Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	great_a	parliament_n	3,586	5	6.2777	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25589	An Answer to the declaration of the pretended assembly at Dundee and to a printed paper intituled The protestation given in by the dissenting brethren to the General Assembly, July 21, 1652, reviewed and refuted &c., in which answer are set down ten steps of their defection who follow the way of publick resolutions : together with observations upon some of the acts of the p. assemblies at Dundee and Edinburgh and some papers concerning the endeavors of the protesters for union with their brethren who differ from them in judgement.		1653 (1653)	Wing A3405; ESTC R34190	125,882	174

Kingdom to the King and the form of the Invitation given him upon satisfaction in terminis to these demands which form of Invitation Declaration made therewith did exclude all engagement to make war upon England yet was there a Party in the Land and some in the Parliament whose designes and endeavors did still tend to engage us in a War against England On the other hand there was cause to fear an Invasion from England by reason of the preparations made the former year by those in power in that Nation upon the report of an Agreement betwixt the King and Commissioners sent from this Kingdome to Holland in the year 1649. The great difficulty was how to steer an even course in reference to both these extreams both to prevent a sinfull Invasion from this Land upon England and from England upon this Nation The Parliament having seriously pondered both the dangers took this course They sent to their Commissioners then in Holland renewed Instructions together with a Declaration wherein they made known their dissatisfaction with severall things in the Treaty in which the Commissioners had varied from their Instructions particularly they declared that nothing agreed on should import an obligation to make War against England and gave expresse direction that none of the Malignant Party should be permitted to come to Scotland and this Instruction was forthwith turned into a Law and published in Print by Proclamation at the Market Crosse of Edinburgh And the Earl of Calendar who had adventured to come from Holland to Scotland upon hopes of the approbation of that Treaty was presently commanded to go aboard a ship within twenty four hours and forthwith to depart the Kingdom under the pain of imprisonment and the fine of a hundred thousand merks These Instructions and the Declaration of the Parliament were delivered to the Commissioners in Holland before the King came away together also with Letters to the same purpose from the Commission of the Kirk to their Commissioners To prevent the danger of an Invasion from England the Parliament did without so much as the least question or objection made to the contrary by any Member thereof renew the Acts of Posture and Leavie which were made the year preceding for putting the Kingdom in readinesse in case of Invasion and upon the 22. of June 1650. they wrote Letters directed to Mr. Lenthall Speaker of the House of Commons the Lord Fairfax then Lord Generall Lieut. Generall Cromwell Major Generall Lambert and the Governour of New-Castle in which Lettes they shew that as in their Letter of the 6. March 1649. they did both acknowledge their obligation and did declare their resolution to observe the rule of remonstrating first the breaches of Peace of craving just reparation of using all fair means of giving a preceding Warning of three moneths before any engagement of these Kingdoms in War so they do again renew the same and do solemnly professe that they do it in the sincerity of their hearts not out of any policy to catch advantages for any other end or designe but meerly for their own defence which they do accompt abundantly sufficient to remove all grounds of jealousies and mis-reports of their intentions and to take away all pretence of necessity of the marching of Forces for defence of the Borders of England And being informed of a resolution in England to send an Army to invade this Kingdom they desired to know whether these who have the present power in England do acknowledge themselves obliged or by their answer will oblige themselves and declare their resolutions to observe the foresaid way and order upon their part to us and plainly and clearly to declare whether their Forces do march for defence or offence for keeping onely within the Borders of England or coming within ours which way of proceaor in clearing each other and dealing plainly is not onely agreeable to particular Treaties and to the many Bonds and Declarations past betwixt these Kingdoms but also to the Law of God and practice of his people in his Word and to the Common Law and practice even of Heathen Nations much more of Christian covenanted Kingdomes c. When the Forces appointed to be raised for defence of the Kingdom together with the old standing Forces that were before on foot were to be formed and drawn together in a Body there were some differences in Parliament one was Whether the Malignant Party and persons grossely scandalous should be excluded from the Army or not There were none in Parliament that had the countenance to plead for it directly our constant Principles being known to be so expresse against it and the Kirk having so often pressed upon the Parliament by many Petitions Remonstrances and Declarations the purging of their Forces but diverse would have had the Act for making up the Army to passe without appointing any Committee having power to remove such from the Army Another difference was Whether the Committee of Estates should have power to command the Army to invade England as was done in the year 1648 or if there should be a limitation of their power onely to stand for the defence of the Land within our Borders In this question likewise there were none that pleaded expressely for such a power in the Committee but they opposed the limitation Some time was spent in conference and debate about these but they were so few in Parliament that were either against the exclusion or limitation that when the sense of the Parliament came to be known their number was no wayes considerable so that what is here represented by the Authors of that Declaration against the Protesters as the first step of declining is in effect an evidence of their own declining from the former principles of State and Kirk for both were then unanimous for exclusion of the Malignant Party and grossely scandalous persons from the Army and against the invading of England which were the two questions in Parliament that did retard for some days the bringing forth the new levied Forces for so soon as these two questions were ended it was evidently seen there were none more forward in Parliament and Committees to hasten them to the fields then these who are unsatisfied with the late ●uolick Resolutions and there was together at Leith before the English Army marched into Scotland so considerable a number of Horse and Foot that they were double the number of the English Surely no other thing but the change of principles or groundlesse prejudice could lead men to quarrell thus for want of an Army to defend the Land the great number whereof made the stro●e at Dumbar the more unexpected doleful dreadful This is the truth concerning what is laid to the charge of that faithful Parliament which met at Edinburgh in the year 1650 and whose endeavours to prevent extreams were answered with disappointment on both hands which I trust doth sufficiently answer what is said anent the first step DECLARATION THe second

