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
A91317	A vindication of the imprisoned and secluded Members of the House of Commons, from the aspersions cast upon them, and the majority of the House, in a paper lately printed and published: intituled, An humble answer of the Generall Councel of the officers of the Army under his Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, to the demands of the Honourable Commons of England in Parliament assembled: concerning the late securing or secluding some Members thereof.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1649 (1649)	Wing P4128; Thomason E539_5; ESTC R7280	23,082	37

benefit of the Church And in all things else his Majesty refers himselfe to his former answers And in his former answers dated October 21. 1648. He consents to the taking away all Arch-bishops Chancellours Commissaries Deans and Sub-deans and Chapters Arch deacons Cannons and Prebendaries and all Chanters Chancellours Treasurers Succentours Sachrists old Vicars new Vicars of any Cathedrall Church and all other their under officers out of the Church of England Dominion of Wales and Church of Ireland In these answers as wee conceive the King takes away the government of the Church by Arch-bishops Bishops c. by his taking away their Courts the Bishops having no authority to convent any person send for any witnesse heare any cause passe any censure or judgement or exercise any Acts of Church Government but by and in their Courts which being by this answer abolisht the Government fals And for their power of Ordination though it bee not absolutely taken away yet the exercise of it is susp●nded so as it is equivalent for the Bishops can never exercise that power againe in England untill they be restored hereunto by Act of Parliament And if that power had been absolutely taken away yet if the King and both Houses of Parliament restore it it is againe establisht So that the maine desect in this answer is in that the King agree● to settle the Presbyteri●n Government onely for three yeares and that at the end of that time there is no Government in the Church untill it bee setled by Act of Parliament Wee professe herein that the Kings Answer comes farre short of what we desired and of what we shall use our best endeavours fully to effect according to former engagements there being nothing wherein wee should more rejoyce then to see as the power and purity of Doctrine so the beauty of Order and golden Reynes of Discipline strengthned and establ●sht by a perpetuall Law amongst us Yet the King consents to the s●●ling of this Government in this Answer for so long a time as the Hou●es formerly in their Ordinances presented to him at Newc●stle did themselves think fit to settle it This b●ing the true st●te of the d●fference betwixt the Kings Answer and the Proposi●ions of the Houses for a safe and well grounded Peace which were the subject of the Houses debate Decemb. the 5th We shall in the next place before We come to those Reasons which induced Us thereupon to Vote that c. We shall premise First by this Vote the House did not determine as We conceive the having no further Treaty with his Majesty before a concluding and declaring of Peace nor was the Houses so bound up hereby that they could not propose any thing further wherein the Kings Answers are defective or from making any new Propositions for the better healing our b●e●ches or more safe binding up a just and righteous Peace which as it doth appeare by the Words of the Vote it selfe so it is also manifest to bee the full purpose and sense of the House therein by their laying aside the former Vote that the Kings Answers are satisfactory by a Question upon a long debate And at the same time framing and passing this Vote whereby they only lay hold of these large Concessions and declare their judgements thereupon against a breach with the King and continuance of this unnaturall Warre betwixt the King and his people upon the difference at last by the blessing of God brought into so narrow a compasse And this being a true state of the matter then in debate and Our sense in the Vote that passed thereupon Wee judged it most consistent with Our duties as Christians and our Trust as Members of Parliament to make this step having so much ground given Us towards the happy settlement of thi● Kingdom in Peace This being publisht in Print to be so high a crime in Us as to justifie whatsoever the Army hath done against Vs and God and Man being appealed unto therein We shall here lay down some of the Considerations both on the one hand and on the other which carryed our Iudgements to the passing this Vote 1. The advantages by this proceeding towards a close with the King upon what hee hath granted are the saving of the Kingdome of Ireland out of the hands of the bloudy Popish Rebels and preserving it to the Crown of England the regaining the revolted Navie and freedome of the Seas the support of the Ancient and well constitu●ed Government of this Kingdome the honour of Parliament in making Peace after so troublesome a Warre and in a word the stoping the most sad issue of English bloud that ever was opened in this Nation and the putting of the people of this Kingdome into possession of greater security of their Lawes and Liberties against the over growing power of the Kings Prorogative then ever any of Our Ancestors in the greatest of their successes could ever attaine unto The consequences visible in our eyes if we should upon the matter in difference have made a breach with the King are 1. The deposing if not the taking away the life of the King what miseries upon either of these have formerly ensued to this Kingdome our own Histories tell Us Although for the latter which Wee unwillingly mention there was never any president for it in this Kingdome nor ever made by any Protestants in the World and We desire it may never bee done by any in this Kingdome being that which from our harts We doe detest and abhorre We cannot but remember in the end of our Warre the day wherein God hath given Vs prosperity the Declarations which We made in the beginning of Our Warre and the obligations which We laid upon our selves and the Kingdome when we were low In the Petition of Lords and Commons presented to his Majesty by the Earl of Stamford c. April the 8th 1642. are these words viz. That you will please to reject all Councels and apprehensions which may any way derogate from that faithfulnesse and Allegiance which in truth and sincerity We have alwayes born and professed to your Majesty and shall ever make good to the uttermost with our Lives and Fortunes In a Declaration and Protestation of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament setting forth the Cause and ends of their taking up Armes to this Kingdome and to the whole World Octob. 22. 1642. are these words viz. We the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled doe in the presence of Almighty God for the satisfaction of our consciences and the discharge of that great Trust which lies upon Vs make this Protestation and Declaration to this Kingdome and Nation and to the whole World That no private passion or respect no evill intention to his Majesties Person no design● to the prejudice of his just honour and Authority engaged Vs to raise Forces and take up Armes against the Authors of this W●rre wherewith the Kingdome is now inflamed and We

