Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A92405
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Remarques upon the new project of association: In a letter to a friend.
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Paterson, William, 1658-1719.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing R949B; ESTC R182616
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10,538
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17
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but there was a Talk in Town of an Association Foreman Did you not hear of it in Parliament Mr. Secretary Indeed there was an answer to a Message from the House of Commons that had something in it that did strongly Imply an Association but this particular Association I do not remember to have heard propos'd Foreman Don't you remember in the House of Commons Sir it was read upon Occasion of that Bill Mr. Secretary I heard such a thing spoken of but at the Reading of it I was not present to the best of my rememberance I know nothing to the contrary but that the forme of this Vow and protestation meaning the three first Clauses of it might possibly be read in the House But to imagine that the Honorable House of Commons would ever have endur'd the starting of a project to overturn the very Foundations of Government were to do them the greatest indignity in the world The late Usurpers themselves were halfe way through the Rebellion before they arriv'd at that degree of Boldnesse If any man should Interpret these Glancing Interrogatories in such manner as to take this project for an Act of the House The Jesuits themselves could not have done the Popish plot a greater piece of service then the promoting of such an Errour as might creat a Jelousie of Treason within these Walls But on the other hand there may be Scandals Taken as well as Given If it were not for Tiring of yow out I could shew ye the Originals both of this Draught and Design and Trace the very footsteps of our Reforming Hero's from His Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects with their Outcrys of plots and popery and Eyes and Hands lifted up unto the Lord in a Holy Covenant to the severing of his Majesties Sacred Head from his Body upon a scaffold But it is too Copious a Theme and there needs no more then Dipping any where in the Records of the Late Times to famish the parallel There remains yet another Abuse to be clear'd wherein they impose upon the people that this Association is founded upon the same Grounds and Considerations with that of the 27th of the Queen You will better judge whether it be so or no upon a view of the Instrument it selfe and some few Remarques thereupon The Instrument or Writing of Association that the Protestants of England enter'd into 27. Eliz. FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath Ordained Kings Queens and Princes to have Dominion and Rule over all their Subjects and to preserve them in the Pessession and Observation of the true Christian Religion according to his holy Word and Commandment And in like sort that all Subjects should Love Fear and Obey their Soveraign Princes being Kings or Queens to the utmost of their power at all times to withstand pursue and suppress all manner of persons that shall by any means intend and attempt any thing dangerous or hurtful to the Honour States or persons of their Soveraigns Therefore we whose Names are or shall be subscribed to this Writing being Natural Born subjects of this Realm of England and having so Gracious a Lady our Soveraign Elizabeth by the Ordinance of God our most rightful Queen Reigning over us these many Years with great Felicity to our inestimable Comfort And finding lately by divers Depositions Confessions and sundry Advertisements out of Forreign parts from credible persons well known to her Majesties Council and to divers others That for the furtherance and advancement of some pretended Title to the Crown it hath been manifested that the Life of our Gracious Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth hath been most dangerously expos'd to the peril of her Person if Almighty God her perpetual Defender of his Mercy had not revealed and withstood the same By whose Life we and all other her Majesties True and Loyal Subjects do enjoy an inestimable benefit of peace in this Land do for the Reasons and Causes before alledged not only acknowledge our selves most justly bound with our Lives and Goods for her defence in her safety to persecute suppress and withstand all such Intenders and all other her Enemies of what Nation Condition and Degree whatsoever they shall be or by what Council or Title they shall pretend to be her Enemies or to attempt any harm upon her Person but do further think it our bounden Duties for the great benefit of peace and Wealth and Godly Government we have more plentifully receaved these many Years under her Majesties Government than any of our Forefathers have done in any longer time of any other Progenitors Kings of this Realm Do declare and by this Writing make manifest our bounden Duties to our said Soveraign Lady for her safety And to that end We and every of us First calling to Witness the Name of Almighty God do Voluntarily and most Willingly bind our selves every one of us to the other joyntly and severally in the Band of one Firm and Loyal Society And do hereby Vow and promise by the Majesty of Almighty God That with our whole Powers Bodies Lives and Goods and with our Children and Servants We and every of us will faithfully serve and humbly obey our said Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth against all States Dignities and Earthly powers whatsoever and will as well with our joynt and particular Forces during our Lives withstand offend and pursue as well by force of Arms as by all other means of Revenge all manner of persons of what state soever they shall be and their Abetters that shall attempt any Act Council or consent to any thing that shall tend to the harm of her Majesties Royal person and will never desist from all manner of forcible pursuit against such persons to the utter Extermination of them their Councillors Aiders and Abetters And if any such wicked Attempt against her most Royal Person shall be taken in hand and procured whereby any that have may or shall pretend Title to come to this Crown by the untimely death of her Majesty so wickedly procured which God for his Mercy sake forbid may be avenged We do not only bind our selves both joyntly and severally never to Allow accept or favour any such pretended Successor by whom or for whom any such detestable Act shall be Attempted or Committed as unworthy of all Government in any Christian Realm or Civil State But do also further Vow and Protest as we are most bound and that in the presence of the Eternal and Everlasting God to prosecute such person and persons to Death with our joynt or particular Forces and to ask the utmost Revenge upon them that by any means we or any of us can devise and do or cause to be devised and done for their fitter Overthrow and Extirpation And to the berter Corroboration of this our Loyal Band and Association We do also Testifie by this Writting that we do confirm the contents hereof by our Oaths corporally taken upon the Holy Evangelist with this express condition that no one of us shall for any respect of persons or causes or for Fear or Reward separate our selves from this ASSOCIATION or fail in the prosecution thereof during our Lives upon hasard of being by the rest of us prosecuted and supprest as perjur'd persons and publick Enemies to God our Queen and to our Native Country To which punishment and pains we do voluntarily submit our selves and every of us without benefit of any colour and pretence In Witness of all which Promises to be inviolably kept we do to this Writing put our Hands and Seals and shall be most ready to accept and admit any others hereafter to this Society and Association You may be pleased to Compare this Association with the other which pretends Effectually to write after this Coppy You have in this an Ample and Solemn Acknowledgement of Soveraign Power in the Queen and Indispensible Obedience in the Subject but in the other not only a Disclaimer of the Kings Authority and the Subjects Duty unless his Majesty will Comply with whatsoever his People shall Impose upon him but a Total Abdication of his Imperial Power And a Vow of Conspiracy to Oppose him by Force and set up an Inconsiderable part of the people Masters of the Government You have here ane Association to defend the Queen against any pretendent whatsoever upon a false Title The other is a Conspiracy for the Destruction even of the present King brcause he will not Consent to the Dispossessing his Brother of a Just and Legal Title both before God and Man This Engagement Extends only to a Remote Prospect of Injury to the Crown with a Resolution to Employ Violence when the Occasion requires it and not before But the other is a Confederacy to offer Violence to the Crown themselves and to Embroile the Nation forthwith in a Civil War upon a pretended Fear of Danger at a Distance This is a Combination against the Queens Enemies with Her Royal Approbation and consent The other is a Confederacy against the Kings Brother and his Friend and against his Majesties Approbation and Consent The one in short is for a Submission to a Lawful Authority The other for the Final and Irreparable Extirpation of it To Conclude whoever layes both Ends together of this Late Association will find that it begins in the Name of God for the Preservation of Religion and Ends in the Divils Name with the Total Extinction of King and Government Imprimatur WILLIAM PATERSON December 20. 1681. Edinburgh Re-printed by David Lindsay 1681. Cum Privilegio