Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	law_n	liberty_n	parliament_n	4,902	5	6.1958	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82697	A declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament. In answer to His Majesties declaration, intituled His Majesties declaration to all his loving subjects, after his late victory against the rebels, on Sunday the 23 of October, 1642. Together, with a catalogue of the names of divers of the colonels, lievtenant-colonells, serjeant majors, captains, and lievtenants, that are papists and commanders in the army, under the command of the Earle of Nevv-Castle. Ordered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that this declaration be forthwith printed and published. Hen. Elsyng. Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.	England and Wales. Parliament.	1642 (1642)	Wing E1442; Thomason E244_23; ESTC R212569	12,288	15

presidents of former times to iustifie the same and therefore we need not any further to labour the proofe of the matter of fact For the Allegation That great number of Popish Commanders and others serve in the Army under the c●nduct of the Earle of Essex and of the private promises and undertakings made to them That if they would assist against his Maiesty all the Lawes made in their preiudice should be repealed A charge contrary not only to the profession and severall protestations of both Houses of Parliament but even to reason and policy it selfe That they who have raised an Army for the iust defence of their Priviledges Lawes and Liberties and of the true Protestant Religion should make use of Papists the only enemies of them all to be the Instrument and means to protect them If the Contrivers of that Declaration had been pleased to name some of that great number of Papists they suppose to be in the Earl of Essex his Army they had not onely afforded us the means to have cleered our selves from that Imputation by joyning issue with them of the truth thereof but given us opportunity in case any of that Religion under the name and profession of a Protestant for otherwise we are assured they could not had crowded themselves into the Army to remove them But in regard they omitted the mention of any pa●ticular we are confident That ei●her they could not name any or in case any of the Popish Religion be in that Army they are subtilly by the cunning and malicious practise of our enemies conveyed thither under the mask and profession of Protestants to corrupt if they can the good affection of others and so made Instruments to destroy us as David Alexander should have been had not Gods goodnesse and providence by a timely discovery prevented it But to shew how much the Parliament did alwayes abhor and detest the ayd and assistance of Papists of what nature soever we hold it fit upon this occasion to let the World know That about the beginning of this Parliament divers eminent Papists of this Kingdom did prefer a Petition to the House of Commons for the repealing of some Laws now in force against them with an humble submission to all reasonable Conformity the substance of the same being opened it was app●ehended with such Indignation that it was never so much as vouchsafed to be read but quite rejected And upon Information given That the Lord Dillon and Colonell Taffe were employed by the Rebells of Ireland to bring some Propositions to his Maiesty and that amongst others one was That there should be a Toleration of the Popish Religion in Ireland It was thereupon resolved on the eighth of Decemb. 1641 upon solemn debate by the Lords and Commons That they would never give consent to any Toleration of the Popish Religion in Ireland or in any other of his Maiesties Dominions And when the Lord Herbert son of the Earl of Worcester this Parliament made an offer to the House of Commons to give freely 500l a year or 5000l to be disposed at the pleasure of the Parliament yet the House though in a time of great necessity to use money because the same came tendered by the hand of a Papist did refuse to accept All which had been passages of great weaknesse had we intended any correspondency with them And we are confident That this Charge is so full of malice and so far from truth that we dare challenge all the world not to be able to make it good against any one particular Member For the matter of his Maiesties raising an Army against the Parliament and taking away the Priviledges thereof which the contrivers of that Declaration tearmed to be a senselesse scandall we shall refer it to the judgement even of ordinary Capacities Whether is most voyd of sense to say That this War is raised against the Parliament or That both Houses whereof the one consists of all the Peers the other of eminent and principall Gentry of the Kingdom who for their Abilities and known Integrities are by the Universall Consent of the Kingdom chosen to represent them are governed by the number of not above 12 or 20 persons and that those few should have a power to force and compell the rest to submit to their Faction and to have their Libertie and Freedom of Consultation taken from them But the truth is That it is not a few persons but the Parliament it self is the thorn that lies in these mens sides which heretofore when it was wont to prick them was with much ease by a sudden dissolution pulled out But now that it is more deeply fastned by the Act of Continuance they would force it out by the power of an Army And whosoever will pursue