Ir was now time to mind Themselves, as well as the Publick, and to Repair, as well as Pull Down; and therefore, as the principal reason (as was faid before) for the accufing thofe Two great Perfons of High Treafon (that is, of the general Confent to it before any Evidence was requir'd) was, that they might be remov'd from the King's Prefence and his Counfels, without which they conceiv'd Theirs. would have no power with him; fo That being compafs'd, care was taken to infuse into the King by Marquis Hamilton (Who you heard before was licensed to take care of Himfelf; and was now of great intimacy with the Governing and Undertaking Party) "That his Majefty having declared "to his People, that He really intended a Reformation of all "those Extravagancies which former neceffities, or occafions, "or mistakes, had brought into the Government of Church For State: He could not give a more lively and demonftra"ble Evidence, and a more gracious Inftance of fuch his in❝tention, than by calling fuch Perfons to his Council, Whom "the People generally thought most inclin'd to, and intent "upon, fuch Reformation: Befides, that this would be a good "means to preferve the dignity and just power of that Board, "which might otherwife, on the account of the late excess "and violation, be more fubject to inconvenient attempts for "the Future...

HEREUPON in one day were fworn Privy Counsellors, Divers new much to the publick joy, the Earl of Hertford (whom the Privy Coun King afterwards made Marquis) the Earl of Bedford, the Earl fellors worn of the Popu of Effex, the Earl of Bristol, the Lord Say, the Lord Savile, lar Party. and the Lord Kimbolton; and within two or three days after, the Earl of Warwick: being All perfons at that time very gracious to the People, or to the Scots, by whofe election and difcretion the People chofe; and had been All in fome umbrage at Court, and Most in vifible disfavour there. This act the King did very chearfully; heartily inclined to Some of them, as He had reason; and not apprehending any Inconvenience by that act from the Others, whom he thought this light of his grace would Reform, or at least Restrain.

BUT the calling and admitting men to that Board is not a work that can be indifferent: theReputation, if not the Government of the State depending on it. And though, it may be, there hath been too much Curiofity heretofore used to discover men's humours in particular points, before they have receiv'd that Honour; whereas poffibly fuch differences were rather to have been defir'd than avoided: yet there are certain Opinions, certain Propofitions, and general Principles, that Whofoever does not hold, and does not believe, is not, without great danger, to be accepted for a Privy-Coun

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fellor.

fellor. As, whofoever is not fix'd to Monarchical grounds, the preservation and upholding whereof is the chief End of fuch a Council: Whofoever doth not believe that in order to that great End, there is a Dignity, a Freedom, a JurifdiЄtion most effential to be preferv'd in, and To that place; and takes not the Prefervation thereof to heart; ought never to be receiv'd there. What in prudence is to be done towards that End, admits a latitude that honest and wife men may fafely and profitably differ in; and thofe Differences (which I faid before there was too much unskilful care to prevent) ufually produce great advantages in knowledge and wisdom: but the End it felf, that which the Logicians call the Terminus ad quem, ought always to be a poftulatum, which Whofoever doubts, destroys: and Princes cannot be too ftrict, too tender, in this confideration, in the constituting the body of their Privy-Council, upon the Prudent doing whereof, much of their Safety; more of their Honour and Reputation (which is the Life it felf of Princes) both at home and abroad neceffarily depends: and the Inadvertencies in this Point, have been, mediately or immediately, the Root and the Spring of most of the Calamities that have enfued.

