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	parliament_n	repeal_v	4,000	5	12.1621	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91218	Minors no senators. Or A briefe discourse, proving, that infants under the age of 21. yeares, are uncapable, in point of law, of being members of Parliament, and that the elections of any such are meere nullities; yea, injurious, prejuditiall, dishonourable to the whole Parliament and Kingdome, in sundry respects. / Written by a common-lawyer (a true lover of his country, and honourer of the Parliament) to a friend and client of his, for his private satisfaction, and published for the common-good.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P4008; Thomason E506_33; ESTC R205590	20,692	18

any number or age of Infants and so by consequence instead of having Concilium Sapientum Senatus Seniorum c. as Parliaments were ancient●y stiled we shall have Parliamentum Puororum Senatus Infantum a Parliament of Children a Senat of Babes if all Cities Burgesses were so Childish so foolish and injurious to the publike in their elections of such as som through the importunity of friends have bin Now how dangerous this may prove to the Kingdom let all wise men judge by the example of King c Rehoboams young Counsellors who discontented his people and lost his Kingdom 3ly Admit the Commons House should determine how many Infants they would allow to be Members perhaps not above five or six to prevent this inconvenience yet the mischiefe and danger of admitting so few may prove very great not only in regard of the illnesse of the President in these signall times of Reformation but of the probable dangerous consequences of it It was a prudent speech of a blunt Burgesle when he was solicited to give his voyce for a young novice This is no Parliament to enter whelps in therefore we must think of som graver person Verily there are so many weighty difficult debates almost every day in the House of matters of highest concernment wherein the House is oft divided in their Votes that two or three Infants misguided voyces for want of judgment to vote a right may infinitly prejudice endanger our three whole Churches Kingdomes in a moment especially if the wheele of fortune should turne against the Parliament by any treachery or disaster Therefore it is very perilous to admit any Infants to sit as Members in such a dangerous over-reaching age as this 4ly It is inevitably perillous and mischeivous as d Bodin truly informat us upon this consideration That the Councell of young men especially of Infants though never so wise vertuous and discreet will never be so readily entertained nor their Commands Advices Ordinances Laws so chearefully submitted to by the people young or old as the Councells Edicts Votes of grave wise and ancient men but be either slighted vilified or disobeyed For those writes he of equall age will think themselves altogether as wise at they and those who are ancienter will deeme themselves much wiser then such young Councellors of state and thereupon scorne contemne deride their Votes Ordinances Resolutions especially when any new Lawes or formes of Government are to be introduced by them and the old laid quite aside as now And in matters of state if in any thing in the world opinion hath no lesse and oftentimes more force then the truth it selfe Neither is there any thing in a Commonweale more dangerous then for Subjects to have an ill opinion of their Councellers Governours Law-makers for then how shall they obey them and if they obey them not what issue is to be expected surely disobedience sedition Rebellion ruine It behoves therefore our present Parliament if they would prevent this dangerous mischiefe to expell all Infant as well as Malignant Members which may draw a very great disparagment contempt or disesteem upon their Councels Votes Ordinances Laws not only in the opinions of Royalists and Malignants but of grave wise well affected persons of Eminency and Ability who perchance will tacitly deem it no small disparagement if not injury and folly for them to submit their Lives Liberties Estates Lawes and consciences in some measure to the votes Resolutions and Commands of Infants under age though backed with the most mature suffrages Advices of many aged wise and eminent Members of greatest integrity and sufficiency It is a memorable observation of Solomon Eccles. 10. 1. Dead flies cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that it in reputation for Wisdome and honour And no man knowes what an evill savour o● contempt disobedience disrespect the apprehention of a little folly in some Infant Members may draw upon the whole Parliament their Ordinances and proceedings though otherwise in great reputation for wisdome and honour e Cicero defined the Roman Sonate to bee the Oracle of the whole City And ●liny resolves f It is a wicked Act to goe against the Authority of the Senate It therefore behooves all Freeholders Citizens and Burgesses of the Realme to take speciall care that they elect not and the Honourable Houses that they admit not any unfit Members whose illegall presence or Votes therein may derogate in the peoples Opinions from their incomparable wisdome or irresistable Authority Fifthly It is mischievous in this that as it opens the mouthes of Royalists Papists Malignants Sectaries and the Prelaticall party to Revile Calumniate censure vilifie not only the new Recruits Votes Ordinances Proceedings of the Commons House for the present so if they should get power enough hereafter which God forbid it may give them occasion to undoe unvote repeale yea nullifie all their Acts Ordinances proceedings for the future because some Infants uncapable by Law of being Members or of consenting for themselves or others had a Vote and Concurrence in their passing whose Acts Votes Consents are either voyd or voydable by Law Certainly when I read the printed Act of 39. H. 6. cap. 1. Which repeales and makes void the Parliament held at Coventry the yeare before and all Acts Statutes and Ordinances therein made upon this very ground among other that a great part of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses appearing in it were unduly Elected against the course of the Kings Lawes and the Liberties of the Commons of this Realme by the meanes and labours of some seditions persons And when I consider that our unconstant persidious King Henry the 3d. nulled and avoyded for a time g the great Charter of the Forrest though confirmed in Parliament upon this pretext that he was a Minor under the Age of 21. when he first granted it and in Ward c. And when I revolve the Statutes of 28. H. 8. c. 7. 1. Edw. 6. c. 11. which authorized the heires of the Crowne to King Henry the 8. and King Edw. the 6. even out of Parliament to repeale all Acts and Statutes made and assented to by them in Parliament before their age of 24. years after they came to the Age of 24. years And when I consider upon what other h slight pretences some former Parliaments and their Acts have bin totally nulled It makes me tremble and feare what future ages may attempt against the proceedings of our present Parliament if the Malignant Royall party should grow potent upon the like pretences especially of undue Elections of Infants and others now complained of unlesse the Parliament take timely care to redresse them and severely prohibit censure all undue underhand practises in new Elections of which we have so many sad complaints in diverse parts The prevention therefore of this grand future mischiefe will undoubtedly move them to apply a present remedy

