Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
parliament_n	king_n	power_n	sit_v	3,978	5	7.3782	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74776	Down-right dealing, or The despised Protestant speaking plain English to the Kings most excellent Majesty the honourable houses of Parliament. The city of London. The Army. And all other peace-desiring commons of this divided and self-destroying kingdome. / Written by J.H. an impartiall observer of the present transactions of the court, city, and camp.	Howell, James, 1594?-1666.	1647 (1647)	Thomason E408_17; ESTC R202555	7,727	16

welfare of the people and altogether destructive therefore to be prevented and removed And certainly what cannot be repelled by policy maybe by power for if there be not a sufficient means left for the attaining the end it is altogether vain and to no purpose But to every end there is a sufficient means therefore if the welfare of the people cannot be secured by one means it may by another if not by policy then by power according to the Parliaments ow● language to the King The Kingdome must not be without a means to preserve it selfe And truely if the kingdome hath a means to preserve it self against the King being then acting against the welfare of the Kingdome It hath a power likewise to secure it self against the Parliament and Army too if they shall act in the same way and shall not prosecute the main end to wit the peoples welfare How comes it to passe I beseech you that there is such sidings among you one great man favours another and stomacks his opposer and let him be never so bad so he will side insecuring some great persons particular interests in power among you he shall not only scape Scot-free but be countenanced and protected among you Little theeves are hangd and great ones let go Is this to be single hearted will you that have taxed the King and Parliament of partiality be partiall too what a blemish will this be to all your former actions That you should now fawn upon those for favour who would have rejoyced to have seen both you and the kingdome weltring in flouds of blood and confusion and who it is to be feared by your too great indulgence and credulity are plotting your destruction I beseech you gentlemen consider you stand upon a sandy place which will if not carefully looked to devoure you Lay aside all interests and be what you have pretended to be let not your own honour or promotions be onely aimed at but have sole respect unto the peace of the Kingdome I have with sorrow observed That there are I may say too many among you too great in power who are swaid by passion not reason who speak much against injustice in others but never knew what it was to be just them selves men neither of discretion nor religion what ere they may pretend who do vehemently act for to gain applause and the favour of great men and not for any love to the peace of the Kingdome now it is very unlikely that ever such a man can do or at least intends a generall good unless it may advantage his own interest I beseech you observe and beware of such persons you may easily finde them for such persons in your Councells will do you more hurt then all your other enemies be not deluded by pretences though never so specious those persons that plead so much for delay and argue so critically intend no good to you but carry on a dangerous design against you and the whole kingdome And you may assure your selves the Adversary with whom you now run a contest could never have gained so much time nor brought you to such an exigency had they not been encouraged nay assisted by some that have too much power and influence in your Councell Gentlemen the eyes of the Kingdome are upon you and unless you answer their expectations and perform your promises and engagements and that speedily truly you will stand at as great a distance in their affections as others have done before you lose not this opportunity seek the peace of the Kingdome now and seek your selves afterward lest while you contend so earnestly for a shaddow you lose the substance be for pure justice without respect of persons and let the kingdome see That you will not favour or disfavour any person for siding with or against you or for being of this or the other judgement But that all persons of each party shall receive from you equall respect according to their merit But if you shall appear partiall to some and severe to others if you shall do the works your selves which you condemn in others if you shall pretend to free us from one form of slavery to involve us in another assure your selves Division and Confusion will follow and a worm will rise from your own bowels which will certainly devour you and consume your former glory Read and practice prevent Farewel To my fellow Commons which desire Peace MOderation in a multitude is Rara avis in terra especially in England of late years where rage not reason hath had the Rule and Soveraignty when the reynes of the bridle are thrown in the neck the unruly beast runneth where he listeth And truly such hath been the practice of you my Fellow-Commons for this seven years almost although you have received many a curb and oft bit of the bridle for it yet still like a head-strong horse you are stubborn and untamed fearing neither Switch nor Spur and it is to be feared you will still persist until you are quite tyred To prevent which give me leave to expostulate with you a little It hath been often