EIGHT PROPOSITIONS CONCERNINC The King's Majesty, and the Crown of ENGLAND; Presented to the view of all His Majesty's loyal Subjects within his Realms and Dominions. Together with several Proposals to the People of England touching their Power and Authority, both towards their Sovereign the King, the disposal of the Crown, and His Majesty's Oath and Covenant. royal blazon or coat of arms C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE Imprinted at OXFORD by Leonard Lichfield, And reprinted at London, MDCXLVI● EIGHT PROPOSITIONS PRESENTED To the view of all His Majesty's loyal and faithful Subjects within His Realms and Dominions. 1 IS it lawful for Kings to do, as Samuel from the Lord told the People Saul would do? ANSW. I. No; for Samuel at the establishing of Saul, 1 Sam. 10. 25. told Saul and all the people the duty of a King, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord, as a witness betwixt King and people, so that all that the Lord doth command, is lawful to be done, and it is a sin not to do it; and all that the Lord doth forbid, is unlawful to be done, and is a sin to do it. The Lord doth not command Kings to take from one, and to give to another, and to do their own wills: therefore, it is not lawful for Kings to exercise this Regal power: but the Lord saith that they will do so and so, which is not a sufficient warrant for Kings to do so and so, because the Lord in his Law of the duty of a King hath expressly forbidden the same. Therefore, it is unlawful for Kings to exercise this regal power. II. If it be unlawful for Kings to take from, and to give unto, and to do what they please, why did, or doth the Lord command the people to yield obedience, and serve their Kings, according to such demands, commands, will and pleasure. ANSWER. For two reasons: first, in respect of the Lord himself, because he was King of Israel, and had that regal power and prerogative-Royal, to do his own will with man. Secondly, in respect of man, because Israel would have a man to be their King, and forsake the Lord their God peremptorily; notwithstanding all before mentioned, Israel must know that a moral man, one of their brethren, to be exalted to the dignity of the Lords throne of Majesty, unto which belongs such regal power, and Royal prerogative, that was not fit for any sinful mortal man, because the ways power, and wisdom of man, cannot (as the Lord) exercise such a power, but either on the right hand or on the left, they will transgress against God or man, in disobeying the Commandment of the Lord, and this is the cause of the Lords anger, and therefore for a punishment, Israel must yield in obedience, and serve their Kings accordingly. III. Touching the true and only right place, office, and power of a King, according to the Word of God. ANSWER. First, the true and only right place and office of a King, is from amongst, above, and over all the people, alone to sit in the Lord's throne of Majesty. Secondly, The true and only right Office of a King, is to be the Minister of God for the wealth or good of the people over whom he is set, doing the will (according unto the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinance) of him in whose throne he sits. Therefore, Kings are not to make any Statute, Law, or Ordinance, destructive or contradictory unto them that were made by God before he made any King. So that even Kings are to be as subject to the Lord, as men to Kings, and so as one entrusted by God, as the Lords Vicegerent, or Lieutenant over the Lord's people betwixt God and Man, to see and look unto it, that God may be honoured, glorified, served by himself, and all the people, to see and look to, and preserve the people from all enemies, perils & dangers, both from abroad and at home. Thirdly, the true and only right power of a King, is as the Minister of God, to bear the sword of Justice, to take vengeance on, or execute justice upon all evil doers, and to praise, honour, and encourage such as do well. FOUR Touching the difference between the Kings of Israel's power, and the Kings of England's power, and the Subjects of both. ANSWER. The people of Israel were within the Covenant and promise of Jesus Christ, unto whom the Lord gave his Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, both Moral and Ceremonial: unto whom also was given Priests and Prophets to administer unto them, and to teach and direct them, and Judges to guide and lead them, and the great God of Heaven and Earth to be their King, to save defend, and deliver them. Therefore, the Kingdom and Crown of Israel, was the Gods of Israel, and so of a greater and higher power and majesty, than any other kingdom of the earth. V Touching the power of the Kings of Israel under the Moral Law, and the power of the Kings of England under the Gospel Law. Answ. The Kingdom and Crown of Israel, was the Gods of Israel, who in judgement to the people for their sins, gave the same to Saul, and confirmed it upon David and to his Seed. The Lord never gave any Kingdom, nor Crown, neither did the Lord appoint or anoint any Kings, save only of Israel and Judah. The Kings of England were not at their beginning appointed nor anointed, as were the Kings of Israel, but were by the Nation ordained as Kings over this Nation, according to the custom of this Nation, which is, before they will admit the Crown to him, they do intent, he must by Covenant and Oath imposed upon him, yield them their rights and privileges, and that he will rule them according to the Customs and Laws of the Land▪ and then they grant unto him the Crown for his own life: so that power that hath power to impose an Oath before a Grant, hath power to detain the thing to be granted, if the Oath be refused by him to whom the Grant is intended, and every Grauntee is subject to the Grauntor, according to the Covenant of the Grant, there can be no fee simple estate in the Grauntee of the thing granted, but the fee-simple estate of the thing granted is in the Gr●unter, viz. 1. The Kingdom or Commonwealth of England, is the granter. 