Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	earl_n	king_n	7,466	5	3.9949	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87143	Peace and not warre: or The moderator. Truly, but yet plainly, stating the case of the Common-VVealth, as to several of the considerable councils & transactions from the year 1636. to 1659. By John Harris, Gent. An affectionate lover of his countryes peace.	Harris, John, Gent.	1659 (1659)	Wing H859; Thomason E1000_25; ESTC R202581	28,992	53

fresh in memory that I shall not need to stir those embers any further that have kindled such a fatall fire in the bowels of these divided and distracted Nations Onely give me leave to mention the method that was observed by the Catholick Caball then governing in Councill to introduce those troubles that have since been the necessary consequences of their then designments As to the King an unlimited Prerogative was made the sugred bait to allure him to a countenance of and compliance with them it being naturall for all men especially Princes not onely to admire but to reach at and covet the encrease of power and dominion especially when the attainement thereof seemes to be facile and the end advantageous Having brought him to their bent in that particular then they began to spring that mine which had for severall yeares lain hid viz. the introduction of Popery though not in its own name nor with its own face for as yet neitheir their Councils nor forces were ripe for so great a work and therefore the two factions Spanish and French being joyned to the Arminian part of the Clergy who at that time greatly over-powered those that were called Puritans set on foot the orders for conformity and uniformity in publick worship and imposed the publick Liturgy or Common Prayer setting the same above preaching c and this not out of any zeal to the Glory of God but in design to heat and perplex all such in the two Nations of England and Scotland as were conscientious to the intent that by that opposition which must consequently be made by them whose principles could not submit to those unwartantable innovations an occasion might be given them to incite the King to make use of his power by force to impose what otherwise his Proclamations and commands could not effect And this from reason and experience I alleadge to be the parent of the Scotch War begun under the command of that great Spanish Factor Arrundell Generall who indeed was the fittest to execute what had been so long hammering between him his brother Cottington and other the Cabalists of that faction And by the way it is worth remembring that while the King with all the power of the nation was engaged in the borders of Scotland by force to subject them to the designes both of his own and their enemies the Spaniard arrives in the Downes with a powerfull Fleet and Army the comming whereof was never so much as known by England or at least taken notice of untill seen although forraign preparations doe and ought generally occasion nay necessitate domestick provisions for security But the Dutch dissipating them diverted the storme and left England destitute of that proof of their designe which if it had taken we have cause to believe that pretended peace patcht up with the Scots had not been so soon made but being put upon new Councells and that forraign assistance failing they feared to rely upon the strength of their Army which though as to men gallant and numerous yet being somewhat divided and all England behinde them in feares the appearance of the Spaniard as aforesaid having put men upon consideration lest the designe should appeare both to the King and his people I say a peace is patcht up the Army disbanded and a Parliament called by the expectation whereof the people began a little to be quieted in hopes that by those Physitians the nation might be cured of all its distempers But such was the composition thereof by reason of the prevalency of the Court in point of Elections of the Commons and mixture of interests of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall that as little could be rationally expected from them as was effected by them at their meeting for as the intention of calling was only to justifie the Scotish War by a Law and to get money by a loane or subsidie to carry it on to which the Commons would by no meanes assent so all expectations became frustrate by their speedy dissolution and the setting on foot new Councells and designes to increase the flame and encite the King to make new leavies against the Scots imprison severall Members of the Parliament and Scotch Commissioners sent and attending to ratify the Treaty seize severall of the Ships and Goods of the Scotch and by all meanes endeavour to suppresse and destroy the Puritane party as they call them who they judged the onely great enemies to the King whereas they took the exactest course in the world to make them such all their designes and actings being clothed by his power and strengthened by his warrant and Commission And to the end the want of money might not retard or hinder the vigorous prosecution of the War the Bishops open their bags and raine showers of Gold thereby justly giving occasion for it to be called Bellum Episcopale but notwithstanding their haste the Scots who suspected foule play had formed an Army and were upon their march into England before they could raise and rendezvouz and maugre their speed after their routing of a party nigh Newborn engaged by the Earle of Strafford as is really believed upon designe to make the War certain the Scots enter Newcastle and possesse Durham and parts adjacent while the King retires to York neither Army proceeding any further to acts of hostility But by the way it is observable the Earle of Northumberland who a little before could not be suffered upon any termes to pass Trent being popular in the North and a moderate Protestant must be made Generall the better to colour the businesse and since the Spanish assistance failed a new forraign force must be made use of and the Catholick Irish His Majesties then pretended most loyall Subjects must be armed and engaged in this religious War contrary to reason common rules of prudence or safety and the consequences whereof did soon after visibly appeare in that horrid rebellion which ended in the sorrow and ruine of the designers The Scots being in England and necessities encreasing many of the Nobility and Gentry were summoned to attend upon the King at York where after mature consideration of the State of affaires a Paliament is agreed to be summoned and Writs issue out accordingly The Parliament being met and an account being taken of the necessities and demands of the King after many debates the Parliament resolve and declare That unlesse they might be secured to sit untill the grievances of the people were considered and redressed they would grant no supplies nor intermedle with the Scotch War but leave it as they found it or to that purpose This resolution was a bitter pill to the Court and hard of digestion but yet necessity has no Law down it must and therefore an antidote must be prepared and lie in readiness as a cure for this poyson For the case stands thus if the Parliament be not satisfyed then no supply there is an enemy in the Land and an Army ful of discontents for

