THe Institution of our Parliaments is very ancient; Some hold they were in use among the Saxons, but the more certaine opinion is, they are derivative from the Norman Conquerour, being indeed the very Essence and primum mobile of the Fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome; the Subjects best in­heritance, the Charter by which he holds his liberty.

In the Raigne of William the Conquerour his time, being most imployed in France, we reade not of any memorable act performed by Parliament, the Kingdome being then as it were in parties, and the Lawes in their infancy: Nor in his sons William Rufus raigne, till upon his decease the Body of the kingdome, saith William Rishanger, chose for their head King Beauclarke discarding Robert Duke of Normandy his elder brother from the government; so supreame was the dignity of the Parliament in those dayes, that for the good of the people, who desired not a stranger should rule over them, Robert being an alien borne, and Henry at Selby in Yorke­shire, that it could confer the royalty on him that onely had [Page 4]his right in the Soveraignty by the Parliaments Election and sufferage. The same Parliament to unite the ancient Saxon bloud Royall, with the Norman, engaging him to marry Ma­tilda the daughter of Malcolme King of Scots, being the on­ly heire of Edmund Ironside. The same Parliament or another in his Raigne obtaining from that good King many Franchi­ses and Priviledges for the subject.

King Stephen the successor to his Uncle made no great use of the Honourable the High Court of Parliament, being in­deed an usurper, he was assur'd that just and wise Assembly could never be so much recreant to their naturall vertue, as to underprop by their strength his former claime against the right heire Maud the Empresse, whose sonne Henry the short Mantle, Parliamentary power rather then his forces, setled in the Royalty. This powerfull King made frequent and speciall use of his Parliaments, both for the supplying his coffers ex­hausted in his expensive wars; and for setling the affaires of the kingdome, a Parliament in his raigne setling the confu­sion of our common Lawes, gathering the best of the Nor­man constitutions, and adding to them the best of King Al­freds and Saint Edwards Lawes; It made up the body of our fundamentall Statutes. The same Parliament for the ease and benefit of the subject obtaining from that King Judges itine­rant that should ride the severall circuits of the kingdome, and bring the people right home to their owne doores: His son the Lyon-hearted Richard, in his wars in the Holy Land, receiving from his subjects the bounteous provision of his Parliaments in nine yeres, eleven hundred thousand markes, a stupendious summe sayes one in those dayes, ere the Indean Treasury had oresiowed the world, though they were not at all for the profit of the people, were mightily to the honour of the Nation in generall, as those dayes went; So that it is apparant our Parliaments have alwayes been as carefull of the kingdomes honour as its profit.

King Iohn his successor indeed an usurper, declined the use of Parliaments till his necessities inforced him to call them [Page 5]and relye on them: Our Parliaments having alwayes been our Kings best helpers at dead lifts, furnishing them from the publicke store, when either mischance, or if superfluity had exhausted, their private Treasuries

When this King alienating from the vertue of his Aunce­stors, sought not only the oppression of the subject, but to in­slave the Crowne to a forraine yoake, to avoid excommu­nication, and to win him to his party, holding his Royalty of the Pope. The Parliament mindfull of the subiects safety tooke righteous armes up against them, and got the charter of their Liberty, sealed them, his sonne Henry the third as he raigned longest of all our Kings, so he had the most to doe with the high Court of Parliament, with whom for the Li­berty of the Subiect, that Assembly had many and frequent contentions at Oxford: A Parliament in his Raigne (all pla­ces of credit and trust being conferr'd upon aliens the Kings kinsmen and halfe brothers) tooke upon them to redresse those abuses, displacing those up-starts from their usurp'd dig­nities, and banish'd them the kingdome.

Parliamentary power was never more usefull to the Sub­iect then in these times, nor never was it's power better man­nag'd. When the King having againe got new and evill Mi­nisters that wasted the treasure and Crowne-lands on them­selves and followers; The usuall reply of their servants to the complaints of the Kings Subiects, as saith William of Kishan­ger, being quis tibi rectum faciet quod Dominus meus vult. Dominus Rex vult. Then did the Parliament by force rectifie those abuses when faire meanes would not prevaile, and thence indeed grew those long lasting Barrons wars, wher­in the Liberty and property of the subiect had been swallow­ed in the gulph of the Royall Prerogative, had not the Parlia­ment preserv'd it; so carefull has that great and wise Assem­bly alwayes bin of the kingdomes safety, and so advantagious to the commodity of the subiect.

Edward the first, our English Iustinian made often and good use of his Parliaments, which liberally furnish'd him [Page 6]with money for his Scottish wars, the Parliament supplying him with money, being the maine occasion of his conquests; there those Parliaments in lieu of their liberality obtaining from that good and gracious King the ample confirmation of their former priviledges, divers new ones being added to those of Magna Charta, as the mitigation of those rigorous lawes of the forrests, which did most undoe the subjects safe­ties, many excellent and usefull Statutes, being enacted in those Parliaments. The Jewes, that both by their irreligion and usury, were growne odious to the people, being not as in former Kings reignes fin'd, but their ill-gotten goods con­fiscated, and themselves for ever banish'd the kingdome.

