A Declaration or Remonſtrance of the office of a Prince and His Councellours.

THE Councell of a Prince, is a certaine congregating or meeting together of ſe­lect men, to adviſe the Prince in the time of Warre or Peace. Whoſe Office is to be mindfull of time paſt to looke to the preſent and to foreſee thoſe to come, the ſucceſſe of their Conſultations are happy ſhunning inconveniences or at laſt they finde ſome meanes to extenuate them.

A Counſell (their reſpect to the Prince preſerved) do by courſe play the part almoſt of all his ſences as his underſtand­ing, memory, eyes, eares, ſpeech, hands, and feete. But to the People they are a Father, Tutor, and Governor; If a Prince and Councell be Vnanimous they are God Vicegerents on earth, from hence by the conſtitution of good Counſell the Prince receives his eſſence the Councellors their due honours2 the People their Protection vnder good Lawes giving honour both to Prince and Councellours as to the true Miniſters of GOD cald lawfully to governe them, But on the contrary by bad Councell, or by miſunderſtandings or diſſentions between the Prince and Councell, the Prince honers not onely hourely blemiſht and his eſtate and dignity in dainger of ſubvertion but the People alſo to be deſtroyed and Country to be layd waſt by a forraigne Invaſion, or by Civell Diſſention to be vtterly ruined.

Theſe things are of that weight that I do not thinke any thing in this life can be found of greater moment, and there­fore in my Iudgment, it is not the leaſt duty of a Prince to be diligent in finding, circumſpect in electing, and cautions in conſtituting and authorizing ſo needfull a part of himſelf as is a Councell, leaſt chooſing ſuch as are more fraught with honours then wiſdome, or thoſe that are rich in the goods of Fortune, wanting the richer endowments of the minde, the one ſhould prove co•etous to add wealth to his honours, and the other ambitious to adde honour to his riches, and ſo whilſt either perpetrate their owne Deſignes, neglecting the chiefe end for which they were choſen, the whole Common­wealth fall into a moſt dangerous hazzard, till at laſt finding their owne errors, and being unwilling to publiſh their owne frailties to the worlds publique knowledge, they are enforced to inngulfe themſelves in the iuſtification of moſt dangerous falſhoods, and ſtill in what they may to lay the whole burthen on the innocent Prince, or at leaſt on ſome pretended Coun­cellors about him, ſtill urging and pretending new doubts and feares, thoſe iealouſies being firmly grounded on a malignant Partie, which indeed is to bee found (and that nor ſeldome) amongſt themſelves.

Many Councellors when by their own ambitions and malig­nant3 practizes they finde 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 Sinnes of the Councell, alleadging to them, that God Almighty for Sin doth puniſh the Nation; and in this (indeed) I verily believe they ſpeake the perfect truth; for Envy or Ambition, Miſtruſt or diſagrements in or betweene a Councell and their Prince and ſuch Sinnes as bring not only to themſelves, but even to the whole Common-wealth ruine and calamity; in conſideration whereof, I would adviſe the Councell to aske 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 aske; for it is the duty both of Prince and Coun­cellors ſo to be have themſelves towards the Common-wealth, that the Iuſtice of the Law may not onely be equally diſtribu­ted, and the poore defended from the oppreſſion of the rich; but alſo that peace may be maintained with forraigne Princes, and publique Commerce increaſed, to the profit of the Sub­iect, and honour of the Kingdome.

It is the duty of the Councell, who are the Members of the Body Politique, in all humility and obedience, to advize and treat with their Prince the head of that Body; for as in a Body naturall it would appeare altogether prepoſterous to ſee the feet to ſpurne at the Head, or the hands ready to ſtrike at it; ſo it is a thing altogether as uncomely, and of farre more dan­gerous conſquence, to have any Member or Members of the Body Politique to preſume to rebell againſt their Head the Prince.

A Prince ought to looke on his great Councell as on the repreſentative Body of the Kingdome, being lawfully cal'd together and elected by the People generall Suffrages: But4 that Councell ought to looke on their Princes as on the repre­ſentative ſoule of the whole Common-wealth elected and autho­rized by the power or God himſelfe, his Government being eſtabliſhed by his lineal Succeſſion, and confirmed by the Lawes of the Land being inveſted and received with the generall ap­plauſe of all his Subiects. Should a Prince after his election and confirmation prove wicked in all thoſe horrid degrees, Mens imaginations are able to apprehend yet ought not his People or Councell to preſume to goe about to enforce him to ought otherwiſe then by humble intreaty and advice.

David though anoynted by the Prophet Samuel durſt not preſume to lift his hand againſt the firſt anoynted Saul: Saint Paul commands Chriſtians to obey thoſe Heathen Princes to whom they were naturally borne Subiects, ſhewing obedi­ence to be due from Subiects to their Princes as from Princes to God.

Kings are Gods earthly Deputies and no man can rebell againſt the one but hee is doubtleſſe a Traytor to both; Kings ought (as God) to bee intreated not compelled; If a Prince be miſlead by bad Councellors or by the advice of malconten­ted perſons yet it were much better for the good of the Common-wealth, to cover and palliate the Princes errors or neglects then to diſcouer or declare them to the knowledge of his Subiects for the Maieſty of a Prince can hardly endure thoſe opprobrious indignityes as may in any likly hood render him odious to his people.

Councellors 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 Royall, As for a5 preſident. The ſecond Richard King of England parting with his Prerogative Royall as in farme to Buſhy Baggot and Gree•e were adiudged 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 diſſention that was between this King and his Parliaments, and miſerable Events and bloody maſſacres that ſucceded them, and his Depoſing might me thinks deter all Chriſtian Princes and Councellors from the like occaſions thereby to eſchew the like effects. As for De­poſers of Princes and Vſurpers, I think there is no man doubts but they may have an equall ſhare of Damnation be their pre­tences never ſo faire.

Religion and a care of the publique good, are two eaſie ſtepps to popularity, and the beſt and ſafeſt cloakes to hide 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 ofTunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardens.will make every true Engliſhman ſo wiſe, as reflecting on the miſeries paſt not to be our haſty to become engaged in new mischiefes leaſt the loſſe ſhould prove inſupportable or the wounds incurable. And for my part, for the proſperity and ſafety of this Kingdome I ſhall every pray to God to continue the People in their due obedience, the Councellours and Nobility in conſtant Loyalty and his Sacred Maieſty in love and amity with his Peeres and People.