debts were paid as well as the Armies and Navies so that in a short time England had probable hopes of great ease as to an abatement of their Taxes especially if an as honourable and advantageous peace had been made with the Dutch as this Power proposed insisted on and for denyal whereof they undertook that war But if you remember further there hath been a Spanish war set on foot without the consent of Parliament and therein not onely many mens lives lost but much Treasure hath been expended and not onely so but vast debts at home and arrears abroad contracted and owing both to the Armies and Navies besides the charge of a Court for the inferiour part of it more luxurious than the Kings By all which means great debts now lie upon the Parliament although you know what an exceeding great encrease of Excise was granted by one of his Conventions to the discouragement if not ruine of Trade now I say this was Englands nay give me leave to speak it to the shame of many it was even the fault of those who had most reason to assert the parliamentary interest had not we repined and like ignorant children eagerly desired a change in expectation of better things we had not in this manner met with worse neither had the General though his Army had been united to him which we know for the generality were surprized dared to have attempted their dissolution or his own usurpation but we like a company of weather-cocks are now so Frenchified that every new Fingle-fangle takes us and we are more ready to run with our flattering addresses to them that forge strong chains for our heels I might say hearts than those that endeavour to recover and secure our freedoms I need not mention the present occasion the charge is visible in your eyes Now pray how shall these debts be paid The decay of Trade which you all experience and complain of renders the Revenue of the Customs and Excise very inconsiderable and what other Incomes may happen is uncertain you see there be enemies at home and you have reason to suspect foes from abroad besides the visible necessity of a considerable strength to ballance the discontents of honest men who as the case stands are hardly to be trusted with the keeping of their own peace now I say upon all these considerations how can you charge the Parliament You would have a Protector and still strive for a King nothing but a single person will please you and yet although you lay all these foundations to contract debts you are loth to have any hand in the payment but soft and fair self do self have if you will have Princes you must maintain them and if your discontents endanger the peace it is a necessary duty incumbent upon the Parliament to keep an Army to prevent you Englishmen are almost turn'd Bedlamites and were not the Lash threatned Harmony would be turn'd to Discord Cain would slay poor Abel and all Parties like Sampson and the Philistines would dye together though probably their expectations may be otherwise I know to serious men I have said enough as to this Subject and for self-will'd persons all that can be said is too little because they are wedded to their own fancies Discontented persons desire no satisfaction and Malignant ones deserve none I shall therefore proceed to offer some few Quaeries to the consideration of all Parties that take themselves to be concerned in the peace and prosperity of England and submit all to the consideration of the unprejudiced Reader 1. Whether it be by any rational man supposed That the Kings of England as single persons had their power and magistracy by the immediate designation of God 2. Whether if not by Gods immediate appointment it was not attained by force or fraud or conferred upon them by mutual compact and agreement for society and safety sake 3. Whether if so conferred the people conferring was not the supreme Authority 4. Whether it can upon any principles of Reason be imagined That the people thus sensible of the benefit of Society and in order thereto making choice of such a form of command and subjection did not also by some equal rules ballance the power to prevent Tyranny in their King and Slavery to them and their posterities 5. Whether if the power were attained by force or fraud although for a time the people for necessity sake do submit may they not throw off that Yoke and recover their freedoms if by any means they can 6. Whether in case of compact the King taking upon him the Government upon Condition of performance and that upon oath solemnly taken in the presence of the people he shall notwithstanding act according to Will and not Law thereby rendring that which was intended for the common good a common mischief I say whether in this case the people are tied up to a slavish servile Obedience and left without all manner of remedy either of divesting him of that Authority or of calling him to an account or judging him by the said compact and agreement and if so upon what principles of Reason or Prudence could they submit to such a slavery 7. Whether if the people may call their King or supreme Magistrate to an account they may not elect another or choose and establish any other form of Government to them appearing most conducible to their safety 8. Whether any Government be more likely to answer the great ends of the people than when their Laws are made by their Representatives equally elected and limited as to the exercise of that power so that he that commands this year shall taste of subjection the next and therefore will be careful how he entails slavery upon himself and posterity the Law binding all alike and not saying Thou shalt not kill but I may but whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed and so in all other cases 9. Whether the present Parliament be not the most likely persons to establish a Government upon the most equal principles of Freedom that have so frequently declared for it so zealously contested against Tyranny even unto the bloud of the Tyrant and remain so solemnly engaged to God and man both by their own Declarations Promises and Principles according to the best of their judgments to accomplish it and that as a testimony of their thankfulness for the eminent deliverances that God hath given them in their endeavours to obtein it 10. Whether the discontents of the people and endeavouring to bring in a Family that it is to be feared God hath set his face against for evil may not onely provoke God to deal with England as with Israel of old and give them a King in his wrath but also bring a judgment of war upon this Nation with the miseries accrewing and then when it is too late men will wish for that peace which now is so irksome and troublesome 11. Whether if the present Parliament