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	supreme_a	2,829	5	9.2880	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96764	The Protector. A poem briefly illustrating the supereminency of that dignity; and, rationally demonstrating, that the title of Protector, providentially conferred upon the supreme governour of the British republike, is the most honorable of all titles, and, that, which, probably, promiseth most propitiousness to these nations; if our sins and divisions prevent it not. / Composed by George Wither, Esq; ...	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1655 (1655)	Wing W3184; Thomason E1565_2; ESTC R204098	29,693	63

who govern by That Name sufficient to indempnify Them both in their Estates and Persons from Those hazards which might else upon them come If He the Supreme Pow'r should repossess Whom GOD remov'd But neither more nor less Will they be priviledged whether he King or Protector shall instiled be Nor can a Name of novel Institution Which in it self implies no diminution Of real Pow'r but rather a supply Diminish ought of his Authority That Rules in Chief since to him pertinent Ev'n of due right is all enablement That 's necessary to effect those ends Which Government essentially intends For our PROTECTOR is not such a one As that whereby we did support the Throne In Non-age of a King as some conceive But that which to his Highness doth derive As absolute and as Supreme a Pow'r As that of Kingship or of Emperour Which arrogates no more then may subsist With GOD's and with his People's Interest And be it known though some think otherwise Whose Judgement we in many matters prize That by a King our Laws mean not alone That Name but also that which fills the Throne Be it a King a Queen or Parliament Or whatsoever else doth represent The Supreme Pow'r And that each Attribute Or Priviledge which Statute-laws impute To Pow'rs in being when they first were made Is in each Change with ev'ry force it had Transferred thither and to that wherein The Supreme Pow'r essentially is seen To act and to reside though in the Name Or other Accidents we change the same For to those Laws although some violence Seem'd to be offer'd in the lit'ral sence When here a Woman raign'd no wise-man thought The essence of the Laws transgress'd in ought Because she was no King nor will of that The Title of Protector ought abate And they who may by nice distinguishings Or Terms impos'd indiff'rently on Things Or Persons be unwisely tempted from Realities will much deceiv'd become In what they hope for and when thought they are Most safe be taken in an unseen snare When once a Supreme Pow'r is constituted Submitted to and shall be such reputed Without resistance or a Protestation Against it made in Publike by that Nation Whom it concerns or by some part at least Considerable claiming Interest Or share therein having enablement Likewise to guard those who thereto assent Such Constitution and the Being what It seems to be gives it not onely that But ev'ry other Right which doth invest With real Pow'r whether it be exprest By Law or not and virtually makes void All Laws whereby such Pow'r may be destroy'd Until another Pow'r that is more able Removeth it And then as warrantable That thenceforth grows as long as it doth reign And actually a Being doth retain Provided that such Pow'rs do neither swerve From Justice nor destroy what to preserve They were ordain'd nor leave a private wrong Unrecompensed quite or over-long When they are forced to endamage some That many may not to destruction come And all they who to such a Pow'r submit Or for the Common Peace act under it Whilst it continues merit no just blame Howe'er that Pow'r to be a Pow'r became So they at first conspired not with those By whose unrighteous actings it arose For GOD himself commands us to obay The Pow'rs that are not questioning what way They were acquir'd His Son whilst here on earth He did reside although true King by birth Paid Tribute to th' Usurper that he might Advance GODS work by waving his own right His Followers taught this doctrine yea did teach By Practice that which they by word did preach And did submit for Conscience sake ev'n when The Sov'raign Pow'r was grasp'd by worst of men And got by basest means which to this day Became a Guide to many in that way Which else had doubtful been And had we not This Rule to walk by through GODS mercy got Mankinde would be destroy'd for by our siding With this or with that Faction by dividing And subdividing Pow'rs as Malice Love Pride Envie or Self-interest may move All would be torn in pieces and no Peace Be setled till Mankinde to be should cease Why then should any so imprudent