A short, legal, medicinal, useful, safe, easy PRESCRIPTION, To recover our Kingdom, Church, Nation from their present dangerous, distractive, DESTRUCTIVE CONFUSION, And worse than Bedlam Madness; SERIOUSLY Recommended to all English Freemen who desire Peace, Safety, Liberty, Settlement.  
By William Prynne, Esq a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn.  Judges 19.30. 
Consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.  Prov. 12.19, 20. 
Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace, is joy: There shall no evil happen to the just, but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.  
LONDON, Printed, and are to be sold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1659.   

A short, legal, medicinal, useful, safe, easy Prescription, etc.  
THe Ambition, Treachery, Turbulence, Avarice, and late infused Jesuitical Principles of some swaying Officers in the Parliaments Army, aspiring after the Supreme Authority, Government, and public Revenues of our Three Kingdoms, having so far corrupted their judgements, seared their Consciences, depraved their wills, and hardened their hearts, as openly, frequently to violate all sacred Oaths, Vows, Covenants, Obligations, Trusts, Commissions, Engagements to the late King his Heirs and Successors, the old Parliament, Kingdom, Nation; (for whose defence they were originally raised, commissioned) and to their own new-created Antiparliamentary Junctoes', Conventions, Protectors and Conventicles, which they have all successively subverted, engrossing the Sovereign Royal and Parliamental Power into their own hands, 
a 2 Thess. 2. 3● 4.  opposing and advancing themselves (by mere Treachery, Perjury, Violence, and other desperate ways of unrighteousness) like that man of sin, and Mystery of Iniquity, above all that is worshipped and called God; making no less than 3. public Revolutions of our Government, and forcibly dissolving two Parliaments (as they deemed them) of their own modelling, 
b See their claration, May 6. 1659.  convening, within 6. month's space, last passed; and thereby made our formerly renowned Nations, the scorn, reproach, wonder, derision of all the world; themselves the Monsters of Men, the Shame of Christianity, Chivalry; exposed our three Nations to the uttermost extremity of danger by new unpresidented Ataxies, Divisions, Encroachments upon their hereditary Rights, Liberties, Properties, caused a total decay of all sorts of Trade, Justice, Legal proceed at home, and occasioned a speedy, much feared invasion from our potent combined Popish adversaries abroad, when thus miserably distracted, discontented, impoverished, and totally disabled to repulse them: It is high time for every publike-Spirited Englishman in this strange, distracting Confusion (which hath almost as much divided, discontented all conscientious Officers, Soldiers in the Army, Navy, as the people of all callings, conditions) to contribute their best advice, by all just, legal, hopeful, speedy ways, agreeable with the Laws of God and the Land, and those Rights, Liberties of the people, (the defence whereof all Officers, Soldiers in the Army have so 
* See their Collection of Engagements, Remonstrances, etc. for settling the Subjects in their just Liberties and Freedoms, London 1657.  frequently, constantly avowed they were principally raised, and resolved to defend, though they have hitherto failed in their promises) to recover us out of the labyrinth of our almost inextricable amazing Confusions, settle our pernicious distractions, and prevent that visible, imminent, universal desolation else likely to fall upon our Church, State, Nation, Religion, beyond all possibility of escape, through the Army-Officers rash destructive Counsels, and violations of their Trusts, Oaths, Engagements, both as Soldiers, Christians, and Members of the Kingdom.  
The only just, legal, probable Means now left that I can prescribe both for our Nations, Churches, Armies present and future Safety too (if they will cordially and christianly submit thereto, as they ought in conscience, justice, prudence) is,  
1. For all the ancient Nobility of the Kingdom (the 
c See my Plea for the Lords, p. 43.51, to 60.  hereditary Great Counsel and Counsellors of the Nation in all actual Interregnums, and public Confusions, (as our Historians, Records, Law-books, and the Commons themselves in the long Parliament resolved) both by Custom, Law, Right) to assemble themselves by Common consent at Westminster, or so many of them at least, or their heirs if dead, who constantly adhered to the long Parliament; and there to issue out Writs according to the Statute of 16 Caroli cap. 1. on the 3d Monday of November next, under 12 or more of their hands and seals, for a free and legal election of Knights, Citizens, Burgesses, Barons, in every City, County, Borough, Port, according to former usage, to appear at the  in Westminster, the third Monday in January next ensuing, at a Parliament then and there to be held, in such manner and form as this Act prescribes: wherein such Proposals and Counsels may by common consent be pursued, as may through God's blessing, soon restore our pristine peace, trade, honour, wealth, prosperity, felicity, settlement, and secure us from all future changes.  
