Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	act_n	act_v	action_n	106	3	6.1949	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96821	The history of independency, with the rise, growth, and practices of that powerfull and restlesse faction.	Walker, Clement, 1595-1651.	1648 (1648)	Wing W329A; Thomason E445_1; ESTC R2013	65,570	81

threefold upon one or both Houses or upon the King in giving His Royall Assent neither could plead it the Parliament is presumed to consist of such men as dare lay downe their lives for their Country When the King came with force to demand the 5 Members when the City came downe crying for Justice against the Earl of Strafford when the women came down crying for Peace when the Reformado's came down in a much more dangerous Tumult then this of the unarmed Prentices yet the Houses continued sitting and Acting and none of their Acts were nullified That to make their Acts Orders and Ordinances voide ab initio would draw many thousand men who had acted under them into danger of their lives and fortunes who had no Authority to dispute the validity of our Votes we must therefore give them power to dispute our acts hereafter upon matter of fact for to tie men to unlimited and undisputable obedience to our Votes and yet to punish them for obeying whensoever we shall please to declare our acts voide ab initio is contrary to all reason If to act upon such Ordinances were criminall it was more criminall in those that made them And who shall be judges of those that made them Not the Members that went to the Army They are parties pre-ingaged to live and die with the Army and have approved the Armies Declaration calling those that sate a few Lords and Gentlemen and no Parliament they have joyned with a power out of the Houses to give a Law to and put an engagement upon both Houses a president never heard of before of most dangerous consequence it takes away the liberty of giving I and No freely being the very life of Parliaments If all done under an actuall force be voide it is questionable whether all hath been done this 4 or 5 years be not voide and whether His Majesties Royall Assent to some good Bils passed this Parliament may not be said to have been extorted by force if the Kings Party prevaile they will declare this Parliament voide upon the ground your selves have laid 1 Hen. 7. That King urged the Parliament to make voide ab initio all Acts passed Rich. 3. which they refused upon this ground That then they should make all that had Acted in obedience to them lyable to punishment only they repealed those Acts. The debate upon this Ordinance of null and voyde held from Munday 9 of Aug. to the 20 Aug. when it was passed but not without some interloaping debates of something a different na-nature yet all looking the same way occasioned by Messages from the Lords Namely once upon a Message from them The said Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and his Army 43 43. The Lords Message to the Commons to approve the Declaration of the Army concerning their advance to London was read debated in grosse whether the Commons should concur with the Lords in approving it But almost all but the engaged Party and their Pensioners distasted it it was laid by without any question put lest it should prove dangerous to put a Negative upon their Masters of the Army Yet many menaces according to custome were used by the engaged party to get it passed Hasterig affirming that those Gentlemen that sate and voted for a Committee of safety 44 44. The Committee of safety and the Kings comming to London did drive on the designe of the City protestation and engagement To which was Answered That the Committee of safety was not then newly erected by those which sate but the old Committee revived by that Vote which had been long since erected in a full free Parliament when the Army first mutinyed and threatned to March to London and for the same ends Defence of Parliament and City And for the Kings comming to London it was Voted only to get Him out of the power of the Army as formerly in a full and free Parliament he had been voted to Richmond for the same reason 45 45. A Committee to examine the Tumult Upon another Message from the Lords the Commons concurred in an Ordinance to erect a Committee of Examinations to inquire into and examine the City Petition engagement and the force upon the Houses 26 July and all endeavours to raise any forces 46 46. A Sub-committee of Secrecie selected to examine the Tumult c. This Committee consisted of 22 Commons besides Lords almost all of them Members engaged with the Army but because there were some three or four Presbyterians gotten in amongst them to shut these Canaanites forth that the Godly the true seed of Israel might shuffle the Cardes according to their owne minde the 13 Aug. after upon another Message from the Lords there was a Sub-committee of Secrecy named out of this grand Committee of Examinations to examine upon Oath The persons were the Earl of Denbigh and Mulgrave Lord Gray of Wark Lord Howard of Escrig Sir Arthur Hasterig Mr. Solicitor