Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	law_n	power_n	supreme_a	2,659	5	9.1731	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08833	A copy of a letter; written to one of the members of Parliament now sitting : wherein is contained a serious reflection, upon the fallacies and disingeniousness of the Army, in their seven unalterable fundamentals, lately published. As also a seasonable caution to all governours, for their better securing themselves and the nation, from being made any more a prey to the lusts and wills of the Army and their adherents.	England and Wales. Parliament.	1659-1660? (1660)	Wing C6176; ESTC R171525	5,435	8

A Copy of a LETTER Written to one of the Members of Parliament now sitting Wherein is contained a serious reflection upon the fallacies and disingeniousness of the Army in their seven Unalterable Fundamentals lately published As also a seasonable Caution to all Governours for their better securing themselves and the Nation from being made any more a prey to the lusts and will of the Army and their Adherents SIR HAving lately perused those few Principles agreed on as it was said by the Generall Councill of Officers and published for the people's view under the Title of Vnalterable Fundamentals I thought it my duty as a Member of this Common-wealth to give in my sense hereof together with these Cautions following Providence having so ordered it I hope for the best that after this second and therefore most shamefull defection of one part of the Army you are now in a hopefull way of being established in that fulness of power you have laid claim to and I hope will improve through grace to the establishment of the Laws of God and the Nation and the vindication of the people from Oppression and Tyranny For God having done so much in mercy for you it is now in the expectation of all men what you in duty will do for him and his people Before I come to the Fundamentalls here mentioned I shall premise this Quaerie touching the Authors thereof Whether they are not the unfittest men to be makers of unalterable Fundamentalls that have been the greatest Breakers of Fundamentalls themselves and such too as were thought as Unalterable as both by the consent of the People and the Wisdom and authority of Governours could be effected The first particular agreed on for an unalterable Fundamentall is That there shall be no Kingship exercised in these Nations But because I know not how to answer Tautoligies I shall joyn this and the Proposition following together viz. That they will not have any single Person to exercise the Office of chief Magistrate in these Nations For what is Kingship but a single Person exercising the Office of chief Magistrate in these Nations and if there be no single Person there can be no King To these two then I answer It is not the Formall part in the word King or in that single number One which hath been so long engaged against but the Substantiall part in that latitude of Power and Arbitraines of Government the Spirit and life of Tyranny which be it in one or in two or in twenty is the same burden and oppression to the free born people of this Common-wealth Monarchy being rejected and laid aside rather as an opportunity and fitness for Tyranny to seat it self in than as Tyranny it self which doubtless may be found in any form which is farthest distant from it where Persons are corrupt and Laws be defective That an Army may be continued and be conducted so as it may secure the Peace of these Nations and not be disbanded nor the Conduct thereof altered but by consent of the said Conservators appointed I answer That forasmuch as Authority of it self is but a name and meer formall thing without the soul and spirit of Government which is strength to compell whatsoever Authority shall command Therefore I must assert these two Positions as unalterable Maxims 1. That the Parliament which is owned as the Supream Authority of the Nation and their Army which in truth is the strength and sinues of this Authority must be so much one as that the Army our of that interest and influence which the Parliament hath over it by way of necessity must acknowledge and yield up thereunto the right of giving definitive sentence and power of juding what is fit and reasonable for the people of this Nation usurped of late by part of the Army and their Adherants 2. This must be done so really without any more contradiction or opposition than any private man who is not of the Army shall use in his own behalfe who is onely passive herein Otherwise to own any Supream Power above the Army is a gross contradiction That no imposition may be upon the consciences of them that fear God This because it is unalterable it hath need to be more fully and plainly expressed that is to say That no imposition shall be upon the consciences of those whom the Supream Authority shall adjudge to fear God and not what the Army shall determine herein That their be no House of Peers Observe what care is taken to make up their Fundamentalls of words onely that they may keep themselves loose in the things themselves It is not another House they resolve against but a House of Peers 'T is a House of Lords forsooth and not a House shall Lord it over us that they will venture for ever to declare against As long as they will not have a House of Peers although they have the same and far greater power exercised in other persons and names 't is sufficient and fair enough That the Legislative and Executive Powers shall be distinct and not in the same hands That any may see of what mettle their Fundamentalls are made of This Sixth Proposition hath broken the neck of the Fifth already for there they declare against a House of Peers and yet here they say they will have another Assembly distinct from the Parliament to whom if you give no more power than the House of Peers had then are they as needless as you * March 19. 