Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A82174
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A declaration of the knights, gentlemen, and freeholders of the county of Surrey: concerning their late petition and the slaughter and imprisonment of several of their countrey-men; with their resolutions thereupon. Published for the information of the kingdom.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing D697; Thomason E443_8; ESTC R204711
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1,875
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8
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A DECLARATION Of the Knights Gentlemen and Freeholders Of the County of Surrey Concerning their late PETITION AND The Slaughter and Imprisonment of several of their COVNTREY-MEN With their RESOLVTIONS thereupon Published for the Information of the Kingdom may 18th Printed in the Year 1648. A Declaration of the County of SVRREY AS we conceive it the Freedom of every Englishman to petition the Supream Authority of the Kingdom for redress of grievances nay for the removal of things established by Law so we must acknowledg it to be our duty to rest satisfied in the Judgment of Parliament after the final determination thereof till another Parliament can be called which may be in a capacity to grant what by the present is denyed The consideration hereof did enduce us to make an essay to obtain such things as in our present apprehensions did appear the most conducible to the Peace of the Kingdom In order whereunto we desired in that our Petition that the King might be restored never entending in the general that he should be brought in without satisfaction and security first given to the Kingdom For we know well although the stream of many of our Countrymens affections run strongly toward the bringing in of the King upon any terms nay without any conditions yet should it be so the Kingdom must of necessity be miserably inslaved For the King must by the ruin of his opposers advance those that have sided with him and have suffered by him and what discontents and commotions that wil produce we that have faithfully served the Par. are not a little sensible off We confess many of the Kings party joyned with us in our desires and seemed to concur with us in our ends and intentions but by their deportment then and since in appears they only made use of that pretence of petitioning to discover their opposerâ— and to exasperate as many as they could thereby to draw them to an engagement one against another that by such a confusion they might the easilier accomplish their design of restoring the King to an unlimited power and enslave all the well-affected party in the Kingdom We could not but take notice of the threatning words which they gave out against the Kingdoms best Friends and what provocations they put upon the Souldiery on purpose to pick a quarrel with them and at that time though our hands were to the Petition and we present yet our souls abhorred such their deboist behaviour We cannot but testifie our dislike of their abusing the Souldiers and endeavouring to force the Parliament and also that the Souldiers should in such a violent manner assault all men and so barbarously kill wound and plunder all men whether Friends or Foes without exception We cannot but declare unto all our Countrymen who desire the Peace of the Kingdom that for the Future we shall not presume to trouble the Parliament with any more Petitions we being now convinced of this truth viz. that it is much below the People of England to Petition their Trustees And therefore in pursuance of Future safety we shall desire our Countrymen to engage with us in these following particulars 1. That if it shall be adjudged necessary to bring in the King that sufficient satisfaction and security be first given to the Kingdom and that his power for the future be limited and declared 2. That a period be set to this Parliament 3. That the charge of the Army be duly computed and an equal tax layd upon all lands for the payment thereof we being resolved not to suffer free-quarter any longer and that so soon as the occasions of the Kingdom will permit the Army be disbanded 4. That no man be continued in power among us but such as shall have appeared faithful to the Kingdom in the late War 5. That we may associate our selves together as one man to stand up for the defence of one another till these our just desires be accomplished And we further declare that we shall not rest satisfied or cease the prosecution of these ends neither shall we think our Trustees in Parliament have discharged their duties unless they appear effectually in the prosecution therof that we may be reduced to a certainty either by a settlement of the Kingdom with or without the King by an ease of our heavy pressures by an increase of trade and by the due execution of Justice in the performance whereof the Kingdom may expect a return of peace and plenty And we further adde That it is our sence that those families which are destroyed by the late slaughter of their friends at Westminster ought to be taken care of for without mercy there is no justice And lastly we are resolved That in pursuance of the forementioned ends to use our utmost endeavors and in order thereunto shall put our selves into a posture of defence So that as it is not in our thoughts to offer violence to any that shall continue peaceable so it shall not be in the power either of the King Parliament or Army to destroy us at pleasure either by Committees taxes free quarter as formerly neither shall we deny obedience to any just CÌ„omands of Parliament only shall act as persons necessitated to seek security the Parliament having declared unto us that a Kingdom must not be left without a means to preserve it self Signed by J. Segmour by consent and in the name of the whole Gilford May 18. 1648. FINIS