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	king_n	person_n	2,621	5	4.6847	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88229	The out-cryes of oppressed commons. Directed to all the rationall and understanding men in the kingdome of England, and dominion of Wales, (that have not resolved with themselves to be vassells and slaves, unto the lusts and wills of tyrants.) Fron Lieut. Col. John Lilburne, prerogative prisoner in the Tower of London, and Richard Overton, prerogative prisoner, in the infamous gaole of Newgate. Febr. 1647.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Overton, Richard, fl. 1646.	1647 (1647)	Wing L2150; Thomason E378_13; ESTC R201382	26,058	20

downe many strong and solid arguments to prove that the House of Lords have not justly neither judicative noe legislative power at all in them and in his 94. 95 96 97 98. pages he declares from very sound and good authority that before William the Conquerour and invader subdued the rights and priviledges of Parliaments that the King and the Commons held and kept Parliaments without Temporall Lords Bishops or Abbots the two last of which viz. Bishops and Abbots he proves had as true and good right to sit in Parliament as any of the present Lords now sitting at Westminster either now have or ever had yea and out of the 20. 21. pages of that notable and very usefull to be knowne book called the manner of holding Parliaments in England before and since the conquest c. declares plainly that in times by past there was neither Bishops Earle nor Baron and yet even then the Kings of England kept Parliaments with their Commons only and though since by innovation Bishops Earles and Barons have been by the Kings prerogative Charters which of what legall or binding authority they are you may fully read in the Lords and Commons Declaration this present Parliament summoned to sit in Parliament yet not withstanding the King may hold a Parliament with the Commonalty or Commons of the Kingdome without B●shops Earles and Barons and saith Mr. Will. Prynn in the 1 part of his Soveraign Power of Parliaments pag. 43. which booke is commanded to be printed by speciall authority of the present House of Commons out of Mr. Iohn Vowells manner of holding Parliaments which is recorded in Holingh Cron of Ireland fol. 127. 128. that in times by past the King and the Commons did make a full Parliament which authority was never hitherto abridged Yea this present Parliament in their Declaration concerning the Treaty of Peace in Yorkshire 20 Septem 1641. betwixt the Lord Fairfax c. and Mr. Bellasis c. book decl 1. part pag. 628. doe declare first that none of the parties to that agreement had any authority by any act of theirs to bind that Country to any such Nutrality as is mentioned in that agreement it being a peculiar and proper power and priveledge of Parliament where the whole body of the Kingdome is represented to bind all or any part And we say the body of the Kingdome is represented only in the House of Commons the Lords not being in the least chosen or represent any body at all yea and the House of Commons calls their single order for the receiving of Pole-money May 6. 1642. 1. part decl pag. 178. An order of the House of Parliament yea and by severall single orders have acted in the greatest affaires of the Common-wealth And yet notwithstanding all this the Lords like a company of for-sworne men for they have often solemnly sworne to maintaine the Law have by force and violence indeavoured to their power and contrary to law to assume to themselves a judicative power over us who are Commons of England in criminal cases and for refusing to stoop therunto have barbarously for many moneths tirannized over us with imprisonments c. And we according to that duty we owe to our native country and to our selves and ours for the preservation of our selves and the good and just declared lawes and libertise of England and from keeping our selves and our posterities from vassalage and bondage did thereupon according to law and justice appeale to the honourable House of Commons as you may truly and largely read in divers and sundry bookes published by us and our friends as the supreame and legall power and judicature in England whom we did thinke and judge had been chosen of purpose by the free men of England to maintaine the fundamentall good lawes and liberties thereof but to their everlasting shame and the amazement of all that chose and betrusted them We are forced to speake it we have not yet found any reall intentions in them to performe unto us the trust in that particular reposed in them by the whole Kingdome neither have we any grounded cause to say in truth any otherwise of them but that they are more studious and industrious-unjustly in deviding hundred thousands of pounds of the Common wealths Money amongst themselves then in in actuall doing to us in whom all and every the Commons of England are concerned for what by the wills of the Lords is done to us to day may by done to any Commoner of England to morrow either justice or right according to their duty and their often sworne oathes though we have not ceased continuall to the utmost of our power legally and iustly to crave it at their hands as you may fully read in our forementioned printed bookes Sure we are they tell us in their printed Declarations that they are chosen and betrusted by the people 1. part decl pag 171 172. 