Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	act_n	king_n	parliament_n	3,554	5	6.8839	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67901	A review of the Covenant, wherein the originall, grounds, means, matter, and ends of it are examined: and out of the principles of the remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, and ordinances of the prime covenanteers, or the firmer grounds of Scripture, law, and reason, disproved.	Langbaine, Gerard, 1609-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing L371; ESTC R210023	90,934	119

for any Borough For any of these may freely Vote in the passing of any Billes and when there is an equality of Suffrages in the rest of the Members his single voyce may carry it and make that Bill a Law or no Law But the King must not meddle in election of Members he must not take notice of any Bill till it be brought unto him for his assent and in case he refuse it must be a Law without him Witnesse the Ordinance for the Militia f and that for Tunnage and Poundage besides infinite others to which his consent was never so much as asked yet are they put in execution with rigour answerable to their power 2. The King has a just power as to divers other purposes so g to passe Acts of Parliament by his Great Seale In diminution of this power they have declared against his forced absence from Westminster as illegall and made an Ordinance that all things passed by him under that Seale shall be void 3. The Kings just power in declaring Law has been formerly so great that his Letters have been taken for sufficient Warrants and directions to the Iudges to proceed by and his h Proclamations to severall purposes of no lesse force than Acts of Parliament But now that power is wholly i protested against as illegall and protection is promised to all such as shall oppose it Yet the ground of it declared in the preface to that Act 31. Hen. 8. is still the same The Supremity of the Regall Power given by God and the reason of the k Repeale is quite ceased which was a willingnesse in the King to gratifie his People and upon trust that they would not abuse the same but rather be encouraged with more faithfulnesse and diligence to serve his Highnesse 4. The Kings power in executing Law â—ath been alwayes conspicuous and undeniedly just in granting out Commissions of Oyer and Terminer for the holding of Assises l and in adjourning the Terme to what place he should thinke fit a power as anciently due so of late acknowledged in an Act made this Parliament for the abbreviation of Michaelmas Terme Yet have the Covenanteers m forbid any Assises to be kept they have voted the Kings removall of the Terme to be against Law and promised to keep indemnified all Iudges and others that shall disobey his Majesties Proclamations in that behalfe 5. The power of making Iustices of Peace is so entirely the Kings by n Law that it depends wholly upon his pleasure and will Yet would the Covenanteers diminish his power for they o require that such may be put out of Commission as they desire and such put in as were removed without their consent 6. The power of pardoning is so inseparably and absolutely the Right of the Crowne that the p Law estates it wholly and solely upon the King And it is not long since the Covenanteers did q confesse as much Yet is nothing more frequent in their Ordinances than to promise protection for the time to come and impunity for the time past And does not their Covenant vow the punishment of all Delinquents without any hope of pardon from his Majesty or themselves 7. The Kings power over his Household and the choice of his Officers is so just and reasonable that they have not stucke to r acknowledge it an undoubted Prerogative to dispose of preferments in his own Family Yet next to the robbing of the Church nothing is more aimed at than to robbe his Majesty of this piece of Soveraignty to get the disposall of his Servants and marriage of his Children into their hands as the nineteen Propositions first informed us and their actions since abundantly confirme 8. The Law hath placed in the Kings Person a power to protect all other persons as s themselves confesse in terminis and to desire him to part with this power is such a supposition as cannot fall upon a Parliament Yet has it been long and still is their utmost endeavour to devest his Person of that power by excluding him out of the exercise of the Militia to deprive him of all those meanes whereby he should protect both himselfe and others by declaring his t personall Commands of what nature soever to be of no force and by putting such a u distinction betwixt his Person and his Office as under colour of defending this exposeth that to the vilest attempts that any Traitour can plot or any Assassine commit 9. That Supremacy of Power which the Law placeth in the King * over all States as well as over all particular persons which all the Subjects of this Realme and the Members of Parliament more particularly are bound by Oath to acknowledge and maintain which they grant to be due unto him when they desire him x to protect them in their priviledges and challenge such protection as due from him when they make all their addresses unto him by way of Petition and stile him constantly in their Acts their onely Soveraigne Lord Yet the Covenanteers endeavour to disseise him of this supreme power some by making the Houses coordinate with him others by making him subordinate to them and upon that ground justifying