Selected quad for the lemma: war_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
war_n	france_n	scotland_n	spain_n	3,662	5	10.5347	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27544	The providences of God, observed through several ages, towards this nation, in introducing the true religion and then, in the defence of that, preserving the people in their rights and liberties, whilst other kingdoms are ravished of theirs, as our counsellors designed for us.	Bethel, Slingsby, 1617-1697.	1691 (1691)	Wing B2074; ESTC R18802	50,816	66

Queen Elizabeth to proceed upon which had he lived would in all probability have been more perfect he seeming to have been inspired with an Holy Spirit for Reformation in purging the Church from all the fulsom Dregs and Rubbish of Popish Superstition and Idolatry and the cutting so early the Thread of his Life before he had accomplished his Design gives us great cause to reckon it a Judgment of God upon this Nation for their Sins and we have the more reason to believe his pious Intentions because Dr. Heilin a late Champion for the Church of England established by Law and Bishop Laud's great Creature tells us in his Preface to his Church-History at least to this Effect That it was a great Mercy to the Church that he was taken away otherwise he had surely reduced Episcopacy to Primitive Institution c. and since the Doctor could not be ignorant that the Papists were violently suspected to be the Authors of his Death we may by this observe the Doctor and his Patrons Inclinations Queen Elizabeth's Preservation in the Tower in the time of her Imprisonment is a remarkable Providence not to be forgot that when her bloody Sister had designed her Death she should be preserved by King Philip Queen Maries Husband who had not at that time besides his Queen his Fellow in Christendom for Cruelty and Persecution of the Reformed and was moved to the same not by Bowels of Compassion but upon a Politick account That should Queen Mary dye Childless as it seems he feared Queen Elizabeth being out of the way the Queen of Scots a Papist would come to the Crown who being inseparably joyned in League with France they both might be too hard for Spain and that his Lenity towards Queen Elizabeth could be upon no other score appears by putting his Eldest Son to death for no other cause than being too mercifully inclined towards the Protestants in the Netherlands And thus the Lord wrought for us when we could not help our selves in bringing her to the Crown and preserving her thorough her whole Reign against the perpetual Plots and Endeavours of the Papists for destroying her Queen Elizabeth having in her Fathers and Sisters Times tho averse to the gross Idolatry of Rome imbibed too great a liking of the gaudy Splendor of the Church insomuch that the pious Reformers of that Age could not bring her to that height of Reformation they desired as appears by Dr. Burnet's now Bishop of Salisbury's Letter from Zurick in Switzerland had it not pleased God in his Providence to furnish her with wise and moderate Counsellors as Sir Thomas Smith Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Burley Sir Francis Walsingham Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Rawleigh c. she might have proved more severe against the then Dissenters than she was but having had a true Love to the People of England and particularly to the City of London which scarce any of her four Successors have since had she reigned moderately some of those Acts of Parliament made in her time and since wrested against Dissenters being intended only against Papists Piety was by her and her Counsellors encouraged all Debauchery Blasphemy Atheism and Profaness discountenanced Honours places of Profit or Pensions never bestowed otherwise than for Merit by which all sorts being provoked to the study of Vertue and generous Actions Gentlemen were in that time in higher esteem and of greater Interest than many Noblemen at this day the benefit of which we found in a Blessing upon all our Undertakings the Nation not suffering the least dishonour in any of their Actions during her Reign tho ingaged in war upon the account of Religion with all her Neighbours with Spain in defence of the Protestants in the Netherlands with Scotland in the behalf of the Reformation there and with France in the assistance of the Reformed in that Kingdom in Ireland against the Rebels there and at home in suppressing the perpetual Plots of the Papists And having prevailed in all places with a small but well managed Revenue extravagant Sallaries Fraud and Cousenage unnecessary Pensions multiplying Offices and Officers to gratifie a Party for Popery and Arbitrary Government not being then known her and her Peoples interest being reckoned one and not separated as our Courtiers have since done she became glorious through the World so far as the Name of England was heard of insomuch that in honour of her the Emperor of Muscovia did voluntarily bestow extraordinary Immunities upon the English Nation When this Queen died the Renown of England seems to have died with her for since her time we have gon backward in Honour and Reputation having received many Eclipses None of our four suceeding Kings nor