the severall Speeches and Declarations made upon the breaking up of former Parliaments since the beginning of his Maiesties Raign will finde the pretences of those uniust and illegall Dissolutions to be grounded upon the exceptions against some particular Members under the name of a few factious and seditious persons So that the aspersing and wounding of the Parliament thorow the sides of a few Members is no new Invention And for the satisfaction of all indifferent men that this War is raised against the Parliament we shall refer them to former Declarations issued out in his Maiesties Name being so many Invectives and groundlesse Accusations not against particular Members onely but against the Votes and Proceedings of both Houses and in plain tearms declaring and publishing both Houses guilty of high Treason a Charge not to be presidented by any former times or in truth that Councell canbe capable of And that the Earl of Essex Generall of the Forces raised for the defence of the King Parliament and Kingdom is a Traytor and that all those that ayd and assist him thereby comprehending both Houses of Parliament by whose Command and Authority he bears that place are Rebells and guilty of high Treason Notwithstanding all which the Contrivers of that Declaration can have the face to term it A groundlesse Accusation to affirm That the Army raised by his Maiesty is raised against the Parliament or to take away the priviledges thereof But if the truth were as that Declaration seems to imply That this Army is raised to force some particular Members of this Parliament to be delivered up yet upon that Ground would it follow That the same is levied against the Parliament For it cannot be denyed by any ingenious man but that the Parliament by their inherent Rights and Priviledges hath the power to iudge and punish their own Members And we have often declared to his Maiesty and the world That we were alwayes ready to receive any evidence or accusation against any of them and to judge and punish them according to their demerits yet hitherto no Evidence produced no Accuser appearing And yet notwithstanding to raise an Army to compell the Parliament to expose these Members to the fury

by every Member of both Houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend His Majesties Person The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both Houses upon the nomination of the Earle of Essex to be Generall and to live and die with him wherein is expressed That this Army was raised for the defence of the Kings Person Our often earnest and most humble addresses to His Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army where with He is now encompassed raised and upheld to the hazard of his owne and the Kingdomes ruine And to come in Person to His Parliament where he should be sure to remain in Honour and Safety And our humble Petition directed to be presented to Him by the hands of the Earle of Essex before any blow given to remove His Royall Person from that Army a request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to His Person which hath and ever shall be dear unto us It was well known we raised not any Forces untill a considerable body of an Army was raised against the Parliament to destroy us our Liberties and Religion which being secured unto us and the Armie raised against us disbanded we shall be ready and willing to disband and do most earnestly desire it And concerning the imputation laid to our charge of our raising this Army to alter the Frame of Government and established Lawes of the Land we shall need to give it no other Answer then this That if to raise an Army in our own just defence when another is marching towards us to destroy us and our Laws be to alter the Frame of Government then is that Army raised for that purpose otherwise it is for our owne and our Lawes necessary preservation And whereas the contrivers of that Declaration urge it as a necessary consequence That because the Kings Person was in danger in the late Battell of the 23. of October therefore the Army raised by the Parliament and that gave Battell to the other Army was not raised for the defence of the Kings Person but of purpose to destroy him We confesse we understand not the Logique thereof no more then if the Kings Person should be chased apprehended and possessed by Theeves and Robbers and the Kings good Subjects should raise an Army to pursue those Robbers and by Battell dispossesse them of him and rescue him from their Power and Tyranny That therefore this was an Army raised to murder and destroy the King And we cannot but wonder that we are still charged with that scandall so often answered That the greatest part of our Members are driven away by violence when instance cannot be made of any one in particular and that it is well known that many of them if not most of them that absent themselves have been by expresse Letters from His Majestie commanded to repaire to Him to York And contrary to the expresse Summons of either House required to continue there and many of them have since been Principals and Inciters of this Warre against the Parliament and Kingdome Concerning the Book of Common Prayer suggested by that Declaration to be rejected we have by severall Declarations cleared our selves of that Charge that we never rejected it that we intend to take nothing out of it but what shall be evill and justly offensive or at least but unnecessary and burthensome and for that purpose to require