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	king_n	power_n	3,247	5	5.0875	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83946	Englands alarm from the north, vvherein the affaires of Scotland are represented, with the ominous aspect they have to England, to awaken all interests to consider of the nearest conjunction among themselves against the common enemie, who appears in a new disguize, yet as destructive as ever to our lawes, liberties, and priviledges.		1648 (1648)	Wing E2938; Thomason E434_24; ESTC R205279	15,178	23

hope they have observed and read the Scots Commissioners by this time as well as they have formerly done them if they will still be made pack horses to the Scots designes I shall wish them no worse masters I have one word to another party of which I am sorry to hear that they should be thought a party distinct from the whole the Levellers falsely so called and as innocently misled in whom the principles of liberty would shine very resplendently were they not mixed with some other unsuitable passions You honest hearts whose designe do you drive on with such violence are there not parties enough already make no more lest you part your Interest from the Publique Liberty is the garland we must weare after victory but we must take heed how we prosecute the attainment of it all things cannot be done at once every man is not to be judge of his own liberty there may be more dangers sometimes in setling liberty then in acting a warre I fear you have done more disservice and made more breaches in the honest Party then the liberty of your particular persons will countervaile Avide ruendo ad libertatem in servitutem delapsi sunt was an observation found out by old experience It is observed in you that the violence of your spirit hath sprung from some particular discontents and injuries received from particular persons which is an ill foundation and honest men see not these holy and Christian-like gallantryes in your carriages but much of selfe and particular reflexions on private persons Oh let not advantages be given by you to your and our enemies againe revenge not your particular quarrels to some members of Parliament with opening a gap for the old Incendiaries to creep in at to destroy us all Ballance former services with present failings consider the many exigencies men of publique imployment are put unto they bear with your passions you must with their other infirmities wait but a while and calmly indeavour in your places what you aim at but let not your particular spirits manage such a publique work and especially remember who threatens to take advantage by our divisions I can assure you give the Cavaliers such a glimpse of hope that they as men risen from the dead at the hearing of your new agreements of the people and such like transactions for while you seem to agree in that you divide from the whole and incourage the present designe to destroy our Union and Communion together But I know the thoughts of a Scottish Invasion will settle your present thoughts to indeavour the strengthening the present honest Party under what names soever What remaines but that all honest and true-hearted English men should unite their apprehensions and affections in standing for the particular Interest of England and the sticking to this present Parliament for though things have not been carried so uniformely as could have been wished and many members have had their particular failings yet that is the most certaine remedy we have ever found and if we vilifie and undervalue them we shake the foundations of our own peace and there is no other visible remedy left us to support our selves but what is violent and unnaturall and though private men may see many failings in particular actions they must remember that they cannot see all the difficulties they meet with nor all the secret principles and reasons they act by and that what ever passeth through the best of men will need refining and long continuance in variety of Affaires cannot but alter thoughts and apprehensions if not principles We now know the worst of this Parliament but we know not what will be the next they are now going on happily if we discourage them by our divisions the blame must lie on us not on them who cannot possible please all parties in every circumstance of their desires and it is a mercy they have kept to the foundation of our liberties and have not given it up yet either to the King or Scots and their last declaration in Answer to the Scots Commissioners papers may satisfie the whole world in their absolute intirenesse to the Interest of this Kingdome and may calme our spirits from such murmurings as arise against them I am sorry to heare honest men so hot to desire a dissolution of this Parliament before we are freed of our feares and they have setled the Kingdome in a positive defence against our enemies It is better trust them whom we know and who promise better things then leave all to the hazard of a next Parliament of whom we know nothing nor how they may be packt and how in the intervall designes may act Let the last malignant elections in Scotland for ever stand a Patterne to us else we shall be wise when we have paid more for it And that we may yet prevent this designe from the North let us reflect on our former actings and recall our first principles of ingagement in this warre We may very well remember that the old Character which was given to our common Enemie by which we distinguished them was from their owning the Kings Prerogative interest against the Parliament of England and the libertie of the Subject from whence they were called Malignants and who ever owne the same interest or seeke to set up the King in his Throne contrary to the Propositions of Peace propounded by both Houses of Parliament and do joyne with the same partie cannot be looked upon any other notion then as the common Enemie though under another name all honest men are to unite against them as at first except we mean to forsake our principles or do imagine that our Enemies are regenerated and that the King is turned purely for the libertie of the Subjects and the Priviledges of Parliament Cujus contrarium verum est they had never more wicked intentions then now they have nor their hearts fuller fraught with malice then at this day But it s our misery that we can see nothing but what we feele nor will beleeve nothing before its too late to prevent it we have not so much wit that the same designe can be carried on by severall mediums which seeme contrary to it But if men will be secure let them be undone by the danger I hope wise men will take care for themselves If God will yet punish us with a senselesse slavish spirit it s but the fruit of our own doings It s happy for honest men they have a reserve at last but its sad to thinke that so many gallant spirits in this juncture of time are divided when division is the greatest prejudice to our affaires It s no wonder that Englands glory and happinesse hath beene the object of so much envie and other Nations have such ambitious eyes upon it but the wonder is that we should by our own folly prostrate so faire a Virgin to the ravishments of everie ones lust We can exchange nothing with other Nations of our Liberties and Priviledges without indangering their affections to it It hath beene but a little part of our wisdome that we have given Scotland such a sair prospect of our happiness we might have kept our secrets and have beene kinde enough unto them too But we cannot now help it you see what a vertue men make of necessitie let us be wise for time to come and know that a faire and loving distance from Scotland will not at all prejudice our condition so long as we keep to the substance of our union correspondence in mutual affaires any neerenesse besides will but make them covet and us fear It stands upon you to have your eyes in your head and to observe where you are and what you are comming unto and if all will not make you wise there must be a whip provided for the back of such fooles It may be this discourse may seeme needlesse and be thought only the frenzie of some melancholy spirit I wish it may prove so I shall be glad to lose my paines so they may lose their designs It wil be my happiness to be mistaken in this though timely caution never yet hindered any serious work I shall conclude with my heartie desires to God that he would open the eyes of this Nation defeate the plots of our Enemies settle us in Truth and Peace and that while we are of one Nation we may have one Interest in all publique Affairs FINIS