even Cromwel in his almost five years Usurpation having any one glorious Action to boast of save the concern the last had for the Protestants Liberty in Piemont which I confess ought not to be forgot tho his War with Spain and joyning with France is his Reproach James the 1st was a Scholar qualified for an University to make Harangues in the Schools but had nothing besides to brag of save Dissimulation which he called King-Craft but was really his blemish in that by it he so far lost all Reputation except that of a Pedant that no Princes or States could confide in him and for all his boasted Cunning was ever worsted in Foreign Treaties as in that with Spain about the Infanta with the Emperor about the Palatinate with Holland about the cautionary Towns not in delivering them up for that was but Justice but in the sum due to us for them and as a proof of his great Wisdom he spent that in fruitless Embassies which good Queen Elizabeth did in glorious Atchievements And therefore our flattering Clergy for their own ends stiling him a Solomon was groundless none ever having deserved it less his Diversions wherein he spent his time not being the Care of his People according to the duty of his Calling but in Hunting Masking and Drinking and to please the Ecclesiasticks by making their Sabbath-days-work easie in promoting the Profanation of that day in inviting the People by a Declaration to Sports and Games when they should have been either at Church or at home better employed as if the way to fit a People for Arbitrary Government was first to make them godless which Maxim hath been since improved This King was no sooner removed to England than forgetting the Methods of Church and State he had been bred to in Scotland aspired as much to Arbitrary Government as if he had never heard of any other Principles as appears by his hectoring Speeches in Parliament But it was the happiness of the People that his Bravery lay only in his Tongue and that the Nation was not then overrun with the Leprosie of Luxury and Lincentiousness nor the Ecclesiasticks and Judges corrupted as they have been since so that tho no means or tricks were neglected for compassing his Ends through Providence

was the beginning of his Troubles wherein he was as much out in his Politicks as in any of his other Actions for it could not be well expected that they who had swept their Church as clean from all the Rubbish of Rome as Geneva it self and more zealous and refined in their Doctrin than they would be easily imposed upon in Matters of Religion But it was the Pride of Bishop Laud who was ambitious of being the Founder of a new Popery and of seeing it accomplished in his days by driving too furiously that prevented the designed Mischief and so we find it confessed by our Queen Mother in Monsieur Siries Mercury the French Kings History Writer for the Affairs of Italy who tells us among many other things concerning England That when the Parliament in 1640. met the Pope had three Agents in England negotiating the reconciling our King to Rome viz. the Count of Roset Seignior C●● and Seignior Pausa●i● reciting Roset's Remonstrance delivered the King to prove it his Interest to turn Papist whereupon the King asking if the Pope would dispense with his Subjects taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy she was told that if ●e would be a Catholick i● must be without Conditions But the Parliament getting a Sent hereof● 〈…〉 clo●e that Roset was forced to be confessed whilst disguising himself and then fled for Ireland a little before the 〈◊〉 where it 's said he died And it may be observed that at this time this King 's Chief Counsellors 〈…〉 Strafford and Laud were such as whilst living were suspected and at Death declared themselves Papists viz. Thomas Earl of Arrundle Lord Cottington and Sir Francis Windibanck Secretary of State and Laud's Kinsman and not long before Treasurer Weston died of the same Communion And the same Author where he writes of the Affairs of England tells us further that Bishop L. and Bishop N. by which must be meant the two Archbishops Laud and Neal profered the Pope to leave England and go to Rome and for the Credit of that See declare themselves Papists provided the Pope would allow them at Rome the value of their English Bishopricks which they computed each at 16000 Crowns per annum but received for answer from the Pope's Nephew Chief Minister of State who at that time was as I remember Cardinal Francisco Barbarino reputed a great Statesman that if their Conversion were real they might at Rome live comfortably of so many hundred Crowns per annum For the Cardinal was jealous that the bottom of Laud's design was a Patriarchal Popedom for England which would have been a bad Example for France and other Popish Countries If any are curious to know further concerning the Affairs of England at that time I refer them to the aforesaid Mercury which is writ in Italian In the succeeding eighteen years interval this Nation received not the least dishonour save what happened at Hispaniola in War with Spain during Cromwel's Usurpation For the greatest part of the rest of that time our Neighbours trembled when we frowned tho since that the Catastrophy hath been such