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	power_n	supremacy_n	2,252	5	10.5244	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96343	The copy of a letter sent to his Excellencie Sir Thomas Fairfax. VVith an account to the officers of the Generalls regiment, intended for satisfaction to their demands. Likewise seaven heads which are presented to the Generall by some officers of the regiment, and some other particulars in relation thereunto published. / By Francis White, Maior of the Generalls regiment of foot.	White, Francis, d. 1657.	1647 (1647)	Wing W1764A; Thomason E413_17; ESTC R204487	13,802	16

a more full relation of my principles with indeavours to cleare the same Your demands were thus that seeing I affirme there is no visible superintendent authoritie in the Kingdome but what is exercised by the power and force of the Sword you desire to know under what authority I stand in this Regiment as Major I answered you That I was made Major of the Generalls Regiment by Commission from himselfe before we had repelled the power which the City and Parliament had raised against the Army but after the authority of the Parliament was disobeyed the power they could procure against us theirs the peoples best friends repelled and yet those Members that acted or voted against us sitting in Parliament as ours and the Kingdomes judges I acted no more under that account to the Parliament but only under the authority of the Generall by vertue of the Solemn Engagement of the Army and by the approbation and consent of the Regiment not one man denying when J presented my selfe their Major J also said that the Army was the highest power now visible in this kingdome and the Generall in chiefe authority and a man whom J would obey in all commands from him that I did receive which were just and honest according to my understanding and that if he commanded me any injust thing J would not observe it nor act therein J affirming that all authority is but ministeriall in the persons and that neither God nor the people hath given them authoritie to doe any unjust thing neither will any people willingly be oppressed with injustice and that the commands of a Superior Authoritie doe not justifie the inferior in unrighteous actions J further declare that whatsoever action is set for ward by vetrue of authoritie that is unjust and pressed by power of stronger power may resist and suppresse their power and the authorities also if they persist in the prosecutiof it It is the equitie of a thing that maketh it lawful I know the strong man armed keepeth his house till a stronger then he commeth I have well confidered the words of the Apostle Romans the 13. saying Let every soule be subiect to the higher powers For there is no power but of God the powers that be we ordained of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation For rulers are not a terror to good workes but to evill wilt thou then not be afraid of the power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the sam● Here the case is cleare the powers that be are of God even all powers in the world now J affieme that that is properly power that is able to act whersoever it is and may resist the uniust commands of authoritie and if the authoritie doe gather strength to inforce their uniust commands then may the power iustly cast of obedience and defend themselves and repell their strength by force this principle must of necessitie be granted or else all warre either offensive or defensive is unlawfull and we have done evill in fighting against the Kings force and likewise in suppressing those powers raised in London by the Parliament J acknowledge the Parliament if once purged of those Members that assisted the King in the former warre and of those that voted the raising of a new warr to be the most legall and supreame authority of this Nation though not so legall as it ought to be And J affirme the Army the highest visible power and to be commanded and directed by the Parliament and bound to obey all things iust which are commanded by them it is cleare to me the Maior part in them oft visible capacitie to act is the highest power and he that resisteth them is culpable of the breach of this Scripture laid down be the Apostle only observe this every gainesaying is not resisting and J will never resist any power unlesse J thought J sinne if J did not But if a Maior in a Nation rise up to procure iustice and supp esse the Minor it is cleare to me they are the highest power and may iustly appoint authority over themselves and all that shall concurre with them or consent thereto for their well being and safety and may not be charged of resisting the highest power There is no forme of government by divine appointment but the voice of the people is the voice of God as much for one as another and that is the most legall and iust authoritie which is set up by consent and that legally by judging but to the generation that appointed it For the father hath not power to ingage the sonne bus by consent and may not iustly make him a slave Children are only to obey their parents in the Lord that authority that is set up by force is to be obeyed in all just things but if it grow corrupt and depart from the wayes of iustice and righteousnesse then may a people iustly deliver themselves from their oppressors and repell their power by force I tooke up armes at the first in iudgement and conscience against the Kings power to procure deliverance for this people and Nation of my nativitle from the oppression and iniustice that was exercised by the King and his Ministers and likewise opposed the Parliament upon the same grounds and shall againe with heart and hand oppose tyranny and iniustice whersoever J find it 〈◊〉 shall inable me and make me a cleare way and call thereunto J know the●e is a divine power over all the creatures in the world and God suffereth the Divell to deceive men so that out of zeale toward God they thinke they doe him service to distroy the Persons of his people and seeing there is such actings to distroy honest people J account it my duty towards God and the people to indeavour by all meanes to preserve them and my self knowing that if J doe not use what meanes God giveth to preserve naturall life J am accessary to my own ruine and become a self murtheter Jt is not difficult to be understood that the authority and government of this kingdome was set up by force by the Norman Conquerer and by policie and force fastned by his successors to these times winding in the people into snares by craft imposing oaths of Alleagence and Supremacie c. setting up a publique ministrie to preach up the authoritie divine and to be accountable to God only strengthning it by the Gentry which receive honour one of another the King being the fountaine of th●s honour and all Lawyers having dependance on the King plead his interest and likewise the Law forfitting him as much as the invention of man can imagine But what reason can be given that one mans wit should contradict the wisedome of 400 the wisest men that can be chosen in a Nation I know not or that all lawes that a people shall chuse for their well being and safety should be accounted of as acts of grace and favour from a single

