Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	good_a	king_n	power_n	4,538	5	4.8909	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65439	To the most illustrious, High and Mighty Majesty of Charles the II, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc. the humble declaration of being first a supplicatory preface and discourse of His Majesty, and then humbly shewing the great and dangerous troubles and intollerable oppressions of himself and his family, and the true occasion thereof, in the wofull times of these late most unhappy distractions : wherein the perfect loyalty of a true subject, and persideous malice and cruelty of a rebell, are evidently deciphered, and severally set forth to the publick view in their proper colours, as a caution for England : hereunto are annexed certain poems, and other treatises composed and written by the author upon several occasions, concerning the late most horrid and distracted times, and nver before published.	Wenlock, John.	1662 (1662)	Wing W1350; ESTC R8066	124,478	168

pleasant than a treacherous heart in Prosperity little regarding their Judgements but resolved if the will of God were so to suffer rather for well doing than for evil doing And though your subject thinks himself unworthy to take in hand the legal defence of your Majesties Right yet when he heard their irreligious and undutifull Discourse tending to the slighting and undervaluing of your Majesties Proclamation and the applauding only of the Parliaments Designs your Subject was so jealous of your Majesties Just Royalties Prerogatives and Reputation that he freely reprehended their folly and told them they were too confident in their conceits That the Parliament were many of them but weak men and might fall into grosse errors That it was not to be imagined that all the wisedome in the Kingdome was now ingrossed to the House of Commons for it was able to afford many thousand Assemblies as wise as they That Truth onely must be the square of Christian mens actions and not the fantastical and factious opinions of men and among other Passages also said unto them That they professed themselves to be haters of Idolatry and yet it appeared they were much infected with Superstition a grand limme thereof for they had as Reverend a conceit of their Parliament as the Papists have of the Pope which is that he cannot possibly erre in his Function Within a few dayes after came Warrants to Town to command all our Armes compleat to beat Colchester the next morning The Constable came presently to warn me to send my Armes accordingly I asked him to see his Warrant which he shewed me and when I had read it I told him That he knew my mind already for I had declared it sufficiently at the last Town meeting He confessed that I had so done yet he must come to do his Office Then I asked him If his Authority concerning this matter were derived from under your Majesties Great Seal He answered No it was from the Parliament Then I asked him whose ●o●stable he was He replyed That I was a merry Gentleman to ask him such a Question and that I my self knew better than he whose Constable he was and what belonged to his Office I answered him That indeed I have thought I had known something but now the Lawes are so strangely refin'd that my Learning is almost out of date But I prethee said I tell me in good earnest whose Constable thou art He answered The Kings Then quoth I to him Thou art a very Foole for the word of God sayth His Servants ye are to whom ye obey and therefore you having no Authority from the King but doing the contrary to his Royal command are surely the Parliaments Constable and none of the Kings Whereat his Constableship was at a Nonplus Then I told him that I intended to certifie to the Captain the Reasons under my hand why I refused to send my Armes That if I offended the Law therein they should then have my own hand-writing for a Witness against me The next morning I wrote to the Captain to this effect That such a Warrant had been shewen unto me but withall that I had formerly seen your Majesties Proclamation and further intimated that I should be heartily sor●y to infringe the Allegiance I owed to my Soveraign or to give a just occasion of offence to others that were in subordinate power but I remembred that long since I had taken the Oath of Allegeance and therefore were it but in that regard how I could dispence with my self in Disobeying His Majesties Royal Proclamation I did not yet well understand but my Armes and Bodie were ever ready to defend his Majesties Royal Person and Honour This Letter was delivered him in the open Field amongst the Trained bands where were present divers Parliament men which I dare say had a sight of it but I heard little thereof only the next week I going to London Newes was brought home that so soon as I came at my Chamber I was apprehended by Order from the Parliament and laid in Prison and should be fined as much as my Estate was worth onely because I refused to send my Armes at the last Traineing But it was but a false Fire to terrifie my Wife and Children and to affright others from