confirmation prove wicked in all those horrid degrees, men's imaginations are able to apprehend yet ought not his People or Council to presume to go about to enforce him to aught otherwise then by humble entreaty and advice.  
David though anointed by the Prophet Samuel durst not presume to lift his hand against the first anointed Saul: Saint Paul commands Christians to obey those Heathen Princes to whom they were naturally borne Subjects, showing obedience to be due from Subjects to their Princes as from Princes to God.  
King's are Gods earthly Deputies and no man can rebel against the one but he is doubtless a Traitor to both; Kings ought (as God) to be entreated not compelled; If a Prince be misled by bad Councillors or by the advice of malcontented persons yet it were much better for the good of the Commonwealth, to cover and palliate the Prince's errors or neglects then to discover or declare them to the knowledge of his Subjects for the Majesty of a Prince can hardly endure those opprobrious indignities as may in any likely hood render him odious to his people.  
Councillor's being summoned and elected by the Power and authority of the Prince only may at his pleasure by the same Prerogative be discharged and dispersed nor is it in the power of the Prince to part with (especially for a time unlimited) any part or title of his Prerogative Royal, As for a precedent. The second Richard King of England parting with his Prerogative Royal as in farm to Bushy Baggot and Gree●e were adjudged to be executed as Traitors.  
The Parliament then adiuding it not to be in the power of the King to disinvest his Successors of any part of his or their due Prerogative, the dissension that was between this King and his Parliaments, and miserable Events and bloody massacres that succeeded them, and his Deposing might me thinks deter all Christian Princes and Councillors from the like occasions thereby to eschew the like effects. As for Deposers of Princes and Usurpers, I think there is no man doubts but they may have an equal share of Damnation be their pretences never so fair.  
Religion and a care of the public good, are two easy steps to popularity, and the best and safest cloaks to hid black, treacherous and mischievous intents. I hope the consideration of what hath already past in England, and the present miseries of Germany with the knowledge of Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus arden's. will make every true Englishman so wise, as reflecting on the miseries passed not to be our hasty to become engaged in new mischiefs lest the loss should prove insupportable or the wounds incurable. And for my part, for the prosperity and safety of this Kingdom I shall every pray to God to continue the People in their due obedience, the Counsellors and Nobility in constant Loyalty and his Sacred Majesty in love and amity with his Peers and People.  
FINIS.   

A true Copy of the King's Majesties five last Propositions to the Parliament: with their determinate Answer, by way of Resolution, in three disticnt VOTES.  

His Majesty's Propositions were these following; viz.  
FIrst, That they would recall the Ordinance made by the consent of both Houses of Parliament concerning the Militia, whereby his Majesty hath been enforced to make these his Preparations.  
Secondly, That they would deliver up his Majesty's Magazine taken from Hull, be forthwith put into hands in which His Majesty may confide.  
Thirdly that His Navy be forthwith surrended by the Earl of Warwick to Sir John Pennington.  
Fourthly, That all Arms, Levies, and Provisions for War, made by the consent of both Houses be immediately laid down.  
Fiftly, That the Parliament might be adjourned to some place where His Majesty might with security come near them, and join with them in their consultations.   

The Parliaments Resolutions in three Votes; viz.  
FIrst, That an Army should be forthwith raised for the safety of the King's Person, defence of both Houses of Parliament, and of those that have obeyed their Orders and Cammands, and preserving of the Religion, the Law Liberty, and Peace of the Kingdom.  
Secondly, That the Earl of Essex shall be General.  
Thirdly, That in this Cause for the safety of the King's Persons, defence of both Houses of Parliament, and those who have obeyed their Orders and Commands, and preserving of the true Religion the Laws, Liberties, and Peace of the Kingdom; They will live and die with the Earl of Essex, whom they have nominated General in this cause.    

ORdered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that this be Printed and published.  
Hen. Elsing▪ Cler. Parl. D. Com.