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	king_n	1,876	5	3.7874	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42835	The zealous, and impartial Protestant shewing some great, but less heeded dangers of popery, in order to thorough and effectual security against it : in a letter to a member of Parliament.	Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680.	1681 (1681)	Wing G837; ESTC R22540	45,186	68

according to my Conscience the possessor was a wicked man that had no right for all property is founded in Grace and I did but take what my Godliness gave me title to I was bound in conscience to assert mine own and the Godlies right And then the Prosecution according to this Doctrine of Liberty of Conscience is at an end and the Offender clear If a man violently detains what is anothers by Law as the Quakers actually do in the case of Tithes he must not be punish'd 't is his Conscience he 'll tell you If one that is Prest for the necessary Service and defence of his Country against a foreign Enemy alledg 't is against his Conscience to fight he must be excused If he say his Conscience forbids him to pay Taxes that he is subject to none but King Jesus and that all other Government is Antichristian his Purse must be free and the King must lose his share and then in a short time you may judg what will become of his Majesty's Revenue If he pleads 't is against his Conscience to bear Office in Church or State he must not by any means be troubled his Neighbours must take the Burden and share the trouble among them All these are just and due Inferences and we see by them whither this Liberty leads nothing can be safe under it no not our Lives Men may think it a duty to murder us Those that kill you shall think they do God good service And the Scotch Field-meeters actually hold and teach in their Sermons and their Books that 't is lawful yea heroical to kill Bishops or any ordained by them and in consequence of that Doctrine Ten of those Zealots barbarously murdered the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews Yea their Doctrine is that 't is lawful to kill any one that hath forsaken their Covenant consequently the King himself upon whom they forceably imposed it And some that have the heroical Impulse that is a strong inclination to murder any of the sorts so sentenced by them will think himself bound in Conscience to do it And when he hath so done must he be indemnified and exempt from Punishment because it was his Conscience So it ought to be according to this Doctrine If it be said that these are plain Cases and men cannot plead Conscience for disobedience in such Instances I answer that nothing is so plain but men that have an humour an interest or will against it may dispute and doubt and deny when they please and the Instances alledg'd actually are among the Quakers Fifth Monarchists Scotch Presbyterians and such like and if this Principle be allowed their number and their pretences would quickly increase to the destruction of all Right Property and Government But Liberty some will say is desired only in the Worship of God And if right of Conscience be the reason it should be had there the same right of Conscience extends to all things of Morality where Conscience binds as much and is as sacred and the bounding it in matters of Worship is Arbitratious and without Reason which men would quickly find if they had once gain'd the first Point And this Liberty is so destructive to all rights of Government and Society that none of those that now contend for it will allow it when they have power Ask the Papists in Spain Germany or France if they are for Toleration Ask the Presbyterians whether they would Tolerate In their times nothing was so abominable so Antichristian as accursed Toleration as they then call'd it nothing so vehemently thundred against in their Pulpits every where We may remember how they Persecuted Sequestred Imprison'd ruined the Episcopal Divines for reading the publick Liturgie according to the Laws their Oaths their Consciences Their plea of Conscience was nothing then we know who denied the liberty of this Worship even to the King himself in his own Chappel They would not suffer in his Extremities any of his own Chaplains to come to him when he earnestly desired it And what Liberty was given to all other Sects by the Independents in their day because they could not help it was denied to Popery and Prelacy as they joyn'd them because they could And there is no Sect were it in full power that would give liberty to any other Even now they deny it and violate their own pretences of Liberty of Conscience they persecute Conformists with bitter hatred and with railing malicious accusations they shoot the arrows of bitter Words and endeavour to destroy their Reputations with Tongues set on fire of Hell They give no quarter to their Consciences but persecute them as far as they can and persecution in the Heart and in the Tongue would be so in the Hands quickly if they had power So that Liberty of Conscience and Toleration are things only to be talkt of and pretended to by those that are under but none like or think it reasonable that are in Authority 'T is an instrument of mischief and dissettlement to be courted by those who would have Change but no way desirable by such as would be quiet and have the Government undisturbed For it is not consistent with Publick peace and safety without a standing Army Conventicles being eternal Nurseries of Sedition and Rebellion If these Dissenters would be contented with Liberty 't were pretty well and tolerable but that will not do whatever is the modesty and meekness of the pretence they must have the Rule and Sway of all or they will never be satisfied We see this actually in Scotland there is no manner of Imposition in worship there either of Liturgie or Ceremony but the worship in Churches is in the same way with that in their Conventicles and yet they tumult and rebel on pretence of Religion and Conscience They would have their Covenant Christs Government as they call it that is the Dominion and supreme Rule themselves Meer Indulgence they scorn many of them think it unlawful to accept any from the King and have upon that account made a separation from those of their own that think they may and thus in likelihood it would be in a little time here also if Toleration under Limitations were granted So that whatever it may do else-where where People are less concern'd for their Opinions we certainly can never be safe with it without an Army to secure the Publick from the Mischievous effects of it And if ever this should obtain Popery would get such an advantage by it as God forbid it should ever have again in this Kingdom And we know Toleration was a principal thing aimed at and endeavour'd as appears by Coleman's Letters in order to the introducing of that Religion So that upon the whole we see that this is not our way Let us then consider 2. An Accommodation with Dissenters of less malignant Principles What will that do 'T is certain that with some of them no terms can be made they will never unite never be satisfied to such 't