Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n church_n holy_a scripture_n 2,807 5 5.7899 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A51706 Concerning penal laws a discourse, or charge at sessions in the burrough of Bridgewater, 12 July, 1680 / by Sir John Mallet, Kt. ... Mallet, John, Sir, 1622 or 3-1686. 1680 (1680) Wing M338; ESTC R4353 14,666 22

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

which there is a good resort by Land and it hath also a Navigable River which brings Traffick not only for the Profit of the Merchants here and the Countrey hereabouts but paying also considerable Customs and Duties to the Kings Exchequer And as it hath by the Grace and favour of former Kings had Charters whereby it hath very anciently been Incorporated with great Priviledges granted to it so it is for the prayse and commendation of those who have been and are of it that they have behaved themselves so well that those favours have been increased and not diminished The latter Charters having still enlarged your Bounds and Priviledges and from being limited within that part of your Town which was the ancient Burrough they now extend to the large compass of your Parish which is of great Circuit having so many Streets and Hamlets as except the two Cities which give name to the Diocess there is I think but one Town in this County that hath more dwelling Houses than this Whereby may easily be understood the Concernment Interest and Esteem of this good Town And in respect of its Scituation in a very good County of which I would not because our dwellings are in it be thought to speak partially or flatteringly but really I speak my heart and my thoughts of it and what hath been observed and said by others thereof This County of Somerset is one of the best Counties in England for Arable as well as Pasture and abundantly stored with the Noblest kind of Provision this Land hath been famous for Which the Kings Court the great City of London and those who provide Victuals for the Navy well know And I may further truely say for its praise and commendation and affirm it of my own knowledge and observation having lived many years in it and being pretty well acquainted with the Inhabitants of it They are in their several degrees in respect of the goodness of their Natures Understanding and honest Dispositions as good people as in any County of England In Religion they are good Protestants and so few Papists amongst them that I think I may say no County in this Kingdom hath fewer Papists than this And consequently it is a most Loyal County for I will boldly and truly affirm That the Protestant Religion is a Religion of Loyalty My love to my King and Countrey hath caused me to take this occasion of saying this in Vindication of this County from Aspersions of its Loyalty and also to vindicate the sincerity of the Protestant Religion As I have said this of the County in General I now come more particularly to your Town here and our present business Entring into which I must first take notice that when we met here last which was shortly after Easter we of your Corporation gave unanimous testimony of our being good Protestants and Loyal Subjects by receiving the holy Sacrament in your Church on Sunday and the next day in this Hall openly at your Sessions by our Oaths and Subscriptions And then all things were so well amongst you all that your Grand Jury of that Sessions by their Enquiry on their Oaths did not know any thing amiss of any moment to be presented that I can remember Whether there were any smaller matter of private Nuisance or Trespass then presented I know not but if there were I suppose it will appear by the Records and Books of that Sessions which being so lately and things well then I hope they so continue especially in respect of the greatest matters If any thing be amiss it will be your part to make presentment thereof as you shall find Cause and this Court will do right accordingly And as I am your Recorder it is my part to give you some directions therein But here I must by your favour take leave First to say something of my self yet without Vanity for I do not love Boasting though now it seem somewhat necessary for me to say what I thank God I can most truly say That in the long time I have had this Relation to your Town and the longer time whilest I had the honour to be one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace of this County which was from the first time his Majesty Commissioned any for I never would have nor had or acted by any other Commission than the Kings I alwayes made it my care so to behave my self therein that no man hath hitherto charged me or can have any cause that I know of to charge me with doing any Injustice or Oppression or of taking any Bribe whatsoever or doing any thing that would be a Scandal or Shame to Justice If I have done any such thing I desire any one to bear Witness against me openly I am not Ignorant that something hath been reported as a seeming Reflexion That I have not been severe enough against those of his Majesties Protestant Subjects who are commonly called Dissenters in Church matters Of which I have this to say That I do not Justifie any Disobedience of any persons to the Laws neither by my own Example or Encouragement For it is well known that I and all my Family have ever constantly resorted to the Church and come thither at the very beginning and often times before the Common-Prayer and Service begin there and continue there all the while and this not out of a formal but I hope with hearty Reverence And I can boldly say that in two Parishes where I am most concern'd by having long time dwelt in a Parish in the West part of this County and of late years in another Parish in the East part of it my Example in those places and the Neighbourhood and Gentle discoursing to perswade them to come to Church hath brought I think all of those Parishes to the Church I am sure most of them come more constantly thither considering the proportionable largeness of those Parishes than in other places where Severities have been used And I will with your leave make this further Observation which hath been a common Note That it frequently happens that those who are for the more rigid Compulsion of others oftentimes fail themselves they or some of their Families being commonly absent from Church But I am not ashamed or afraid to say That I do own my Tenderness to others hath been not only of a Kindness which I think is natural to most English Gentlemen but of a charitable belief that most part of those who are called Dissenters do hold the same true Doctrine and Principles of Religion with what is contained in the Articles of the Doctrine of the Church of England which do all of them agree with the Holy Scriptures and the true Doctrine of all sound and Orthodox Protestants And of the Loyalty and peaceableness of such Protestans I think no body hath cause to doubt but rather to pity their Tenderness and by Gentleness seek to win them to comply in the smaller matters of outward Conformity and