their taking up Armes against him 10. Lastly though the power of calling and dissolving Parliaments as well as the appointment of the time and place hath ever y belonged to the Kings of this Realme yet is this z denied to be any Prerogative and advantage taken from a late Act contrary to the Kings intention and the Kingdomes expectation contrary to the equitable meaning of that very Statute contrary to the promise of the Authours to the inestimable prejudice of his Majesty and the great griefe of his Subjects who are hereby deprived of the benefit of all other good Lawes and more particularly of that for the frequency of Parliaments First it is undoubted neither King nor Kingdome ever thought to have seen the sad effects of that Act for continuance of this Parliament which they now feele Secondly the Act it selfe though it be not limited to any determinate time is in its own nature but temporary It was made for a transient cause that the Houses might finde credit for the raising of such money as was then necessarily to be advanced a as accordingly they did And that rule in the Civill Law Cessante causÃ¢ cessat Lex the Lords and Commons have b declared to hold good in Acts of Parliaments thence concluding that Act 5. Hen. 4. for the Commission of Array to have expired with the cause of it though it were never repealed Thirdly they did promise c that the gracious favour of his Majesty expressed in that Bill should not encourage them to do any thing which otherwise had not been fit to have been done They having failed in the performance of that trust whether is not his Majesty in equity free from that restraint

losse of the Head or by consumption of the inferiour Members these are scruples which others may resolve But if Treason be a charge which a Parliament cannot be capable of as they n declare it is and I believe it to be true because perhaps as some Romish Doctours have asserted the Popes infallibility teaching that he cannot erre as Pope for if he do he ceaseth to be Pope so if the maior part of one or both Houses shall consent unto approve or command any treasonable Act they thereby cease to be a Parliament who are presumed in Law to be no lesse than they professe His Maiesties faithfull and loyall Subiects Then if the Members at Westminster by raising Warre against the King o by forging a new Great Seale and declaring the old one by which they were called and do sit to be of no force by calling in an Army of strangers or by any other Act or Vote of theirs be trulâ— guilty of that charge â—hey are no longer to be looked upon as a Parliament Lastly if the equitable sense of the Law may take place here which has been pressed so much in other cases it must be acknowledged that the Essence of that great Councell does not consist in the place but the persons for the place may be changed yet the Parliament remain still the same When we see farre more of the Lords with his Majesty than at Westminster when we finde upon strict account that the maior part of the Commons are either drivâ—n away or have deserted that Cause when we observe how many Members of either House do daily hazard or have already spent their lives in the service against it when we weigh their qualities abilities and estates with those of their opposites and finde them to be men of the best ranke in their Countries of known integrity for their lives of unspotted zeale to Religion of sound judgement and knowledge in Law of publique thoughts to the good of the Kingdome as well as loyalty to the Kiâ—g which hath engaged them in this Warre by which they have lost more already than the opposite Faction ever had and expect to gain nothing but the testimony of a good conscience when we consider how many of those that are most active at Westminster by reason of their undue election had never any right to sit there and suppose that many others still remaining are not alwayes carried along with the streame when we remember by what meanes the Bishops who are acknowledged by Parliament to represent one of p the three Estates of the Realme were thrust out contrary to the Fundamentall Law and how by that meanes all succeeding exorbitancies have been falsly fathered upon the Parliament we cannot but pronounce upon these premises that the Parliament is in truth for that cause which is owned by his Majesty and not for that which passeth under the false usurped name of King and Parliament CHAP. XII The true End of framing and enjoyning this Covenant the bringing in of the Scots absolutely unlawfull HAving done with the many specious and pretended Ends of the Covenant we are come to the true End of Covenanting at this time which the Schooles would call Finis applicationis finis operantis This in particular persons may be divers as the desire of advancement in some the hope of impunity in others but the main general End which first set the Contrivers on worke about framing this Covenant and keepes them still at it by pressing it upon this Kingdom was the bringing in of the Scots a The Covenant is one of the postnati of that Kingdome it was begotten and borne in Edinborough onely our English Commissionerâ— played the Midwives and helped to licke it over into some fashion Vnlesse the Faction in England would engage themselves and their Adherents in such a Combination those conscientious Brethren of Scotland refused to assist in this Rebellion as they are now ready to do being upon their march to invade us A thing so repugnant to the Weale