Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	law_n	parliament_n	3,046	5	6.8040	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44827	A seasonable addresse to both Houses of Parliament, concerning the succession the fears of popery, and arbitrary government. By a true Protestant and hearty lover of his countrey.	Halifax, George Savile, Marquis of, 1633-1695.	1681 (1681)	Wing H320A; ESTC R215862	18,491	17

alter'd their Principles and consequently cannot but wonder why the Papists shou'd be persecuted and the other countenanc'd even against Law and former Statutes 'T is surely very imprudent to expect your House will be warm by shutting a Window and setting open the Doors And therefore in this I can freely agree with Plato Redivivus that the fear of Popery is not the cause of our present disturbances I shall without regard to Religion consider the Papists and Presbyterians as two Factions in the State like the Arminians and L●vaste●● party in Holland and as such prorounce that both are to be suppress'd or neither because by emp●●ing only one of the Scales the Ballance is broken and the Court or Monarchical party is first weakn'd and destroy'd and after the whole form of Government alter'd into that of a Commonwealth and I am fully convinc'd if that had not been that Authors Designs as to an ordinary Reader is past doubt he he wou'd have set down this as one of the Remedies of our present Evils But the contrary was his purpose and in order to it he cunningly to preserve the Monarchy wou'd set up a plain Democracy and for an English King obtrude upon us a D●eg of Venice for he tells you at large that the ancient Power of the King is fallen into the hands of the Commons and therefore to keep up the former illustrious splendor of the Crown he wou'd have all its Jewels taken out and set about the Speakers Chair the King made a Cypher and divested of all Power but the Name to keep up the three several and distinct shares of the Government King Lords and Commons 'T is an Ingenious way of arguing but we are not yet I hope such fools to have it passe to venture at play and not know how to distinguish false Dice Oh! but says a Factious Petitioner that takes the House of Commons sufficiently prov'd by the learned Answer to Petyt's Book to have had no share in the Legislative power to be the Parliament all their Votes how wild and unreasonable soever as we have lately as well as formerly seen in print to be the sence of the Nation and have the force of Laws and yet deny any Authority to the Kings Proclamation This Scribler says he is Popishly affected a French designer a meer Tory not considering that there is not less hazard in splitting upon a Rock than upon a Sand-bank that if I must be a slave and forfeitt my liberty 't were at least as good to do so under a single person as more the tyranny of many is much more intolerable than that of one 'T is equally destructive of my liberty whether the King or the House of Commons takes away Magna Charta I am still against arbitrary Government ruling according to pleasure not the Laws and known Constitutions of the Land whether assum'd by King or Commons if there be any choice the odds are against the latter and to speak truth by what has pass'd since the Plot any one in his wits wou'd believe the King is invaded not an invader that his frequent Prorogations and Dissolutions have been his legal defensive weapons us'd as much for his Subjects securitie as his own honour that arbitrary power is a delicious thing and therefore aim'd at by our Demagogues and tribunes of the people bad and to be decry'd only while in the Soveraign 'T is very convenient to cry Whore first Solomon tells us He that appeareth first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh after and proveth him If the people in an Island are alarm'd that an Invasion is design'd and that only at one Port and they become so foolish as for the guard of that to neglect and expose all other they do but make the easier way for their enemies to land and overcome Those who are the Watchmen the Sentinels of our Safety ought with Janus to have two faces one behind and the other before and many eyes like Argus there being otherwise no security against surprize I remember in Thucydide's that the Grecians besieging a strong City found no means but Stratagem to become Masters which they thus contriv'd After they had purchas'd within some Pensioners they kept the besieged awake and put them into great distress by continual false alarms and as design'd prepar'd to believe nothing more was intended than amusement and distraction The false Citizens within taking this advantage affirm'd they ought for the future to make it death to any Watchman to give the Alarm This decreed notice was given to the enemie and without the least resistance the besieg'd were taken and undone when and where they least suspected whereupon this Proverb was taken up Amyclas perdidit silentium I wish we may never run the same fate the application is too easie and natural to be dwelt upon And yet I cannot but take notice how the late House of Commons have assum'd to themselves a power extraordinary and by a Vote without proof or conviction made eminent men and known Protestants guilty of Popery and French designs made them Advisers and Counsellors according to their own fancies imprison'd several DURING PLEASURE seiz'd Closets and Writings without information and contrary to Magna Charta voted Acts of Parliament made for the preservation of the establish'd Religion useless and their execution grievious to the Subject against the Protestant interest and an incouragement to Popery c. and among these which is most wonderful a Law made by the darling Queen Eliz. who cannot well be suppos'd to have been a friend to Popery If these be not odd and arbitrary proceedings I know not what they are nor why that shou'd be tolerable or lawful for them which is not for any no not for our Soveraign Considering men are afraid the a betters of such practices are not friends to peace and quiet but rather factious and dangerous willing to enslave us to foreign Invasions or Domestick Encroachments Whatever may be said to the contrary these actings are but too good grounds for such apprehensions The cunningest Whores seem most devout and inveigh very bitterly against the lewdness they daily study and commit Your rooking Gamesters abhor if you believe their shams and oaths the use of false Dice and the un-Gentleman-like trick of cheating However none but Cullies who want wit or years to make observation can be wheedl'd and drawn in by such pretences Before the discovery of the Plot our Ministers were reflected on as designing Popery and arbitrary Government by many scandalous Pamphlets and one in particular call'd An Account of the growth of Popery c. as if the people were to be prepar'd to believe the whole Court were Popish that while they were alarm'd against that party they might be unprovided to defend themselves against the other The Presbyterian true blue who like Aesop's Cat tho' transform'd into the beautiful shapes of our Court-Imployments and Honours will still be hankering after the old