Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A83704
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Eight antiqueries in answer to the author of the eight quæries: proposed to all true lovers of their country and parliaments, and conscientious souldiers in the army.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing E258; Thomason E393_37; ESTC R201613
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5,321
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11
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EIGHT ANTIQUERIES IN ANSWER To the Author of the Eight Quaeries Proposed to all true lovers of their Country and Parliaments and conscientious Souldiers in the ARMY 1 THESS 5.21 Try all things and held fast that which is good JER 5.1 Run to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem and see now know and seek in the broad places thereof if yee can finde a man if there be any that executeth Judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it LONDON Printed for GILES CALVERT 1647. EIGHT ANTIQUAERIES In Answer To the Authour of the Eight Quaeries 1. Antiquaerie WHether this namelesse Author of these Queries be a man of a right Christian and truely charitable spirit who raiseth up such groundlesse and causelesse jealousies and suspitions of a whole well-minded and well-meaning Army who both have and doe hazzard their lives for the publick good and safety against the enemies thereof so as all their carriages from the beginning hitherto have been so orderly and uniforme as all circumstances well-weighed doe not admit of the least crimination of their worst enemies And therefore whether such a Christian Armies Pretences compared with their constant practises are likely to prove such as that of a cursed heathen hypocrite Hazaâ—l 2 King 8.12 13. And whether no religious and specious pretences can carry with them reall intentions as that all Christian profession were meere hypocrisie and dissimulation And whether such in the Army whose conscience is not perswaded by clear evidence of Scripture of the lawfulnesse of Baptizing of Infants and whose conversation hath been and is blamelesse and who have adventured their lives for their Country as farre as any other are likely to prove such as those Anabaptists in Germany in Luthers time who denyed all civill Authority which these doe not but sacrifice their lives for it 2 Antiquaerie Whether the namelesse Author confessing the Armies dutifulnesse and meritoriousnesse be not very rash in this Quaerie as unreasonable in the first in charging the Army with such a distemper as over-ruling their Generall and Officers touching the removeall of the Kings Person and whether this Author ought not to have suspended this prejudice untâ—lâ— the truth of the cause were tryed And whether the Armies marching up be against the Parliament because against a party and faction in the Parliament and whether this be a dis-engagement of the People City and Kingdome from the Parliament any more then the Parliments indevouring to regulate the Kings evill Counsellors and Ministers was a dis-engageing of the People City and Kingdome from or an engageing of them against the Kings Person contrary to their Solemne Covenant and whether the Armies refusall to disband at this time was not necessary for the Kingdomes both ease and peace if that charge of theirs against those in the House shall upon just triall finde them such as are neither for the Kingdomes ease and peace And whether the Army doe in this act by their own meer power and will when many Counties in the Kingdome that for their neernesse best understand the carriage of things above have Petitioned the Generall not to disband till things be better reformed and whether in all this for Vox populi Vox Dei the Peoples voyce is Gods voyce the righteous God hath not put that miraculously unanimous spirit into the heart of the whole Army for the good of the whole Nation whose Protector and Preserver God is to stand in the gap and to call for justice the want whereof ruines Kingdomes and States and provokes the wrath of Heaven against a land and whether in this case all the Counties and Countries in the Kingdome be not bound to manifest their assent herein with the Army and to stand by them if they finde their trust betrayed and whether it may not be said of this Army in this businesse as to Hester of old Who knoweth whether this Army be raised up of God not onely to subdus open enemies Hest 4.14 but to be instruments of bringing lurking Traitoâ—s and underminers of the Common-weale to condigne punishment seeing desparate maladies must have desperate remedies And whether this Author can devise any means under the San so probably instrumentall for redressing those Arbitrary proceedings in the Houses Committees and others now complained of as this Army now is and that with the consent and desire of so many considerable Counties And therefore whether their refusall to disband or to remove further off from London be any a sobedience to the Parliaments present just commands if the men whom they charge do by their power of Votes over-power those who stnding for the publique good of their Country and not their own private Interests are to be â—ccounted the Parliament of England and not any faction in the House And whether