Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	government_n	king_n	monarchy_n	2,238	5	9.5285	5	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

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

compose it but inflamed the people because he saith they knew they should not only be disappointed of the places offi●es honours and imployments they had promised themselves but be exposed to the justice of the law and the just hatred of all good men All which they in their antient and primitive Declarations disdaine as most dishonourable to be fixed upon them or supposed ever intentively to be acted by them especially so visibly that any should be able to see it and therefore in their Remonstrance bo dee 3. par pa. 264. they labour to perswade the people not to destroy themselves by taking their lives liberties and estates out of their hands whom they have chosen and betrusted therewith and resigne them up to some evill Counsellours about his Majestie who they say are the men that would perswade the people that both Houses of Parliament containing all the Peers and representing all the Commons of England would destroy the Laws of the land and liberties of the People wherein besides the trust of the whole they themselves in their owne particulars have so great an interest of honour and estate that we hope it will gaine little credit with any that have the least use of reason that such as have so great a share in the misery should take so much paines in the procuring thereof and spend so much time and run so many hazzards to make themselves slaves and to destroy the property of their estates But we lay in the bitternesse of our soules O! that their actions and dealings with us and many other free men of England had not given too just and grounded cause to judge that the forementioned charge of the Kings was righteous just and true upon them and which if their owne consciences were not seared with hot Irons and so past feeling would tell them with horror that he spoake the truth And in the forementioned most notable Declaration pag 494. one of the principall things they complaine of against the King and his evill Counsellers that they endeavour to possesse the people that the parliament will take away the law and introduce an arbitrary Government a thing say they which every honest morall man abhors much more the wisedome justice and piety of the two Houses of Parliament * If so then as Samuel said to Saul 2 Sam. 15.14 What meanes then this bleating of the sheep to my eares and the lowing of the Oxen which I beare and in truth such a charge as no rationall man can beleeve it it being impossible so many severall persons as the houses of Parliament consists of about 600. and in either House all of equall power shall all of them or at least the Major part agree in acts of will and tyranny which make up an arbitrary government * Out of thy own mouth will I iudge thee Luke 19.22 for if this diffinition of tyranny be true we are very sure we are under it and most improbable that the nobility and chiefe Gentry of this Kingdome should conspire to take away the law by which they injoy their estates are protected from any act of violence and power and differenced from the meaner sort of people with whom otherwise they should be but fellow servants And when they come to answer the Kings maine charge laid to them in his Declaration in answer to theirs of the 26. of May 1642. they say book decl pag. 694. As for that concerning our inclination to be slaves it is affirmed that his Majestie said nothing which might imply any such inclination in us but sure what ever be our inclination slavery would be our condition if wee should goe about to overthrow the Lawes of the Land * We say no more but wish you had not and the propriety of every mans estate and the liberty of his person For therein we must needs be as much patients as Agents * No not so for you have a power to carve for your selves which you doe and must every one in his turn suffer our selves whatsoever we should impose upon others we have ever refused to doe or suffer our selves and that in a high proportion But there is a strong and vehement presumption that we affect to be Tyrants and what is that because we will admit no rule to governe by but our own wills * See 1. part of book decl pag. 696. But we wish the charge might not too truly be laid upon you For our parts we aver we feele the insupportable weight of it upon both our shoulders And therefore to conclude this we desire to informe you that in severall of their Declarations they declare and professe they will maintaine what they have sworne in their protestation the which if you please to read you shall find there amongst other things that they have sworne solemnly to maintaine the lawfull rights and liberties of the Subject and every person what ever that shall lawfully indeavour the preservation thereofe and therefor book decl 1. part pag. 497. they solemnly Imprecate the Iudgements of God to fall upon them if they performe not their vowes * Which undoubtedly will if the word of God bee true Num. 30.2 Deut. 23.21.22 Eccle. 5.4.5 promises and dutyes and say woe to us if we doe it not at least doe our utmost indeavours in it for the discharge of our duties and the saving of our soules and leave the successe to God Almighty Now what the liberty of the Subject is they themselves in their Declarations excellent well discribe and declare that it is the liberty of every Subject to injoy the benefit of the law and not arbitrarily and illegally to be committed to prison but only by due course and processe of law nor to have their lives liberties nor estates taken from them but by due course and processe of Law according to Magna Charta and the Petition of Right who condemnes as unjust all Interrogatorie proceeding in in a mans owne case nor to be denied Habias Corpusses nor baile in all cases whatsoever that by law are baileable and to injoy speedy tryalls without having the just course of the Law abstructed against them 1. part booke decl pag. 6. 7. 38 77 277. 201. 278. 458 459 660. 845. Yea in their great Declaration of the 2. Novemb. 1642. booke decl 1 part pag. 720. they decleare it is the liberty and priviledge of the people to Petition unto them for the ease and redresse of their grievances and oppressions and that they are bound in duty to receive their Petitions their owne words are these we acknowledge that we have received Petitions for the removall of things established by Law and we must say and all that know what belongeth to the Course and practise of Parl●ament will say that we ought so to doe that our predicessors and his Majesties Ancestors haue constantly done it there being no other place wherein Lawes that by experience may be found grievous and burthensome can be altered

