Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	law_n	people_n	power_n	6,970	5	5.1237	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93233	A shrill cry in the eares of Cavaliers, apostates, and presbyters, for the resolve of XIII queries touching the primitive state of this nation, since the Conquest: the late proceedings of the Army, the Covenant, and other weighty matters, tending to the publique peace of the nation. By a well-willer to peace and truth. February 5. 1648. Imprimatur Theodore Jennings.	Well-willer to peace and truth.	1649 (1649)	Wing S3698; Thomason E541_10; ESTC R203571	8,415	17

some of them being likewise threatned to be murdered whereupon the Speaker and many more were forced to flye to the Army for refuge whilst they in the mean time were moulding their Faction into a (b) Which doubtlesse would have been acknowledged so by those persons that oppose this present supreme Power which is conceived upon better grounds undisputable Parliament chusing a new Speaker that so in the absence of those who stood in their way they might carry on their destructive Councells by a Parliamentary Authority Now whether the Generall should not betray his trust if he did not restore these Members although with the hazard of much blood-shed these men having to their power engaged both City and Country to oppose him in the same And whether it was not a great provocation to the Souldiery of the Army who were imbarked and ingaged in the same publick interest and have ventured their lives in the Conquest of the common Enemy to seize upon the person of the King to prevent the carrying on of corrupt interest by these home-bred Enemies VII Query Whether when those Members were restored the other charged fled and the House in a probability to be settled to pursue their former declared ingagements which they did for a while untill the same designe which was againe secretly hatched began to appear being cunningly acted by the same party within and others at distance New Members are called in from those places where the King had the greatest influence fit for the over-ballancing those who stood for the Kingdomes Interest The Scots secretly invited the City and Country moved to present turbulent Petitions that the eleven Members might be recalled the Militia settled in the hands of those of the same Faction The Scots answered in their unreasonable demands presented in their Commissioners Papers the Army to be disbanded the onely rub in their way and such Propositions to be sent to the King as might best promote their designes Upon which the House before framed for the purpose the eleven Members were recalled and restored without any inquiry into those crimes charged against them who no sooner come but the Kingdome is suddenly in a new flame (c) Some Members publickly acting in the same Insurrections in many parts of this land the Scots upon our borders with a potent Army whilst the City was endeavouring with the Parliament to recall the Generalls Commission for pursuing the Rebels in Kent and other places themselves refusing to give any assistance either of men or mony though the Enemy were at the very walls of the City and in that very nick of time violently pressing for a personall Treaty which was not onely granted but covertly carried on (d) Who durst not publickly own these Rebellions by those Members in the House in the pursuance of the same designe whilst many of the faithfull Members were employed abroad to quench that fire which was almost in every place kindled I demand then God having by the Generall and those under his Command so miraculously delivered this Nation againe from a second War whether they were not ingaged by all the bonds both of Nature Religion and right reason upon the cognizance of some of these Members and the apparent defection of others appearing by their Votes to seclude such from the great Councell acknowledging them only fit to be confided in though the lesser number who have continued faithfull untill orderly provision shall be made by them for a free and unbyassed election of new members VIII Query Whether this then being the Supreme Power the people of England are not to rest quiet in their determinations and are not bound to maintain them in the same IX Query Whether it is not the undoubted priviledge of this Supreme Power upon the observation of interchangeable occurrences as they shall see cause alter their Resolutions since their power is such as to repeale Laws and make new the Kings refusing to consent or by treasonable practices make himself uncapable of trust it being in their power upon good grounds so to declare X. Query If the King have not power to deny what the people shall chuse by their Representative why then should the Lords claime priviledge above him since the chiefe burden and charge lyeth upon the Commons of England The Eleventh Query Whether it is at all to be doubted that any alteration of Government by them shall not much more tend to the good of the Commonalty rather then that by the King since these Laws made must be equally binding to themselves The Twelfth Query Whether it is possible as the Land is now divided those Laws agreed upon though never so good should please all interests and whether the imposing of just Laws impartially without respect of persons is not approveable to God and all good men The Thirteenth Query Whether it stand with the Majesty