Charge Against the King
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A91160.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Mr. Prinns Charge Against the KING, SHEWING That the Kings Design, Purpose, and Resolution, his Endeavors, Practice, and Conversation, have always been engaged, biased, and tended to settle, establish, confirm, Popery, Tyranny, and Slavery, in, among, over his Dominions, Subjects, People, and in order to that Design, end, and purpose, he writ to the Pope of Rome (styling him HIS MOST HOLY FATHER, CATHOLIQVE MAJESTY, THRISE HONOURED LORD & FATHER) engaging himself to the said Pope, to endeavor to settle the Popish Religion only in his Dominions; And since his coming to the Crown, hath extented extraordinary favors upon, and protecti-on of notorious Papists, Priests & Jesuits, against all prosecution of Laws enacted against them; notwith-standing all his Protestations to the contrary, hath raised up a most horrid, unnatural, and bloody War, arming his Roman Catholic Subjects to Massacre, Plunder, Torture, Imprison, Ruin, his loyal, faithful pious Protestant Subjects to burn, sack, and spoil their Cities, Towns and Villages, Collected from the books written. By William Prinne of Lincolns Inn, Esquire. BEING But a very small taste from that main Ocean of that which he hath written concerning the King, and his ill beheaviour, since his coming to the Crown; As also with references unto clear, satisfactory, convincing Answers unto several objections, concerning resisting, censuring, suspending, depriving Kings for their Tyranny, yea capitally proceeding against them, By the said Author.
London, Printed in the Year 1648
Several Objections concerning the lawfulness of opposing, resisting, censuring, suspending, depriving, and (in some cases) capitally proceeding against Emperors, Kings, and Princes, for their oppression, tyranny, cruelty, clearly, fully, learnedly, and sufficiently answered, by the foresaid Author, Mr. WILLIAM PRINNE.
WHich Objections are taken, 1. Out of the Old Testament. 2. Out of the New Testament. 3. From Reason. 4. From the Example of Primitive Christians.
1. From the Scriptures of the Old Testament.
Object. 1. Numb. 16. Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, for their insurrection, of that very divine Authority which God himself had delegated to Moses and Aaron, without any injury and injustice at all once offered to them, or any assault of them, &c, Answered, Page 84.
Object. 2. Exod. 22. 28. Thou shalt not revile the God's, nor curse the Ruler of the People. Eccle. 10. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought, &c. Prov. 17. 26 It is not good to strike Prines, &c. Answered, Page 84.
Object. 3. Deut. 32 35. Vengeance is mine, &c. Answered, Page 85.
Object. 4. Eccl. 8. 2, 3, 4. I counsel thee to keep the Kings commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God; be not hasty to go out of his sight; stand not in an evil thing, for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him: where the word of a King is, there is power, and who may say unto him, what doest thou? Answered, Page 85 86.
Object. 5. Psal. 105 14. 15. Touch not mine Annoited, answered, pag. 89. 90. 91. 92, 93.
Object. 6. 1 Sam, 24, 6. 10. David's words concerning Saul; The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master the Lord's Annoynteed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's annointed; I will not put forth my hand against him, for he is the Lord's annointed. And so of David to Abishai, 1 Sam. 26, 9. 11. 23, And David said to Abishai, destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's annointed, and be guiltless? The Lord forbid, that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's annointed; the Lord delivered thee into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed; how wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand against the Lord's annointed: thy blood shall be upon thy head, for thy mouth hath testified that thou hast slain the Lord's annointed: answered very learnedly and divinely, pag. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97.
Object, 7: 1 Sam. 8. 11. Samuel tells the People how they should be oppressed under Kings, yet all that violence and injustice that should be done unto them, is no just cause of resistance, for they have no remedy left them but crying unto the Lord: answered pag. 98.
