Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	army_n	king_n	raise_v	1,601	5	7.0038	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87930	A letter from a Member of the House of Commons, to a gentleman now at London, touching the new Solemne League and Covenant.	Member of the House of Commons.	1644 (1644)	Wing L1411; Thomason E45_8; ESTC R2550	7,624	16

A LETTER From A MEMBER OF THE HOVSE OF COMMONS To a Gentleman now at London touching the New Solemne LEAGUE and COVENANT OXFORD Printed by H. Hall An. Dom. 1644. A Letter from a Member of the House of Commons to a Gentleman now at London touching the New Solemne League and Covenant SIR IT 's no wonder but common experience that the division of King and People so destructive to publique peace and private happinesse drawes with it the breach of all relations for when the foundation of publique order is subverted we may soone expect the fractions of families and friends bonds sacred in all ages the late strangenesse betweene us arising from our different wayes in the present distractions is one instance which yet may not withhold me from expostulating your taking the new Covenant and preaching with much vehemency as is affirmed the necessity of taking it by others I shall not looke backe on the causes of your engagement to that party who have thus advanced themselves though I conceive the clearenesse of your judgement must discerne the unsoundnesse of these grounds that were layed for taking up Armes against the King and that you could not secure your conscience in partaking with such blacke designes by principles which constitute the King onely passive in government and that he must sic as an idle Spectator of the disorders and miseries of his Subjects and thinke his account well discharged towards God and Man if he leave all to the Counsells of others without his owne deliberation or triall of them by Scripture or reason Surely the charge of a Prince is not so weighty if this be the greatest burden nor his finall account in this respect so terrible neither were the prayers for him so necessary in respect of his people depending on him as the Scriptures assure us if their good or evill were so little concerned in him Your former resolutions not to conforme to humane Lawes in any thing wherein your conscience was unsatisfied of divine authority extended not to inforce others to repeale lawes by the sword which they are perswaded were a sinfull disobedience to God and his Vicegerent And unlesse your passions have darkened your judgement and made you impatient of contradiction though from your owne or the most undenyable principles of divine truth I may hope you will satisfie or ease a doubting conscience in this your Covenant And first upon view of the Title being a solemne League and Covenant amongst Subjects without as much as a royall assent or authority of law without which all agreements to alter religion or government are a knowne high treason I find most men though farre engaged on your party stand amazed how they can defend religion by treason how they can breake the supreame lawes of government without breach of duty to God fidelity to his Vicegerent or peace of conscience I have not yet found any answer to this unlesse it be expected that our president of violence may aswell iustify as cause another But it seemes the end of this Covenant is the foundation of its legality and being for Reformation and defence of religion c. The Lawes of civill government must give place to it A Position which I still accounted till of late the peculiar of the Jesuits and if that be the support of your Covenant the affinity it hath with that sect should at least render it suspected if not hated by your selfe but the opposition it hath to the practice of Christians in all ages the scandall it gives to the cause of religion by shaking all governments where it 's entertained make it odious to Christians that desire the union of truth and peace The name of Reformation and defence of religion hath seldome beene wanting to any rebellion the foulnesse of which crime seeke to lurke under the most plausible pretences And as I plainely see by this Covenant not reformation or defence but alteration and introduction is avowed and there is no invasion or violence but may usurpe the title of defence if alteration of lawes government by force against the mind of the Prince be such Therefore the penners of this Covenant warily omitted lawes out of the particulars to be defended by this Covenant in the Title which must cast shame on the front so contradictory to them The next end the honour and happinesse of the King whether sincerely intended I appeale to your selfe or any that take this Covenant whether the maine Scope be not to take away his iust authority divest him of power and place all or the principall parts of Majestie in others without whom he shall be disabled to resist any rebell or enemy if this be a truth as I thinke it 's known to the most common understanding you will stand guilty to God aswell of grosse hypocrisy as disobedience and I should gladly know what honour is meant the King that shall be reduced to such a condition I beleeve few forraigne Princes will understand such an estate of much honour and they will quickely find it of lesse power and that the peace and safety of the three Kingdomes will be kept by this Covenant when the Soveraigne power the band of union is dissolved I may rather dreame then beleeve To the preamble that makes the danger of Religion the motive of this Covenant whosoever lookes on the progresse of the present distractions and by what degrees they rose that sees the credit and imployment that Sectaries and Schismatiques of all sorts have among those Covenanters that such as in the cleerest and most unsuspected times were branded for disturbance of Church and State now undertooke to declare them enemies to Religion that have beene the Champions of Gods cause against the common enemies of our Religion if Papists are so intended by this Covenant that sees by whom Armies have beene raised Townes taken the King pursued will find plots against the true Religion and the professors thereof under the maske of defending it and all the miseries raised in the three Kingdomes to take their originall from these Covenanters who while they violently acted their designes in England and Scotland defrauded Ireland of necessary releife and cast it into that infelicity it so long groan'd under The commendable practice of those Kingdomes in former times and the example of Gods people in other Nations is of weight if the allegation were of credit and the times had beene pointed out that we might have beene informed of their certainety and authority I have heard of the unholy league in France to resist Henry the 4 of that Kingdome if he submitted not to the Roman religion if that be one of your examples as it hath great likenesse to your present Covenant and difference of true and false Religion makes not a difference in the legality of Armes against the Prince which are rebelliously borne if against him or his lawes and you well know there is no law to alter Religion against the will of the King I