Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	power_n	supreme_a	3,860	5	9.0420	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61130	A treatise partly theological, and partly political containing some few discourses, to prove that the liberty of philosophizing (that is making use of natural reason) may be allow'd without any prejudice to piety, or to the peace of any common-wealth, and that the loss of public peace and religion it self must necessarily follow, where such a liberty of reasoning is taken away / translated out of Latin.; Tractatus theologico-politicus. English	Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632-1677.	1689 (1689)	Wing S4985; ESTC R21627	207,956	494

in maintaining such Laws he will think himself rather the Peoples Servant than their Master A New Monarch will make it his business to make New Laws framing the Rules of Government to his own purpose and will reduce the People to such a Condition that they shall not be able with as much ease to unmake as make a King. But here I cannot pass by another Observation which is That it is a very dangerous thing to take away the Life of a King though it be evident to all the World he is an Absolute Tyrant Because when a Nation is accustomed to Kingly Authority and hath been governed only by it they will scorn and contemn any Authority that is less and when they have taken away one Tyrant they will be necessitated as heretofore the Prophets were to chuse another in his room who must be a Tyrant whether he will or no for how can he behold his Subjects Hands stain'd with Royal Blood and approve the Fact which was but a president to shew how they might likewise deal with him If he will be a King and will have the People acknowledge his Power and not be his Judge he must unless he intend to reign precariously first revenge the Death of his Predecessor and make the People an Example that they may not dare to commit the like Parricide upon him But how can he revenge upon the People the Death of a Tyrant unless he first defend the former Tyrant's Cause approve his Actions and consequently tread in his steps Hence it comes to pass that people may indeed change but never destroy a Tyrant or turn ancient Monarchical Government into any other form Of this the People of a Kingdom not far from us have given the World a fatal Example who under colour and form of Law and Justice took away their King's Life and when he was gone they could do no less than change the form of Government but after much Blood spilt it came to this pass at last that another person was set up not by the Name of King as if all the Quarrel had been for nothing but a Name who could not possibly stand unless he destroyed the Royal Line and all that were suspected to be the last King's Friends He disturb'd the Quiet of Peace which breeds Rumors with new Wars that thereby he might divert the Minds of the People from reflecting upon the King's Murder but the Nation at last finding they had done nothing for the publick good by putting to Death their Lawful King and by changing the Government had brought themselves into a Condition worse than they were in before they resolved to return from whence they had strayed nor were they quiet till they saw all things restor'd to their former state Perhaps some will object the Example of the People of Rome who with much ease rid themselves of a Tyrant but their Example I think makes good my Opinion for though the People of Rome could easily destroy a Tyrant and change their form of Government because the Power and Right of chusing a King and his Successor was in the People and because the People amongst whom were many criminal and seditious persons were not accustomed to Kings for of Six they kill'd Three yet still they did nothing but in the place of one Tyrant chuse many who kept them always embroil'd in Foreign and Civil War till the Government under another Name as it did lately in England fell again to a Monarch but the States of Holland never that we know had Kings but only Earls or Counts upon whom the Supream Power was devolved for the States by their Declaration publisht in the time of the Earl of Leicester make it evident That they still reserved to themselves the Power and Authority of minding those Counts of their Duty and likewise kept continually in their own hands the power of maintaining their own Authority and defending their Subjects Liberty in case those Counts did at any time abuse their power the States had still Authority to restrain and punish them that they could do nothing without their Consent and Approbation Whence it clearly follows that the Right of Supream Power and Majesty always resided in the States which Power the last Earl endeavouring to usurp the States could not possibly be thought guilty of any Revolt or Rebellion when they did only restore their almost lost Government to its Pristine State These Examples fully prove That ancient Forms of Government ought to be preserved and cannot without great danger of total ruine be changed CHAP. XIX Religion and all things pertaining to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supream Magistrate Publick External Forms of Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Commonwealth WHen I said That they only who have the Supream Power have Right to all things and that all things depend upon their Decrees I meant things Sacred as well as Civil that is Supream Magistrates are the Supream Heads Judges and Interpreters of all things both in Church and State which is the particular Point I intended to treat of in this Chapter because there are many who will not allow Supream Civil Magistrates to have any power over things Sacred nor will they own them to be Judges or Interpreters of God's Law but with strange Boldness accuse and traduce them yea sometimes as heretofore Ambrose did the Emperor Theodosius Excommunicate them out of the Church But as it will appear in the end of this Chapter these Men have a mind to divide and share the Government or get it wholly into their own hands I will first shew That Religion hath the Force of a Law only from their Decrees who have the Supream Power and that all External Religious Worship and Outward Practice of Piety ought to be suited and accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth That is so ordered and regulated as may make most for the Quiet thereof and consequently ought to be determin'd and settled by the Supream Power to whose Judgment in all Causes Sacred and Civil we ought to submit But that I may not be mistaken I speak only of the outward Worship and Exercise of Religion and Piety and not of Piety it self and the inward Worship of God or of the Means whereby the Mind is internally disposed to worship God in sincerity for the inward Worship of God and Piety it self is in every man 's own power as we have shewn in the end of the Seventh Chapter which power no man can transfer upon another It appears by the Fourteenth Chapter what I mean by the Kingdom of God where I shew That he fulfilleth the Law of God who exerciseth Justice and Charity because God hath commanded it from whence it follows That the Kingdom of God is where Justice and Charity have the force of a Law and Precept I think there is little difference whether God teach us the Practice of Justice and Charity by Natural Light or