Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	command_n	command_v	lawful_a	2,968	5	9.4987	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91787	An ansvver to the London ministers letter: from them to his Excellency & his Counsel of VVar; as also an answer to John Geree's book, entituled, Might overcomming right; with an answer to a book, entituled, The Armies remembrancer. Wherein it appears the accusations of the Army are unjust, and the Armies proceedings justified by the Word of God, and by the light of nature and reason. Also a discovery of that learning, and ordination these ministers have, and the vanity and insufficiencie thereof, by the Word of God, and that those are the things with which they delude and deceive the people. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1649 (1649)	Wing R1402; Thomason E540_8; ESTC R203398	36,328	40

them in and keep out the enemy and if he doeth it he hath broak the Letter of the Law but kept the substance of the Law if he had observed the Letter he had not kept the intent of it Suppose the Magistrate find fault with him for not doing as he bid him it 's without a cause he hath done no hurt but good in saving their lives who are without lyable to perish and so did the Army in not disbanding had the Army been a cause of their owne and our sufferings and they had lost the fruit of all their victories if they had laid downe their Armes some others would have taken them up You have ingaged your selves by Oath to preserve his Majesties Person and priviledge of Parliament this is most cleare that no necessity can justifie perjury or dispense with lawfull oathes the bond and tie of an Oath and Covenant is religious and sacred and invincible who will require it at your hands broken Ezek. 17. 14. And necessity cannot dispense with an oath nothing can give one leave to be forsworne an oath is of an absolute indispensible authority If what you say be true are you not perjured miserably forsworne have you forgot what you have sworn covenanted Canonicall obedience c. But of this more when you write againe Secondly You take that for granted which is to prove we deny they are forsworn your saying so is no proof we are willing to put it to the triall and able to prove the contrary The Oath Covenant is to be interpreted according to his sense that gave it and not in his sense that tooke it this you would have but it 's not lawfull to grant it it is not to be interpreted neither in his sense that gave it nor in his that takes it but according to the expresse words of the Covenant If it were granted to either to put what sense they thought fit they might sweare one thing and do another if he intends it to inslave If a Presb●ter give or take the Covenant he thinks he sweares to maintaine Presbyterian Government of which there is not the least word mentioned in the Covenant there is mention of a government according to the Word of God and that is not their Presbytery by their own confession The Assembly of Divines confesse it is not jure divino I am mistaken if they did not sweare the government of Archbishops was agreeable to the Word of God but the Presbytery is the nearest to it if so be but neare to it then it is not it In the Scriptures is prescribed a Government for the Church the House of God Presbytery they say is not it but neare to it If then Presbyterian government had in expresse words been in the Covenant and I had taken it I could with a good conscience have broke my oath for that oath that is not lawfull to take is not lawfull to be kept it is not lawfull for me to sweare to maintain a government for Christs that is not his though it be never so neare it or like it But say they we swore to maintain that government that is according to the best reformed Church for each of theirs is the best in their judgments and consciences els I should wonder if they should approve and practise contrary to their consciences yea and he that denieth all Church-government may take the Covenant without scruple because the Covenant expresses none and he believes there is none and when he seeth which it is he will owne it and defend it and before it is unreasonable to expect it from him I wonder the Priests should so take the Covenant for the text and preach so on it there is nothing in that which is so cleer to them what is plainly expressed they cannot agree how the words are to be read the Priests read to protect the person of the King and there make such a full stop and go no further others say they must read on and take with it in the defence maintenance and protection of the King in his just Rights and what they are men cannot agree Some say his just Rights are to be King others say he hath lost all his just Rights others say it is his just right to lose his life the Covenant resolves this not I cannot tell what are his just Rights nor can learn what the Covenant meanes or requires I must leave it to the Schollers and those that can tell The like may be said for the other branches of the Covenant If an oath be indispensable then persons must sin rather then break it and then the vow of single life binds be the cause what it will and so if any have sworn to murder a thousand persons or more it seems they must do it is not this the Popes Doctrine to murder Kings and others which is to be detested That an oath binds more then the Law of God we deny and put you to prove it Is there not the highest authority in Gods commands can any thing bind us more then his commands yet ye see Matth. 12. 1 to 7. they are dispensible You say an oath is part of the worship of God if it be but a part of it it is not more then the whole also Gods worship must give place to acts of mercy and love I will have mercy 〈◊〉 not sacrifice Hosea 6. 6. Mal. 12. 7. it was lawfull to neglect the publike worship and command of God to give suck c. in that they were not blamed for not going to Jerusalem to worship though all were commanded to goe thither No necessity is sufficient to dispense with a morall Law is it not a morall duty to worship God swearing is a part of instituted worship but meerly naturall or morall as you call it wee need not bee inforced to doe that which is naturall an oath that is detrimentall to a particular Law must bee kept Psal. 15. 4. I grant it if it bee in that or the like cause but not in all causes that can be named for what is not lawfull to sweare is not lawfull to be done because they have sworn to doe it No hunger can make stealing no stealing Proverbs chap. 6. vers. 30. Wee allow not men when they are hungry to take that which is not their owne yet wee say that which in it selfe is stealing may lawfully bee done without sin if the hunger be of that extremity as to indanger life and no other help or remedy can be had then it is not stealing yet restitution is to be made to affirme it is stealing is to maintain that a man may sin to save his life if I ought to break the Oath I am not forsworne to do it when two duties come together at one time and I cannot do both the one for that present ceaseth to be a duty this was Davids cause it eating the Shew-bread no man may tell a lye nor commit any sin to save his life and that men

