Gentlemen , You see , if the King be immediate under God , he derives his Authority from no body else : if the King have an Imperial Power ; if the King be Head of the Commonwealth , Head of the body Politick ; if the body Politick own him obedience : truly , I think it is an undenied consequence , He must needs be Superiour over them .

Gentlemen , This is no new thing , to talk of an Emperour , or an Imperial Crown . Do not mistake me all this while : It is one thing to have an Imperial Crown , and another thing to govern absolutely .

Gentlemen , The Imperial Crown is a Word , that is significative : you shall find in all Statutes , primo Eliz. and the first of King James , nay , even in the Act of Judicial proceedings of this Parliament , it is called an Imperial Crown . They that take the Oaths of Allegiance , and Supremacy , they swear that they will , to their power , assist , and defend all Jurisdictions , Priviledges , Preheminences , and Authorities , granted or belonging to the King , His Heirs , and Successors , or annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm . What is an Imperial Crown ? It is that , which , as to the Coercive part , is subject to no man under God . The King of Poland has a Crown : But what is it ? At his Coronation it is conditioned with the people ; That , if he shall not Govern them according to such Rules , they shall be freed from their Homage , and Allegiance . But the Crown of England is , and always was , an Imperial Crown , and so sworn .

Gentlemen , As I told you , even now , the Imperial Crown is a Word significative ; that Crown , which as to the Coercive part , is not subject-to any Humane Tribunal , or Judicature , whatsoever . And , truly , that this is such an Imperial Crown , though I have cited Authorities ancient enough , you may find them much more ancient . I remember , in the Story of William Rufus ( you shall find it in Matthew Paris , and Eadmerus ) some Question was about Investiture of Bishops , and the like , the King writes His Letter , That , &c.

God forbid , I should intend any absolute Government by this . It is one thing to have an Absolute Monarchy , another thing to have that Government Absolutely without Laws , as to any coercive power over the Person of the King : for as to Things , and Actions , they will fall under another consideration as I will tell you by and by .

Gentlemen , Since this is so , consider the Oath of Supremacy , which most men have taken , or should take . All men , that enter into the Parliament-House , they are expresly enjoyned by Statute to take the Oath of Supremacy . What says that Oath ? We swear , that The King is the only Supreme Governour within this Realm , and Dominions . He is Supreme , and the onely Supreme : and , truly , if he be Supreme , there is neither Major , nor , Superior . I urge this the more , lest any Person , by any Misconstruction , or inference , which they might make from something , that hath been Acted by the Higher Powers , they might draw some dangerous Inferences , or Consequences to colour , or shadow over those Murtherous , and Traiterous Acts , which afterwards they committed . They had no Authority . But as I told you , though I do set forth this , and declare this to you , to let you know , that the King was immediately subject to God , and so was not punishable by any Perfon ; yet , let me tell you , there is that excellent Temperament in our Laws , that , for all this , the King cannot rule , but by His Laws . It preserves the King , and his Person , and the peoples Rights .

There are three things , touching which the Law is conversant : Personae , Res , & Actiones ; Persons , Things , and Actions . For the Person of the King ; He is the Supreme Head , He is not punishable by any coercive Power : the Laws provide for that . The King can do no wrong , it is a Rule of Law , it is in our Law-books very frequent : 22d . of Edward the Fourth Lord Coke , and many others . If he can do no Wrong , He cannot be punished for any wrong . The King , He hath the infirmities , and weakness of a man : but he cannot do any injury , at least not considerable , in Person ; He must do it by Ministers , Agents , Instruments . Now the Law , though it provide for the King ; yet if any of his Ministers do wrong , though by his command , they are punishable . The King cannot arrest a man , as he cannot be arrested Himself : but , if He arrest me by another Man , I have remedy against this man , though not against the King : and so , He cannot take away my Estate . This as to the Person of the King : He is not to be touched : Touch not mine Anointed .

I come to Things . If the King claim a Right , the King must sue according to His Laws , the King is subject to the Laws in that case , His Possessions shall be tried by Juries . If He will try a man for His Fathers Death , you see he will try them by the Laws . The Law is the Rule , and Square of His actions , and by which He , Himself-is judged .

Then for Actions : that is , such Actions , whereby Rights , and Titles , are prosecuted , or recovered , the King cannot judge in Person betwixt man and man , He does it by his Judges , and upon Oath , and so in all cases whatsoever ; If the King will have his Right , it must be brought before His Judges . Though this is an Absolute Monarchy : yet this is so far from infringing the Peoples Rights ; that the People , as to their Properties , Liberties , and Lives , have as great a priviledge , as the King . It is not the sharing of Government , that is for the Libertie , and Benefit of the People : but it is , how they may have their Lives , and Liberties , and Estates , safely secured under Government . And you know , when the Fatness of the Olive was laid aside , and we were Governed by Brambles : these Brambles , they did not only tear the Skin ; but tore the Flesh , to the very Bone .

Gentlemen , I have done in this Particular , to let you see , that the Supreme Power , being in the King , the King is immediately under God , owing his Power to none , but God . It is true ( blessed be God ) we have as great Liberties , as any People have in Christendom , in the World : but let us own them , where they are due . We have them by the Concessions of Our Princes . Our Princes have granted them : and the King , now : He in them hath granted them likewise .

