Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A61435
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Old English loyalty & policy agreeable to primitive Christianity. The first part by the author of The beginning and progress of a needfull and hopefull reformation.
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Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing S5433; ESTC R32555
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31,683
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49
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the greatest part of the Lords who are generally intire for the present Settlement We have lately had a good Choice of Bishops most of them as good as our Clergy doth afford and before that a good Choice of Judges most of them as good as the Profession of the Law doth afford And we have likewise I hope as good a Choice of Sheriffs as could be expected And what now remains as things stand at present to perfect all and make both King and Kingdom happy but First On their Majesties part That they resolvedly endeavour first to secure the Favour and Blessing of Almighty God by some generous Acts for his Service in the Reformation of the great Corruption of the Manners of the People and for that purpose strictly charge both some of the best of these Bishops to be Faithful to God and to their Majesties and to the Nation in acquainting their Majesties fully and plainly with their Duty in that respect and what Almighty God requires of them under their Circumstances and likewise the Judges to inform them of their Duty and what they may and ought to do in that respect by the Laws of the Land and then act accordingly And Secondly to confirm and secure the Confidence of the People in them for a Just Prudent and Honourable Government Which is to be done by generous and constant acts of Justice such as may demonstrate the Accomplishment of the Ancient Prophecy in his Majesty's Person Vt Sponsus Sponsae sic Justitia associetur ei that he should espouse Justice as inseperably and cordially as a Bridegroom his Bride and that in respect of the Common Rights of the People and publick Justice against Potent Offenders as the Private Rights of particular Persons for which purpose the Judges are to be Advised with And by like Acts of true Prudence as 1. By Intrusting such only as are reputed Faithful and without question intire and hearty for the present Settlement and of undoubted Ability for their Employment in the Navy for which purpose the Merchants and Marriners and Experienced Masters are fit to be advised with rather than such who have hitherto been very unhappy in their Recommendations likewise in the Militia of the Kingdom and in Lieutenancy in the City but especially in the Great Offices of Trust in which the great Disappointments we have had without other Visible Cause than Unfaithfulness of Persons Employed seem to require a Change in point of Reputation as well as of common Prudence I may add and in the Commission of the Peace and that special care be taken that they be principally men of Sobriety Virtue and Religion And 2. By a frugal and provident Management of the Publick Revenue and great Supplies of the Nation retrenching all unnessary Expences especially when so great are necessary and reducing excessive Salaries to Moderation And next on the part of the Commons That some Principal men of unquestionable Affection to their Majesties and the Government and of Spotless Reputation make an honest Enquiry into the Behaviour of their Representatives and of others intrusted in the management of Publick Affairs and then in an open Legal way represent what they find amiss both to the King and Council and to the Parliament or the Committee of Greivances so as that all the Commons of England may take notice of it Half the number of the House of Commons of Honest Able and Couragious Gentlemen of good Interest in their Country might do greater Service though out of the Parliament to their Majesties and the Kingdom by this means than is imagined And this is not only Lawful but the Duty of every Loyal and Faithful Subject to promote it what he can And provided they take good Advice and keep within the compass of the Law will be not only Safe but highly Honourable Princes must see with other Men's Eyes and hear with other Men's Ears If they be not well informed or misinformed especially in matters of great Concern it is their Unhappiness more than their Fault unless they will not hear and matter of Duty and Fidelity in any Subject who knows it to endeavour faithfully all he can that they be rightly informed And whoever doth not this doth not the part of a Loyal and Faithful Subject to his Prince and of an Honest Man to his Country The Honour of the King is for the Honour of the Kingdom and the true Service of the King is the Service of the Kingdom and both if really such are for the Honour and Service of God So that whoever willfully neglects this Duty is guilty of Unfaithfulness not only to the King but also to his Country and to God himself and must Answer for it not only to Men but to God who knows the Secrets of all Hearts and is not to be imposed upon with pretended Prudentials and superficial Evasions Nor can it be Offensive to any Honest Person who means well in either House of Parliament But those who are really such in either will be ready to encourage and promote it And I doubt not but the Blessing of God will be with them Besides it is for the Honour Safety and Strength of any Government that mutual Confidence and good Agreement be maintained between all Parties which cannot possibly be unless Publick Grievances be duly redressed and notorious Criminals duly Punished or at least Convicted and then Pardoned if there be good reason for it And that such who are Suspected be fairly Tryed and all reasonable Satisfaction given to such as Complain To deny this is Imprudence and Childishness and was the fatal Error of Rehoboam and of our last Race of Kings But we hope we have Princes now of more Prudence and Virtue That any Man who may be questioned for Treason or Felony may likewise be questioned for matter of Misdemeanour and that whoever may enquire or complain of the former may likewise enquire and complain of the latter is I think without doubt But what I mentioned of an Enquiry into the Behaviour of the Representatives of the Commons of England may seem strange at first to such as have not well considered it but if well considered it will appear not only Lawful but Necessary and Commendable That the Corruption of the Manners of the People of England in general hath been designedly and industriously promoted is by observing and considering Men believed upon very good grounds And it is likewise believed upon as good that no part of the Nation hath been more attempted than the Publick Trustees though the greatest and most detestable Wickedness that could be practised and probably with a farther wicked Prospect of begetting an Odium in the People against Parliaments This in the late Reigns was so Notorious that it would be a high piece of Impudence to deny it now especially since his Majesty hath taken notice of it in his Declaration And whether any Reformation of so foul an Abuse and of the Corruption then introduced among our Trustees
