Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	act_n	king_n	parliament_n	3,039	5	6.6283	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85018	A happy handfull, or Green hopes in the blade; in order to a harvest, of the several shires, humbly petitioning, or heartily declaring for peace.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1660 (1660)	Wing F2437; Thomason E1021_17; ESTC R208465	46,178	87

Single Staple of Pirates than many lesser ones sprung since every where the cause why rich men will not as poor cannot adventure 4. Our second misery is increase yea superfetation of Taxes so long as so numerous an Army is maintained For though some of their Souldiers will preach gratis conscientious to take nothing for that which they know is worth nothing yet none will fight at so cheap a rate 5. Some will say that what the Souldier receiveth with one hand he returneth with another expending his pay in Victuals Cloaths c. whereby Coin by circulation is continued in our Country This I deny for some Grandees greatned by the Times have made their Monies over in Banks beyond the Seas which are put into MORTMAIN or a Dead hand whereby no profit accreweth to our Commonwealth Others having gotten the Estates of Lords live after the rate Yoomen whose discretion therein is to be commended for proportioning their expences for fear of afterclaps rather according to their original than present condition 6. The increase of Taxes must inevitably cause the ruine of our Nation For though still there be wealthy men left as they shew it in their cowardise and fear to engage for the general good yet they grow thinner every day whilst such as are left no root of their own rather than they will wither will turn Suckers on the Stock of others So that the greatest happiness rich men can promise to themselves is only to be last devoured though the comfort of the lateness will not countervail the sadness for the certainty of their destruction Indeed it is miraculous that our Nation hath subsisted so long and few there are that would believe that the whole Candle of our English wealth could last so long as we have beheld it burning in the Socket but now giving the last blaze if God be not merciful and men discreet to prevent it 7. Pass we from the sad Malady to the sole Remedy thereof I say sole not exclusively of divine miraculous power but according to humane apprehension this is a Free and full Parliament Indeed Free-Parliament is a Tautology like a Reasonable-man who if not reasonable is no man as the other if not free no Parliament But the late frequent forces put on Parliaments hath made the needless Epethite become necessary to express what kinde of Parliaments we desire Not such in which every word must be spoken under correction of the Sword but wherein every Member without fear of violence to interrupt or dissolve them may follow the dictates of their own judgement 8. Nor ought a Parliament onely bee free from Force but also from any Abjurations or previous Engagements Let them take heed of renouncing any thing save what is simply sinful in it self as the forsaking of the World Flesh and Devil as was solemnly promised for them in their Baptism But it is bad to bee busie with other Ab-renunciations especially of the Royal Family 9. Look backward and we may say with David The Vows of the Lord are upon us I mean on so many of us as are of fifty years of age The Oath of Supremacy not to mention the Covenant is the eldest Brother to whom the inheritance of our Consciences do belong 10. Look forwards it limiteth Gods Providence which is an hainous offence wee know not what a day month year c. may bring forth This Age hath the least reason of any to meddle with the edge-tools of such Oathes which in a short but strict time hath seen so many strange things that now nothing is strange unto us Have wee not seen O. Cromwell from a private Gentleman gradatim ascend to bee Protector of three Nations and by his Courage and Wisdome rather than any right a more absolute Power possessed by and larger Tribute paid unto him than to any King in England His Son and Successour counted bad by many for his goodness and milde spirit for eighth months was congratulated by the most considerable Persons of our Nation Now if some twenty years since an Oath had been tendred unto us to abjure the Family of Cromwels from ever having the Supream Magistraey in our Nation such an Oath would have seemed safe but yet it was not lawful to take it because none knew what was in the Womb of Teeming Time though utterly improbable to our belief 11. Besides the Imposers of this Oath may miss the mark they propound to themselves viz. assurance of their own and discovery of the opposite Party for many now pass not for the taking or breaking of any Oath and assurance of such is hard in keeping and indeed not worth the having Other will behold the Oath as temporary and expiring with the power of the Imposers As for the conscientious indeed Esfusing it out of pure principles of piety it is a barbarous act for persons in power to turn Executioners to strangle tender Consciences whose cordial fear of an Oath should be encouraged 12. As the Parliament must be free no Vassal but enfranchised from the Sword so must it bee full no Cripple but entire and compleat in all the Members thereof Our Land hath lately groaned under the most grievous Monopoly as ever was or can be when a handful of men have grasped to themselves the representing of a whole not to say three Nation most of them being but Burgesses who though equal in Votes are not equal in their Representation with the Knights of the Shires If they presume that the rest excluded by them far more considerable for Birth Estates Number Love of the People and what not are vertually included in them it is an intollerable PRESUMPTION That what pertaineth to all should be handled by all is a Truth so clear and strong that they must offer a Rape to their own Reason that deny it Such also is this Maxim Vnrepresented Vnconcluded So that if so few have in them the notion of a Parliament it is a bare Notion indeed especially seeing this handful of men were say the Cavaliers dissolved by the death of the King dissolved said Cromwell by his Sword dissolved say some Great ones by an Act of their own entred into the Journall Book of the Parliament dissolved must their own Consciences say by their voluntary accepting of Elections in later Parliaments 13. Now the Members of a Free and full Parliament the onely Hope of Humane help ought thus to be qualified 1. Let them be Godly and Well-affected indeed and not in the canting language of the Times 2. Men of Estates who will be tender in taxing others as striking them thorough themselves whilst such who bear nothing care not how much they burthen others as if paying were as easie as voting and Money as free as words 3. Men of spirits no dull Souls all the sparks of whose activity are quenched in their own flegm 4. No Gainers by the continnance of the Army Demetrius the Silver-smith was no fool what ever else he was so sticking for