Objest. 8. This was Doctor Ferns, Sect, 2. 3, None of the Prophets in the Old Testament, reprehending the Kings of Israel and Judah, for their gross Idolatry, cruelty, oppression, did call upon the Elders of the people for the duty of resistance, neither do we find the people resisting, or taking up Arms against any of their Kings, no not against Ahab or Manasseh, upon any of these grounds, Ergo, Resistance is unlawful: answered, page 99. 100. 101. 102.
Ob. 9. Out of the New Testament, Rom. 13. 1, 2. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God: whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation, &c. with Doctor Fernes enforcement of this Text from the Context answered very strongly, Page 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. and that passage of Tertullian much insisted upon, Colimus ergo & imperatorem sic, quomodo & nobis licet, & ipsi expedit, ut hominem a DEO SECUNDUM, & quicquid est a Deo consecutum, SOLO DEO MINOREM hoc & ipse volet, sic enim OMNIBUS MAJOR EST, DUM SOLO VERO DEO MINOR EST, sic & ipsis diis major est, dum & ipsi in potestate sum ejus, answered, page 11. 12, &c.
Again, From Dr. Ferne, That the efficient cause of Royal & Monarchical power is only from God, not the people; that Kings receive no Regal authority or power from the people, but from God alone; that the power of Kings is not a human, but a divine power, of which God only is the efficient cause; that the people do not make the King, but God properly and absolutely; this power, right and authority he hath from God; that the King hath no dominion and poer from his Subjects by way of trust, but from God, from whom he hath his kingdom and power, so that by Idolatry and oppression, he breaks not the trust reposed in him by his Subjects, because the people have committed nothing to his charge, but God only; proof whereof see, Prov. 8. 15. By me Kings reign. Dan. 2. 21. God removeth Kings, and setteth up Kings. Dan. 4. 17, 25. The most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. Hosea 13. 11. 1 Sam. 10. 1. Jer. 27. 5, 6, 7. Isai. 45. 1 2. and other Texts answered with very great pain, good distinctions, and clear satisfaction, pag. 115. to 128.
Object. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15. 16. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King as Supreame, &c. answered, pag. 128. 129. 130. 131. Thus for the answers of Scriptures from the Old Testament and from the New.
The next are objections from Reason.
Object. 11. As first, Kings are the Fathers, Heads, Lord's, Shepherds of the Common-wealth, therefore the sons, members, vassals, s • ooks, must not r • sist them, answered, pag. 131. 132.
Object. 12. The invasions and oppressions of evil Kings and Tyrants are afflictions and punishments inflicted on us by God, therefore we ought patiently to submit, and not forcibly to resist, answered, pag 133.
Obj • ct. 13. Saints forcible resistance of Tyrants begets civil wars, great disorders and many mischiefs in the state, ergo, it is unlawful and inconvenient, answered, pag. 134.
The last, and grand Obj • ction is the testimony of Fathers, as
First, that speech of Saint Ambrose, lib. 5. orat. in Auxentium, Coactus rapugnare non audeo, dolere potero, potero flere, potero gemere, adversus arma, milites Gothos lachrymae meae arma sunt, talia enim sunt munimenta Sacerdotum, ALITER NEC, DEBEO, NEC POSSUM RESISTERE, answered, pag. 135. 136.
The second is that of Nazianzen, Oratio 2. in Julianum, answered, pag. 137. 138.
The third, that of Bernard, Epist. 121. to King Lewis of France, answered, pag 138. 139.
The fourth authority, was the Example of Prrimitive Christians, who submitted themselves willingly to their persecuting Governors, without resistance in word or deed, answered, pa. 140. 142. 143.
After all which he concludes the said third Part Of the Sovereign power of Parlioments and Kingdoms, &c. with personal, natural, and public authorities, proving the same, which Mr. Prinne had maintained in the said Book from Page 143. to the end thereof.