Gourdon Miles Corbet Alderman Pennington Allen Edwards Col Ven or any three of them All persons engaged to live and die with the Army and now appointed to make a clandestine scrutiny and search into the lives and Actions of the Presbyterian party that sate in Parliament doing their duty when the engaged party fled to the Army and brought them up in hostile manner against them The unreasonablenesse of this way of proceeding was much urged 47 47. Debate upon the passing the Committee of Secret examinations and farther alleaged that it was neither consonant to the Customes of the House nor unto common reason That a Sub-committee should be chosen out of the Grand Committee of examinations with more power then the Grand Committee it self had and excluding the rest of the Committee under the pretence of secrecie Besides it was against the priviledge of the House of Commons that the Lords should nominate the Commons in that Sub-committee as well as their own Members But the Independent Grandees would have it passe Breach of Priviledge and all other considerations are easily swallowed when they are subservient to their present designes The party engaged were resolved to be Examiners Informers 48 48. The manner of prosecution and proceeding upon the Tumult and witnesses as well as parties so active was their malice and had so well packed the Cardes that eight or nine Schismaticall Lords engaged likewise with them and the Army should be judges of the Presbyterian party that sate in absence of the two Speakers the better to give the two Houses a through Purge and make them of the same complexion with the Army without which they had no hopes to divide the power and profit of the Land between themselves by 10000. l. 20000. l. in a morning shared amongst the godly and to make the whole Kingdom to be Gibeonites hewers of wood and drawers of water to the faithfull In order to the playing of this game 49 49. Miles Corbet makes report of

in one Brigade and their Armes taken by their Officers 60 60. Cheats put upon the State and shortly after they have been listed againe in another Brigade and their Armes sold againe to the State after a while to new Arme them And of this sort were those Armes which being found in a Magazine in Town by some zelots and rumoured to belong to the City for the Arming of Reformado's were upon examination found to belong to Oliver Cromwell so the businesse was buried in silence for though the Kings over-sights must be tragically published to the world yet the hainous crimes of the godly must lie hid under the maske of Religion 61 61. Arreares secured although the State owes them nothing And though they have usually taken free-quarter in one place and taken composition money for free-quarter in another place some of them in two or three places at once 3s. a day some of them 5s. for a Trooper and 1s. a day and 1s. 6d. for a foot Souldier whereby no Arreares are due to them but they owe money to the State yet they have compelled the Houses to settle upon them for pretended Arreares 1. The moity of the Excise that they may have the Souldiers help in leavying it Although to flatter the People the Army had formerly declared against the excise 2. The moity of Goldsmiths-Hall 3. Remainder of Bishops Lands 4. The customes of some Garrisons 5. Forrest Lands This Army brags they are the Saviours nay Conquerors of the Kingdome Let them say when they saved it whether at the fight at Nazeby or taking in of Oxford and we will pay them according to the then List And for all the Recruites taken in since the reducing of Oxford it is fit they be disbanded without pay having been taken in without nay against Authority to drive on wicked designes and enthrall King Parliament City and Kingdome 24. Decemb. 1647. 62 62. Four dethroning Bills presented to the King at Carisbrook-Castle The two Houses by their Commissioners presented to the King at Carisbrook-Castle four Bills to be passed as Acts of Parliament and divers Propositions to be assented to They are all printed so is His Majesties Answer to them wherefore I shall need to say the lesse of them only a word or two to two of the Bills 1. The Act for raising setling 63 63. Act for the Militia and maintaining Forces by Sea and Land within the Kingdoms of England and Ireland Wales c. though it seems to be but for 20 years devests the King his Heirs and Successours of the power of the Militia for ever without hope of recovery but by repealing the said Act which will never be in his nor their power for first it saith That neither the King nor his Heires or Successours nor any other shall exercise any power over the Militia by Land or Sea but such as shall act by authority and approbation of the said Lords and Commons That is a Committee of State of twenty or thirty Grandees to whom the two Houses shall transfer this trust being over-awed by the Army for the ground-work of this Committee was layed by these words though the Committee be erected since And secondly it prohibiteth the King his Heires and Successours c. after the expiration of the said 20 years to