Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39063
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An Expedient for peace perswading an agreement amongst Christians &c.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing E3872; ESTC R25075
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27,763
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15
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more contribute to the Security Prosperity and Fourishing State of this Unhappy Nation than by one joint and Universal Act to Abolish all those Grievances which have so long disturbed our Peace I mean Penal Laws and Tests and at the same time to Settle and Establish a Great Pacifick Charter that Hell it self nor all the United Force of Malicious Men shall never be able to disturb Wherein every one cannot fail to find their Account except those who are not fit to be quieted or contented because they will not be satisfied with their proportion of Power or good Livings but demand all But leaving such unreasonable men to be managed into Compliance by that Power which I hope will do it effectually I promise my self that all the rest will not betray so much Weakness as not to acquiesce in such a Sovereign Expedient which will certainly redound to the good of the whole For hereby every one will have his Religion secured to him by as good a Title as his Land every one will be secured from the Destructive and Fiery Zeal of his Violent Neighbour And since humanum est errare and Mistakes and Errors will be as long as there be men yet this Great Charter will protect all from the evil of one anothers mistakes and will put an end to mens ruining and killing one another for God's sake will make the Lyon lie down with the Lamb and silence the voice of Complaints in our Streets will check the Insolence and Ill Nature of Perverse Men of all sides and let men Worship their Maker sincerely and truly and prevent Hypocrisie will make His Majesty's Government easie and prevent Factions Plots and Conspiracies against it will give Him leave to exert His Royal Vertues and make as considerable a Figure in Christendom as any of His Ancestors will take away all the pretensions ill men may have from Coercion and Restraint and leave them inexcusable if Turbulent and Unquiet so that none dare endeavour to Patronize them or mitigate their Condign Punishment Will lay asleep all Fears and Jealousies and quiet the Passions and Animosities of men or at least make them Impotent and Uncapable of doing Hurt And in fine that by its Provisions and Sanctions will qualifie things so that men'of all Perswasions shall have an equal Claim and Title to Religion Property and their Princes Favour and that no publick Emoluments no Office Interest Benefit Favour or Preferment shall be denied to any man on the account of his Perswasion but purely on some Notorious Wicked Incapacity And further by its Pacifick Nature will gradually effect that the present odious malignity affixed to the distinguishing Names of Christians shall be mortified and made innocent and to go under several different Denominations shall be no more a Reproach to them than it is for Citizens to be free of several Companies or Country-men to be called by the Name of the County they were born in But in answer to some Objections If it be alledged That the Papists ought not to have the Benefit of Toleration because of their Wickedness To this I answer The same Argument holds good against any Side or Party for they have been all wicked by Turns when in Power and have been pretty even one with another and so I think have the greatest Reason to agree Besides if we stay and will admit of no Religion to receive an Establishment till its Professors have cleared themselves of all Real Crimes or pretended ones I am afraid we shall have no Religion at all For all Sides have been really to Blame and really Criminal though every Side endeavour to Extenuate their Guilt but being Parties must not be Judges in their own Case Their denying their Faults does not make them less guilty though some men think so and by an odd sort of Inference they reckon to make another man a Criminal is to make themselves Innocent And the principal thing urged in their Discourse is To magnifie others Faults and lessen their own And this humour is so Epidemical I meet it almost every where and if they can prove or make out any way the Perswasion of another to be absurd or odd they look upon themselves to be very good Christians never considering how easie a thing it is to make any thing absurd nor what different ways of Falshood there are in some of which 't is ten to one but they themselves may Tread But to come to a more ingenuous Confession and as an Indifferent Person to speak the Truth and give all Sides their due I protest I cannot in Conscience vindicate any Parties proceedings The Papists have Faults enough and the World is Inquisitive to find out more not to mention the misrepresentations and foul charges which is inseparable to disputing Parties Nor are the Protestant Dâ—ssenters innocent but in many things must acknowledge they have sadly miscarried especially in those late unhappy troubles in the Reign of King Charles I. Much less is the Church of England to be excused who by their Severities and Pressures of Government gave but too great provocations to both and their Furious Driving like Jehu is the principal Cause of most of our Troubles They were the occasion of the Scots Rebelling Arch-Bishop Laud imposing the Common-Prayer upon them contrary to the Constitution of their Nation and of the English former and late Rebellions by laying such Loads on Dissenters which they would not help to bear with the least of their Fingers but most of all to blame by establishing Iniquity by Law and after so much mischief done thereby yet vindicate the same Law still and by Consequence their Wicked Proceedings In Calm Fits and Sober Hours they confess their former ill Treatment by Dissenters has made them over-act themselves of Late And why will not they allow this to be a good Plea in the Mouths of others who over-acted themselves too in their late and former Outrages resenting too deeply and unchristianly their Ill Usage and Oppression Tyranny and Oppression is the Original and Source of most violent Outrages and when-ever the Banks are pull'd down the Current runs with the greatest Impetuosity 'T is well known the Papists have had but miserable Treatment in England ever since the Reformation but especially since Queen Mary's time and 't is known as well that the Dissenters have had little better And no wonder therefore that they have plotted and been troublesome to them that have kept them under and the Church of England too when under Hatches by the Dissenters were Plotters to bring themselves though they called it the King in again Indeed they have not had so many Temptations as others for since the Reformation they have been mostly Regent and in the Sunshine I shall not further object against them what their Enemies have objected but say they begin to shew themselves Men and exactly like other Men too they grow angry and discontented sometimes Threaten sometimes Flatter then Reflect start Jealousies and