of this supream Court and Peace of the Kingdome to suffer their authority or any power under them to be contemned and the people stirred up to Rebellion because justice according to the Covenant is done upon the King h Who Machivilian-like following the Example of Strafford and Canterburie by his pretended Innocencie and resolute dying hath endeavoured to act a greater revenge by sowing the seeds of Discord amongst the Ignorant people then ever he did in all his life and other Delinquents although it should be promoted by them who by their pretended holy function and perverted Scriptures may thinke to scape punishment for the same These Queries I leave to be resolved by any impartiall man not doubting of any but those who are in a spirit of slumber and will neither hear see nor understand they are King Cavalier Apostate Parliamentarians and the malicious waspish Presbyter who endeavour to set the whole Kingdome on fire because a brat of their own begetting will not be received for a child of Truth such as by their false glosses pervert the very Letter together with the end of that which they call the holy Covenant breaking every part of it themselves and yet audaciously charging it upon others For is not our ingagement to the King conditionall upon keeping the Laws and other things therein expressed upon breach of which he proving a Delinquent as indeed hee did the chief Are we not bound by the same Covenant to bring him with others to condigne punishment and for that part that is for the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme I know none more guilty of breach in this particular then themselves for is not this Poperie to compell men in matters of Faith implicitely to beleeve and obey what they impose and this Prelacie to exercise dominion and reign as Kings over their faithfull Brethren in Christ And hath not these been formerly acknowledged by themselves Hereticall Besides is not this Heresie to tie the Priesthood of Melchisedech to any learned Tribe whatsoever since it was one main end of Christs Ascension to give gifts

according to his measure without respect of persons and whether it be not blasphemous to the holy Spirit to confine his unction and illumination of the Saints in the saving mysteries of the Gospel more to the learned then others as if such gifts were to bee bought with such monie which pretended holy Simonie doubtlesse was the cause why so many of them had no part nor share in this matter yet am I no enemy to learning neither allow I any pretended Illumination that agreeth not with Scripture and the Anallogie of true Christian Faith And is not this Schisme in the Church to endeavour to separate those that hold the head and other fundamentall truths though they agree not in those that are of doubtfull disputation crying out and petitioning against them as men not fit to be trusted in a civill Common-wealth yea and for dissenting but from their Presbytery if they follow the practice of Scotland as doubtlesse they would for such a dissent their Families shall be ruined and left in a worse condition then a Heathen and a Publican And is not this Schisme also in the State to alienate the Peoples hearts from their Superiours and one from another stirring up their brethren in Scotland in unity with us to invade their own native Countrie Is this also to keep the Covenant out of their place or way allowable by God or man to force the three Kingdomes into a Uniformity of Doctrine and Discipline as if God were delighted in a constrained obedience And other Heresies which for brevity sake are not here recited or the Kingdomes thereby being free from intestine Rebellions or can this government found guilty of such abominations be a Government neerest to the word of God or the Kingdome of Scotland the best Reformed Church or doth the Covenant expresse conformity to a Nationall Church or the Word of God acknowledge any other since that of the Jewes but that one visible Catholike Church which is in all Nations dispersed into Congregations and Families called by Peter A holy nation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people That Congregation or family then wheresoever it be that in matter form doctrine or discipline shall conform to the Primitive Institution that must needs bee the purest Church which we are bound by the Covenant to hold forth in these Kingdoms and that is conceived to be this When at the first by the preaching the sincere word of the Gospel so many as heard it that were convinced of their lost estate by reason of sin were incited therby publiquely to professe repentance from dead works and faith towards God through the Lord Jesus desiring thereupon ro be baptized into the body of Christs visible Church and under his Government to obey both in Doctrine and Discipline what they shall clearly bee perswaded to bee his Will and for that end frequently meet in their severall Assemblies and there orderly and decently exercise each others gifts for the edification one of another in their most holy Faith that so upon very good experience had of such gifts they might out of themselves and for themselves successively choose as they stood in need Pastours and other Officers as they conceived necessary to the well-being and governing those who had voluntarily submitted themselves thereunto So that then doubtlesse this constitution would have continued as a pattern to all succeeding