Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	law_n	people_n	safety_n	1,280	5	9.1725	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97098	The fountain of slaunder discovered. By William Walwyn, merchant. With some passages concerning his present imprisonment in the Tower of London. Published for satisfaction of friends and enemies.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.	1649 (1649)	Wing W682; Thomason E557_4; ESTC R204437	31,569	29

by parties of horse and foot in an hostile manner to the affrighting and ruining of their Families and for a thing or act never known before by any law to be a crime but voted to be so only the very day perhaps of signing the Warrant And therfore that such power can be in this or any other Parliament or that such a kind of proceeding can be consistent with freedom I wish any would give me a reason that I might understand it for certainly the meer voting of it will hardly give satisfaction And now I well perceive they had good ground for it who asserted this belief into the first Agreement of the people namely That as the laws ought to be equall so they must be good and not evidently destructive to our liberties and I wish that might be well considered in making of any Law And likewise That no Law might be concluded before it be published for a competent time that those who are so minded might offer their reasons either for or against the same as they see cause But I forget my self not considering that my proposing of this will be a means to beget a dislike thereof and may possibly work me some new aspersions I am said likewise to have worse opinions then this whereof one is That I hope to see this Nation governed by reason and not by the sword Nay worse yet That notwithstanding all our present distractions there is a possibility upon a clear and free debate of things to discover so equall just and rationall Propositions as should produce so contentfull satisfaction and absolute peace prosperity and rest to this Nation as that there should be no sear of man nor need of an Army or at worst but a very small one But if I should declare my mind in this more fully it would as other good motions and propositions of mine have done beget me the opinion of a very dangerous man and some new aspersion there being some whose interest must not suffer it to be believed And yet it may be true enough for I could instance a Country not so surrounded with Seas as ours is nor so defensible from Enemies but that is surrounded with potent Princes and States and was as much distracted with divisions as ours at present is yet by wisdom so order themselves as that they keep up no Army nor dread no war but have set the ●●tive Militia in such a posture as that all the Countries round about the● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affront them with the least injury or if they do satisfaction being not made upon demand in 48 hours a wel disciplin'd Army appears in Field to do themselves justice it being a maxim and principle among them to do no injury nor to suffer any the least from Forraigners as also not to let passe without severe exemplar punishment the least corruption in publique Officers and Magistrates without a due reward unto both which it is impossible for any people to be long in safety and to hold authority or command beyond the time limited by law of Commission amongst them is a capitall offence and never fails of punishment So that this opinion of mine is not the lesse true because I hold it but is of the number of those many usefull ones that this present age is not so happy as to believe Nor are we like to be happier till we are wiser But as subject as some would make me to vain opinions there is one that hath been creeping upon us about eight months which yet gets no hold upon me and that is That the present power of the Sword may reign from this ground that the power which is uppermost is the power of God and the power of the Sword being now as some reason above the civil Authority it is therfore the power of God But the greatest wonder in this is that some Anabaptists who are descended from a people so far from this opinion that they abhorred the use of the sword though in their own desence to such extremities are people subject to that think themselves to have all knowledge and religion in them when in truth it is but imagination and Scripture As for me I am of neither of these opinions but should be glad once again to see the sword in its right place in all senses and the civil Authority to mind as well the essence as the punctilio's and formalities but neglecting neither and that the People would be so far carefull of their own good as to observe with a watchfull eie the right ordering and disposing both of the civill and military power we having no watrant to argue that to be of God but what is justly derived attained and used to honest means the ends I mean of all Government viz. the safety peace freedom and prosperity of the people governed whereas otherwise Tyrants Theeves our-our-laws Pirats and Murthere●s by the same kind of arguing may prove themselves to be of God which in reall effect perverts the whole supreme intent of Government being constituted every where for the punishment and suppression of all evil and irregular men But why spend I my time thus in clearing mens understandings that so they might be able to preserve themselves from bondage and misery being so ill requited for my labour Nay that might have thanks and other good things besides if I would forbear To which truly I have nothing to say but that my conscience provokes and invites me to do what I do and have done in all my motions for the Common-wealth nor have I I blesse God any other reason and which to me is irresistible unlesse I should stifle the power of my conscience which is the voyce of God in me alwaies accusing or excusing me So that whil'st I have opportunity I shall endeavour to do good unto●●● men But I have other businesse now upon me then ever I had being now in prison which I praise God for it I never was in my life before where though I think I have as much comfort as another yet it is not a place I like and therfore am carefull how to become free as soon as I can my restraint being very prejudiciall to me especially considering how the corruptions of some false hearted people doth now ●●eak out against me in renewed clamours and aspersions which whil'st I labour to acquit my self of it proves to me like the ●●ving of the ever-flowing Fountain of Slander the invective brain of some resolved Politicians for I see I must be asperst till honesty gets the victory of policy and true Religion over superstition the one being the Inventer and the other the Disperser as the fore-going discourse will I judge sufficiently demonstrate And therfore henceforth let men say and report what evil they will of me I shall not after this regard it nor trouble my self any more in this way of vindication hope to find some other way Only one aspersion remains which I thought good to quit here which is