ing to the standing received laws of the
kingdom. The laws he is sworn to, limit him that he cannot do against
them, without a sinful breach of this covenant between the king and the
people. 3. In regard of government, the total government is not upon a
king. He hath counsellors as a parliament or estates in the land, who
share in the burden of government. No king should have the sole
government: it was never the mind of those who received a king to rule
them, to lay all government upon him, to do what he pleaseth, without
controlment. There is no man able alone to govern all. The kingdom
should not lay that upon one man, who may easily miscarry. The estates
of the land are bound in this contract to bear the burden with him.

These men who have flattered kings to take unto themselves an absolute
power, to do what they please, have wronged kings and kingdoms. It had
been good that kings, of late, had carried themselves so, as this
question of the king's power might never have come in debate; for they
have been great losers thereby. Kings are very desirous to have things
spoken and written, to hold up their arbitrary and unlimited power; but
that way doth exceedingly wrong them. There is one, a learned man, I
confess, who hath written a book for the maintenance of the absolute
power of kings, called _Defensio Regis_, whereby he hath wronged himself
in his reputation, and the king in his government. As for the fact, in
taking away the life of the late king, (whatever was God's justice in
it) I do agree with him to condemn it, as a most unjust and horrid act,
upon their part who did it: but when he cometh to speak of the power of
kings, in giving unto them an absolute and unlimited power, urging the
damnable maxim, _quod libet licet_, he will have a king to do what he
pleaseth, _impune_, and without controlment. In this, I cannot but
dissent from him.

In regard of subordination some say, that a king is accountable to none
but God. Do what he will, let God take order with it; this leadeth kings
to atheism, let them do what they please, and to take God in their own
hand: in regard of laws, they teach nothing to kings but tyranny: and in
regard of government, they teach a king to take an arbitrary power to
himself, to do what he pleaseth without controlment. How dangerous this
hath been to kings, is clear by sad experience. Abuse of power and
arbitrary government, hath been one of God's great controversies with
our king's pr