Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	house_n	kingdom_n	parliament_n	6,388	5	6.7845	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88803	The lawfulnes of the late passages of the Army (especially of the grounds laid downe for their justification in their late declarations of June 14. 1647.) / Examined by one who hath long beene a friend to the Army, and desires satisfaction.	One who hath long beene a friend to the Army.	1647 (1647)	Wing L647; Thomason E394_12; ESTC R201626	10,580	21

Members of the House of Commons although I should desire that the charge might be received and heard which by the way may at least be thought hard to be done by an Army and they the accusers informers witnesses and yet it appears not how far they will make themselves Judges too when it is their own case in relation to those Members whom they say are their enemies they have put a hard judgement upon But if upon a generall accusation before any thing be proved you would have them sequestred from the House may you not by the same rule sequester a hundred the next day after and if the House should grant it in the case of two or ten were it not injustice to deny it for a hundred And if something in the matter of these accusations should be as by your printed accusation it appears to be for things done or spoken in the House of Commons then to admit it were the utter overthrow of all free Parliaments in this Kingdom where all things that are spoken or done are onely questionable by themselves that see or hear them and at the same time the offence is committed unlesse the fact be then agreed upon and it be referred to themselves to question afterwards by consent of the House otherwise they themselves cannot question any such things though it were the next day but in no case at all can be questioned by any without the House and if it were otherwise no man would dare to speak freely in Parliament which must needs prove the ruine of the Kingdom although I shall never plead to excuse the offences of any especially of those that are in publike Imployment Yet if this appear to be the very engine whereby the Prerogative hath endeavoured from time to time to beat down Parliaments then this Parliament hath great cause to complain that this Army should make use of it For that part which concerns the putting an end to this Parliament and the choosing new ones so soon as it can be done I am most confident it would not onely be agreed too but the greatest part of the House especially of those who have fitten the longest would account it the greatest happinesse that ever befell them for although they have taken unwearied pains day and night run the greatest hazards and suffered the most eminently in their estates of any people in the Kingdom many of them to the ruine of themselves and their families yet their reward from some of those for whom they have done and suffered all this is nothing but reproches and seeking some weak grounds to fast n false aspersions upon them As in that which is most commonly spoken That the Members of the House of Commons have gotten much of the Kingdoms money to themselves I have made enquiry into this businesse I am confident that no Member of the House hath had a penny out of any Taxation Contribution or Imposition upon the Kindom there are it is true some who have been eminent in their sufferings or services that have had money given them arising from some Delinquents Estates as others have had in the like cases that are no Members of the Houses and some very few have had Offices or Places bestowed upon them But this I dare say that Divide the House into twenty parts and there is nineteen of them that have not had a penny given them and let all that hath been given to the Members be strictly cast up and it will not appear that they have had so much amongst them except those of them that have had pay as Souldiers as so many Ensigns on foot nor half so much as they ought to have had by the Laws of the Kingdom for their wages And now the Houses have taken from those few Members of the House of Commons that had them the benefit of all Offices and Places and Gifts with a Resolution That they shall not have any thing given them nor any reparations untill all the Debts of the Kingdom be payed Therefore the Members of the House of Commons have more reason then the Army to desire an end of this Parliament that so they may be put into as good a Condition as other people of the Kingdom Yet why the Army should make it a demand at this time when by their own subsequent Propositions themselves seem to judge it cannot be done with safety and now before we have the Kings Resolutions upon the Propositions whereby it might be known whether he would according to the Law in that behalf joyn in such an Act or the Kingdom so setled that it were in any measure fit for it Why it should now I say be demanded I know not unlesse to make the people beleeve it were something that would hardly be granted at another time For that part which concerns freedom for Petitions if when things have been fully and freely debated and rejected as prejudiciall to the Kingdom if the people be incited to petition for the same things again and again upon no new grounds or reason this were rather a licentiousnesse then a liberty of petitioning seeing it is a fundamentall Rule that the same Bill which is rejected in the House of Commons cannot be offered in the House again during that Session of Parliament For that part which concerns the power of Committees and Deputies as also that concerning the Accounts and likewise that concerning the Act of Oblivion and the rest that follow if it be as I have heard that the Parliament have taken effectuall course in some of those things and were considering of the rest before your Declaration then they might well have been left out of your desires and complaints What ever hath been said of these particulars I should be glad that the Parliament would not stand upon any thing which might be spoken for their advantage or your disadvantage but rather set about the doing and resolving every thing as far as they could in conscience and in judgement to give you satisfaction And before you refuse that satisfaction offered you from the Parliament that did raise you and make you an Army and by whose Commission and Authority you do Act seriously weigh these Considerations 1. That to go on to disobey the Parliament or resist them in their lawfull Commands is to resist the Ordinance of God For as the Administration of the Word and Sacraments are in the band of Gods Ministers Jure Divino so the Administration of Judgement and Justice Government and Rule are in the hand of the Magistrate Jure Divino unquestionably 2. Consider that you have been charged already too much to usurpe the Office of Ministery and if you appear also to incroach upon the Office and Place of the Magistrate you will much confirm men in their opinions of that which is generally thought you make your designe viz. To take away and overthrow all Government and leave the people to an unusuall licentious libertie and as a means to that end not onely keep the power of the Sword in your own hands but by the force of it to draw out of the Parliament and all other Counsels and Judicatures in the Kingdom those who will not either for fear or base ends act to that designe And however I and it may be some others may account this a Scandall because we beleeve some of the chief Officers have better Principles yet if it should be confirmed by your actions they are such reall demonstrations that no man could beleeve otherwise notwithstanding all professions and protestations to the contrary 3. Consider that if you let loose the bands of Government and you that are Officers by your own example and it may be further reach the Souldiers to disobey the Parliament that lesson will serve to teach them likewise how to resist their own Officers and this you may take as a sure Rule That a multitude will not long be servants to any designe but within a while they will be Masters of it 4. Consider That such things as require force to obtain them can be kept no longer then they have force to maintain them which keeping in a very few yeers would be the ruine and loosing of the Kingdom 5. Consider the reproch that will come to Religion if you continue your proceedings and not onely reproch but the apparent hazard to all the Reformed Churches in Christendom 6. Consider the infinite dishonour that would come to the Army although by force they should be able to compasse all their desires That not withstanding your dutie trust and ingagement to the Parliament of England you whom they have made choice of out of the whole Kingdom to bear Arms for their Defence against all their enemies and opposers And you that have accepted of that ingagement upon this Condition in your Commissions To observe the Direction of both Houses of Parliament And you that they have made better provisions for and bestowed more marks of honour and respect upon then upon any Army that ever they had I do onely repeat these things hoping upon serious consideration of them you who have appeared gallant men will sweetly and timely return to obedience so that neither I nor any else shall ever have occasion to make such application as would stain all your glory Which is and shall be the most earnest prayer of the Author FINIS