2ly. For all Freeholders in every County of the Kingdom at the next County Court in November, to meet together and make choice of the ablest, honestest, wisest, stoutest Gentlemen for their Sheriffs, to keep the Peace of the County, command the Militia, suppress all Insurrections, elect, return Knights, Citizens, Burgesses to serve in Parliament, and execute the office of a Sheriff; it being their ancient legal Right and Privilege, by special grants of our Kings, both in and out of Parliament, which none in late or present power ought to encroach upon, or deprive them of, and they are all now bound to exercise and maintain for their own preservation and safety. This their right I shall clearly evidence beyond contradiction.  
1. By the people's ancient Right in Edward the Confessors time, or before, in their Folkmote to choose an Heretoke (a Baron or person of Quality) in every County, in nature of a Captain, who had the power of the County and Militia in every Shire, sicut et Vicecomites Provinciarum et Comitatuum eligi debent per singulos Comitatus in pleno Folkmoto: as Sheriffs of Provinces and Counties ought to be chosen in every County; as you may read at large in Mr. Lambards' Archaion, f. 135. de Hetetochiis; in Sir Henry spelman's Glossarium, Dux & Heretochius, p. 232, 348, 349. My Sovereign Power of Parliaments, part 2. p. 24, 25. Cooks 2 Institutes, p. 174, 175.  
2ly. By Rot. Claus. Anno 16 Johannis Regis, part 1. m. 2. dorso. Dominus Rex concessit Baronibus suis, Militibus & liberè tenentibus de Cornubia, quod habeant Vicecomitem de aliquo ipsorum ad Electionem eorun●. Idem verò Barones, Milites, & liberè tenentes concesserunt Willielmo Wise, quod baleat Hundredum de Estweneleser ad feodi firmam, sibi & haeredibus suit imperpetuum, per dimidium marci Argenti, ad festum Sancti Michaelis reddendum.  
3ly. 
DeCom. Cornub.  By Rot. Pat. An. 5 H. 3. memb. 6. H. Dei gratia, etc. Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, Comitibus, Baronibus, Militibus, liberè tenentibus & aliis omnibus de Com. Cornub. salutem. Sciatis quod concessimus Vobis quod liberam habeatis electionem eligendi vobis in Vicecomitem nostrum unum de Com. Cornub. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod eligatis tres fideles & discretos de Com. Cornub. & illos nobis praesentari fac. apud London in Octab. Clausi Pasche, & nos unum ex illis tribus prout nobis placuerit, Vobis dabimus ad Vicecomitem. Et interim commissimus Comitatum illum Cornub. cum omnibus illis quae ad nos pertinent dilecto & fideli nostro Reginaldo de Valletorta custodiend. vobisque mandamus quatinus eidem Reginaldo usque ad praedictum terminum sitis intendentes et respondentes in omnibus, tanquam Vic. nostro & ballivo nostro. Et in hujus, etc. T. H. de Burgo etc. apud Westm. xxviij. die Jan. an regni nostro 5 to.  
4ly. 
De Vic electo in Com. Sum. & Dorset.  By Pat. 10. H. 3. memb. 4. Rex Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, Abbatibus, Prioribus, Comitibus, Baronibus, Militibus, liberè tenentibus, & omnibus aliis de communibus Sumerset & Dors. salutem. Sciatis quod electioni quam fecistis de Willo: fill. Henr. ad Vic. nostrum faciend. de Comitat. Sumerset & Dorset assensum nostrum praebuimus. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod ei tanquam Vic nostro quamdiu nobis placuerit intendentes sitis & respondentes. In cujus, etc. Teste Rege apud Winton. xxvij die Jan.  
5ly. By Mat. Paris, Mat. Westminster, Daniel, and others who record, that in the 45 year of King Henry, the 3d. the King placed new Sheriffs in every County, displacing the Sheriffs the Barons and people had made; whereupon the people in every County, manfully resisted the Sheriffs, and would not obey, nor regard nor answer them in any thing, whereat the King was much troubled. Much less than ought they now to obey any Sheriffs obtruded on them by the Army-Officers, or any other illegal usurped power.  