their duty and allegeance Then at my return home the Parson of the Parish told me That he heard I was like to fall into trouble and that he was sorry I had not done as my Neighbours did I answered him That I was not sorry at all for I had done as my Conscience and the Law directed me But quoth he there will come danger of it Gods will be done said I for I am resolved to be constant and never to turn Rebell for I shall ever account it an honour to suffer in my Princes Quarrell and would fain see the face of that man that durst call me in Question for shewing my true allegeance to my Soveraign Afterwards I was threatned to have my house pulled down and all my goods taken away by Riflers who said they had an Order so to do because I would lend no money to the Parliament Soon after I went upon occasion to the house of a Parliament man none of the meanest St. Rober● Crane Knight and Baconet ●ank and he asked me What was the reason that I was threatned to be rifled I told him Because I would lend no money to the Parliament Then belike quoth he you lent none No said I for I have no moneys to lend but had I never so much yet I think I am able to make it appear to you or any man that is of an impartial Judgement why I ought not to lend money to such a design but now a dayes said I men must not speak the truth what they think whereat he clapped his hand upon his breast and said thus Before God I dare not speak what I think my self After he asked What means was used to procure money in our Country I told him The Ministers perswaded much but said I every thing that Parsons now speak in the Pulpit doth not work upon honest mens Consciences that smell of Loyalty and Discretion After this I was too often troubled with their Warrants either about lending of moneys sending of Armes or their nugatory politick Association still roaring in my ears with an Ordinance of Parliament and still I told them That these doings at length would make the Ordinance roar in the Field And I thank God I was so far from obeying any of their Warrants that I still gave them this answer That by Gods grace I would never do my self or posterity that wrong to live or dye a Rebell and that all their projects would surely come to nought and tend to nothing but mischief in the end ever Harping upon this string That it was without all question High Treason to levy Armes against the King c. and sundry times I have laboured to convince them by

been and how odious their memorie in all succ●ssions of ages and such or to the same effect was the most part of your subjects continual conference with Barnard the Blacksmith for so was he called but he being then an instrument of h●ll and so not capable of good Counsell but one of those Fools that hated Instruction and having the fire of Envy and Sedition kindled in his putrified stomack could not rest long in quiet without the working of some manner of wickednesse and therefore he went to the Committees those rurall nutritious Instruments of Rebellion and there he made his complaint against a Noble Gentleman then living in the Town and that was your Subjects loving Friend and antient acquaintance whereat I was much moles●ed and grieved and therefore soon after upon a Sunday at night when the said Barnard came to the Parsonage where I then was I did begin somewhat sharply to expostulate the matter with him and said that I was heartily sorry to see him still continue so turbulent and factious a fellow as to run about with such triviall complaints against honest and worthy Gentlemen to whom he was so much beholding and by whose means he had obtained his principall maintenance and livelihood telling him that if I had thought this grosse humours would still have fed upon the leaven of malitiousnesse and peevishnesse I would never have utter●d my mind unto him so freely as I had done for I now believed that he would prove ● kind o●● Judas in the conclusion But the greatest hurt and injury said I will ever redound upon thy self for by such false and perfidious dealing thou wilt draw the wrath of God upo● thee and thine and make thy self odious and abhorred of all honest men or words to that effect And he returning me crosse answers I confesse I did bitterly reprove him for his seditious sawcinesse the issue whereof was that the next morning very early one of the Maid Servants in the house ca●e running up into my Chamber in an extafie and with tears in her eyes ●uefully told me that we were all undone for Barnard had raised the Town and beset the house and that he would presently carry me away Prisoner to Cambridge and that her Mistris was in a most fearfull affright at the hearing thereof Whereupon according to my usuall courage and confidence I began to smile and wished the Maid to pacifie her self for I was not affraid of such Rascalls but would suddenly rise and come down amongst them and perhaps give some allay to their fury and so with all expedition I dressed my self and came down into the Parsonag● Hall where the said Barnard then was accompanied with such a rusticall rabble of meer animals as his Impudence could command or their own