Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	king_n	law_n	resist_v	2,184	5	9.6676	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96342	The copies of severall letters contrary to the opinion of the present powers, presented to the Lord Gen. Fairfax, and Lieut. Gen. Cromwell. By Francis White, Maior of his Excellencies regiment of foot.	White, Francis, d. 1657.; Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, Baron, 1612-1671.; Cromwell, Oliver, 1599-1658.	1649 (1649)	Wing W1764; Thomason E548_6; ESTC R204063	14,284	20

authorities which are the conservators of their Liberties to mantain all arbitrary in themselves this may iustly be charged upon the prevalent partie that were our opposers who secretly carried on a combination to comply with the Kings interest to a more universall inslaving the people then formerly Having considered all proceedings of the most materiall concernment it will necessarily come to this issue that we have disobeyed resisted and repelled all the Authoritie and Government of the Kingdom both King Parliament and all bounds of Law and the authorities and government being broken it is wholly dissolved and involved into its originall Fountain next under God the people And the highest authority that is now visible is the force of the Sword For there is no reasonable man but will conclude the Parliament to be under a force mixed of two parties that have been in opposition one while one partie is the Parliament another while the other even to which the strongest power is contracted so the stream runs for at the time we lay at Brainford your self and Son in Law Ireton affirmed in my hearing that those which remained at Westminster with Mr. Pellam were no Parliament but some Gentlemen claiming a Parliamentary Authority And in our Remonstrance from Kingston we declared to the world they were Usurpers and Intruders and that we would not suffer those who had voted to make a new warre upon us to sit there as ours and the Kingdoms Iudges yet since they have been acknowledged to be a Parliament and sit here in Court to this day and for what I know are the chiefe fomenters of our distractions and the Protracters of the redresses of the common grievances of the Nation Now Sir so long as that Remonstrance from Kingstone stands owned J doe not conceive the Army concluded under the authority of the House but only setting the House as a skreene between them and the fiery fury of the people in the midst of the common grievances and distractions and do yeeld obedience to the Parliament in what they command agreeable to your own judgement And on the other hand the Parliament and Synod with all the Presbyterian party with the Scots Councel are indeavouring to get a power to bring you under the Lash and you can look for no other but that if they get you and the Army down they will pay you and your accomplices for their disobedience Therefore take care to use your reason and your power to secure your selves not only from the King and his Lawes which he still fighteth by but likewise from the Parliament Pellamites and their Ordinances which you and the Army have slighted Now Sir I professe for my own part J am not over carefull J shall only use meanes to the discharge of my duty according to my judgement and reason and whether I be any thing or nothing it matters not yet it behoves me to take care for the security and welfare of those poor Souldiers under my command which I have indeavoured to ingage in this common cause which I vindicate and shall by Gods assistance seale with my blood by suffering if called thereunto I value my reputation as a man to stand in competition with my livelihood but I value my principles more then life naturall and before I would violate my conscience in matter of concernment upon mature consideration I would suffer all the torment that men and Divels can invent Now Sir to secure your self and friends which is the chief work that lieth before you I must needs say I see no other way but by entring upon some way equivolent to that presented in the paper intitled The Agreement of the people There is a necessity of setting a period to this Parliament and changeing the currant of the Law out of the Kings name into the Commons without which I can see no sure security but by making up your Interest under the King and receiving Indempnity and pardon from him which last I doe detest and shall ever labour to prevent If any man can hold forth any other way wherein there is a probability to obtain security freedome and peace I le acknowledge my own weaknesse and give God thanks for raising up an Instrument for my conviction I know the prosecution of the former is very dangerous and desperate the King Scots and forraign States will be our Enemies yet if you fall back you must expect ruine and if you go forward you can be no worse in the greatest hazzards and it is better perishing in right wayes then in wrong Having thus freely discovered my principles and offered my desires to your view I must confesse my inabilities of adding to your knowledge in things of this nature but looking upon you as a person of power and interest I thought good to discharge my mind and to let you know I shall not be forward to exercise force for the procuring things of this nature but only plead at oportunities in wayes of reason and shall stand by thofe that stand for the publique interest of the Nation and shall upon a cleare way and call ingage my life as formerly against such as shall indeavour to destroy honest peaceable men by wayes of force and violence And if you as