Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	earl_n	lord_n	privy_a	6,059	5	11.5175	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56227	A seasonable, historical, legal vindication and chronological collection of the good old fundamental liberties, franchises, rights, laws of all English freemen ...; Seasonable, legal, historical vindication of the good old fundamental liberties, franchises, rights, properties, laws, government of all English freemen.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1654 (1654)	Wing P4122; ESTC R13248	47,108	63

of the said KING robbing slaying spoiling a great part of his faithfull People Our said Soveraign Lord the King considering the promises with many other which were more odious to remember by advice and assent of the LORDS Spirituall and Temporall and at THE REQVEST OF THE COMMONS and by authority aforesaid hath ordained and established that the said Iohn Cade shal be had named and declared a false Traytor to cur said Soveraign Lord the King and that all His Tyranny Acts Facts false Opinions shall be voyded abated adnulled destroyed and put out of remembrance for ever And that all indictments in time coming in like case under power of Tyranny Rebellion and stirring had shall be of no regard nor effect but void in Law and all the petitions * delivered to the said King in his last Parliament holden at Westminster the sixth day of November the 29 of his Reign against his mind by him not agreed shall be taken and put in oblivion out of remembrance undone voided adnulled and destroyed for ever as a thing purposed against God and his Couscience and against his royall estate and preheminence and also dishonourable and unreasonable 5. In the a 8 year of King Henry the 8. William Bell and Thomas Lacy in the County or Kent conspired with Thomas Cheyney the Hermite of the Queen of Fairies TO OVERTHROW THE LAWS AND CVSTOMS OF THE REALM for effecting whereof they with 200. more met together and concluded upon a cause or raising greater forces in Kent and the adjacent shires this was adiudged high treason and some of them executed as traytors Moreover it b was resolved by all the Judges of in the reign of Henry S. that an Insurrection against the Statute of Labourers or for the inhansing of salaries and wages was Treason a levying war against the King Because it was generally against the KINGS LAW and the Offenders tooke upon them the REFORMATION thereof which Subjects by gathering of power ought not to do 6. On a December 1. in the 21. yeer of King Henry the 8. Sir Thomas Moor Lord Chancellor of England with 14. more Lords of the Privy Councel Iohn Fitz Iames Chief Justice of England and Sir Anthony Fitzherbert one of the Judges of the Common Pleas exhibited sundry Articles of Impeachment to King Henry the 8. against Cardinall Wolsy That he had by divers and many sundry ways and fashions committed High Treason and notable grievous offences misusing altering and subverting the order of his Graces Laws and otherwise contrary to his high Honour Prerogative Crown Estate and Dignity Royall to the inestimable great hinderance dimunition and decay of the universal Wealth of this his Graces Realm The Articles are 43. in number The 20 21 26 30 35 47 42 43. contain his illegal arbitrary practices and proceedings to the subversion of the due course and order of his Graces Laws to the undoing of a great number of his loving people Whereupon they pray Please therefore your most excellent Majesty of your excellent goodness towards the Weal of this your Realm and Subjects of the same to see such order and direction upon the said Lord Cardinal as may bee to terrible example of others to beware to offend your Grace and your Lawes hereafter And that he be so provided for that he never have any power jurisdiction or authority hereafter to trouble vex or impoverish the Commonwealth of this your Realm as he hath done heretofore to the great hurt and dammage of every man almost high and low His * poysoning himself prevented his Iudgment for these his practises 7. The b Statute of 1. Marie● 12. Enacts that if 12. or more shall endeavour by force to alter any of the laws or statutes of the Kingdome the offender shall from the time therein limited be adjudged ONELY AS A FELON whereas it was Treason before but this act continuing but till the next Parliament and then expiring the offence remains Treason as before 8. In the a 39. of Queen Elizabeth divers in the County of Oxford consulted together to go from house to house in that County and from thence to London and other parts to excite them to take arms for the throwing down of inclosures throughout the Realm nothing more was prosecuted nor assemblies made yet in Easter Term 39. Elizabeth it was resolved by all the Judges of England who met about the case That this was High Treason and a levying Warre against the Queen because it was to throw down all inclosures throughout the Kingdome to which they could pretend no right and that the end of it was to overthrow the Laws and Statutes for Inclosures Whereupon BRADSHAW and BVRTON two of the principall offenders were condemned and executed at Aic●ston Hill in Oxfordshire where they intended their first meeting 9. To come nearer to our present times and case In the last Parliament of King Charls Anno 16●0 1641 b The whole House of Commons impeached Thomas Earle of Stafford Lord Deputy of Ireland of high Treason amongst other Articles for this crime especially wherein all the other centred that he Treasonably endeavoured by his Words actions and Counsels to subvert the Fundamentall Lawes of ENGLAND and IRELAND and introduce an arbitrary and Tyrannicall Government This the whole parliament declared and adjudged to be High treason c in and by their votes and a speciall act of parliament for his attainder for which he was condemned and soon after executed on Tower Hill as a traytor to the King and Kingdome May 2● 1641. 