Gentlmen , I have been a little too long in this , and yet I cannot say , it is too long : because it may clear misunderstanding ; so many Poisonous Opinions having gone abroad . To come a little nearer . If we consider ; suppose there were the Highest Authority ; but , when we shall consider this horrid Murther ( truly , I cannot almost speak of it , but — Vox faucibus haeret . ) When we shall consider , that a few Members of the House of Commons , those , that had taken the Oath of Supremacy ; and those that had taken the Oath of Allegiance , that was to defend the King , and His Heirs , against all Conspiracies , and Attempts , whatsoever , against His , and their Persons , Their Crowns and Dignities : not onely against the Pope's Sentence , as some would pretend ; but , as otherwise , against all Attempts , and Conspiracies ; not onely against His Person , Crown , and Royal Dignity , nor Pope's Sentence nor , onely in order to the Profession of Religion , but absolutely or otherwise , that is , whatsoever Attempts , by any power , Authority , or Pretence whatsoever . I say , when a few Members of the House of Commons , not an eighth part of them , having taken these Oaths , shall assume upon themselves an Authority ; an Authority , what to do ? shall assume to themselves an Authority to make Laws , which was never heard before ; Authority to make Laws : What Laws ? a Law for an High Court of Justice , a Law for lives , to sentence mens lives ; And whose Life ? the Life of their Sovereign : upon such a King , who , as to them , had not only redressed long before , at the beginning of the Parliament , all Grievances , that were , and were imaginable , taken away the Star-Chnmber , High-Commission-Court , and about Shipping : such a King , and after such Concessions , that He had made in the Isle of Wight ; when He had granted so much , that was more than the People would have desired . When these few Commons not onely without , but excluding the rest of the Commons ; not onely without , but excluding the rest , but rejecting the Lords too , that then sat : when these few Commons shall take upon them this Authority , and , by colour of this , their King , Soveraign , Liege Lord , shall be sentenced , put to Death ; and that put to Death , even as their King , and sentenced as their King ; put to Death as their King , and this before His own Door , even before that Place , where He used in Royal Majesty to hear Embassadors , to have His Honourable Entertainments : that this King shall be thus put to Death at Noon-day , it is such an Aggravation of Villany ; that , truly , I cannot tell what to say . No story , that ever was , I do not think any Romance , any Fabulous Tragedy , can produce the like . Gentlemen , If any Person shall now come , and shroud himself under this pretended Authority , or such a pretended Authority , you must know , that this is so far from an Excuse , that it is an Height of Aggravation . The Court of Common-Pleas is the Common Shop for Justice : in that Court an appeal is brought for Murther , which ought to have been in the King's Bench , the Court gives Judgment , the Party is condemned , and executed : in this Case , it is Murther in them , that executed ; because they had no lawful Authority . I speak this to you , to shew you , that no man can shroud himself , by colour of any such false , or pretended , Authority . I have but one thing more to add to you upon this head ; and that is ( which I should have said at first ) If two , or more , do compass , or Imagine the King's Death ; if some of them go on so far , as to Consullation ; if others of them go further , they sentence , and execute , put to Death : in this Case they are all Guilty ; the first Consultation was Treason . I have no more to add , but one Particular , a few Words .

As you will have Bills presented against those ; for Compassing , Imagining , Adjudging the King : so possibly you may have Bils presented against some of those for Levying War against the King : Levying of War , which is another Branch of the State of 25th . of Edward the Third . It was but Declarative of the Common Law : it was no new Law . By that Law it was treason to Levy War against the King . But to levy War against the Kings Authority , you must know is Treason too . If men will take up Armes upon any Publick pretence ; if it be to expulse Aliens ; if but to pull out Privy Councellours ; if it be , but against any Particular Laws , to reform Religion , to pull down Enclosures : in all these cases , If Persons have assembled themselves , in a Warlike manner , to do any of these Acts ; this is Treason , and within that Branch of Levying War against the King . This was adjudged in the late Kings Time in Berstead's case , Queen Elizabeth's Henry the Eighth's , former Times , King Jame's Time : much more ; 〈◊〉 men will go , not onely to Levy War against the King , but against the Laws , all the Laws , subvert all the Laws , to set up new Laws , Models of their own . If any of these cases come to be presented to you , you know what the Laws are . To conclude , you are now to enquire of Blood , of Royal Blood , of Sacred Blood ; Blood like that of the Saints under the Altar , crying Quousque , Domine ? How long , Lord , &c. This Blood crys for Vengeance , and it will not be appeased without a Bloody Sacrifice .

Remember but this , and I have done : I shall not press you upon your Oaths ; you are Persons of Honour ; you all know the Obligation of an Oath . This I will say , that he , that conceals , or favours the guilt of Blood , takes it upon himself ; wilfully , knowingly , takes it upon himself . And we know , that , when the Jews said , Let his blood be on us and our seed , it continued to them , and their Posterity , to this day , God save the King . Amen , Amen .