Congregations those extraordinary * And th●ugh this Government by reason of darknesse is not received in the Nations yet I doubt not but the time will come that the Kings and Rulers of the Gentiles shal● being their glory to it Messengers onely excepted that by their Miracles shewed their authority from God to lay this first foundation and prescribe the forme for this spirituall building But Antichrist hath darkened this primitive luster confounding and razeing up the foundations thereof setting up instead thereof his Babilonish H●erarchy and wordly glory and now the Presbyters sonnes to the same father and egges of the same Cockatrice following his steps persecute those as hereticall who indeavour to build againe this Tabernacle of David that is thus ruinated which for so doing they shall ere long bee to Christ responsable as Rebells to that his peculiar interest And as for the Nationall or worldly Kingdome included also in the Covenant we therein ingaging to preserve the peace thereof it is a Kingdome so distinct from the former that it differeth both in matter form laws and disciplin * So then that which God hath joyned ought not to bee seperated nor that seperated that ought to bee joyned or mixed which hath been the cause of all Antichristian consusion which both considered destinctly may reside together in one Nation each being helpefull to the other although both under one the same supream King Christ Iesus who as a mighty Monarch ruleth over all Nations by one municipall law which is that called Morrall the first and second Table thereof requiring only such a worship and obedience both to God and man that was fixed in or terminated on the things of nature that is to say First to acknowledge God Creatour and Preserver of the World that no Image be made of him that his name is holy the time appointed for his worship sacred And then secondly that all Superiours * Which are variously stiled and set over the people according to the customes of Nations or the interchangea●le occurrences of divine providence under him in the making or execution of good lawes over Nations Cities or Families are to bee reverenced and obeyed and that the preservation of each mans propriety in the things of this life expressed in the following branches of the same Tables is the supream end of all Civill Government Those Magistrates then suppose Christians that propound to themselves this end and pursue those things in the Law expressed punishing all those that transgresse from the plain letter thereof keeping also within their bounds not intrenching upon the Prerogative of God are good Magistrates And those that do otherwise shall be unto God accountable yea and to the Magistrate if there be any other more supream to whom they may appeale and if not the people with their assistance may indeavour to compell the same * Scotland b●ing a president in their first comming into England to oppose th● King his evil councel the same people also opposing their owne last comming in though it were by Parliamentary authority and those inseriours suppose Christians yea officers in the Church that obey not such Magistrates but intrench upon their power in civill things do not preserve the unity and peace of the Kingdome and in so doing they are not onely responsable to such Magistrates whose Authority they dispise but to God also These things seriously considered it will evidently appear whose counsells and practices in these times of difference are faithfull to their Covenant and who are the breakers thereof O thou Presbyterian or other thou that boastest of the Covenant by breaking of the Covenant dishonorest thou God and thou that sayest another should not steal committest thou sacriledge and thou that judgest another and doest thy self worse things thinkest thou to escape the judgement of God Repent therefore and change thy mind from such destructive practices and unite against the common Enemy lest that Scripture be verified of you that is spoken by the Apostle to the rebellious Scribes and Pharisees Behold ye despisers and wonder and vanish away for I worke a worke in your dayes that you will not beleeve although it shall be plainly told you And that other Scripture When thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be confounded because of their envy to thy people Then shall the righteous rejoyce and be exalted in Christ their King which hath taken to himself his great power and will reigne maugre the malice of all opposers that hath delivered his people in this Nation by his out-stretched Arme not onely from Egyptian darknesse but from sore bondage destroying hard hearted Pharaoh and all his host as it were in the midst of the Sea And he that hath delivered us will also yet doe it and although the Enemy shall yet be gathered together against us like a flood yet the Spirit of the Lord shall drive them away let us not therefore only sing the Song of Moses our deliverance agreeing to that of Egypt but of the Lambe who alone is the Deliverer of his Church in these Apostate times saying Thou onely art worthy to receive honour and glory dominion and power for thou hast redeemed us out of all nations kindreds and tongues and hast made us Kings and Priests unto God Who doubtlesse according to his promise will once more not onely shake the earth but the heavens also that those things that can never be shaken may remaine to his people FINIS