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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37403 A declaration, or resolution of the countie of Hereford 1642 (1642) Wing D785; ESTC R218186 2,170 1

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A Declaration Or Resolution of the Countie of HEREFORD WHereas the Kingdome for many yeares past hath groaned under Taxes of Loanes Ship-money and the like dismall effects of an Arbitrary Government and a high stretcht Prerogative for the Cure of which distempers a Parliament was held to bee the onely good old way of Physicke to clense the Body Politique from oppressing Crudities which was heartily desir'd but not by over-strong Purgations to weaken it in the principall Part charging it to receive a disposition to the like distemper or a Relapse into the same or a worse Disease which in stead of restoring it to its primitive vigour and health must needs drive it to a fatall Period Such is our misery such the iust Iudgement of God upon our Sinnes This wholsome Physicke hath not wrought in us that blessed effect as was either believed by some or hoped for by all men but as if God had answered our importunity for a PARLIAMENT as he did the old Israelites for a KING in his anger we drive on with much more haste then good speed to the other extreame which portends no lesse Symptomes of ruine and destruction than the former So that having maturely considered what hath proved destructive to this or other Parliaments we may the more easily avoid those Rocks upon which others have split themselves viz. 1. The venting of particular ends of Avarice and Ambition in the publique Cause 2. Private Combinations or Chamber-Conventicles to resolve be forehand what shall be done in the House 3. Hindring the freedom of speech by imprisonment of their Persons 4. Denying information by the humble way of Petitions from the County as that most excellent Orthodox Petition of our Brethren of Kent and of reiecting information of Letters to our Knights and Burgesses 5. The ready swallowing of informations and iealous rumors against his Ma styling them the malignant partie and enemies to the State which were only truely and consonably his friends 6. The private if not publique mutinous rabble which ill Spirit was ready at all times to be raised by a whisper from any of those worthy Members Emphatically so called if not exclusively as if all Iustice Reformation and Government were onely to be expected from them 7. The new unheard of State Law and Logick to stile and beleeve that a Parliament that is divided in it selfe is severed from the King the Head thereof if they may be remedied as we hope they are not past cure we shall rather desire to change some of our Physitians then Physicke there being no better way nor more necessary to preserve the health of a Common-wealth than a well temper'd Parliament Wherefore we as faithfull Subiects to his Majesty as free-borne English-men do ioyne in an unanimous Resolution to maintaine 1. Protestant Religion 2. The Kings just power 3. The Lawes of the Subiect 4. The libertie of the Land For the first The Protestant Religion we cannot but with griefe of heart remember how it hath beene assaulted in the In-workes and skirts of it the Liturgie and decent Ceremonies established by Law yea in the very body of it the 39. Articles In what a danger this Church of England hath beene to be overcome with Brownisme and Anabaptisme let all the world iudge For the second The just power of the King God knowes hee hath beene so farre unable to defend that from violence as it was Gods great goodnesse rather then his owne Power which secured or rather preserved his Person from violence What their ayme was who to please the vulgar rabble would uphold and not punish them for their insolencies as we feare and imagine for the present so we cannot but with horror and amazement doubt the Consequence Not can we conceale our ioy of heart or thankes to his Majesties good Subiects of the Countie of York for endeavoring to secure his Person with a Guard being of much more value then many thousands of us and putting him in a posture of defence which some have ignorantly or maliciously interposed by suggesting it an intension of Warre against his Parliament wherby it is plaine enough his Majesties desires are onely to secure himselfe and servants from prodigious tumults and disorders as have endangered his sacred Person Nor can we blame him considering Sir Iohn Hothams Act at Hull and Sir Henry Ludlowes Speech in Parliament For the two last The Lawes of the Land and The Libertie of the Subject which must not be separated how have they beene violated after by some of those who were chosen to be Conservators of them by imprisonment of mens Persons contrary to the Petition of Right assessing of the Clergie without a Body of Magna Charta shuffling the Convocation into a Synod or an Assembly or Conventicle without the Choyce Consent or Election of the Clergie as if they were neither the Kings Subiects nor Gods servants As we conceive our selves obliged by the Law of God the Law of the Land by the Dictates of Natures reason to maintaine all these so by Gods grace assisting us we hope we shall not be ●errified or compelled to yeeld any active obedience to any disioyned part of Parliament without the consent of the whole which we heartily desire may be united or to any uncertaine Debates Votes or Ordinances that are not digested or settled into Lawes nay which seemes to contradict former Lawes and yet are tender'd to us with so much earnestnes as some dare hardly deny them with safety or obey with Conscience Nor shall we ever yeeld our selves such Slaves or so betray the liberty purchased by our Forefathers blood and bequeathed unto us as to suffer our selves to be swayed by an Arbitrary Government whatsoever nor stand with too much contention of Spirit to cast off the yoake of one Tyranny to endure many worse And seeing his Majestie is graciously pleased to maintaine the true Protestant Religion His owne just Power the Lawes of the Land The Liberty of the Subjects and that these waters of Reformation having beene long stirred we want onely the favour of his Princely Majestie to let us in and heale us So we doe reciprocally declare that we conceive our selves bound to maintaine him in all the Premisses with our Lives and Fortunes FINIS Imprinted at London for Tho Lewes 1642.