contrary to reason and scripture they alleadg for proof the intention of the Parl. to be binding to the Army which is against scripture and Reason for by the same reason it will follow that if the Parl. did not intend that they and we should do good we must not do any so they alleadge authority against them a few private persons so they condemn what good was done in Scotl. by Argyle and Crumwell c. they were not the Parl. nor the whole people nor nor the major part yet approved of by the Parl. of England all the best men in Engl. and Scotl so the Ministers would have the Army not to act a●cording their owne understanding but contrary which is against the light of nature so they say all acts of justice is to be by the Magistrate yet they who were to thrust them through were no Magistrates see Zack 13. 3. Tyrany wickednes and oppression they urge us to be subject for conscience sake because they are Magistrates and all power is of God but all power is not in the Magistrate some is else where Isa. 40. ●9 1 Cor. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 9. it s well some is in the Army farewell S. R. An Answer to the London Ministers Letter to the Generall and his Councel of VVarre As also an Answer to John Gerees Book and the Armies Rememberances MInisters charge the Army as intermedling with the affaires that belong not unto you to usurpe Authority over the King and Parliament seazing and imprisoning the Kings Person without the knowledge and consent of Parliament unparalleld violence offered the Members of Parliament violating their Priviledges injurious and destructive to the Kingdom and that by an Army raised for and by the Authority of Parliament for the preservation of the Priviledges thereof our Religion Lawes and Liberties contrary to their trust and engagements do that which tends to the manifest subvertion of them all the Parl. torne a peeces by professed friends in one day Answ. The Armies Commission was from the Parliament therefore the Authority of it is the same with that and as Souldiers they were to act for and against all that opposed the peace liberty and safety of the Kingdom so that if they have not gone further nor done nothing contrary to their Commission of which more in the insuing discourse Then they have not exceeded their Calling and Commission and therefore are not to be charged with sin 2. Grant the Parl. did not intend when they gave the Army Commission that the Army should judge of their Councels and imprison their persons nor no more did the King when he gave his Commission to call this Parliament he did not intend that they should leavy War and raise forces against him c. the cause is the same and the Reasons that will justifie the Parl in opposing the King in his evill wil justifies the Armies proceeding against the Parl. in theirs what is alledged concerning the Parliaments intention● is irrationall they are unknown to us nor binding if they intended well or ill their intentions could not change the nature of things nor cause good to be evill nor evill to be good if they had then resolved that they would not for the future do any act but what was then in their minds they had gone too farre no man can tell what he shall do to morrow much lesse 7. yeares hence 3. The Army had no Commission from the people so to act it may be made appear that they had the consent of the people as appeared by the many Petitions presented to the Army from many parts of the Kingdom if it be said they were but a small part we answer they were the better part wise and faithfull who were friends to Parl. no Parliament man had the consent of all where they were chosen that the Kings party who are against the Parl. Army that they should consent to the actions of the Army it is not to be expected nor desired the Army themselves are to be considered to be a greater number then 2. or 3. of a few private persons as they say not because they think so but because they would have been so but if the people had declared against that they have done y●● is it to be justified to be necessary good and lawfull 4. Men may and ought to do good without Commission but not evill with Commission if the Kingdom may not be delivered without a Commission from man then not a City I demand of all these Ministers what Commission or Calling the poor man had that delivered the City by his wisdom Eccles. 9. 15. there is no mention of any but the contrary appeares for the wisdom of the poore is despised and his words are not heard vers 16. if so then they gave him no Commission 2. None remembred him for delivering the City if they had given him Commission to do it was it likely they could so easily forget so as none could so remember him 5. Necessity is above the Law of God therefore above the Law of man David eat the shew-bread which was not lawfull for him to eat his necessity is above Law and that made it lawfull Mat. 12. the Scripture approve of his doing of it but I require of you what expresse word excepting the generall duty what Cōmand had he to warrant him to eat it 6. A course in it self singular and unjustifiable by reason of some circumstances falling in may not only become lawfull but a duty and sin to neglect it publique things are to be done by publique Authority the dictates of reason common consent of all counsels alow to those intrusted with the supream authority of a state or Kingdom they alow not to a multitude of private persons though they have strength in their hands to effect it grant it in case they will do it but what if they will not do it then the cause is altered but do that which will indanger all if this be your mind I desire to know upon what ground you will justifie Phineas Act lawfull I doubt not but what the Army hath done may be justified upon the same ground and Gerees argument against the Army condemns the Act of Phineas all exercise of jurisdiction where neither by God or man we are cloathed with Authority is usurpation breach of Order injurious and so greatly sinfull but Phineas act was an exercise of jurisdiction and he was not cloathed with Authority not frō God or man to do it therefore that his act was us●rpation a breach of order injurious and so greatly sinfull we challenge you to prove if you can that Phineas had any expresse Command from God or man jurisdiction or Commission to run them through as he did with his jaulin he was no Magistrate he was but the sun of a Priest it was an act of Judicature also they were his superiors for they were Princes that he killed Numb. 25. 7. 8. 15. condemn it you cannot

