Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39065
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An Expedient, or, A sure & easy way of reducing all dissenters whatsoever to an exact & sincere obedience both to our ecclesiastical & civil government
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1662
(1662)
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Wing E3874; ESTC R5413
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15,753
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16
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AN EXPEDIENT OR A sure easy way of Reducing all Dissenters whatsoever to an exact sincere Obedience both to our Ecclesiastical Civil Government AMong all the great nations that have been no man I believe can show me the example of England which being not only still intire under the Rule of its lawful Governour but also a great deal stronger in it self by the happy conjunction of Scotland its former dangerous enemy should nevertheless since the Reformation be de facto much weaker and consequently less considerable to our Neighbours All English men of what persuasion or interest soever unanimously conclude that our differences in Religion are the cause therefore as some of every Opinion have proposed their Expedients for the cure of this misfortune so I hope I may take the same Liberty throw in my mite also being induc'd thereunto by the affection I bear my Countrey which I suppose moved the rest that have already written and though I am born a Member of the Church of England whose Liturgy Rites are so worthy of admiration yet I shall do what I can as far as 't is lawful to bridle in my Zeal least seeming too partial I should rather harden than mollifie our dissenting Brethren who happen which is the misery of it to be too numerous considerable in this poor distracted Nation We all know that the whole Kingdom as to Divine Worship is divided besides its subdivisions into these four great Parties viz. Church of England men Presbyterians Independants Papists the three last of which we call Nonconformists as contrary to the present Religion establish'd Our Church of England is more numerous than any has persons in it of all ranks conditions but it seems not so full of Zeal as the others because it abounds with men that are too much in love with humane Interest or have no Religion at all for these ever flock to that Church which is in power whether true or false Presbyterians have generally on their side the Corporations all formal men which they are pleas'd to call the sober part of the Nation but as they are rich so they lye more open to be harass'd whensoever the black day of tribulation happen's The Independants of Phanatiques consist only in Artizans the meanest of the Land yet are in two things very considerable as first let the Government do what it will with them they cannot be much poorer so that in three months they will recover be as they were In the next place Their câ—afâ—â— trades are of great concernment to us Of Papists there are seven parts of ten Gentlemen people of great quality therefore they fancy that their Religion is probably the truest because it has been profess'd here all along by so many men of parts fashion boast that it is only through Ignorance or want of attention that the whole Nation is not as blind as themselves As for Persecution they are not much terrified at it having as they believe manfully endur'd it so many years besides by long practice they know not only all the wayes imaginable to evade the penalties of the Lawes but also by their birth have Relations in all offices employments that alwayes did still do help them when they are in danger to be whipt by us This then in three words being the interest and state of each party we may the easier find out a Remedy for our disorders which have ruin'd or at best strangely shatter'd one of the most flourishing Kingdomes in the world Ever since the happy Restauration of his Majesty there has been still a great cry in all quarters for Liberty of Conscience to which I have been greatly inclind not only out of compassion to well meaning deluded souls but out of conviction also that it would totally root out all Sects erronious Opinions from among us seeing we have found by experience that severity has neither destroy'd Popery which is so ridiculous to every body but its Professours nor yet prevented a troublesome broo'd of our own I say considering this we ought to try what mildnesse will effect since all wise men alter those projects which they find deficient at least we may make tryal of it for a while as our matchlesse Parliaments do that enact often Laws to continue but for so long to be the better able to see whether they may reap the proposed advantage by them Nor can this tryal be any wayes prejudicial to us if it endanger neither the souls of men nor cause a disturbance in the Civil Government 'T is impossible according to the profession of all our most learned Protestants to hazard our Salvation by Opinions whilst we agree in that maine Fundamental to wit The satisfaction of our Saviour Jesus Christ for otherwise we must shipwrack our selves whether we will or no on the unavoidable rocks of Popery because if there should yet be any thing more which we are necessarily to believe an infallible interpreter and Magisterial Iudge to guide the ignorant unlearned would consequently follow Magisterial I say because a poor simple man must implicitely believe as not being ever able to comprehend or understand some truths infallible least men might be still doubting whether yet they are in the right or no. No marvel then that Mr. Chillingworth the miracle of his age sticks close to this thinking it very strange a man should be damn'd for notions which he cannot comprehend therefore lays down Repentance from dead workâ— and a belief in the coming merits of Christ as the only Fundamental amongst Christians as a thing adequate to every ordinary capacity The Papists who would fain come near our truths are also nibbling here though they handle it another way for they will have it too That all men are damn'd through