Three considerations proposed to Mr. William Pen concerning the validity and security of his new magna charta for liberty of conscience by a Baptist ; which may be worthy the consideration of all the Quakers and of all my dissenting brethren also that have votes in the choice of Parliament-men. Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699. 1688 Approx. 11 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A34089 Wing C5496 ESTC R29651 11184984 ocm 11184984 46615 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A34089) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 46615) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1438:20) Three considerations proposed to Mr. William Pen concerning the validity and security of his new magna charta for liberty of conscience by a Baptist ; which may be worthy the consideration of all the Quakers and of all my dissenting brethren also that have votes in the choice of Parliament-men. Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699. [4] p. s.n., [London : 1688?] Reproduction of the original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Penn, William, 1644-1718. -- Excellent priviledge of liberty and property. Liberty of conscience -- England. Church and state -- England. 2006-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-08 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-10 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2006-10 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Three CONSIDERATIONS proposed to Mr. William Pen , Concerning the Validity and Security of his New Magna Charta for Liberty of Conscience , by A. Baptist ; which may be worthy the Consideration of all the Quakers , and of all my Dissenting Brethren also that have Votes in the Choice of Parliament-Men . I Desire you M. Pen , and all my Dissenting Brethren to Consider , and then Answer this : First , What validity or security can any pretended or designed future New Law or Charter have , when we see so many of the present Laws we already have may be , and are by the Dispensing Power Dispensed with ? Have we , or can we have any Higher Power here in England , than King , Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled ? The Laws that are now Dispensed with and rendred useless , were they not made by that Power ? Pray tell me , can your New Charter [ if you had it ] be made by any Higher or other Power ? And M. Pen , let your Brethren , and us know your mind honestly . Do you think there is any Temporal or Spiritual-Power here in England above the Dispencing Power ? And can you make it appear to us ? Shall your New Charter have a Penalty inserted to be inflicted on the infringers or breakers of it or no ? if not , what will your New Charter signifie ? Not three skips of a Louse ; and if it have a Penalty , Cannot any King by his Prerogative and Authority Royal , Dispence with the Penalty ? And what will it signifie then ? That you need not doubt at all , but may be certain of this ; you shall hear what Roman Catholicks have already told us , and judg'd is the Law in this matter ; nay , and such a Right so inherent and so inseparable from the Crown , That a King cannot divest himself of it if he would , nor is bound by his Word or any Declaration he makes , no not in or by Parliament . Take it in M. R. Langhorns own words in his Book , touching the Kings Right in Dispensing with Penal Laws , p. 3 , 4. That this Trust , and this Power of Dispencing with Penal Laws , are inseparably united unto the Royal Person of the King , that he cannot transfer , give away or separate the same from himself ; consequently it is inherent in his Royal Person , that is , in his Crown . Coke lib. 7. fol. 36. That the King cannot by his Grant , nor yet by Act of Parliament , Bar 〈…〉 lf of any that is inherent in and inseparably annexed into his Royal Person , for that in so doing he should cease to be King , and consequently change and subvert the Government , which our Law allows not . That ( therefore ) when ever the King to gratifie a Parliament , doth Consent in Parliament to any Law , by which he seems to strip himself of , or depart from , any Prerogative , or Right , which in truth is inseparable from him as King ; or when the King in Parliament or otherwise by any Declaratory Words or Speeches , seems to relinquish such Right : such Consent to such Law is no more than an Agreement on his part not to use that Right ordinarily ; but only in Extraordinary Occasions , when in his Princely Wisdom he shall find it necessary , and for publick good . But this Bars him not to use this Right again , when he sees just cause so to do , Nor can any Declaratory Words spoken by the King , or his assent incerted into an Act of Parliament , Estop the King in any Cause of this nature . So far he . Now where 's the assurance then of Will. Pen's New Charter for Liberty ? Who can tell what King we may have after our present Sovereign , whether so merciful or so just ? Or what Sheriffs the next King may chuse , and what Returns of Parliament-Men they may make ; for you know the forfeiture on the Sheriffs making a false Return is no great matter , and cannot a King pardon it by his Dispensing Power or Authority Royal ? What will , nay what can your New Charter then signifie , when it either is or may be ( according