The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

Ob.

The next Objection was, the great incon∣venience that would hereupon ensue; if such a

Charge may be, then none knows what his Charge will be, for the King may command it as often as he pleases; an example hereof they put of Danegelt, that in eleven years grew from 12000 l. to 48000 l. therefore the Law hath provided a∣gainst that incertainty, and limited it to a Par∣liament.

Ans. I answer to this, that if danger encrease again, the King may command all persons when necessity, and as often as he pleases he may do it; is not this as great an inconvenience as in this Case, and yet that abates not the Writ? My Brother Crooke shewed how Subsidies increased, and yet no inconvenience in that he conceived; and indeed, this shews the provision of charge must be according to the danger.

Secondly, No abuse of any thing must take a∣way the true use thereof.

Thirdly, We cannot suspect that there will be such abuse, Ʋbi-considet Deus et Lex, et nos etiam considemus; God and the Law hath trusted his Majesty, and we should not distrust him; in time of ••mminent danger, tempore Belli, any thing, and by any man may be done, Murder cannot be punished; yet says my Brother Crooke, the King cannot charge his Subjects in no case without Parliament, no not when the Kingdom is inva∣ded actually by the Enemy; but truly, I think, as he was the first, so I think he will be the last of that Opinion, especially having delivered that the King is sole Judge of the danger before, as indeed he is; and that the King is sole Judge of the danger, not any have denied it, and therefore else it should be no danger; but when every one should say, you shall judge that the Kingdom is in danger.

Secondly, There hath and may be as great dan∣ger when the Enemy is not discerned, as when in Arms, and on the Land.

In time of War, when the course of Law is stopped, when Judges have no power or place, when the Courts of Justice may send out no Pro∣cess, in this case the King may charge his Sub∣jects; you grant, mark what you grant, when there is such a confusion as no Law, then the King may do it, when there is no Law to do it; da••o uno absurdo in••inita sequuntur.

2. There may be time of War in one part of the Kingdom, and the Courts of Justice may sit, as in 14. H. 3. R. 2. H. 7. time, War was in some parts of the Land, yet the Judges sat at Westminster-Hall.

1. Now whether a danger be to all the King∣dom, or to a part, they are alike perillous, and all ought to be charged.

2. The King may charge the Subjects for the defence of the Land; now the Land and the Sea makes but one entire Kingdom, and there is but one Lord of both, and the King bound to de∣••••nd b••••h.

3. Expectancy of danger I hold is sufficient ••round for the King to charge his Subjects; for if we stay till the danger come, it will then be too late it may be.

4. And his averment of the danger is not tra∣versable, it must be binding, when he perceives, and says there is a danger; as in 88 the Enemy had been upon us, if it had not been foreseen and provided for before it came: But I will not de∣termine the danger now; do we not see our Po∣tent Neighbours, and our Great Enemies here∣••••fore, were they not prepared for War? and was there not another Navy floated upon the Sea? and was not the Dom••n••on of the Sea threatned to be taken away? as long as this dan∣ger remains; I shall bless God for such a King a, will provide for the defence of the Kingdom timely, and rejoyce to see such a Navy as other Nations must vail to, and we are not in case without it, and should loose our glory besides.