Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	5,724	5	4.8029	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92860	Animadversions upon a letter and paper, first sent to His Highness by certain gentlemen and others in VVales: and since printed, and published to the world by some of the subscribers. By one whose desire and endeavor is, to preserve peace and safety, by removing offence and enmity.	Sedgwick, William, 1609 or 10-1669?	1656 (1656)	Wing S2383; Thomason E865_5; ESTC R203530	87,657	113

refuse the common Title of Protector is I suppose this That as General he stood in a special relation to honest men as divided from their enemies and all others in an Army where you expect a more open friendly and ingenious converse with him You think he hath by being Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland levell'd this Distinction and brought you into the common condition of the Nation and now every man hath as much share in him as you or we your discontent is jealousie lest your Lord General should forsake the wife of his youth the honest people of the Nation his sister his spouse in the morning of her beauty and commit adultery with that rotten harlot Old worldly Power and Greatness And that he should seem to desert you and that general and unlimited Power that he had with you and you with him and this won and worn in the face of the three Nations and take up a limited Power a broken clipt Title maim'd and imperfect and that a Mushrom a thing that rises in a night none knows from whence that he should carry his and your conquering Sword and hang it up amongst the Monuments in Westminster and fetch out of the old Records or the Lawyers pates a ceremonial empty thing without spirit or vigor and therewith wrap up and invelope himself from the converse and enjoyment of his own body and spouse Now in this I confess I would a little indulge your jealousie though it be mixed with an unseemly rage yet I hope there is love at the bottom and a sense that His Highness hath devested himself of too much of that Greatness and Power which he had and which is necessary to uphold us and our cause in that state into which he hath brought us But withal let us consider it is an error that deserves pity it may be he intended it as an act of humility not of disloyalty that he considered himself as a private person not as a General intrusted with all the Honor won by honest men in these wars and if he hath wasted his strength and might by it he will quickly feel the want of it and will be ready to entertain a loving invitation back again and if in stead of suing a Divorce your Letter and Paper had been a loving Challenge and Claim of your right to him it might for ought I know have had a very excellent effect Meeting with these two considerable Questions in your Title I could not but give them as serious a Consideration as I was able in hope it may help to clear our Work for the future I shall now hasten to your Letter ANIMADVERSIONS UPON ALETTER sent to His HIGHNES BY Certain GENTLEMEN and others in WALES IN the begining of your Letter you speak of A Sudden Strange and Vnexpected alteration of Government c. to the great astonishment c. I doubt 't is the vapors that do arise from your own passion that do occasion this great astonishment in you for let a man but with a little Reason view our late publick Transactions and Change of Government will be no strange thing to him From the begining of these times we have been little but Changes we have chang'd from three States to two from King Lords and Commons to Lords and Commons for a while they govern'd us and then we turn'd from two to one the Commons onely without King and Lords And this hath been turn'd purg'd dress'd broken and patch'd up again divers times and ways these are great changes of Government but a greater yet follow●d When the Remnant of the old Parliament was taken away that wherein the Authority of the King in Calling and the Liberty of the People in Chusing met in one Constitution And the then General and his Council private persons exercise the Authority of the King and Liberty of the People and meerly out of their own wills create a Parliament Now all Civil Power is changed into Military and that triumphing in the highest Absoluteness as if the Sword were the onely Lord of the world the Alpha and Omega of Government as if it gave the King his Majesty and the People their Freedom and could challenge them when it pleas'd yet this change did not so much astonish you for some of you were Members of this Parliament Neither had you reason to be offended at this because by this change your way had an opportunity to put in its Claim to Power this was the Vertical point The next change was rather downward again into an Instrument which sets up One as Supreme and a Parliament chosen by the People this is not altogether so strange to England as the former Now which of these you mean I know not to complain of the former change from the long Parliament to the little Parliament is against your own Interest and to complain of a change from a Parliament impos'd to a Parliament chosen is against the Interest of the People I will not trouble you to resolve which of these changes doth affect you most Many are offended at the taking away the old Parliament and that Cause you seem to undertake whether it be really your Interest I 'll not determine I shall onely give you and others that are unsatisfied with that act my thoughts concerning it That long Parliament deserves to be mention'd with much Honor by all Honest men in the Nation that did adhere to it for that it had in it many sound and worthy men and was a long time a Bulwark that kept off Slavery and Destruction from breaking in upon us in many a hard brunt and desperate assult yet the removing of them at that time might be no injury to them or us I. That Parliament as they then stood was no Legal Constitution nor had they Right to the Government by our Laws What Right had they to take away the Life and Office of a King by whose Authority they were made a Parliament Or what Right had they to take away the House of Lords a Constitution Ancienter than themselves When this was done what just Power had they to constitute themselves a Common-wealth There was no act of the people that either made them so or gave them power to make themselves so they had no such power inherent in themselves neither could they ever manifest any such stamp of Majesty set upon them by God and his providence Now if the Parliament did assume the Government without any Rule or Authority and impose It and Themselves upon the People and so upon the Army what Law is broken in pulling down that which stands not by Law II. That Government such a Constitution as it had was from the Army the Army urg'd them to do justice upon the King which they neither could nor durst do themselves For they and eveny Rational man must confess that were it not for the Strength Honor and Success of the Army that which we call Parliament Government and

