A Lookingglass FOR ENGLAND; Wherein is expressed, Several Passages, and Remarkable Observations, concerning the uniting of the Kings most excellent Majesty, and His Great Council, the High Court of Parliament.  
TOGETHER, With divers Heads or Motives, drawn up by Dr. George Snell, Dr. of Divinity; Who being a Delinquent (formerly) hath now taken the Nationall Covenant, and set forth these Reasons for his submitting to the KING and PARLIAMENT.  
Very useful in these Times, and necessary for all sorts of People to peruse.  
Published by special Authority.  
LONDON, Printed for ROBERT WOOD, April 3. 1646.   

TO MY LOVING FRIEND, R. W.  
SIR,  
HEre enclosed are several Heads or Motives drawn up and delivered us by Doctor Snell Dr. of Divinity, being called before us for his Delinquency, setting forth the reasons of his submission to the King and Parliament, and taking of the Nationall Covenant; so I rest  
Chester the 23. of March, 1645. H. C.  
This was occasioned by R. I. one of the Sequestrators at Chester, who having straight charged George Snell, Doctor of Divinity, the submitter; that he came to wake his submission as a Temporizer, and without making conscience of his Oath, etc. the submittent to testify, that he deserved no such hard censure, did shortly afterward show to the Accusant these ensuing Motives. 

1. THat he was moved to submit not to the King only, but to the Parliament also; because in the weighty affairs of the Kingdom, now in agitation, the most faithful, and most wise Council of the Land ought to be used.  
II. Because the matters now in variance between the King and Parliament, only seem to concern the outward order of the Church and Common Weal the disposition of which is conceived to pertain wholly to the King's Majesty and unto the honourable Houses who as holding the supreme Governance, next unto the Holy Ghost, and the sacred Word, ever since Moses the Prophet, have as other State Assemblies, always appointed the particularities of public Affairs.  
III. To the King and Parliament because the most approved Students of the English Laws, do very often in their Books affirm, that the King's Majesty is so fully incorporate into His Council, that His Majesty and His Council are evermore taken as joint Agents in every business of moment, that doth concern His Crown and Kingdom; whence it is, that the King is never in any Court called to appear; for that by the common intendment of the Law His Royal presence is always understood to be virtually and vigorously present in all Seats of Justice; yea though the King should be an Infant in the Cradle.  
iv Because the King and his Parliament seem to be the only true Father and Mother and the Weal public to be their true natural Child; and a● when the Son falls sick the father, for remedy doth willingly commend him to the joint care of the tenderhearted Mother until his wont health be regained 〈◊〉 even so at thi● time the great College of State-Physitians having discovered to the Royal Father, that this Child of the Public State is taken with a dangerous disease His Majesty according to the constant custom in such case hath referred the cure to the associate and of that honourable Mother; so that ●uring this course of Physic, that Sovereign Father seems to have suspended his sole regent Power, which nevertheless, so soon as the Patient shall be made whole, that Mother in all duty will humbly resign him to the former government of his Sovereign Parent; and so in case of perilous Disease, the Mother may seem to rule jointly with the Father.  
V To His Majesty and to the Parliament, because it is thought that the High Court of Parliament ariseth over the Realm of England even as the Sun in the sphere of Heaven at whose appearance, all other Courts and Counsels of this Land doth totally vanish, as doth the Stars before the Sun beams, saving what influence those Inferiors may borrow from that Supreme Court.  
VI Not only to the King but to the Parliament likewise; for that as by the Customary Law of England all Courts have power not only to defend their Authority; but more, to make by-laws, and orders; to bind all that stand subject to their jurisdiction and that so long and so fare as it shall seem good to the judge of each Court: in like sort, it is verily believed that the high Senate of Parliament of Right, hath such power in the Superlative, while the Parliament is continued, to make Edicts and Orders to further their designs, and that with a Non obstante, of any Law enacted.  