Edward the second, a dissolute and infortunate Prince, comply'd not with his Pa [...]iament but his Minions, and was at last by a Parliament deposed, and the royalty conferr'd on his sonne, that great Edward the third; who still relying on the love and loyalty of his people, was powerfull and victo­rious in France, the Parliaments assembled here furnishing him with plentifull supplies of treasure to pay his souldiers, and by those summes purchas'd stil new infranchisements for the Subjects, that glorious King being every whit as carefull to institute good & wholsome laws for his people here, as he was desirous to conquer in France. That unfortunate grand­child of his, Richard 2. seduced by flatterers, and led away to Oppressions and Injustices by his evill ministers, the Subject groaning under their tyrannies, had onely recourse to the Parliament for reliefe: that great and famous Parliament that wrought wonders, being in his raigne wherein forces were raised by the noblest Peeres and faithfull commons for the punishment of the Kings malignant councellours. Vere Tresilian and the rest, who from the Parliament received a due reward for their trecheries; and that last this King who ne­ver would adhere to his Parliaments advice was by Parlia­ment degraded of his royalty, and the Crowne conferr'd by their act upon Henry the fourth, who confiding in his Parlia­ment, repress'd by their help all domestique troubles and for­raigne [Page 7]Enemies: his sonne that thunderbolt of war, Henry the fifth, by his Parliaments bounty, made an absolute con­quest of France, so that indeed all the glorious atchievments of our English Monarchs are to be attributed to the care of and providence of Parliaments: Henry the sixth, during the life of his Uncles, Bedford and Glocester, was happy and fea­red abroad, as well as lov'd at home; those good Dukes, both to defend their forraigne conquests, and to preserve the Majesty of their Nephew at home, summoning many Parlia­ments, at last the Parliament in it's justice taking notice of the undoubted right of Richard Duke of Yorke, to the Crown and the usurpation of the house of Lancaster, by their act set­led the royalty upon his Progenie, disclaiming the sonne of Henry the sixth, though a gallant Prince.

Edward the fourth, the first Monarch of the House of Yorke, was, though not a frequent caller of Parliaments; yet when they were assembled, a great consenter to them, and at their request a continuall confirmer of the peoples Immunities; so was he, who though held the worst of men, is reputed among the best of our Kings. The Tyrant, Richard the third, who at his Parliaments devis'd many new and wholsome Lawes for the benefit of the people: how rich, how puissant and glo­rious Henry the seventh liv'd and di'd by the Parliaments ad­vice and furtherance, is not unknowne to all that know our Histories, the union between the two so long jarring Houses, though continued by private persons, being ratified and con­firm'd by Parliament.

Henry the eighth's raign afforded plurality of Parliaments, and very materious ones; at one of them that great Act (the more wondred at then the extirpation of Episopacie could be now) was pass'd for the demolishment of those rich Abbies, the nurseries of sloth and licenciousnesse; for the not onely excluding miter'd Abbots from having votes in Parliament, but for their utter annihilating, their mighty re­venues being confin'd the Kings: At another Parliament the power of the Pope was banish'd this Island, and the Supreme [Page 8]Ecclesiasticall government annexed to the Prerogative Roy­all; so carefull have our Parliaments alwayes been, not onely to preserve, but augment the dignity of our King. A Parlia­ment in Edward the sixth's time refin'd Religion from all the dregs of Romish superstition, and settled the purity of Reli­gion in this Kingdome, which obscur'd and alter'd in Queen Mary's reigne, was in her sisters, of famous memory, by Par­liamentary power settled againe into it's old order, how hap­py and glorious was that Queen during her long reigne by relying on her Parliament: what blessings were deriv'd from the Prince to the people, and from the people to the Prince: so it was i [...] King Iames his time, no difference at all ever happening betweene him and his Parliament; at one of which himselfe with his whole Nobility, had not God mi­raculously prevented it, had been by the Papists divellish con­spiracie sold to destruction; nor certainly had there ever been emergent this strange distemper between King Charles and this his honourable and loyall Parliament, had the King bin as ready to comply with their just desires, as they were to performe their duties to him; never was Parliament so hope­full, never had the State so much need of physick, because it was never so desperately sicke: never were wholsomer me­dicines apply'd to cure its distempers, then hath been by this Parliament, had not perverse malignants altered and trans­formed the Kings intentions from his Parliament now as­sembled, heaven send a speedy union betweene them, and there is no doubt but the Parliament (whom God preserve from all dangers) will make the King great and glorious, and the Subject fortunate and flourishing.