If any man desires more satisfaction of this nature and subject, he may be very richly and plentifully furnished herewith from several other Books and labors of the said author, Mr. William Prin, who hath more engaged and endeered his Country unto him, by detecting the King and his ill Government, clearing the scruples, answering of questions, touching the lawfulness of opposing and resisting Kings and Rulers in their tyranny and cruelty, then any Lawer, Divine, Gentleman, or other, in the whole Kingdom besides, as his four large and learned Books, concerning the Sovereign Power of Parliaments and Kingdoms, Rome's Master-piece, The Popish Royal Favou • ite, and other of his Writings do witness.
1. That the present King Charles (King of England, Scotland, &c.) when he was Prince of Wales, did maintain correspondency with the then Pope of Rome, by letters wherein, he styled him the most holy Father, chatholick Majesty, thrice honored Lord and Father, professing that he did not esteem it a greater honor to be descended from great Princes, then to imitate them in their great piety, having exposed their Estates & lives, for the exaltation of the holy Cheir, esteeming the protestant Religion, but a novelty & faction, engaging himself by promise to the Pope, that he would employ himself for the time to come to have but one Religion, viz. the Roman Catholic, & that he would spare nothing that he had in the world, but that he was resolved to suffer all manner of discommodities, even to the hazarding of his Estate and life, for a thing so pleasing unto God, as the advancement of the Romish Religion.
2. That the said King hath taken two solemn Oaths upon both his Treaties of Marriage with Spain and France, to protect and maintain to the utmost throughout his Dominions, the Romish Catholic Church and Religion; yea, to suspend and abrogate all Laws against them, and is thereby deeply engaged by virtue of these Oaths, to protect favor and defend the same, and in Conscience of these Oaths and Articles (consented unto in the said matches) he holds himself bound (what ever his outward Protestations and pretences be) to side with the Roman Catholic Subjects, both in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and arm them against his Protestant Subjects and Parliaments in all the 3. Kingdoms, of purpose to make good these his Oaths and Articles.
3. That the said present King Charles, since his coming to the Crown (in prosecution of the aforesaid engagements to the Pope & Church of Rome) hath raised most bloody and unnatural War against the Protestant cause and party in his Dominions, in which he hath sustained many incommodities, hazarded both his Estate, Life, and Realms for the reducing all his Subjects to one Religion, viz. the Roman Catholic, and upon this ground he hath issued out Proclamations, Declarations, Remonstrances against the Scots; the former, and present Parliament, proclaimed them Traitors, Rebells, no Parliament, a faction, he brake up all former Parliaments since his Raign, by discontinuance, and endeavored to dissolve this Parliament, by the sword of Papists and Atheists, against the very Act of Parliament assented unto by himself, and the aforesaid engagements of the King to the Pope, &c. are the real ground of the late horrid Irish Conspiracy, Massacre, Rebellion, pacification, toleration, and the said Kings connivance at, if not approbation of these horrid bloody execrable practices, as also the extraordinary favor lately indulged to these carsed barborous Rebells by the King, and his most gracious entertainment of them, not only into his royal favor, but Court, Army, and Realm of England, as his securest Guard.
4. The said King did permit the Papists, Priests, and Jesuits, during the Scottish troubles (a little before the beginning of this Parliament) to call a Parliament and general Council of state among themselves, even in London; wherein the Popes own Nuncio sat president, in which Parliament the chief papists out of all parts of England and Wales assembled, made several Laws and Ordinances for imposing taxes, and raising monies upon all Roman Catholics for maintenance of the Scottish Wars, which were seconded with the Queens own letters and instructions to the Catholics, reciting what great liberties and favors her Highness had procured for them from his Majesty, exciting them to a liberal contribution towards those Wars, and this popish Parliament was permitted without interruption, when the Protestants and Kingdom might hold none at all, or, at least, are presently dissolved in discontents, and the Popes own Nuncio sit Lord President to rule the roast, which Parliament was thus openly tolerated to be held to make and maintain a War against the religious Protestant Subjects, EVEN WITH THE KINGS OWN ACTUALL CONSENT.