to your own Doctrine ) either invalidated , disanulled , or anihilated in an instant ? Secondly , Pray M. Pen , Consider what your New Charter can signifie , so long as there is a High Commission Court , or a High Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs set up ? Cannot those Commissioners take any of your and our Preachers , Teachers , or Ministers to task when they please ? Cannot they when they have a mind to it , Suspend Mr. Pen , or George Whitehead , M. Alsop , Mr. Lobb , or Mr. Mead , or Mr. Bowyer , as well as the Bishop of London , D. Sharp , or D. Doughty ? Notwithstanding your New Charter ? Cannot the Court when they will , or shall think fit , or be commanded , Suspend , Silence , or forbid any or all the Dissenting Ministers to Preach any longer in their Meetings , if they will not read any Declaration or Order whatever , that the King shall set forth and require them to Read ? Remember the Magdalen Colledge-Men , Remember also that Sawce for a Goose is or may be Sawce for a Gander . This Consideration is further grounded on the Words in their late Order set forth in the Gazette , For Contempt of his Majesties Authority Royal ; Now let us see before we leap , whether that will run no farther than just M. Pen will have it . Can he stop the Current of it when he pleases ? If he could we are not sure he would , for formerly he had no great kindness ( we know ) for us Baptists and other Dissenters and if he could and would , we are not sure of his life how long . Therefore it will be the greatest piece of weakness and folly in the world for us to dance after his and the Jesuits pipe alone , contrary both to all common sense and reason , and our own general interest . Thirdly , And above all Consider what Security or Validity this New Charter can be of , when there is a standing Army kept on foot ? Do Guns hear Reason , or regard Laws ? Will Dragoons mind Charters , or Arguments do you think ? Pray M. Pen tell us whether they have done or do now so in France ? We need not go far off for an Instance , it is so near us as fifty or sixty miles , which one would think is nigh enough to open our Eye-sight , if we are not strangely infatuated and given up by the Almighty to ruin and destruction , which the good Lord 〈…〉 . M. Pen , How have the Dragoons minded our Properties ( in these early days ) in divers places here in England already ? What think you of their Carriage and Quartering , will it agree with your New Charter for Liberty ? The Inkeepers and Victuallers beside many other can give you an account , now if you were truly A Friend for Liberty for Liberties sake , as you publish and pretend to the world , you would mind and inform us , and your Brethren of these and the like things , and not mincingly pass them over , and both delude and deceive us and them . Many perticulars more might be inlarged here , but a word to the wise is enough . I desire M● Pen only to weigh seriously , and give an honest , clear and satisfactory Answer to these three points ; in the mean time it appears to be highly the duty of all Men , as well Dissenters as others who have Votes in chusing Parliament Men ; above all to chuse such faithful Patriots as will take care of these things already hin●ed , and others that may be brought before them ; that our Liberties , our Laws , and our Lives may be preserved from ill designing men , add from future Quowariauto's ; and all the high Violaters and Infringers thereof called to an account , and justly punished . This will well become them and secure us , more than any titular Charter whatever . Liberty is indeed a fine word , but remember ( Brethren ) what the Apostle Peter hath told us , That some there were that while they promise them Liberty , they themselves are the Servants of Corruption , and observe what follows , for of whom a man is overcome , of the same is he brought in Bondage : how do you , how will you like that Word ? The Name of Liberty signifies nothing without the Substance , and the Continuance , Certainty and Security of it . Let us endeavor to secure our Substantial Liberties , our English Liberties we have and ought to have , rather than to get the Name of New ones , which may fatally bring us into greater Bondage in the end . Did you never hear of a certain Act or Bill for the Repealing of a Penal Law , that was lost ( when the late King was to have Sign'd it ) betwixt the House of Commons , and House of Lords , by a strange Trick of an honest Clerk of the Parliament . Do not part with a Goose , for the sticking down a Feather . Children know , and can tell us , A Bird in the Hand , is worth two in the Bush . Finally Brethren , Let us be of one mind in our great Concerns , though we may differ in some Circumstances , and small trivial things . Let us not in revenge ( though it be sweet ) put out both our own Eyes , to put out one of our Brothers . Let us not be so silly , to destroy our selves , to hurt others . But let all Protestants Unite in mutual Condescension , Affection , and Interest ; it is high time : Remember our Saviour hath told us , a House divided against it self cannot stand . Nothing will Save us but Union . Let Brotherly Love and Charity continue . Farwell and be wise whilst you may , lest you repent where 't is too late . and your repentance will do you no good .