to be delivered in which regard they have all left the City and Parliament as dispairing in obtaining their just end at the present and are gone down into the Country truly to acquaint the rest of their friends how they have been dealt with we judge it our duty that we are so much bound to our selves and the whole Kingdome though we must truly confesse that we have no such Commission from the petitioners not their Commissioners as to publish a true Copy of their Petition and instructions which thus followeth To the right Honourable the betrusted Knights Citiz●ns and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament Englands legall Soveraign power Assembled The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of Buckingham-shire and Hartford-shire c. Whose Names are hereunto subscribed HVMBLY SHEWETH THat your Petitioners and the rest of the free-men of England before the beginning of this Parliament being almost destroyed of their Lawes Libertyes and Freedoms by the arbitrary machinations politick designes and practises of the Pattentee-Monopolizers and of other arbitrary supplanters and Agents which laboured to subvert the Fundamentall Constitutions of this Realme and to set up a tyrannicall Government tending to the utter vassalage and overthrow of all the free people of this Kingdome together with their Naturall Nationall and Legall Rights and Liberties God putting into our hands an opportunity to free our selves from those tyrannies and oppressions We for our better weal and happinesse chose and betrusted your Honours for the same end and purpose and to that end we have elected invested and betrusted you with our indubitable and naturall power and Birth-rights for the just and legall removall of our Nationall Evills In the expectation whereof we have waited ever since your first siting continually and cheerfully assisting you with our lives persons and estates being much incouraged thereto by the severall Protestations and Declarations wherein you have solemnly protested before the great God of Heaven and Earth and to the whole world declared your upright and well grounded resolutions to vindicate the just liberties of every Free-borne English man without exception Now therefore our most humble request unto your Honours is that you would according to your duties and the Great Trust reposed in you take into your consideration the slavish condition that we the free People of England are yet subject unto by reason of those Arbitrary practises that are still continued acted and perpetrated upon us by some prerogative men of this Kingdome whom we humbly conceive have no power over our bodies or Estates they being not Elected thereunto by the free-men of England and therefore may not Commit our bodies to prison contrary to the Fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome as we suppose hath been done to some Free-men of this Kingdome without producing any Legall Authority that your Petitioners can heare of for what they did Wherefore your Petitioners most humble desire is that you would according to the respective Appeals of the said Free Subjects unto this Supream House be pleased to take their cause into the legall judgement and speedie determination of this House as the whole matter thereof shall be reported unto you by the honourable Committee for consideration of the Commons Liberties who have their whole manner of the proceedings against them together with their respective defences ready to represent unto your Honours and to grant unto them your indubitable justice according to their late Petitionary and still constant desires whereby they may receive the Sentence of this House either for their present justification or condemnation that they may not be ruined and undone by an arbitrary and injustifiable Imprisonment And if that through the urgent affaires of the Kingdome your occasions will not afford you so much time as to consider and expedite their businesse at present Our humble request is that you would by an Order from this House forthwith set them free out of Prison they giving legall security for their future forth comming untill such time as your honours shall be pleased to hand out to them full and effectuall justice And that you would be pleased in case the principall Informers and Actors be found guilty to grant them full and ample reparations according to the Law of the Land And further that you would take care for the time to come to free us and our children from the feare and prejudice of the like A●bitrary and Prerogative proceedings according to your late promise in your most just Declaration of the 17. of Aprill 1646. And your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray c. Instructions agreed upon as the sence of the Petitioners of Buckingham-shire and Hartford-shire First the persons imprisoned Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburn Mr. Overton his Wife and Brother Mr. Larners Brother and Maid c. Secondly by Prerogative-men we mean such as sit to try Commoners and are not elected by the free choice of the People viz. the House of Lords Thirdly by Arbitrary practices we meane such as are contrary to the Law of the Kingdome As first for any persons to try those their are not their Peers or Equalls witnesse Magna Charta C. 29.3 E. 1.6 Sir Edward Cookes exposition of the 14 and 29 C. of Magna Charta c. as the House of Lords have done and would have done all the above mentioned Secondly For any to imprison men for not answering to Interrogatories in Criminall Causes We must professe to all the world we are in amazement and almost at a stand when we consider that the House of Commons who are chosen and betrusted by the people for no other end in the World but to maintaine preserve and defend their Lawes and liberties and to redresse their mischiefes and grievances and to provide for their earthly happinesse and well-being book decl 1. part pag. 150. which they have so often sworn vowed protested and declared to doe that they should be so negligent in performing their trust and duty and making good their Oathes and Vowes in not doing us justice and right according to the Lawes of the Kingdome who have legally and formally long since appealed to them for that end but suffer before their faces the tyrannicall House of Lords arbitrarily and illegally to destroy us and to tread and trample under their feet the Lawes and Liberties of all the Commons of England and so by consequence make us all Vassals and Slaves to their tyrannicall lusts and wills But Considering that by natures principall we are bound to the utmost of our power to preserve our selves and to leave no wayes and meanes unattempted that tends thereunto we cannot yet sit still but goe on and the rather because our Iudges to whom we have appealed to for justice tell us in their Declaration of the 19. May 1642. 1. part book decl pag. 207 That this Law is as old as the Kingdome That the Kingdome must not be without a meanes to preserve it selfe the ground and reason of which Law

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