formerly shall still own the Jnterest of honest people and forbeare the exercise of rigor upon those that are friends to your self and the Common wealth then shall I be ready to hazzard my life for your preservation when you shall be cast upon the greatest extremitie in the midst of your many enemies for you may assure your self all storms are not over and that late insurrection in London is but a fruit of that councel which will endeavour to raise more such there in other places who care not if they break all reines and make way for that abomination that maketh desolate rather then let go their pride and ambition you must expect the further exercise of your faith patience in the times of tryal that are coming upon this Nation But the Lord instruct keepe and preserve you in the wayes of righteousnesse shall be the prayers of him who desires to serve you while you serve the publique Francis White Colebrook Aprill the 21. 1648. FINIS

THE COPIES of Severall LETTERS Contrary to the opinion of the present powers Presented to the Lord Gen. Fairfax AND LIEVT GEN. CROMWELL By Francis White Maior of his Excellencies Regiment of Foot London Printed by T. Paine for Tho. Slater and Stephen Bowtell 1649. To the Reader HAving for some yeares been an Actor in the Affaires of the late warres and likewise an observer of the proceedings of State in which I have been concerned more then every private person I have therefore offered my Judgement and declared my opinion in matters of highest concernment to my Lord Generall and Lievt Gen. Cromwell and had no great desire to have published what I have written But hearing by many of my friends that it is generally reported by most that have heard of me that I have now declined my principles and am turned Cavalier The reason of this Conception is because J declared my Discent to the taking away the life of the King But to manifest to the world the truth and innocency of my heart J have published these following Letters to shew that J was of the same Judgement formerly as J now continue as may appear in my Letter sent to Lievt Gen. Cromwell almost a yeare agoe and what J have written to my Lord Generall although contrary to the opinion of the present powers J thought my self bound in Conscience to performe to preserve my own inward peace For although some men make no conscience of their Ingagements Vowes and Oaths yet J hope God will give me power rather to suffer death then destroy my life J know that my Judgement is not infallible yet notwithstanding J must keep close to my Principles untill J am convinced of Error J have here declared my Principles and purpose to stand in the prosecution of the publique service with faithfulnesse whiles God by his grace doth inable me Francis White March the 20. 1648. The Copie of a Letter presented to his Excellency the Lord Fairfax Generall My Lord I Am a Member of your Army and included in all actions done by the Disciplinary power whiles I silently consent thereto and I would never appear a Discenter to any thing that tends to publick good although never so prejudiciall to my particular interest but rather then I would submit to any thing of essentiall publick prejudice to the people or to destroy my inward peace I would expose my self to a temporall destruction For God is my witnesse I do not so much fear them that can kil the body onely as I do him that is able to cast both bodie and soul into hell so farre as I have been imployed in the common work I have chearfully acted or born my publick testimonies and I hope for ever shall My Lord I have taken notice of many Petitions from almost all the Forces in England and from divers people of the Countreys which supplicate for many good things which they desire your Excellency to procure In all which good things I do heartily concur with their Petitions but I have observed this as one thing generally desired that they may have execution of Justice upon the King and as far as I can perceive it is generally intended by the Officers of the Army and the Members of the present House of Commons to take away the life of the King But with submission to your Excellency I desire leave to declare my discent and upon grounds conscientious for these Reasons following First Because there are no clear grounds by any Legall Authority to take away the life of the King Secondly It is contrary to our first Ingagement and our generall Professions Vows and Covenants to God and the world Thirdly I do not discern it will produce any generall good to the Nation but rather the contrary Having declared my opinion and the chief Reasons for the same I desire your Lordship to read these following Lines for the clearing of those Reasons and the justifying my integritie and innocency in former actings At the first taking up of Arms I was sensible of the oppression and injustice which was exercised by the King and his Ministers upon the people he exalting himself to act beyond all Laws which his Predecessors and himself had bound themselves by consent to observe He raising Arms to inforce the exercise of his power to the maintaining an absolute tyranny over the Nation was the chief ground of my opposing him and I have freely acted in the affairs of War to the subduing of his power and the vindicating of the peoples just Rights and claim to the disposall of the Military power without his consent In the prosecution of this service I have been as free from seeking revenge upon the Person of the King as to violate my own life The chief end I seek is the preservation of the righteous people with the safetie and