of this Kingdome that no true English heart but will abhorre the mention of it and so unjustifiable in respect of them that no Scot who has any sense of Religion to God of gratitude and duty to their native King or of brotherly charity to this neighbour Nation will ever dare to draw his sword in this quarrell I. First how farre it may endanger the being of this Kingdome to admit an Army of strangers into her bowels none such an infant in discretion or History but is able to descerne The calling in of forreigne Force if it were not Treason by Law is a thing so odious in Nature to any that is touched with affection to his native Countrey that his Majesties greatest Enemies could not suggest a calumny more malicious against him nor more powerfull to steale away his Subâ—ects hearts from him than by giving out that he intended to make use of forreigne aide when they supposed they had brought him to so low an ebbe that he would never finde sufficient succour from his own Subjects They are now driven to as great an exigency and make no scruple of acting that course which no necessity would suffer to enter into the Kings thoughts Such was his tender care and fatherly affection to His people He chose rather to run the hazard of His owne ruine then owe his preservation to any hands but such as God should raise up in his defence among His owne Subjects These waies of the Covenanteers doe both justifie the Commission of Array against all their former objections which grant it lawfull in the comming in of strange enemies and if His Majesty should follow their example and hire an army to assist him from some other Nation whatever were the consequents of it they must beare the blame that first led the way and he would be clear before God and man II. Secondly this intended invasion is so injust in respect of the Scots that all who heare of it must cry shame upon them who at the same time enter into a solemne Vow inviolably to observe the Articles of the late Treaty of Peace betwixt the two Nations and to endeavour that they may remaine conjoyned in a firme peace and union to all posterity and that justice may be done upon the wilfull opposers thereof and at the same time seise upon Berwick and put a Garrison in iâ— contrary to an expresse Article of that Treaty of Peace so lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments and are now upon the poynt to power an Army into this Kingdome whereby it appeares that though we made peace with them they made none with us and we conclude as a former b Parliament did against them that it were better for us to be at open war with them then under such a feigned peace III. They cannot say nor doe they pretend that any one Article was violated upon our part unlesse it were by those whom they come to

Churches patrimony p. 68. VI Their illegall forcing the King to go against his Oath legally taken at his Coronation p. 72. VII Their swearing to have no respect of persons in their Extirpations p. 75. VIII Their allowing their Iudges to punish Malignants as they shall thinke convenient though their offences do not so deserve CHAP. X. That the Covenant is repugnant to those generall Ends for which it is pretended to be taken p. 78. As being I. Contrary to the Glory of God II. Destructive to the Protestant Religion and serving rather to advance Popery III. Derogatory to the Kings Honour p. 80. IV. Preiudiciall to the Liberties of the Kingdomes as taken for the upholding of their power by whom all publike Liberty is already destroyed V. Inconsistent with the Peace of the Kingdomes as tending immediately to nothing but Warre with others and not likely to end in Peace amongst themselves CHAP. XI That the particular Ends of the severall Articles are likewise inconsistent with the matter of them p. 87. As I. A violent Reformation with the Growth of Religion II. A violent Extirpation of what is not sin with the clearing of the Extirpers from sin III. Their swearing absolutely to preserve the power of Parliaments but the Kings Person and Authority with reservation for this End that the world may judge of their loyalty and how they have no intentions to diminish his iust Power Here the world is in part informed wherein the Kings iust Power consists As 1. In making p. 88. of Law 2. In making p. 88. of Law 3. In declaring p. 89. of Law 4â— In executing 5. In appointing Iustices 6. In pardoning offenders p. 90. 7. In disposing of preferments 8. In protecting his Subiects 9. In Supremacy over all Estates 10. In calling adiourning proroguing dissolving of Parliaments p. 91. And how all these Powers are actually diminished if not destroyed by the Covenanteers In treating of the last particular the equity and so the validity of the late Act Against the Dissolution of this present Parliament is ventilated CHAP. XII The true End of framing and enjoyning this Covenant The bringing in of the Scoâ—s absolutely unlawfull p. 96. I. In respect of the English invâ—â—ing p. 97. II. In respect of the Scoâ—s comming Where the three pretended Reasons of their Invasion are debated viz. 1. The gâ—â—d â—f Religion in England p. 98. 2. The ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ of their native King p 99. 