Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41176
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The knot unty'd, or, The association disbanded
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Ferguson, Robert, d. 1714.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing F744; ESTC R3769
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15,275
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34
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at last will be only this That he is wise and valiant just and well-beloved steady to his Word and faithful to his Adherents but that which is worst of all in the Opinion of these Associates is That he is Presumptive Heir to the Crown and will suffer no Republican to pick out the Jewels or pluck off the Feathers of it But so long as he has so high an Affection and Respect for the King's Person and gives Countenance and Encouragement to none but such as are truly loyal and serviceable to his Majesty I hope 't will be no Crime in His Royal Highness to make much of such as own and espouse his Hereditary Interest after the King's Example While these men boast of their continual Endeavours to deliver his Majesty from the Councils and out of the Power of the Duke they do but upbraid the King as they did his Father of ever Blessed Memory of Weakness as not able to discern what belongs to his own Interest and Safety nor to distinguish betwixt his Friends and Enemies Under favour this is but a course Complement to his Majesty the Wise Man hath taught us a better Lesson That a Divine Sentence is in the Lips of Prov. 16. 10. the King and his Mouth erreth not in Judgment Had it not been for this Holy Oracle we should have been many times surprised at the celebrated Prudence of his Majesties Conduct when the Case has been most difficult in turning our Disappointments into a Satisfaction Has not his Wisdom appeared to Admiration in stemming the Tyde and checking the Waves of Popular Rage and Fury when they seemed to threaten us with an Inundation Has he not taken the Seditious in their own Craftiness and made their own Tongues and Pens to fall upon themselves till they have been glad to take Sanctuary in an Ignoramus Jury That Parliaments have been unreasonably Prorogued and Dissolved is another of their specious Allegations but herein his Majesty has given such ample Satisfaction as supersedes all attempts of the like Nature For What can the Man do who cometh after the Eccles. 2. 12. King He that cannot acquiesce with great Contentment in such a Gracious Declaration let him understand the Sense of all Loyal Subjects in their solemn Addresses of Thankfulness upon that account Do they not own it as an undoubted Copy of that Original and transcendent Goodness which the Finger of God has impress'd upon his Royal Bosom A Declaration so full of Princely Grace and Wisdom and generally so suitable to their Wishes that it did but anticipate what of Duty as well as Interest and Inclination should have been their own Petition and that it left them no room but for the lively Expressions of their Joy and Gratitude And he that has not joyn'd his Suffrage with his Fellow-Subjects in such a dutiful Acknowledgment must certainly be a Member of this Society or a well-Wisher to it Though we have as great a Reverence for Parliaments as we ought yet we cannot but reflect upon 't with Grief that the Composition of those Assemblies have not of late proved so harmonious as the state of Affairs required which puts me in mind of what the Author of that ingenious Essay upon the Reign of Henry the Third has observed Compendium politicum pa. 36. of such a Convention of those Times Thus saith he Parliaments that were ever before the most infallible Medicine to heal up any Distempers or Malignities are now grown worse and almost less desirous than the Maladies themselves since malevolent Humours and factious Spirits did most of all sway in them and the well composed Tempers had the least share and prevalency in all their Consultations The Fruits and Effects of their unlimited Session who were call'd to Parliament in Forty One we cannot but with bleeding Hearts remember And whatever respect they pretend to have for Parliaments 't is as formerly but to serve their own ends for if they may have their own Will according to the Project and Design laid in this Association all Parliaments for the future as they were once already in my own Memory will be reduced without a King or a House of Lords to a select Pack of well-flesh'd Rumpers to do the Drudgery of their Army The Bill of Exclusion and Banishment is so unreasonable and so absolutely unjust that we cannot look upon 't as a means of the King and Kingdoms Safety And if the D. be of such a vindictive Spirit as they suggest nay allow him but the Magnanimity that becomes his Highness or the common Resentments of Humanity and the passing such a Bill had been so great and just a Provocation it must needs have exposed the King's Person to great hazard and the Kingdom to the lamentable Fate of a Civil War if not an inevitable Invasion thereupon And when we reflect upon the Rise and Progress of our late Confusions so black and dismal in the Event and so fresh in Memory all good men cannot but be deeply sensible of his Majesties great Care and Princely Wisdom in keeping us from the more dreadful Rage of such a Rupture as the restless Malice of ill men study to promote whether for the Accomplishment of their own Ambition or the setting up of their Darling Common-wealth Whereas they say They are persuaded in their Consciences that the dangers they suggest are so eminent and pressing that there ought to be no delay of the best means in their power to secure the Kingdom against them We comfort our selves that they are no Prophets though 't is no hard matter to fore-tell what they do project if it be in their Power to effect it and that this is not the first time they have attempted very ill things if not out of Malice Ambition and Design to make the best on 't upon the account of an erroneous Conscience And whereas they say They are intrusted to advise and act for the preservation of his Majesty and the Kingdom We are satisfied that they are no farther intrusted by the Laws and Loyal Commons of England than may consist with their Duty and Allegiance that is no farther than the King shall please to require their Advice and allow them to act by his Direction or Consent Whereupon the so much Renowned Queen Elizabeth commanded the In the 35. of her Reign 1592. Speaker to tell the then House of Commons thus in her Majesties Name It is in me and Townshend's Historical Collect. p. 63. my power to call Parliaments and it is in my power to end and determine the same it is in my power to assent or dissent to any thing done in Parliament Consequently hereunto though they call this Association the best means that are in their power to secure the Kingdom we are well assured that it is not in their Power at all when the King forbids it and as Sed tantum possumus quod jure possumus in Reason and Justice in this Case