grow Or rather why so mad for they are so Who when they might unblamefully possess Their lives and portions in safe Quietness Will unconstrained lose their sweet enjoying Of what they have and venture the destroying Of all that 's dear unto them to pull down A fixed Power and set up one unknown That will be or that may at least be worse And both on them and others bring the Curse Of All-devouring War yea and perchance A Family or Person here advance Who either will not heed their services Or else forget them when they get their Prize Or which is worse requite at last with ill Their cost their pains their hazards Good-will And leave them to the spights and scorns of those Whom they for their sakes did at first oppose For such things I have seen ev'n Traytors made Their Favourites whom they would have betray'd And those cast out of Favour without Reason Whose faithfulness preserv'd them from their treason Why then should we permit Discretions eyes To be deceiv'd with Cheating Fallacies Why then should we of Scarcrows be afraid Or on Foundations by GODS own hand laid Rebuild again old Babylon or fix To Sion's firm stones her untemper'd bricks Why when the work of God is both in Name And in the Thing of one Piece and the same Should Humane Policie presume to adde Her Trimmings as if he mistaken had His purpose Or as if he had forgot What Title best became the Pow'r and lot Which was conferr'd on him to whom of late The Supreme Seat it pleas'd him to translate From those who had abus'd it For that Change Although irregular it seem'd and strange Is not of Man but GOD though men have bin Dull and imperfect Instruments therein And 't will establish'd be if he that bears The Scepter shuns ungodly Counsellors Makes not a wilful stand in sinners ways Nor to the Scorners Throne himself shall raise But if this Title meerly did depend On humane prudence we should much offend Against her Principles by vary'ng from That Resolution whereto we are come Why then should we if now we Free-men are And by the world without reputed were A world within our selves be bound up to Their Customs who have nought with us to do Since 't will be thereby tacitely confest We are not Masters of that Interest Which we do claim nor can of right create As well as any other Supreme State New Dignities or make new Presidents When Time brings forth occasioned Events For this inferr'd we granted or believ'd That we our chief Ennoblements receiv'd From other States and are oblig'd become Those Rags of Honour onely to assume Which they have worn though soyled and disgrac'd By those on whom they were unjustly plac'd A Title giveth no essential Fame It is the Man

that dignifies the Name Tyrant was thought an honourable Stile Until Oppressors did the same defile By lustful Insolence in Tarquin's race Kingship at Rome first fell into disgrace And 't was from thence exploded with such hate That though the King of Romanes is of late Made Titular no Romane to this day Submits thereto nor in Rome bears it sway The Basis of true Supreme honour stands Not upon absolute but Just Commands A Prince doth his Pre-eminence receive From Vertue not from his Appellative And Righteousness addes more to his renown Then Conquest Title Scepter and a Crown As quickly will appear when he shall want That Dignity and grows exorbitant An honourable Title is confest To be a fair Engagement or at best An useful Pledge and some Memento too Of what the Owner is oblig'd to do But of it self on him that fills the place Of Pow'r it doth confer nor Worth nor Grace It is an Ornament that priz'd should be And also that which may in some degree Illustrate him that wears it if he frame His Actions answerable to the same According to the purposes of those Who did on him the Sov'raignty impose And that which on our Chief hath been of late Conferr'd and is confirm'd now by our State Is more significant to that intent Then All whereof there 's any President Throughout the Universe unless it be In some far Climate yet unknown to me To him who hath obtain'd a Supreme Pow'r Whether Duke Prince a King or Emperour Sophy Grand Seignior Pope or what Stile else We place on him who other men excels He by the greatest of them is possest Of no more Sov'raignty then by the least For all their Titles are equivalent According to their Seigniories extent Because he that dependeth upon none Is made as absolute by any One Of those or other Titles as by all Which will appear when I discover shall How much or little each of them contains Of that which to Supremacie pertains And when it is considered what they are Who as chief Soveraigns these Titles wear A Duke is but a Leader supreme Prince Is one who claims the