10. The whole House of Common● the same Parliament impeached William L●●d archbishop of Canterbury of HIGH TREASON in these 〈…〉 1646. First that he hath traytorously endeavoured 〈…〉 Fundamental Lawes and Government of this Kingdome of England and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government against Law And hee to that end hath wickedly and Traiterously advised his Majesty that hee might at his own will and pleasure levy and take Money of his Subjects without their consent in parliament and this hee affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God Secondly He hath for the better accomplishment of that his Trayterous design advised and procured Sermons and other Discourses to be preached printed and published in which the authority of parliaments and the force of the Laws of this Kingdome have been denyed and absolute and unlimited power over the persons and estates of his Majesties Subjects maintained and defended not onely in the King but in himself and other Bishops against the Law Thirdly he hath by Letters Messages Threats and promises and by divers other ways to Judges and other Ministers of Justice interrupted perverted and at other times by means aforesaid hath endeavoured to interrupt and pervert the course of Justice in his Majesties Courts at Westminster and other Courts to the subversion of the LAWES of this KINGDOME whereby sundry of his Majesties Subjects have been stopt in their

established by a Law consented to by your Majesty is in effect denied to be a Parliament c. And hereupon we think our selves bound to let your Majesty know That since the * continuance of this Parliament is setled by a Law which as all other Laws of your Kingdom your Majesty is sworn to maintain as we are sworn to our Allegiance to your Majesty these Obligations being reciprocal we must in duty and accordingly are resolved with our lives and fortunes to defend and preserve the just Rights and full Power of this Parliament To which the Earl of Essex then General by both Houses direction in his Letter to the Earl of Forth Jan. 30. 1643. adds this Corollary My Lord the maintenance of the Parliament of England and the Priviledges thereof is that for which we are all resolved to spend our bloud as being THE FOUNDATION WHEREON ALL OUR LAWS and LIBERTIES ARE BUILT Which both the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament in their Declaration of 23. Martii 1643. touching their proceedings upon his Majesties Letter concerning a Treaty of Peace wherein this Earls former Letter is recited thus second The Parliament of England is the only Basis the chief Support and Pillar of our Laws and Liberties c. And if notwithstanding all these Obligations the King shall * at his pleasure dissolve this Parliament the Kingdom is not only deprived of the present but made uncapable of enjoying the benefit of any future Parliament or Laws any longer then shall stand with the will and pleasure of the King and consequently THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ALL OUR LAWS GOVERNMENT ARE SUBVERTED Let the Parliament-dissolving officers Army and their Confederates seriously ponder this with all who shall hereafter sit in Parliament consider it in the first place The eleventh is the a Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament 13. Junii 1644. for the Forces raised in the County of Salop which begins thus The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament taking into their serious considerations the great oppressions under which the Inhabitants of the County of Salop by reason of insupportable Taxes c. and the present condition of the County by reason of the great number of Irish Rebels that have invaded it and joyned with Papists and other ill-affected persons now in those parts doth threaten the extirpation of the Protestant Religion and the subversion of the FUNDAMENTAL LAWS and GOVERNMENT of the Kingdom For prevention whereof c. The twelfth is b A Declaration of the Commons of England assembled in Parliament 17 Aprilis 1646. of their true intentions concerning the ANCIENT FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM securing the people against ALL ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT c. wherein they complain that the Enemy being in despair to accomplish his designs by War do misrepresent our intentions in the use we intended to make of the great Successes God hath given us and the happie opportunity to settle Peace and truth in the three Kingdoms to beget a belief that we now desire to exceed or swerve from our first Aims and Principles in the Undertaking of this War and to recede from the Solemn League and Covenant and Treaties between the two Kingdoms and that we would prolong these uncomfortable troubles and bleeding Distractions IN * ORDER TO ALTER THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTION FRAME OF THIS KINGDOM to leave all Government in the Church loose and unsetled and our selves to exercise THE SAME ARBITRARY POWER OVER THE PERSONS ESTATES OF THE SUBJECTS which this present Parliament hath thought fit to abolish by taking away the Star-Chamber High Commission and other Arbitrary Courts and the exorbitant Power of the Councel Table all which we