Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	person_n	son_n	unity_n	4,772	5	9.3919	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85018	A happy handfull, or Green hopes in the blade; in order to a harvest, of the several shires, humbly petitioning, or heartily declaring for peace.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1660 (1660)	Wing F2437; Thomason E1021_17; ESTC R208465	46,178	87

A Happy Handfull OR Green Hopes in the BLADE In order to a HARVEST OF THE Several SHIRES humbly Petitioning or heartily Declaring for Peace Psal. 34. 14. Seek Peace and follow after it LONDON Printed for John Williams at the Sign of the Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660. TO His Highness The Lord General MONCK MY LORD WHat formerly was in single Arrows is here bound in a Sheaf I conceive it good that by such conjunction they might mutually reflect light one on another Posterity will probably be pleased to look back on such passages Some love to see the little coats they then did wear when children Alas these all were the Essayes in the Infancy of our Liberty now grown a stripling God send it to be a Man yet they differ rather in Sound than in Sense variously expressing the same matter So many men and but one minde is admirable prompted certainly by the Spirit of unity inditing them Factious Petitions gave the beginning and Loyal Declarations must give the end to our Miseries But here is the difference the first were made by the Scum these by the Cream of the Nation Aeneas did beg the Boon of the Sybil that she would not write her Oracles according to her usual course in leaves of Trees blown away with every wind These Declarations formerly were printed in Leaves or single Papers which are soon lost not to say The best of Papers so printed are oft consigned to the worst of uses This is a way to preserve and to propagate them I remember the Verse of the Poet Singula cum valeant sunt meliora simul Take each of them asunder good as either Then needs they must be best all put together What as single Stars was good must be best in a Constellation God happily perfect what is so hopefully begun by your Honour though my voice is too weak to be the Eccho to the sound of the whole Nation Your Honours most humble Servant JOHN WILLIAMS AN EXPRESS FROM THE KNIGHTS and GENTLEMEN OF CHESHIRE Now Engaged with Sir George Booth To the City and Citizens of London and all other Free-men of England Worthy Citizens and all other our English Free-men and Brethren AS we are English-men we are all incorporated into one Body and though distinct and different Families Fortunes and Qualities yet fellow Members and Coheirs of one and the same Birth-right not onely by nature as we are the Sons of men nature obliging all in one common and equal Bond of Freedom and Unity but by certain sacred Laws and Customs of peculiar and inherent Right to this Nation general equal and impartial to all without respect of persons rank quality or degree derived through all successions of Ages by the Blood Justice and Prudence of our Fore-fathers to us their Posterity as ours and the Right of our Children after us not dis-inheritable though this Age were wholly made up of Apostates and Traytors to Common Justice and Freedom and should make sale of and deliver up their Children as slaves and Vassals yet English Right abideth to wit our just Laws and Liberties and may justly be re-inforced as opportunity may present Sometimes they sleep but never die their total Extinguishment is not to be imagined so long as any Englishman or English blood abideth and whoever undertaketh though by Arms or otherwise their recovery and redemption is justified in that very Action by the Laws of God of Nations Nature Reason and by the Laws of the Land and within the Bowels of our Nation amongst our selves no War can be justified but upon that score the contrary is Sedition Murde● Treason Tyranny and what not and the Instruments thereof no other in the Eye of English Freedom and Right but as Bears Wolves and other Beasts of prey Now right worthy and noble Citizens and all other our English Brethren let us consider and lay to heart the sad and deplorable condition of our native Countrey Oppression Injustice and Tyranny reigneth division discord and distimulation fomented and fostered Trade and industry discouraged our Land rent into Parties and Factions and the common Band of Unity Cancell'd our fundamental Laws supplanted High Courts of Justice introduced the blood of War sh●d in times of Peace Arbitrary and illegal imprisonments Patents Monopolies Excise and other payments brought upon us and continued contrary to Magna Charta and the Petition of Right no form or face of Government of English Constitution amongst us the Name and Athority of the People in Parliament usurped and abused and the stamp thereof put upon strange and prodigious Actions vexing and oppressing the People with dayly Changes and Alterations in government as the Interest of some few ambitious Grandees alter and change or get advantages one of another and all under the Name of a Common-wealth when as the Nature is not practised or intended at all it being utterly inconsistent with their very temper and interest they are wrapt up and compounded of nothing but guilt-blood and Tyranny and equal and common Justice the essence of a Common-wealth are utterly repugnant thereto and whatsoever they can do must be planted and maintained by Sword and violence against the very Heart and Sence of the Nation and they know not where or how to centre an Oligarchy or something they would have to be Masters of the People and perpetuate their power and Tyranny and therefore would amaze and confound us with their New Debares of a Coordinate Power or Senate for Life such as our English Laws and Liberties know not of and of pernicious consequence to this Nation so that from these men that thus handle the Stern at Westminster there is no expectation of any just settlement of Peace or Freedom from Oppression especially considering the Apostacy Hypocracy Deceipt and perjury of those men their manifold solemn Engagements Oaths Vows Protestations Appeals unto Heaven Promises Remonstrances Declarations all by them broken again and again never keeping Faith Truce or Oath being unbounded unlimited certain to nothing not to be held either by the Law of God or Man of Conscience or Reason And from such Persons in Government Good Lord deliver us and all the good People of England and that all this is true of them your Consciences Noble Citizens and all other the Free-People of England can witness there is no tongue no pen is able to vindicate them in this point it is known of all owned by all and can be denied by none how then can any honest or just man shed any blood in their Quarrel or lend them assistance surely that blood will be required at their hands and we doubt not but you will be carefull what you do And therefore from those Considerations and just provocations that we have taken up Arms in pursuance of and Inquisition after our Government Laws and Liberties that every English-man may be protected and secured in his Religion Liberty and Property and though it may be suggested that we intend to