the Advice of a Religious Learned and Orthodoxe Assembly of Ministers Touching the Aspersion of our giving no countenance to any but to Brownists and Anabaptists we would have been very glad to know who and what kinde of persons the Contrivers of that Declaration intend by Brownists and Anabaptists for now all such as will not submit to those unwarranted Ceremonies and Popish Innovations lately introduced in the Church by the Prelaticall party such as in truth and sincerity of heart make conscience of their wayes such as will not by blasphemous oaths prophane Gods Name and contemne the Lords Day and such as look after and heartily wish a perfect and thorough Reformation in the Church are by that Malignant and Popish party comprehended under the name of Brownists and Anabaptists And if by Brownists and Anabaptists they intend such Persons we acknowledge the countenancing of them But if by that name and style they mean such who are truly so according to the reall and proper signification of the expression we do affirm it to be a false groundlesse imputation And had not His Majesty seduced thereunto by that Popish and Prelaticall Faction denied His consent to the Bill for the Assembly so often by both Houses presented unto Him we had long since manifested to the world by a well setled Reformation our utter dislike of Brownisme and Anabaptisme But we very well know it is one of the Stratagems of that Prelaticall party to interrupt us of the means to settle Church Government that by the delay thereof they may stirre up Factions and Divisions amongst the people who having not the rule before them are apt to run severall wayes and so impute the Errours and indiscreet carriage of few persons unto the Parliament But God in his good time will unmask their plots and confound their devices The Contrivers of that Declaration suggest an endeavour by us to raise an implacable malice and hatred between the Gentry and Commonalty of the Kingdome A charge of a very strange n●ture That we should endeavour to raise up a spirit of hatred and malice in the Comminalty against our selves For so it must necessarily follow unlesse these Contrivers will deny us to have any part or interest in that style or Title of Gentry And though we know very well there are too many of the Gentry of this Kingdome who to satisfie the lusts of their own ambition are content like Esau to ●ell their Birth-right and render themselves and their posterity to perpetuall slavery and care not to submit themselves to any Arbitrary and unlimited Government so they may for their own time partake of that Power to trample and insult over others yet we are assured that there are of the Gentry many worthy and true-hearted Patriots who are ready to lay down their Lives and Fortunes and of late have given ample testimony thereof for maintenance of their Lawes Liberties and Religion and with them and others of their resolution we shall be ready to live and die And though we must own it as our duty to use our best endeavours That the meanest of the Comminalty may enjoy their own Birth-rights Freedome and Liberty of the Laws of the Land being equally entituled thereunto with the greatest Subject yet we hope this is far from any purpose to raise hatred or malice between them and the Gentry but rather to knit and unite them more fast together And that the Commission of Array doth take away the Estates of the Kings people is a Charge so far from a scandall or being senslesse

or impossible that we are ready to make it good That it is not onely so in Intention but Actually put in Execution For the matter of Intention we shall need to goe no further then the words of the Commission it self that giveth an Arbitrary power to the Commissioners over the persons and estates of the Kings Subjects which we have made apparent in our Declaration of the illegality thereof and therefore as to that particular shall referre our selves to that Declaration adding there unto His Majesties own Letter sent with divers of the said Commissions to require the Commissioners to bring the Trained Bands of severall Counties to attend His Majesties Royall Standard at Shrewsbury and that the severall Counties should furnish them with sufficient Ammunition for the journey and money to beare their charge And that the said Commission hath been put in practise to take away the estates of the Kings Subjects we shall make it good that by colour thereof divers great summes of money have been imposed upon the Inhabitants of severall Counties and they forced to pay the same both by distresse and imprisonment of their persons And the Commissioners of Array in the County of Carnarvon assessed that County by colour of that Commission to the proportion of above two and twenty Subsidies And for the levying thereof issued out Warrants forthwith to distrain and commit the persons of such as resisted and accordingly divers were distrained and imprisoned And by this time we are confident all the world will rest satisfied That the Kings Army was raised against the Parliament and to destroy the Rights and Priviledges thereof That persons of the Popish Religion are principally imployed in that Army That the same and the Forces of the North under the Conduct of the Earle of Newcastle and in Monmouth Shire and Wales under the comm●nd of the Lord Harbert do most consist of Papists and are maintained and continued by them That by the power of these Forces the Intention is not onely to subvert Parliaments