have seen since experimentally verified in every particular in the highest degree notwithstanding this Declaration by some in late and present Power notwithstanding this Publication All which being seriously considered by us c. We do declare THAT OUR TRUE REAL INTENTIONS ARE OUR ENDEAVOR SHALL BE to settle Religion in the purity thereof * TO MAINTAIN THE ANCIENT FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNMENT OF THIS KINGDOM TO PRESERVE THE RIGHTS LIBERTIES OF THE SUBJECT to lay hold on the first opportunity of procuring a safe and well-grounded Peace in the three Kingdoms and to keep a good understanding between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland according to the grounds expressed in the Solemn League and Covenant And lest these Generals should not give a sufficient satisfaction we have thought fit to the end men might no longer be abused in a misbelief of our intentions or a misunderstanding of our actions to make this further enlargement upon the particulars And first concerning Church-Government c. because we cannot consent to the granting of an Arbitrary and unlimited Power and Jurisdiction to neer ten thousand Judicatories to be erected within this Kingdom and this demanded in such a way as is not consistent with THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS GOVERNMENT OF THE SAME c. our full Resolutions still are sincerely really and constantly to endeavour the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of ENGLAND IRELAND in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches and according to the Covenant WE ARE * SO FAR FROM ALTERING THE FUNDAMENTAL GOVERNMENT OF THIS KINGDOM BY KING LORDS COMMONS That we have only desired that with the consent of the King such Power may be setled in the TWO HOUSES without which we can have no assurance but that the like or greater mischiefs then those which God ●ath hitherto delivered us from may break out again and engage us in a second and more destruct● ve War whereby it plainly appears OUR INTENTIONS ARE NOT TO CHANGE THE ANCIENT FRAME OF GOVERNMENT WITHIN THIS KINGDOM but to obtain the end of the Primitive Institution of all Government THE SAFETY WEAL OF THE PEOPLE not judging it wise or safe after so bitter experience of the bloudy Consequences of a * pretended Power of the Militia in the King to leave any colourable autho●ity in the same for the future attempts of introducing AN ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT OVER THIS NATION We do declare That we will not nor any by colour of any Authority derived from us shall interrupt the † ordinary course of Justice in the several Courts and Judicatories of this Kingdom nor intermeddle in cases of private interest otherwhere determinable unless it be in case of Male-Administration of Justice wherein we shall see and provide that Right be done and punishment inflicted as there shall be occasion ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF THE KINGDOM Lastly Whereas both Nations have entred into a Solemn League and Covenant we have and EVER SHAL BE VERY CAREFUL DULY TO OBSERVE THE SAME That as nothing hath been done SO NOTHING SHALL BE DONE BY US REPUGNANT TO THE TRUE MEANING AND INTENTION THEREOF c. WHO WILL NOT DEPART FROM THOSE GROUNDS

just suits deprived of their lawfull Rights and subjected to his Tyrannicall will to their ruine and destruction Fourthly That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of Justice by advising and procuring his Maiesty to sell places of Judicature and other offices contrary to the Laws and Customes in that behalf Fifthly He hath Trayterously caused a Book of Canons to be compiled and published without any Lawfull warrant and authority in that behalf in which pretended Canons many matters are contained contrary to the Kings prerogitive to the Fundamentall Laws and statutes of this Realm to the Rights of Parliament to the property and Liberty of the subject and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence and to the establishing of a vast unlawful presumptuous power in himself and his successors c. Seventhly That he hath trayterously endeavoured to alter subvert Gods true Religion BY LAW EST ABLISHED and instead thereof to set up Popish Religion and Idolatry And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and printed Books divers popish doctrines and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion ESTABLISHED BY LAW Hee hath urged and enjoyned divers popish and superstitious Ceremonies WITHOUT ANY WARRANT OF LAW and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same by corporal punishments and imprisonments and most unjustly vexed others who refused to conform thereunto by Ecclesiastical Censures Excommunication Suspension Deprivation and Degradation contrary to the Laws of this Kingdome 13. He did by his own authority and power contrary to Law procure sundry of his Majesties Subjects and enforced the Clergy of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of the war against the Scots That to preserve himselfe from being questioned for these and other his Trayterous Courses hee hath laboured to Subvert the Rights of Parliament and the ancient Course of parliamentary proceedings and by false and malicious slanders to incense His Majesty against Parliaments All which being proved against him at his Tryall were after solemn Argument by Mr. Samuel Brown in behalf of the Commons House proved and soon after adjudged to be High Treason at the Common Law by both Houses of Parliament and so declared in the Ordinance for his Attainder for which he was condemned and beheaded as a Traytor against the King Law and Kingdom on Tower-hil January 10. 