well being of the whole and if possible without taking away the life of Charles Steward King of England First I say I do not understand how it may be done by any Legall Authority according to the Kingly Government though it may be a just thing yet I know not how it may justly be done I never heard of any Throne erected in the earth either by God or men for the judging of a King untill the erecting of this late tribunall at Westminster All the Judgement Seats that are legally erected in this Nation were made by King Lords and Commons but the King ever did exempt himself from personall judgement by vertue of the Military Regall and Legislative power which he retained in himself which was gotten by the Sword of his Predecessors and kept by Traditionall dissent although the people since the Conquest have had the libertie of choosing Laws so that he did not set up Laws and Judicatures legally at his will yet there was no Law made nor Judicatures erected but by his will although he agreed the people should have the power of choosing Laws yet he determined that he would keep the power of confirming Laws so that no Law was ever made without his will And if it be throughly examined we may finde that the King hath no other right to the Military Regall and Legislative power then the Sword did constitute and invest him with by divine permission the people submitting thereto for fear and to avoid greatest mischief But now the King and his partie being conquered by the Sword I beleeve the Sword may justly remove the power from him and settle it in its originall fountain next under God the people But to judge or execute his person I do not understand any Legall Authority in being can justly do it I doubt not but the Sword may do it but how righteous judgement that may be that God and future generations will judge It is clear that the Military power is exalted above the Regall and Legislative power and is now come to the throne of God and under no other Legall Judgement untill there be a Legall Authority

erected as is offered in the Agreement to which it may submit And seeing God hath in righteousnesse for the sins of the people and their King brought us into this unhappie condition I therefore plead with your Excellency to use the sword with as much tendernesse as may be to preserve the lives of men and especially the life of the King And for my second reason Because we have made generall profession of preserving his person and whensoever any accused us of seeking the life of the King we alwayes denyed it untill this late Remonstrance Now Sir it is as reall a manifestation of a Christian a honourable and noble spirit as can be discovered to the world to be true to what it doth professe and to be the same in adversitie as in prosperity and in prosperity as it was in adversitie and it is more honourable to save the life of a conquered enemie then to destroy him For if he hath prosecuted his designes according to his judgement and conscience and were in the wrong way it was because God suffered the Devill to blind his understanding that he did not know the truth and it is better to let him live and learne to repent then to make hast to send him to destruction so that his remaining alive be not any generall prejudice or more mischievous then his death would be which would well be considered under the third reason I doe not understand any essentiall good can acrew to the people by the taking away his life For it is not so much the person that can hurt us as the power that is made up in the Kingly office by this corrupt constitution for if the person be taken away presently another layeth claime to the Kingly Office and for any thing I know hath as much right to the Dominion as his Predicessor had and will questionlesse have all the assistance that this person can procure for the attaining thereof and will be able to doe more mischiefe because he is at liberty and this under your power Againe This King being the King of Scotland and Ireland according to the Lawes in being they have an interest in his person as well as England notwithstanding he is under our power Now if you will iudge the Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland in that which concernes their interest where you can claime no right it is a evident wrong and may give them iust offence and ground of quarrell against this Nation and by this may be of more preiudice to the whole then can be good to the particular I desire my Lord that we may issue a Christian spirit not rendring evill for evill but rather good for evill Although wicked men will deale wickedly with us yet let us deale mercifully with them and pardon and forgive as wee desire God should pardon and forgive us Jn this way J doe verily beleeve we shall be greater Conquerers then yet we have been if we can conquer ourselves and the affection of our enemies which this doth lead unto My Lord in all that I have written J am not against the judging of the King but J say it is by no legall Authority but only what the Sword exalteth although it be not an exact Marshal Court yet it is little different and not a Legitimate Authority to the King yet it may as iustly iudge him as ever he iudged the people and may dethrone him and divest him of all power and authority in the English Nation And I thinke it is necessary so far to proceed and to detaine him as a prisoner at war till hee may be delivered with safety to yourselves and the Nation I desire your Excellencies favourable Construction of what I have written and if it be not your Excellencies iudgement all that I desire for my satisfaction is That your Excellency will appoint such a Generall Councel as the Army in these parts shall be included by the Maior voice thereof if it be not concluded according to my Judgement yet therein shall I have my desire because J consent to be included by the Maior part to avoid division If this may not be granted then must I declare my discent and that it is an action done by vertue of the Disciplinary power of the Army by which J am not in this case willingly included and so I hope I shall preserve my self in innocency and peace and not be an instrument of the mischiefs and evils that may be brought upon this Nation by the taking away the blood of their King Having taken this Freedom to write to your Excellency I shall now take my leave and remain Your Lordships most humble Servant Francis White January the 22. 