6ly. By the Statute of Articuli super chartas, An. 28 E. 1. chap. 8. The King hath granted to his people, that they shall have the election of Sheriffs in every Shire (where the Shrivalty is not of fee) if they will. And chap. 13. For as much as the King hath granted the election of Sheriffs to the Commons of the Shire, the King willeth, that they shall choose such Shyrifs as shall not charge them, and that they shall not put in any Officer for rewards or bribes. And that they shall not ledge too oft in one place, nor with poor persons, nor with men of Religion. By which Statutes, (being but confirmations of the people's former rights by custom, or King's grants, on which some of them encroached, which was the occasion of these Acts) all Counties used to elect their Sheriffs: And if they elected any mean or unfitting person, as they sometimes did, he then commanded them by his Writs to choose another who was fit to discharge that Office; witness this memorable record ensuing.  
Cl. 31 E. 1. m. 13. dorso. Rex Coronatoribus et toti communitati Comitatuum Salop. & Stafford. salutem. 
De Vic. elig.  Cum nuper pro communi utilitate regni nostri inter alia concesserimus populo ejusdem regni, quod habeat si voluerit electionem Vic. in singulis comitatibus dicti regni cum opus fuerit Vicecom. praedict. in eisdem, ubi videlicet Vicecomes de feodo non existit. Ac Ricus: de Harlegh per vos in Vic. comitatuum praedictorum nuper electus, ad officium illud faciendum minus sufficiens est, sicut ex testimonio fidedigno accepimus: Vobis mandamus quod aliquem qui melius sciat & possit officio Vic. dictorum comitatuum intendere et utilior fuerit ad idem officium exequendum in Vic. eorundem comitatuum pro vobis, si volueritis, eligatis, et ipsum sic electum per aliquem legalem et circumspectum hominem ex parte vestra cum literis vestris patentibus sub sigillis sex de discretioribus & probioribus Mil. eorundem comitatuum Thess. & Baronib. nostris de Scaccario in crastino Sancti Michaelis prox. futuri sine dilatione praesentetis, ut ipse ●unc ibidem praestito sicut moris est sacramento, extunc ea faciat & exerceat, quae ad officium Vicecomitis pertinent in come praedictis. Et habeatis ibi tunc boc breve. Sci●uri, quod si talem per vos electum modo praedicto non praesentaveritis coram praefatis Thess. & Baronibus nostris in crastino praedicto, praedicti Thess. & Burones extunc nobis de alio Vicecomite Vobis praeficiendo in defectu vestri providebunt. Teste Rege apud Sarum. xuj. die April.  
8. By Claus. 12 E 3. pars 2. m. 15. Claus. 13 E. 3. pars 3. dors. 16. Cl. 14 E 3. pars 2. m. 3. De Vicecomitibus Eligendis per totam Angliam: where in are several writs issued authorising and commanding the people to elect their Shyrifs in every County throughout England, with other Records to the like effect over-tedious to recite at large.  
9ly. By Mr. Lambards' Archaion f 135. and Sir Edward Cooks 2. Institutes on Magna Charta p. 174, 175, 558, 559, 566. who resolve: That Sheriffs in ancient times were and oft to be chosen by the Freeholders', of the County in the County Court, as Conservators of the Peace, Coroners, Verderers, Constables, Petty Constables, were then and since Elected likewise by the people; as well by the King's writs, as without them, in cases of necessity.  
Xly. By the constant custom of all Corporations which are counties within themselves, having power Annually to choose Sheriffs only by the King's Charters without any special writ, as London, Bristol, Gloucester, York, Canterbury, Coventry, etc. use to do. Therefore every County in England and Wales, may do the like without any special writs, being a necessary annual, ancient standing Office, especially in these confused times, when none have any legal Authority to issue out Writs or Commissions to elect or swear Sheriffs, by virtue of the premised Statutes; And the Army-Officers with other selfcreated Usurping Powers may as lawfully obtrude Mayors, Sheriffs, and other Officers on every Corporation of England without their election, and deprive them of their freedom to elect them; as thrust Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, Coroners, or other eligible Officers upon Counties; and rob them of this their just ancient right and privilege; now strenuously to be revived, asserted for their common safety, against all encroachments thereon. The Statute of Westminster 1. ch. 5. enacting, declaring, That all Elections ought to be free, and not disturbed by force of arms under great forfeitures by no Great men nor others.  
3ly. Let all Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Ports, make choice of the wisest, ablest, stoutest, discreetest Persons, such as are best affected to Peace, Settlement, and the Nations public Interest, for their Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, not of raw, unexperienced, timorous, or time-serving, unstable, selfseeking, turbulent men.  