that we have trembled at their Frowns occasioned by the misgovernment of Charles the 2d who yet came to the Administration of the Crown most advantageously not an Enemy daring to shew his Teeth excepting that mad freak of the 29 Fifth Monarchy Men he seeming to be the universal Delight of the People At Breda he promised Liberty of Conscience to those dissenting Ministers that were with others sent by Parliament to invite him into England and at his arrival made shew of being true to his Word by appointing at the Savoy in order thereunto a Conference betwixt the two Parties the Conformists and Dissenters but the latter being under hand discountenanced by him who was a great Minister of King James the First 's Art in King-Craft it came to nothing more than making their Burthens the heavier so that in a short time the Presbyterians who had been the chief Authors of his Restauration his own Party being then so inconsiderable that they cannot be said to have contributed more to it than as Servants to the other were most ungratefully used their Ministers turned out of their Livings their Families exposed to live in a great measure upon Charity and that by him whom they had brought from that Condition himself to the injoyment of three Crowns His first Parliament acted regularly with an eye to publick good and quiet passing an Act of Indempnity for all save some few excepted which he seemed to approve so much of that in his cunning and cajoling way he gave them the name of the healing Parliament and then dissolved it calling another more to his purpose after which how he kept his Indempnity appears by his usage of the great and incomparable Sir Henry Vane Alderman Ireton Mr. Samuel Moyer Major Gladman c. taking away contrary to Faith the Life of the first imprisoning others without cause till they redeemed their Liberty by great Sums like Slaves in Algiers others standing it out till the Habeas Corpus Bill came in use after the withdrawing of Chancellor Hide which for seven or eight years had been denied or from the Iniquity of the Times durst not be moved for were freed by Law without Fines He pretended great zeal for the Reformed Religion with an Abhorrence of Poperty yet in favour of the latter endeavoured to set the Conformists at the greatest difference with the Dissenters by several Acts against the latter and severe Prosecution thereupon And this whilst at the same time all proceedings against the Papists in the Exchequer upon Conviction were stopped to the preserving of them when Protestant Dissenters were many of them ruined by close Imprisonments where they died he designing all a long no less than Popery and Slavery even when he pretended the contrary His two unjust costly and causeless Wars with Holland being in order thereunto as was the burning of London and the Popish Plot discovered by Dr. Oats yet rather than be thought to have any hand in the latter he suffered about twenty persons which he is strongly suspected to have imployed in it to dye for it When the burning of London the frequent subsequent Fires in Southwark St. Katharines and several parts of the City c. would not serve his ends he contrived a Protestant Plot for murthering of himself and as he untruly suggested introducing a Commonwealth and as the most probable Instrument as he thought tho therein mistaken Mr. Clapol a Son-in-law of Cromwel must be charged with it and without the least ground clapped up in Prison in the closest way and had not the real Popish Plot broke out he had surely been sacrificed to give Credit to the Forgery but Mr. Capol's unsuitable Principles to such a Design was enough to detect the Fraud and Villany he having been in the Civil Wars reckoned all a long a Royalist and Anti-Republican And thus ill Men are sometimes caught in

Dutchess of Orleance 〈…〉 agreed to break the Triple League to joyn with France against the Dutch and to satisfie the Swede for this Breach Mr. Henry Coventry was sent Ambassador to that Crown who procured from them the Dissolution of the League When this was done and we had recovered Breath after the Disgrace we received in the former War to have a Pretence for a second One of our Yachts was ordered in her coming from Holland to steer out of her Course and through the States Naval Fleet then riding at Sea that in case the whole Fleet did not strike to our Boat we might make that the ground of a Quarrel That great Commander de Ruyter then Admiral not thinking their Articles of Peace could be understood to reach such a little Circumstance did not answer our Demands or Expectation and for not doing it together with some Trivial Medals and Pictures which that People are much addicted to was made the Cause of a Quarrel-without Remedy and Dr. Stubbs as a fit Man for the Work was sent for out of the Country to maintain by Writing the Justice of our Cause which for 400 l. he performed the best he could by two large Pamphlets in the latter of which having been too free in his magnifying the wise and excellent Management of the War against the Dutch in that time called a Commonwealth when we first made known unto the World our Greatness at Sea in beating them when in their Zenith which cost with the Ships in that time Built 210000 