Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	law_n	parliament_n	repeal_v	2,928	5	12.0628	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29561	The third speech of the Lord George Digby to the House of Commons concerning bishops and the citie petition the 9th of Febr. 1640	Bristol, George Digby, Earl of, 1612-1677.	1640 (1640)	Wing B4775; ESTC R210026	6,494	18

distemper could arise I should not blame any man for desiring to pluck up the Vine by the roots But for the moveable illssake to take away the solid good of a thing is just as reasonable in this as to root up a good tree because there is a Canker in the branches For the bold part of this Petition Sir what can there bee of greater presumption then for Petitioners not only to prescribe to a Parliament what and how it shall doe but for a multitude to teach a Parliament what and what is not the government according to Gods Word Besides what is the Petition against is it not against the government of the Church of England established by Acts of Parliament Is it not against the Liturgie against severall formes of Divine Service ratified by the same Authority 'T is true Mr. Speaker the Parliament may mend may alter may repeale Lawes may make new and I hope in due season wee shall doe so in point of Church-government but in the meanetime let mee tell you Sir I cannot but esteeme it an irreverence an high presumption in any to petition point blanck against a Law or Government in force Representment of inconvenience may bee made as the Ministers have done such as may endure the wisdome of a Parliament to advise Lawes to rectifie to repeale them but it imports the very essence of Parliaments to keepe up the honour of its former Acts and not to suffer them to bee further blasted from abroad Beleeve me Mr. Speaker all the reverence and authority which wee expect from future times to our owne Acts hereafter depends upon our upholding the dignity of what former Parliaments have done even in those things which in their due time wee may desire and intend to reverse Mr. Speaker you see in what plaine language I have set forth unto you the faults of this Petition notwithstanding as great as they are so they may not obtaine any seeming countenance from us I find my selfe willing to have them past by especially when I consider how naturally prone all mankind is when it finds it selfe opprest beyond patience to fly unto extreames for ease And indeed I doe not think that any people hath beene evermore provoked then the generality of England of late yeares by the insolencies and exorbitances of the Prelates I protest sincerely Mr. Speaker I cannot cast mine eye upon this Petition nor my thoughts on the practises of the Church-men that have governed it of late but they appear'd to mee as a scourge employed by God upon us for the sinnes of the Nation I cannot thinke of that passage in the Booke of Kings Hee that escapes the Sword of Hazael shall Iehu slay and he that escapes Iehu shall Elisha slay Mee thinkes the vengeance of the Prelates hath beene so laid as if 't were meant no generation no Degree no Complexion of Mankind should escape it Was there a man of a nice and tender conscience him have they afflicted with scandall in Adiaphoris imposing on him those things as necessary which hee thinkes unlawfull and they themselves knew to be but indifferent Was there a man of a legall conscience that made the establishments by Law the measure of his Religion him have they netled with innovations with fresh introductions to Popery Was there a man of a meeke and humble spirit him have they trampled to dirt in their pride Was there a man of a proud and arrogant nature him have they bereft with indignation at their superlative insolence about him Was there a man peaceably affected studious of the quiet and tranquillity of his countrey their incendiariship hath plagued him Was there a man faithfully addicted to the Right of the Crowne loyally affected to the Kings Supremacy how hath hee beene galled by their new Oath a direct Covenant against it Was there a man tenatious of the liberty and propriety of the subject have they not set forth Bookes or Sermons or Canons distructive to them all Was there a man of a pretty sturdy conscience that would not blanch for a little Their pernicious Oath hath made him sensible and wounded or I feare prepared him for the Divell Was there a man that durst mutter against their Insolencies he may inquire for his Luggs they have beene within the Bishops visitation as if they would not onely derive their Brandisment of the spirituall sword from S. Peter but of the materiall one too and the Right to cut off Eares Mr. Speaker as dully as faintly as unlively as in Language these Actions of the Prelates have beene expressed unto you I am confident there is no man heares mee but is brimfull of Indignation For my part I professe I am so enflamed with the sense of them that I finde my self ready to cry out with the lowdest of the 15000 downe with them downe with them even to the ground But M. Speaker when I cast mine Eye round upon this great and wise Assembly and find my self a part too though the most unworthy and Inconsiderable of that Senate from whose dispassionate and equall Constitutions present and future times must Expect their happinesse or Infelicity It obliges mee to the utmost of my power to divest my self and others of all those disturbances of Judgement which arise ever from great provocations and to settle my thoughts in that temper which I thinke necessary to all those that would judge cleerely of such things as have incenst them I beseech you gentlemen let us not be led on by passion to popular and vulgar Errors it is naturall as I tould you before to the multitude to fly unto Extremes that seemes ever the best to them that is most opposite to the presentest object of their hate Wise Councells M. Speaker must square their resolutions by another measure by what 's most just most honourable most convenient Beleeve mee Sir great alterations of Government are rarely accompanied with any of these M. Speaker wee all agree upon this that a Reformation of Church Government is most necessary and our happy unity of opinions herein should be one Argument unto us to stay there but Sir to strike at the Roote to attempt a totall Alteration before ever I can give my vote unto that three things must be made manifest unto mee First that the mischiefes which wee have felt under Episcopall Government flow from the nature of the function not from the abuses of it only that is that no Rules no Bamdaryes can be set to Bishops able to Restraine them from such Exorbitances Secondly such a frame of Government must be layde before us as no time no Corruption can make lyable to proportionable inconveniences with that which wee abolish And thirdly it must be made to appeare that this Utopia is Practicable For the first Sir that Episcopacy a function deduced through all ages of Christs Church from the Apostles times and continued by the most venerable and sacred order Ecclesiasticall a function dignified by the learning and