VII. To the King and Parliament, according to the Oath and Covenant, which is now required, the Oath requiring nothing but what is due unto any protective Power, and the Nationall Covenant, for substance, being heretofore made implicitly in the Statute of uniting England and Scotland: And were it not so yet seeing the highest Court of Senators do exact nothing of us, but what they aver, and protest is lawful and right: we that by the Laws must believe the verdict of a jury of ordinary persons is lawful and true; how much greater belief ought we to yield unto the grand verdict of those many hundreds of curates, impar●el'd to pass upon the life and liberty of all this Kingdom: we may well stand persuaded that they have better foreseen, that the Oath, Covenant, and Obedience which they require of the King's Subjects, is not contrary unto that Oath and fealty, by which we all stand bound to His Majesty then the wisest man alone is able to fore-fee; and as the Lawyers say, opertet neminem esse sapientiorem legibus, even so it is frenzy not only presumption, that any one should think himself wiser than the whole Parliament of England.  
VIII. To the King, and to the Parliament that now is, more than unto any Parliament yet held in England; not only in reverend respect to that surpassing measure of knowledge, and wisdom, which in this Age of Learning is fare more excellent in the Members of the Two Houses then in any Times of their forefather's: but also, because to that almost illimited Power which the Parliament naturally hath, the King's Majesty hath granted an illimited time: so that to this Senatorian Order, we ought to be very specially faithful and loyal.  
IX. Unto both jointly; because of that inseparable Union, which our Laws, and Law-Students do aver to hold insolubly between the King and his Counsel, in regard of which incorporate union; They say, Rex Anglia non p●test injustae agere, Rex Angliae nunquam existit in minoritate. The King of England can do nothing unjustly: The King of England is never under age: These, and many like honourable say are spoken concerning the Kings of England: Yet as the jurisprudents of this Land, do say, not in relation to the King's sole person; but as his Majesty stands incessantly incorporate into his Council, from whence his legal abilities and perfections, as from a living Fountain in a sort are derived.  
X. To the King and Parliament now, if ever, for that to the extreme grief of all loyal hearts, now they stand at such opposite distance, that the very foundations of the Kingdom seem to be shaken; and now what trueborn child of that Royal Father, and most Honourable Mother doth not quake and tremble to see his Father in Arms against his Mother; and the Mother against that ever honoured Father, he is of a bastard-kind that wisheth either to destroy the other, and of a more bastard-generation is he that would have any foreign Enemy to conquer them both; for it is evident the one of those public Parents cannot fall to ruin, without the utter destruction of the other: And submission to both, without opposition to either, is like to be the readiest way to reconciliation.  
XI. Unto both; because, in arduis negotiis Regni, such as are now on foot the whole State of the Kingdom, by the wisdom of our Elders hath ever been submitted, to the King conjoined to his Parliament: And now if ever we do need the true Formalities and Robes of an able Parliament, that by their predominant Power transcendent Authority, and pious Wisdom, the present consuming mischiefs may be restrained and extinguished.  
XII. Lastly, to the King and Parliament now; because never any Parliament hitherto, that we know, hath so much testified by public Devotions to Almighty God, and by deep and often Protestations unto the King's Majesty, and to all his well-affected Subjects, that next after the glory of God and the welfare of the true Religion, they do intent and endeavour nothing so much as the safety of his Majesty's person, the augmentation of His Majesty's Honour, and the peace and prosperity of all His Majesty's Kingdoms: now seeing both Houses of Parliament, the most great and most Honourable Council of England always have made, and still do persevere in making such Prayers and Protestations; it seems not only an intolerable offence against Charity, but an abuse inexpiable against common Humanity by obstinate incredulity, to give the lie unto those most honourable Senators, and to all the great Council of England; by cherishing any opinion or thought, that this most honourable Assembly of Counsellors do most wickedly conspire to ruin the King, His Subjects, and Kingdoms.     
FINIS.