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	power_n	prince_n	6,812	5	6.0088	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67636	The resurrection of loyalty and obedience, out of the grave of rebellion by the sacred force of the oathes of supremacy and allegiance, which have lain as dead, and out of minde, for diverse years, and here raised up out of the dust, and discovered in their great inviolable force and power unto the people : for the humbling of those that are guilty of the breach of them, the quelling of rebellious principles, and excitement unto the duties of obedience and subjection, according to the tenor of the said oathes.	Warmstry, Thomas, 1610-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing W890; ESTC R38492	13,854	26

Parliament and all other Persons before they were admitted to any Office of Truth The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Kings Highness is the only supream Governour of this Realm of all other his Highness Dominions and Countries as well in all spirituall and Ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal and that no forreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction power superiority Preheminence or authority eclesiastical or spiritual within this realm and therefore I do utterly remounce and forsake all forreign jurisdiction powers superiorities authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith true Allegiance to the Kings Highness his heirs and lawful successours and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdiction privilege preheminence and authority granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his heirs successours and united and annexed to the imperiall Crowne of the Realm So help me God c. The Oath of Allegiance c. I A. B. Doe truly and sincerely acknowledge professe testifie and declare in my Conscience before God and the World That Our Soveraign Lord King Charles is Lawfull and Rightfull King of this Realm and all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath power or authority to Depose the King or to dispose any of his Majesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to Authorise any Forraigne Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesty or to give license or leave to any of them to bear Arms raise tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royall Person State Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or sentence of Excommunication or deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his sucessors or by any authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his seed against the said King his heirs or successors or any absolution of the said subjects from their obedience I will bear faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty and his Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise and will doe my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them and I do further swear that I doe from my heart abhor detest and abjure as impious and Heretical this damnable doctrine and position that Princes which be Excommunicated and deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered of their subjects or any other whatsoever and I doe believe and in my conscience am resolved that neither the Pope nor any other person whatsoever hath power to Absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be lawfully ministred unto me and doe renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary And these things I do plainly and sincerely acklnowledge and swear according to these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or montall evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this recognition and acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian So help me God c. Some breif Observations concerning the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance Discovering the great obligation that lieth upon the Consciences of the People of this Land binding to the performance of them and the great and horrid Impieties that have been committed in their violation Observation I. THat of all Obligations that it is possible for the Creatures to lay upon themselves there is none more sacred none more inviolable none of more dreadfull consequence in the violation none of greater importance to Religion towards God or to the good and peace of humane society than an Oath It being an appeale to the great God of Heaven and Earth as a Witnesse and a Judge of the Truth of our Assertions and the fidelity of our Promises together with an Obligation of our selves to the forfeiture of his Mercy and Favour and to the Curse and Judgement of God upon our soules in case we deale fraudulently and unfaithfully with him Obser II. That a publick Oath that is made by the publick Authority of a Nation to binde the people of the Land is of so great force and power that it doth not onely binde those that made it and have taken it but also all the people of the Nation and not onely those that are then in being when the said Oaths were made and taken but also all their succeeding Posterity that are within the designe and the purpose of the said Oaths as doth eminently appear by the force and power that was in the Oath which was made and taken by Joshuah and the Princes of Israel in the 9. chap. of Joshuah which bound not onely Joshuah and the Princes who made and took the said Oath but also all the people of the land and all their succeeding posterity as is manifest by comparing that passage in the 9. of Joshuah with the 21. chap. of the 2. book of Samuel from the 1. verse to the end of the 14 where the breach of the Oath of Joshuah and the Princes by Saul in slaying of the Gibeonites was punished in the time of David with three years Famine upon the land and people of Israel Obser III. That though there be many infirmities and miscarriages committed in the making and taking of these publick Oathes and although the things that they oblige unto prove to be against the Interest of the people and although the breach or violation thereof hath the countenance of faire and specious intents and ends seemingly conducing unto the publick good of the people yet neither all nor any of those pretentions doth either make void the Obligation of those Oaths nor deliver the people from the great guilt of the sin which is committed in the violation thereof nor secure them from the dreadfull Judgment of God As appears clearly by the severe proceeding of Almighty God in the judgement that he sent upon the people of Israel for the breach of that Oath that was made unto the Gibeonites notwithstanding that it was obtained by a palpable lye and falshood assumed rashly without consulting with God Proved to be against a direction that God himself gave unto the people for the destruction

