Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A80727
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The red-ribbond news from the army. In a discourse between a minister and a souldier of the state. / Written from thence by a minister of Gods holy Word in the county of Suffolk, who loveth a souldier as he doth his own life: the characters of his name T.C.
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T. C.; Coxcombe, T.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing C6711A; Thomason E390_2; ESTC R201527
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4,803
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8
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seeing our chief Commanders fail and fail off from us we wil to his Majesty and make him our General and we are sure he will give us Commission Min. You are not sure of that And we hope his Majesty is inclining to an accord If otherwise make his Majesty your General To what end God hath blessed the State with most glorious succâ—ssâ—s that there is in a manner a full and perfect Conquest of all the old enemies of the Kingdom and in all likelyhood the way is thereby layd open to a full period of the present Hostility for which every Soldier deserveth the Laurel an eternal an immortal Trophie And shal they now think of a means to blast their forepast glory by blowing the coals again and by kindling a new Combustion out of the embers of the old Distraction God forbid Wil this stand with conscience Certainly it cannot For subjection is peremptorily commanded by Saint Paul unto the Higher Powers Rom. 13. 1 And where is the full politick Power now but in the King and Parliament conjunction God and the Law hath conjoyned them c. they are your own words The Parliament doth nothing but by his Majesties authority conferred on them or confirmed to them and his Majesty can do nothing legally that concerneth the Publick Interest without the advice of his great Councel conveened and confirmed for that purpose This Kingdom though a Monarchy is not an absolute but a mixt Monarchy of all Monarchies the best An absolute Monarchy doth easily degenerate into a tyranny if not law but will doe guide the Steerage but a mixt Monarchy hath power in it self to keep out or to suppress Tyranny And whatsoever is commanded by full authority of the Power must be obeyed for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. obeyed I say either by doing the thing commanded if lawful or by submitting unto punishment And for this the case of the three children is very remarkable Nebuchadnezzars command was unlawful yet they made no resistance but submitted to the censure and sentence of the King Dan. 3. 16. And I would propound this thing unto Conscience viz. By what right either humane or divine the Soldiers can either oppose that power which they have hitherto defended and upheld as lawful Or side with and set up that power which til now they have resisted as illegal and unjust Certainly it is not upon any new grounds and principles of Conscience for it appeareth plainly to be meerly upon Discontents which wil not bear them out at and before the great Tribunal And good Souldier mark this either all your undertakings hitherto in the service of the State have been unlawful which none can prove or your intended purpose if it be really intended by you is Illegal and wil prove destructive unto Church and State of which I hope you wil consider and not hazzard the undoing of all that you have wel done for indirect and sinister ends Soul Sir I thank you I am sensible of what you have now sayed But I pray you resolve me in this may not we Souldiers go and fetch his Majesty from Holmby and carry him to his place in Parliament Min. What vi Armis and without Authority we do all wish wel to his Majesty I know not one godly man that doth not wish his Majestie there even in the height and summity of his Honnour But where is the let the main obstruction 1. Is not the great Councel wise enough to frame the best conditions both of his Majesties and of the Kingdomes safety by his coming thither 2. Hath not the Parliament been solicitous obsequious enough to seek and sue for his Majesties royal favour in this kind 3. Are not both houses conscientious enough to provide for the honour of the King and for the safety of the Kingdome What needeth then such indirect and inconsiderate means The Souldiers to bring his Majestie if it be in their power in a distempered Passion cannot sound wel it must of necessity portend some intended or accessory mischief I pray you consider what the blessed Apostle saith The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Iames. 1. 20. Soul Blessed be God for this your good and sound advice I have but one thing more to say What if we have not all our Areers Min. I confess I admire and mourn to heare it great words are spoken by many of the Souldery But let me speak my mind freely If that be the only or the main ground work of the Souldiers intentions then both in all the good that they have wel done and in whatsoever they shal do il they are but meerly mercenary which I confess is but a base term if deserved by Military men It would appear that they aym only at self-ends and intend not the common the publick good It is heartily wished by all men that the Soldiers had their full content they have deserved wel and no doubt but they shal be wel considered But if full satisfaction cannot be given or not so soon as is desired let not the Soldiers run a hazzard of Rebellion for that would eclips the glory of all their former valorous atchievements Gentlemen Soldiers prize the common good above and before you own particular advantages and make not another combustion to obtain your own ends though never so just and honest We praise God for what you have done for the publick The glory of your victories wil be recorded to after generations to your eternal fame And we pray for you and withal entreat you in the name of Christ and in the behalf of the Christian Religion to set yout eys upon the common good before your own particular interests If ye intend not good to bleeding Ireland by your personal undertakings then sit down in quiet and hinder it not by distractions take not off the Parliament from expediting Recruits thither lest all the Protestant blood which shal be shed there cry to heaven against you The State is wise and sensible of your good services and wil give satisfaction to their power beyond which more cannot be expected much less exacted by men that are truly conscientious to whom the publick good is and ought to be more pretious then their own What say you Gentleman have I not spoken reason Soul Truly Sr you have spoken reason and Religion too I am fully satisfied I pray you make this discourse publick and no question but it wil give us all content Min. Say you so I wil take pen and paper and write verbatim and send it for Impression Soul Sir I thank you and I hope the whole Army wil praise God for your good councel and sit down in peace FINIS