2. The King of England is the Grauntee. 3. The Crown of England is the thing granted, So that the fee-simple estate of the Crown of England is the Common wealths of England to dispose of, according to the Custom and Laws of the Land, which is by Covenant and Grant to the Prince in being, & after whose decease by custom, but no● by right of inheritance to the next in or of blood, and so from one Generation to another in like manner. So that this Regal power doth not at all belong to a King of England; therefore, if the Lord was wrath, and did exceedingly punish the Kings of Israel for exercising this regal power, before the light of the Gospel. How much more than shall Kings under the light and knowledge of the Gospel, incur the wrath of God, if they be found guilty of oppression & tyranny against the believing members of the Lord Christ? themselves drofessing the same faith, and acknowledging the same knowledge: the Lord is no respecter of persons, but the soul that sinneth shall die. A King of England may not by this regal power demand and command of and from the people, as the Kings of Israel, neither by the Laws of God, not by the Laws of the Land, neither are the people of England bound to that slavish obedience, as the people of Israel were; but the people of England, both by the Laws of God, and by the laws of the land, are freed from such a slavish obedience; and therefore both according to the laws of God & the Land, may lawfully deny, aod refuse to submit because it is an unlawful imposition, and where the demand and command unlawful, the denial or refusal is lawful. 6. Props. How shall we know when a King doth transgress against his Oath, and break his Covenant, and what is the remedy? An. A King doth transgress his Oath, and break his Covenant when that his demands are beyond the Nationall Law, which by virtue of his Oath, as it is a breach thereof is oppression, and when a King doth command of, and from the people such things as are opposite unto, and against the fundamental Laws of the Land; which by virtue of of his Oath, as it is a breach thereof, is tyranny: which lawfully begets in the Common wealth an absolute denial and refusal to such demands and commands, and so the peace of the land is endangered: the only remedy to preserve the same, is for the King to preserve a Parliament, that is, to send out his Writs to the Commons to choose their Knights & Burgesses, who by virtue of the King's Writs; and the Commons voices for them, are Parliament men, and as Arbitrators are to decide all differences in Church and State, and Commonwealth; whose conclusions and determinations, together with the King's assent, consent, and signing, are binding Laws both to King and people. 7. Propos. How fare may or ought a King lawfully to deny to assent or consent, and sign their d●terminations and conclusions? Ans. A King as he sits in the Lord's throne may, and as he is entrusted by God over the people, aught to deny to assent, consent and sign their determinations, if the same shall either be dishonourable to the glory, worship, and service of the Lord, or injurious to the good of the Commonwealth, and no further; for it is his office to be as (or more) forward and careful for both, as any other man, both by the laws of God and the land, as he is the great Minister● of the greatest trust for both, by taking the same charge upon him. 8: Proposition, But if▪ ● King shall deny to consent, assent, and sign the Parliaments determinations, although honourable to the Lord, and good and beneficial to the Commonwealth; then what is the King's offence, benefit, or danger; and their power, as they are Parliament-men, and so the body representative of the Lord. Answ. If a King shall deny to assent unto that which is lawful God and man, and contend against it; and instead of signing their determinations, to separate himself from them, and make war against and upon them; he doth thereby break the peace, which as he sits in the Lord's throne of Majesty, he ought to keep, maintain, and preserve; and also thereby he breaks and wilfully violates his Oath, and Nationall Covenant, by which he enjoys the Crown, and so is an offender both against God and man, by both, for both, he is entrusted betwixt both. Gen. 7. 11. jannes' and jombres, who had the Devils help, and by him did that they did in their withstanding of Moses? and so such are all they that do advise the King against the good advice of his grave and wise Elders the Parliament. FINIS.