l. this Pamphlet was for some time stopped till there being a necessity for it that it passed and when Stubbs was by a Friend of mine questioned how he could in Conscience write so falsly and injuriously against the Dutch He confessed He could write much more for them than he had done against them if he would After a Pretence for War was agreed on the next thing requisite was to find a Fund for the Charge which was very difficult for the Parliament having by woful Experience felt from ill Conduct the Burthen of the first War was unwilling to engage in a second but at last the new made Lord Clifford with the help of his Friends projected the stopping of all private Payments in the Exchequer for which as a Reward he had the Treasurers White Staff given him the Fund gained hereby being about 13 or 1400000 l. which was a loss to particular Creditors many of them 〈◊〉 ruined by it so that from the Immorality of the Project the Author of it deserved rather another Reward than that he received The War was commenced without any previous Declaration by falling upon their Smirna Fleet in the Chanel as we had done in the first War before Cadiz as they were upon their Voyage home wherein we miscarried as well to our Dishonour in being worsted as in beginning the War by Surprize In this War we should have had the Assistance of France and had a Squadron of that Kings Ships joyned us but in design only to teach them to fight sound our Coasts and not help us for as it is before mentioned that one Ship which from ignorance of the Intreague did fight the Captain of her at his return home was as is reported clapped up in the Bastile for hazarding his Masters Ship The Parliament perceiving the drift of the French to be the weakning of both Parties that at long run he might become Superior to either or both pressed the King to a Peace betwixt us and the Dutch which he tho unwillingly consented to for not knowing how to deny so just a request a Peace was concluded Now new measures were taken and a new Minister of State made choice of one intirely devoted to the Kings Will without reserve To gain the Kings ends a Majority of the Members of Parliament was corrupted by Pensions which were liberally bestowed upon such as were of depraved Principles fit for any mischief by which means every thing during some time brought barefaced into the House of Commons and afterwards by side-winds for the Kings particular Designs passed currently until the Court going too high for a standing Revenue the Pensioners suspecting that when that was gained their Pensions would cease they turned readily against the Court which caused them for gaining Mony from the Parliament to pretend a quarrel to France and in all haste to raise an Army to that end and to procure belief of their real Intentions a Book under the Title of Christianissimus Christianandus writ by Dr. Marchemond Needham was published rendring the French King so scandalous in all his Ways Actions and Designs as cannot be thought would have been writ without having first that King 's Leave for writing it The Parliament to take away from the King all Pretences of Complaint gave him a Supply by which he raised an Army but finding in the Issue that he was not real in his Pretensions for a War by refusing to declare War they pressed him to disband his new-rais'd Army and to effect the same gave him Money to do it with appointing Sir Gilbert Gerrard Sir Thomas Player Col. Whitley and Col. Birch to see it done who discharged the Trust reposed in them with all Fidelity and Honesty These Arts or Tricks used for the Service of the French King by which our Parliament was disobliged our King had no Cause to doubt but that that King would hold himself obliged to assist him and therefore he was applied to and probably he had gained from him a stipend of 300000 l. per Annum for some Years had not the Duke of Buckingham prevented it and upon what other Account than of being a Friend to his native Country is unknown However he did not only thereby irrecoverably lose the Favour of the Court but also drew so much the Hatred of it upon himself that he was prosecuted for a Crime which tho the Authors of the Prosecution made little Conscience of the thing themselves they hoped by it to have taken away his Life for being instrumental in preserving the Life of the Nation The Discovery of these and other pernicious Designs begot not without cause a great Jealousie in the Parliament of the Court and their Party which carried them on to the Addressing the King against some considerable Persons as evil Counsellors which was for some time avoided by Adjournments and Prorogations of Parliament till the horrid Popish Plot breaking out those Tricks could not longer hinder the impeaching several of them in Parliament for the highest of Crimes bringing one of them to the Block as had not Dissolution of Parliaments prevented it the rest in all likelihood had had the same Fate all of them having been arraigned at the Bar of the Lord's House where some pleaded Guilty in pleading the King's Pardon by which Time being got for arguing the Point till by the Dissolution of several Parliaments which was on purpose to prevent Justice they were unduly preserved for no