Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A52597
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The king's authority in dispensing with ecclesiastical laws, asserted and vindicated by the late Reverend Philip Nye ...; Lawfulnes of the oath of supremacy and power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs
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Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing N1495; ESTC R17198
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36,268
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70
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to both Houses One Thing more I hold my self obliged to recommend unto you at this present which is That you would seriously think on some Course to beget a better Vnion and Composure in the Minds of my Protestant Subjects in Matters of Religion whereby they may be induced to submit quietly to the Government and most faithfully give their Assistance to the support of it His Majesty did not only express his Purposes for the ease of Tender Consciences but from time to time endeavoured it And first of all by a Declaration Octob. 25. 1660. to all his Loving Subjects of England and Wales concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs mentioning that from Breda dispenseth with the use of divers Ceremonies formerly injoined that were offensive March 25. following he gave Commission to certain Learned Divines to meet at the Savoy and take the Service-Book under consideration to the same purpose May 11. 1661. frees from their Imprisonment such as suffered for Conscience The King and his Parliament happily joined in the same pious End Peace and Union yet differenced in their apprehensions of the Means to procure it which was our great unhappiness The Parliament judged the reducing and rooting out Dissenters by severe Penalties to be the means of Unity in the Church as they tell his Majesty in Answer to his Declaration Pressing the asserting of the Laws and Religion established according to the Act of Vniformity as the more probable means to produce a set led Peace and Obedience throughout the Kingdom Supposing and possibly some of them perswaded thereunto from those that never would distinguish betwixt Conformity and Sedition the dissent of Nonconformists from the present Establishment to be rather from a Spirit of Faction and Disloyalty than Tenderness of Conscience proceeded accordingly The Act of Uniformity was renewed and the Service-Book injoined with no alteration of what was formerly offensive in it but some Expressions of greater difficulty to be digested by those that were Tender and nothing done yet in what his Majesty had promised in way of relief to Tender Consciences Hereupon not only multitudes of faithful Preachers of the Gospel in the several Shires of this Kingdom were put from their Imployment but also the Minds of Men much disturbed and filled with hard Thoughts and Jealousies upon this Account Insomuch that his Majesty was inforced to publish that Declaration of Decemb. 26. in which he expresses the Surmises of the People occasioned by this Severity thus That having made use of such solemn Promises from Breda and in several Declarations since of Ease and Liberty to Tender Consciences instead of performing any part of them we have added straiter Fetters than ever and new Rocks of Scandal to the Scrupulous by the Act of Vniformity To this Surmise and Jealousy his Majesty condescends to make Reply thus As concerning the Nonconformance of our Promise We remember well the very words of those from Breda repeating the words and the Confirmations we have made of them since upon several Occasions in Parliament and as all these Things are still fresh in our Memory so are we still firm in the Resolution of performing them to the full But it must not be wondred at since that Parliament to which those Promises were made in Relation to an Act never thought fit to offer us any to that purpose The House of Commons took his Declaration into consideration and represented to his Majesty divers Objections against it and laid it aside so that nothing was effected thereby to his Majesty's Purpose the Parliament being otherwise minded and certainly it is not only their Liberty but Duty to proceed in reforming Abuses by such Means as are in their Perswasion most suitable and likely to be effectual otherwise they could not be faithful in their Trust Greater Severities against Nonconformity are provided in several Acts upon occasion as the Act against private Meetings 16 Car. 2. The expelling Ministers five Miles from Burrough Towns 17 Car. 2. Especially that Act of 22 Car. intituled An Act to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles An Act very high and heavy in the Penalties expressed both upon Ministers and People his Majesty notwithstanding condescended to give his Royal Assent to that Bill It being judged this Severity was taken up by them from good Intentions and as the likeliest means of Peace and Union as also if it proved not to be so that they might be yet more fully convinced of the Insufficiency of such a way having had hitherto for some Years experience how little effectual it hath proved Yet this Bill containing nothing for substance but what was proper to his Ecclesiastical Power being an ordering the Externals of the Church and nothing of immediate Concern in Civil Affairs in the whole Act And his Majesty having intentions to take the other Course if this of Severity effected not what was aimed at a Proviso is contained in the Act in these words Provided also that neither this Act nor any thing herein contained shall extend to invalidate or avoid his Majesty's Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs but that his Majesty and his Heirs and Successors may from time to time and at all times hereafter exercise and enjoy all Powers and Authorities in Ecclesiastical Affairs as fully and amply as himself or any of his Predecessors have or might have done the same any thing in this Act notwithstanding As this Act of 22 Car. 2. was very strict and severe in it self so the execution of it was with much Violence and Rigour in most parts of the Nation there being Provision made in it such as even loose and indigent Persons may intrude themselves in the promoting thereof with encouragement not only of their Lusts gratified in persecuting those they so much hate but their Necessities supplied from large Rewards for the same Having Power given to inform against Justices Mayors Constables and such as are intrusted in the Execution hereof who are under great Fines and Penalties for Omissions limited in this Act and the Informer to have a Moiety hereof himself Insomuch that by the rigorous execution of it thousands of his Majesty's good Subjects were utterly ruined Persons industrious and diligent in their Callings driven from their Habitations their Houses broken open their Goods imbezeled the Materials of their Trades the Tools they wrought with and the Beds they lay upon seized and sold Trade every where decayed Rents of Land fallen Poverty coming on like an Armed Man Persons haled from these Meetings for the Worship of God through the open Streets to Prisons being of the same Faith with us and so peaceable and unblameable in their Conversation as that nothing could be objected against them but in the Matters of their God nor for any thing upon that account but their endeavouring to practise as those Reformed Churches we our selves own for such and hold a Brotherly Communion with as the true Churches of Christ The Nation generally being thus distracted and distressed those in Power