Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	allegiance_n	king_n	oath_n	2,942	5	7.6429	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80358	Conscience puzzel'd, about subscribing the new Engagement; in the solution of this quæere: whether a man that hath taken the oaths of allegiance, and supremacy, the protestation and covenant, may, upon the alteration of the government from a monarchy into a free state, subscribe this ensuing engagement? I A.B. declare, and promise to be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of England, as it is now established without King and House of Lords.		1649 (1649)	Wing C5899; Thomason E585_7; ESTC R206262	3,763	8

CONSCIENCE PUZZEL'D ABOUT Subscribing the New Engagement in the Solution of this Quaere Whether a man that hath taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy the Protestation and Covenant may upon the alteration of the Government from a Monarchy into a Free State subscribe this ensuing Engagement I A. B. declare and promise to be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of ENGLAND as it is now established without King and House of Lords Zach. 8. 17. Love no false Oath for this is a thing that I hate saith the Lord. Rom. 14. 22 23. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth And he that doubteth is damned if he eat Printed in the Yeer 1656. I A. B. declare and promise That I will be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of England as it is now established without King and House of Lords The Question is Whether a man that hath taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy the Protestation and Covenant may upon the alteration of the Government from a Monarchy into a Free State subscribe this Engagement Premise THere is no doubt but unengaged men may All Governments being of themselves equally lawfull And were we upon the point of choosing a Government we know no reason to compell us to pitch upon a Monarchy more then a Common-wealth And whatever may be said in Law for the childes virtuall obligation to the Oaths of this nature wherein his father was personally engaged we see no reason in Divinity but our children who never were engaged by the Oaths Protestation and Covenant above-mention'd may when they shall come to yeers of discretion oblige themselves either by promise or oath of fealty unto this Government But the Question is concerning Engaged men as all but a very few of those who are lyable to this Subscription are Answer to this may be made in the affirmative upon two Concessions First if the words of the Engagement import nothing contrary to those Oaths Protestation and Covenant 2ly If upon supposition that they do import something contrary to those Oaths c. it may be made good unto us that the obligation of our former Oaths c. doth cease upon this new Establishment Concession 1 First If the words of the Engagement import nothing contrary unto those Oaths c. As First If by Common-wealth be meant the whole company of men and women both of higher and lower rank contained within the bounds and territories of these Dominions So we were wont to call the Common-wealth in the time of Monarchy unlesse when we took it for the Civill State as contra-distinct unto the Ecclesiasticall And if it have that large signification here and if the words as it is now established be to be understood adversativè and not reduplicativè and so binde us to be faithfull to the Common-wealth in this sense Licet stabilitae and not quâ stabilitae absque Domino Regis c. it will be nothing contrary to our Oaths and Covenants to subscribe thereunto For unto the Common-wealth in this sense we must be faithfull whatsoever Government it be under And he that will not be true and faithfull to this Common-wealth now it is without King and House of Lords was never conscientiously faithfull to it when it was subject to a King and House of Lords And we are somewhat inclined to think that this may be the meaning Because not onely all of lower rank but also all of superior rank as the Speaker and the House of Commons the Lord President and the Councell of State the Lord Generall and Councell of War c. are enjoyned to subscribe If they or any of them be the Common-wealth here meant we somewhat strange at the Injunction Our Kings were never wont to swear fealty to themselves or Monarchy If it may be declared that the words are intended in the sense above specified we beleeve the Engagement cannot want Subscribers But 2ly If the words Common wealth of England be taken for a certain State of Government as it stands contra-distinct to Monarchy as it is generally conceived they are then without perjury engaged men cannot subscribe thereunto unlesse they fetch some help from the exposition of the words True and faithfull First If the words True and faithfull be to be understood onely negatively and oblige a man onely not to be false or treacherous to or turbulent in the Common-wealth we conceive that a pre-ingaged man may with a safe conscience subscribe to this present Engagement Insomuch as whatsoever we were formerly engaged unto was to be compassed by all lawfull wayes and means by every man in his vocation and calling But for any private man by treachery or turbulency raising tumults and factions to disquiet the present peace though it be to the attainment of those ends whereunto he was pre-ingaged is to do evill that good may come thereby out of his calling and vocation to act for a publick good which no man without an immediate call from heaven hath warrant to do So that if it be declared that no more is intended by the words then what may be comprehended in the negative sense of them we shall not refuse to subscribe the Engagement though it be to a Common-wealth as it stands contra-distinct to Monarchy 2ly If the words true and faithfull be to be understood positively yet in a strict sense so as to oblige us to submit and yeeld obedience to this State of government in licitis honestis necessariis we may notwithstanding our former Oaths subscribe thereunto For as for those things that come within the number of necessaria necessarie duties to be performed to God we are obliged unto them though we were never enjoyned them by men whose command puts a tye upon us as subjects but such as is of inferior nature to the tye which Gods command puts upon us as creatures and Christians And though we obey not the Command meerly for the Civil Sanctions sake yet we hold our selves bound to reverence the Civill Sanction so much the more for the Commands sake And as for those things which come within the number of licita honesta things lawfull and honest though not necessary we count our selves obliged to the performance of them for the Commands sake meerly Uncommanded we may neglect them because not necessary but commanded we shal not refuse to observe them because lawfull But we trust in the mean while that none will be so irrationall as to bring that yoke upon us which neither we nor our fathers were ever able to bear viz to enslave us to the performance of meer indifferent things as necessary duties where the performance of them doth not necessarily argue us good subjects or good Christians But 3ly If the words true and faithfull be to be understood positively and in a large sense so as to oblige us to assist and defend with our lives and fortunes the present Establishment against all whatsoever though it be the