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An Apologie for the Royal Party (1659); and A Panegyric to Charles the Second (1661) by John Evelyn
page 16 of 61 (26%)
many pretended notorious Enemies, to the publick Peace; when the Lawes in
being, and the Ordinary Courts of Justice could not reach them: By strange
and unknown practises in this Nation, and not at all Justifiable by any
known Lawes and Statutes_, But by certain diabolical principles of late
distilled into some person of the Army, and which he would entitle to the
whole, who (abating some of their Commanders, that have sucked the sweet
of this Doctrine) had them never so much as entred into their thoughts,
nor could they be so depraved, though they were Masters only of the Light
of Nature to direct them. For Common sence will tell them, that whoever
are our lawful Superiours, and invested with the supreame Authority,
either by their own vertue, or the peoples due Election, have then a just
right to challenge submission to their precepts, and that we acquiesce in
their determinations; since there is in nature no other expedient to
preserve us from everlasting confusion: But it is the height of all
impertinency to conceive, that those which are a part of themselves, and
can in so great a Body, have no other interests, should (without the
manifest hand of God were in it to infatuate all your proceedings) fall
into such exorbitant contradiction to their own good, as a child of four
years old would not be guilty of; and as this Pamphleter wildly suggests
in pp. 6. 11. 27, &c. did they steer their course by the known laws of the
Land, and as obedient Subjects should do, who without the King and his
Peers, are but the Carkass of a Parliament, as destitute of the Soul which
should inform and give it being. And if so small a handful of men as
appeared in the Palace-Yard, without consent of a quarter of the English
Army, much lesse the tenthousand'th part of the Free-people that are not
clad in red, shall disturb and alter your Government when it thinks fit to
set aside a few imperious Officers, who plainly seek themselves, and
derive their Commissions from superiours to whom they swear obedience; how
can you ever hope, or live to see any government established in these
miserably abused Nations? Behold then with how weak a party you are
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