Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A86627
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A letter to the Earle of Pembrooke concerning the times, and the sad condition both of Prince and people.
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Howell, James, 1594?-1666.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing H3085; Thomason E522_5; ESTC R206205
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7,652
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15
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A LETTER TO THE EARLE OF PEMBROOKE Concerning the Times and the sad condition both of Prince and People The Land mourneth because of Oaths Printed in the Yeare 1647. To the Right Honourable Philip Earle of Pembrock and Montgomery Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and one of His Majisties most Honourable Privy Counsell c My Lord THis Letter requires no Apologie much lesse any pardon but may expect rather a good receprion and thanks when your Lordship hath seriously perused the contents and ruminated well upon the matter it treats of with your second and third thoughts which usually carry with them a greater advantage of wisedome It concernes not your body or temporall estate but things reflecting upon the noblest part of you your soule which being a beame of Immortality and a type of the Almighty is incomparably more precious and rendreth all other earthly things to be but bables and transitory trifles Now the strongest tye the solemnest engagement and stipulation that can be betwixt the soule and her Creator is an Oath I doe not understand common tumultuary rash oaths proceeding from an ill habit or beat of passion upon sudden contingencies for such oaths bind one to nought else but to repentance No I mean serious and legall oaths taken with a calm prepared spirit either for the asserting of truth and conviction of falshood or for fidelitie in the execution of some Office or binding to civill obedience and Loyaltie which is one of the essentiall parts of a Christian Such publick oaths legally made with the Royall assent of the Soveraigne from whom they receive both legalitie and life else they are invalid unwarrantable as they are religious acts in their own nature so is the taking and observance of them part of Gods honor there can be nothing more derogatory to the high Majesty and holinesse of his name nothing more dangerous destructive damnable to humane souls then the infringment and eluding of them or omission in the performance of them Which makes the Turks of whom Christians in this particular may learn a tender peece of humanity to be so cautious that they seldom or never administer an oath to Greek Jew or any other Nation and the reason is that if the Party sworn doth take that Oath upon hopes of some advantage or for evading of danger and punishment and afterwards rescinds it they think themselves to be involved in the Perjurie and accessary to his damnation Our Civill Law hath a Canon consonant to this which is Mortale peccatum est ei prastare juramentum quem scio verisimiliter violaturum 'T is a mortall sin to administer an Oath to him who I probably know will break it To this may allude another wholesome saying A false Oath is damnable a true Oath dangerous none at all the safest How much then have they to answer for who of late years have fram'd such formidable coercive generall Oaths to serve them for engins of State to â—…y battery to the Consciences and Soules of poore men and 〈…〉 the assent of the Soveraign and opposed 〈…〉 to foâ—â—er Oaths they themselves had taken these kind of Oaths the City hath swallowed lately in grosse and the Country in detaile which makes me confidently beleeve that if â—ver that saying of the holy Prophet The Land mournes for Oaths was appliable to any part of the habitable earth it may be â—oâ—â—plied to this desperate Island But now I come to the maine of my purpose and to those Oaths your Lordship hath taken before this distracted time which the world knowes â—nd your conscience can testifie were divers They were all of them Solemn and some of them Sacramentall Oaths and indeed every Solemn Oath among the Ancients was held a Sacrament They all implyed and imposed an indispensible fidelity Truth and loyalty from you to your Soveraigne Prince your Liege Lord and Master the King I will make some instances Your Lordship tooke an Oath when Knight of the Bath to love your Soveraigne above all earthly Greatures and for His Right and dignity to live and die By the Oath of Supremacy you swear to beare faith and true allegeance to the Kings Highnesse and to your power to defend all Iurisdictions Privileges Preheminences and Authorities belonging to His Highnesse Your Lordship took an Oath when Privie Counsellor to be a true and faithfull Servant unto Him and if you knew or understood of anymanner of thing to be attempted done or spoken against His Majesties Person Honour Crown or Dagnitie you swoare to let and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power and either cause it to be revealed to Himselfe or to others of His Privy Counsell The Oaths you took when Bedchamber-man L. Chamberlain bind you as strictly to His Person Your Lordship may also call to memorie when you were installed Knight of the Garter whereof you are now the oldest living except aK. of Denmarky you solemnly swore to defend the Honour and Quarrels the Rights and Lordship of your Soveraigne Now the Record tells us that the chiefest ground of instituting that Order by that heroick Prince Edward the Third was that he might have choice gallant men who by Oath and Honour should adhere unto him in all dangers and difficulties and that by way of reciprocation he should protect and defend them Which made Alfonso Duke of Calabria so much importune Henry the Eight to install him one of the Knights of the Gatter that he might engage King Harry to protect him against Charles the Eighth who threatned then the conquest of Naples How your Lordship hath acquitted your selfe of the performance of these Oaths your conscience that bosome record can make the best affidavit Some of them oblige you to live and dye with King Charles but what Oaths or any thing like an Oath binds you to live and die with the House of Commons as your Lordship often gives out you will I am yet to learne Unlesse that House which hath not power as much as to administer an Oath much lesse to make one can absolve you from your former Oaths or haply by their omnipotence dispence with you for the observance of them Touching the Politicall capacitie of the King I feare that will be a weak plea for your Lordship before the Tribunall of heaven and they who whispers such Chimeras into your eares abuse you in grosse but put case there were such a thing as politicall capacitie distinct from the personall which to a true rational man is one of the grossest Buls that can be yet these sorementioned Oaths relate most of them meerly unto the Kings Person the individuall Person of King Charles as you are His domestick Counsellor and cubicular Servant My Lord I take leave to tell your Lordship and the Spectator sees sometimes more then the Gamster that the world extreamely marvels at you more then others and it makes those who wish you best to be transformed to wonder that