Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	king_n	law_n	prerogative_n	3,673	5	10.4433	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88493	London's account: or, A calculation of the arbitrary and tyrannicall exactions, taxations, impositions, excises, contributions, subsidies, twentieth parts, and other assessements, within the lines of communication, during the foure yeers of this unnaturall warre. What the totall summe amounts unto, what hath beene disbursed out of it, and what remaines in the accomptants hands.		1647 (1647)	Wing L2915; Thomason E373_2; ESTC R201323	6,990	16

Kingdome with the calamities of Warre Besides if such Levies were against former Lawes what need we then of our late Acts that from thence forward no Levies should be laid upon the Subiect til it passed by an Act of Parliament for was it formerly unlawful the Law would have censured it and now we know it is so I admire what those men can alledge that craved and had this Act passed to curb the prerogative of Kings and yet are the first violators of the same Law themselves whilst they are sitting in the same place as they were when they craved to have the same Law enacted Since they have acknowledged the Lawes cannot question the King for a Breach but it can question all and every Subject But the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England established by law and the Subjects liberty hath been and ever will be maintained and defended against all Sectaries and contentious men by more abler pens And therefore I will returne to the Cities inconsideratenes and desire them since the hardnesse of their hearts disswades them to beleeve at least they would fancie what the whole Kingdome grones under And withall to call to mind that they were not onely the causers but they are still the continuers and maine actors of all its miseries That since His Maiesties mercies so often tendred cannot their owne follies so plainly evidenced to so great oppression may reduce their iudgements to know to whom rightly they doe owe their obediecce for the Disciples are not above their Master and obedience is first commanded to Emperours and Kings and next to those whom they set over us I desire to shew my selfe a true Patriot and doubt not but al Loyall and faithfull Subjects will doe the like as for those who have done otherwayes God and King Charles upon their true Repentance take them into favo●r and forgive them And I would not have them offended if I say their owne factions hath caused their own fractions and the flye and under-hand Courses of many of them hath made them in this world too hastily R ch And all such doe make little conscience of any thing they undertake for from the begining the Lawes of God or man was not nor to their end shal not be their guide It is worth your consideration to remember how peny-wise you were at the begining of this long-winded Parliament refusing the loane of but 100000. l. except His Maiesty would condescend some conceive to an everlasting Parliament for an assurance of your repayment which ir you be all re-paid t is wel But since you have embraced an authority is desired to be made lawful and by that unlawful power forced so many uniust Taxes as hath as you shal see anon amounted to above seuenteene millions and an halfe of pounds within these foure yeeres I may say as the Replyer said to you You have done but did you ever understand what you did doe besides the Loanes plunder and the many Sequestrations which I have heard are no fewer then 80000 in England and Wales which your sharking Committee-men resolve to give no good account of And so know you have been in general pound foolish for look but upon the issue it is but a cipher to that which hath been collected But you may obiect There is not so much come to the Parliaments hands That cleeres not the Charge were it iust I see no reason but it should And as some of our now Magistrates and griping Citizens know it Uniust The report goes neere halfe the said Collections are fleeced away by sharking Officers which is and wil be an everlasting shame and Gods curse wil attend it on them and theirs in regard it hath maintained a most bloody and native Warre against God his Church our Soveraigne his Loyal Nobility Gentry and Commonalty and the blood of thousands doth cry aloud to the Almighties Tribunall for vengeance on the causers of these unnaturall divisions Your inconstant and wavering thoughts first commenc'd this Warre your hands and purses by fraud and violence have maintained it and if from the bottome of your soules you repent not of it God in the fulnesse of his time will be avenged on you for it Let the Lawes of God and the Land be your rule then I doubt not but we may enjoy peace again And though the Replyer to your Remonstrance told you it is in the Parliaments power to ruine you they and he knowes if you resolve to be honest the contrary In the mean time God in mercy look down upon our dread Soveraign whom you originally have necessitated and iniured most uniustly with our Queene Prince and the rest of the Royall issue Preserve O Lord and prolong his life because a more religious gracious and mercifull King never reigned in this Kingdome nor ever was a good King more abused by Subiects nor more undeservingly worse spoken of Good God confound and scatter all those that delight in or make a trade of rebellious warre let them fly and be disperst like dust before the wind This shall be mine and ought to be the prayer of all loyall Subjects and true Patriots And now behold I may say in part the summes which have been assessed payed and received in London and her Weekly Bils only I conceive in the 129. parishes there cannot be fewer inhabitants then the number of 600000. Families out of that proportion I doubt not for their Twentieth part not f●wer have been assessed then 400000 my reasons are first by the Ordinance the Assessors were to estanate all men and so selfe them Now these being factious men fessed not according to reason or judgement but for the Cause sake according to their will malice and spleene I confesse the Ordinance gave way that men might ease themselves if over-rated by declaring upon oath their worth but this remedy was worse then the disease for thereby they must discover their estates or pay what they were assessed at To discover their estates endangered their credit which could not but occasion their ruine and so necessitated to pay summes far above mens abilities Secondly all Halls of Corporations have been largely estimated great store of men of known ability forced to pay large summs Now if you consider every Corporation and man that paid 1000. l at the rate all are valued at one with another hath paid for 49. more then himselfe and so for greater or lesser summes accordingly for rating these 400000 families one with another but at 20. l. a family it amounts to for the whole 8 000000 The 50 Subsidi●s granted if I have not been misinformed every Subsidy is 2800. l. which for the 50. is 0 140000 The weekly Fast dayes 400000. families for six months rating each family 6. d. a week though the greatest part paid 1. s and 2. s but rate them one with another at 6. d. a week it amounts for 6. months to 0 240000 The assessement for bringing in the Scots though none were

