Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	government_n	king_n	law_n	4,242	5	4.8557	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82132	A declaration of the commoners of England, to His Excellency the Lord General Cromwel: concerning the crown, government, liberty, and priviledges of the people; and the setting of the land free from all taxes, slavery, and oppressions; according to the engagements, vowes, and promises, both of officers and souldiers. Likewise his excellencies resolution, to remove all burdens and oppressions from the people; to advance trading; to pluck down tyanny [sic]; and to purge and cast out all those, who are enemies to the peace and freedom of this nation. Ordered to be forthwith printed and published; and appointed to be sent into all counties in England and Wales.	England and Wales. Parliament. Proceedings. 1652. aut	1652 (1652)	Wing D654A; Thomason E654_10; ESTC R205926	2,802	8

A DECLARATION OF THE COMMONERS of ENGLAND TO HIS EXCELLENCY The Lord General CROMWEL CONCERNING The Crown Government Liberty and Priviledges of the People and the setting of the Land free from all Taxes Slavery and Oppressions according to the Engagements Vowes and Promises both of Officers and Souldiers Likewise his Excellencies Resolution to remove all Burdens and Oppressions from the People to advance Trading to pluck down Tyanny and to purge and cast out all those who are Enemies to the Peace and Freedom of this Nation ORdered to be forthwith printed and published And appointed to be sent into all Counties in England and Wales ●●●don Printed for G. HORTON 1652. feb 13 1651 A Declaration of the Commoners of England to his Excellency the Lord General Cromwel THe Government of a common-wealth is the uniting of the people of a Nation into one heart and mind And blessed is that People whose Earthly Government is the Law of common Righteousness When Israel was under a common-wealths Government they were a terror to all Oppressing Kings in all Nations of the World and so will England be if this righteous Law become our Governor But when the Officers of Israel began to be covetous and proud they made a breach and then the Government was altered and fell into the hand of Kings like other Nations and then they fled before their Enemies and were scattered But if we look upon the customs of the Law it self it is the same it was in the Kings dayes onely the name is alter'd as if the Commoners of England had paid their Taxes Free-quarter and shed their bloud not to reform but to baptize the Law into a new name from Kingly Law to State Law by reason whereof the spirit of discontent is strengthned to increase more Suits of Law then formerly was known to be And so as the Sword pulls down Kingly power with one hand the Kings old Law builds up Monarchy with the other And whereas if an Army be raised to cast out Kingly oppression and if the Hea●s of that Army promise a Common-wealths Freedom to the oppressed people if in case they will assist with person and purse and if the people do assist and prevail over the Tyrant those Officers are bound by the Law of Justice who is God to make good their Engagements And if they do not set the Land free from the branches of the Kingly oppression but reserve some part of the Kingly power to advance their own particular Interest whereby some of their friends are left under as great slavery to them as they were under the Kings Those Officers are not faithful Commonwealths souldiers they are worse Tyrant and Thieves then the King they cast out and that honor they seemed to get by their Victories over the Common wealths Oppressor they lose again by breaking promise and engagement to their opressed friends who did assist them For what difference is there between a professed Tyrant that declares himself a Tyrant in words laws and deeds as all Conquerors do and him who promises to free me from the power of the Tyrant if I 'le assist him and when I have spent my estate and bloud and expect my bargain by his Engagements to me he sits himself down in the Tyrants chair and takes the possession of the Land to himself and calls it his and none of mine and tells me he cannot in conscience let me enjoy the freedom of the Earth with him because it is another mans right Such a souldier as this Engagement-breaker is neither a friend to the Creation nor to a particular Commonwealth but a self lover and a hypocrite for he did not fight to set the Earth free from the bondage of the Oppressor as he pretended by his Engagements but to remove that power out of the others ●and into his own And this is just like the Beasts who fight for mastery and keeps it not relieveing but still Lording and Kinging over the weak These are Monarchical souldiers not Common-wealths souldiers and such a souldier is a murderer and his warfare is unlawfull But souldiers of true noble spirits will help the week and set the Oppressed free and delight to see the Common-wealth flourish in freedom as well as their own gardens There is none of this true Nobility in a Monarchical Army for they are all self-lovers the best is as a bryar and the most upright amongst them is as a Thorn speak you Prophets of old if this be not true A Monarchial Army lifts up Mountains and makes vallies viz. Advances Tyrants and treads the Oppressed in the barren lanes of poverty But a Common-wealths Army is like John Baptist who levels tha Mountains to the Valleys pulls down the Tyrant and lifts up the Oppressed and so makes way for the spirit of Peace and Freedom to come in to rule and inherit the Earth And by this which hath been spoken and Army may see wherein they may do well and wherein they may do hurt Therefore you Army of Englands Commonwealth look to it the Enemy could not beat you in the field but they may be too hard for you by policy in Councel if you do not stick close to see Common Freedom established WHereas many of Our Privy Councel have with preposterous rigor and unreasonable severity endeavored to kindle and blow up those horrid flames the sparks of Discontent which want not the least of pre-disposed fewell for an absolute Rebellion and like some Cyclopick Monsters whom nothing will serve to eat and drink but the flesh and bloud of Our own Subjects in whose common welfare Our interest lies as much as some mens doth in their perturbations who think they cannot do well but in evil times As for Our resigning up the Crown and Government to the Prince Palatine We are cleerly of another Judgment And truly it is the unfeigned Desire of Our Heart to wear the Crown and Scepter no longer then that His Glory may be Our End and His Word Our Rule And upon that Glorious Account We shall leave the successe of all to God who hath many many wayes to teach Us those Rules of true Reason and peaceable Wisdom which is from above tending most to Gods glory and his Churches good which we think Our Self so much the more bound in Conscience to attend with the most judicious zeal and care by how much we esteem the Church above the State the glory of Christ above Our own and the salvation of mens souls above the preservation of their Bodies and Estates Since the publishing of this Declaration there hath been high Disputes amongst the Nobility and some have declared for the King of Scots desireing a contract of Marriage the calling in of his person the day prefixed and the general Attributes thereof to be solemnly declared throughout the cities of Heidelburgh Switzaon and other places But others of the Nobility are resolved to the contrary However her Majesty hath declared that she desires nothing more then the free Vote and reall Consent of her People touching which many of the Nobility inclines to her Majesties gracious will and pleasure but others again seem to be of a contrary judgment And now the Commoners of England in this Age of the world are risen up in an Army and have cast out that Invasion of the Duke of Normandy and have won their Land and Liberties again by the Sword if they do not suffer their Councels to befool them into slavery again upon a new accompt For if so be that Kingly Authority be set up in your Laws again King CHARLES hath conquered you and your Posterity by policy and won the field of you though you have seemingly cut off his head For the strength of a King lies not in the visible appearance of his body but in his Will Laws and Authority But if you remove Kingly Government and set up true and free Common-wealths Government then you gain your Crown and keep it and leave peace to your Posterity FINIS