are fore-warned be fore-armed you have been sorely whipt for your former stupiditie let experience teach you wisdome remember names of things will never effect ends You have fought against the King and his partie for your liberties never give them away to another nation for nothing things are now in a hopefull way of settlement Peace begins to spring over all our injoyments let us not suffer a Scots blast to nip our hopes in the bud God knowes when ever we shall be so faire for libertie and peace if we begin a new broil the name of a warre should now be as odious to all honest men as the name of peace hath been and is to the sonnes of violence Many discontents are among you many divisions make them up lest others discontent you more Events are not easily foreseen in hazardous difficult transactions improve the present mercies you injoy and pray for more but take heed of making them lesse by fomenting such new differences among friends Let us all lay to heart the danger of a new warre the hazard of all that ever we have gained the uncertaintie of effecting the best pretences by such a course It can never enter into the heart of any English man except he hath been bred in the Highlands among the Redshanks that the Kingdome of Scotland should ingage for a warre in England purely to preserve our interests and set up our liberties or that they should be more sensible of our condition then the Parliament of England whom the whole Kingdome have intrusted and of whose faithfulnesse we have experience sufficient though an absolute perfection is not to be expected from men on earth and allowance must be given to men for failings especially who are imployed in multitude of affaires and who go through varietie of temptations Though we acknowledge Scotland a good neighbour yet we have formerly thought that providence had well ordered it that the river Tweede should run between us and I cannot think him an English man that shall desire any more bridges then Barwick to be made over it for holding a brotherly correspondence with us we have not wanted grounds of suspition that sme thing more is desired by them then a bare keeping up the Union Wise men observe how they have of late pryed into our liberties made many incroachments on our interests seemed to challenge a part in the best and richest jewels of this State affronted our Parliament to their faces and that when they have had no army in England Such forward essayes portend only want of power to effect it which they may do in due time if providence and our care prevent it not It s not unknown how it was once pleaded hard at a Conference that the name of great Brittaine might comprehend us all and to leave out the distinct names of Scotland and England knowing that would be a handsome way to get an onenesse in power interest And at another time it was prest hard in both Houses and presented in their Papers that the foure Northern counties might be ingaged to them for the payment of their army knowing that possession was eleven points of the Law and a faire step to a propertie And all this propounded when they came in called by our Parliament purely on the interest of both Kingdoms equally in danger But if ever they should now come in let the pretence be as glorious as it will you can expect nothing but a transplantation of many generations of them into the best and fattest places of this Kingdome England is too great a remptation for souldiers who have no other ends to serve but their own bellies Put beggers on horseback pardon the comparison you know how they will ride But a hint of these things may suffice except we are willing to sell our birth-right for a messe of pottage The result of all should be an earnest endeavour of all the honest party in both King doms to unite and accommodate among themselves waving the punctilio's of private difference and fixing their eye on the designes of the common enemy in the close and underhand transactions of them And before I conclude I think it will not be amisse to spend a few words on each interest and that if possible we may be a wakened to a happy compliance against all our enemies And because our Brethren of Scotlād are now most in sight I cannot choose but begin with them give them this faithfull advice as an honest Covenanter and true English man Brethren we thank you for your brotherly assistance we shall labour to requite you with the same as we have opportunity you were never so nigh England as now you are the next breach will make us at a greater distance then ever we were he that makes the first breach must expect the first ruine we have mutually ingaged together against the common enemy let us not now ingage with them against one another let it never be said that you had made a Covenant with us to put out our eyes let not the dying hopes of our and your enemies be revived by you give not occasion to them to have one cast more against both Kingdoms You have had sufficient experience of Royall promises and what the Kings ingagements have been to you the English Cavaliers are the first born of his heart and will be most respected because of their first free and voluntary ingagement with him and they hate your Covenant and your Nation more then any people in the world When you have set up the King you will give him leave to remember his old quarrell against you Our English Gallants will never endure to see the best of you sit down at the right hand of the Royall Majestie you had better keep your esteem you have with the Parliament and the honest party in England and give us time and peace to pay our debts then crack your credit with every party We shall call against you to the most High God for revenge of the greatest treachery that ever was known if you now joyn with our common enemy to undo this poor Nation Do not verify that old character given you in all Histories and Nations where your name is mentioned that you are called Persidi Know this for certain Though many in England would be glad to see things changed yet they will never endure to see you rule Take heed that while you think to come into England God doth not raise up a second Montrosse to ruine Scotland Neither are we so low in England but we can resent your favours or frowns and you will never make wise men believe pretend Conscience or Covenant but your next coming must be to judgement to part and divide our spoil among your poor despised Gentry and souldiers and though we have of late degenerated much from our English Noblenesse and Gallantry yet there is a veine of good blood that yet runs in some honest hearts which will be prodigally spent