Page:An Essay Concerning Parliaments.djvu/19

 Fraud and Force which is put upon Law. This way of writing Law is the beſt that can be invented, for it is the way of Preaching by Poſitive and Negative, which is a two-edged Sword, and cuts both ways. And the Truth of it is, the Negative part of the Law, which lies in a little Compaſs, oftentimes teaches us a world of the Poſitive. For inſtance the 33 Articles in the Roll, 1. H. 4. m. 20. which K. Richard the 2d. ſolemnly acknowledged of his own Male-adminiſtration, do give us more light into the Conſtitution, than a Book of ſix times the bigneſs could do.

But to come to the Abuſions of Law which are in the Mirror, p. 182. He ſays, that the Firſt and Sovereign Abuſion is for the King to be beyond the Law, whereas he ought to be ſubject to it, as is contained in his Oath: Though the ſecond is my Buſineſs, which is in theſe words. 2. “Abuſion eſt, que ou les Parlaments ſe duiſſent faire pur le ſalvation des Almes de treſpaſſors, & ceo a Londres & deux foits per An, la ne ſe font ils forſque rarement, & a la Volunt le Roy pur aides & cuilets de treſore. Et ou les Ordinances duiſſent faire al Common aſſent del Roy & de ſes Counties la la ſe font ore per le Roy & ſes Clerks; & per aliens & autres que Rh