Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	heir_n	power_n	successor_n	3,459	5	9.2559	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75409	An ansvver to a pamphlet, entit'led, a declaration of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled, expressing their reasons and grounds of passing the late resolutions touching no further addresse of application to be made to the King.	Clarendon, Edward Hyde, Earl of, 1609-1674, attributed name.	1648 (1648)	Wing A3323A; Thomason E438_3; ESTC R204748	7,853	17

AN ANSWER TO A PAMPHLET ENTIT'LED A Declaration of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled expressing their Reasons and Grounds of passing the late Resolutions touching no further Addresse or Application to be made to the KING CR HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT Printed in the yeare 1648. An ANSWER to a Pamphlet entit'led A DECLARATION of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled expressing their Reasons and Grounds of passing the late Resolutions touching no farther Addresse or Application to be made to the KING I Believe that it was never heard of until now that heavy Imputations were laid on any Man I speak not now of KINGS which I confesse makes the Case yet more strange and unjust and He not permitted to see much lesse to Answer them but so it is now with the KING which does though silently yet subject Him to as great an Imputation as there is any in the said Declaration for those who know no better may think that He cannot because He does not Answer it Wherefore I hold it my Duty knowing these things better then every ordinary Man to do my best that the KING should not be injured by the ignorance of His People and albeit I lying under Persecution for my Conscience and Love to Regall Authority have not the means in every thing to make full Probations yet I am confident in all the most materiall Points so to make the Truth of the KINGS Innocency appear that I shall satisfie any Impartiall judicious Reader What the Issue of former Addresses to the KING hath been is most certainly known to all the World but where the Fault rests whereby Peace hath not ensued bare Asseverations without Proofes cannot I am sure satisfie any Judicious Reader And indeed it seems to me that the Penner of this seeks more to take the Eares of the Ignorant Multitude with big Words and bold Assertions then to satisfie Rationall Men with reall Proofs or true Arguments For at the very first he begs the Question tak●ng it for granted that the KING could ease the Sighes and Groanes dry the Teares and stanch the Blood of His distressed Subjects Alas Is it He that keeps Armies on foot when there is none to oppose Is it He that will not lay down Excise Taxation and free-Quarterings But it is He indeed who was so far from Power even at that time being far worse since that in most things He wanted the Liberty of any free-born Man It is He who never refused to ease His People of their Grievances witnesse more Acts of Grace passed in His Reigne then to speak within my compasse in any five Kings or Queens Times that ever were before Him Moreover It is He who to settle the present unhappy Distractions and as the best means to it to obtain a Personall Treaty hath offered so much that to say Truth during His own Time He hath left Himself little more then the Title of a KING as it plainly appears by His Message from the Isle of Wight concerning the Militia and choosing the Officers of State and Privy-Counsellours besides other points of Complyance which is needlesse here to mention Good God! are these Offers unfit for them to receive have they tendred such Propositions that might occasion the World to judge that they have yeilded up not only their Wills and Affections but their Reasons also and Judgements for obtaining a true Peace or good Accommodation It is true that if they can shew what Reasonably they could have asked more or wherein the KING'S Offers were deficient either in Point of Security or by with-holding from any of His Subjects a jot of their just Priviledges then they said somewhat to challenge Belief But bare Asseverations even against what a Man sees will not get credit with any but such who abandon their Judgments to an Implicit Faith Nor can the Determinations of all the Parlaments in the World make a thing Just or Necessary if it be not so of it self And can it be imagined that any who were ever acquainted with the Passages at the Treaties of Oxford and Uxbridge will believe though it be said That the Propositions tendred at Newcastle were the same in effect which had been presented to the King before in the midst of all His Strength and Forces Indeed methinks such grosse slips as these should at least make a Man be wary how to believe such things for which he sees no Proofs And yet it should seem that a Man must either take their Words for good Payment or remain unsatisfied for a little after it is said That the Kings strange unexpected and conditionall Answers or Denials might justly have made them consider some other course for Setling the Kingdome in Peace and Safety without any farther Application but never showes wherein the strangenesse of His Answers or Denials consists And I should think that those Reasons upon which the laying by of a Kings Authority is grounded for it is no lesse ought to be particularly mentioned for the Worlds satisfaction and not involved in generall big Words for it thereby seems that it is their Force of Armes more then that of Reason which they trust to for procuring of Obedience to their Determinations or Belief to what they say Otherwayes can it be imagined that their saying That their last Propositions were to be qualified that where it might stand with the Publick safety the wonted Scruples and Objections were prevented or removed can give satisfaction to any Rationall Man who hath seen all their former Propositions for it is most evident that their Demands have alwaies encreased with their good Fortune And for their great Condescention to a Personal Treaty which under favour can scarcely be called so for the KING though He had granted what was desired was not to come neither to nor near London but to stay in the Isle of Wight and there to Treat with Commissioners upon Signing the Four Bils Surely they incurred therein but little danger for it is most evident that they containe the very substance of the most essentiall parts of their Demands which being once granted the KING would neither have had Power to Deny nor any thing left worth the refusing for after He had confessed that He had taken up Armes to invade the liberty of his People whereas it was only for the Defence of His own Rights and had likewise Condemned all those who had faithfully served Him of Rebellion and that He had totally devested Himself his Heires and Successours for ever of the Power of the Sword whereby the Protection of His Subjects which is one of the most essentiall and necessary Rights belonging to Regall Authority is totally torne away from the Crown and that by a silent Confession He had done Himself and Successours an irrepairable prejudice concerning the Great Seal I speak not of the other two Bills neither of which are of little importance what was there more for Him to