said that misery is a schoolmaster to wisdom and that wit is the best when it is dearly payd for and truly I beleeve you have payd enough for it Hath not the plundering of your estates the burning of your houses the murdering of your children the inslaving of your persons taught you to hate War and love Peace How comes it to pass then that there are so many murmurings amongst you one part for the King another for the Parliament another for the Army another for neither what are you frantick hath reason given place to rage wisdom to folly meekness to madness Have you been so patient under seven years sufferings by War and cannot you contain your selves one year in peace what like children all at an instant or none at all Just like a fool that because he could not be rich in one day would be a beggar all his life Certainly a spirit of fury I may say folly hath bewirched you and put you upon the purchase of perpetual desolation to your selves and posterities and you with eagerness pursue it in despite of those that would prevent it In a word know therefore unless you do with patience wait for the establishing of that peace which you desire and give limits to your unlimited contentions unless you lay aside your prejudicacy and censuring until you see the event unless you seriously apply your selvs to make up the breach between your selves and your Soveraign the Parliament Army and City and one another and every one in his place and relation set his hand to the reducing of things to their proper center unless both Magistrates and people do I say with one accord seek peace and establish judgment and righteousness in vain are and will be all these mutterings and commotions and do what they and you can confusion and desolation wil break in upon them and you and then when it is too late you may repent but not prevent your destruction This is the sence of him that sees great cause to fear this wil be the end of all this division if providence do not interpose very suddenly Postscript I Beseech you labour to love one another and to be faithful each to other Let Soveraigns seek the good of their Subjects and Subjects the Honour and Peace of their Soveraigns Let Parliaments be faithful and people peaceable Let Souldiers be valiant for Justice but not factious for preferment Let King Parliament City Army and People unite and joyn in the bonds of love and leave judging suspecting and reviling one another Then shal you see and enjoy a happy peace and the fruits thereof Then shal the Lamb lie down with the Lion Then shal not the voyce of the oppressed be heard in our streets but joy peace plenty and the most wished delights that are or can be imaginable or desired be freely communicated unto you by the hand of Jehovah who is the God of Peace and hath annexed a blessing to the lovers thereof Farewel Thine if thou studiest the Peace of England J. H. FINIS

Down-right Dealing OR The despised Protestant Speaking plain English To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The honourable houses of Parliament The City of London The Army AND All other Peace-desiring Commons of this divided and self-destroying Kingdome Written by J. H. an impartiall observer of the present transactions of the Court City and Camp A Kingdome City or House divided against it self cannot stand Printed in the Year of Discoveries 1647. To the Reader Reader WHat ere thou chancest to be I neither fear nor care the frown of the mighty the fleer of the froward nor the censure of the severe shall neither distaste nor deter me from publishing these few following pages Onely to prevent prejudicacy know that these are not the fruits of discontent nor blessinge● of Fact●●●… neither are they intended to kindle that fire which already though seemingly smother'd blazes too fast but rather to quench it It may be one will tax me of Arrogancy another of simplicity a third of singularity 't is no matter for that what J have writ I have writ truth it is J am sure and more J beleeve then some will be willing to hear let him that is the most guilty be the least offended least they make the Proverb true and prove his own discoverer All J desire is that who ever shall vouchsafe to peruse these following pages would do it seriously and judge impartially and then let them praise or dispraise frown or smile I care not TO The Kings most Excellent Majesty Most gracious Soveraign LEt it not be thought a crime unpardonable if one of the poorest of your subjects presuming on your clemency doth offer unto your Majesty what he hath observed to be destructive to the peace of this poor Kingdome and dangerous if not speedily prevented to undermine not onely the honour and safety of your Majesty and Royall posterity but also the supporters thereof to wit the Law of the Kingdome and peace of the people in the ruin whereof your Majesty and posterity must certainly bear the greatest share and sustain the greatest losse the law of the Kingdome and the peoples peace being altogether essentiall with the honour and kingly domination of your Majesty and without which both King and people must necessarily run into confusion the truth hereof your Majestie hath had experimentall knowledge of for these late years and at this day cannot want examples to demonstrate the truth of this particular Now forasmuch as what is past recall is also past cure since what might have been commanded cannot now be entreated since power cannot policy must since