This text has been selected for inclusion in the EEBO-TCP: Navigations collection, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
OF Governments there can be but three Kinds, for either One or More, or All, must have the Soveragn Power of a Nation. If One, then it is a Monarchy; If More (that is an Assembly of Choice Per∣sons) then it is an Aristocracy; If All (that is the General As∣sembly of the People) then it is a Democracy.
Of all Governments the Monarchical, as most resem∣bling the Divinity, and nearest approaching to perfection (uni∣ty being the perfection of all
things) hath ever been estemed the most excellent.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
For the Transgressions of a Land, many are the Princes or Rulers thereof, Prov. 28. 2.
Of Monarchies some are Despotical, where the Subjects like Servants are at the Arbi∣trary Power and Will of their Soveraign, as the Turks and Barbarians: Others Political or Paternal, where the Subject like Children under a Father, are governed by equal and just Laws, consented and sworn unto by the King; as is done by all Christian Princes at their Coronations.
Of Paternal Monarchies, some are Hereditary, where the Crown descends either on∣ly to Heirs Male, as in France; or next of Blood, as in Spain, England, &c. Others Elective, where upon the death of every Prince, without respect had to the Heirs or next of Blood, another by Solemn Election is appointed to succeed, as in Poland and Hungary; and till of late in Denmark and Bo∣hemia.
Of Hereditary Paternal Mo∣narchies, some are dependent and holden of Earthly Poten∣tates, and are obliged to do Homage for the same; as the Kingdoms of Scotland and Man, that held in Capite of the Crown of England, and the Kingdome of Naples, holden of
the Pope; others independent, holden only of God, acknow∣ledging no other Superiour up∣on Earth.
England is an Hereditary Pa∣ternal Monarchy, governed by one Supreme, Independent, and Undeposable Head, according to the known Laws and Cu∣stoms of the Kingdom.
It is a Free Monarchy, chal∣lenging above many other Eu∣ropean Kingdoms, a freedom from all Subjection to the Em∣perour or Laws of the Empire; for that the Roman Emperours obtaining antiently the Domi∣nion of this Land by force of Arms, and afterwards aban∣doning the same, the Right by the Law of Nations return∣ed to the former Owners pro de∣relicto, as Civilians speak.
It is a Monarchy free from all manner of Subjection to the Bishop of Rome, and there∣by from divers inconveniencies and burdens, under which the neighbouring Kingdoms groan; as Appeals to Rome in sundry Ecclesiastical Suits, Provisions, and Dispensations, in several ca∣ses to be procured from thence; many Tributes and Taxes paid to that Bishop, &c.
It is a Monarchy free from all Interregnum, and with it from many mischiefs whereunto E∣lective Kingdoms are subject.
England is such a Monarchy, as that, by the necessary subordinate Concurrence of the Lords and Commons in the making and repealing all Sta∣tutes or Acts of Parliament, it hath the main advantages
of an Aristocracy and of a De∣mocracy, and yet free from the disadvantages and evils of ei∣ther.
It is such a Monarchy, as by a most admirable temperament affords very much to the Indu∣stry, Liberty, and Happiness of the Subject, and yet reserves enough for the Majesty and Pre∣rogative of any King that will own his people as Subjects, not as Slaves.
It is a Kingdom that of all the Kingdoms of the World is most like the Kingdom of Je∣sus Christs; whose yoke is easie, whose burden is light.
It is a Monarchy that with∣out interruption hath been con∣tinued almost 1000 years, and (till of late) without any at∣tempts of change of that Go∣vernment:
so that to this sort of Government the English seem to be naturally inclined, and therefore during the late Bouleversations or over-turn∣ings, when all the art that the Devil or Man could imagine, was industriously made use of to change this Monarchy into a Democracy, this Kingdom in∣to a Common-wealth, the most and the best of English Men, the general Spirit and Genius of the Nation (not so much the Presbiterian or Roy∣alist) by mighty though invi∣sible influence, concurred at once to restore their exiled So∣veraign, and re-establish that antient Government.