because God doth in expresse words commend it and reward it v. 11. 12. 13. you use to say it is an extraordinary cause but the Scripture saith not so therefore it s but an extraordinary put off so shift your hands of it tell us how we shall know when we have such an extraordinary cause that we may do so in that cause the Lord doth not say he did well because he was a Magistrate and had jurisdiction and cloathed with authority but he was zealous for his God ought not the Army as well as others to be zealous for God But if after that act of Phineas so such act could be lawfull why is this act of his Recommended to all Generations for evermore Psal. 106. 30. 31. God had appointed such parsons as he slew to death the Magistrate did not do Justice therefore God sent the Plague among the people he knew none else would do it all ealse refusing it fell to be his duty and he did it and the plague ceased and it is recorded for after generations for a righteous act this is the Armies cause and though you condemn it we passe not so long as Gods word warrants it and shall be a righteous act to all Generations for evermore wisdom is justified of her Children I am no Magistrate it belongs not to me to passe sentence upon any man much lesse to put him to death but suppose I be set upon in my journey so as I see not how I can scape with my life but I must kill or be killed now the cause is altered I may murther him as you call it and the Law saith it s no murther I had sinned if I had not done it for that Law that requires me to preserve my Neighbours life bids me preserve my own first charity is to begin at home though not to end there upon this ground if the cause were the same there be them that would put no difference between a Priest and another man 7 If God discover his Will to men and give them hearts and opportunities wisedome and power to doe it it s there calling and commission to doe it I know no calling that I have to take care and provide provision and cloaths for another mans wife Besides it is not of good report but rather a scandall to doe it but suppose her Husband cannot or will not nor any else provide them for her and she cannot help her selfe now the cause is altered I must be mercifull and if I be able to help to provide those things for her and if I suffer her to perish will it not be my sinne also This is the cause of the Kingdome the King should have help't c. but did not then it became the duty of the Parliament to have releeved the Kingdome but they did not her necessities great and many Petitions concerning th●● were sleighted and burnt waited many yeares for help our oppressions not removed all complaine dangers increase no remedy appeares they not help us nor tell us how long it will be before this Parliament will be at an end that we may have another to see if they will help us when all failes no ground of hope of life is left danger eminent and no other meanes of help left this is a cause of necessity Now it 's the duty of the Army to help and if they had not it had been their sinne if not their overthrow if they had suffered it to perish the Kingdome had been well holpen up with a remedy in extremity If the Army had been as the Priest and Levit that allowed no help to the man this the wounded and dying Kingdom I would if I could have done it my selfe alone and not aske no leave God requires me to doe all the good I can to my selfe and others if I can doe good without man I will not ask his leave I need not suppose I see one a robbing of another or hath taken his Cloake c. from him I will require him to give it him againe if he will not if I can I will take it by force and give it the owner If he or any say You are out of your Calling what and who gave you commission to meddle with me So long as I doe that which is just I passe not for such words it is my duty as a man and as a Christian to releeve the oppressed and doe what good I can if I were able I would quickly remove all the oppressions in this Kingdom and the next and if I could the next to that and I should sinne if I did not doe it Who gave Cromwell Commission to doe so much good as he did in Scotland I doubt that the old Cavise and the new ones the Priests are unsatisfied scrupeled and very much doubt of his call into Scotland c. 8 The Army had a cleare call to doe what they did according to the London Ministers Principle as appeares clearly from their owne confession they say A necessity of a Letter must be framed to the Generall c. but observe upon what grounds they make it appeare they have a call from God to doe so We apprehend our selves obliged thus to appear for the maintenance of and setling the Government of the Kingdom to testifie our utter dislike and detestation it is most apparent to us your way and practice is unlawfull and irrigular in zeale for Gods glory we have discharged our duty This is in their Judgements and Conscience a cleare call so that if the Army can say the same things they have the same call they have I should be heartily sorry if they had no better call then the Ministers whose Conscience I appeale to whether if they had power in their hands to reforme all things that in their Consciences are amisse whether they doe not judge that they ought to doe it and should sinne if they did not doe it though they are no Magistrates if they say ye then they justifie the Army for they doe but according as they are perswaded by God in his Word and their owne Conscience if they say no if I did beleeve them I am perswaded their judgements would change the very first day that the power comes in their hands 9 The Army had an expresse command of God to warrant their not disbanding and ceazing on the Members and the sixth Command injoynes that they should doe no murder this generall command comprehends all the particulars under it by way of precept are injoyned I must doe no murder therefore 〈◊〉 must use all the meanes of the preservation of my life and my Neighbours but the ceazing on these Members is a meanes of preventing this evill I see disbanding and permission of these Members is inconsistent to the safety of our lives and others by the Law of Nature every one is to use all lawfull meanes to preserve himselfe and others the blame must rest on them that caused it that is these Parliament Men