Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	archbishop_n	bishop_n	church_n	1,847	5	3.9623	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25496	An answer from the country to a late letter to a dissenter upon occassion of His Majesties late gracious declaration of indulgence by a member of the Church of England.	Member of the Church of England.	1687 (1687)	Wing A3278; ESTC R16389	43,557	81

that Church did not endeavour to hinder the Repeal of those Laws which only enable them to re-assume their Rods and Axes Dissenters might hope their kindness was to be relied upon But since they see them so unwilling to part with their offensive Arms even at the desire of their Sovereign they have just reason to think they scandalize them not in saying they dare not as yet believe that they intend them any good security that they will not call them to an after-reckoning or that they will afford them such an assurance of freedom as they may now have under the Kings broad Seal But to pass on I wonder not so much at your denying the Church of England is never humble but when she wants power for you may mean another Church than other Mortals do or by humble you may mean she least useth Church Censures when the Magistrates Inflict the Laws most severely which Evasion you may when pressed flie to But the reason you give for it is more surprizing that she is even now meek and lowly when she hath power to confound all Dissenters with a Breath This indeed is a brisk flourish like a brave Leaders encouragement to his seemingly foyled Party that he hath one stratagem yet which will gain the absolute Victory if they will credit his Conduct I pray Sir for all this rattle in the Clouds which is no more formidable than intelligible give me leave to ask you what this Smile this kind Word this glimps of Compliance should be that can work such wonders There was a time at or before some Men were put to the Test when a compliance with the Kings desires of Repeal would have continued several Eminent Men in their Stations and they would have felt many effects of His Majesties Royal Favour But all that would have been as a reward of their publick splritedness and concurrence with the King in the truly Catholick design of making all His Subjects easie as to their Religious Concerns But it looks like Presumption yea insolence in you to assert that when such have lost the opportunity of preserving themselves in the Kings good Opinion He should take them into His Throne and permit them to guide His Arm to dart His Thunder where they please No if they should offer all compliance for the future securing Roman Catholicks provided they might execute Penal Laws against Dissenters yet this would have no power to encline a Prince so steady to His Resolutions and the publick Declaration of His Judgement to alter in the least His Royal purpose of granting Universal Liberty of Conscience to such as would live peaceably and give no disturbance to the Civil Government Much less can those hope to prevail who declare all Compliance with the Kings desires so Criminal and Vnjustifiable that they will rather choose to stand mute and be press'd to Death in hopes to preserve their Estates for the next Heir then to quit their beloved Test b As to Provocation while you write you commit the fault you so severely complain of As to those Books writ upon the subject of Religion every one may observe that those in defence of the Protestant Doctrine have been throngly cryed about the streets with the Emphasis of being Vindications of the Church of England and the Licenses of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury or Bishop of London whereas Roman Catholick Books except some few Sermons of the Fathers have been dispers'd without the pomp of a publick Cryer Only some Dissenters concern'd to give publick Testimonies of their gratitude to the King have enlarged the Gazets and set some Printing Presses on work But that any such Writers are Vndertakers or have made any Contracts with the Romanists to begin a Fray among Protestants for the sport or advantage of the Church of Rome I see no shadow of Reason Since the Interest they have to own the ease they find by His Majesties Indulgence and the Opposition they find from some Members of the Church of England to it are sufficient Motives to them to write and speak all they have hitherto done And your entring the Lists with so many fine devices on your Helm and Shield and all over your whole Armour cannot but Excite many Combitants to engage so gaudy a Challenger c What you expect to be applauded or commended in this conduct I cannot tell Persecution for Conscience you own to be ill yet you would not have it equal dealing to blame such who oppose the Repeal of such Laws as only arm Persecutors which is dancing in a Circle d To hate the causers of our Torments is very natural in those who have not learnt to pray for their Enemies but for the Persecuted to court and love the Persecutors who judge it Criminal and are ready to suffer themselves rather than yield up the wheels racks and strapado's fetters and chains and the cruel instruments of Persecution when the Supream Magistrate forbids it is a Principle neither Heathen or Christian can own So that I will not trouble my head to Divine what the Objection should be that you acquaint us not with and yet you say is un-answerable e I have heard it accounted as some solace to have Companions in misery but never that any took delight in procuring Torments to others that they might have more stripes themselves How the Papists should promote the Penal Laws against Dissenters is a Ridle However it is not dutifully done to make the Church of England the Lictors and Bedels of the Church of Rome but some will lose their Friend e're they lose their Jest or false Suggestion f This Paragraph ought to be accounted for at Westminster-Hall Before there can be any sense made of it it must be most scandalously suppos'd that the King is about to alter the Constitution of the Election of Knights and Burgesses and to design another Praise God Barebone Parliament then which no reflection can be more odious g When-ever the Dispensing Power is argu'd I doubt not but many more Members in Parliament will allow it than did before the point had been so cleared as now and in duty we ought to believe the King by the Repeal intends no more than what He expresses in His Royal Declaration notwithstanding the Indulgence to secure the Church of England in her rights and possession of the Honours and Revenues and Liberty both to it and Dissenters which being done there will be no room for those unreasonable Surmises h The great Talbots Name was long after his Death us'd to affright the Children of France with Is it fit that a serious Gentleman should judge all Dissenters such Children as to be affrighted with the Name of Roman Consistory Our Lawful Sovereign is the only Lord of the Articles who will propose the Question and Obedience in this case may be more beneficial than to be always made Sacrifices by severe Penal Laws i Is it a Parliament of two Houses you mean shall offer this Indulgence to