1648. To the Right Honourable His Excellency the Lord Fairfax Generall My Lord I Have for these six yeers been a servant to the publick in the affairs of the late Warce and for the most part under Your Excellencies conduct and I can speak it with confidence that no man hath been more faithfull to the people or to your Lordship in the prosecution of their interest then my self If I have erred in this work it hath been chiefly in too forward actings for the publick good and I would rather erre in the prosecution of my principles with zeal then in the abusing patience with sloath wherein I am convinced of offence from which no man is free I shall submit but rather then betray innocencie with cowardice I would perish My Lord I must needs inform you that my principles leads me to a concurrence with those people which joyned in the late Petition of the many thousands in the City of London and parts adjacent and must upon all lawfull occasions as I will vindicate my integrity use means for the accomplishing of the most essentiall parts of that Petition and if the prosecution of such principles be offensive to your self as to produce your Lordships prejudice for to remain under your Excellencies displeasure in my imployment as I am informed from some in neer relation to your Excellencie I do and that it hath been the reason of your Honors depriving me of a further trust by putting another over me to command your Excellencies Regiment which I had sought and conducted through the greatest difficult with successe and free from imputation or proving false to my trust in the least If it be true that your Honor bears prejudice to me for my principles then must I in faithfulnesse speak it I would rather quit my imployment then remain under your Lordships disaffection and jealousie in my command my Lord I am very sensible of my discouragement and intreat your Excellency to give me the manifestation of your affection and acceptance for the future or to let me know if it may not be that I may remove my self from being a burden to your Honors proceedings However I shall prove my self to be Your Lordships most humble Servant Francis White Knausburgh Septem 23. 1648. To the Right Honourable Lievt Gen. Cromwell

Honoured Sir JT is not unknown to many your great pains and unwearied indeavours in the publique imployment from the first undertaking you have appeared constant valiant and successful in the greatest affaires of the late war And having through Gods blessing passed through many difficults subduing all adversaties that opposed our just proceedings It now lieth upon you and others of the like interest to see the establishment of those things which we have contended for that there may be some requitall for the expence of so much Treasure and Blood It hath ever been the consideration of all wise undertakers of a war First to consider the right of their cause Secondly their abilities to mannage the same And thirdly that the benefits may countervail the ill convenience or prejudice that may be sustained in the procuring successe What bondage oppression and injustice we were made subject to by the King and his Ministers is not unknown to your selfe and when he could no longer keepe the people in subjection under his oppressive government but was in danger of being cast out of his Throne he then called a Parliament which he indeavoured to make subject to his will For the better prosecution of his principles but failing of his expectations in Councell he indeavoured to bring his purposes to passe by the force of the sword and undertooke the managing a Warr against the Parliament They seeing the evill he endeavoured to bring upon themselves and the Nation tooke courage to appeare faithfull to those who had intrusted them and called in all that had bowels of mercy and compassion to themselves or the Nation to come in to the helpe of a distressed State and to maintaine their just rights and freedomes The Parliament did then claime and since have claimed a Right to determine all controversies that may arise in the Nation and that of right they might dispose of the Militia of the Kingdome as they should see cause for in the House of Commons vertually the power of the Kingdome is for to make Lawes or repeale Lawes and to be the finall judges It is true the King held a confirming voyce and was intrusted with the Militia and the Regall power for the protecting and administring justice unto the people but when the Parliament saw a danger of the Kings converting that power to their and the trusters distruction they tooke upon them the disposall of the Militia upon which the King broke with them and made a war God having now given successe to their cause and invested them and their assisters with full