Because there are greater differences distractions between the King and Parliament and more labouring to make parties in the House to serve ends if possible then in any former Age 3ly Because a greater reformation is now expected promised endeavoured in Church State Parliaments then in any preceedent times 4ly Because the Acts and Members of this Parliament more concerne the Kingdome to be free from all just exceptions and are likely to bee more narrowly scanned sifted both for the present and future times then the Members or proceedings of any former Parliaments and the least just flaw against them may in after ages prove dangerous if not fatall to revoke or shake what ever shall be concluded by them now if not timely prevented 5. Because this Parliament is more lasting then any other and happily may prove diuturnal if not perpetuall 6. Because both Houses have made a more exact purgation of unsitting unworthy Members in this then in any Parliament in former ages and therefore in Justice ought to displace all unable or unsitting Members as well Infants as any others to avoid the just censure of partiality 7. Because more exceptions cavils are will be made against undue elections Members now by Malignants Royalists Prelates then to any Members Elections in former ages Therefore the House should bee more carefull what Members they now admit then they were in former times when there were no such unhappy divisions betweene the King Parliament as now The 3d. Objection is this That the Infants in the House are not many and they are led by the Votes of wiser and more able Members therefore the danger is not great I Answer 1. That if no Infant be capable of being a Member then none ought to be admitted be they many or few 2ly Though they be but few for the present yet there may be more hereafter elected there being new endeavours to bring in more 3ly One or two in judicious Infant Members Votes in matters of momen● when the House comes to bee devided may prove very dangerous 4. Every Parliament man ought to Vote according to his owne judgment not anothers only and it is very dangerous for any to Vote with such and such persons only in the House and to make their Votes the sole ground of their concurrent Ay or No is the high way to factions The 4th and principall Objection is this That it will be both convenient and expedient that young Gentlemen under age of Honourable Families should be Members of Parliament during their Minority the better to enable them to serve their Country therein when they come to r●per yeares it being the best Schoole of Experience to educate to improve young Gentlemen and sit them for publike Action Vpon which ground the eldest Sons of Peeres are admitted to sit in the Lords House and heare their debates to enable them the better to serve the Kingdome when they come to be Peeres and former Parliaments have connived at Infants being Elected Members and at their sitting in the Commons House I Answer 1. That this Argument is a meere fallacy if examined For though most Members of Parliament as well old as young may learne much knowledge and experience by sitting there as all Judges or other Officers do by sitting in Courts of Iustice and execu●ing their places yet they learne it not as Schollers or Auditors in a Schoole but as Iudges and Councelors of state in the supreamest Court and Councell of the Kingdome to discharge which trust they must have some competent abilities of wisdome and experience requisite for Iudges and Councellors of state which Infants want before they can be admitted Members into this highest publike Schoole into which none ought to be elected but such wise men who know both times Law and Iudgment Esth. 1. 13. especially in such times as these 2ly It is an absurdity if rightly stated implying asserting that Infants may be elected to sit and Vote as Members in Parliament for the present to enable them to be s●t Members in it for the future though unsitting for the present when as in truth none should be chosen to such a place of publike t●ust but those alone who are able and * sit to discharge it at the very instant when they are elected Is any Father Schoole-Master so inconsiderate or absurd to send his Son or Scholler to the University before he be fit for a Grammer-Schoole the better to fit and enable him for the Vniversity will the King or Parliament think it just or reasonable to make a puny Barrester Lord Chiefe Justice of England for the present the better to enable him to be a Judge or Chiefe Justice for the future in his riper yeares though unfit unable at the time of his Parent to be a puny Iudge Will any be so sencelesse as to create a puny Schoole-boy chiefe Master of any Free-schoole during his Minority the better to abilitate him to discharge that Office twenty yeares after when hee comes to perfect age Why then should any Infants be elected Parliament men for the present before they are actually fit or capable upon this poore surmise that it will the better instruct them to be able Parliament men in future times Certainly this is and must be like the corrupt practise of the late Prelates who would first admit men to benefices with cure of soules which they were unable to discharge for the present and then grant them dispensations to be resident in our Vniversities for five or six years space together of purpose to fit them to execute their cures and discharge their Ministry some five or six yeares after their institutions and inductions to their Benefices 3ly I dare averre that Infants by following their studies close in the Vniversity and Innes of Court during their minorities will arre better improve themselves to serve their Country in Parliament in after times when they come to yeares of full discretion then by spending their time idlely in the House where they commonly sit like Cyphers with out speaking or observing ought that is materiall which takes them oft from their present studies and bladders them with selfe-conceits of their owne superlative worth abilities 4ly Admit the Objection true yet the prejudice and dishonour the Kingdome whole Parliament shall undergoe by the permission of such unable Members is no wayes recompenced by that little wisdome or experience which two or three Infants may possibly gaine by being Members for the present who happily may never live to serve in future Parliaments or prevatica●e in this 5ly The argument drawne from Peers eldest sonnes admission into the House of Peers as Auditors only not Members is as strong an argument as possible against the Objectors they being permitted like the Sons of some of the cheife Roman Senators of old to come into the Senate not as Peers Members Voters but Auditors or spectators only Therefore the selfesame Law and reasons which exclude Infants