of those very Gibeonites amongst the rest of the Nations that inhabited the land of Canaan and expresly prohibiting them to make any Covenant with them or to shew them favour as appears Deut. 7. v. 1 2. and was manifestly against the consent and interest of the people and was broken by Saul in his zeal to the house of Israel and Judah as appears 2 Sam. 21. viz. which yet was punished with so great a judgment as three years Famine upon the children of Israel and could not be expiated without the destruction of divers of the posterity of Saul Obser IV. That the custome of Oaths made unto Princes by the people is no act of unlawfull Tyranny or Oppression but hath its foundation and warrant in the word of God as in the 2 Kings 11. v. 4.17 Where Athaliah had usurped the Kingdome was deposed and slain and the people were engaged in an Oath and Covenant unto Joshuah the lawful Successor in the Kingdome by the means of Jehoiada the Priest and in the 8. of Ecclesiastes v. 2. Obedience unto the King is required of the people in regard of the Oath of God and in the 17. of Ezekiel v. 13 14 15 16. as also in the 18 19 20. verses of the same Chapter you finde God severely threatning the breach of that Oath of Fidelity that was taken by Zedekiah unto the King of Babylon notwithstanding he was an enemy to the truth of God and a great oppressor of the people Obser V. That the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance must needs be allowed to have in them all that sacred force and binding power that hath been before mentioned to binde the people of these Nations and all their succeeding posterity either to the just and faithfull performance of them or to the undergoing of the dreadfull Judgment of Gods wrath and eternal indignation which is invoked upon the breach of them if it be not prevented by timely repentance and that upon these severall Considerations 1. Because these oaths were made taken by the publick authority of these Nations who in that and other publick acts did represent the whole people of the land 2. Because they are not avoydable by those infirmities that have been formerly noted in the oath of Joshua and the Princes of Israel which as they cannot be imputed unto these Oaths so neither if they were imputable unto them would they be invalidated thereby 3. Because these oaths appears now clearly enough by the sad consequences of them violations not to stand opposite to the interest of the People but to conduce exceedingly thereunto and if it were otherwise the validity of an Oath doth not depend upon the compliance with politick interest as hath been before shewed but stands firme and binding with a non obstante there against so that no pretence of the mistake or change of interest can be pleaded in barre to the obligation of these Oaths 4. Because the force of these Oaths cannot die of age no more then the Oath made unto the Gibeonites did in all that time which interceded between Joshua and Saul but are still in as great and full force and power for the binding of conscience as if they had been made and taken but yesterday or this very hour 5. Because no specious pretences of the good of the people to be obtained by the breach of them nor fair intention of those that violate them can either justify them or discharge from their obligation as is manifest in the case before propounded So that by all that hath been said these Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance do remain at this day in their full force and vigor to bind the people of this land and their posterity unto the King and his Heirs and Successours to all intents and purposes for which they were first made and that under the penalty of eternal destruction if they shall wilfully continue in the breach thereof Obser VI. Observe that no succeeding Oath or Covenant Protestation or Ingagement whatsoever that doth either contradict or limit a precedent lawfull Oath can either be lawfully taken or being taken is of any force at all either to make void or diminish or circumscribe the force of the foregoing lawful Oath For Oaths are not like Wills and Testaments which being but the free declarations of the present wills of them that make them are controulable by any succedent declarations or Testaments so that the last Will doth prevail against all that have gone before it but Oaths and promises and obligations whereby we bind our selves to others whether God or man put such limits and bounds upon our wills that we have no power to contradict or limit them by any succedent Oaths or obligations whatsoever But the first lawfull Oath stands firm and inviolable against all that shall betaken afterwards in the whole and in every part and the full extent of the tenor thereof otherwise an Oath were not an end of all strife as it is declared to be Heb. 6.16 nor were there indeed any valid security in a promissory Oath since a succeeding Oath to the contrary or setting limits conditions or exceptions to the former might renew the strife and destroy or diminish the security thereof so that no Engagement Covenant Protestation or Oath of Abjuration contrary to the Oaths of Supremacy or Allegiance can be taken without an horrid sin against God exposing the soul unto his eternall wrath Or can it be at all of any force against them though they should be never so oft taken neither can that limitation in the Covenant wherein they oblige themselves to the preservation of the King in the maintenance of the true protestant Religion the priviledges of Parliament and the Liberty of the Subject limit or abate the force of those absolute obligations whereby all Subjects are obliged to the King and his lawful Heirs and Successors which are upon them by the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance but as such limitations look very unhandsomely so they have not at all any force of abatement in them but ought to be abhord disclaimed rejected by all honest Subjects and Christians as an evil gap opened to rebellion and sedition to those that have a mind to make such an evil use thereof under pretence that the King doth that which indeed he ought not to do either depart in any thing from the true Religion or violate the Priviledges of parliament or the Liberties of the Subject Obser VII That those fore-mentioned Oathes as they have a binding influence upon all so especially do they bind those who have personally and solemnly taken them and are enjoyned thereunto by the laws of the Land and must have a peculiar influence obligatory upon them in the execution of those Offices or places and in the performance of those Acts and Operations which they doe by law enter upon with the solemn taking of those Oathes so that whatever they shall do therein contrary thereunto are not onely grievous and

