Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	king_n	realm_n	statute_n	7,701	5	8.0873	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31500	Certaine observations, upon the two contrary covenants lately pvblished and shortly to be offered by one side or other to the whole kingdome.		1643 (1643)	Wing C1716; ESTC R36295	5,300	10

bring it to light But in the mean time as I can judge by a mans countenance and other sympt oms that he is not well though I know not directly what he aileth so by these Observations out of their own Covenant and the rest that I shall make one may finde that their intentions are not for good though he knoweth not the particular Mischeife that they aime at which may suffice to make every honest man heitherto misled by them to desert them as well as if he had discovered their whole designe and besides they may chance to be for sworne as those 40 men were who bound themselves under a Curse that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had slaine Paul The Third is their Combination to stick to one another in these words And I will likewise assist all other persons that shall take this Oath in what they shall do in pursuance thereof This is a thing which was never done in a lawfull warre but in conspiracies and confederacyes which denotes that theirs is so and besides it betrayes their inward guilt when they take such care for the protection of their severall persons and sheweth who were their teachers even their Brethren the Scots in the other Covenant I finde no such thing of which I shall make onely this use to desire every honest man to consider which side maketh the just war and have the clearest consciences and with them to joyne himself The fourth is that their covenant is to be constrained and that the Kings is Voluntary This in the first place is contrary to Gods law to constraine a man to take a vow which with a safe Conscience he cannot keep or else he sure to be plundred and undo ne so that to adde to the publick Miseries that they have brought upon us they do by this draw particular men into such an exigency that either their bodies or soules must be ruined In the second place this sheweth that they trust not much to the justice of their Cause for if they did they would rather chuse to trust to a few and those such whose hearts they know to be with them as well as their bodyes then to have their strength bound with that weake bond of constrained consciences which will finde twenty wayes to unloose themselves but they feare if they should trust to that they should not have so many men as were slaine tother day at Brackly My fift and last Observation is that they entred into Covenant first and after them the Kings Party of which I shall make this use to prove that theirs is the Offensive the Kings the Defensive Party which is a thing of the greatest advantage to the King and disadvantage to them that may be both before God and Man before Man because that surely they will never take part with them whom they beleeve to be the causers of all the miseries that have fal●en unto them and before God because all the innocent blood that hath been or shall be spilt in this bloody war will be required at their hands that were the Causers of it and all the Rapes and Roberies that have been and will be committed during the same will be laid to their charge As therefore every man in the managing his worldly affaires taketh heed not to engage himself so for other men as to be forced to the payment of their debts besides his own so let him more especially take care that he put himself not in the number of those who at the day of Iudgment will have more laid upon their score then they can be able to make satisfaction for Let not any man therefore for any worldly perswasion whatsoever be induced to take this aforesaid oath of covenant especially if it be against his conscience I have here set down the Text with the Comment giving the priority to those to whom for their shame not their honour it belongeth A sacred Vow and Covenant to be taken by the Armies and Kingdomes I A. B. In hum●lity and reverence of the Divine Majesty declare my hearty sorrow for my owne sins and the sins of this Nation which have deserved the calamities and judgements that now lie upon it and my true intention is by Gods grace to endeavour the amendment of my own wayes and I doe further in the presence of Almighty God declare vow and covenant that in order to the security and preservation of the true Reformed Protestant Religion and liberty of the Subject I will not consent to the laying downe of Armes so long as the Papists now in open war against the Parliament shall by force of Armes be protected from the justice thereof and that I doe abhorre and detest the said wicked and treacherous designe lately discovered and that I never gave nor will give my assent to the execution thereof but will according to my power and vocation oppose and resist the same and all other of the like nature and in case any other like designe shal hereafter come to my knowledge I wil make such timely discovery as I shal conceive may best conduce to the preventing thereof And whereas I doe in my conscience believe that the Forces raised by the two Houses of Parliament are raised and continued for their just defence and for the defence of the true Protestant Religion and liberty of the Subject against the Forces raised by the King that I will according to my power and vocation assist the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by the King without their consent and will likewise assist all other persons that shall take this Oath in what they shall doe in pursuance thereof and will not directly or indirectly adhere unto nor shall willingly assist the Forces raised by the K●●● 〈…〉 the consent of both Houses of Parliament and this Vow and Covenant I make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to performe the same as I shall answer at the great day when the secrets of all hea●●● shall 〈…〉 A sacred Oath or Covenant to b● 〈…〉 ●●jesties loyall Subjects for the maintenance of the true Reformed Pr●t●●●●●●●●●●●ion his Majesties just Rights and the P●●●●led●● o●●●●liament I Resting fully assured of his Majesties Pr●ncely truth and goodnesse do freely and from my heart promise vow 〈◊〉 protest in the presence of Almighty God that I will to the uttermost of my p●●●●● ●●d 〈◊〉 the hazard of my life maintaine the true Protestant Religion established in ●h●●●●rch 〈◊〉 ●ngland his Majesties sacred person his Heires and lawfull Successors his M●j●s●i●●●●st power and priviledge and the just power and priviledge of Parliament against the Forces under the conduct of the Earle of Essex and against all other f●●c●●hat●oever contrary to his Majesties command and I doe believe that the raysing ●●d ●mploying of forces by his Majesty for the purpose and cause before mentioned to be most just and necessary and I will doe my utmost endeavour to procure and reestablish the peace and quiet of the Kingdome and that here in his Majesties subjects may fully enjoy their liberty and property according to the Law of the land and will neither divulge nor communicate any thing to the said Earle his Officers or to any other to hinder or prejudice the designes of his Majesty in the conduct or imployment of his Army and I doe believe the Subjects of England are not obliged by any Act of State Vote Ordinance or Declaration made or to bee made either by the Kings Majesty solely or by the Lords and Commons singly or joyntly without his Majesties expresse consent saving such as are or shall be in execution of or according to some knowne Law Custome of the Realme or Statute enacted by the King Lords and Commons in Parliament and I doe further protest and vow in the presence of Almighty God that I will not take nor beare Armes but by the expr●sse warrant of his Majesty or by Authority justly derived from his Majesties immediate Warrant FINIS