have alwayes desired from our hearts and souls manifested in our actions and proceedings and severall humble Petitions and Remonstrances to his Majesty professed our loyalty and obedience to his Crown redinesse and resolution to defend his Person and support his Estate with our Lives and Fortunes to the uttermost of Our Power c. A Declaration of the Lords and Commons in Answer c. Concerning the Allegations that the Army raised by the Parliament is to murther and depose the King We hope the Contrivers of the Declaration or any that professeth but the name of a Christian could not have so little chari●y as to raise such a scandall especially when they must needs know the Protestation taken by every Member of both Houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend his Majesties Person the Protestations made by the Members of both Houses upon the nomination of the Earle of E●●ex to be Generall and to live and die with him is exprest that this Army was raised for the defence of the Kings Person In the Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion and honour and happinesse of the King Thus Having before our eyes the honour aend happinesse of the Kings Majesties Person and his Posterity We shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endevour in our several places and callings to preserve and def●nd the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom that the World may beare Witnesse with our Consciences that We have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatnesse c. And it appeared not unto V● to be consistent with the publike Faith of the Houses in those Decl●rations nor with other obligations which We have laid upon our selves by these Oa●hes Covenants Prote●●ations to hazard the deposig of the King from his Crown dignity much lesse the losse of his Life upon the making of a breach upon the matter in difference 2. We could not but foresee the apparent losse of the Kingdom of Ireland and extirpation of English Protestants and of the Protestant Religion out of that Kingdom into the hands and power of Pa●ists in Arms there We cannot but believe our tendernesse to make a breach of proceeding out of hearts desire to relieve and preserve the remnant of those poor Protestants which otherwise are like to be a prey to the Popish Rebels who are not satis●ied with the lives of many thousands of Innocents whom they have already murthered will justifie Vs before God and Men for what We have done in endeavouring to lay hold upon the grounds given Vs towards the settlement of Peace 3. We could not but apprehend with fear the great advantage to the Popish and Forraign Interests and the disadvantage to the Protestant Cause in this Kingdom and throughout the World by a breach The Prince and Duke of York the two next Heirs to the Crown and Government of three Kingdoms both in For●aign par●s and under the 〈◊〉 direction If the Warre be stilll continued by the Parliam●n● upon the matter in differenc● it may be feared the Prince may marry with the daughter of a Popish King ostrengthen himself both at Land and Sea by Forraign alliance to which the right of his Inheritance to three Kingdoms is a faire invitation unto which the Popish Interest in Ireland prevailing giving such an advantage together with the assistance of the Papists in this Kingdom what can be expected for Vs but to be certainly the the Seat of Warre and in great danger to be brought under a Popish yoak which We beseech Almighty God to keep us from 4 It is obvious that a breach made at this time upon the grounds afore-mentioned as it will divide Vs amongst our selves hazard the losse of Ireland so it is like to lay a foundation of a perpetuall breach betwixt these two Kingdoms of England and Scotland If there should bee any thought of change of Government here how contrary are their declared Principles both of their State and Church thereunto The King of England is King of Scotland and they are under Allegiance and Covenants for the preservation of the Kings Person and his Posterity as well as We What diff●rences are l●ke to ensue betwixt the Kingdomes by Government against Gov●rnment perhaps Title against Title and one Kingdom against the other And this Kingdom being the more wealthy most probable to bee the Seat wherein all the Tragick Sceans and contentions betwixt both Kingdoms shall bee acted what have We in reason or conscience before God or Man to beare us out against these many and Eminent hazards Wee had consideration of the vast debts which the Kingdome lies under and for which the Publique Faith stands ingaged Of which wee see no hope of payment but by a settlement What vast summes of money are owing to this Army and to all the Souldiers in the Kingdom What multitude of extream sufferers in this City and in every County of the Kingdome by what they have lent to and lost for the Parliament Who by the continuance of the Warre are onely like to bee paid with more sufferings and exactions upon what is yet left them and every yeers Warre is like to make new Malignants through discontenting pressures destroy more families increase the Publique debt to be paid and withall increase the Kingdomes wants and make it the lesse able to pay untill at last the Souldier seeing no hope of Pay the People no hope of Peace but generall and desperate tumultuousnesse fall amongst both by laying hold of what is now agreed might bee prevented the King having agreed to what is satisfactory for the payment of Publique debts and damages which yet may in good measure bee performed to satisfie the Souldiers Lenders and Sufferers and ingage them to the interest of our Peace Lastly when we cast our Eyes upon all parts of the Kingdome the present scarcity in the Countries the povertie and disorders in our Cities or when wee look at Sea and behold our Navy divided our Merchants robbed our Trade decayed confusion threatning us on every side These made our bowells yerne within us and call aloud upon us to improve the season and advantage offered by this Vote Before wee conclude this point wee must give Answer to an objection which they insinuate to aggravate the passing this Vote by us in these words Viz. Although the King had finally denyed such things from some of which by their Covenant whereto they had pretended so much zeal and from others by their Publique Faith given they were obliged nos to recede By Which this Paper seems to glance at the Proposition for abolishing of Arch Byshops Byshops c. For sail of their Lands and for settling the Presbyterian Government We cannot but observe its said their Coven●●t and not the Covenant to which they pretended so much zeal Is