Griefs and Declaration of our Desires and Thoughts of the most probable means by Gods assistance to give some remedy to our present Sufferings and prevention of our yet greater Calamities which threaten our speedy ruine The cause of all proceeding as we conceive is from that unhappy Disorder in that great Wheel of Government And that after all our great Sufferings and Trials the vast expence of Treasure and Blood for our Rights Liberties and Priviledges of Parliament which we take to be the Good old Cause such persons in whom we have already lodged our Trusts and who have sufficiently manifested their endeavours to perform the same namely Nathaniel Stephens Esq Sir John Seymore Kt. Edward Steephens Esq John Steephens Esq and the Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax have been since December 1648. and still are denied the freedom of sitting and voting in Parliament The Restauration of which Members we desire with all freedom to their former Capacities And Declare we shall not otherwise consent to pay Tax or other Impositions or hold our selves bound by any Law to be made without a Restitution of these our Representatives with a supply of all Vacancies by a free Election according to the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of this Nation it being the undoubted birth-right of all the Free-born people of England that no Tax or other Imposition be exacted from them or any new Law imposed upon them but by their consents had by their Representatives in a full and free Parliament And we further declare our hearty desires for the burying all former Animosities and Differences by a full and general Act of Oblivion and Indempnity with satisfaction to be given to Purchasers under any Act of Sale as by Parliament shall be thought fit And that no Officer or Soldier that hath ventured his life for the freedom of his Countrey and shall continue faithfull to those Principles may hereby receive any Discouragement We also declare That we shall freely and willingly consent that all such shall receive their Arrears and be continued so long as the Parliament shall think fit in order to the safety and preservation of the Nation and that such liberty be allowed to tender Consciences as is not opposite to the Scriptures or the established Laws of this Nation We also Declare That in pursuance of these our just Desires we shall not be wanting to the uttermost of our powers to engage our selves by all lawful ways and means with our Fellow Brethren in the just Vindication of our Liberties and shall neither count our Lives or Fortunes too dear to hazard for the Redemption thereof and herein we shall not doubt the ready Concurrence of all those in the three Nations whose Peace Prosperity and Safety is equally concerned with ours This Declaration being subscribed by great numbers of considerable persons of that County was to have been presented to the Speaker by some of them but considering how Sir Robert Pye and Major Finchers handsome behaviour was unhandsomly rewarded with imprisonment for a particular of the same nature it was thought more proper to preserve the liberty of Personages of so much worth til a better opportunity and therefore it is thought fit thus to communicate this for the vindication of this County and satisfaction of the whole Nation THE REMONSTRANCE Of the Knights Gentlemen and Freeholders of the County of GLOUCESTER WE do claim and avow it to be our undoubted Birth-right and Liberty That no new Laws much lesse any new Government can or ought to be imposed upon us nor any Taxes Contributions or Free-quarter taken of us without the consent of the People of this Nation in a Free-Parliament Assembled which Liberties have been often confirmed to us by the great Charter the Petition of Right and many other Statutes And Parliaments being the only Bulwarks and Defence of our Liberties as men and Christians ought to be freely elected and to sit and Vote without interruption or opposition by any persons whatsoever The Priviledges whereof we are all bound to maintain and defend and to assist and maintain each other in the defence thereof And therefore we resolve according to our bounden duty to joyn with the Lord Mayor and Common-Councel of the City of London and all other Counties in England in pursuance thereof And we do not doubt but all true hearted English men who love their own Liberties and are not willing to be made slaves or to enslave their Brethren will joyn with us herein A Letter agreed unto and subscribed by the Gentlemen Ministers Free-holders and Sea-men of the County of SUFFOLK Presented to the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Councel of the City of London Assembled January 30. 1659. Right Honorable PLease you to accept this Paper as a testimony that we are highly and gratefully sensible of those breathings and Essayes towards peace which your renowned City hath lately declared to the World As we earnestly wish that our serious and unanimous concurrence may ripen them to a perfect Accomplishment We are willing to consider it as an Omen of Mercy when we observe the Nation in general lifting up its Vows to Heaven for a free and full Parliament 't is that alone in its genuine sense which our Laws prescribe and present to us as the great Patron and Guardian of our Persons Liberties and Properties and whatsoever else is justly precious to us And if God shall by your hand lead us to such an obtainment after-Ages shall blesse your memory 'T is superfluous to spread before you your Merchandise decay'd your Trade declin'd your Estates wither'd Are there not many within your Walls or near them that in your ears deplore such miseries as ehese Your Lordship may believe that our prayers and persons shall gladly promote all lawfull means for our Recovery And we entreat that this cheerful suffrage of ours may be annex'd as a Label to your Honorable intendments This Letter was delivered according to its Superscription by Robert Broke Philip Parker and Thomas Bacon Esquires THE Declaration of the Gentry of the County of NORFOLK And of the County and City of NORWICH WE the Gentry of the County of Norfolke and County and City of Norwich being deeply affected with the sense of our sad Distractions and Divisions both in Church and State and wearied with the miseries of an unnatural Civil War the too Frequent Interruptions of Government the Imposition of several heavy Taxes and the loud Out-cries of multitudes of undone and almost Famished people occasioned by the general decay of Trade which hath spread it self throughout the whole Nation and these Counties in particular and having met together and consulted what may best remedy and remove our and the Nations present Grievances and Distractions Do humbly conceive that the chief Expedient will be the recalling of those Members that were secluded in 1648 and sate before the Force put upon the Parliament We of the County of Norfolk being by such Seclusion deprived of