LONDON'S Account OR A Calculation of the Arbitrary and Tyrannicall Exactions Taxations Impositions Excises Contributions Subsidies Twentieth Parts and other Assessements within the Lines of Communication during the foure yeers of this Unnaturall Warre VVhat the totall summe amounts unto What hath beene disbursed out of it and what remaines in the Accomptants hands Imprinted in the Yeere 1647. To any READER that loves Reason or Understanding YOu that reade I would have you know and consider this great oppression that hath been laid upon all men except the Members of both Houses hath occa●ioned me to spend some few houres to make a Calculation of that masse of wealth which hath been within these foure yeeres collected in London and the Parishes comprehended within the Weekly Bills I doubt not but all have paid who were able and none escaped but my former exception Now if thy support be not out of those unlawfull Taxes by which meanes thou mayst be prejudicate Reade and judge and thou canst not but finde that I have written as being free from favour falshood and partiality For I have omitted the Taxes laid on all Halls and Companies which hath been great and large summes besides divers Trades lyable to the Excise it must needs be farre greater But thou mayst perceive or guesse by the bignesse of the Paw of what a huge bulk and body the Beast is as well as the Author can and know all the Counties and Cities in England and Wales have likewise beene charged to the uttermost I confesse I have purposely omitted the Charge for Armes and I did it in regard they invested themselves of all which His Majesty was owner of at London Hull and all other places they could which cost them nothing but the taking We leave to consideration the direfull effects of the issues of those collections which only hath beene the Causes of shedding Innocent Blood if our Lawes be Judge Ruined the Kingdome most intollerably dishonoured our mercifull and Gracious King Queene the Prince withall the Royall Issue and useing all the cruelties and Avaritious demenours upon the Persons Lives Liberties Estates and Consciences of as many as have dared either to be Protestants or true Subjects to the encrease of Theeves and Beggars to the making of Widows and fatherlesse Children to the plucking downe of the divine vengance upon this afflicted Land to maintaine and inrich only factious contentious and insolent persons the shame of Kingdome and City LONDONS ACCOUNT c. IT is saith the wisest of Kings and men the greatest of afflictions and oppressions when subjects and servants rule and if this Kingdome in generall and this City in particular hath not found this Truth then they are both to learne what Affliction and Oppression is But to confirme its verity I have here and I hope it will not be expected exactly because I protest I have not seen any Roll of Sellement of any one parish and therefore have no guide to this my Calculation but first the order for assessing and next the order for a review lest any through favour or friendship were not fully assessed This considered see what a masse of treasure in this City and her Weekly Bills hath been levyed towards the Kings the Kingdomes and her owne ruine And leave the Reader to judge by these few particulars how neere the truth this Calculation comes yet herein is not comprehended neither Pole-money Royall Subsidies sale of the Irish Lands because these passed by Royall consent and was at the Parliaments disposu●e and had they not been diverted from their prop●r intendments doubtlesse would have done more then discharged them Nor that voluntary Contribution to the reliefe of the poore distressed Protestants in Ireland Nor that fast and loose trick by inviting such as formerly had paid summes in for Land in Ireland to pay half as much more for which halfe if an Order speake truth they shal have as much Land as for their former summes paid and I assure you both of these were not inconsiderable Now to leven the lump of factious and contentious persons the first course must be to fill the peoples eares with oppressions of Conscience and infringements of Liberties pills covered with gold that are treason and poyson within Then to displace solid Magistrates and grave Citizens lest if such good men were in authority they might sowre our lump before it was by our usurping Masters well kneaded by understanding mens speculative insight into their proceedings Those must be removed and in their steads covetous sharks and griping men such as never knew faire dealing shallow braind fooles and little better then insolent persons men that desire the place not deserve it must be elected in their roomes whose ignorance proclaimes what they are in their daily consenting to they knew not well what For oppression of conscience who can justly alledge that is a Royall and a loyal subject that that is an oppression which the Law hath established But the same forme of Doctrine and Discipline which was established in the Church of England by Parliaments in blessed Queene Elizabeths Raigue disputed and defended by her successor King James of happy memory and the opponents so sa isfied they consented and subscribed thereunto maintained and to his uttermost defended by our now most gracious and mercifull Soveraign with the hazard of his life and according to Law performed in his Chappels and Cathedrall Churches Now if any Church within His Maiesties Dominions did wilfully or carel●sly omit what the Law enioyned it is no oppression to compell them thereunto for the Law doth it But doe not those who have cryed out of the oppression of their ten●et consciences straine gnats and swallow beetles Are their consciences so tender against Uniformity of Prayer yea and the Lords Prayer too and yet consider not how often they have sworne to submit to it and their Superiours that imposed it Obedience is better then sacrifice Wherefore all that doe adhere to such doe deserve our Saviours woe Observe but Gods Judgment on these men that cannot agree either in doctrine or discipline their daily invective pens doe witnesse this for a truth For our Liberties we had them and enioyed them whilst we maintained the Lawes since we have violated those we are in worse condition then Turkish slaves for who is it that enioyes life or livelyhood longer then the beneplacite of his fellow Subiects And if God for our sinnes hath decreed us slaves better it is to be so to a Royal King then to those whose cruelties we already so much have had tryal of Our Pulpits and Declarations thunder into the eares of the people the unlawfulnesse of Ship Coat and Conduct money As I wil not justifie them so under favour I cannot conceive them unlawful in a time of necessity And could it be otherwise then an urgent need when His Maiesties Subiects of Scotland were in Armes against the Kings Honour Crowne and Dign ty marching to intest this our peaceable