1648. An Act for abolishing the House of Peers Voted the House of Peers to be If you give them more power than the House of Peers had then what becomes of your priviledges of Parliament Then let me tell you Your Rump as they call it is not worth a That both the Assemblies of the Parliament shall be elected by the people of this Common-wealth duly qualified The Army should have made one Fundamentall more that is to say That the Army should be for ever deemed the onely duly qualified people of this Common-wealth and then the next Fundamentall comes in plainly and sincerely without any fraud or jugling viz. That both the Assemblies of the Paliament shall be elected by the people of this Common-wealth duly qualified that is to say with Red-coats Muskets Swords and Pikes Otherwise we have great cause to fear that they who have so long assumed this Title as peculiar to themselves will never disclaim it at the election of Parliaments Now Sir Fearing that Party which hath so shamefully fallen away from you hath yet too great an interest in many persons among you yea seeing daily so many of them as to outward appearance admitted into grace and favour with the Parliament and thorough the carelesnesse of some into places of chiefest trust in this Common-wealth I cannot but give you as already a brief account of their unalterable Fundamentalls so now likewise a short and seasonable Caution for your future dealing with them It is no lesse wise then

old saying First try and then trust God hath given you a fair triall both of your Friends and Enemies if you make not aright advantage Destruction will come upon you without pitty Take notice there are many now will come in unto you daily compelled by necessity not affection who will by consequence no longer remain with you then that bond of necessity lasteth Be well advised concerning those that have appeared against you though now they cry you up never so loud 't is to do themselves good and not you that they now carry a face of friendship towards you They will now be treating with you a pace but treat with no more then you must needs You are now able to stand upon your owne leggs it will engage the Nation the more for you the lesse you comply with the Enemies of their Peace their Religion their Laws and their Liberty besides by this means you pay the Defected party all their Arrears without putting the Nation to any further charge which wil be accounted as a just punishment upon them who have interrupted you and in you a fatherly care and provident respect to the purses of the People so much already exhausted which they will draw the freelier as being the better able to pay off all those that have been instruments of your re-establishment Remember what Principles they are of and then consider what faith they are like to keep with you As first they do affirm That Lawes Acts and Statutes vid. Army's Plea for their present Practise are binding or not binding as they appear to the Army to relate or conduce to common and publick right or wrong pag. 3. 2. They absolve the Common-wealth from their obligations to your Laws which they shall adjudge to be destructive to their interest and advantage ibid. 3. That as all Lawes Statutes Acts and Ordinances so all Covennants Engagements Promises and Protestations all Acknowledgments Subscriptions Vows and Oaths all and all manner of Obligations and Expressions thereof are onely binding unto the Publick safety not at all to the persons of Governonrs or Governments but with reference thereunto Of which Publick safety these men have affirmed That it belongs to themselves whom they call the People and not to the Parliament who are their Governours to judge of which their late proceedings do sufficiently testifie pag. 4. 4. That the Souldiery may lawfully hold the hands of their Generall if they shall say he turns the Canon against them though it appear to their Generall and all the world besides he doth not so pag. 6. 5. That it is no resistance of Magistracy for an Army to preserve the publick naturall and undoubted rights of the People against their lawfull Magistrates pag. 6. 6. That they ought not to deliver the Sword out of their hands for the sacrificing of that cause which God by his Providence hath put into their hands for its protection and defence pag. 23. 7. That the making of an inconditionate Promise and Engagement is sin and that the keeping of it is sin also pag. 24. 