Two Reasons have been frequently given by Princes for Overfights, or for Wilful Breaches, in this important difpenfation of their Favours. The firft, "That fuch a man can do "no harm'; when God knows, few men have done more harm than Those who have been thought to be able to do leaft; and there cannot be a greater error than to believe a man whom we see qualified with too mean parts to do good, to be therefore incapable of doing hurt: there is a fupply of Malice, of Pride, of Industry, and even of Folly, in the Weakeft, when He fets his heart upon it, that makes a strange progress in Mischief. The Second, "When Perfons of ordi"nary faculties, either upon importunity, or other collateral "refpects, have been introduc'd There, that it is but a place "of Honour, and a general teftimony of the King's affe"ction; and fo it hath been, as it were, referv'd as a preferment for Thofe, who were fit for no other preferment. As amongst the Jefuits they have a Rule, That they, who are unapt for greater Studies, fhall ftudy cafes of Confcience. By this means the Number hath been increas'd, which in it self breeds great Inconveniencies; fince a Lefs number are fitter both for Counsel and Dispatch, in matters of the greatest moment, that depend upon a quick execution, than a Greater number of men equally honest and wife: and for That, and other reasons of Unapiness and Incompetency, Committees of dextrous men have been appointed out of the Table to do the business of it; and fo men have been no fooner exalted

with

with the Honourable title, and pleafed with the obligation of being made Privy-Counsellors, than they have check'd that delight with difcering that they were not fully trufted; and so have been more incenfed with the Reproachful diftinЄtion At, than obliged with the Honourable admiffion To that Board, where they do not find all perfons equally Members. And by this kind of Resentment, many fad Inconveniences have befallen the King; and Those men Who have had the honour and misfortune of those fecret trusts.

THE truth is, the finking and near defperate condition of Monarchy in this Kingdom can never be buoy'd up, but by a prudent and steady Council attending upon the virtue and vivacity of the King; nor be preferv'd and improved when it is up, but by cherithing and preferving the wifdom, integrity, dignity, and reputation, of that Council: the luftre whereof always reflects upon the King himself; who is not thought a Great Monarch when he follows only his own Reafon and Appetite; but when, for the informing his Reafon, and guiding his Actions, he uses the fervice, industry, and faculties of the Wisest men. And though it hath been, and will be, alwas neceffary to admit to thofe Counfels fome men of great Power, who will not take the pains to improve their great parts; yet the Number of the whole fhould not be too great; and the Capacities and Qualities of the most should be fit for bufinefs; that is either for Judgment, and Dispatch; or for One of them at least: and for Integrity above all.

THIS Digreflion (much longer than was intended) will not appear very impertinent, when the great differvice fhall appear, which befel the King by the fwearing thofe Lords formerly mention'd (I fpeak but of fome of them) Privy-Counfellors. For instead of exercising themselves in their new Province, and endeavouring to preferve and vindicate that Jurif diction; they look'd upon themselves as preferr'd thither, by their reputation in Parliament, not by the kindness and esteem of the King; and fo refolv'd to keep up principally the greatnefs of that Place, to which they thought they ow'd their Own greatnefs. And therefore when the King requir'd the Advice of his Privy-Council, in those matters of the highest importance which were then every day incumbent on Him, the new Privy-Counsellors pofitively declar'd, "That They "might not (that was, that no body might) give his Majefty "any advice in matters depending in the two Houses "which was not agreeable to the fenfe of the two Houses; "which They call'd his Great Council, by Whose wisdom "he was entirely to guide himself. As this doctrine was infipidly and pernicioufly urg'd by fome; fo it was fupinely and ftupidly fubmitted to by others; infomuch as the King,

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in

Great Li

cence in

in a moment found himself bereav'd of all Publick assistance and advice, in a time when he needed it most, and his greateft, and, upon the matter, his only business, being prudently to weigh and confider What to confent to, and What to Deny, of fuch things as fhould be Propos'd to him by the two Houses, He was now told, "That He was only to be Advis'd "by Them; which was as much as to say, that He must do whatsoever They defir'd of him.