the Divine Majesty They hold the Place of Prophets and the Duty of Prophets is incumbent upon them and if they have not the Light and Discerning of Prophets it is their own Fault who encumber themselves so much with the Pomps and Vanities and the unnecessary Superfluities of the World If they know not in this their Day the things which belong to their Duty and their Peace but suffer this Prince also to miscarry through Evil Counsels which have been the Bain of so many of his Predecessors in this Nation what can they expect but to be spewed out as unprofitable Servents to be thrown out with Scorn that Gospel Angels may our Church Adorn But I hope better things from such as are now in Place This unhappy Error in the Service of God hath I doubt exposed him to the Mischief of Unfaithfulness in such as he hath imployed and intrusted in his Service the Divine Providence permitting him to feel the Inconveniences of such Polices for Conviction of this Error The Effects of our Management are visible to the World the Persons imployed are likewise known and the Management it self is much complained of too much perhaps when and as it should not and as much too little if there be just Cause when and as it should If the Management be ill and the Persons imployed unskilful and unable the Fault is in the Choice principally and the Remedy is to put them out and choose better but if the Persons be able and the Management ill the Fault then is in the Persons imployed and intrusted and they are not only to be turned out but farther punished as their Misdemeanors deserve and the Damage requires And if this be not done as it ought the Fault rests upon them who ought to do it and yet neglect their Duty And because for Misdemeanors of all great Officers the House of Commons are the general Inquisitors for the whole Kingdom if there be any such ill Management as is believed and talked on it must be a great Fault of Unfaithfulness to God to the King and to the Kingdom if they should not impartially inquire into it and faithfully use the most proper Parliamentary Means to have it effectually and speedily redressed And this is the Duty not only of the whole House but of every particular Member of it They are Inquisitors for the whole Kingdom as the Grand-Jury of each County are for their respective Counties And as every Grand Jury-man who knows any thing Presentable and doth not Present it doth violate his Oath and Duty to his Country so doth every Member of Parliament who knoweth any thing necessary to be considered there and doth not honestly acquaint the House with it and earnestly move to have it considered no less violate his Trust and Duty of Fidelity both to his King and Country Was it certain that the whole House would oppose him an Honest and a Wise Man would notwithstanding be careful to discharge his Duty faithfully nay so much the more careful to do it to clear himself that he might not be guilty so much as by Silence of any defect in Duty to his Prince or to his Country And was this weighty Duty well considered as it deserves we should have less Scuffling to get into the House and more honest and honorable Behaviour there than we too often have had But that which for many Ages hath been the Root of Remedy for all our Maladies hath in this been so corrupted that it hath most of all needed Remedy and yet hath most obstinately resisted it But of all I have most admired at those whom I took to be the best Men of Sobriety Religion Conscience Fidelity to their Prince and Affection to their Country to see such frighted nay even laughed and shamed out of all these I wish such may receive this Admonion and better consider their Duty in time and do works meet for Repentance that is give Glory to God by so much greater Acts of Fidelity by how much they have at any time failed therein For otherwise they will be called to a strict Account wherein their little Prudentials will little avail them And for this purpose to such as desire to discharge their Conscience well I shall recommend the Account of the Good Steward in Sir Mat. Hale as a good Pattern how to treat it But in the mean time there is another Account that such Publick Trustees are to be imminded of and that is an Account of their Actions if ill or not faithful according to the Trust reposed in them which the Commons of England who intrust them or any one of them may call any of them to The meanest Commoner in England may maintain a Suit against the King himself if he have just Cause and the ordinary Judges ought to give Judgment for him and do him Right He may likewise complain in Parliament if he have Cause proper for that of any Grievance by the King or his Ministers or of any Misdemeanor by any Member or Members of Parliament or if it be the Speaker himself And what one may do more may do the Marriners may do it the Merchants may do it the Judges Serjeants and other Lawyers may do it the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council of London and the other Cities may do it the Counties may do it and all may do it there is no Limitation of the Numbers but only of those who present the Petition and that only by a late Act of Parliament It is an Ancient and a Fundamental Right of the Commons of England and whoever should dare to speak against it as some base Abhorrors did some Years since though it were in Parliament ought to be questioned for it as a Betrayer of the Rights of his Country For though Freedom of Debate be a necessary Privilege of Parliament yet are there certain Bounds to it that may not be transgressed Nor is the Power of the House of Commons or of the whole Parliament so boundless or unlimited as some may imagine This as it is an Ancient and a Fudamental Right so is it a Right as needful to be understood and put in Practice now as ever This if any thing that I can see under God must save both King and Kingdom For the Lords I can say nothing to them But for the Representatives of the Commons I find many of them so affraid of Great Men if not otherwise corrupted that they avoid the Motion of a Petition against their Speaker or a Lord-Commissioner of the Great Seal though for the Honor of the Royal Authority and the Execution of the Laws the Care of which is their special Duty nay for the Honor of their own House and seek Evasions as from some dangerous Matter So that I see not whence we can expect Effectual Remedy for the Mischiefs and Dangers so much complained of but next under God from the Virtue of their Majesties and the Great Body of the People comprehending I hope