8. That the Parliament are not proper Judges of what is convenient to he done for common interest in the case of the Souldiery but that common in erest must be the onely judge pag 26. 9. That though in other cases you are the onely Judges as in that of Sir George Booth yet in their cases you are not to be Judges as in that of the nine Officers of the Army pag. 27. 10. That by a Parliament must be meant the Major part of a Parliament and not the Minor pag. 28. 11. That they may as well be Judges to turn you out of the House as they were allowed to be Judges to turn the Major part out before pag. 29. 12. And lastly I shall cite you this one more out of their Declaration Octob. 27. 1659. viz. That the People by electing Members to represent them in Parliament had cut that Knot with their own Sword which by no other waies was capable to be dissolved or broken Out of this brief Collection you may easily inform your selfe what obedience they are like to give what faith they are like to keep and what safety you are like to have among this disobedient and faithlesse crew of Mutiners who owning no other Law then their owne Will no other power then their owne Sword will never become subject to the Lawes of the Nation or the sword of the Magistrate untill the body of them shall be dissolved into their first Principalls Nor can I think I leave you safe here without putting you in mind of those their adherents whom they call the Sectaries These indeed are the men have effected your interruption more then any opposing your Principles as much as your Power Who thorough some men's Carelesnesse and their own Diligence have crept unawares into the most considerable places both of Trust and Power in these Nations And who could not but read your Destiny that beheld this over-sight in you Grow wise then by Experience and Remember to put those into places of Trust and Power that are of your owne principles This is your Duty your Honour your Safety your Interest And you have good reason to believe that they that think themselves above the Ordinances of God will never cordially submit to the Ordinances of Man Religion among those that are zealous is counted their chief interest for this they will not stick to venture their Estates their Reputation and all that is dear unto them so that their shall be neither Oath nor Covenant nor Promises but this like the Pope shall be alwaies ready with some to give them a dispensation who 't is feared have too many among them of the Jesuits crew who will easily dispute them into this belief that they do God good service when occasion shall serve to keep no faith with you whom they esteem as Heretiques Men of different principles can never unite at the heart though with flattering Lips and a double Tongue they may speak every one to his Neighbour yet they will discover themselves in their proper seasons Divide not the victory with them who would fain get a hank upon the Government not that they intend to be with you any longer then under your shadow and present protection they may provide for themselves and their friends safety till in time they may grow up to over-top you again as ill weeds grow apare What ever leaves they may now put forth their naturall fruits will not bear proportion to And now I hope having known what it is to be kept out of the house your selves and having made such bitter complaints against them that were your Disturbers Now I say I hope you will pitty your brethren of the Long Parliament and not do to them as you would not have others do unto you Though they are not Majores natu yet they are Majores numero to whom the birth right in the naturall course of the Law undoubtedly belongeth The very essence of former Parliaments and what is it indeed among your selves what is it among every private Committee or meeting of men of Authority that challengeth to it selfe the Authority of doing without any contradiction but the greater number till you acknowledge your backslidings in full as the Army did theirs but in part and call in the Major part of the house as they did the Minor part onely till your Repentance be unfained and your Reformation perfect you will never be established in the peoples Love and what security can you have in the peoples Fear which must be maintained by the power of an Armies inconstancy who can with the same breath both blesse and curse their Masters God hath set you once more in your places it may be to see if you will set others in theirs also Remember your Repentance in the day of your distresse There were some of you when the Army had turned you out condemned your selves for not taking the rest of your fellow Members in As the Army gave you that Opportunity to see your faults so God hath now given you his opportunity wherein you may mend them Do not then falsly imagine your selves at your journies end nor take up your rest in your imperfect number but know that you are not set up as the summary end and perfection of Government but onely as a fit opportunity and probable way wherein a more perfect Government may be obtained and established which as it is your duty to endeavour to effect so it will be your chiefest glory to bring to Perfection FINIS