CERTAINE OBSERVATIONS UPON The two contrary COVENANTS LATELY PVBLISHED AND Shortly to be offered by one side or other to the whole KINGDOME OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1643. Certaine Observations upon two contrary Covenants THat malignant and ill affected party which hath of late yeeres so disturbed the peace tranquility wherein this Kingdom had long before flourished and hath with their contagious preaching and writing infected many of the Kings formerly loyal subjects with litigious rebellious opinions it is composed of two sorts of people Those who have contrived and do manage their whole designe knowing what they do and wherefore they do it and those who by the specious pretences of the former are inveagled and drawn in to act they know not what nor why The first are engaged for their severall respective ends against their Consciences as some for Ambition some for Covetousnesse some for Vain-glory some for Malice and some for Revenge The others are engaged by their mis-informed judgements over those nothing but Force can prevaile among these Reason may find entertainment These two thus differing doe yet so agree that they doe equally conduce to one end and like the judicious eye and brawnie arme of an Archer one without the other can never hit the mark they aime at Since therefore the rectifying of either of these will rectifie both and so settle the Kingdome in statu quo prius It is certainly as easie to convince the mis-led by Reason as to subdue the mis-leaders by the sword Whilst others therefore strive to doe the later I will endeavour to doe the former taking occasion by these two opposite Covenants lately published and shortly by one side or other to be offered to the whole Kingdome because the most powerfull convincement in the world is to judge a man out of his owne mouth if therefore I can prove as I make no doubt but I shall that that which in this Covenant this Malignant party doth sweare to doe is contrary to all their former pretences discovers their malicious intentions I hope it wil make some Proselytes I desire every one therefore to consider well of both these Covenants as it behoveth him to doe before he taketh either and to compare them together and then as the Prophet Eliah said 1 King 18.21 How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him So will I put it upon this issue though howsoever the cas● is disputable that if it shall appeare to any man that with a cleare and unsophisticated judgement considereth these Covenants that the fore-mentioned malignant party doth principally and chiefly endeavour the establishing of the true Reformed Protestant Religion the preservation of the Kings Person the priviledge of Parliament the propriety of the Subject and the Laws of the Land the setling of peace and quiet among us without preferring their private ends then let him enter into Covenant with them against his King But if he shall finde that it is the King who endeavours all that is aforesaid and that in them it is but pretended not intended let him take heed that he Covenant not with them for it is a fearfull thing to mock God so solemnly Let not feare induce him to it but let him keep faith and a good conscience and trust God with the rest and if he find that he hath been hitherto seduced let him not be ashamed to professe his conversion for it is the greatest honour to a man in the world ingenously to confesse his errour But lest every man should not so circumspectly look into these Covenants as I do the better to help him I wil here set down 5. Observations which I have taken The first is that in the Covenant composed by this Malignant party the preservation of His Majesties person and just Rights is not at all mentioned amongst other pretences as it hath heretofore been in all their writings wherein their motives to begin and prosecute the war have been named by which I gather this that their plausible pretences having served their turns in helping them to raise an Army they doe like horse-stealers who having ridden one horse as far as he can goe turne him loose and take another shift or change their pretences from Protestant Religion c. to whatsoever is for the good of the Cause so that their Army that was raised for the defence of the King and Parliament is maintained to fight against the Kings Army his own Person not excepted Going back from their first principles as best fitteth for their purpose like trees that shed their beautifull blossomes when their fruit begin to appeare whilst the Kings Covenant stil mentioneth the priviledge of Parliament in the number of the causes wherefore he proceedeth in this war But howsoever those who are contrivers of this wicked and malicious designe take this liberty to themselves let not those to whom I addresse my selfe that is such who have been perswaded hitherto by their mis-informed consciences to all that they have done consent with them and so lose that which is their onely plea both before God and man and let them take speciall care not to pin themselves so upon the others sleeves as to think their wisdomes infallible or honesties indisputable but as a man will beleeve his own eyes before anothers so let him alwayes have recourse to his owne breast and aske counsell there for by his owne conscience shall he be judged The second is that they vow never to lay down arms so long as the Papists now in arms against the Parliament as they say shall be kept from the justice of it that is till the Kings Army be overcome This is the most irreligious and inhumane Vow that can be imagined for it excludes all hopes of Accommodation and peace by Treaty and it evidently sheweth that the setling of Religion Laws and Liberty is not the thing they aime at for the Kings Purry are sworne by their Covenant that that shall be their first endeavour whilst these Vow to entertaine ●o Treaty for so farre doth the sense of their vow reach and indeed if we had not this evident proof of their aversnesse to peace it were a great folly to think otherwise of them For wherefore took they up armes Not for the Establishing of the Protestant Religion c. no for then they would have laid them down again upon the Kings Oath and promise to be as forward to that as they But they say we cannot confide in the Kings Oath for my part I think that without repentance they will be damned for saying so because they have so little charity I am sure they never durst venture to Treat for feare he should be as good as his word If it were not for this wherefore was it then that they tooke up Armes Marry that I thinke none but God knoweth besides themselves who in his good time will