and so in time compose the difference I shall a little consider the Person and then his Place or Title 'T is better dealing with Things than Persons they are so nice and curious that a man can hardly handle them without offending especially if they be Great ones for there is a double temptation attends one in it 1. To Flattery to please the Court and 2. Of Detraction to please the People However this Person the Protector being the chief subject of the Letter and Paper I cannot avoid speaking my Apprehensions of him and being sensible of some ingenuity and equality of minde in it I shall do it without Apologie I shall onely give you my Observation of his Original what he was before these times and then what share he hath had in these late publick Transactions I. First this great Man is risen from a very low and an afflicted condition one that hath suffer'd very great troubles of soul lying a long time under sore terrors and temptations and at the same time in a very low condition for outward things in this School of Afflictions he was kept till he had learned the Lesson of the Cross till his Will was broken into Submission to the Will of God c. Religion that is thus laid into the soul with the hammer and fire is ordinarily more solid more useful than what comes in onely by Light into the Understanding I have had opportunity to measure as well as I was able most men that have appear'd in any eminency in these times and have always observ'd his Spirit as to the active or practical part of Religion as through as full as sound and as hearty in it as any yea more it may be what I have now to say is but my Fancy but take it amongst other things That the time of his extreme suffering was when this Cause of Religion in which we are now ingaged was at its lowest ebb and that when he came forth into comfort of Spirit and inlargement of estate Religion began then to spring forth into an interest divided from the Kingdom and Nation though it was low yet it began to look abroad and to seek either a new state here or in other Regions and so he suffer'd and rose or sprung forth with this cause as if he had one life with it II. Secondly His maner of appearing in publike Imployment hath been visible to all publike work seem'd to be exceeding natural to him his soul was one with it which made him act with more vigor than other men and so constant and steddy to it as not to be discouraged by difficulties nor taken off either by offence or by opinions of other ways as many eminent men have been a main pillar of the strength of it in all its changes I must be excused if I tell my thoughts of him I am the freer in it because they have continued with me in a long time of offence and prejudice concerning him There hath to me appear'd in him a singular spirit of Brightness Clearness Largeness and Self-denial of care for and love to the cause of Religion and honest men as much above other men as Saul was higher than the people in stature of body for which I did conclude before ever he had any Command in Chief that if ever this Cause did succeed he would be the Head of it He had an honesty an integrity a nobleness in him which did attract and unite honest men to him a love and loveliness in which affections of good people did concenter and a largeness to receive and comprehend all honest men of differing judgements and this He did by the vertue and dignity of his Minde long before he had the advantage of Supream Command to do it which was a proof to me that his inward worth not any outward accident hath given him his preeminence To his great industry faithfulness and wisdom in business he hath been always attended with a singular blessing of Success in all his Affairs and that constant both in the Field and Council and often times in some great works the Word and Arm of the Lord hath been reveal'd to him and with him according to the maner of Gods speaking to his people in these days by giving in to the heart some Scriptures with great power and spirit whereby his Faith hath been strengthned to attempt great things As he hath been often guided by the word of the Lord in his great Undertakings so I do think and have particular reason to believe that in that which is so much offensive to men viz. The breaking of Civil and Worldly Powers he hath had the same Authority and Word of Command Consider now such a person rising from great afflictions from whence he comes sanctified by grace called forth into pablique action and therein appearing in largeness integrity and courage assisted with the presence and blessing of God guided and strengthned by the arm and word of the Lord which above all sets the clearest stamp of Majesty upon a man according to the words of Christ John 10.35 If he called them gods to whom the word of the Lord came These things together are certainly a foundation yea the substance of greater and truer Honor than these last Ages have had experience of Yet he hath no reason at all to be proud nor we much reason to boast of him for though these are excellent things yet they have been shadowed and sullied with very great weakness that doth much eclipse their lustre for besides the dirt that malice cast upon him and the pollution contracted from the nature of his work which hath been destroying work and so impure besides these I say there is personal weakness rash passions sudden ingaging for and as sudden turning from things which shews want of fore-sight incontinency and inconstancy of minde some violent strains and leaps which have stretch'd conscience and credit large promising to oblige parties and persons and too short performance to give satisfaction which shew a minde not standing firmly upon its own basis of truth but carried off into looser ways of policy And though the tottering state of things may seem to excuse it yet certainly such actings so disproportionable to the truth and faithfulness of God do more shake him and with him the publique peace than any thing in the world But notwithstanding these or if not these what ever other weakness may cleave to him I must prefer Oliver Cromwel in querpo with the stamp of God upon him before Oliver Protector and all His train of Greatness and that His naked person with what God hath done in him and by him hath really more dignity majesty upon it than if he had with his Protectorship fetch'd from Westminster all the Honors and Titles of all the kings of England and therefore I think what ever may be fancied the Subscribers have done him no real injury in writing To Oliver Cromwel I have done with the

