Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	force_n	great_a	king_n	4,787	5	3.6392	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88909	A short declaration by Colonel Edward Massie, (one of the imprisoned Members of the House of Commons; lately a prisoner at S. James's-house, Westminster; under the power of the sword, in the hands of that rebellious Army under the command of the Lord Fairfax) for his vindication. Together with his protestation against the illegall and tyrannicall proceedings of the said Army. January 19. An. Dom. 1648	Massey, Edward, Sir, 1619?-1674?	1649 (1649)	Wing M1038; Thomason E541_7; ESTC R202940	5,824	8

A SHORT DECLARATION BY Colonel EDWARD MASSIE one of the Imprisoned MEMBERS of the HOUSE OF COMMONS Lately a Prisoner at S. James's-house Westminster under the Power of the Sword in the hands of that Rebellious Army under the Command of the Lord FAIRFAX For his Vindication TOGETHER WITH HIS PROTESTATION AGAINST The Illegall and Tyrannicall proceedings of the said ARMY January 19. An. Dom. 1648. PSALME 37. ver 32 33. The Wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemne him when he is judged LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1649. A SHORT DECLARATION BY Colonell Edw. Massey c. COuld I have satisfied my thoughts in that Manifestation of my faithfulnesse and zeal to Gods Cause the King Parliament and Kingdome which hath sufficiently been held forth and witnessed as well by my former Actings as late sufferings in and for the same I should gladly have rested therein content And although to the late Aspertions cast joyntly upon us the imprisoned and secluded Members of Parliament by a paper Intituled An humble Answer of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army under His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax to the Honorable House of Commons concerning the Imprisoned and sucluded Members c. We have joyntly Answered not doubting if may passe the Presse but it will sufficiently satisfie all un-byassed and indifferent Readers and return those Scandalls upon their own Heads shewing themselves to be the Traytors Apostates Self-seekers corrupt Members c. which they would fain Charge upon us And yet because there lyeth not only an obligation upon me in common with those my Fellow-members as with them borne under one King of the same Nation brought up in and professing one and the same glorious Faith called to the same trust in Parliament further tyed by severall Oathes of Alegeance Supremacy Protestation and Solemne League and Covenant together in Conjunction and Brother-hood But further also something as a Souldier before I was called to the Honour of being a Member of Parliament wherein I may seeme more concerned as one that with his Sword hath openly and before the face of the world Justified and Vindicated according to what God enabled me that the best of Causes which the Parliament then Asserted Declared for and bound themselves by a solemne Oath and Covenant to follow and pursue 1. I shall therefore first in that my undertaking desire to clear and vindicate my self from any false aspersions which are or may by malice it self be unjustly cast upon me for the blasting of my Reputation 2. And next I shall give my reasons of my freeing my self from the hands of my unjust Adversaries and Gaolers And being by Gods great mercy and goodnesse at present from under their hands I shall protest against both them and all their adherents as Actors of violence and as Vnlawfull Disloyall Covenant-breakers and Perjured persons if they shall persist in their treasonable Desinnes In the beginning of these unhappy and sad differences betweene the KING and His Parliament I beheld the Transactions and read the severall Declarations of them both with the best dilligence and circumspection I was able And finding both Parties professing much the same thing as to the peace and welfare of the Church and Kingdome only differing in the way I was not a little at a stand but after a longer contest and that the Royall Standard was set up at Nottingham And finding that the Parliament in their severall Addresses to His Majesty still continuing their former Professions of duty to Him c. According to their former Protestation and many Declarations that they never intended either co alter the Fundamentall Government of the Kingdome by King Lords and Commons c. But that their taking up the Sword was only for the Defending of His Majesties Person and Authority for the removall of the evill Councellours that so His Throne might be established in Righteousnesse and for the bringing of His Majesty to the Parliament and to make Him a glorious King and the like As also for the Defence of our Religion and setling a happy Reformation in the Church which by some Superstitious Bishops had received some blemishes in their Discipline not becomming the purity and simplicity of the Gospel The bringing Delinquents to condigne Punishment and lastly amongst many others the preservation of themselves and Priviledges of Parliament from Ruine and Destruction of that Sword threatned against them for doing of their duty in the performance of the Kingdomes Trust c. Upon these Grounds considering that it was possible for His Majesty by some about Him who only aimed at their own Advantage and Designe to be misled and drawn aside to the danger of the Kingdome and His own prejudice which he might not foresee much lesse intend And next looking upon the Parliament the Kings Greatest Councell the Collective body and Trustees of the People and by His Majesties own free Act confirmed to be a Parliament of Power and so their Ordinances made Authentick and of Force notwithstanding the deniall of His