Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
authority_n king_n power_n regal_a 3,088 5 11.3071 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A36092 A discourse for taking off the tests and penal laws about religion 1687 (1687) Wing D1593; ESTC R3313 36,709 48

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Lollardiae sic dictae à Lolio quia sicut Lolium inficit segetes sic Lollardi multot●es inficiunt fideles simplices inter quos conversantur Lindwood Provinc de haeret c. finaliter ver Lollardiae that proves prejudicial to the Wheat as our Lindwood has it it 's past doubt that the Doctrins of Wickliff were called LOLLARDY and whoever embraced them were called Lollars that is whoever held That Images ought not to be worshiped that the Relics of Saints ought not to be adored that after the Consecration in the Mass there remained Bread and that the Natural Body of Christ is not there whoever held these Propositions were LOLLARS Here then lies the Opposition between the Parliamentary Test and the Sheriff's Oath by the former you declare to believe That there is no Transubstantiation and that Invocation of Saints is Superstitious by the other you swear That to the utmost of your power you will endeavor to exterminate all such as do not believe Transubstantiation or do hold that Invocation of Saints or Adoration of the Sacrifice of the Mass is Superstitious So that as the matter is thus stated the Protestant Gentry who carefully consider these things must needs be marvelously perplex'd in their thoughts about it and afraid lest they contract on them the odious Guilt of swearing they will do what they declare they ought not to do There are I confess two ways taken by some to solve this difficult appearance but whoever insists on either will find himself still more and more involv'd Nostro aevoac cipiunt Lollardos pro Institutae Religionis adversantibus eoq vetus Sacramentum Vicecomitum ad prosequendos Lollardos juratorum hodie attrahunt verb. Lollardiae The first is what Sir Henry Spelman in his Glossary suggests who tells us That some by LOLLARDY understand any Religion contrary to what is by Law established and consequently the Popish Religion whereby the difficulty is removed for by this Interpretation the Sheriffs do swear they 'll extirpate the Religion of those who believe Transubstantiation and are for the Adoration of the Blessed Virgin But then it must be added that besides the ill tendency the Oath thus interpreted may have on the Government especially with reference to the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex within whose Bailiwic His Majesty resides this way of altering the genuine sense of words necessarily introduces and justifies the grossest Equivocations For Lollardy did never in any other Writings heretofore nor at this day signifie any such thing as is here pretended and this sense of the Oath is quite contrary to the natural and genuine import of the words And if Church-of-England-men may take an Oath in a sense so contrary to the true intent and meaning of it why may not the Papists and whil'st they are taking Church of England Tests intend a Popish sense For thus 't is with our Sheriffs they take a Popish Oath in a Church of England sense and whil'st they swear to endeavor the Extirpation of Church of England Doctrins they mean Popery Methinks it's past doubt that if our Popish Gentry had been so profligate as some represent 'em they need not be so much concern'd for the Taking off the Tests were it not sufficient that they could write after this Church of England Copy And as Protestants by Lollardy understand Popery so by Transubstantiation might not our Gentry mean Consubstantiation and by Superstitious and Idolatrous mean what is agreeable to the mind and will of God and then take the Parliamentary Test in the following sense thus I A. B. do declare That I do believe that there is no Consubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at or after the Consecration thereof by any person whatsoever and that the Invocation or Adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint and the Sacrifice of the Mass as they are now used in the Church of Rome are agreeable to the mind and will of God. For by the same Rule that Lollardy signifies Popery Transubstantiation may signifie Consubstantiation and the words Superstitions and Idolatrous may signifie what is agreeable to the mind and will of God. And if the one may be without an Equivocation so may the other so that this Hypothesis solves not the Phainomenon it only opens the way to make all TESTS of no use and then no matter whether they continue or are taken away We will therefore in the next place consider the other attempt which is made by some to remove this difficulty and it is this That some time after Sir Edward Coke when prick'd for Sheriff scrupled this part of the Oath care was taken to reform it and this passage about Lollardy has been ever since left out and that therefore now there is no inconsistency between the Sheriffs Oath and other Tests And in Answer unto this I must acknowledge That in the year 1625. this Oath was alter'd and this Clause left out But by whose Authority Did any Parliament take this thing into consideration and make this amendment No it was done by the direction of the King's Council How by the King's Council Then by the Regal Power sure which once granted what need we trouble our heads any longer about the Parliaments taking off the Tests For if according to the Constitution of our Government it belongs to the Prerogative to ALTER an Oath by expunging any momentous part of it no doubt it 's as much within the Circle of Prerogative to make an Alteration on Tests too Whence then I thus argue The expunging this part of the Sheriffs Oath is Valid or not If not then it must be restored and all Sheriffs stand bound to swear That they 'll endeavor the Extirpation of those Doctrins they professed to be for when they took the Parliamentary Tests and so must as but now I prov'd be either involv'd in the Guilt of Swearing one thing and Declaring another or must countenance the worst of Equivocations but if Valid then the Regal Power can make alterations on Oaths and so far change the controverted Tests as to divest them of all their supposed strength And if the Subjects will not concur with His Majesty who most graciously designs the setling the Peace and Quiet of the people in a Parliamentary way do they not provoke him to the exercise of his Prerogative And would it not be more agreeable to the Prudence of the Asserters of our Liberty and Property to assure the King That they will endeavor their utmost to choose such to sit in Parliaments as will be for the Establishing Liberty of Conscience on a sure Foundation and secure the Civil Rights and Privileges of the Subject in such a manner that they may not be touched for the sake of Religion Thus I have laid down a Scheme of those Reasonings which in my Opinion are strong for the Taking off the Tests and have I hope with some Clearness evinced that the Continuation of Penal Laws by which good