power it now lieth upon them to make good all promises if possible the lesser giving way to the greater and as much as in them lyeth indeavour to prevent future disputes and quarrells for the welfare of posterity and to settle the government of the Nation So that the Regall power in what forme soever may be subject to the Legislative and likewise to untwist those lines of bondage which will question our just proceedings there is no rational man that will imagine it unreasonable that the Parliament should proceed to the setling the Kingdoms peace and Freedom without the King seeing that after the conquering his Forces and so many addresses he will accept of nothing but what shall be agreeable to his will the which must be a giving up the right of our cause and advantage to the name and thing King to recover all power in short time and to the winding of the Nation into worse bondage and servitude then ever to the will of the Prince which will of necessity bee our portion if there be not a cleare vindicating of the Rights and Freedome of the people in the Legislative power which was the maine thing contended for and it is evident that the supream power next under God is inherent in the multitude and that there is no just authority but what is immediately derived from God himself by divine appointment or mediately given from the people by their Representative who of right are not subject to any particular person or persons but may upon grounds of common safety alter Magistrates or Government make new Lawes or repeale old Abolish Courts or set up new without the concurrence of King or Peeres However this be caled new Doctrine or Levelling it will appeare that in this is laid the foundation of the Freedome of a Nation in stating their Representative free and equall invested with full power the persons changeable successively so that whatsoever Lawes or Burdens the people bring upon themselves they will be of their own chusing whatsoever custome is held contrary herto is a fruit of conquest kept by force and may justly be by force repelled This is no change of principles as is evident from the first contest The peoples safety argued the supream Law and the House of Commons iudges of that safety and interpreters of Law and they affirming the Kings oath binding him to confirme what Laws they chuse the Commons telling the Lords they should indevour to save a people without them if they would not concur But it may be obiected that the Ingagement at the first undertaking of the war declared for King and Parliament and that the Parliaments Declaration in the yeare 1646 declareth for the maintaining of the constitution of this Kingdom by King Lords and Commons and that the Protestation and Covenant of this Kingdom and Scotland ingageth them to maintain the Kings authority and that they have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Maiesties iust power and greatnesse To this I answer that men are bound by Conscience and Honour to make good all Ingagements so far as iustly they may and if men be not found constant to their principles no man can wisely put confidence in them nor trust them farther then necessity inforceth It will not be amisse to look over our former Ingagements and moderately to consider what may be performed and what not For indeed they are so interwoven that it will be a difficult matter to make good every particular Therefore first consider the most generall things of greatest importance and make good them with as much provision for particulars as generall will permit And in the first place that Interest of the peoples freedom must in Iustice take place For in all Declarations Papers and Covenants it hath been the chiefe thing pretended and there never passed any promise of intrusting the King but in order to the peace freedom and security of the Kingdom and I beleeve it was expected that when the Kings powers should be subdued he would have accepted the Parliaments conditions which he refusing is a iust ground to alter their promises and to proceed to the setling the Kingdom in freedom safety and peace without the King the which can never probably be done without altering the former custome in making Law For whatsoever is acted upon the former constitution will run to the King for confirmation so there will be no security unlesse

ye declare the Parliaments Ordinances good Laws and so conduce one Estate and take away the thing King which name the antient Romans could not indure for the space of 400. yeares and it will be found no small let to the settlement of our peace For it must be time that must produce security from him and his posterity the Army must not be a protection for ever neither will the people indure this Parliaments perpetuity for the continuance of either longer then necessity inforceth is inconsistent with the peoples freedome And now the Souldiery having contracted much of the businesse of the Kingdom upon their Shoulders you will be put upon the exercise of reason you have already shown your strength and valour in subduing the Forces that have opposed us and if you can now find wayes to secure your self and our assisters from the Authorities we have resisted you will appeare much like a compleat man in Reason J beseech you Sir looke back to the first Ingagement of the Parliament with due consideration and indeavour what you may to procure the performance thereof At the first raysing an Army The Parliament declared it to be for the desence of the Protestant Religion the Lawes of the Land the Kings person the priviledge of Parliament the peoples just