perjured sins but are to be lookt upon in religious reason as utterly void and of none effect as those wherein they exceeded their limits and broke the bounds of that power and authority which was committed unto them which were circumscribed unto their operations as the sphear of their activity by those Oaths which they took at their entrance thereupon for it is neither religious nor reasonable that any man or society of men should have power to act against the lawfull Oaths that they have taken and then if we remember that the lawfull Members of the long Parliament did as they were enjoyned by the law of the Nation take the Oath of Supremacy or Allegiance every one of them personally at or before their admittance into the House and that in order to their entrance upon their power to act as members of the Parlia of England it will be easie to conclude first how sinfull and then how altogether invalid and forcelesse all those acts that they have done or shall doe must needs be which are or shall be any way contrary or in the least derogatory to the aforesaid Oathes and how great work there is for Humiliation both to God and his substitute for many and sad things that have been done by some of them as highly and diametrically contrary to those Oathes as it is possible for actions to be contrived The cry is so loud I need not instance but now to come a little closer to the view of these Oathes and to discover what they import and oblige unto Obser VIII That in the first clause of the Oath of Supremacy the King is utterly and conscientiously declared and acknowledged upon Oath to be the onely supream Governour of this Realm and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries as well in Spiritual and Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal Mark the supreme Governour therefore he hath none above him not but that he and his great Counsell together may have power to do more than he can do alone but that none can act above him in opposition unto him Secondly The onely supreme Governor therefore there is none equall unto him This admits of no rivall in the Throne this excludes not others from Government as his subordinate Instruments nor doth it exclude others from being necessary assistants unto him in some acts of Government as the making of new Laws the abrogation of those that have been already made but it doth exclude all others from the supremacy from being inabled to act above him or contrary unto him or without him or his allowance in those or any other acts of Government and this supremacy of Government in him is solemnly acknowledged in this Oath which is both a law and an Oath of the Nation to extend unto this Realm and to all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries to all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things causes as well as temporal that is to say as far as God hath committed either of them unto humane secular powers and as to the charge and over-sight of religious matters to see that they be rightly ordered and managed by those that are the proper instruments of Religious Ordinances and that the true Faith be embraced and Religious Duties purely practised by the people in his Dominions and to afford his protection defence encouragement thereunto and to take order that the offices of the Church be rightly established and furnished according to the rule of God and that wholsome laws be provided to those ends and decency and order be observed in Church-discipline and religious performances Obser IX That wherein the said Oath there is a religious disclaimer renouncing of all spiritual or ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority within this Realm it doth reasonably suppose that there is none within the Realm that hath any such preheminence above the King in those matters who is before declared to be the onely supream Obser X. That where the people of the Land do promise from henceforth That is for ever to bear faith and true allegiance to the Kings Highness his heires and lawfull successors it binds to obedience subjection and fidelity not onely to the King in present being but unto his heirs and lawful successors and doth bind us to them and every of them in opposition to al violent usurpers unlawfull intruders into the Government of this Nation that can plead no just establishment from the known and fundamentall Laws of this Nation as are all such that do either by fraud or violence intrude themselves into the power of Govenrment XI Whereas this onely bindeth the people of the Land to their power that is the utmost of their power to assist defend all jurisdictions priviledge preheminence and authority granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his heirs and Successours and united and annexed to the imperial Crown of this Realm it doth highly engage all Officers Parliament-members Generals Commanders Soaldiers and all the members of this Kingdome in their several capacities readily diligently to afford their dutiful help and assistance to defend the King in being from all hurt and violence and to maintain his state government and dignity against all opposers whatsoever foreign or intestine in like manner to defend the person life liberty of his Heirs and lawful Successors and to maintaine and assert the said royall priviledges and preheminences unto them and every of them and in case they be fallen into any damage or suffer any wrong or disparagement in any of them it is then the duty unto which all people are engaged by the sacred force of this Oath to use the utmost of their power according to their several abilities to restore recover and right them against all force and violence under which they suffer which doth painly shew what is required of all people and especially of those that have power in their hands at this time for the deliverance and restoring of our afflicted and oppressed Soveraign and how highly they are obliged thereunto and then more especially when God doth by his signal and wonderfull providences admonish them of and lead them on unto their duties Observations concerning the Oath of Allegiance 1. OBserve That the Nation by this Oath doth declare before God and the world the power of kingly Government is that which is established by Law in this Nation and over that and all other the Kings Dominions and that therfore the introducing of another form of Government is contrary to the Law and Constitution of this Nation which the people are bound to maintain 2. That this Regal and Kingly office is seated personally in the King for the time being who according to the Law of this Nation is said never to die but is presently upon his death revived as to this kingly right and office in him also who is the next heir to the Crown 3. That by the express words also of this Oath the Nation and the