5. That the said King (dissembling with God and men, opposing Papists in words, yet cherishing and protecting them (all he may) in deeds, exhibited many royal orders, • xpresses, letters of grace, protection unto popish Recusants, seminary Priests, during all his reign, to stay all manner of proceedings and executions of the Law against them, contrary to the Judges and Justices Oaths, and since this, unhappy civil War, the Papists both in England and in Ireland, have been armed against the Parliament by the said Kings Cōmission, yea put into places of great Command & trust, admitted free access to his Camp, & Court, where they have been in favors, and preserved from all violence, injury, &c. notwithstanding his many printed Declarations, Proclamations, Protestations, Vowes against Popery and Papists, to blind and delude the over credulous vulgar; and notwithstanding his brave, real, royal, defense of the Protestant Religion so often promised, the best and most zealous Protestants, Ministers, people, both in England and Ireland, have been everywhere most cruelly massacred, plundered, tortured, imprisoned, ruined by the blood-thirsty Popish Cavaliers, many of their Houses and almost whole Towns, fired, sacked by his special Commission.
6. That the said King did admit Can, the Popes legate, and that under the very name, notion, and Authority of the Popes Legate, into familiar access to, and conference with him, by all Arts, Policier, and Arguments, to pervert and draw him with his 3. Kingdoms, to a new subjection to the see of Rome, as Cardinal Pool, the Popes Legate, extant in England before this in Queen Mary's Raign, reconciled her and the Realm to Rome, to their intolerable prejudice, an act so inconsistant to the Laws of this Realm, with the Kings ancient and late Remonstrances, Oaths, Protestations to maintain the Protestant Religion; as may ever amaze the World, which ever looks more at real actions, then verbal Protestations.
7. That the King (after Endimian Porter, had gained the Custody of the great Seal of England) did issue out divers Proclamations under the great Seal, proclaiming the Parliament Traitors and Rebells, yea, did grant Commissions to Irish and English Papists, contrary to his former Proclamations, to raise Popish forces both at home and in foreign parts for his defense, as his trustiest and most loyal Subjects, and did send letters and Commissions of favor to the Irish Rebells, and hinder all supply from hence to the Protestant party there.
8. That the said King (after the bloody Irish Rebells had destroyed the precious lives of above a hundred and forty Thousand Protestan • s in Ireland, and were like to be overcome by the Parliaments Forces (sent from hence and from Scotland to relieve the Prot • stant party) condescended to Articles of pacification with these Rebells, contrary to an Act of Parliament, and both Houses consents, wherein the said wicked Rebells are declared his Majesty's good Catholic Subjects, and no Rebells at all.
9. That the said King did send for many thousands of the said Rebells into England to massacre the Protestant English here, and fight against the Parliament, as they did in Ireland heretofore.
Whereas it flies up and down in the mouths of the over-credulous vulgar that Mr. Will. Prinne (since his admission into the Honorable House of Commons) hath most petulently exclaimed against the Armies late Remonstrance; wherein they desire Justice may be done against the King (as the grand Delinquent of the Kingdom,) & furiously env • ighed against the same, as if he was newly become the Kings Advocate: these therefore are to stop the current of such reports, and to desire that men may deffen their ears thereunto, considering that not only their tender care of the privileges of Parl. (requiring no notice to be taken of any man's Speech within these walls) but also their respects and love unto Mr Prinns (that hath written so much of the people's and Kingdoms interest and power to call their Kings and Governors to accompt for their unjust wicked and tyrannical Government) doth require the same, for if occasion be offered the present proceedings of the Army in requiring justice to be done upon the King, and all other Delinquents, as those that lately fomented. second War, invited the Scots into this Kingdom to that end &c. shall be clearly, fully, convincingly, asserted, argu • d, and maintained from the several labors, pains, and writings of the said Anthem, M • . William Prinne.