3. The rescuing this Kingdome from destruction p. 100. III. Their many former Oaths and Protestations to the contraryâ— CHAP. XIII From these premises the Covenant is concluded unlawfull in respect of the Forme p. 104. Errata Page Line For Reade 3 18 left last 6 3 desciverant desciverâ—nt 7 2 and or 8 34 abjected abjured 10 13 Passan Passaâ— 14 35 convented convened ib. 37 knew know 21 21 interferre interfere 23 33 Assembly that Assembly of that 25 6 bulke balke 29 6 to English to the English ib. 20 our one 31 29 must might 37 31 considered considerable Those Quotations which occurre out of the Remonstrances or Declarations of Parliament are taken out of that Exact Collection printed for Edward Husbands and published by speciall Order of the House of Commons made Martii 24. 1642. which is here usually pointed at the most compendious way by these Characters A Review of the Covenant CHAP. I. By what meanes the Covenanteers were reduced to the necessity of entering into this Combination confessed to be their last Refuge WHen the danger is once over to reflect upon the many miseries they have undergone may haply afford some small comfort to such as shall escape but so long as we groane under the present distempers and can discerne no probable end of our sufferings but with our selves it is but a sad contemplation to look back upon our former Peace and enquire by what sleights we were fooled out of so happy a condition He that found the poor man ready to perish in the bottome of the pit and was more inquisitive how he fell in then sollicitous to use meanes how to help him out expressed a greater measure of curiosity then Charity It shall therefore be my chiefest endeavour to rescue if I may the many seduced Scules out of that pit of Destruction into which they are already plunged The danger of those courses that led them thither was wisely foreseene a and timely foretold by His Majesty but urgentibus Imperium fatis salutares Dei atque hominum admonitiones spernuntur If the Contrivers of these great Tropicks in Church and State had at first {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} acquainted us with their designes we should have been affraid to owne and ashamed to abet them No question but what comes last in execution was first in their intention The subversion of Government as well Civill as Ecclesiasticall was the prime aime of those Architects of State who were to erect their private greatnesse upon the publique Ruines For whom it had been in vaine to strike immediatly at the face of Majesty or talke of pulling up Root and Branch the first day At the beginning of our Parliament it was with the common People of this Land as once with the Roman Souldier Miles longo Caesarum Sacramento imbutus ad destituendum Imperatorem arte magis impulsu quÃ m suo ingenio traductus The tye of Allegiance which had been ever held sacred and the many blessings of a long Peace enjoyed under His Majesty and His Royall Father would not without the help of Arts and Industry suffer them to make a suddaine defection from their Loyalty Their nature therefore fatally inclined to change must be cunningly wrought upon by an odious representation and malitious aggravation of some past grievances their dull restive Spirits must be conjured up by those two vulgar Charmes Religion and Liberty they are commanded to beleeve this is destroyed and that endangered So to bring them out of love with their present condition and make them venture a certaine happinesse for uncertaine hopes By what degrees they were disciplined and broken to a perfect Rebellion I forbeare to rehearse But if the Covenanting Members yet remaining at Westminster of whom onely I desire to be understood through this discourse be the same men that managed the Cause from the beginning and were the true Authors of all those Declarations and Remonstrances fathered upon one or both Houses of Parliament I crave leave once more to put the Kingdome in mind of what they were told before b how they had brought their worke to such a height and degree of successe that nothing seemed to be left in their way able to hinder the full accomplishment of their desires unlesse God in his Iustice should send a grievous curse upon them When we lay this profession of theirs in the ballance with His Majesties Answer to that very DeclaratÃ®on c where he desired his actions might no longer prosper then they were directâ—d to

their differences and so long as we hold to one immoveable irreformable Rule of faith as Tertullian calls that short Creed Catâ—ra iam disciplinâ— conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis And if the nearest coniunction be not possible sure it is not neceâ—sary iâ— it were so the Scripture which is not deficient in necessaries would not onely have proposed fitting directories but prescribed set formes unto us and limited the times places and manner of worship Which our Saviour has not done being willing as it seemes to leave every Church at Liberty to consult with her owne occasions or necessities and accordingly to constitute as she should finde in Christian prudence to be most convenient for the exegency of the times disposition of the place and temper of the People The use of which liberty we have both practised our selves and allowed in other Churches It must here be remembred that this very thing which is now sworne to bring all the Kingdomes to an uniformity is nothing else for substance then what was intended by King Iames and attempted by King Charles and that upon better grounds then now it is they having both more authority to enjoyne it then the present Covenanteers can justly challenge and presuming to meet with lesse opposition then these have found For whatsoever have been declared since the