263 264 266. 336 340 361 459. 462. 508. 588 613 628. 690. 703 705 711. 714. 716. 724 725. 729. And that to provide for their weale but not for their woe booke decl 1. part page 150. 81. 382. 726. 728. And they in their notable Declaration of the 2. Novemb. 1642. booke decl 1 part pag. 700. expresly tell us that all interests of publique trust is only for the publique good and not for private advantages nor to the prejudice of any mans particular interest much lesse of the publique and in the same page they further say that all interests of trust is limitted to such ends or uses and may not be imployed to any other especially they that have any interests only to the use of others as they confesse all Interests of trust are cannot imploy them to there owne or any other use then that for which they are intrusted yea and page 266. see 1. part book decl pag 687 they tell the King that the whole Kingdome it selfe is intrusted unto him for the good and safety and best advantage thereof and as this trust is for the use of the Kingdome so ought it to be managed by the advice of the Houses of Parliament whom the Kingdome hath intrusted for that purpose it being their duty to see it be discharged according to the cond●tion and true intent thereof and as much as in them lyes by all possible meanes to prevent the contrary And therefore negatively in the second place we are sure that the House of Commons by their owne Declarations were never intentionally chosen and sent to Westminster to devide amongst themselves the great offices and places of the Kingdome and under pretence of them to make themselves rich and mighty men with sucking and deviding among themselves the vitall and heart blood of the Common wealth viz. its treasure now lying not in a swound but even a gasping for life and being but let us see whether this and other of their late doings be according to their former protestations imprecations and just Declarations which if they be not

actually with a great deale of Barbarous cruelty done to us But before we doe solemnly seriously and actuall appeale to the people as of necessity if by them we cannot inioy iustice and right and the benefit of the knowne and unrepealed Lawes of the Land which is all we crave or desire We both must and will cost it hanging or burning or what ever it will we desire from their owne words to make our way plaine before hand and the more to leave them without excuse before God and all our fellow Commons of England Seeing skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Iob 2. And therefore in the first place we must professe in their owne words in their Declaration to the States of Holland pag. 637 that we have no other designe in the world but not to be destroyed and save our selves Lawes Liberties and Freedomes and let not them say if we should formally appeale to the people that we malitiously indevour to dissolve the whole frame and constitution of the civill pollicy and government of this Kingdome into the originall Law of nature by arraigning and condemning before the people the High Court of Parliament from whence legally there can be no appeale we doe truly confesse and owne the Honourable House of Commons whose iust interest wee honour with all our hearts to be to us the legall supreame power in the Kingdome from whom we conceive in law we have no higher appeale but if the House of Commons will not doe us justice and right and so discharge their trust and duty but suffer the Lords contrary to the Law of the Land which they have sworne to maintain to murther and destroy us our wives and children and by consequence the liberty of all the Commons of England we cannot nor dare not for fear of being Traitors and fellons to our selves sit still and willingly suffer our selves contrary to the good and just Lawes and constitutions of the Kingdome to be destroyed by the Lords who in Law have no more power to commit our bodies to prison being Commoners then wee have to commit theirs Therefore it is not we but they themselves that dissolve the legall frame and constitution of the civill policy and government of the Kingdome by suffering will and lust but not law to rule and governe us and so reduce us into the originall Law of nature for every man to preserve and defend himselfe the best he can and therefore since it must be so for so it is we in their owne words pag. 690. say in Gods name let the people Iudge every man within his owne breast whether they or we are most guilty of the foresaid charge But we come to their owne words in their appealing to the people and craving their aid and assistance to helpe to preserve them against those that they say contrary to Law would have destroyed them and we shall begin in the first place with the Protestation which they made and tooke the 3. of May 1641. and by an Order of the 5. May 1641. give their approbation to the taking