Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	great_a	read_v	2,510	5	6.0813	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60805	Some modest reflections upon Mr. Stephens's late book, entituled, A plain relation of the late action at sea, between the English, Dutch, and French fleets, from June 22 to July 5 last with reflections thereupon, and upon the present state of the nation, &c. : with a vindication of the Church of England from what he has therein advanc'd against her / by a hearty lover of King William and Queen Mary.	Hearty lover of King William and Queen Mary.	1691 (1691)	Wing S4523; ESTC R17992	20,922	32

SOME Modest Reflections UPON Mr. STEPHENS's late BOOK ENTITULED A Plain Relation of the late Action at SEA between the English Dutch and French FLEETS from June 22. to July 5. last With Reflections thereupon and upon the Present State of the NATION c. WITH A VINDICATION OF THE CHURCH of ENGLAND FROM What He has therein Advanc'd against Her By a Hearty Lover of King William and Queen Mary LONDON Printed and Sold by Randall Taylor near Stationers-Hall And by most Booksellers 1691. To the Reader HAving accidentally some time since met with a Book Entituled A plain Relation of the late Action at Sea c. I read it with some greediness being tempted with a lawfull curiosity to satisfie my self in matter of Fact relating to so great an Action In the perusing of which Account as I must acknowledge I found satisfaction in some things so others seem'd very disagreeable both to those Notions which I had entertain'd and indeed to Experience and Common Reason especially in what he writes relating to the Church of England whereof he seems to imply he is and I profess my self to be a Member I acknowledge as I proceeded I cou'd hardly without some Indignation pass by many things which I there met with and after I had gone through the same have ever since in vain expected an Answer especially to 〈◊〉 part which contains I hope many groundless Reflections on the Establish'd Protestant Church of this Nation On this at last I took Pen in hand and bestow'd a few Hours in Examining and Confuting such things as I thought deserv'd it which having communicated to a Friend at his desire I now publish tho' upon the Character he gives me of the Author and my Observations on his Writings believing him to be really an honest Man and one who means well to the Publick and may in some Instances do it service I have review'd what was written and given several things a less severe turn than I at first intended Which is all I have to let you know before you come to the Book Some Modest REFLECTIONS c. THE Reason why this so much talk'd-of Book ought to be Answer'd is palpable and obvious because 't is full of Reflections on the present State of Affairs or rather a kind of a Compendium of what is objected by mistaken Friends or bitter Enemies The reason why that Person who has now undertaken to Answer it thought not fit to do it before was that he expected some better Hands would attempt it especially when it contain'd Reflections sharp enough on such as were well able to hold the Cudgels against him that made ' em But those from whom it was expected neglecting to take him to task lest what he advances should have deeper or larger Influence because unanswer'd should be thought unanswerable these few Sheets are at last sent abroad into the World on purpose to disabuse it and place some things in a better Light which he and others have render'd more dark and obscure by pretending to explain ' em Nor can I expect but to be rank'd by the Zealous Author for this undertaking among those whom he styles a Faction perhaps too he 'll say I 'm of the Court-party and consequently that I am guided by Guilt or Interest in this attempt But the best is one who shoots his Bolt so nimbly as he is in no great probability of hitting what he aims at and if he should bestow the Character of a Favourer of Debauchery upon me as he 's very liberal that way I have yet the Comfort of very good Company as he has order'd it all the Bishops in England being if you 'll believe him in little better Circumstances This all that reade him or know him will grant He tells the Reader he 's a Hearty Friend to King William and Queen Mary but after all he is certainly Notion-struck and believes he has an extraordinary Call to the great Work of Reforming Kingdoms A Privy-Counsellor at once to the Kings of Earth and Heaven and knows as well why Providence did not give us leave to beat the French as how to make King William the most Glorious Prince in Christendom if he would but follow his advice that is Gargil his Council Fleets and Armies turn out every Man that would Swear Drink and Whore Encounter the King of France with the remainder and obtain a miraculous Victory by the virtue of Venner's promise that One should chase a Thousand And this indeed if look'd into is the summ drift and upshot of all his Writings He concludes his Epistle with a Politick Complement to his Reader a Cause placed there 's in terrorem I have seen something like it hang up in a Corn-field to scare any one from disliking or answering him Know therefore also says he with a huge deal of Grandeur and Authority if thou canst be offended with him who wishes so well to his Country and no Ill to thy self thou canst be no good Man Very well your Argument is He that can be offended with any one who wishes well to their Country and to those who are offended can be no good Man This is the sense of this Complaint or it has none at all And if 't is fair Arguing you also ought to have a care how you are offended with your Answer who protest as deeply as you can that he wishes well to his Country and no Ill to you Nay as you do that you may be better and wiser a very Charitable wish for otherwise you have given away that Character you have so deservedly prov'd of a good Man according to your own Arguing To leave the Preface and fall upon the Book it self In considering of which we 'd willingly observe some Method though 't is very difficult to keep any in treating of what has none However the best way will be to throw the Contents thereof into these following different heaps in one or other of which 't will go hard but we shall meet with and clear all the seeming Arguments there laid together The unfortunate business of the Fleet the general Mismanagement of Affairs the Debauchery of the Nation and those in publick Employments the Behaviour of Church-men towards Dissenters and others his own Bill at the end For the first of these The Affair of the Fleet. Here the Author of the Reflections needed not to have hedged in his Bett so carefully and to fright any one from Answering what he writes on that Head Enter his Protestation as he does Page 10. That it requires a Person of rare Invention of equal Impudence and void of all Sense of Honour and Love to his Country to compose a Vindication of that Transaction and People of no less stupidity and easiness to be impos'd upon by such pretences and lower such a Miscarriage as none will offer to excuse who are not either Partners in the Crime or no good Friends to the Cause I say he 's safe enough in that Lock