Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A49109
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The case of persecution, charg'd on the Church of England, consider'd and discharg'd, in order to her justification, and a desired union of Protestant dissenters
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Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing L2961; ESTC R6944
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61,317
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83
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them if they are constant to their own principles for the keeping out of Popery and it will be an indelible Reproach to them all who have professed a greater detestation of Popery and the Church of England which they have slandered and opposed as if they had too far complied with the Papists if they should at last confederate with them to take off those Laws which they unanimously consented to as a means to keep out Popery especially it being evident to all considering persons that when these Laws are abrogated those Laws by which Popery was formerly established will be in force and so they who consent to the taking away the one do consent to the establishing of the other and set up Popery by a Law. See the first and second of Queen Mary But to return to the Vindication of the Church of England from the Imputation of Persecution let the Reader consider that the Established Church hath neither any Power nor any Principle that may incline her to it 1. It hath never had any Power the Church being always in its Minority and the King being her Guardian she cannot enact any thing for her self her Courts are the King's Courts her Convocations are called by the King's Writs they cannot consult of any other Matters but what are proposed by the King nor make any Canons but what are proposed by the King nor make any Canons but what are ratified by his Authority nor execute them but by his Warrant and that under these Proviso's that they be not against the King's Prerogative nor against the Common or Statute Laws And there lieth an Appeal to the Court of Chancery and the Common Law which may grant Prohibitions against their Proceedings and hinder the Execution of their Sentences so that neither any Corporal Punishment can be inflicted nor any Fine leavied but by the Civil Magistrate by whom all Penal Laws are executed so that if there be any cause of Complaint it is to be charged on those Members of Parliament which themselves chose to Vote for them Nor ought they to complain of what was acted by their own Choice And whosoever will duly consider the Rise of those Laws by which the Complainers have suffered the greatest Penalties will find that they were enacted or procured by the Complainers themselves for those Laws by vertue whereof the greatest Execution hath been done since the Reformation were contrived by the Papists I mean the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance which though some are pleased to call Protestant Oaths yet were they in being before the Reformation That of Supremacy was enacted in a full Parliament under King Henry the Eighth and was only a Vindication of the ancient Rights of the Crown from foreign Usurpations it was defended by divers Learned Men of the Romish Perswasion particularly by Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester And some great Men lost their Lives for defaming or refusing to take that Oath viz. The Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moore and if others have suffered on the same account since the Church of England cannot justly be accused of what was so solemnly recognized by the Papists Nec lex est justior ulla And as to the Oath of Allegiance though it were brought into a form by King James as a Test to discover such persons as had often conspired to take away his Life yet as to the matter of it it was to be administred in all Courts-Leet to the Subjects of the Crown and was so framed as to turn the Edge of it against the Papists 2. The Church of England hath no principles that may incline any of her Communion to Persecuting Practices for she makes the holy Scriptures the Rule of her Faith and Practice and Light is not more contrary to Darkness than the Spirit of the Gospel is to that of Persecution When James and John moved our Saviour to call for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans Luke 9.54 Our Saviour rebuked them saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of for the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Of what spirit then are they of who will call for Fire from Hell if they cannot obtain it from Heaven it concerns others to consider As many as walk by the Rule of the Gospel are for Peace and Acts of Mercy And it 's well known that the Church of England strictly injoyns that nothing be preached by her Ministers but what is plainly declared in the Scriptures or may be clearly ded uced from it The Church teacheth all of her Communion to pray for all Men even their Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and frequently useth our Lord's Prayer which obligeth them to forgive Men their Trespasses as they hope to be forgiven of their heavenly Father And St. Paul assures us That all our gifts and graces without charity are nothing worth that charity which suffereth long and is kind which is not puffed up is not easily provoked thinketh no evil 1 Cor. 13. by which Rule all Christians ought to walk Here the Counsel of Optatus is seasonable Si vestros videri Martyres vultis probate amasse pacem in qua prima sunt Martyris fundamenta aut dilexisse deo placidam unitatem aut habuisse cum fratribus charitatem sine qua maxima imperiosa virtus caret effectu p. 72. If our Church did lay claim to an infallible Spirit and enforce her new Decrees on the Consciences of Men under the pain of an Anathema on all that should not receive them with the like submission as they do to the Oracles of God Did she exact a blind Obedience and an implicite Faith to her Ordinances with a Non-obstante to the Institutions of Christ or if she did pronounce all Hereticks that refuse to hold Communion with her and teach that no Faith is to be kept with such Hereticks Did she account Men Hereticks for keeping and reading their Bibles and Books of Piety and Devotion or set up an Inquisition to Imprison Torment and put to Death Men and Women for their dissent from it in such Opinions Did it punish Men because they believe their Senses and will not fall down and Worship a piece of Bread and give Divine Honour to the Works of Mens hands and Worship the Creature more or besides the Creator Rom. 1.25 Did it approve or allow the deposing Doctrine and approve of Rebellion and Resistance and Massacring thousands of innocent persons for its Advantage and Grandure which some of the Complainers of both Perties have contended for and practised Or did it teach that Dominion is founded in Grace that wicked Men have no Right to what they enjoy but it belongs to the Saints to possess the Earth and to bind Kings in Chains c Did it erect Imperium in imperio an Ernpire independent and paramount to that of the Prince in whose Dominions they live as too many of the Cornplainers do affirm Then might the charge of Persecution be justly pleaded