rage cannot prevaile let reason reconcile make necessity a ve●●…e and rather conquer by courtesie then compell by Soveraignty And now most gracious and great Prince suffer this humble but serious capitulation Can it consist with Wisdome if it be according to God to esteem any thing to great or good to be parted withall for the 〈…〉 ence for the making up so large a breath for the stopping the torrent of such a doluge of crimson confusions as have already and do dayly again threaten to break in upon your kingdomes A good sheep-heard will give his life for his sheep a gracious King for his people And will not your Majesty part with a superfluous sprig a meer pun●●●…o or thread bare excressence of honour or power for the saving of your poor people What man would not lose one member to save all the rest Are you so far in love with the shaddow that to preserve it you will hazzard the losse nay ruin of the substance Are you so far in love with some few perhaps flatterers if ●…ot traytors that to be mercifull to them you will be unmercifull and unjust too to all the kingdome certainly most gracious Soveraign there may be wisdome in so doing but it cannot proceed from God neither can it conduce to the good of your self posterity of people surely if your people were made for you you were likewise made for them one for the good of the other and not one to destroy another you were made a Soveraign that they might be Subjects not slaves that you might protect them not devour them that you might do justice and execute judgement to the poor and to the rich impartially not suffer the rich and mighty to eate up the poor and devour the Widdow The Magistrate that is of God is not a terrour to good Works but to the evill not a persecuter of the people of God but a protector and preserver of them and what Magistrate soever shall pretend to have received a power from God if he imploy it not in all things according to Gods end he will certainly come to naught he shall perish and those whom he hath cast down and endeavoured to destroy shall rise up against him and he shall not be able to stand in that day but shall ●lee● before them To conclude if your Majesty according to your so often reiterated expressions in your Declarations do really intend to take all oppertunities to save this poor kingdome in a right sense now is the time to manifest your self herein and by some self denying testimony effectually act for the re-establishing the poor Commons of England in their ancient birth rights and securing them therein providing for a due execution of justice and countenancing of godliness in your dominions which being speedily cordially and effectually done your Majesty need not doubt but to finde your present losse to produce a future gaine by the increase both of your power and love of your people which will cause such a mutuall confidence betwixt you and your subjects as will both comfort your heart and strengthen your hands against the secret complotments of foes at home or publike attempts of enemies abroad and cause all your now discontented and distrushing people to be united and with one heart and assent to cry Long live our gracious Soveraign c. To the Parliament Grave Senators AFter seven yeare sufferings and tedious expectation to be delivered from our then declared pressures and grievances give us leave for loosers should have leave to speak to tell you we cannot but with bitterness of Spirit declare That we wonder by what strange and unheard of presidents this Parliament hath acted there having been never before any visible rule for such actions in or by any Parliament But leaving things that are past cure let us come to expostulate with you about future security Can it think you consist with the peace and wel-fare of the Kingdome especially considering the state and temper of the people and the present exigences of the State That you who should be acting joyntly for the securing of the Kings authority and Subjects liberty should be divided into Factions and acting for your own particular interests Is this to discharge that trust which you have in the presence of God sworn to perform Surely so long as you thus continue to beate and bandy one against another to

pull down one faction to set up a second a second to set up a third to hang one theef that you may make another so long as you are thus selvish and partial in sparing men I was about nay I will say knaves because they will side with you in carrying on your own designs so long we cannot hope for any good either by you or from you so long we are confident what ere you may pretend you intend no good to the King or kingdome neither can any thing you do compose or perfect that great work which you were called to and undertook to wiy to ease us of our burthens and establish justice with righteousness since 't is a meer contradiction and contrary to sense or reason for us to think that ever we can be eased of oppression by oppression or obtain justice by injustice 't is true your great oppressions of late years may make us forget our former petty sufferings but never settle us in a true course of freedome nor secure us for the future from injustice Therefore to conclude unless you do immediately lay aside all by-respects and your own interests and unanimously joyn and act for the securing of the kingdome and give a speedy testimony thereof by your walking in the parts of justice and righteousness unless you do immediately