THE Knot Unty'd OR THE ASSOCIATION DISBANDED PROV XI 21. Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished ISAI VIII 9. Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces Take counsel together and it shall come to naught for God is with us LONDON Printed for Walter Davis 1682. The Paper which was Seized in the E. of Shaftsbury's Closet by Fran. Gwin Esq one of the Clerks of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy Council and Read Novemb. 24. 1681. at the Old Baily before His Majesties Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer WE the Knights c. Finding to the grief of our Hearts the Popish Priests and Iesuits with the Papists and their Adherents and Abbetrors have for several years last past pursued a most pernicious and hellish Plot to root out the true Protestant Religion as a pestilent Heresie to take away the Life of our Gracious King to subvert our Laws and Liberties and to set up Arbitrary power and Popery And it being Notorious that they have béen highly encouraged by the Countenance and Protection given and procured for them by J. D. of Y. and by their Expectations of his succéeding to the Crown and that through crafty Popish Councils his Designs have so far prevailed that he hath created many and great Dependents upon him by his bestowing Offices and Preferments both in Church and State It appearing also to us That by his Influence Mercenary Forces have béen levied and kept on Foot for his secret Designs contrary to our Laws the Officers thereof having béen named and appointed by him to the appparent hazard of His Majesties Person our Religion and Government if the danger had not béen timely foreséen by several Parliaments and part of those Forces with great difficulty caused by them to be Disbanded at the Kingdoms great Expence And it being evident that notwithstanding all the continual endeavours of the Parliament to deliver His Majesty from the Councils and out of the power of the said D. yet his Interest in the Ministry of State and others have béen so prevalent that Parliaments have béen unreasonably Prorogued and Dissolved when they have béen in hot pursuit of the Popish Conspiracies and ill Ministers of State their Assistants And that the said D. in order to reduce all into his own power hath procured the Garrisons the Army and Ammunition and all the power of the Seas and Souldiery and Lands belonging to these thrée Kingdoms to be put into the hands of his party and their Adherents even in opposition to the Advice and Order of the last Parliament And as we considering with heavy Hearts how greatly the Strength Reputation and Treasure of the Kingdom both at Sea and Land is Wasted and Consumed and lost by the intricate expensive management of these wicked destructive Designs and finding the same Councils after exemplary Iustice upon some of the Conspirators to be still pursued with the utmost devilish malice and desire of Revenge whereby his Majesty is in continual hazard of being Murdered to make way for the said D's Advancement to the Crown and the whole Kingdom in such case is destitute of all security of their Religion Laws Estates and Liberty sad experience in the Case Quéen Mary having proved the wisest Laws to be of little force to kéep out Popery and Tyranny under a Popish Prince We have therefore endeavoured in a Parliamentary way by a Bill for the purpose to Bar and Exclude the said Duke from the Succession to the Crown and to Banish him for ever out of these Kingdoms of England and Ireland But the first Means of the King and Kingdoms Safety being utterly rejected and we left almost in Despair of obtaining any real and effectual security and knowing our selves to be intrusted to Advise and Act for the preservation of His Majesty and the Kingdom and being perswaded in our Consciences that the dangers aforesaid are so eminent and pressing that there ought to be no delay of the best means that are in our power to secure the Kingdom against them We have thought fit to propose to all true Protestants an Union amongst themselves by solemn and sacred promise of mutual Defence and Assistance in the preservation of the true Protestant Religion His Majesties Person and Royal State and our Laws Liberties and Properties and we hold it our bounden Duty to joyn our selves for the same intent in a Declaration of our United Affections and Resolutions in the Form insuing I A. B. Do in the presence of God Solemnly Promise Uow and Protest to maintain and defend to the utmost of my Power with my Person and Estate the true Protestant Religion against Popery and all Popish superstition Idolatry or Innovasion and all those who do or shall endeavour to spread or advance it within this Kingdom I will also as far as in me lies maintain and defend His Majesties Royal Person and Estate as also the power and priviledge of Parliaments the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subject against all Incroachments and Usurpation of Arbitrary power whatsoever and endeavour intirely to Disband all such mercenary Forces as we have reason to believe were raised to Advance it and are still kept up in and about the City of London to the great Amazement and Terrour of all the good people of the Land Moreover J D. of Y. having publickly professed and owned the Popish Religion and notoriously given Life and Birth to the Damnable and Hellish Plots of the Papists against His Majesties Person the Protestant Religion and the Government of this Kingdom I will never consent that the said J. D. of Y. or any other who is or hath béen a Papist or any ways adher'd to the Papists in their wicked Designs be admitted to the Succession of the Crown of England But by all lawful means and by forte of Arms it néed so require according to my Abilities will oppose him and endeavour to Subdue Expel and Destroy him if he come into England or the Dominions thereof and séek by force to set up his pretended Title and all such as shall Adhere unto him or raise any War Tumult or Sedition for him or by his Command as publick Enemies of our Laws Religion and Country To this end we and every one of us whose hands are here under-written do most willingly bind our selves and every one of us unto the other joyntly and severally in the bond of one firm and loyal Society or Association and do promise and vow before God That with our joynt and particular Forces we will oppose and pursue unto Destruction all such as upon any Title whatsoever shall oppose the Iust and Righteous ends of this Association and Maintain Protect and Defend all such as shall enter into it and the just performance of the true intent and meaning of it And lest this just and pious work should be any ways obstructed or hindered for want of Discipline