WHEREAS in truth, it is not only Lawful for the PrivyCouncil, but their Duty, to give faithfully and freely Their advice to the King upon all matters concluded in Parliament, to which his Royal affent is neceffary, as well as upon any other subject whatfoever. Nay a Privy-Counsellor, as Such, is bound to diffwade the King from confenting to that which is Prejudicial to the Crown; at least to make that Prejudice manifeft to him; though as a private perfon he could wish the matter confented to. And therefore, by the constitution of the Kingdom, and the conftant practice of Former times, all Bills after they had pafs'd both Houses, were deliver'd by the Clerk of the Parliament to the Clerk of the Crown; and by him brought to the Atturney General; who presented the fame to the King fitting in Council; and having read them, declar'd what Alterations were made by thofe Bills to former Laws; and what Benefit or Detriment, in Profit or Jurifdi-, ction, would accrew thereby to the Crown: and then upon a full and free debate by his Counsellors, the King refolv'd accordingly upon fuch Bills as were to be enacted into Laws; and refpited the other that he thought not fit to confent to. As this hath been the known Practice, fo the Reafon is very visible; that the Royal Affent being a diftinct and effential part towards the making a Law, there fhould be as much care taken to inform the Understanding and Confcience of the King upon those occafions, as Theirs, who prepare the fame for his Royal affent.

THAT it might appear that what was done Within the Houses, was agreeable to thofe who were Without; and that Preaching the fame Spirit reign'd in Parliament, and People; all poffiing. ble Licence was exercis'd in Preaching, and Printing any old

and Print

Scandalous Pamphlets, and adding New to them against the Church: Petitions prefented by many Parifhioners against their Paftors, with Articles of their Mifdemeanours and Behaviours; most whereof confifted, "In their Bowing at the name of Jefus, and obliging the Communicants to come up "to the Altar (as they envioufly call'd it) that is, to the Rails which enclos'd the Communion-Table, "To receive the Sa"crament. All which Petitions were Read with great delight, and presently referr'd to the Committee about Religion; where

where Mr White, a grave Lawyer, but notoriously difaffeЄted to the Church, fat in the Chair; and then both Petition and Articles were fuffer'd to be Printed and Publish'd (a Licence never practifed before) that the People might be inflam'd against the Clergy; who were quickly taught, to call all Thole against whom fuch Petitions and Articles were exhibited (which were frequently done by a few of the Rabble, and meaneft of the People, against the sense and judgement of the Parish) the Scandalous Clergy; which Appellation was frequently applied to men of great Gravity and Learning, and the most Unblemish'd lives.

THERE cannot be a better Inftance of the Unruly and Mu- The Entry of Pryn, tinous Spirit of the City of London, which was then the Sink Baftwick, of all the ill humours of the Kingdom, than the Triumphant and Burton, Entry which fome Perfons at that time made into London, into Lonwho had been before feen upon Pillories, and Stigmatiz'd as Libellous and Infamous Offenders: of which claffis of men scarce any age can afford the like.

THERE had been Three perfons of feveral Profeffions fome years before Cenfur'd in the Star-Chamber, William Pryn a Barrifter of Lincoln's Inn, John Baftwick a Doctor of Phyfick, and Henry Burton a Minister and Lecturer of Lon

don.

THE Firft, not unlearn'd in the Profeffion of the Law, as far as Learning is acquir'd by the meer reading of Books: but being a person of great Industry, had spent more time in reading Divinity; and which marr'd that Divinity, in the converfation of Factious and Hot-headed Divines: and fo, by a mixture of all three, with the rudeness and arrogance of his Own nature, had contracted a Proud and Venemous Dislike to the discipline of the Church of England; and fo by degrees (as the Progress is very natural) an equal Irreverence to the Government of the State too; both which he vented in feveral abfurd, petulant, and fupercilious Difcourfes in Print.

THE Second, a half-witted, crack-brain'd Fellow,unknown to either Univerfity, or the College of Physicians; but one that had spent his time abroad, between the Schools and the Camp (for he had been in or pafs'd through Armies) and had gotten a Doctorship, and Latin; with which in a very flowing style, with fome wit and much malice, he Inveigh'd against the Prelates of the Church in a Book which he printed in Holland, and industriously dispers'd in London, and throughout the Kingdom; having prefum'd (as their Modesty is always equal to their Obedience) to Dedicate it, To the Sacred Majefty of the King.

THE Third, had formerly a kind of relation by Service to the King; having before he took Orders, waited as Clofetkeeper,

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don.