Majesties presence being both knowing men and Religious I supposed they would not possibly be so mad or wretched as not to see the things they prosecuted first to be Just and next the way thereunto to be warrantable and lawfull supposing none of them could have any thought or aime beyond the Publick good which is the best Good especially having so largely declared to the world they intended nothing beyond what they had professed to His Majesty as before I was with diverse other faithfull Gentlemen induced to receive a Commission as Lieutenant Colonell to the Right Honourable the Earl of Stamford under the Hand and Seal of His Excellency the Earl of Essex ever of beloved and renowned Memory in which was specified the ground of my taking up Armes to be for the Defence of the true Protestant Religion the safety of His Majesties Person and of the Parliament the Preservation of the Lawes Liberties and peace of the Kingdome and the Protection of His Majesties Subjects from violence and oppression c. In which and according to the Tenor of which I served in the sincerity of my heart without any Equivocation or further Intentions according to that little skill God had indued me with how faithfully and to how much advantage to them and their Cause in the midst of all discouragements the Parliament and Kingdome cannot be ignorant and how little personall advantage I have made by the said service more then that content I have had in my self and Conscience making it my delight to doe and performe my Trust to the Parliament and Kingdome I do not appeal to those Officers and Souldiers that served with me as also those Parts and Countries wherein I most served and through which I Marched And therefore need not despaire to hope that when God in mercy shall please to settle the Kingdome in Peace I shall find from the

Parliament and Kingdome that Justice in their care for the paying unto me my Arreares which is great which they have not denyed to diverse whose faithfulnesse or services have not spoken louder for them then mine have done for me Nor whose expences for the advantage of their service came in competition with mine which those Votes and promises of 1000 l. per an not yet performed unto me put me upon And now having thus faithfully served the Parl. Kingdome finding my self for the same only rewarded with a Prison my complaint of the same is the more For I dare appeal to the very Hearts and Consciences of my greatest enemies who falsly lay upon me the enjoying of Sir Ioh Winters Estate which he himself enjoyeth by their speciall favour and for their particular service either now sitting in the House of Commons or in the General Councell of the Army as they create and so style themselves or any other That they have nothing either worthy of Restraint or bones to lay to my charge only their own sinfull fears which to their own souls they have contracted by their own horrid Apostacy from all their former professions of Zeal to Gods Glory and Church of Honour and Safety to the King and His Posteriiy and of faithfullnesse and Obedience to the Parliament and in them to the whole Kingdome for their peace and welfare And therein and in order to their further Designes by bloud and cruelty to over-turne all the foundations of Government both in Church and State And to enslave the Kingdome by bringing it under their Vassellage and iron Yoak the satisfying of their own Lusts Covetousnesse Pride and Ambition These are the true Grounds of their Imprisoning my self with the other faithfull Gentlemen my Fellow-members who have ever stood firme to our first Principalls and hated to joyne hands with them in their such horrid and Treasonable Designes and Actings against either the Kings Person the Parliament the Constitutions and Lawes of the Kingdome or the welfare of the People All which by diverse Oathes and our Covenant we are sworn to Preserve and Maintaine And now they seeing that my self could not be brought by Gods mercy to me unto any complyance with them in their sinfull waies by all their temptations and allurements but on the contrary found my expressions and resolutions to oppose them therein according to my duty and trust which God enabling me I shall ever doe They for the expression of their malice as well as the manifestation of their feares most injustly and illegally secured my Person with divers other Gentlemen and made me a Prisoner to their treacherous and tyrannicall Sword In the meane time aspersing me with all manner of scandals lies and false reports of their owne forging That so the unknowing credulous might be surprised by them in giving credit to something thereof at which such as know me would laugh to scorne at the reporting posting me from place to place and from Prison to Prison detaining me full 6 Weeks without assigning or shewing Cause thereof or laying any particular Crime to my particular Charge against their owne sentance and Maxime as a matter of great injustice to others of their Faction though Legally Imprisoned to be detain'd Prisoner above 48 howers without giving in a particular Charge against them so that I having been kept so long and saw that my Imprisonment was onely by a forceable hand and no Legallity in it as at our Protest given in at the Kings-head in the Strand it was confessed by Marshall Generall Lawrance and since also confessed by the Generall Councell of the Army in their humble Answer to the House of Commons before cited And that I could expect no Legall triall or Justice no more than he that 's fallen into the hands of Thieves and Murtherers the Case being the same or worse as also upon good consideration had of the little advantage my stay would be and what advantage by Gods mercy my freedome