it be Just for these who are so charged to have a Vote for the impeding of the prosecution and proofe of such a charge so much concerning the publike state And whether this refusall be not so far from conjuring up a Spirit of universall disobedience to Parliaments Magistrates c. As it rather tends to conjure downe all tyranicall usurpations and factions combinations in Parliaments and Arbitrary power in Magistrates when they see that the people of the Kingdome are not so base and slavish as to put their necks under such yoaks and not to vindicate their native liberties and birth-rights when God puts an opportunity into their hands And so whether those be well-wishers to the weale and tranquillity of Church and State as do not dislike or oppose such opportunities the neglect whereof brings inevitable ruine both to themselves with Church and State 3. Antiquerie Whether Jack Cades insurrection or Henry Germines Percies and Gorings Treason in practising to bring up the Northern Army towards London to overaw and force the Parliament can in the judgement of any who are endued but with common reason and honesty be a fit parallell to equalize this Army with for Rebellion and Treason seeing Cade was a private Person the Army Generall Germin Percie Goring profest Enemies to the Parliament the Army a most faithfull preserver of it And so whether the Author were in his right wits and not wholly transported when he wrote this And whether this Army having first so often with the hazzard of their lives delivered this Parliament from eminent destruction and now do seek to deliver both Parliament and Kingdome from evill Members and Instruments ought to be Voted as Violaters of the Rights and priviledges of Parliament unless it be a Priviledge of Parliament to be exempted from the peoples complaints for oppression or that the Priviledge of Parliament be as boundless as Regal Prerogative so as not to be censurable or corrigible by any in case the liberties of the Subject be subverted and justice denyed to have a free course and Malefactors Delinquents Traitors maintained with a high hand when Justice is demanded and for want whereof the Common-weale is
destroyed and so whether this Army in not disbanding to have Justice done be justly censured by this Author as justifying the forementioned Traytors who sought unjustly and tyranically to oppress those in the Parliament who at that time were reputed the most faithfull and the Army on the other side lays a charge only upon those that are unfaithfull in their trust and those to be tryed by the Parliament it selfe as their lawfull Judge 4. Antiquerie Whether in Answer to the fourth Querie the Armies not disbanding and doing as they do at this time all things and Circumstances weighed in a just ballance be not necessary in a Case of absolute necessity for the Kingdomes necessary preservation against oppressors whom they complaine of when there is no other remedy as the Author confeseth of the Netherlands in the like case And whether the Army in so charging and prosecuting for Justice do thereby any whit blemish their former reputation and fidelity seeing by so doing they set a Crowne upon all their former glory And whether when the justice desired is done either the Parliament in giving way to justice shall have cause to complaine of the breach of their Priviledges Fiat Justitia ruat Coelum or be in danger of adjournment or dissolution or the City of pillaging or the Kingdome of embroyling or the Malignants to be encouraged or the well-affected to be grieved or more mischieves procured then redressed And whether if Justice be not yeelded unto by the Parliament before the Armies disbanding there be more hope of it after the disbanding wherin the Author is specially desired to give as a sound resolution upon some solid reasons 5. Antiquerie Whether this Author hath not more sedition in his spirit and Pen then the Army discontent when nothing will serve him but an equall Armed force for the Parliaments Cities Kingdomes defence while yet he confesseth all their present demands to be just and reasonable to be granted And whether if granted it be not superfluity of malice causelesly to surmise and suggest jealousies of further demands neither honorable nor reasonable and yet dangerous to deny And whether he is able to produce any one instance of any Anti-magistraticall Principles holden by such as he calls Heterodox Chaplains Officers and Souldiers in any of their Writings or Speeches And whether those persons in the House charged by the Army may make it their plea that doing and voting as they do being out of Conscience and liberty of Conscience in speech and vote should be most free in Parliament they ought to be further prosecuted and more then others for their Conscience so as if they vote what is unjust and oppressive cut of conscience they shall go free And whether it is not to be feared that after the Army hath procured the outing of some evill Members out of the House they will labour to recruite it with such as are of their party as they have done in the Army to wit such as are most godly and have proved themselves most faithfull to the Parliament and Kingdome and so game a power to change the Laws and Government of Church and State and dispose of all Officer and places to their own