1644. 11. In the a same Parliament December 21. Ian. 14 February 11. 1640. and Iuly 6. 1641. Sir John Finch then Lord Keeper chief Justice Bramston Judge Berkley Judge●Crawley Chiefe Baron Davenport Baron Weston and Baron Turnour were accused and impeached by the House o● Commons by several articles transmitted to the Lords of High Treason for that they had Traitorously and wickedly endeavoured to subvert the Fundamentall Laws and established Government of the Realm of England and instead thereof to introduce an arbitrary and Tyrannicall Government against Law which they had declared by traiterous and wicked words opinions judgment and more especially in this their extrajudical opinion subcribed by them in the case of ship-money viz. We are of opinions that when the good and safety of the kingdome in general is concerned and the whole kingdome in danger your majesty may by wr●● under the great Seal of england without consent in parliament command all your subjects of this your kingdome at their charge to provide and furnish such a number of ships with men victual and ammunition and for such time as your Majesty shall think fit for the defence and safeguard of the kingdome from such danger and peril and we are of opinion that in such case your Majesty is the sole Judge both of the danger and when and how the same is to be prevented and avoided and likewise for arguing and giving judgment accordingly in Master Iohn Hampdens case in the Exchequer Chamber in the point of ship money in April 1638. which said opinions are Destructive to the Fundamentall Laws of the Realm the subjects right of propriety and contrary to former Resolutions in parliament and the petition of right as the words of their several Impeachments run Sir John Finch fled the Realm to preserve his head on his shoulders some others of them died through fear to prevent the danger soon after their Impeachments and the rest put to Fines who were less peccant 12. Mr. Iohn Pim in his Declaration upon the whole matter of the Charge of High Treason against Thomas Earle of Stafford April 12. 1641. before a Committee of both Houses of Parliament in Westminster hall printed and published by order of the house of Commons proves his endeavour to subvert the fundamentall Law of England and to introduce an Arbitrary Power to be High Treason and an offence very hanious in the nature and mischievous in the effects thereof which saith he will best appear if it be examined by that universall and supream Law Salus Populi the element of all lawes out of which they are derived the end of all Lawes to which they are designed and in which they are perfected 1. It is an offence comprehending other all offences Here you shall finde severall Treasons Murthers Rapins Oppressions Perjuries There is in this Crime a Seminary of all evills hurtfull to a State and if you consider the Reasons of it it must needs be so The Law is that which puts a difference betwixt Good and Evill betwixt just and unjust If you take away the Law all things wiill fall into Confusion every man will become a law to himself which in the depraved condition of humane nature must needs produce many great enormities Lust will become a Law and Envy will become a Law Covetousnesse and Ambition will become Lawes and what Dictates what decisions such Lawes will produce may easily be discemed in the late Government of Ireland and England too since this The Law hath a power to prevent to restrain to repair evils without this all kinds of mischiefes and distempers will break it upon a State It is the Law that doth the King to the alegiance and Service of his people it intitles the people to the Portection and Justice of the King c. The Law is the Bondary the measure betwixt the Kings prerogative and the peoples liberty whiles these move in their own Orb they are a support and security to one another but if these Bounds be so removed that they enter into contestation and conflict one of these mischiefs must needs ensue If the Prerogative of the King overwhelme the liberty of the people it will be turned into Tyranny If liberty undermine the peprogative it will turne into Anarchy The Law is the safegard the custody of all private interests your honours your lives your liberties and estates are all in the keeping of the Law without this every man hath a like Right to any thing and this is the condition into which the Irish were brought by the Earle of Strafford and the English by

others who condemned him And the reason which he gave for it hath more mischiefe than the thing it selfe THEY ARE A CONQUERED NATION Let those who now say the same of England as well as Scotland and Ireland consider and observe what follows There cannot be a word more pregnant and fruitfull IN TREASON then that word is There are few Nations in the world that have not been conquered and no doubt but the Conquerour may give what Laws he please to those that are conquered But if the succeeding Acts and agreements do not limit restrain that Right what people can be secure England hath been conquered and Wales hath been conquered and by this reason will be in little better case then Ireland If the King by the Right of a Conquerour give Lawes to his people shall not the people by the same reason be restored to the Right of the conquered To recover their Liberty if they can What can be more hurtfull more pernicious than such Propositions as these 2. It is dangerous to the Kings Person and dangrous to his Crown It is apt