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	sovereign_a	3,527	5	9.3552	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80609	A treatise of subiection to the powers. Preached almost a yeer since, and now copied out for the presse; yet not to flatter any, but to inform all. : To the powers I say as Jehosaphat did, 2 Chron. 9.6 ... : To others I say in the words of the apostle, I Pet. 2.13 ... / By Tho. Carre.	Carre, Thomas, 1599-1674.	1651 (1651)	Wing C640A; ESTC R173401	35,985	61

must be the sense Namely Swear to obey Magistrates yet so as ye infringe not your allegiance unto God And this seemeth to be the more probable because where obedience is commanded in larger terms to Parents and to Masters as Children obey your Parents in all things (k) Col. 3. 20. Servants be obedient in all things (l) Col. 3. 22. It is elsewhere limited to all lawfull things Children obey your Parents in the Lord (m) Eph. 6. 1. and so of Servants (n) Eph. 6. 5. And so by consequent are Magistrates to be obeyed viz. in all lawfull and just things For there is the same reason of both as appeareth by the tenour of the fift Commandement Honor thy Father and thy Mother (o) Exo. 20. 12. Where under the terms of Father and Mother all sorts of Superiours Politicall Oeconomicall Civill and Ecclesiasticall Superiour and Inferiour are comprehended And this is a truth undeniable that 1. To God universall obedience and without any limitation is required 2. But to men obedience hath its limitations And upon this ground the Three Children refused to worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up (p) Dan. 3. 16. And Peter with the rest of the Apostles told the Councell that we ought to obey God rather then men (q) Acts 5. 29. And Peter and John appealing to the Councell said whether it bee right in the sight of God to hearken to you rather then to God judge yee (r) Acts 4. 19. But wee may answer yet otherwise Namely That King Charles his power was virtually in and with the Parliament though he was not there in person And so he in his Politique power was in the raising the Armies against the Adverse party For 1. Though his person was absent and estranged from his Parliament 2. Yet King and Parliament being a body Politick could not be severed God and the Law had conjoined them and those whom God had so firmly conjoined no man could justly put asunder Wherefore wheresoever the King was in person where could we seek his power Politick but in that place and with those persons to which himself by royal obsignation of that Law had confined it For confirmation whereof three things are to be taken into serious consideration 1. First the Legall Call of this Parliament which was common to this with all precedent Parliaments it was summoned by writ from the King and that summons was necessitated by want of counsell and support which otherwise could not be had but in a Parliamentary way And herein we are to admire and reverence the Providence of God to send a free Parliament beyond all hope expectation For had we faln to blows with the Scotish Nation in either of those Expeditions which were made against them one or both Kingdomes had in all probability gone to ruine As Jacob therefore said of Simeon and Levi Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell s So say I of those that were the Counsellers and contrivers of that destroying project Cursed was their counsell for it was full of cruelty Yet God who only can bring good out of evill turned this to both Kingdomes good For by that means the King was necessitated to call a Parliament 1. To the joy and admiration of the Best affected 2. To the terrour and astonishment of the Adverse party Some whereof being conscious of their guilt not willing to abide the tryall betook themselves to flight The Parliament therefore was lawfully called this none can deny Let those therefore that have called this a forced not a free Parliament either answer this or for ever hereafter hold their peace for shame 2. Again the solemn confirmation of the Parliament by Act of continuation In which this present differeth from all precedent Parliaments that ever I could hear or read of I say the continuation of it 1. In its full authority 2. And with all its rights and Priviledges Did not the King by that Act tie his presence at least the presence of his Politick power and Soveraign authority as Head and Chief in Parliament to the place or with the persons to which he had confined and confirmed it Let all the world judg If otherwise I would fain know 1. Of what force that Act was 2. Or what benefit could accrue to the Kingdome thereby Let us put a case or two 1. If any man should purchase Estate Right or Priviledge of any other and have the same made over to him by written and by sealed evidence and have a lawfull seisure thereof the purchaser hath an Indefeisable an unavoidable title thereto and great reason to hold and enjoy what hath been so made over to him upon valuable considerations 2. Or if a father for this similitude fitteth the case best shall freely give an estate to his son or sons for his or their preferment specially in the way of Marriage though the father take no consideration in lieu thereof such gift is good in Law and doth debarre the father from all Re-entry But if in lieu and recompence hee take the Dowry or any part thereof or any other collaterall satisfaction that estate being therewith purchased no Law can ever reverse or make the fathers act of none effect Here is the case for if our father the late King had freely given that act of Continuation for the bettering of our condition it had been sufficient for the duration of it But passing it over by way of purchase for vast sums by Subsidies Pole-monies and the rest this makes the case strong and the Kingdoms armies which were advanced by the authority of the High Court were to maintain that act to defend that title And if a father after such act done shall wage Law to disseise and dispossesse his son or sons shall it not be lawfull for him or them to defend the said title by the same Law or is it any injustice in such son or sons Certainly it is no disobedience Our father the late King did estate the Kingdom as hath been shewed and after did commence sute by taking up of armes and might not the Subjects then defend their purchased title by the same Law of Arms and as it were in the same Court of Judicature 3. Lastly Consider the late Kings Grant his free acknowledgment that the present Parliament at Westminster was the Parliament of England Mark the emphasie 1. Not only a Parliament 2. Not only a Parliament in England 3. But in full expressions The Parliament of England that is 1. The Legally called 2. The Solemnly confirmed 3. The Legally continued 4. The one and only Parliament of England And here 1. No fallacious Equivocation 2. No mentall Reservation 3. No forged Cavillation 4. No forced Construction must have any place But all words in commerce and contracts must be understood according to the Grammaticall construction common use and received sense or all parties contracts grants and promises would