exercise any of the said powers without the consent of the said Lords and Cōmons and in all cases wherein the said Lords and Commons shall declare the safety of the Kingdome to be concerned after the said 20 years expired and shall passe any Bills for raising arming c. forces by land or sea or concerning levying of mony c. if the Royall assent to such Bills shall not be given by such a time c. then such Bills so passed by the Lords and Commons shall ha●e the force of Acts of Parliament without the Royall assent Lo ●●re a foundation laid to make an Ordinance of both Houses equall to an Act of Parliament if this be granted in one case it will be taken in another and then these Subverters of our Religion Laws and Liberties will turne their usurpation into a legall Tyranny 2. It gives an unlimited power to the two Houses to raise what forces and what numbers for land and sea and of what persons without exceptions they please and to imploy them as they shall judge fit 3. To raise what mony they please for maintaining them and in what sort they think fit out of any mans estate 64 64. Bill for adjournment of the Parliament as well for place as time The Bill for adjournment of both Houses to any other place c. will enable the engaged Party of the two Houses and Army to adjourne the two Houses from time to time to or near the Head quarters of the Army where those Members that refuse to enter into the same Engagement shall neither sit with accommodation nor safety and so be shaken off at last this is a new way of purging the Houses Besides the Parliament following the motions of the Army the King shall follow the Parliament whereby the Army having both King and Parliament present with them whatsoever attempt shall be made against the Army shall be said to be against the safety and authority of the King and Parliament and a legall Treason triable by Indictment not a constructive Treason only Triable before the Lords 65 65. The King's Answer debated Monday 3. Jan. the Kings Answer to the said Bills and Propositions was debated in the House of Commons And first Sir Thomas Wrothe Jacke Pudding to Prideaux the Post-master had his cue to go high and feel the pulse of the House who spake to this purpose That Bedlem was appointed for mad men and Tophet for Kings That our Kings of late had carried themselves as if they were fit for no place but Bedlem That his humble motion should consist of three parts 1. To secure the King and keep Him close in some inland Castle with sure Guards 2. To draw up Articles of Impeachment against Him 3. To lay Him by and settle the Kingdome without Him He cared not what form of Government they set up so it were not by Kings and Devils Fretons Speech Then Commissary Ireton seeming to speak the sense 〈◊〉 the Army under the notion of many thousand godly men who had ventured their lives to subdue their enemies said after this manner The King had denied safety and protection to his people by denying their four Bills That subjection to him was but in lieu of his protection to his people This being denied they might well deny any more subjection to him and settle the Kingdom without him That it was now expected after so long patience they should shew their resolution and not desert those valiant men who had engaged for them beyond all possibility of retreat and would never forsake the Parliament unlesse the Parliament forsooke them first After some more debate

this and all future Parliaments to an Army of Rebells who refuse to obey their Masters and disband This engagement so over-leavened the Army that their brutish Generall sent forth Warrants to raise the Trained Bands of some Counties to March with him against the City and both Houses Although Trained Bands are not under pay of the Parliament and therefore not under Command of the Generall by any Order or Ordinance But what will not a fool in Authority doe when he is possessed by Knaves Miserable man His foolery hath so long waited upon Cromwells and Iretons knavery that it is not safe for him now to see his folly and throw by his Cap with a Bell and his Bable The Earl of Essex dyed so opportunely that many suspected his death was artificiall Yet the City were so desirous of Peace 35 35. The City send Commissioners to the Army Fowkes Gibs and Eastweck by which they are betrayed that they sent Commissioners sundry times to the Army to mediate an Accord who could obtaine no more equall tearmes of Agreement then that They should yeild to desert both Houses and the impeached Members Call in their Declaration newly Printed and Published Relinquish their Militia Deliver up all their Forces and Line of Communication to the Army together with the Tower of London and all the Magazines Armes therein Disband all their Forces Turn all the Reformado's out of the Line Withdraw all their Guards from the Houses Receive such Guards of Horse and Foot within the Line as the Army should appoint to Guard the Houses Demolish their Workes And suffer the whole Army to March in Triumph through the City as Conquerers of it and the Parliament and as they often give out