THE RED-RIBBOND News from the Army In a Discourse between a Minister and a Souldier of the State Written from thence by a Minister of Gods holy Word in the County of Suffolk who loveth a Souldier as he doth his own life The Characters of his name T. Cox London Printed for M. S. 1647. A Dialogue between a Minister and a Souldier of the State Minister GEntleman Souldier you are well met may I be so bold as to exchange a word or two with you Souldier Whereabout or what is your will good sir Minist You have been I suppose sometime in the Service of the State have you not Soul Truely sir I have served the King and State these five years and upwards I have been in all the fights ever since Keinton field or the battle at Edgehill Min. Very well you are much to be honoured for your zeal to God and to your Country And now without offence I would be much beholding unto you if I might propound a question or two unto you Soul Good sir speak and spare not I shall give such answers as my poor Genius shall enable me And if I fail in any materiall thing I hope of your Christian Charity you will bear with me and give me good advice Min. I shall do both most willingly And first I pray you tell me were you imprest or went you a volunteer into the Service of the State Soul I always scorned compulsion I went out freely for my King and Countries good Min. Blessed be God But I pray you what enemies went you out against What to fight against your King Soul No forsooth but against his Majesties and the Kingdoms enemies against those that have set the three Nations in combustion They have committed many out-rages and did patronize all under his Majesties authority Had these been delivered up to justice then all hostility on this part had long since ceased and so much Christian blood had not been spilt Min. But with what good conscience could you take up Arms against the Kings party The Kings party is two wayes to be considered 1. Either as his Majesties person may be engaged by meer suâ—przall onely 2. Or as he may engage himself by voluntary consent whereby he may be said to be surprized in his judgement also 1. For the first the case is cleer viz. That Armes may nay must be taken up by all good subjects alleigeance binding them therunto to dis-ingage his Majesties person howsoever or by whomsoever it may be in danger of surprizing or be actually surprized Somewhat to this purpose is Abishai his restoring Davids person from Ishbi-benob when slaughter or surprizall was justly to be feared 2 Sam. 21. 16. c. 2. And for the second though it were not his Majesties case directly for no good subject judging of his Majesties waies by the Law and rule of charity as things have stood can suppose the same so to be but grant it were so yet where this voluntary consent is not regulated in the judgement of the Grand Councell of the Kingdome which ought to be judge next under God and his Word to examine and determine all queries in the State In this case Armes might be taken up by the advice and authority of that grand Councell rather then the whole should wrack and come to ruin And this maketh the case cleer That Armes were not taken up against the person of the King not against his Politick power nor against a Legall party but against an unruly rout that having surprized his Majesties person or his judgement or both by force or flattery to work their own ends and the Kingdomes wo. And his Majesty himself hath granted That the Parliament hath more then power sufficient to take up Armes in their just defence for the Kingdomes safety and to bring Delâ—nquents unto justice which is an unanswerable Argument to prove the legality of the Defensive War and to justifie the Parliament against all depravers it being directly concluded a concessis Min. But what think you can the King and Parliament be severed Soul Under correction I think they cannot as the case now standeth God and the Law hath conjoyned them and what God and the Law have so happily conjoyned let no man go about to put asunder Wheresoever the person of his Majesty is where shall we seek his politick power but in that place and with those faithfull Councellors to which himself by a sacred law hath confirmed and confined it For besides the Lawfull call of this present Parliament which is common to this with precedent Parliaments we are to consider the Solemn Confirmation of it wherein it differeth from all Parliaments that have gone before I say the confirmation of it in its full Authority and with all its Rights and Priviledges This maketh the case strong and the Kingdomes Armies that have been all this time on foot were at the first raised to maintain this Act to defend this Title Min. Sir I perceive you are rightly stated in the case I did not expect to hear so good an account from you I am afraid there are not many more in all the Army can give the like satisfaction Soul Beleeve me Sr I am the weakest of many thousands there are many of most able parts and can speak of this or of any other subject humane or divine to admiration And I confesse I was a little principled before I went out by hearing some good Divines as you are And have been much confirmed by some of our Noble Commanders and by some of my fellow Souldiers Do you see good Sir in my head face and other Visible parts the wounds I have received at York Naseby and other fights Min. I see them well I would not have you call them wounds but glorious marks and characters of a valiant and undaunted mind Blessed be God who hath preserved you you sacrificed your life for his Glory and he hath preserved it most miraculously as appeareth unto me But good sir what is the matter now much rumour is in the Country and some cause of fears Certainly there are some projects intended by the Souldery witness both words and signs A Covenant it is said is made by them and what means the Red Ribbond on each souldiers left arm Soul I make no question but you have heard of a Petition sent by us and slighted by the Parliament and the Ribbond sheweth that we will defend the equity of our Petition with our blood Min. Slighted I beleeve it not It may be it was not humble enough or not seasonable at this time and I am to seek sufficient warrant for your defence thereof in that manner as you have said and so I think are you For where is your Commission or by what authority shall you mannage that defence as you call it Soul Have we not authority think you Min. No truly you have neither King nor State to enable you to such an enterprize Soul Then we wil have for