Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A54185
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One project for the good of England that is, our civil union is our civil safety : humbly dedicated to the great council, the Parliament of England.
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Penn, William, 1644-1718.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing P1334; ESTC R32178
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14,589
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11
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next place they do not only consequentially disclaim the Pope's Supremacy and all adhesion to forreign Authority under any Pretence but therewith deny and oppose the Romish Religion as it stands degenerated from Scripture and the first and purest Ages of the Church which makes up a great Negative Union And it cannot be unknown to men read in the Reasons of the Reformation that a Protestation made by the German Reformers against the Imperial Edicts of Charles the fifth imposing Romish Traditions gave beginning to the word Protestant In short It is the Interest of the Ruling or Church Protestants of England that the Pope should have no Claim or Power in England It is also the Interest of the Dissenting Protestants that the Pope should have no Claim or Power here in England because they are subject to the same Mischiefs and Sufferings in their Civil and Religious Rights that the Church Protestants are liable to if then both are like to lose by Pope and Forraign Authority their Interest must needs be one against Pope and Forraign Authority and if they have but one Interest it will follow that the Church Protestant cannot prejudice the Dissenting-Protestant but he must weaken and destroy his own Interest The Civil Interest of English Protestants being thus the same and their Religious Interest too so far as concerns a Negative to the Usurpation and Error of Rome I do humbly ask if it be the Interest of the Government to expose those to Misery that have no other Civil Interest than THAT of the Government Or if it be just or equal that the Weaker should be prosecuted by the more Powerful Protestants whose Interest is Positively the same in Civils and in Religion Negatively One would think 't were Reasonable that they should not suffer by Protestants who if Popery ever have a day are likely to suffer with them and that upon the same Principles Experience tells us That the wisest Architects lay their Foundations broad and strong and raise their Squares and Structure by the most exact Rules of Art that the Fabrick may be secure against the Violence of storms but if People must be destroy'd by those of the same Interest truly that Interest will stand but Totteringly and every breath of Opposition will be ready to shake it 'T was the Inconfutable answer Christ made to the Blasphemers of that Power by which he wrought Miracles A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand what he said then let me on another occasion say now an Interest divided against it self must fall I know some Men will take Fire at this and by Crying The CHURCH The CHURCH hope to silence all Arguments of this Nature But they must excuse me if I pay no manner of Regard to their Zeal and hold their Devotion both Ignorant and Dangerous at this time It is not the way to fill the Church to Destroy the People A Church without People is a Contradiction especially when the Scripture tells us that 't is the People that makes the Church And 't is not without an appearance of Reason that some good wise men are apprehensive that the greatest Sticklers for Persecuting Protestant Dissenters in favour of the Church of England are men addicted and devoted to the Church of Rome or at least animated by such as are who disparing of doing any great Feats if known hide themselves under these pretences but the meaning of it is to debilitate the Protestant cause in general by exciting the Church of England to destroy all other Protestant Interests in these Kingdoms that so nothing may remain for Popery to conflict with but the few Zealous abettors of that Church And that this may not look disingenuous or like a Trick of mine I will enforce it by a demonstration It is plain fact that the Church of Rome hath ever since the Reformation practic'd the Restoration of her Religion and Power in these Kingdoms It is as evident that Religion is with her a word for Civil Interest that is that she may have the Rule over men both Body and Soul For 't is Government she aims at to have the rains of Power in her hand to give Law and weild the Scepter To do this she must either have a greater interest then the Protestants that are now in possession or else divide their Interest and so weaken them by themselves and make them Instruments to her ends That her own force is Inconsiderable is clear She has nothing within Doors to give her hope but the Discord of Protestants It follows then that she must of necessity bestir her self and use her Arts to enflame the reckoning among Protestants and carry their Dissents about Religious matters to a division in the Civil Interest And it is the more to be fear'd because whatever she has been to others she has been ever true to her self If this then be the only domestick Expedient left her we are sure she will use it and if so it must needs be of great Importance with all Protestants to let fall their private Animosities and take all possible care that their dissents about Faith or Worship which regard the other World divide not their Affection and Judgment about the Common and Civil Interest of their Country because if that be kept entire it equally frustrates the designs of Rome as if you were of one Religion For since as I said before Religion with the great men of that Church is nothing else but a softer word for Civil Empire preserve you but your Civil Interest from fraction and you are in that sense of one Religion too and that such an one as you need not fear the temptation of Smithfield if you will but be true to it This being the case I would take leave to ask the Zealous Gentlemen of the English Church If Conformity to the fashion of their Worship be dearer to them then Englands Interest and the Cause of Protestancy if their love to Church-Government be greater then to the Church and her Religion and to their Country and her Laws or lastly whether in case they are sincere in their Allegations for the Church which I confess ingenuously I am apt to suspect it is to be supposed that the present Church-men Conformists I mean are better able of themselves to secure Protestancy and our Civil Interest against the Attempts of Rome then in Conjunction with the Civil Interest of all Protestant Dissenters If they say yes I would have them at the same time for the same reason to give it under their Hands that 't is a standing Rule in Arithmetick that ONE is more then SIX and that hitherto we have been all mistaken in the art of Numbers Being brought to this pinch I conceive they must say that they had rather deliver up their Church to the Power and Designs of Popery then suffer Dissenters to live freely among them though Protestant of one negative Religion and of the same Civil Interest or else hasten to break
