Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A75285
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Ambitious tyrany clearely demonstrated; in Englands unhappy and confused government proposed to the serious consideration of those that may endeavour to remedie it, and not do ill, if they have not forgot to do well.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing A2950; Thomason E988_3; ESTC R208053
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6,479
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8
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for the highest of these two high treason it self have not you enacted it to proclaim publish or any way to promote any person to be the chief Magistrate of England of Ireland c. shall be deemed and adjudged a Traytor and an enemy to the Common-wealth And doth not the very square of this law if applyed to their actions make them Traytors beyond all measure how then dare their guiltiness expect how can your justice grant unto them an act of indempnity which because they have proposed it indefinitely and by the priority of its tender supposed its necessity logical construction makes it universal that is for all treason for all Traytors against the Common-wealth and what is this but to obscure the glory of your Justice and to enervate the strength of your lawes and to render them weaker then cobwebs not able to catch either the greater or the little flies 'T is confessed from the universality of a rebellion justice many times satisfieth her self with the punishment of some principal agents but will never admit a universal banishment from a Nation because the crime she must punish is become universal This were to teach highway-men robbers traytors and rebels to justifie the wickedness of their actions by the multitudes of their persons and to conclude themselves innocent because numerous let it therefore be considered that the end of vindictive Justice is to strike a fear of offending into the hearts of all by the terrour of punishing a few according to the rule paena ad paucos metus ad omnes perveniat whereunto if in this so dreadful an Apostasie you do not proportion your present actions we are greatly afraid you will betray your own honor and become unhandsome Executioners of your own Authority We acknowledge that Acts of Oblivion Indempnity or of Pardon hath been the practice of all States and Republikes in the world yet is it not very considerable whether by as it were a natural emmanation they proceed from the noble and frank inclinations of their Authors or forc'd by them who would become the Subjects of and take for a time some advantages by them for if this last be the mother of them we are confident they will weaken not confirm the power incourage not prevent designs and encrease not sedate the discontented spirits of the people We might press you with this theological dilemma that this Apostacy into Rebellion since 53. in your servants was either evil or not if evil it is in its own nature punishable and you stand indisputably obliged by the Laws of God to actuate the punishment if it be not evil then the righteousness of your own most desired authority would be question'd and your friends affections thereby weakned Nor is there any reason to evade this argument should we insist thereon from the difference that is conceived betwixt things purely spiritual and matters purely civil For as this or that particular colour is of the same nature though the subject of its inhesion be stone wood or iron so all evil or anomia is one and the same in its essentials only variated by the difference of its subjects or objects and if irregularity or evils be in themselves punishable then all evils inhering in any subject conversant about any object is so too for it is a real truth a quotenus ad omnea valet consequentia But to wave this rugged way of argumentation and to change the subject of the argument it self lest while we are discoursing against the universality of an Act of Indempnity or pardon we are necessitated to obey your pardon for the tedionsness of our discourse it self Prop. 2 And therefore be pleased to consider the second thing they demand an Act of Union Here the arrogancy of your impudent servants ascends an higher degree if possible to over-top your power and to baffle your prudence their own guiltiness may seem to apologize though not wholly excuse their capitulation with you for an Act of pardon and indempnity but that these your guilty servants should desire you who are their Judges and Masters to adopt them into your family to imbrace them into the arms of your extraordinarie protection and vouchsafe them to be the subjects of your chiefest favours is such a presumption that even simply to declare it is a sufficient aggravation of it Further is it not a peculiar and soveraign prerogative inseparably annexed to all authorities to judge unto what societies of men unto what adjacent countries they will indulge an incorporation or an union how durst then your vassals by such a proposal attempt to impose that upon you whereof your selves must be the sole Judges and Authors it were worthy your consideration to observe who these your creatures are that now are become so arrogant proposers are they not a multitude of men in arms are they not your own Mercenary Army from which abstract that which we call resolution and courage and they are but a rour of people an herd of cattel or rather a silly flock of sheep very simple and inconsiderable beings whom we hope you will reduce with as much ease and honour as you have their fellow-creatures in England whose hands through your prudence you have so tyed behind their backs that they shall never be able do what they now will or can to lift them up against the face of your authoritie with which the Nations lately desponding to have ever seen the masterie of so unrulie and turbulent a generation are now revived and transported to see the a See the Army mastered Day-star of their libertie long benighted with the darkness of tyrannie and confusions once more to arise in this their English Horizon To conclude then what we have to say in reference to this their second proposal we admire no less at the arrogancie and simplicitie of the proposers then b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in vita ejus Anacharsis did amongst the Grecians imprudentes de imprudentibus judicantes or as Tertullian non musicos de musicis let the Souldier know how to handle his Sword and Pike let him behave himself valiantlie in the fields of Mars but let him cease to presume that either his dexteritie in the first or corrage in the second should render him forthwith a Son of Saturn or if you will an accomplished States-man 3. Prop. 3 Let 's view their third proposal which is said to have the arrearages of the Army paid off Oh the humours of these men the greatness of whose guilt one would have thought might justly have lessened not heightned their demands we see these your vassals are resolved so strictly to bind the arms of your justice that you shall not be able to touch them with the hand or least finger thereof had their repentance for their degeneration been cordial they would willinglie have quitted the thoughts of their arrears in hopes of their pardon and so have rejoyced in the Redemption of their forfeited lives and
