Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A70421
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A short ansvver to a whole litter of libels by Roger L'Estrange.
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L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing L1307A; ESTC R20535
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14,529
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20
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End of Scribling at the same rate in the Late Rebellion When I had no other Reward to expect but the Satisfaction of my Conscience the One way and a Halter over and above the Other â—f he gathers my Itch of Scribling from my Translations 't is an Itch I perceive that he is in no Danger of There 's Tully and Seneca a Couple of Pagans that will stand Fairer before the Great Tribunal then a Million of Calumniating and truly Diabolicall Christians There 's Bona's Guide to Eternity a Manual of Pious and Excellent Morality why should That trouble him either For his Conscience is layd fast enough for flying in his Face and Sleeps as comfortably in the High way to Hell as if it were no more then Truckling into his Own Kennell As for Erasmus's Colloquies and Quevedo's Visions They are not Tart enough perhaps for His Palate for 't is not the Strength or Moral of a Satyr that pleases Him but the Spite and Venom of it and in Truth I have heard if I do not miss my Mark that he is much Happier too in his Libells that Pass only in Manuscript then in his Printed ones For being infinitely Familiar with the Seven Deadly Sins hee 'l put you a Set of the Honestest Lords and Ladies that you can lay your hand on into so lewd a Dresse that they shall all look like Rogues and Jades in a Trice and without running the Risque too of a Reply 'T is a notable Lad they say at a Lampoon The Reader has hitherto had only my Own Word for the Grounds of So many Pamphlets as I have lately exposed to the Publick I shall now come nearer the matter and deliver a just Report of the Inducements that led me to it Finding not only the Entire Frame of the English Government torn to Pieces by the Audacious Insolence of Licentious Libells but the Dignity of Government it self exposed to Popular Contempt and made Cheap in the Eyes of the Multitude finding these Outrages I say in a manner Authorized by passing Vnpunisht and the Cause it self half yielded up for want of Advocates and Arguments to Defend it I thrust my Self into the Controversie not as I hope to be Sav'd out of Passion and Bitterness against any sort of People whatsoever but out of an Impulse of Conscience and a Sense of Duty This Officious Zeale of mine has made me as many Enemies as there are Ill-willers to the Government and to deal Freely I cannot but take it for an Honour to be Reviled by Those Lips that Speak Evill of my Master But So it is however that whether I made good my Post or not it was a thing of absolute necessity that Something should be done toward the putting of a Check to So Impetuous a Course of Calumny and Sedition And This Necessity will better appear upon a due Consideration of the Bold Discourses and Positions that were dayly vented from the Presse to the Weakening and Wounding of the Government in the Head and in every Part of it As to the KING himself the Late Case of Sebastian King of Portugal is offer'd to the English as a President The Doctrine of Co-ordination and the Kings being Singulis Major Universis Minor is Common It is positively affirmed that in many Cases a King may be Deposed Also that in some Cases the Subject may take up Arms against both his Person and Authority That he Derives his Power and Authority from the Consent of the People That God himself approves of the Removal of Evill Kings That the Two Houses may Levy Men Mony and Arms Without or Against the Kings consent They have already Erected a Vote of the House of Commons into the Equivalence of a Law His Majesty is Charg'd with Raising a Mercenary Popish Army to have joyn'd with the French Besides Oblique Reflections Innumerable Now for the PARLIAMENT the Late Long Parliament is called a Treacherous and a Lewd Parliament And 197. of the Members of That Parliament Scandalously exposed by Names in a Libell As to the CLERGY beside the Dayly Reflections upon the Bishops and Episcopacy it self they are expresly call'd the Sons of Belial Whom says the Libeller if the whole World were now to make their Wills all but Fools and Knaves would leave them a Curse for a Legacy The People are call'd upon to Destroy Episcopacy Root and Branch The Courts of JUSTICE scape no better for not only their Proceedings but the Persons of Several of his Majestyes Judges are Libelled by Name The Juryes are exposed in Several Libells also And in one Libell in These Words Wakeman's or a Gascoyne-Jury Pickt Brib'd Instructed how to murther Truth From c. The Justices of the Peace are Served with the same Sawce too For upon Sir W. Wallers being put out it was presently hinted to the World in a Libell as if the rest of the Middlesex Bench were all Papists And so much for Publique But the Personal Libells are not to be Number'd I have Published These Instances in Hope and Expectation of receiving a Command to make them out and to Trace them For I have the Libells in my Possession If this Liberty holds every man that honestly serves his Prince and his Conntry becomes a Sacrifice to the Multitude and the Rabble gives Laws to the Government It is no wonder now after these bold attaques upon the Constitution of the Government if they let fly their Malice at it in Piece-meal too And if some Pamphlet-Pedler or Hedg-Printer happen to be taken in the Manner he has his Plea at his Fingers End He has serv'd out his Time and is not to be put by the Exercise of his Trade Has not a Cutler or a Gunsmith the same Plea too for the very Pistol or Dagger which he knows before-hand is Designed for the Murther of the King In fine whether it be Impudence or Opennesse of Nature I know not But upon my soul if my whole Life were ript up and all my Actions exposed other Persons excepted out of the History I would make no more scruple of owning the Truth then of acknowledging my self to be Flesh and Blood For I do not set up for a Saint but for a Loyall Subject a True Friend and as the world goes a very Honest Fellow The End