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A34089
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Three considerations proposed to Mr. William Pen concerning the validity and security of his new magna charta for liberty of conscience by a Baptist ; which may be worthy the consideration of all the Quakers and of all my dissenting brethren also that have votes in the choice of Parliament-men.
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Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing C5496; ESTC R29651
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3,289
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6
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Three CONSIDERATIONS proposed to Mr. William Pen Concerning the Validity and Security of his New Magna Charta for Liberty of Conscience by A. Baptist which may be worthy the Consideration of all the Quakers and of all my Dissenting Brethren also that have Votes in the Choice of Parliament-Men I Desire you M. Pen and all my Dissenting Brethren to Consider and then Answer this First What validity or security can any pretended or designed future New Law or Charter have when we see so many of the present Laws we already have may be and are by the Dispensing Power Dispensed with Have we or can we have any Higher Power here in England than King Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled The Laws that are now Dispensed with and rendred useless were they not made by that Power Pray tell me can your New Charter if you had it be made by any Higher or other Power And M. Pen let your Brethren and us know your mind honestly Do you think there is any Temporal or Spiritual-Power here in England above the Dispencing Power And can you make it appear to us Shall your New Charter have a Penalty inserted to be inflicted on the infringers or breakers of it or no if not what will your New Charter signifie Not three skips of a Louse and if it have a Penalty Cannot any King by his Prerogative and Authority Royal Dispence with the Penalty And what will it signifie then That you need not doubt at all but may be certain of this you shall hear what Roman Catholicks have already told us and judg'd is the Law in this matter nay and such a Right so inherent and so inseparable from the Crown That a King cannot divest himself of it if he would nor is bound by his Word or any Declaration he makes no not in or by Parliament Take it in M. R. Langhorns own words in his Book touching the Kings Right in Dispensing with Penal Laws p. 3 4. That this Trust and this Power of Dispencing with Penal Laws are inseparably united unto the Royal Person of the King that he cannot transfer give away or separate the same from himself consequently it is inherent in his Royal Person that is in his Crown Coke lib. 7. fol. 36. That the King cannot by his Grant nor yet by Act of Parliament Bar 〈…〉 lf of any that is inherent in and inseparably annexed into his Royal Person for that in so doing he should cease to be King and consequently change and subvert the Government which our Law allows not That therefore when ever the King to gratifie a Parliament doth Consent in Parliament to any Law by which he seems to strip himself of or depart from any Prerogative or Right which in truth is inseparable from him as King or when the King in Parliament or otherwise by any Declaratory Words or Speeches seems to relinquish such Right such Consent to such Law is no more than an Agreement on his part not to use that Right ordinarily but only in Extraordinary Occasions when in his Princely Wisdom he shall find it necessary and for publick good But this Bars him not to use this Right again when he sees just cause so to do Nor can any Declaratory Words spoken by the King or his assent incerted into an Act of Parliament Estop the King in any Cause of this nature So far he Now where 's the assurance then of Will. Pen's New Charter for Liberty Who can tell what King we may have after our present Sovereign whether so merciful or so just Or what Sheriffs the next King may chuse and what Returns of Parliament-Men they may make for you know the forfeiture on the Sheriffs making a false Return is no great matter and cannot a King pardon it by his Dispensing Power or Authority Royal What will nay what can your New Charter then signifie when it either is or may be according to your own Doctrine either invalidated disanulled or anihilated in an instant Secondly Pray M. Pen Consider what your New Charter can signifie so long as there is a High Commission Court or a High Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs set up Cannot those Commissioners take any of your and our Preachers Teachers or Ministers to task when they please Cannot they when they have a mind to it Suspend Mr. Pen or George Whitehead M. Alsop Mr. Lobb or Mr. Mead or Mr. Bowyer as well as the Bishop of London D. Sharp or D. Doughty Notwithstanding your New Charter Cannot the Court when they will or shall think fit or be commanded Suspend Silence or forbid any or all the Dissenting Ministers to Preach any longer in their Meetings if they will not read any Declaration or Order whatever that the King shall set forth and require them to Read Remember the Magdalen Colledge-Men Remember also that Sawce for a Goose is or may be Sawce for a Gander This Consideration is further grounded on the Words in their late Order set forth in the Gazette For Contempt of his Majesties Authority Royal Now let us see before we leap whether that will run no farther than just M. Pen will have it Can he stop the Current of it when he pleases If he could we are not sure he would for formerly he had no great kindness we know for us Baptists and other Dissenters and if he could and would we are not sure of his life how long Therefore it will be the greatest piece of weakness and folly in the world for us to dance after his and the Jesuits pipe alone contrary both to all common sense and reason and our own general interest Thirdly And above all Consider what Security or Validity this New Charter can be of when there is a standing Army kept on foot Do Guns hear Reason or regard Laws Will Dragoons mind Charters or Arguments do you think Pray M. Pen tell us whether they have done or do now so in France We need not go far off for an Instance it is so near us as fifty or sixty miles which one would think is nigh enough to open our Eye-sight if we are not strangely infatuated and given up by the Almighty to ruin and destruction which the good Lord 〈…〉 M. Pen How have the Dragoons minded our Properties in these early days in divers places here in England already What think you of their Carriage and Quartering will it agree with your New Charter for Liberty The Inkeepers and Victuallers beside many other can give you an account now if you were truly A Friend for Liberty for Liberties sake as you publish and pretend to the world you would mind and inform us and your Brethren of these and the like things and not mincingly pass them over and both delude and deceive us and them Many perticulars more might be inlarged here but a word to the wise is enough I desire Mâ— Pen only to weigh seriously and give an honest clear and satisfactory Answer to these three points in the mean time it appears to be highly the duty of all Men as well Dissenters as others who have Votes in chusing Parliament Men above all to chuse such faithful Patriots as will take care of these things already hinâ—ed and others that may be brought before them that our Liberties our Laws and our Lives may be preserved from ill designing men add from future Quowariauto's and all the high Violaters and Infringers thereof called to an account and justly punished This will well become them and secure us more than any titular Charter whatever Liberty is indeed a fine word but remember Brethren what the Apostle Peter hath told us That some there were that while they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption and observe what follows for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in Bondage how do you how will you like that Word The Name of Liberty signifies nothing without the Substance and the Continuance Certainty and Security of it Let us endeavor to secure our Substantial Liberties our English Liberties we have and ought to have rather than to get the Name of New ones which may fatally bring us into greater Bondage in the end Did you never hear of a certain Act or Bill for the Repealing of a Penal Law that was lost when the late King was to have Sign'd it betwixt the House of Commons and House of Lords by a strange Trick of an honest Clerk of the Parliament Do not part with a Goose for the sticking down a Feather Children know and can tell us A Bird in the Hand is worth two in the Bush Finally Brethren Let us be of one mind in our great Concerns though we may differ in some Circumstances and small trivial things Let us not in revenge though it be sweet put out both our own Eyes to put out one of our Brothers Let us not be so silly to destroy our selves to hurt others But let all Protestants Unite in mutual Condescension Affection and Interest it is high time Remember our Saviour hath told us a House divided against it self cannot stand Nothing will Save us but Union Let Brotherly Love and Charity continue Farwell and be wise whilst you may lest you repent where 't is too late and your repentance will do you no good