ignorance would permit to dance after the mad Musick of his pernicious Pipe and there at first casting mine eyes upon the tenebrous object of a Black-smith I did thus encounter him Ha how now Barnard what news this morning to which he made answer That I must go with him to Cambridge before the Committees What must I go with thee quoth I upon what Authority let me see thy Warrant Whereunto his reply was That he had no Warrant to shew me but that himself was Authority and Warrant sufficient for he could tell of his own knowledge that I was a Malignant and therefore it was lawfull enough for him to apprehend me and also to carry me away without any further Order and indeed although the wicked wretch did not rightly understand what he said yet I knew well that his Authority was equivalent to the Committees and as legall to an inch as the case then stood yet I thought it no policy to acknowledge so much to him least he should be too proud of his power and so the more rude and violent against me wherefore I still harped upon this string That without some colour of lawfull Authority I would not stir a foot for I had then no businesse at Cambridge and if a man of my Quality and Profession should submit himself to travell about the Country with such a Company of Idle fellows and upon ●o frivolous an occasion without the command of a W●rrant it must needs redound much to the blemish of my judgement and reputation and therefore I plainly told them that I was resolved not to go along with them unless it were upon other terms and hereupon the vile Vulcan believing that all his Rebellious retinue were ready at his command did cry out to the Constable to do his Office and to lay hold of me for I was the Malignant and only man that he intended to take And upon this I turned my self towards the party to whom he directed his Speech as I perceived and said unto him Art thou a Constable who answered Yes Sir Then quoth I Friend I charge thee in the Kings Majesties name to see the peace kept for I have done no man wrong but was at quiet in my bed untill this riotous Assembly did thus disturbe me and therefore I counsell thee to be wary and well advised for if thy self or any of thy Company here do offer any violence to me without a lawfull Warrant so to do you were better bite off your nails and leave scratching for ever but certainly that which is done already will not be forgotten when time shall serve for I shall hazzard to make you all smart for it And it is probable that this animosity of mine and heroick manner of demeanour did so much abash or pacifie the Peasants as not one of them durst offer to lay hands upon me But it was reported afterwards that this Barnard had sent to Cambridge in Post-hast for a Warrant against me that very morning and that the intention of their comming so soon to the Parsonage was but to protract time and to stay me with wrangling discourse untill the Messenger was returned with his tackling and the truth is I had been gone from thence within a few hours if these unlucky Fellows had not thus Treacherously sought to prevent me but as it happened they did but hasten my ●ourney for the Gentlewoman of the house being wonderfull solicitous that I might be delivered from the danger torment of this Vulcans Hammer Anvill knowing that he and his Trayterou● adherents might bruise me into pieces but never could fashion me into any other form or shape did quickly endeavour to prepare a passage for my departure and escape from amongst them And thus it was she sent up to Dalham Hall for some Gentlemen that were there intreating them to come down presently to the Parsonage which they did and whilst that some of them were in hot dispute with this Barnard and reproving him for his thus acting the part of an Impudent and Trecherous wretch the Gentlewoman did whisper in my ear and told me that she wished with all her heart that I were out of their fingers for quoth she if

conscience and dutie towards God whose command i● when thou art converted strengthen thy Luke 22 32. brethren That Subjects owe obedience to their Soveraign the whole consent of Scripture doth agree The Psalmist resembleth Kings to Gods upon earth and indeed they have their rule and Ps 82. 6. power by Gods appointment Prov. 8. 15. By me Kings reign and therefore to such as rebell against them it may be said as God said to Samuel touching the Israelites They have not cast ● Sam. 8. 7. thee away but they have cast me away that I should not reign over them I hope none are so impudent to compare our King to Saul rejected of God but if any such be had they any touch of the grace in Davids heart then would they yet pray with him Lord keep me from laying mine hands upon the Lords anointed let me intreat them with a single eye and humble spirit to read ● Sam. 26 the historie of Davids carriage towards Saul and to remember the wise counsels of Solomon My sonne fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their calamity shall rise suddenly The fear of a King is as the roaring of Prov. 20. 2. 