your Paper sure these men are apter for such Work than the old Parliament And why you should so magnifie any thing that is past as to call it Blessed I know not I confess I never yet saw any thing in agitation that could make all parties happy and blessed surely nothing is truly blessed but that wherein all good men may finde rest It may be you plate much of you happiness in a Parliament for in this Article you plead for the Priviledges of Parliaments if you do not many others do think it the onely Cure of our Distemper and therefore I shall freely give you my thoughts of Parliaments A Parliament is a Constitution in which there is some Reason and Equity and of late it hath been very benign to Liberty and Religion for which we may remember it with Honor but I fear it hath been made an Idol by many of us and exalted above its place for which it hath been miserably blasted and curs'd render'd a vain and unprofitable thing subjected to scorn and contempt having lost its Union Majesty and Wisdom The Considerations that I have long had concerning a Parliament are these I. First A Parliament is a Body whereof the King is the head and therefore 't was called his Parliament because form'd and call'd by him at his own pleasure for his own ends and 't was his Interest which he much pleaded for in the beginning of these times a Free Parliament for had they been Free in their Debates and Votes he and all his had been undoubtedly safe For the Parliament did zealously and heartily intend the advancing of him and making him a great Prince and ingaged and protested to it however they were afterward forc'd from their own Protestations but not by any natural motion of their own but by an over-powering hand A Parliament is the Interest of the King and a King as much the Interest of a Parliament II. Secondly A Parliament is a wordly earthly Constitution consisting of worldly Matter Gentlemen of Estates and chosen by People in the capacity onely of possessing so much Land without any respect at all had in Electors or Elected to any Character of Grace or Anointing and therefore 't is the Interest of the World not of the Saints a part of the fourth Monarchy not of the fifth the strength of the Kingdoms of this world not of the Kingdom of Christ form'd by custom in the Darkness and Enmity of the world not in the Light and Wisdom of Christ III. Thirdly The Parliament had it had its Priviledges viz. Freedom for all its Members to Debate and Vote would never have removed any thing of King Lords or Bishops they had all stood to this day had not the Parliament been forc'd by the People We may talk of Priviledges of Parliament but alas who doth not see that we did make bold with their Priviledges by driving some out and driving some on beyond their reason to what we and the People affected and this so grosly that though it might be a shame to do it 't is more a shame to deny it or to seem now to plead for the standing of Parliaments and Priviledges when common sense or ingenuity will tell us we have forc'd and violated them at our pleasures from the beginning IV. Fourthly We cannot in reason expect a Free Parliament at this time because the People are not fit to have a free choice of Members or at least not fit in the sence of the Subscribers for generally the spirit of the Nation at this time is complaining of Sects and Divisions in Religion and jealous that the Anabaptist will get the upper hand and pull down both Magistracy and Ministry therefore we cannot but think give them Freedom to chuse they would pitch upon sober wisemen that should stop this inundation of Innovations in Church and State Therefore you cannot have a Free Parliament except you admit the People to a Free Choice which is the foundation of a Free Parliament which indeed neither the Subscribers nor any rational honest man can admit for the greater number of the People of the Nation are either Malignant and opposing Reformation or lately offended at it or Neutral and sottishly mindless of any thing but their profit all these must be concluded unfit to be the root of that power that must carry on the great Work begun and secure honest men and honest things And should we restrain the Election to honest men for which there is no Law yet they also are for the present unfit for choice being divided into Sects and Parties and so not competent judges of mens ability to govern but will over value their Friends and undervalue their Enemies chuse an unworthy man because of our own party and refuse a worthy man because opposite to us so that the Foundation of a Parliament would be laid though chosen by the best men not onely in bitter strife and enmity but in unrighteousness and partiality and what fruit can we expect but jangling and cavelling from the root of blinde and unjust Contention But alas a Free Choice is out of use amongst us for the custom hath been either to awe the People out of their choice by greatness or to cheat them of it by canvasing and importunities and so either some great men or busie factious men have made Parliament-men in most places and the People in whom we would place the original power over our Lives Liberties and Religion are such fools or beasts as to be thus driven in their Election If we should have a Parliament at this time I should fear it would be like that Beast spoken of Rev. 13. 1 2. which did rise out of the sea so the People or Nation is at this time a multitude of confused Tongues Languages and Voices carried this way and that way by the breath and spirits of men And the Beast was like a leopard full of spots of several and different colours and of a monstrous shape the lower parts the feet as a bear the upper parts the mouth as a lion such would a Parliament be They might roar as lions speak high things big words some of them others be fierce and cruel as a bear but yet a beast not of wisdom meekness or love to heal our Distractions for the fury and wrathful spirits of the People can blow up no better a Representative than a fierce and raging Parliament And should this Parliament assemble and sit and assume the Royal power into their hands will the Dragon if I may alude to the Army give them his Power his Seat and his great Authority An Army we have and must have and 't is now Supreme can we then think that they that have the Sword in their hands be they the Subscribers or any other will be so time as to suffer themselves to be voted Traitors by such a Lions mouth and to be laid hold on by such a Bears paws and not remove them For there is no