grant worth the insisting upon after such Concessions or indeed what Power was left Him to deny any thing So that the KING'S necessity of giving the Answer He did for it was no absolute Refusall is most evident unlesse He had resolved to have lived in quiet without Honour and to have given His People Peace without Safety by Abandoning them to an Arbitrary and unlimited Power of the Two Houses for ever concerning the Levying of Land or Sea Forces without stinting of Numbers or distinction of Persons and for Payments to levy such summes of Monies in such sort and by such waies and means as they shall think fit and appoint And now I cannot but ask Is this the Militia that the KING contends for or did ever any King of England pretend to or seek for such a Power surely no But this is a new Militia and take heed lest this should prove like the Roman Praetorian Cohorts that what they did in choosing and changing Emperours these do not to this Government by moulding and altering it according to their Fancies Now my eagernesse to clear this Point concerning the four Bills had almost made me forget a most materiall Question I wonder much wherein the Danger consists of a Personall Treaty with the KING ever since He was last at Newcastle Surely He cannot bring Forces along with Him to awe His Two Houses of Parlament and it is as well known that He hath not Mony to raise an Army and truly there is as little fear that the Eloquence of His Tongue should work Miracles but on the Contrary if He were so ill a Man as you describe Him to be whatsoever He shal say or write must more prejudice Him then You for let Him never flatter Himself it must be clear not doubtfull Reason that can prevaile against that great visible prevailing Power which now opposes Him nor do I say it will but certainly lesse cannot doe it Where is then the Danger Believe it Reason will hardly maintain those who are affraid of her After this it is said That they had Cause enough to remember that the KING sometimes denied to receive their humble Petitions but they neither tell where nor when which I am most confident they cannot but I am certain that the KING hath sent divers Messages of Peace to them unto which He hath yet had no Answer namely His last from Oxford of the 15. Jan. 1645. and all the rest since As for the Fight at Brainceford whosoever will read the Collection of the Declarations in Print upon that subject will clearly find that the KING hath more Reason to complain that they under colour of Treaty sought to environ Him with their Forces then they for what He then did and His Retreat was neither for Feare nor with Shame for the appearing of the Enemy made Him retard not hasten His Orders for retiring which divers howers before their appearing He had given which He did without any losse at all but on the contrary Retreated with more Armes Eleven Colours and fifteen pieces of Ordnance beside good store of Ammunition then He had before and for Cruelty there was not a drop of Bloud shed but in the heat of the Fight for I saw above five hundred Prisoners who only promising never after to beare Armes against the KING were freely Released Again they seem to have good Memories saying That the King once sent them a specious Message of renewing a Treaty when at the same time His Messenger was instructed how to manage that bloody Massacre in London which was then Design'd by vertue of the Kings Commission since published And hath the KING sent but one Message for the renewing of a Treaty Then what was that from Tavestock in Aug. 1644. and * five others from Oxford the next Yeare But indeed this that is here mentioned they knew not how to Answer for at that time they knew not the way of Silence but by this forged Accusation against the Messenger who I dare say knew nothing of that which might have been at that time intended for the KING'S service by some who had more Zeale then Judgment But that there was a Massacre intended or that any Commission from the KING should countenance such a Designe is a most notorious Slaunder As for the KING' 's mentioned Letter to the QUEENE I am confident that any judicious Reader will find the Glosse made upon it very much wrested And certainly after-Ages will think these Times very Barbarous wherein private Letters betwixt Man and Wife are published to open view and in other Countries there is such Respect carried to private Letters of Princes that to my knowledge the last Emperour in the greatest heat of the Bohemian Warre having intercepted a Packet wherein were private Letters to King JAMES of blessed Memory who was then known no great Friend to the Emperour from His onely Daughter then avowedly the Emperours greatest Enemy yet He sent them to the KING without the least offer of violence to the Scales And now I come to their Determination upon the whole Matter what Course they have resolved to take with the KING their words are But notwithstanding this and other former Tenders we have now received such a Denyall that we are in Despaire of any good by Addresses to the KING neither must we be so injurious to the People in further delaying their Setlement as any more to presse His Consent to these or any other Propositions Besides it is Resolved upon the Question That they will receive no more any Message from the King and do enjoyne That no Persons do presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either Houses of Parlament or to any other Person Thus you see that the KING is laid by but that is not all for He must neither justifie His Innocency against Calumny nor is there any way left Him to mend any Errour that He may have committed Is this a Just way of proceeding when Truth though offered must not be heard and that no way must be left to recant an Error And why all this Severity Because as I have already shown you the KING will not injure His Conscience or Honour nor suffer His People to be oppressed to which they give the Terme of such a Denyall though really it was none But since they thus seek to hoodwink the People it is no great Wonder that they forbid the KING to repent Him of those Faults which He never committed and I believe all Indifferent Men will easily judge of the KING'S Innocency even by their way of Accusation for those who wil lay such High Crimes to His charge as the breach of Oaths Vows Protestations and Imprecations would not spare to bring their Proofs if they had any But on the Contrary it is known to all the World that He had not suffer'd as He ha's done if He would have dispensed with that part of His Coronation Oath which He made to