Creatures And whether the Laws and Government of Church and Statâ— are â—n all things so punctually perfect as they may not ado it in some things some â—lteration coming nearer to perfection and the further welâ—-beâ—ng of the Kingdome And whether free and impartiall Justice pleaced for may not confist with the standing of the Army when if disbanded injustice and oppression might prove too strong both for Parliament and Judges as is intimated before and when the Armie is onely assistant and not assaylant of the freedome and impartinity of publick Justice And whether Justice may not be free and not forced when both Parliament and Judges are as they should be conscientious so as not to be biassed by feare or favour And whether this Author can out of Perhaps prove Members of the Armies party to be justly impeached of higher crimes and misacmenours then any of their opposites and yet that the Army will be so partiall as to lay no impeachment or censure upon them contrary to their present pretences 6. Antiquerie Whether there be not a grand difference betweene those that informe and perswade the people to elect good honest and faithfull Patriots to be Members of the House whose studies and ends are the wellfare and good of the publick state and those who labour for such to be chosen whose sitting in Parliament is to drive on their owne designes and private interesses and to side with others whose mutuall votes may further one anothers private designes while all mens complaints are superciliously neglected and the peoples liberties in bonds And whether it be not requisite that some good course be thought upon and pursued for the better informing of the people in their Parliamentary elections that they looke neither upon greatnes nor nearenes but meerly goodnes in their choise as where depends the weale or woe of the Kingdome And whether all this and much more may not be done without the preseat disbanding of the Army till a foundation be layed 7 Antiquerie Whether those in the Houses whom the Authour calls Independendants be more exempted by the Army from examinations about accompts then others and if they be not whether he ought not for this and for the rest of his accusations be brought to publick trial And whether that which the Authour calies a recruting of the Army without warrant of Parliament be not a voluntary comming in of the Subjects to stand for the vindicating of their just liberties And whether those listing of Souldiers in and about the City and Parliament without publicke authority of Parliament be not to some dangerous designe tending to the maintenance of injustice and oppression against the just desire of the Army and Country and so to bring a plague upon the Parliament and City And whether those recrutes and the Army stand so much upon their pay or Arrears as upon the publick interest if their whole carriage and actions be well examined of And whether as here again the Authour queries the marching up of the Army be against Parliaments priviledges when therein they seeke nothing of the Parliament but justice which extraordinary necessity for the vindicating of the Subjects liberties from oppression and subvertion hath put them upon and that according the Solemne Govenant and their Commission from the Parliament 8 Antiquerie Whether here be not another tautology or repetition of the same thing as before as in the fourth Antiquerie where it is answered that the Armies not disbanding at present is so farre from being a diminution of their formerly purchased honour as that it is all the circumstances considered no small addition thereunto And whether the Army by all their carriage hitherto hath given the Authour or any other the least occasion to surmise that they set a greater price upon their acquired glory which God yet hath put upon them then they do upon the safety honour and wellfare of their Native Country And whether their example and practise herein bee not as great a testimony of their fidelity to their country and an honour to true religion as all they have done hitherto And whether Ireland might not have beene long ere now by others then the Army provided for And whether had the Army disbanded for Ireland greater ruines might have fallen upon our owne Nation at home then yet we have seene or knowne And lastly whether the Authour of this and of all his other queries ought not by the Parliament and City and the whole Kingdome all those evill and sad consequents considered which these his queries draw along with them if not the more wisely prevented to be convented before the great Tribunall of the state there to be tryed whether these his 8 queries be not most factious seditious incendiary pernicious and precipitious to the confounding and setting the whole Kingdome if not Kingdomes together by the eares if Gods great mercy and the wisdome of the Parliament City and Kingdome providently and prudently prevent not And whether one cheife means of this prevention be not in a joynt giving away of all these for justice to be done the refusall or deniall whereof might justly bring upon us all that fearefull judgement of the Benjamites for refusing to do justice upon those sons of Beliall Judg. 20. even an utter extirpation of the whole Tribe which the Lord in mercy avert from England Parliament London FINIS