to cherish Ambition usurpation and Oppression in great men and to beget Sedition Discontent in the people and both these have been and in reason must ever be causes of great Trouble and Alterations to Prince and State If the Histories of those Easterne Countries be perused where Princes order their Affaires according to the mischievous Principles of the Earle of Straffords LOOSE and ABSOLVED FROM ALL RULES OF GOVERNMENT they will be found to be frequent in combustions full of Massacres and of the tragicall end of Princes If any man shall look into our own Stories in the times when the Laws were most neglected he shall finde them full of Commotions of Civil Distempers whereby the Kings that then raigned were alwayes kept in want and distresse the people consumed with CIVILL WARRES and by such wicked Counsels as these some of our Princes have been brought to such miserable ends As * no honest heart can remember without horror and earnest Prayer that it may never be so again 3. As it is dangerous to the Kings person and Crown so it is in other respects very prejudiciall to His Majesty in honour profit and greatnesse which he there proves at large as you may there read at leasure and yet these are the Guildings and Paintings that are put upon such Counsells These are for your Honour for your Service 4. It is inconsistent with the Peace the Wealth the Prosperity of a Nation It is destructive to Justice the Mother of Peace to Industry the Spring of Wealth to Valour which is the active vertue whereby the prosperity of a Nation can onely be procured confirmed and enlarged It is not onely apt to take away Peace and so intangle the Nation with warres but doth corrupt Peace and powres such a malignity into it as produceth the effects of Warre both to the * NOBILITY and others having as little Security of THEIR PERSONS OR ESTATES in this peaceable time as if the Kingdome had beene under the fury and rage of Warre And as for Industry and Valour who will take paines for that which when he hath gotten is not his own or who fights for that wherein he hath no other interest but such as is subject to the will of another c. Shall it be Treason to embase the Kings Coine though but a piece of twelve pence or six pence and must it not needs be the effect of GREATER TREASON to * embase the Spirits of his Subjects and to set a stamp and Character of Servitude upon them whereby they shall be disabled to do any thing for the Service of the King or Common wealth 5. In times of sudden danger by the Invasion of an enemy it will disable his Majesty to preserve himself and His Subjects from that danger When Warre threatens a Kingdome by the comming of a forreign enemy it is no time then to discontent the people to make them weary of the PRESENT GOVERNMENT and more inclinable to a change The Supplies which are to come in this way will be unready uncertain there can be no assurance of them no dependence upon them either for time or proportion And if some money be gotten in such a way the Distractions the Divisions Distempers which this cause is apt to produce will be more prejudiciall to the publick safty than the Supply can be advantageous to it 6. This crime is contrary to the Pact and Covenant between the King and his people by mutall agreement and stipulation confirmed by OATH on both sides 7. It is an Offence that is contrary to the ends of Government 1. To prevent Oppressions to * limit and restraeine the excessive power and violence of great Men to open passages of Justice with indifference towards all 2. To preserve men in their Estates to secure them in their Lives and Liberties 3. That vertue should be cherished and vice suppress●d but where Laws are subverted and arbitrary and unlimited power set up a way is open not onely for the security but for the Advancement and Incouragement of evill Such men as are * aptest for the execution and maintenance of this power are onely capable of Preferment and others will not be Instruments of any unjust commands who make conscience to doe any thing against the Law of the Kingdome and Libbeties of the Subject are not only not passable for imployment but SUBJECT TO MUCH JEALOUSY and DANGER Is not this their condition of late and present times expertus quor 4. That all Accidents and events all Counsels and Designs should be improved to the publick good But this arbitrary power is apt to dispose all to the maintenance of it self And is it not so now 8. The Treasons of Subversions of the Lawes violation of liberties can never be good or justifiable by any circumstance or occasion being evil in their own nature how specious or good so ever they be pretended He alledgeth it was a time of GREAT NECESSITY and DANGER when such Counsels were necessary FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE STATE the Plea since and now used by others who condemned him If there were any NECESSITY IT WAS OF HIS OWN MAKING He by his evill Counsel had brought the King as others the Kingdome since into a necessity and by no Rules of Justice can be allowed to gain this advantage to his Justification which is a GREAT PART OF HIS OFFENCE 9. As this is Treason in the nature of it so it doth exceed all other Treasons in this that in the Designe and endeavour of the Authour it was to be A CONSTANT and PERMANENT TREASON a standing perpetuall Treason which would have been in continuall Act not determined within one Time or Age but transmitted to Posterity even from Generation to Generation And are not others Treasons of late times such proclaimed such in and by their owne Printed Papers and therein