of the whole Kingdome Tearmes which they might have had from the great Turk had he sate downe before them and broken ground All which was suddainly and dishonourably yeilded to and executed accordingly by such an Army as was not able to fight with one half of the City had they been united But they are the Devills seedes-men and have sowen the Cockle of Heresie and Schisme so aboundantly in City and Country especially amongst the more beggerly sort that these men joyning Principles and Interests with the Army weaken the hands of all opponents They often brag that they made a civill March free from Plunder I Answer they neither durst nor could doe otherwise their Souldiers being ill Armed and so few that they were not able to keep stands in the streets and keep the Avenues while their fellowes dispersed to Plunder Charles 8. with a far greater and more Victorious hoast durst not offer violence to the far lesse City of Florence when Signior Caponi put an affront upon him in the Town-house Bidding him beat his Drums and they would ring their Bells 36 36. The fugitive Members returned Upon the 6 of Aug. 1647. the Generall brought the fugitive Speakers and Members to the Houses with a strong Party who might have returned sooner without a Guard had not their own crimes designes hindred them the two Palaces filled with armed guards double files clean through Westminster-Hall up the staires to the House of Commons and so through the Courts of Request to the Lords House and down staires againe into the old Palace The Souldiers looking scornfully upon many Members that had sate in the absence of the Speaker and threatning to cut some of their throats And all things composed to so ridiculous a terrour as if they would bespeak without speaking the absence of those Members that sate Placed the Speakers in the Chaires without Vote out of which they had been justly Voted for deserting their calling where the Generall was placed in a Chaire of State enough to make a fool of any man that was not fit for it and received speciall thanks for his service from both Speakers And in the second place a day of thanksgiving was appointed to God I think for his patience in not striking these Atheisticall Saints with thunder and lightning for making him a stale to their premeditated villanies Here Sir Thomas Fairfax with a breath and before any man that was not privy to the designe could recover out of his amazement was made Generalissimo of all the Forces and Forts of England and Wales to dispose of them at his pleasure Constable of the Tower of London The Common Souldiers Voted one monthes gratuity besides their pay the Commons being in good case to give gifts before they pay'd debts left to the discretion of the Generall to set what Guards he pleased upon the two Houses Whereby you may perceive in what unequall condition those Members that did not runne away with the Speaker doe now sit after so many reiterated threats of the Generall against them in his printed Papers After this the Generall Lievtenant Generall and the whole Army 37 37. The Armies March in Triumph through the City with other subsequent Acts. with the Traine of Artillery marched through London in so great pomp and triumph as if they would have the people understand that the Authority of the Kingdome in whose hands soever it remaines in these doubtfull times must submit to the power of the sword the hilt and handle whereof they hold They turne out the Lieutenant of the Tower without cause shewne The consequencies of these two actions were that immediately the City decayed in Trade above 200000 l. a week and no more Bullion came to the Mint They displace all other Governours though placed by Ordinance of Parliament and put in men of their owne party for this incroaching faction will have all in their owne hands They alter and divide the City of London setting up particular Militia's at Westminster Southwarke and the Hamlets of the Tower that being so divided they may be the weaker Demolish the Lines of Communication that the City and Parliament may lie open to Invasion when they please and fright many more Members from the Houses with threats and feare of false Impeachments The 11. Impeached Members having leave by Order of the House and licence of the Speaker some to goe beyond Sea and Anthony Nicholls to goe into his owne Country to settle his Affaires some of them as Sir William Waller and M. Den Hollis were attached upon the Sea Nicholls arrested upon the way into Cornewall by the Army and despightfully used and when the Generall was inclined to free him Cromwell whose malice is known to be as unquenchable as his nose told him he was a Traytor to the Army You see now upon whom they meane to fixe the peoples allegeance for where no Allegeance is there can be no Treason and to what purpose they have since by their 4. Votes first debated between the Independent Grandees of the Houses and Army laid aside the King Col Dirch formerly imployed for Ireland by the Parliament was imprisoned and his men mutinyed against him by the Army and Sir Sam Luke resting quietly in