businesse which these two Princes went about to settle Episcopacy and a Common forme of Worship and Discipline in Scotland conformable to those in England and Ireland was not at first affirmed by any to be so destructive to the Lawes and Liberties of that Kingdome as the now intended alteration is knowne to be against the Lawes of England and Ireland IV. If the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament were once truely stated which are here sworne to be defended with lives and Estates we must be able to make a clearer judgement of the Lawfulnesse of this Oath as to that Particular Buâ— this being a taske which we neither dare undertake nor can go through with it will be sufficient and perhaps not impertinent if we wave the two other Kingdomes and take a short view of some few particular Priviledges pretended to be due to the Parliament of England and see whether they be such as the Subjects ought to sweare the preservation of them before that of His Majesties Person and the publique Liberties 1. As a Councell they d challenge the Priviledge to be advised with in all the great affaires of Church and State whereas their Writ calls them onely to consult De quibusdam arduis And His Majesty is accused for breach of Priviledge because he did not aske their advice in some such things Yet sometimes e he desired it so much till his importunity was voted a breach of Priviledge Here he is in a hard strait like that in the Oracle Si fecero peribo si non-fecero vapulabo Not desire advice and break Priviledge desire it and breake Priviledge too 2. A vote is passed in Ianuary f thaâ—to arrest or detaine any Member of the Commons House without first acquainting thaâ— House and receiving Order from thence is such a Breach of Priviledge as must be vindicated with life and fortunes And yet a g Declaration is issued in November following that in those very cases which were formerly in controversie any Member may be arrested by the ordinary Ministers of Iustice and detained in saâ—e custody till he may be brought to the Parliament It will concâ—rne the Serjeants to be informed in what moneths this Priviledge iâ— in season and when it goes out 3. Another h Declaration speakes in this manner Though the Priviledges of Parliament doe not extend to Treason Felony and breach of the Peace so as to exempt the Members of Parliament from punishment nor from all manner of processe and tryall as it doth in other cases From these last words we must inferre that in case of Incest Adultery Fornication Idolatry Sacriledge Blasphemy Schisme Heresie Popery Perjury or what you will besides the three excepted particulars the Members of Parliament may sinne Cum Privilegio they are exempted from all manner of processe and tryall 4. I do not know the mysteries of some Priviledges why they are ambitious to entertaine Treaties with forraigne States but when his Majesty desires the like it should be answered i We cannot doe it by the fundamentall Priviledge of Parliament Why the People may take notice of their proceedings but His Majesty may not without k a high breach of Priviledge minde them of him who said He was not worthy to be King Why the meanest Subjects should be admitted to give in their reasons against established Lawes and desires of alteration and the King be l accused for breach of Priviledge for desiring them to retract a privat Order as contrary to an expresse Act of Parliament Why in Sir Iohn Hothams case all m interception of letters to the Parliament should be such a high breach of Priviledge and now his Majesty cannot send a letter but shall be intercepted nor a Messenger to them but shall be imprisoned if not executed by their Commands 5. It is a new peece of Law which our predecessors were ignorant of that all Acts and agreements made by any private Companies or Corporations by any Parish or County nay by any particular personâ— are of no further force in Law then they are confirmed by Parliament and that to make any such till the two Houses be first accquainted and their consent obtained n is an entrenching upon that Peculiar Priviledge of Parliament To binde all or any part of the Kingdome This was the ground upon which they cancelled those agreements made by the Lord Farefax in Yorkshire and the like by their adherents in Cheshire and declared that they who made them were not bound by them 6. The number of Priviledges in this kinde may be infiniteâ— yet we shall be able to set bounds to the measure of them by their owne Declarations Where first the Kings comming to the House of Commons is o affirmed to be the greatest violation of Priviledge that ever was attempted Secondly His wishing he had no cause to absent himselfe from White-Hall is p taken as the greatest breach of Priviledge of Parliament that can be offered And therefore the former must needs be lesse and if there can be none greater what shall we think of those many lesser which have made a greater noyâ—e Let the Reader say if he make any Conscience of his life or have any care of his Estate or beare any Allegiance to hiâ— Majesties Person or any reverence to His Authority or have any considerable portion in the publique liberty whether he can willingly according to the tenour of this Covenanâ— sacrifice his life and liberty his Soule and Estate to the preservation of all and every of these Priviledges and perhaps thousands more which are not yet declared so as to preferre the least

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