chief Pre-eminence A King is he who hath a Ruling Pow'r Command denominates an Emperour Sophie the Persian Title signifies A Person who in governing is wise Grand Seignior which the Turks ambitiousness Now arrogates doth Power in Chief express The stile of Pope implies a Fatherhood And more relateth to a Peoples good Then any of the former though as little He doth conform his Actings to his Title But all those Titles want that which compleats A person meriting the Supreme Seats Except this last whose Claimers swerving from What their high Stile implieth are become Stepfathers unto those whom they pretend To father foster cherish and defend And GOD as well for their Deliverance As our shall this Protectors pow'r advance Or his Successors till it quite sets free All Nations who to them enslaved be Avenging all the blood which they have shed The blood of Saints whom they have massacred Of late or heretofore yea look how far The Pow'rs of GOG and MAGOG stretched are And wheresoe'er those Catholike pretenders Oppress these shall be Catholike Defenders Of men oppressed and GOD to that end Shall universally this Pow'r extend It hath already as that Angel did Of whom John wrote to that intent bestrid A great part of the world and one foot stands upon the Seas the other on the Lands But whither do my Contemplations fly I may perchance unseal a Mystery Before the time my Muse therefore descend And prosecute the Subject I intend Thereby to further that which I conceive Is drawing neer and few will yet believe None of the other Titles bring to minde All Duties whereto Princes are enjoyn'd And such as owe them frequently are cast Among the vile and infamous at last Because they nor essential retain Within themselves the Pow'r those Titles fain Nor any of those Vertues which assure The Dignity they formally procure But if that any Title under heav'n Hath in times past or in this age been giv'n That truely magnifies and may conduce To bring those Vertues unto minde and use Which dignifie the Persons it is that Which Providence conferred hath of late Upon our Governour For though it seem Through Novelty not grown up to esteem Yet if unhappily there be not wanting Concomitances useful to its planting It will be reverenc'd in farthest Climes And honourable through all future times Beyond compare when Kings and Emperours Hav lost their Names their Kingdoms their Pow'rs And until here that King of kings doth raign Whose Glory heav'n and earth cannot contain This glorious Title hath in it exprest No stamp of Self-relation like the rest But marks forth One as if from heav'n sent down Who seeks his Peoples weal more then his own It is the chiefest of GOD's Attributes Which he to those men whom he here deputes Communicates and ought therefore by none To be assum'd but God-like men alone Who in their hearts have purposed to be At least by Imitation such as He And ready to contribute in his stead Due succours to all Suppliants in their Need. It is a Name of mercy and affection Which not alone engageth to Protection But likewise to a strenuous Opposition Of Tyrants Tyrannies and all Oppression For to be call'd a Nation to protect Implies at least in some degree th' effect Of ev'ry Means which may be helpful to Those Works which GOD provided Him to do And nobler is in that respect then those Loud-sounding Titles which our Fathers chose Because we therein comprehended finde More Notions then in all those Titles joyn'd Which are throughout the whole world own'd by them Who do enjoy a Sov'raign Diadem Conduct Pre-eminence Rule and Command Policie Grandeur both by Sea and Land And that Paternity which they possess To whom is mis-imputed Holiness Are but a Part and that part very little Of what is intimated by this Title For being well consider'd it implies That he who owns it should be truly wise As well as politick a foe to Vice A friend to Vertue free from Avarice Awful of GOD affectionate to Man His Welfare seeking by all means he can Stout and yet humble in his Exaltation Just and his Justice sweetning by Compassion Due recompence to well deservers giving Pard'ning the Penitent th' Opprest relieving Watchful for all Occasions how he may Advance his Peoples welfare ev'ry way As also by what means he may prevent The Common and each private Detriment A hearty Zelot of the Publike Faith By Deeds confirming what in Words he saith And readyer for his Flocks his life to stake Then of their Flesh or Fleece a prey to make Nor to his own alone doth he extend His Goodness but ev'n to the worlds far end Will stretch it also as acknowledging All men for Subjects of that Heav'nly King Whom he but represents and unto whom He must account when Audit-day is