Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	bishop_n	call_v	presbyter_n	3,415	5	10.3134	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87143	Peace and not warre: or The moderator. Truly, but yet plainly, stating the case of the Common-VVealth, as to several of the considerable councils & transactions from the year 1636. to 1659. By John Harris, Gent. An affectionate lover of his countryes peace.	Harris, John, Gent.	1659 (1659)	Wing H859; Thomason E1000_25; ESTC R202581	28,992	53

brunt of the day lying upon the Forces of Fairfax and Manchester and indeed it may well be reputed a sharp engagement seeing all the Generalls on both sides left the Field not knowing the success In which dayes Exercise Col Cromwel then Manchesters Lieutenant Generall did eminently merit the praise of a prudent and valiant Leader Not to derogate from those many others in whose places respectively they valiantly and faithfully discharged their duties But by the way give me leave to mention a passage that hapned soon after that engagement during the second siege of York as I may call it The success of that battaile and daily expectation of the surrender of York then despairing of relief put the Army upon great expectation of a sudain alteration of affaires either by a totall conquest or speedy and effectuall treaty whereupon the Earl of Manchester and L G Cromwell discoursing concerning the regulating the exorbitancy of the Nobility L Generall Cromwell hastily replyed that it would never be well with England so long as the Title of a Lord remained by which it might have been judged that such a principle of ambition as afterward manifested it self had not lodged in his brest But we see all is not Gold that glisters opportunity makes theeves and therefore it is not safe to trust the most specious pretences if it may be avoided for fear of the like danger But as the Parliament gained in the North they lost in the West the different Commands creating different interests so that the work was not like to prosper unless there was a new model upon which the Gentleman last mentioned being a Member of the house and having gained to himself a considerable party upon the repute he had of honesty and gallantry He then seeming and I really believe at that time was a great lover of and encourager of godlinesse I say having gradually increased his interest and yet being unwilling it should appeare too considerable his design being not probably ripe for execution a self-denying ordinance was introduced I will not say by whom although the consequences thereof may and do speak handsomely to that purpopse For that being passed both Essex Manchester Waller and all the Members of Parliament whether Lords or Commons were out of Command and himself too So that as to the face of things no man could judge of any design in him more then the publick good But things remaining in this posture a Generall must be thought on and accordingly Sir Thomas Fairfax a Gentleman of unquestionable integrity and full fraught with gallantry but a person of a passive Spirit as to Councells was made Generall and the Forces put under his Conduct who no sooner was upon a march and drawing nigh to a possibility of engagement but he directs a letter to the Parliament therein desiring that Lieutenant Generall Cromwell might be sent to his assistance upon which the house by a resolve impower him thereto for I never yet heard of any other Commission upon this he repaires to the Army and in the quality of Lieutenant Generall manages the affaires and steeres the Councells thereof upon whom he had a mighty influence as having been the instrument of many of their advancements so that in effect what ever success attended that Army the Major part of the honour returned to the Lieutenant Generall besides the advantage by increase of interest and disposing of Commands he countenancing and discountenancing whom he pleased according as they were instruments fit to be imployed in his then growing designes I shall wave the various occurrences of the War and look forward till we find the War ended and the King delivered by the Scots for a summe much exceeding the salary of Judas where remaining under an honourable restraint at Holmby Commissioners were sent to treat with him upon an accommodation fit for the King to grant and the Parliament to require but as heretofore that treaty was rendred also successeless the reason thereof is not very obvious yet if the probable conjectures of some that in other things have not been mistaken may be believed the Kings obstinacy in that treaty had its rise from some encouragement given him of the division of the Army then set on foot by a party that called themselves Presbyterian at least seemed such on pretence of the relief of Ireland whereas in truth there was nothing less in design then to divide the Army and to draw off pretensively for Ireland such a party as they knew would joyne with them in their design against them they called Independents and to disband the rest and to bring in the King meerly upon the settlement of a Presbyterian interest which though I cannot but judge some of them godly men yet so far as they are rigidly acted upon that principle of coercive power over mens Consciences I think it would be madness to impower them by a Law who have a zeal but not according to knowledge and are led by a hot-braine party some whereof are Ministers who could not indure the exercise of that power in the Episcopall Clergy over themselves but cryed it down as Antichristian yet are ready to contest unto fire and fagot for the exercise of it over their brethren every way as learned pious laborious and faithfull as themselves though probably not so covetous as to have two or three Livings and Lectures But this by the way The treaty was dissolved and the Army refused to disband or be divided untill they had their Arreares secured and saw the ends proposed by the Parliament as the fruit of all that blood and treasure that had been exhausted in the War in some measure answered to the people of which they were a part as Englishmen as well as Souldiers The flame being thus kindled by the hot-spurres of the house Holis Prinne and the rest Major Generall Skippon and others more moderate must be imployed to quench the fire and in the meane time a new design is set on foot to remove the King from Holmby to some place of security and then in his name to declare against the Army and their abettors in the house and by that means to bring all the fury of the wearied people of the Nation upon the Souldiery that had been in the hand of God instruments of that peace they then injoyed and had it not been wisely foreseen and prevented the consequence thereof had been much worse to severall thousands of the godly people of this Nation then either the Bishops persecution or former War I confess I must call the work good though not the manner of it nor event to remove the King out of the hands of a party that intended to monopolize his power to the ruine of their brethren I think was not only fit but of absolute necessity But to deny the giving the Command and to call God publickly to witness a lye as did the L. G. in Parliament as I have been informed I look upon it if