from those hands of violence might prove to a future justifying not onely of my selfe but of all the rest of the injuriously imprisoned Members and our joynt Cause I supposed seeing the Almighty opened a dore for my delivery it had been a denying of his mercies to me and a tempting of the Lord to have given me over to the lusts and malice of those mine and the Kingdomes Enemies and therefore by Gods leave I gave my self a Habeas Corpus to enjoy as much of that freedome that was my owne as that it should please God to give me for the good and advantage of his Cause People which Covenant-breakers and Perjurers have so villified and trodden under feet And notwithstanding my freedome taken yet doe I hereby professe that if at any time I shall by a Legall Authority be Called to Answer any thing that may be laid to my Charge I shall willingly and readily doe the same as well for the Vindication of my selfe as the satisfaction of all men whatsoever although I and all honest men must protest against that Jurisdiction this Army hath usurped to themselves as not onely Illegall but Tyrannicall and Trecherous as also against that part of the House of Commons now sitting under the Power of the Sword as no House nor competent Judges over my selfe or any other Member of Parliament or other untill the Houses be freed from all violence and force and all the Members be restored And lastly since above all brands of Infamy the name of Hypocrites and Traytour striketh and woundeth deepest at the heart of any Person if but under a common or civill capacity much more such as are truly English-men and Christians and farre more yet of such as not only have made profession of the Gospel of Jesus Christ but sworne and Covenanted to maintaine the same the glory thereof That I may cleare my selfe before men as I hope I have approved my selfe to God I doe in his presence who is the searcher of all hearts in all humility make this following Profession and Protestation That I never intended in all the services I have done for the Parliament and Kingdome either as a Souldier in the field or as a Member of the House of Commons the least evill towards His Majesties Royall Person King CHARLES my undoubted Legall King and Soveraigne or to His Royall Issue or Posterity His Crowne or Dignity but engaged in the Parliaments service with a cleare intention and sincere heart according to the Parliaments Protestations Declarations Solemne League and Covenant for the good of the KING and His Posterity the Parliament and their Priviledges the Establishment of the Lawes of the Land and this poore distressed and oppressed Kingdome for its peace and welfare And therefore I shall adde this following Protestation That I take that violence offered to the KING'S Majesties Person to the Houses of Parliament and their Members and to the Laws of the Kingdome by the Army under the Command of Thomas Lord Fairfax to be a most damnable and treasonable Act and contrary to that faith they have sworn to God or trust reposed in them by the Parliament and Kingdome And doe hereby further protest being induced hereunto by no other motive or argument than for the satisfying of my owne Conscience and in duty to GOD the KING Parliament and Kingdome not through any the least thought of personall Revenge for any injustice I in my particular have suffered at their hands for God that knowes my heart knoweth that I beare not unto the Person of any one amongst them the least malice but gladly shall passe by any injury they have done unto my particular Person or honour But to testifie my Abhorrency to their waies of sinne and violence as thereby they make themselves Enemies to God and his Church and truly wish and pray for them that yet they may looke back and Repent that so they may obtaine mercy and pardon from God and not that they by their going on in the same be punished and followed with divine vengeance which is the portion of all the Contemners of his word c. Lastly that if the said Army The Generall Councell of the Army as they call themselves or any other Ranke or quality of men of what sort soever their Assistants shall designe act or doe any thing further against the KING'S Majesties Person or Office or against any of those other ends we are obliged according to the tenour of our Ingagements by our severall Oathes of Allegiance Supremacy Protestation and Solemne League and Covenant to maintaine or shall endeavour to introduce any New forme of Government contrary to our Lawes and former Constitutions of the Land which every faithfull Subject is with his life and fortune bound to maintaine I shall not onely looke upon them and repute them the most vile and perjured Traytors in the world as by whom both our Nation and Religion is become not onely a hissing to all our Neighbour Nations round about but our very Religion made to stinke in the nostrils of the very Adversaries of the truth of God by their hypocrisie and to cause all the Reformed Churches in the whole world to cover their faces with shame on our behalfs But also to my last breath with what strength God shall ever put into my hand his Grace enabling me use it for bringing of them and their Adherents as Traytours to all exemplary and condigne punishment and I doubt not but God will stirre up the hearts of all faithfull Patriots who are tied by any of the aforesaid Oathes or otherwaies to resolve as one man with hearts and hands to pursue the like resolutions to Gods glory his Church and Peoples good and this poore Kingdomes happinesse POSTSCRIPT THat this DECLARATION wrote with my owne Hand may passe the Presse is my desire and hopes though neither my opportunity or time would permit me to see it Corrected or Printed EDW MASSIE FINIS