Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A35924
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A Dialogue concerning the times between Philobelgus and Sophronius.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing D1363; ESTC R24293
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7,740
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8
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King he must continue so as long as he lives except he is pleased to Resign Phil. I don't see Princes are very willing to do that but your other Question Sophr. The next thing I ask you is whether it be not a contradiction in Terms to choose a King in an Hereditary Monarchy Phil. I am sorry I am obliged to Answer yes but the reason is so plain that there is no help for it Sophr. Very well I suppose by this time you are sufficiently convinced that this next Utopian Parliament as you call it is no more then a second Edition of the Convention and appears with all the great Errata of the first Impression Phil. You have an unlucky hand at telling a Story for though we have made a long Voyage and cut the Line for Conversation yet methinks the case of the Utopians is so like our own that I cannot help being uneasy at the Resemblance Sophr. You seem to have a tender Sense of things which I hope is no ill prognostick Phil. Since you say so much I must freely own to you that in my Opinion the late turn of Affairs was very indefensible and I would not for the World have been engaged But since it 's brought about without my assistance I think my self obliged to stand by it and not go murmuring about and unhinge the publick Settlement Sophr. How well we are or are like to be Settled upon our new Bottom is pretty apparent but granting the present Establishment was never so firm and agreeable yet let me tell you that the abetting an obnoxious Interest and uniting in un-maintainable Designs is no better than a Confederacy of it 's an open Defiance of Justice and Honour and the Settlement of those Quos dicere nolo I perceive you are so good natured as not to throw a man out of his House but if he is once dispossessed though by never so remarkable a violence none more forward then your self to Garrison it against him and if he offers to return at his peril be it You are a little squeamish about beginning an ill thing but an admirable second for rather then right should take place and oppression be obliged to refund you are bravely resolved to venture your all I desire to know whether success can change the nature of good and evil or right is founded upon wrong if not what a monstrous inconsistency is to practise that which we condemn and maintain that which we abhor will you engage your Advice your Person and your Interest for the support of violence and imbark Body and Soul in a Cause which you own to be unaccountable This is to be a partaker of other Mens Sins with a witness Phil. I grant the Cause was unaccountable at first but Sophr. At first Then it is so still For undoubtedly that which it's unjust to get it 's unjust to keep unless Impenitency be a Vertue and fresh Injuries a sufficient Satisfaction for old ones In the Name of Reason consider the weight of the Case the singularity of the Guilt and the extent of the Mischief and then keep your old Opinion if you can Phil. I confess if I thought the former Government could recover without bringing Popery along with it I could hearken to what you say Sophr. Pray can you be made a Papist against your Will Phil. No. Religion of what denomination soever supposes choise and conviction of Judgment Sophr. Good Then you may secure one and every Body else by God's Grace may do as much So that in fine there is no fear of loosing our Church unless we betray it Phil. But though our Protestant Faith cannot be wrested from us yet are we not like to suffer for adhering to it Sophr. I 'm afraid rather for not adhering to it God grant our Practise may be as regular as our Profession will be undisturbed Of all Nations we are most unlikely to have Experiments made upon us you remember how Passive Obedience went in Eighty eight But I am not at leisure to argue this point any further with you if you are unsatisfied you may consult a late Book called Vindiciae Juris Regii which I am told will cure you of your Fears if you are not over-grown with Spleen and Prejudice However at present granting which I don't believe that your Apprehensions were reasonably founded What are we the better Would you have us keep out Popery right or wrong or is nothing wrong which tends to so Sanctified an End Phil. Truly I think Religion ought to be our principal Care and secured by all Means Sophr. That is by all good Means and ill Means Does St. Paul tell us that we may do Evil that Good come on 't Pray what Church is that which we used to charge with such Doctrin as this with Deposing Kings and making Holy Wars to suppress Misbelievers Which is so rank a Principle that not many of the Jesuits themselves will own it Phil. When you have said all I 'm afraid the Beast in the Revelations should prevail except we make a vigorous Opposition Sophr. How can that be when we have so much modern Prophecy against him But setting aside this mistical Divinity give me leave to ask you a Question Suppose you owed a Roman Catholick a Sum of Money could you find in your Conscience to pay him or would you cheat him for the Protestant Religion Phil. Cheat him no God forbid Sohpr Very well And for the same reason if you own him Allegiance ought you not to pay it you know the Title of the Kings of England depends only upon Birth right and Lineal Descent so that let their Creed be what it will their Authority is the same And therefore the obedience of the Subject ought to be proportionable Nay when we have a Prince of a different Perswasion we should rather oblige our selves to a greater exactness of our Behaviour upon this account to prevent all suspicion of Disaffection and to preserve the Honour of our Religion For the Love of God therefore Philobelgus let us hear no more of this horrible Cant. Let us not give the World an occasion to belive that Protestancy teaches us to break our Faith and to be guilty of those Crimes which modest Heathens would blush at Let us not defend the best of Churches with the worst of Practises Nor damn one Age to secure the next To use such Expedients as these is the way to ruin that which we would Support and to make our Communion Nauscious and Contemptible for there is no Man of Natural Probity none that is Generously Inclined but will scorn a Religion which obliges him to be a Knave Phil. You know our Religion does not give this scandalous Liberty Sophr. True but if it be taken how then Phil. You grow warm But for my part I hope all will be well because as I observed to you the Parliament consists mostly of Church of England-men Sophr. I wish they may show themselves truly such I 'm sure their Quality the Principles they avow and the State and posture of Affairs may justly raise the expectation of the Nation so that a disappointment now would be much more unaccountable then formerly For a Man to mistake his way in a Tempest and to be over born with Tumult and general Distraction though it 's very unfortunate has something of excuse in it But to pursue the same steps upon thought and deliberation when we have Light and Demonstration to guide us To choose confusion for our Model to persist in so remarkable an error when the mortal consequence stares us in the Face must mightily enflame the guilt and make the blemish indelible 'T is in the Power of these Lords and Gentlemen you speak of to make a noble Stand to revive the Interest and retreive the Honour of their Country and Religion God grant them Resolution to act up to the Opportunity Phil. Hold I have enough and that you may not suspect your Discourse iâ— thrown away I give you my word I will consider what you have said Sophr. Very well if all People would do so impartially it 's easy to guess the effect but I 'm afraid it 's the way of too many to hearken only to one side or to think upon neither Adieu FINIS