4ly. Let all Counties, Cities, Noblemen, Gentlemen, Yeomen, Clergymen, and Freemen of the Nation unanimously resolve, to obey no new, illegal, tyrannical, upstart Powers, Officers, Conventicles, Committees or Councils of men whatsoever forcibly obtruded on them; nor to execute any of their Orders or commands; but only to obey such legal Officers as themselves shall legally elect, or a Free Parliament duly elected by them: nor pay any Taxes, Customs, Imposts, Excises, Contributions whatsoever to any Officers, Soldiers, Collectors, but such as shall be imposed by common consent in a free and lawful Parliament, it being their ancient Birthright (for defence whereof the Army was first raised) ratified not only by sundry ancient Statutes, and the late Petition of Right, but several Acts, Votes, Declarations, Judgements the last long Parliament of King Charles, acknowledged in the Instrument of Government itself, the late Petition and Advice, the Armies own former Declarations, and the late dissolved Juncto in their very last Knack of the 12. of this instant October, their Plea and Papers since.  
5ly. If any Officers, and Soldiers of the Army, out of faction, ambition, self-ends, or Jesuitical seduction, shall obstinately, traitorously, maliciously, or tyrannically oppose the people in their elections of Sheriffs, Knights, Citizens, Burgesses, or levy any Taxes, Excises upon them by armed violence, contrary to all their former-forfeited, now-expired Commissions, Declarations, Engagements; let them then unanimously declare and proceed against them as professed public Enemies, Traitors to their Native Country; who by their former and late Treacheries, Rebellions, and unwarrantable proceed against all their Superiors, (transcending all precedents in profane or sacred stories) have actually in Law, justice, forfeited not only all their Commissions, Commands, and Arrears of pay, but a their very lives, lands, estates; and that our whole 3. Nations by their Solemn, League and Covenant, for their own future preservation, are obliged to bring them to public Justice, as themselves have proceeded against hundreds, nay thousands of other Delinquents not half so criminal as themselves; and thereupon entreat all other Officers, Soldiers in the Army, who have any fear of God, or love to themselves, their posterities, or Native Country remaining in their breasts, as Moses did the Congregation of Israel in the Rebellion of Korah. Dathan, and Abiram, who mutinied the people against him and Aaron, Numb. 16. Depart I pray ye from the Tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. So they got up from the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram on every side. And as many Officers, Soldiers as shall thereupon desert the Tents of their Rebellious Commanders, and contribute their assistance for the speedy calling and safe sitting of a free, lawful Parliament, without any future mutinies, to interrupt or dissolve it when convened according to the premised Statute of 16 Caroli c. 1. let them be assured of their full arrears, and of indemnity for what is past, which none else but a free and lawful Parliament can grant them, all other Indemnities being void in Law. And if this will not satisfy, let them beware, lest the earth cleave asunder that is under them; and then open her mouth and swallow them up alive, with their houses, men, goods, and all appertaining to them, and they perish from among the Congregation, as Korah, Dathan and Abiram with their families and adherents did, by this or some other exemplary Judgements, and a universal Insurrection of our three whole discontented, oppressed, ruined Nations against them, which they may justly fear and expect, if they believe there is a righteous God that judgeth in the earth, a Lord of hosts able to scatter, punish, execute vengeance on them here, and cast them into hell for ever hereafter, for their manifold unlamented, reiterated, transcendent Rebellions: or repute these Texts Canonical, which I shall recommend to their saddest Meditations. Prov. 29.10. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (as the late Anti-Parliamentary Junctoes', & Protectors have been) Prov. 11.21. Though hand go in hand, yet the wicked shall not go unpunished. Psal. 68.21. God shall wound the head of his Enemies, and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his Trespasses. Ezech. 24.14. I the Lord have spoken it, it shall come to pass, I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; but according to thy ways and according to thy do I will recompense and they shall judge thee, saith the Lord. Col. 3.25. He that doth wrong shall receive according to the wrong done, and there is no respect of persons with God; who can in a moment as easily destroy an whole Army, and great host of men (as he did 
* 2 Kings 13.35. 2 Chron. 13.16, 17,  Sennacheribs, Jeroboams, and other Armies) as any one single person.  
October the last, 1659. the day of King-condemning John Bradshawes death, and translation to his proper place, and arraignment in the Highest Court of Justice.  
FINIS.