it by any Commoner of England in the preamble of which they spend much time to demonstrate that there have been and still is a strong indeavour by a Malignant party to subvert the Fundamentall Lawes of England c. And to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and tyrannicall government and therefore they sweare and protest they will maintaine the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject and every Person that maketh this protestation in what soever he shall doe in the lawfull persuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and meanes indeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such whether Lords or Members of the House of Commons without exception as shall either by force practise counsells plots conspiracies doe any thing to the contrary and by their Vote of the 30 Iune 1641. They say that what person soever will not take this Protestation is unfit to beare office in the Church or Common-Wealth Now let us see what use they make of this Protestation against the King and we shall find in the 1. part book decl pag. 190. 191. The Vote of the House of Commons in these words Resolved upon the Question That this House doth declare that if any person whatsoever shall arrest or imprison the persons of the Lords and Gentlemen or any of them or any other of the Members of either House of Parliament that shall be imployed in the service of both Houses of Parliament or shall offer violence to them or any of them for doing any thing in pursuance of the commands or instructions of both Houses shall be held disturbers of the proceedings of Parliament and publique enemies of the State And that all persons * * Marke it well ye Commons of England are bound by their Protestation to endeavour to bring them to condigne punishment An Order of the selfe same effect you may read pag. 156. made by them 26. Appill 16●2 And in their Declaration of the 26. May 1642 pag. 278. speaking of the Kings proclaming Sir Iohn Hotham a Traytor without due processe of Law they declare it not only a breach of the Priviledge of Parliament but a subvertion of the Subjects common right yea and such a breach of the Priviledge of Parliament as that the very being thereof depends upon it and therefore say they we no wayes doubt but every one that hath taken the Protestation will according to his solemn Vow and Oath defend it with his life and fortunes And in their Declaratioe of the 19. May 1642. pag. 214. speaking of the many difficulties that they are forced to incounter with in the discharge of their duty to the Kingdome they say yet wee doubt not but we shall overcome all this at last if the people suffer not themselves to be deluded with false and specious shewes and so drawne to betray us to their owne undoing who have ever been willing to hazzard the undoing of our selves that they might not be betrayed by our neglect of the trust reposed in us And in their smart Declaration of the beginning of August 1642 pag. 496. replying unto his Majesties Answers to their propositions they say And having received so sharp a return such expressions of bitternesse a justification and a vowed protection of Delinquents from the hand of Iustice Demands of so apparent danger such manifestations of an intention to destroy us and with us the whole kingdome and this most cleerly evidenced by their subsiquent actions even since these propositions have been made unto us from his Majestie over-running severall Countries compelling the Trained Bands by force to come in and joyne with them or disarming them and putting their Armes into the hands of leud and desperate persons thereby turning the Armes of the Kingdome against it selfe it be not fit for us not only

not to yeeld to what is required but also to make further provision for the preservation of our selves and of those who have sent us hither and intrusted us with all they have Estates Liberty and life and that which is the life of their lives their * * That we absolutely deny and therefore if the blind lead the blind they must needs both fall into the ditch Religion and even for the safety of the Kings person now invironed by those who carrie him upon his owne ruine and the destruction of all his people At least to give them warning that all this is in danger That if the King may force this Parliament they may bid fare well to all Parliaments from ever receiving good by them and if Parliaments be lost they are lost their Lawes are lost as well as those lately made as in former times all which will be cut in sunder with the same sword now drawne for the distruction of this Parliament Then if they will not come to helpe the Parliament and save themselves though both they and we must perish yet have we discharged our Consciences and delivered our soules and will looke for a reward in Heaven should we be so ill requited upon Earth by those of whom we have so well deserved which we cannot feare having found upon all occasions such reall demonstrations of their love and affection and of their right understanding and apprehension of our and their common danger And in their large Declaration of the 2. Novem. 