are in subordination And it is to be understood of the Civill the secular Powers in this text because the Apostle speaketh in this chapter of Tribute and custome which is due to such onely And be the Powers what they will good or bad by what right or wrong they obtain the place of Superiority how ever they demean themselves in the use or abuse of their Power rule they rightly or rigidly yet being in the place of Civill Superiority subjection must be yeelded to them The Apostles biddeth servants to be obedient to their Masters with fear and trembling with good will doing service as to the Lord and not unto men (v) Ephe. 6. 5. Colos 3. 22. And Peter saith Servants be subject to your Masters not only to the good gentle but also to the froward (w) 1 Pet. 2. 18. And the Roman Emperours by force and might rather then by right Lorded it at the time when Paul pressed subjection to the Powers Wheresoever then or in whomsoever the visible Power is at present to it we must be subject And we see where the visible Power now is God hath trans-ferred the Government as I said before for without him nothing can come to pass It is Gods disposing for his own ends in mercy or in judgement how ever we must be subject Quest Onely here a question may be made that is how far evill and Tyrannicall Powers have their power from God Whether by sufferance and permission onely Reply I answer that though this doth not concern the present State For we do not look upon the Power now in the hands of the Parliament as usurped and Tyrannicall For they have 1. Proceeded against the late King 2. Deposed his Posterity 3. Taken the Government to themselves to the use and benefit of those that have betrusted them And all this is by the fundamentall Laws of the Kingdom as they have solemnly declared I must beleeve it for I cannot contradict yet that evill Magistrates have their power not onely from permission but by Divine Disposition appeareth 1. Not onely from this text the Powers that be are ordained by God And yet those Powers were usurped and Tyrannicall 2. But from other texts of Scriptures As it is said in Iob When he hideth his face who can behold him whether it bee done against a Nation or against a man (x) Iob 34. 30. David saith It is God that putteth down one and setteth up another (y) Psal 75. 7. And it is said in Daniel that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth over it the basest of men (z) Dun. 4. 17. And if he set up it is not in man to pull down The Lord by the Prophet saith I gave them a King in mine anger (a) Hos 13. 11. It is likewise said that the Lord raised up or advanced the Assyrians b and the Babylonians c Therefore evill Governours are not set up without Gods Ordinance and disposition for the punishment of some And in that Daniel prayed for Nebuchadnezzar wishing that the calamities signified in his dreams might betide to his enemies and that he himself might escape them (d) Dan 4 19. It sheweth that people are to pray for the welfare and prosperity of their wicked Governours For a bad Government is better then none at all And a Tyranny is better then an Anarchy Ieremy bid the Jewes seek the peace of the City whither the Lord had caused them to be carried away captives and to pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof they should have peace (e) Jer. 29. 7. Paul exhorts that prayers and supplications be made for all men for Kings and those that exercise Kingly authority when they were Tyrants and persecutors of Gods people (f) 1 Tim. 2. 1. the like doth Peter Submit your selves saith he to every Ordinance of man for the Lords fake (g) 1 Pe. 2. 13 14. And now to reflect upon the present Government in the hands of the Parliament and those that are in subordination to them What is the Parliament but the Commons representative 1. Legally summoned 2. Legally chosen 3. Legally admitted 4. Legally constituted 5. Legally continued 6. Legally proceeding in whatsoever they have done 7. And still they propound the Legality of what they intend to doe And all by the fundamentall Laws and constitutions of this Nation What would men have more 1. They have taken the Government into their hands for the good and freedome of them that have betrusted them 2. They by their Declarations promise to manage all for the Publike good 3. They constantly affirm that they have no wayes falsified nor betrayed the trust reposed in them 4. And though they take up Armes yet not against the King directly but against his and the Kingdomes enemies 5. Again the Kings power Politick was tyed to the Parliament by the Act of Continuation Hee took up Armes first they onely in defence of themselves and of his Power which he had secured to them by the foresaid Act. He fought against himself they for him Besides all Declarations and the Covenant it self were for the preservation of his Majesties person Power and Estate The sequels I leave to bee answered by them that know and promise to defend the Fundamentall Laws of the Kingdome Hoping they can give a fair account of all proceedings with his late Majesty and his surviving Posterity 6. However they are in possession of the Power and it is not my part to enquire how nor to dispute the equity thereof The Power is in them and I for my part will be subject Object Some say this is not a Parliament or not the Parliament of the people for they are but a few of those that were chosen which now sit Answ For my part I neither know what number is requisite to make a Parliament nor what number do fit This we all know that those now fit doe act as the Power 1. They make no Laws 2. They order the coynage 3. They impose taxes and customes And we see no visible Power Superiour to them So long therefore as the Power is in them we must be subject to them as to the Superiour Power Thus much of the former part of my Text with the particulars in it 2. Now secondly the reasons enforcing the duty which as I said are two 1. The first is the advancement of the Power whence it is There is no power but of God saith my text Chance and Fortune hath no place nor power in this thing as is shewed before both from that passage in David (h) Psal 75. 7. and from that in Daniel (i) Dan. 4. 17 Object It will be here objected that the Lord said they had set up Kings but not by him they had made Princes and hee knew it not (k) Hos 8. 4. If hee had no knowledge of nor hand in those advancements then