lye under or be put under censures with a good Conscience then be freed from them with an evill conscience I have now answered what is said against the Protesters in that Declatation of the pretended Assembly at Durdee which this Reviewer and Refuter mentioneth with so great commendation and applause And seeing these who have declined from their former Principles have made it their work to endeavour to discover steps of defection in those who have wnitessed and protested against the Defection that hath been in this Land which was the usual way of the Prelats against Non-conformists in former times I shall for making a clear discovery go nearer to the spring-head and rise of our differences then this Reviewer and his friends of the pretended Assembly have done who would shroud themselves in some particular windings and turnings of affeirs by which they would amuse simple understandings but they keep a great distance from the fountain and begining of our divisions and are loth to remember where we were once and wherefore we parted Therefore I shall shortly set forth some few steps of the late Defection and declinings from our former principles and let indifferent men judge who have been the Authors and are to this day the Abetters thereof Since the time that the Lord began a work of Reformation in the year 1637. there hath been a constant harmony amongst the Lords People and in all Proceedings Declarations and Publick Actings of State and Kirk great unanimity against the Malignant party and their Interests And though in the year 1648. the State declined yet the Kirk and body of zealous Professors in the Land remained stedfast in their principles and after the defeat of the Forces that went into England the whole Land did for their further confirmation in the Lords wayes enter into a solemn Acknowledgment of sins and Engagement to duties at the renewing of the Covenant which was about the end of that year In the year 1649. there was great concord betwixt Kirk and State both adhering to their Principles and the Lord wonderfully blessed their Councels and Forces as also in the begining of the year 1650. And whatever secret under-hand dealings there were for the promoting the Malignant Interest and Conjunction with that party yet it was little known to the far greater part in Judicatories of State and Kirk who I am confident went on in the simplicity of their hearts in their proceedings studiously desirous to avoid the splitting on the rock of Malignancy aswel as the rock on the other hand The first visible step of deelining that was taken notice of by the generality of zealous Professors in the Land was that transaction made at Bredah with the King by the Commissioners of State and Kirk expressely contrary to their Instructions and notwithstanding both State and Kirk did unanimously signifie their great dis-satisfaction therewith and declared against the said agreement in ma●y particulars especially in reference to Malignant Interests and designes and conjunction with that Party all which was made known to the said Commissioners by Letters and Declarations from State and Kirk which were delivered unto them before the Kings coming from Holland yet without so much as acquainting the King therewith they brought him on shipboard and alongs with him the chief of the Scottish and English Malignants known enemies to the Cause and Work of Reformation I do not charge all the Commissioners as equally sharers in the guilt of that sad transaction for which the Land suff reth and lamenteth to this day I know that such of them as had least hand therein have been most ready to acknowledge their offence and that these who were most guilty do stand for their own justification which aggravates their sin both before God and men as to that which was done afterward sad experience hath taught us that it was but a pitifull after-game they made in their second Treaty while the King was at Sea immediatly before his landing in Scotland and it was so far from being a remedie as it hath proved an in-let to further transgression and misery The second step of defection was That these Commissioners when they were come home being desirous to maintain their own credit dealt not faithfully in giving a true accompt of their proceedings to the Parliament and Generall Assembly but concealed many things of consequence and smoothed and varn shed their report of Proceedings with fair generalls whereby both the Parliament and Generall Assembly were deceived and induced to allow and ratifie their Proceedings The third step was That when after Dumbar the King had given Commission to the Malignant Party to rise in Arms and upon their rising had deserted the Councels of State and Kirk and gone away to joyn with that Party the State did sond for the King and forthwith admit him to have the chief hand and Government in all their Councels and managing of Affairs from which upon weighty considerarions he had been still debarred formerly by the State upon advice with the Kirk and not many dayes after his return matters were so conveyed as an agreement was made with these wicked and bloudy re●ells and not onely their present rebellion and band into which they had entered among themselves but all their former transgressions were passed over by the State and in that transaction also there was a foundation laid for imployment of them in places of trust It is true that the Commission of the Church gave some testimony against these proceedings the consciences of diverse of that Meeting being then oftended with so grosse declining but afterward through the great opposition they met with were much blunted The fourth step was That as the Kirk and State began to grow in their favour and respects towards the Malignant Party this new friendship begat an alienation of their hearts from honest and faithfull men who gave testimony against these corruptions for usually conjunction with Gods enemies is attended with persecution of his friends and therefore the Western Forces being dissipated and great hopes conceived of the assistance of the Malignant Party both State and Kirk did condemne the Testimony given by the Gentlemen Officers and Ministers in the West in their Remonstrance to the Committee of Estates notwithstaning that in a Meeting of the Commission of the Kirk at Sterline that Remonstrance was cleared and vindicated and all objections against it were so fully answered by Members of the Commission as the chief oppofites thereof had no more to say against it but were silent notwithstanding also that some of the Gentlemen gave in a Supplication to the Commission wherein they desired that before any censures pasted thereupon these that were concerned therein might be allowed a due hearing and that a convenient diet might be appointed at which they were very hopefull to remove all mistakes and clear it from all sinister interpretations The fifth step was That some leading men of the Commission did conveen ex raordinarily a small