be not to engage your self beyond Retreat and to agree so far with Principles of all Religions as not to relie upon a Death-bed Repentance x There are certain Periods of Time which being once past make all Cautions ineffectual and all Remedies desperate Our Vnderstandings are apt to be hurried on by the first Heats which if not restrained in time do not give us leave to look back till it is too late Consider this in the case of your Anger against the Church of England and take warning by their Mistake in the same kind when after the late King's Restoration they preserved so long the bitter tast of your rough usage to them in other times that it made them forget their Interest and sacrifice it to their Revenge y Either you will blame this Proceeding in them and for that Reason not follow it or if you allow it you have no reason to be offended with them so that you must either dismiss your Anger or lose your Excuse except you should argue more partially than will be supposed of men of your Morality and Vnderstanding z If you had now to do with those rigid Prelates who made it matter of Conscience to give you the least Indulgence but kept you at an uncharitable distance and even to your more reasonable Scruples continued stiff inexorable the Argument might be fairer on your side but since the common Danger hath so laid open that Mistake that all the former Haughtiness towards you is for ever extinguished and that it hath turned the Spirit of Persecution into a Spirit of a Peace Charity and Condescention shall this happy Change only affect the Church of England and are you so in love with Separation as not to be moved by his Example It ought to be followed were there no other reason than that it is a Vertue but when besides that it is become necessary to your preservation it is impossible to fail the having its effect upon you a If it should be said that the Church of England is never Humble but when she is out of Power and therefore loseth the Right of being believed when she pretendeth to it the Answer is first it would be an uncharitable Objection and very much mis-timed an unseasonable Triumph not only ungenerous but unsafe So that in these Respects it cannot be urged without Scandal even though it could be said with Truth Secondly This is not so in Fact and the Argument must fall being built upon a false Foundation for whatever may be told you at this very hour and in the heat and glare of your present Sun-shine the Church of England can in a Moment bring Clouds again and turn the Royal Thunder upon your Heads blow you off the Stage with a Breath if she would give but a Smile for a kind Word the least Glimpse of her Compliance would throw you back into the state of Suffering and draw upon you all the Arrears of Severity which have accrued during the time of this kindness to you and yet the Church of England with all her Faults will not allow her self to be rescu'd by such unjustifiable means but chuseth to bear the weight of power rather than lie under the burthen of being Criminal b It cannot be said that she is Vnprovoked Books and Letters come out every day to call for Answers yet she will not be stirred From the supposed Authors and the stile one would swear they were Vndertakers and had made a Contract to fall out with the Church of England There are Lashes in every Address Challanges to draw the Pen in every Pamphlet In short the fairest occasions in the World given to quarrel but she wisely distinguisheth between the Body of Dissenters whom she will suppose to Act as they do with no ill intent and these small Skirmishes pickt and sent out to picqueer and to begin a Fray amongst the Protestants for the entertainment as well as the advantage of the Church of Rome c This conduct is so good that it will be scandalous not to Applaud it It is not equal dealing to blame our Adversaries for doing ills and not commend them when they do well d To hate them because they persecuted and not to be reconciled to be reconciled to them when they are ready to suffer rather than receive all the Advantages that can be gained by criminal compliance is a Principle no sort of Christians can own since it would give an Objection to them never to be answered e Think a little who they were that promoted your former Persecutions and then consider how it will look to be angry with the Instruments and at the same time to make a League with the Authors of our Sufferings f Have you enough considered what will be expected from you Are you ready to stand in every Borough by Vertue of a Conge d'eslire and instead of Election be satisfied if you are Returned g Will you in Parliament justifie the Dispensing Power with all its Consequences and Repeal the Test by which you will make way for the Repeal of all the Laws that were made to preserve your Religion and to Enact others that shall Destroy it h Are you disposed to change the Liberty of Debate into the Merit of Obedience and to be made Instruments to Repeal or Enact Laws when the Roman Consistory are Lords of the Articles i Are you so linked with your new Friends as to reject any Indulgence a Parliament shall offer you if it shall not be so Comprehensive as to include the Papists in it k Consider that the implyed Conditions of our new Treaty are no less then that you are to do every thing you are desired without examining and that for this pretended Liberty of Conscience your real Freedom is to be Sacrificed Your former Faults hang like Chains still about you you are let loose only vpon Bayl the first Act of Non-compliance sendeth you to Jayl again l You may see that the Papists themselves do not rely upon the Legality of this Power which you are to Justifie since the being so very earnest to get it Established by a Law and the doing such very hard things in order as they think to obtain it is a clear Evidence that they do not think that the single power of the Crown is in this case a good Foundation especially when this is done under a Prince so very tender of all the Rights of Sovereignty that he would think it a diminution to his Prerogative where he conceiveth it strong enough to go alone to call in the Legislative help to strengthen and support it m You have formerly blamed the Church of England and not without reason for going so far as they did in their compliance and yet as soon as they stopped you see they are not only Deserted but Prosecuted Conclude then from this Example that you must either break off your Friendship or resolve to have no Bounds in it If they do not succeed in their Design