desire that honour may be given to whom honour is due and here is no man living more honourable in my account then your selfe it would be an injuri us thing to detract from you where in you have mer●itted in the deliverance of this people so farre as now is But seeing the end is not accomplished nor yet in a visible way for compleat deliverance give me leave to plead with your Excellency in the behalfe of my selfe and the people and to tell you that your Excellency and the Army are bound in duty towards God and this Nation to endeavour a perfect deliverance in as much as humaine providence can provide for the setting the people free which was the moving cause of our first taking up Arms and seeing the Parliament which was the authority by whom we were directed and were no● properly the judges of the peoples freedome did endeavour the continuance of more servill bondage being perswaded thereunto by the prevailance of the Presbyterian faction of this kingdome and of Scotland who made it the end of their desires only to unsadle the Bishops and bring in the King to confirme the Presbyterie and to make their faction most prevalent in Courts with little care to gratifie the exhausted Commons for the expence of so much 〈◊〉 blood we waited long after the subduing of our enemies power For the Parliaments setling the Kingdom in peace freedom but contrary to our and the peoples expectations we were provoked to resist their authoritie and to repell all power they could procure against us theirs and the kingdomes best friends without asking who should be judge of the justnesse thereof they or the Army it is easie when the sun shinoth for men to tell whether it be light or darke And if any power now remaining shall proceed in wayes of injustice to support their selfe interest by the helpe of a publique ministry crying up authoritie to maintaine their greatnesse it will be in vaine to imagine the continuance thereof certainly the highest and most legall authority in this king come will appeare to be the Commons in Parliament yet now I dare with confidence speake it they are not the highest power That is properly the highest power that is best able to act and that only the power of God among men so long as they doe what is just and are a terrour to evill workes the Army now at your and his command in all just things is the highest power visible in this Kingdome and if you see not a good Government established for the weale of the people according to equity and reason it will lye upon your Excellencies and the Armyes account Now whether it be safe for the Army and people to set up the King by an act of Oblivion and generall pardon and to give him a neggative voyce by consent which before hath beene in dispute I leave your Excellency to judge seeing no Ordinances of Paliament can be made Lawes upon this account but by his consent it will be of little worth to the people to have 〈◊〉 perpetuall Parliament or a Bieniall which you please it is a vaine thing for any to flatter themselves with the advantage of the command of the Melitia by sea and land for ten yeares when all the Judges of the Land are corrupt and plead the Kings interest and bound to it by oath and the Lawes of the Land and no way left for defence but the Sword which will prove but little succour to a poore man especially Whether we have any reason to set up the King upon those tea●mes seeing how cloose he sticks to his own partie or whether he will not in seaven yeares in all likely hood by pollicie be a greater Conquerer then he could have beene by the Sword I leave it to your Excellency and all wise men to judge if your Excellency shall be pleased to consider these things with candid interpretation of my former actions knowne to your selfe it will appeare that with integritie I have sought no other interest then the generall freedome of the people and that which I spake in Counsell or else where for which I was expelled and made uncapable of discharging that trust I can make manifest to be most true only a judged unseasonable to crosse the Byas of some mens affections which we may have cause to wish a remedie for when the oppertunitie is past it will appeare no weakning of your authority by indeavouring to prevent the faltering your negative voyce over the grand Councell of the Army who are to judge of satisfaction and securitie in relation to dividing or disbanding or to declare any thing to the Kingdome in the name of the Army this no way altereth the conduct as a Army acting in this capacity It is farre from my heart to desire the seting up the power and force of the for continuance though I affirme as the condition of the Kingdome now is there is no superintendent authoritie but what is exercised by the power and force of the Sword and of necessitie for some time must be so if we immediately give up ourselves to the authority of Parliament I know not but that all those which have been our opposers not exempted may soon appeare too numerous for them that came to the Army and the Minor glad to call for our helpe againe as was the saying of one soon after our re-instating them that they were not able to carrie on the businesse without our helping them I know the people have cause to blesse God that the swords is in the hands of men of such integritie to the publique that desire the continuance of the same no longer then all a happie government be established wherein there needs no such pollicle to be used as the making use of a publique ministrie to preach up a states designe but that is may be fi●me distinct from the Clergie and all men to receive justice in what capacitie soever to tast of subjection as well as di●soveraignity which is impossible to be brought to passe without establishing the supreame law making power in the Commons in Parliament and that changable successively by an indub●tate Right as in reason it should be so to the people there is no friend to Englands freedome will oppose this in the restoring the kingdome to its antient Liberties as before the Conquest and if your Excellencie will with courage as hath been never wanting make this your worke you will never want the assistance of hands and heart of the people Now I shall only crave pardon for my troubling your Excellencie and remaine your Excellencies servant in the recovering of Englands freedome From Rygate in Surrey Septemb. 23. 1647. Francis White An Account to the Officers of the Generalls Regiment intended for satisfaction to their demands Sirs YOu being unsatisfied in what I had delivered at the Generall Councell of the Army I gave you some account But seeing it was not satisfactory I proceed to give you