true as the first rivolet that began to let in a deluge of miseries upon himself and family But the King was removed and the camp metamorphosed into a Court some of the then principall Commanders learning to flatter sooner then they could to fight How the King was courted as to the giving of honours thereby endeavouring to render the advancement of four or five General Officers the price of the blood and treasure spent in the War severall papers printed and published by some that were nick-named Levellers and confirmed with the losse of their bloods as sure testimonies may sufficiently evidence and for my part I do really believe when the King lay at Causham and was afterward upon his publick and solemn engagement not to do any thing that might tend to the disturbance of the Peace besides his private promises to Whalley and others that the Commanding part of the Army did really intend his re-establishment otherwise it would not have been pressed with such Candor and Zeal by their addresses to the Parliament neither would they having Petitioned the Parliament not to Command them to bring the King nearer London notwithstanding bring him to Hampton Court and permit the Scots Commissioners to have free access whereby the King became lyable to the breach of his engagement by giving Commission to Hamilton to invade and also thereby gave birth to all those following insurrections of Surrey Kent c. set on foot by the royall Presbyterian sticklers on purpose to give time by busying the Army for Hamilton to fall into the Association which if effected the consequences thereof may be easily judged I need not mention the dispute between the parties about the Militia of London nor the issue thereof since it produced no good on their part that contrived it But the flight of some and imprisonment of others and the positive owning of that party of Parliament that were opposers of that interest Onely it will be worthy consideration what method was then observed by O. C. who then managed all the affaires of the Army in effect and had as hazardous a game to play between the Insurrecters Levellers as ever came to hand For the case thus stood the King by whose restauration he expected the old honour challenged by the Cromwells as was then suggested and upon whose account he had exasperated his truest friends had left him in the midst of a divided Army fired with discontents all ready to fall on him a considerable part of the Parliament then sitting being disobliged and angry as having some jealousies that he designed his own greatness to oppose the fury of a potent Nation backt with the power of a rich and prevalent party in the Kingdom besides the reliques of Royalty that the Sun-beames of his complacency and countenance had also warmed and enlivened to give him new trouble Seeing himself thus ensnared if by the most reall discovery of his sorrow and shame for his aberation and wandering he could unite a considerable part of the Army to stand fixt and disband or Casheere the wilfull yet they must divide into the severall parts of the Nation where the appearance of enemies required their service Leave the King to the charge and care of the Parliament he dare not and to carry him with him in his Marches both troublesome and dangerous therefore first the discontents of those called Levellers must be heightned on purpose to give occasion of telling an officious but false lie to the King to incite fear viz. that the Levellers intended his death by some sudden attempt by which bait and the treachery of some of his own confidents he was dril'd unto the Isle of Wight whither Colonell Hammond was sent to receive him yet all this while the Parliament were kept in Ignorance and must be it being not ripe for discovery till the issue of Ware-Rendezvouz was seen and then just in the nick as if the product of providence newes of the Kings being taken is promulged with much joy when he was never loose but trapan'd as they call a snare faster then ever Having thus secured the King the next work is to quiet the Rebells before the Scots could be ready to invade but the work proving of greater difficulty and length then was imagined had not the goodness of God assisting Major Generall Lambert in his Conduct beyond expectation retarded their march It had been impossible for the Forces out of Wales to have joyned or been in a condition to Fight them much less give them such a totall overthrow as the successe of that day did manifest After the rout of Hamilton and reducing of Colchester we are at leisure to consult future safety and in order to that both parties are at work the Royall pretended Presbyter whose interest depends principally upon the King They press on a treaty and the other as they had reason find no ground to trust him that had broke such a solemn engagement and put the Nation to so much hazard besides the expence of Blood and Treasure which at that juncture of time was a great aggravation so that now the scale is turned and that party that formerly thought nothing the King offered satisfactory are now willing to receive any thing And the other party that formerly were willing to depend upon the Kings personall engagement will not now trust his oath though ratifyed by a Law as knowing that Princes acted by policy judge no obligation of force that thwart's their designed power or advantage In the pursuance of these ends both parties act the Royall Presbyters are at the old trade of Petitions and engagements abroad thereby to give countenance to their proceedings in Parliament and being prevalent in the house Vote not onely a treaty in the Isle of Wight but also without much adoe as if the matter were concluded by instruction Vote the Kings concessions satisfactory when if what was offered at Uxbridge upon those Propositions and at Holmby by the King personally were considered it wil appeare that there was more reason for the acceptance of peace then then now the case being much altered but it is evident it was not their affection but the necessity of their interest that drew them to this change of opinion The other party had no reason if they could avoid it to suffer these proceeds the ratification whereof must needs concenter in their ruines The consideration whereof made then not onely to consider the carriage of affaires by the King who had left no meanes unattempted to destrey the Parliament and inslave the people and that in opposition to that designe the people being acted by them as their Trustees had hazarded their Lives and spent their Bloods and Estates that therefore unless they would bring all the Blood that had been shed upon their own heads they ought in judgement and Conscience at least by a publick tryall of the King to assert the publick justice of the Nation in opposition to that principle of being