Ambitious TYRANY Clearely Demonstrated In ENGLANDS Vnhappy and confused Government Proposed to the serious consideration of those that may endeavour to remedie it and not do ill if they have not forgot to do well Printed in the Year 1659. VVHereas it is credibly reported that your servants and vassals in Ireland have not onely laboured with all their strength to raise and increase the exorbitant powers of the late Tyrant but are are also still active and designing to support and maintain the same from its most deserved ruines and destructions to effect which like State Juglers they have obscured their intentions concealed their designes against you by a pretended compliance with you And because to patronize Tyranny in an unmasked gaâ—b would argue them to be murtherers of their Countâ—ey they suggest another ground and foundation whereupon to raise and build their quarrel more strongly against you and this we are informed they have done by their mock Commissioners sent unto you or unto your Lieutenant Gen. Fleetwood Wherein we cannot but first observe their high if not rebellious presumption that servants should dare by deputed Commissioners to treat with their absolute Lords and Masters whose duty it had been with halters about their necks and with a penitential Psalm in their hearts and tongues to have prayed and begged as for their lives your Honours mercy and pardon The sâ—bject matter of their Commission is said to have an act of indempnity an act for union the Arrearages of the Army paid off and all sales bargains contracts leases and promises for leases had made contracted and promised since fifty three that is since their Tyrannical Apostacy confirmed ratified and secured unto them against the Common-wealth all which is as much as to desire that your mercy should subvert your justice and that their rebellions should be the onely subjects of your bounty And whereas all governments in the world do reward subjects punish Traytors yours in a contradiction to all must punish those and reward these what can be the end of this but in hopes of immunity and pardon to encourage tumultuous and rebellious spirits until they have wrested from you all powers either to pardon or to punish 'T is a most experienced truth that Etsi meliores sunt quos ducit amor tamen plures sunt quos corrigit timor little beloved much feared Oliver will hold a Crown faster then the most beloved and lest dreaded Richard the impressions of fear upon the peoples hearts are best characters whereby to read the lastingness and stability of any Government fear result of power is the very sinews life soul nay the all of all authorities in the woâ—ld and whosoever indeavours to weaken or lessen that doth unavoydably designe the destruction and subversion of these with what impudence and brazen foreheads dare these Common-wealths Apostates appear before your Honours instead of congratulating you thus to expostulate with you instead of strengthning your power thus to weaken your hands and rather then they will by a penitential resignation of themselves expect your pardon and hope for your mercy thus to provoke your justice thus to contemne your authority What doth this imply but to transmit rebellion unto their neighbors and to teach others to do what should not be done because these will not do what they should this spark of rebellion will by its native activity if not suddenly quenched arise into a flame which once blazing will we dare say hazzard the drying up of the ditch betwixt them and us rather then not transfer its destructive and devouring quality upon us who knows not Englands temper to be the exactest made tinder upon the first touch to kindle any spark of insurrection rebellions and tumults against you which the hot headed spirits of the time may but gently strike or let fall amongst us Therefore we most humbly conceive that it concerns the very life and soul of your authority not to be imposed upon by your vassals nor to admit the least capitulation from those who had neither a being nor a well being but what they have derived from the indulgence of your soveraign powers Are they Souldiers is it not by the word of your Commission Are they landed men is it not from your most noble communerative dispositions and shall these who are the very feet the most incondsiderable of all your creatures thus kick against you shall these declare to the world that before they will be subject to your commands they will have your honours to submit unto their wills shall these represent you more in considerable then parents then masters who expect and will have an absolute obedience from children and from servants where then is the glory of all your former triumphs hath not Neptune himself felt and trembled at the dreadfulness of yoâ—â—â—â—wâ—â— whose waves have been so often dyed with the blood of your conquered enemies where are all your martial atchievements since 44 whereby Scotland hath been conquered Ireland â—â—â—dued and our own nation delivered from the miseries of a bloody and â—ivil war are you who have been the supremest agents in the grandest actions of the world now become slaves to your servants and servants unto your slaves will not those trophies of victoâ—y hung in Westminster either blush at so great a metamorphosâ—s or else rejoyce to behold the authors of their captivity themselves thus to be captivated to invade the enemies country when he hath invaded the heart of our own territories seems a policy more full of danger then of safety and yet rather then the Romans would have the glory of their common-wealths authority and of their puissant armes darkned with the rumors of being an halfe conquered people they did attempt and effect it they who scare themselves with notions of dangers and inconsistencies at home even unto a dishonourable comportment with any do but increase and multiply the dangers even at home and abroade not roughly to handle your private or open enemy is an invitation of him to abuse you severely sometimes indeed to complement an enemy into his own ruine may be a saving of blood with honour and a purchase of honour without blood but it is a sight most preposterous to behold the legislative power of three Nations through a pusillanimous temper truckling under the standing obstinacy of their servants who all the while lie upon their beds either taking their ease to express their rebellious confidence or else laughing at the lowness of your condition to declare their malice against your persons But that we may more discover the vast incongruity betwixt your justice and their demands that you should admit of a complyance with your Irish Vassals upon those their terms give us leave briefly to touch upon some of the proposals themselves Prop. 1 First then they expect an act of indempnity we would gladly know for what is it for small faults for pardonable crimes nay is it not for capital offences and