House of Lords Journal Volume 3: 13 June 1628

DIE Veneris, 13 die Junii,

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales, quorum nomina subscribuntur, præsentes fuerunt:

Witness in Becknet's Cause.

JURATUS in Causa Millisent Becknett:
Maximilian Grenslade,

To make true Answer before the Committee for Petitions.

Bowars at the Bar.

Committed.

According to the Order of this House, 30 Maii last, Raph Bowars, Ensign-bearer to the Company of Soldiers billeted at Bromesgrave, in Worcestershire, was this Day brought to the Bar; and the Information of John Biddle upon Oath, and the Examinations, taken by the Committee for Petitions, of John Hill and Jervis Penn, being read, which affirmed the Words contained in the said Order of 30 Maii, to be spoken by the said Bowars; it was Ordered, The said Raph Bowars to be committed unto The Fleet, until he find Sureties for his good Behaviour.

Message (fn. 1) from the Commons, by Sir Edward Cooke and others:

Message from the H. C. for a Conference touching a Commission to levy Money by Impositions, &c.

That the Commons desire a Free Conference with the Lords, concerning a Commission, dated 28th of February last, for levying of Monies by Impositions or otherwise, directed to all or most of the Lords of the Privy Council.

Answered:

Answer.

The Lords have assented unto a Free Conference, by the Committees of both Houses, at Four in the Afternoon, in the Painted Chamber.

E. of Warwick versus The East India Company.

Juratus in causa Comitis Warwicke, versus the East Indian Company:

Samuel Nuse, Captain.

Dr. Manwaring at the Bar.

Doctor Manwaringe being this Day brought to the Bar before the Lords, and admitted to speak for himself unto the Charge of the Commons against him, answered in Effect as followeth:

His Answer to the Charge of the Commons against him.

"First, he shewed, That he was under a great Burthen of Sorrow and Weakness, here to present himself unto their Lordships; and then rendered their Lordships humble Thanks for giving him Leave and Time to recollect himself before he made his Answer; and craved a favourable Interpretation of what he was now to speak.

"As touching his Two Sermons complained of by the Commons, he said, That he was induced to preach them by a public Remonstrance of the Necessities of the State at that Time; and that he printed them at His Majesty's special Command: That the Ground of his Positions in those Two Sermons are in the Holy Scriptures, and in the Interpreters of the Scriptures, and are not complained of by the Commons; but the Inferences only, drawn from those Grounds, are questioned by them.

"He craved Leave to explain himself in Two of those Positions. The First, where he says, That Kings partake of Omnipotency with God; he said, that he meant no more by this than is meant by the Holy Scriptures, and by the Laws of the Land. For the Psalms say, Dii estis. And Mr. Calvine saith, Reges a Deo Imperium habere, et divinam Potestatem in Regibus residere. Wherefore, to offend against Kings, he thought it Sacrilege. And, by the Laws of this Kingdom, a great Image of God is in the King.

"The other Position, which he desired to explain, was touching the King's Justice, where he says, in the Second Sermon, Page 25, That Justice intercedes not between God and Man, nor between the Prince, being a Father, and the People, as Children.

"He said, That he meant thereby, That as Man cannot requite God, nor the Child the Father, so the King, being Dispenser of God's Power, cannot be requited: But his Meaning was not that the King should not have Laws.

"And touching those Inferences made by the Commons out of his Two Sermons (complained of), which they impute either to Sedition or Malice, or to the destroying of the Municipal Laws of the Land, or slighting of Parliaments, he protested before God and His Holy Angels, That they were never in his Thoughts; he only thought to persuade those Honourable Gentlemen (who refused to conform themselves) to yield a Supply unto the present and imminent Necessities of the State. And, in the Conclusion of his Speech, he expressed his great Sorrow to be thus accused; and begged Pardon and Mercy of their Lordships, and of the Commons, even for God's Sake, for the King's Sake (whom they so much honoured), for Religion Sake, and for his Calling Sake; humbly beseeching them to accept of this his Submission."

Archbishop of Canterbury admonishes him.

This being spoken by Dr. Manwaringe, and he willed to withdraw, the Lord Archbishop of Cant. called to him to stay. His Grace desired Leave of the House, that he might say somewhat unto him; and then told him, "That he might have made better Use of the great Favour which the Lords did him, in giving him Time to recollect himself before his Answer. But he saw in him (as St. Bernade saith), That there are some Men who are miseri, sed non miserandi; and that he was sorry to hear such an Answer to the Accusation of the Commons. But, God be thanked, the King had now wiped away what was intended by his Two Sermons; the which Sermons, his Grace said, he both misliked and abhorred, and was sorry that he came only to extenuate his Fault. Touching the Participation which Dr. Manwaringe gave to the King with God, his Grace told him, That it is very Blasphemy; and those Words in the Psalms, Dii estis, do warrant no such Matter. And touching his other Assertion, That there is no Justice but between Equals, and not between God and Man, the Parent and his Children, nor between the King and His People; his Grace told him it was impious and salse, and that he had thereby drawn upon us an Infamy of our Religion, and had given Occasion to the Jesuits to traduce us. And shewed him, That the Scriptures do plainly declare and prove a Justice from God to Man, from the Parent to his Children, and from a King to His People. And further, That, by the Laws of God and Man, there was ever a communitive Justice between the King and His People, for Matter of Coins, and a distributive Justice for Government. Then, putting him in Mind of Anasarchis the Philosopher, whom the King of Cyprus caused to be brayed in a Brasen Mortar, for his base Flattery (a just Reward for all Flatterers of Princes), he blamed him much for citing of Swares, and other Jesuits, in his Sermons; and willed him to read the Fathers, the ancient Interpreters of the Scriptures."

Dr. Manwaring's Reply.

The Lord Archbishop having ended this grave Admonition, Dr. Manwaringe made a short Reply, touching his said Two Assertions; and said, "That he denied not Justice and Law to be between the King and His People; but affirmed that the King's Justice could not be requited; and excused himself for citing of Suares, for that in those Places he spake for the King."

To be censured for the Sermons complained of.

The Prisoner being withdrawn; the Lords considered of their Censure against him; and their Lordships thought him worthy of a severe Punishment, for attributing unto the King a Participation of God's Omnipotency, and an absolute Power of Government; for his scandalous Assertions against Parliaments; and for branding those Gentlemen who refused the late Loans with Damnation. But, for that he so deeply protested that he had no Intention to seduce the King's Conscience, nor to sow Sedition between His Majesty and His People, nor to incense His Majesty against Parliaments, nor to abrogate the Municipal Laws, as was objected by the Commons; and for that the King Himself hath protested (as was affirmed by some of His Privy Council) that He understood him not in that Sense; and for that His Majesty, by His Gracious Answer unto the Petition of Right, exhibited this Parlia ment, hath removed those Jealousies, which otherwise the Subjects might justly have feared by the Assertions in those Sermons; and also for that he the said Dr. Manwaringe had shewn himself very penitent and sorry for the same; their Lordships agreed of a milder Sentence against him than otherwise they would; the which Sentence, being first agreed on by Parts, was afterwards read, and assented unto by the general and unanimous Vote of the whole House (vide the said Sentence the 14th of June).

Adjourn.

Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem proximum, videlicet, diem Sabbati, 14^m diem instantis Junii, hora nona, Dominis sic decernentibus.