Rights and freedome these things are spacious and were never stated and published what is meant hereby Some understand the Protestant Religion to be the Book of Common prayer for Worship the Episcopacie for Discipline and the thirty nine Articles for Doctrine But it Religion be taken in such formes then is it in a great measure altered by the Synod in part with the Parliaments approbation imposing the Directory for Worship the Presbytery for Discipline and the Confession of Faith which they have published for Doctrine and in stead of Resorming have introduced Schisme It cannot be denyed but we were very zealous for the promoting of Religion and I hope still are but I feare we did not rightly understand what Religion is Certainly Religion in the most generall acceptation is that profession of Worship Discipline and Doctrine which a people hold forth to the world in the former sense it is most probable that which we call Religion was understood and that which was then intended by the generall party of the Nation was a Reformation of what might appeare corrupt and to free the people from those burdens in Ceremonies imposed which many tender Consciences could not beare But now that which we call Religion appears to me only a traditionall formall profession and is made use of only to gain parties and Factions under the specious pretence of Religion thereby to gain power to rise in Dignities for profit and honour among men This is the Religion of Rome as at this day pure State policie in which is comprehended the depth of the mystery of iniquity Such is the Religion of the Turke and many other Nations a meer emptie forme in which nothing of the power of God is and what is this alteration of Church Government Worship and Doctrine which some men so furiously pursue but the cloathing of Antichrist with a new coat changing out of one forme of the mysterie of iniquity into another But it you seriously consider you may understand that Religion is not a name but a thing not a forme but a power not a notion but a substance divine Religion consisteth in faith and workes of righteousnesse Religion is properly that inward power in the soule of a man whereby be beleeveth and is bound to God in righteousnes and holinesse the demonstration thereof manitest in acts of Justice and mercy visiting the fatherlesse and the widow and keeping unspotted from the world so much of this power a man hath so much Religion where there is none of this power there is no Religion To as many as beleeve in Jesus Christ to them giveth he power to become the Sons of God Now Sir if there be a defending of the Protestant profession let men take it in what forme they understand I beleeve it will be the best and safest making good this Ingagement Religion is not propagated by any humane power the Civill Magistrate may protect Christians in religious exercises but to compell an externall Uniformity by a coersive power seeing there is no pretended infallibility will be preposterous and more Antichristian then is the Pope himself Christs Kingdom is spirituall and propagated only by the spirit in the administration of the word without the help of humane force If the Civill Magistrate exercise impartiall justice and tollerate religious exercise it will be as much as Christians will desire As for the Lawes of the land which we are ingaged to defend I think there are very few understand what they are in generall we defend the lawes if we act according to the supreame ends thereof which is to save the people and preserve proprietie and dispence impartiall Justice and let the law have its course in Courts till there be a just alteration But if any thing appeare contrary to these ends by the judgement of the law-makers it can be no breach of this ingagement to alter the same The third particular was for the defence of the Kings person and the voyce went for the King and Parliament But it seemed a strange partadox to many how we should fight for the King fighting against his personall commands accompanied with his person the best construction J could make thereof was the rescuing him from his evill councel that led him to the ruining himselfe and the Nation and we ever made him meerly passive seduced by evill Councel but it appeareth that his Followers rather acted his councel then he theirs but seeing he is still in safety it can be no breach of this ingagement if his person be kept from destruction The next particular is the priviledges of Parliament and it were very good the people knew what they are unlimited privilidges may prove as destructive as unbounded prerogative it is reason they should be cleared and declared that future Parliaments may be prescribed likewise for their sitting and ending that they may not wrong posterities and when they are rightly stated according to reason no question but wee shall make good this ingagement so farre as may stand with the peoples freedome The fist thing called the liberty of the subject which is the only thing that can stand in competition which the Prince must of necessitie be secured from oppressing tyrants which can no better wayes be done then by giving all authority from their representative to whom all ought to be accountable they being changable by an unalterable decree having this once setled we may safely involve all in this common bottome of Parliaments unlesse this be procured we have done nothing for posteritie and I dare affirme we had better have continued under arbitrary tytrany then have contracted this miserie and oppression that the people have suffered and still lyeth upon them