ought they to murmur for that which satisfied Christ and his Apostles should satisfie them His Kingdom is not of this World therefore they should not Fight for him if they would be his Servants and the Children of his Kingdom Christ and not Civil Force is the Rock his Church is built upon Nor indeed has any thing so Tarnisht the Cause of Protestancy as the Professors of it betaking themselves to Worldly Arms to propagate their Religion David could not wear Saul's Armor and true Protestants cannot use Popish Weapons Imposition and Persecution In short 'T is the very Interest of the Church of England to preserve the Civil Interest entire or else Popery will endanger all but that cannot be unless all of that Civil Interest be preserved therefore Protestaat Dissenters should be indulg'd But some will say There is a Difference even among Dissenters Some will give a Security to the Civil Government by taking the Oaths others will not and be it through Tenderness how do we know but Papists will shrow'd themselves under the Wings of such Dissenters and so in Tolerating Protestant Dissenters to fortify Protestancy in reality Popery will be hereby shelter'd incognito I Answer First That such Oaths are little or no Security to any Government and though it may give some allay to the Jealousie of Governors they never had the Effect desired For neither in Private Cases nor yet in Publick Transactions have Men adher'd to their Oaths but their Interest He that is a Knave was never made Honest by an Oath nor is it an Oath but Honesty that keeps Honest men suâ—h Read Story and consult our Modern Times tell me what Government stood the firmer or longer for them Men may take them for their own Advantage or to avoid Loss and Punishment But the Question is What real Benefit or Security comes thereby to the Government It is certain they have often ensnared a Good Man but never caught one Knave yet we ought not to put so great a Value upon Oaths as to render the Security of our Government so low and hazardous God's Providence and the Wisdom of our Ancestors have found out a better Test for us to rest upon and that is our Common Interest and the Laws of the Land DULY executed These are the Security of our Government For example a Man Swears he will not Plot yet Plots pray what Security is this Oath to the Government But though 't is evident that this be no Security that Law which Hangs him for Plotting is an unquestionable one So that 't is not for wise Governours by Swearing men to the Government to think to secure it but all having agreed to the Laws by which they are to be governed let any Man break them at his Peril Wherefore good Laws and a Just Execution of them and not Oaths are the Natural and real Security of a Government But next though some may scruple the Oaths 't is not for the sake of the Matter so much as Form which you know is not the case of Roman Catholicks pray distinguish and those very Persons whoever they be of Protestant-Dissenters I dare say they will very cheerfully promise their Allegiance on the same Penalties and subscribe any Renunciation of Pope and Forraign Authority which the Art of man can Pen nor should it be hard for you to believe they should subscribe what they have alwayes liv'd To that part of the Objection which mentions the danger of Papists concealing themselves under the Character of Protestant Dissenters under Favour I say it is most reasonable to believe that those who will deny their Faith upon record as those that subscribe your Declaration do will swallow the Oaths too for the Declaration flatly denys the Religion but the Oaths only the Pope's Supremacy which even some of themselves pretend to reject Therefore those that can sincerely subscribe the Declaration cannot be Papists If it be yet objected that Papists may have Dispensations to subscribe the Test or a Pardon when they have done it I answer they may as well have Dispensations to take the Oaths or Pardons when they have taken them and these last six Moneths prove as much There is no Fence against this Flail At this rate they may as well be Protestants as Protestant Dissenters Ministers or Bishops in Churches as Speakers or Preachers in Meeting-houses Nay 't is more probable where there is least Suffering and most Preferment But this Objection only shews the weakness of both Oaths and Declaration for the Purpose intended and not that they can hide themselves more under one People then another For they that can have a Dispensation or Pardon for one act can have it for another especially when the matter of the Declaration is of a more general weight to them then that of the Oaths all which confirms my former Judgment of the Insecurity of such Oaths to any Government Give me leave then upon this to ask you if you will bring a certain Ruin upon any Protestant Dissenters for the sake of such an uncertain Security to your selves for this is the Question I beseech you to weigh it as becomes wise and good men shall they be Reprobated for tenderly refusing what being perform'd cannot save or secure you Consider you have no reason to believe but those that are allow'd to subscribe the Declaration or that will be pardon'd when they have done it may be allow'd to take the Oaths or will be pardon'd and absolv'd when they have taken them but you are certain on the other side that the Imposing of the Oaths will be a great Snare to many Protestant Dissenters that love the Government and renounce both Pope and Popery They will be ruin'd which to me is of the nature of an Argument for those People for their not taking the Oaths proves plainly they have no Dispensations nor hopes of Absolution and therefore no Papists shall they then lie under the Severities intended against Papists who have none of their Dispensations or Absolutions to deliver them from them This is with Submission but in plain terms to make the case of the Kingdom worse for it destroys those who are not Guilty and whom I believe you would not destroy Having brought the matter to this I shall first offer you a new Test Next the ways of taking it with most aggravation against the Party rejecting or breaking it And lastly how you may secure your selves from Papists disguizing themselves among Protestant-Dissenters that so nothing may remain a Remora in the way that shall not be removed to leave you a plain and even Path to Peace and Safety The New TEST I A.B. do solemnly and in good Conscience in the sight of God and Men acknowledge and declare that King Charles the second is Lawful King of this Realm and all the Dominions thereunto belonging And that neither the Pope nor See of Rome nor any else by their Authority have Right in any Case to Depose the King or