and the Laws but to follow the Examples of their Brethren in Iniquity the Rebels in Ireland to pull up the Protestant Religion by the roots and in the place thereof to plant their own Idolatry and Superstition That the Army raised by the Parliament is to no other end but for the preservation of His Majesties Person to defend themselves the Laws of the Land and the true Protestant Religion All which the Lords and Commons thought good to publish to the intent the danger the Protestant Religion lies under may be clearly discerned and that all persons that love the same may now as one man extend their utmost endeavours and joyn with the Parliament to suppresse this Popish Army and Forces that otherwise in a short time will bring our Religion and Kingdome into ruine TO THE KINGS MOST Excellent Majestie The humble Petition of Vs the Inhabitants of Lancashire whose names are hereunder written in the behalfe of our Selves and divers others being Recusants Humbly sheweth THat whereas we and the rest of the said Countie Your Majesties most loyall Subjects are disarmed and not sufficiently provided for the defence of Your Royall Person and our owne families Our most humble Supplication to Your Majesty is That we may be received into Your most gracious protection from violence have our Armes taken from us re-delivered in this time of actuall War and by Your Majesties speciall directions be inabled further to furnish our selves with competency of weapons for the security of Your Royall Person if we be thereunto required our Countries and Families who now are not onely in danger of the common disturbance but also menaced by unruly people to be robbed And when by the Almighties assistance Your Majesties Kingdome shall be settled in case we be again dis-armed that a full value in mony in liew thereof to us may be restored And we shall daily pray c. W. G. C. Tr. C. T. Chr. An. Io. C. To Our Trusty and Welbeloved Sir William Ger●rd Baronet Sir Cecill Trafford Knight Thomas Clifton Charles Townley Christoph●r Ander●●n and Jo●● Clansfield and other of Our Sub●ects Recu●●nts Esqui●●s in the Co●nty o● Lancaster CHARLES R. Trusty and Welbeloved WEe greet you well whereas by reason of the Lawes and Statues of our Realme by which all Recusants convicted are to be without Arms your Arms have been taken from you so that now in this time of immiment danger wherein there are Armies raised against Our Commands and contrary to Our Proclamations and are marching against Vs and divers of Our good Subjects for obeying Our lawfull Commands and opposing the rebellious proceedings of others ill-affected are by strong hand seized upon and imprisoned their houses plundered and their goods taken away and the like is threatned to our selves who as all others Our Subjects ought to have Our protection against all un●●wfull violence and force And the Laws made for dis-arming Recusants were made onely for a provision to prevent danger in time of peace were not intended to bar you from a necessary use of Arms in time of actuall war for your own safety or for the defence of Our Person against all Rebels and Enemies which by your duty and allegiance you are bound unto which is not nor ever was meant to 〈◊〉 discharged or taken away by any 〈◊〉 And wh●●● as the Arms which were taken from you ought by Law to have been 〈…〉 to have been made use of by you in such time of open war or of such others 〈◊〉 you should provide yet under the specious pretence of dis-arming Recusants and persons 〈…〉 your Arms have been disposed and dispersed into the hands of fever all persons 〈…〉 and for the most part Fomenters and Exciters of these Commotions 〈…〉 Kingdom Our Will and Command therefore is and We charge and require you upon your Allegiance and 〈◊〉 you tender the safety of Our Person and the peace and welfare of Our Kingdom That you with all possible speed provide sufficient Armes for your selves your servants and your tenants which We authorize and require during the time of open war raised against Vs to keep and use for the defence of Vs and of your selves and of your Country against all Forces and Arms raised or to be raised against Vs or ●gainst Our consent or contrary to Our Proclamations by colour of any Order or Ordinance or Authority whatsoever And We shall according as We are bound to all Our Subjects use Our utmost powers for the protection of you and yours against all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violence And whensoever these Arms which you shall so provide after it shall please God to put an end to these dangers and distractions shall be taken away from your custody by reason of Our Law 〈…〉 the same so much as you shall have dispended in provision thereof Given under Our Signet at Our Court at Chester the 27 of September in the eighteenth year of Our Raigne Sir William Riddell Sir Edw. Widdrington Sir Fra. Howard Sir Nic. Thornton Col. Tho. Howard M. Lance Errington M. Errington of Befron M. Geo. Wray M. Ralph Mellet M. Chr. Wray M. Lambton M. Hodgeson M. Smith M. David Errington M. Pudsey M. Antho. Bulmer M. Jo. Bulmer M. Askwith M. Geo. Collingwood M. Forcer M. Evers M. Holtby M. Evers M. William Fenwicke M. Ratcliffe M. Haggerston M. Forcer M. Edw. Gray These are the Names of divers of the Collonels Lieutenants Collonels Sergeant Majors Captaines and Lieutenants that are Papists and Commanders in the Army under the command of the Earle of Newcastle H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com. FINIS