1642. pag 699. speaking of his Majesties charge in his Declaration where he compaires them to the Anabaptists mentioned in Mr. Hookers book they say if ever God shall discover the foule Authors of so false a calumny we doubt not but the Kingdome that is the universallity of the people will be very sensible of it and esteeme that they can never doe themselves right * * And if the people should doe themselves right What should become of the Earle of Manchester old Sir Henry Vaine Mr. Barw●s c. for visibly betraying their severall trusts See Englands Birth-Right c. but by bringing to condigne punishment such persons as could find in their hearts to lay so vile an aspertion upon the Parliament a name that alwayes hath and we hope alwayes shall bee of so great honour and reverence within this Kingdome And in the same Declaration pag. 728. answering his Majesties charge fixed upon them of designing the ruine not only of his Majesties person but of Monarchy it selfe And we appeale to all the world say they whether worse words then these can be given us And whether we may not justly expect the worst actions that the malice and power of the Malignant party about his Majesty can produce And whether it be not high time for us to stand upon our defence which nature teacheth * * A●ve all here expressed take notice of this speciall undenable and accued principall every man to provide for and this Kingdome unlesse it be very unnaturall and unmindfull of it selfe cannot but afford to them whom it hath intrusted and by whom it is represented Now from all the forementioned authorities and arguments of the Parliaments owne Declarations we draw these conclusions which naturally flow from them first that all Majesteriall Power in England whatever are but Offices of trust and bound up with this limitation to be executed for the good of the trusters Secondly that it is posible that all or any of the severall Majesteriall trustees may forfit their or its trust Thirdly that in case of ●orfiting the Majesterycall trust the trusters the people are disobleged from their obedience and subjection and may lawfully doe the best they can for their owne preservation but if what hath beene said be not fully cleare out of all doubt to prove the foresaid deducions We wil only ad two more proofs at present of there owne Authoryties which will put them all out of dispute the first is out a late sheet of paper newly Printed according to Order of Parliaments Intitled King Iames his Opinion and Iudgement concerning a Real King and a Tirant extracted out of his owne speech to the Lords and Commons in Parliament at White-Hall 1609. A King saith King Iames in a setled Kingdome binds himselfe to a double oath to the observation of the fundamentall Lawes of his Kingdome tacitly as by being a King and so bound to perfect as well the People as the Law of his Kingdome and expresly by his oath at his Coronation So as every just King in a setled Kingdom is bound to observe that Paction or Covenant made to his people by his lawes in framing his government agreeable thereunto according to that paction made with Noah after the deluge Gen. 9.11 therefore a King governing in a setled Kingdome leaves to be a King and degenerates into a Tyrant as soone as he leaves of to rule according to his lawes therefore all Kings that are not Tyrants or perjured will be glad to bound themselves within the Limits of their Laws and they that perswade them the contrary are Vipers Pests both against them the Common Wealth thus far King Iames out of which the Author of that sheet drawes nine inferences or conclusions the fift of which is in these words That a King governing in a setled Kingdome as the Kingdome of England is leaves to be a King so soone as he leaves of and failes to rule according to his Lawes And so leaving of to be a King the government on his part is infringed so as the people are no longer his subiects to obey him in his lawlesse government then be is their King governing them accord●ng to his Laws to the same effect is his sixt conclusion and in the last end of the seventh he hath these words That if Kings cease to be Kings setting up an absolute tyranny over the People to govern them no longer by the Lawes as free borne liege People but lawlesly as vassells and slaves then on the other side the people leaving to be subjects doe owe them no more obedience as being none of their Kings but as usurping tyrants For as a King turning Tyrant practising tyranny under the name of prerogative hath broken the bonds of the Kingdome so the subjects owe him no more duty of liege people except they will avow themselves his Slaves and so betrayers of their own and the publique liberties which ought to be more precious unto them then their ●l●ves and ●●●ds Again 8 a K●ng so degenerating into a Tyrant is by the verdict of K. Iames departed a perjured man c. perjured men as they are odious to God so they bring an execration upon a land Za. 53.4 and if so then say we wo woe woe unto poore England by reason of the perjuries of the dissembling Lords and Commons at Westminster that have laid aside the Law and troden under their feet the liberties of England And the