3. a Lion who so provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul it is an honour for a man to cease from strife but every fool will be medling an evil man seeketh only rebellion therefore a cruel messenger Pr 17. ●● shall be sent against him The wrath of a King is as the messenger Prov. 16 14. 15● of death but a wise man will pacifie it for in the light of the Kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain And again in Eccl. I counsell thee to keep the Kings commandement and Ecc. 8. 3. ● 4. ● that in regard of the Oath of God be not hastie to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou Let us never forget that divine precept of our Saviour the King of Kings set down in three of the Evangelists Give unto Caesar the thing that are Caesars Remember the Apostle of the Circumcision Fear God Honour the King and submit your 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 17. selves to all manner of Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King as unto the Superior or unto the Governours as those that are sent of him Observe the decree of the Doctor of the Gentiles writing to the Romans then governed by Nero a most cruell Tirant Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Rom. 13. ● 2. for there is no power but of God whosoever resisteth the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Condemnation And in the Marginall Notes upon the old Translation it is well observed that because God is the Author of this Order therefore Rebells must know that they make war with God himself and cannot but purchase to themselves great misery and calamity For though the King hath not Power over the Conscience of man yet seeing he is Gods Minister he cannot be resisted by any good Conscience And in his Epistle to Ti●us he gives a special memento Put them in mind that they be subject to the higher Powers and that they Tit 3. 1. be obedient and the like in divers places of his Epistles The King of England is an absolute Imperiall Monarch by the Law yet he is to govern his Subjects by the Laws and Antient Customes of his Kingdome But the King is the only supreme Power next under God and so acknowledged by all Parliaments and the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance do prove as much And by a Statute made in 1 of Elizabeth any man is disabled to sit as a Member in the house of Commons untill he hath taken a solemn Oath upon the Evangelists whereby he doth acknowledge the King to be the only Supreme Governour of these Realmes in all Cases whatsoever And also promiseth that he will to the best of his Power assist and defend all his Majesties Royal Priviledges Pr●heminences and Jurisdictions graunted or annexed to his Imperiall Crown and yield his Obedience thereunto Which Oath how faithfully some do now observe I leave to the Judgement of God and their own Consciences It is confessed by all knowing men that a Parliament truly understood is a Court of the highest Nature and Authority in this Kingdome and that it hath power to make and alter Lawes And that matters there in question are to be decided or agreed on by the Major part of Voices But it must not be a Parliament without a Head not a Parliament rent in pieces that hath power to do this For to make any Obligatory Act to bind the Subject absolutely either in Life Liberty or Goods there must be a concurrence of the Major part of both Houses with the Kings Royall Assent added thereunto in whom the Legislative power doth alone consist And therefore I know not how any such thing can now be done at Westminster the King being absent and the farr greater part of both houses nay almost all the Lords being also departed and now joyning themselves with the King in all his designes But it will be objected that many things may be done by Ordinance of Parliament I will not deny but that both Houses of Parliament joyntly assembled may possibly have power to make Ordinances for the present good of the Common wealth And that these Ordinances may be binding during the time of that Session Provided that they ●e no wayes contradictory to the known Laws of the Land For the Subject enjoyeth his Life his Liberty his Lands by the antient Customes and Statutes of this Kingdome which are indeed the fundamentall Lawes thereof And therefore the Subject cannot be deprived of these rights but by a Law of as high a nature and that must be a Statute Law at the least How then can any man by an Ordinance contradictory to Law be legally dispossessed of his Liberty or Goods which he doth enjoy by the Power of the Law But some say that these things may be done by Priviledge of Parliament And if there be such a Priviledge come to light that doth over-top all Law Reason and Religion then much may be done But I beeleeve that if any such Priviledge be now found out that it is as new as the inventers thereof for venerable antiquity their betters in learning and knowledge never yet heard of any such matter It is known to all that have but smelt of the Law that both by the Common and Statutes Lawes of this Kingdome it is high Treason to levie Armes against the King or to be Adherent or Assistant to the Kings Enemies and these Laws when they be once