administer justice and execute judgement impartially and endeavour to settle a firm and lasting peace whereby the King may be with due honour invested and the Kingdome in its just liberty secured truely the Kingdome shall not onely have been by you already exposed to many hazzards besides the large expence of blood and treasure but shall for the future be necessitated to curse the time that ever they entrusted you and be forced in justice to prosecute you as persons which had power but not wills to restore them to their ancient liberties and that which might have been an honour to you and your posterities in the generatons to come will be recorded as a brand of obloquie That such a Parliament sate seven yeares to enrich themselves enslave the whole Nation To the City Grave Citizens IN whom wisdome was once chiefly resident though now it is to be feared a great stranger how comes it to passe that such a Spirit of giddiness possesses you What have you found out new wayes to make your selves famous I fear miserable you that were the glory of the Nations the envy of your Foes and the admiration of strangers are now become the amazement of your friends the scorn of your enemies and a by-word to all Nations cast but an eye upon your follies and see into what a condition your Division nay your Prlde hath brought you you that exalted your selves almost above the heavens are now fallen if possible lower than the earth your towring pride is now buried in the dust of Division you have been long time in travaile with joy and now are delivered of sorrow I wish you could yet see in this your day the things that belong unto your Peace What hath the love of money eaten up your love towards one another hath your earnest pursuite of Religion forst Religion to a squat truely you have hunted fairly you have strove so much for Religion in the Church that it is to be feared you have lost it in your hearts these are the fruits of Division your Presbytery and Independency your outward formes and formall circumstances what have you strove so long for the shaddow that you have lost the substance have you forgot That it is neither Circumcisiou nor uncircumcision that availeth ought but a new creature have you forgot that love is the fulfilling of the Law and a gospell duty surely this Division is of the Devill and not of God for God is love and his people are carried out with a spirit of Love and not of hatred and contention envie and emulation Therefore dear Friends and fellow Citizens I beseech you lay your condition ro heart examine the ground of your Division and you will finde it to be the pride of your hearts your self-conceitedness c. and cloath your selves in self-abhorrency let him that would be the greatest be the least among you let him that would or thinks himself wise be a fool for Christs sake learn to bear with one another labour to see that you are members of one body united unto one head and love one another and administer unto the necessities one of another so shall your love encrease and your Divisions dye but if you shall continue to widen the gap confusion will enter and what will ye do in that day To the Army Gentlemen ACtions are alwayes honourable that are compassed by just wayes and aim at good ends for wee ought not to do evill to produce good neither should there be publike pretences made use of to advantage or secure private interests I hope the contrary now but yet I fear the event when the fabrick is larger then the foundation there is great danger in the building so when the undertaking is greater then the power of the undertakers truely 't is to be feared there will be more hurt then good more detriment then advantage acrue to the persons concerned therein Gentlemen your undertakings and engagements thereupon I have seriously observed and impartially scanned I find the end good but the manner and prosecution hitherto hath not been so good as I could wish and the temper nay necessity of the Kingdome doth require you engaged if I mistake not not to give over nor look back untill you had to the utmost of your powers made provision not onely for your selves and own interests as Souldiers but as Commoners and with your selves all the free Commons of England that they and you together might be for the future protected and secured from all violence and oppression whatsoever and in whomsoever and that there might be a due administration of justice and judgement with righteousness Now give me leave to demand the cause of your retreat from the pursuance of this so honourable action How comes it to passe I hear so many private whispers among you That you have nothing to do to meddle with any thing that concerns the Kingdome but meerly what concerns your selves and your own particular actings was it just or lawfull for you to enter into an ingagement to perform that which you now seem to dis-own as unlawfull Surely either there wanted a serious consideration at first or else interests hath abated your Resolutions at last which if either how dishonourable it will be to your selves how destructive to the Kingdome be your own Judges If the welfare of the people be the supream Law as you have sometimes granted yea affirmed Then whatsoever is contrary or standeth in opposition to that is destructive to that main end and therefore not onely to be avoided at present but prevented for the future But oppression and injustice particular interests c. are direct in opposition to the