People thereof doth not onely declare That the said King for the time being is lawful and rightful King of this Realm and all other his Majesties dominions and Countries and therefore not a King of courtesy or durante bene placito during pleasure no nor yet quamdiu se bene gesserit as long as he shall carry himself well in his office and be free from exception from the multitude or from any others who wil take upon them to be his Judges for then indead he were not like to be permanent since there is ●●●hing more easie than for a people to be perswaded that they are not well governed as judicious Mr. Hooker hath long agoe told us and as long as there is pride and ambition and inordinate affections in mens hearts there will be discontented spirits amongst a people that will be ready to raise seditious clamours and accusations against the Ruler Besides that a Government of a people is attended with so many difficulties that there must needs be failings and some real miscarriages In so much that a people that will bear with no infirmities nor miscarriages in Governours must upon the matter resolve to endure none at all and there is no miscarriage equall unto that But the King is by this Oath acknowledged and declared to have a lawful right of Government in him and then whatsoever force is used to divest him of his power or to disable or bar him from the possession or exercise thereof is true violence and the exercise of might against right and such as flyes in the face of God who is the God of Justice and Righteousness and the great asserter and maintainer of the right of Kings as that which is under him the safeguard and security of all other inferior rights and proprieties so that no success of violent and illegall practices or enterprises can be justly pleaded in barr against this Ruler we will justify that frantick axiome or resolution of the Son of Beliall in Wisdom c. 2. v. 11. Let our strength be the Law of righteousness for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth and this right of Kings is establisht by the word of Christ himself who is the King of Kings Math. 22.21 and is declared to be very consistent with the right of God Give therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods where the right of Caesar is asserted by Christ himself though he was an Heathen and an enemy to the Gospell And however that of Ezekiell 1.27 as the verses are numbred in our Bibles is interpreted of the right of Christ Yet it may seem to be applied in some sort by the wonderfull operations of Divine providence in this Nation at this time unto our present affairs concernments and to the business we have in hand I will overturne overturne overturne it untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him I am sure it stareth or at least supposeth that there is a right of Government and of the Kingly office and this is of so strong and adamantine a temper that no Steel nor sword can cut it or destroy it 4. It is declared by this Oath that the Pope neither of himself nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any Power or authority to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Majesties kingdoms or dominions or to authorise any foraign Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his subjects of their allegiance and obedience to his Majesty or to give licence or leave to any of them to bear arms raise rumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royall Person State or Government or to any of his Majestyes subjects within his Majesties Dominions Where it is observed that the intent of the Oath is to secure the King of the inviolable right and safety of his Government of the obedience and allegiance of his people against attempts of deposition by his subjects against Rebellion and taking up Armes by his subjects against him as also against forraign invasions and the said Oath declares that the Subjects cannot be authorised unto these undutifull and disloyall practices against the King neither by the Pope nor any other with him and therefore it is supposed and implyed not by any other without him which inferrs thus much that none neither the Pope nor See of Rome nor any other hath any Power to depose the King to dispose of his Dominions or to discharge the Subjects of their obedience or allegiance to his Majesty or to give licence or leave to any of them whosoever they are either single or together to do that which it is supposed â fortiori without such license they have no Power of themselves to do viz. to bear Armes raise Tumules or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royall Person State or Government c. Whereby this Oath and therein the Conscience of the Nation doth upon so dreadfull an Obligation disclaime and disavow all Power to depose the Kings of this Nation in any whatsoever As also all taking up Armes Rebellion and Disobedience against him as wicked and abominable and contrary to the allegiance of Subjects which is asserted in this Oath nor is it imaginable that the intent of those that made this Oath For the security of the King and his Government did mean that themselves or any others in their capacity should take upon them the wicked pretence of any such power which they do here so much abominate in the Pope and others Obser V That the Subjects of this Kingdome in this Oath do swear from their heart not to admit of any Absolution of themselves from their obedience to the King but as the very words of the Oath import notwithstanding any absolution of the said subjects from their Obedience who ever they he that should take upon them to give it them much lesse is it to be supposed that they can Absolve themselves to bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty and not onely to him in being but to his Heirs and Successors and the world knows who it is that the Law and Custome of this Nation states to be the Heir and Successor of the King even the eldest Son of the Predecessor Obser VI. That this National Oath doth binde the people of this Nation in the very expresse words thereof to defend Him and Them that is the King and his Heirs and Successors immediately before mentioned to the uttermost of their power words of a very severe and exact importance admitting of no negligence coldness or excuses against all Conspiracies and Attempt whatsoever mark and tremble to think how this hath been violated which shall be made against His or Their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration as is before mentioned