their own wilfulness in resisting evident things say Though Christ as a Prophet sent from God may be easily conceived by humane Reason yet an infallible Church to govern his flock is easier comprehended and easier demonstrated to a Christian than his being sent can be proved to an Iâ—fidel so forsooth this infallible Church by its definitions and explications makes the hardest mysteries as easie as the plainest I here set down this pretty Doctrine dress'd after the Roman fashion to show that if a Protestant should not ground damnation on our wilfulness in rejecting things within the reach of our capacity the very Papists themselves will rise up in judgement against him at the last day to his utter confusion and shame This moderation the eminent Doctor Taylor himself highly esteem'd this he so stoutly maintain'd in his book of Liberty of Prophecying that to this day it remains unanswer'd Many enemies I know he created to himself by his reconciling zeal though by their cry he passes at present for a better practical than controversial Divine yet he has as all men acknowledge
his wife in bed with me because I am a Christian 'T is most certain that the true religion of Christ comands as well and exact obedience to our Rulers as that we should not commit adultery but yet whilst men are men many of the Professors of this truth what by the force of a partial appetite self interreste'd distinctions when they have oppertunity often transgress those two precepts though as positively command as can be therefore some doubt whether all the Primitive Christians would have been so patient under Nero Domitian Diocletian c. had they had power enough to contend Nor will I more passe my word that the Grand Segnior should continue Emperour Mahometan were the sword wholly in the hands of his Christian subjects than that all the members of the Church of England would have submitted to our present Monarch had he yeilded to the Papists who were as buisy they say as Bees to convert him All men whatsoever affect to have their Ptince of their Religion because they fancy it most for the glory of God but nothing heightens this zeal so much as persecution for whensoever there is difficulty of obtaining our will the desire of enjoyment encreases as we see even in women that often risque life fortune honour all to enjoy a Gallant when as if they afterwards marry then there will be no need of comming in by the window 't is a thousand to one but they presently loath each others conversation bed Besides this natural pronenesse to pursue what is hindred us for passions often bear sway even in our spiritual actions self preservation also or the hopes to be quiet puts the brains of dissenters upon propagating their Religion nor is it a small argument to many of the truth of a new Doctrine to see men suffer for it This we have experimentally seen here at home in every party that now contends with the Church for what could be more irresistable than Presbytery in the beginning of the late war how many men women children would have willingly ventur'd their lives for the Cause whilst kept under yet within three years or thereabouts after it's establishment 't was kick'd down even by those who had before set it up with such zeal hazard Phanaticisme as well mankind inlightned with the last spark of reason will acknowledge has no greater enemy than it self nor ever did nor ever can stand because it wants all principles of settlement therefore 't is we that blow the party into some appearance of unity in hoping by disturbance to hasten their ruine As for Popery let us consider it in Queen Elizabeths time we shall find in our Protestant Historians that for the first ten years of her reign no man as a Papist suffered either in his life or Estate yet from a handful the Reform'd became much more than half the Kingdom but after that the Government began to enact sanguinary penal Laws we find that Allen Philopater the rest of their active Writers insisted upon no argument more to prove the truth of their Religion than that Protestants of all sorts became daily Papists but not one in 7. years left them except some scandalous fellow which was a greater advantage than losse to them Let us look in the next place on their Jesuiticall Seminaries at Douay Saint Omers you shall find them as knowing men have assur'd me much emptier now they can carry popish Children over with little danger than in the former dayes when it was done by great bribes they often indited for fugitives also Again if we reflect upon our late Rebellion it was called by many as I well remember the popes harvest Halcyon dayes yet we know they lost besides others of note two Marquesses at a clap I mean the heirs apparent of Winchester Worcester the like of which cannot be paralleld in the greatest severities of the Queen nor in the violent storme that universally fell after the Powder Treason Lastly concerning Proclamations the like what man ever found the least good by them If there be any thing got the Priests are the gainers for every body say's not one stir 's out of England 't is likely also by being in a seeming kind of danger that they are the more caress'd by their Penitents Nay if all things were well examin'd we shall find that the Protestants themselves do ever pitty them in distress that there are never more conversions than in the height of these pudders which 't is no wonder if they enter into their Anualls as Persecutions If punishment then serves only to encrease the number of Sectaries why should we be so much their friends and do them courtesies to be rayl'd at for our pains Courtesies I say because their Domine or Godly Pastor would otherwise starve whereas now there 's nothing thought too good for him and the flock then would have also leisure to consider their extravigance which now the pleasure of being harass'd hinders No Cavaliers will wonder at my joyning the word pleasure to harassing since I dare say there are not any of those great and loyal subjects though they now possesse places suitable to their merits but had formerly more satisfaction in one poor play by stealth at Haynes's in one meeting at Doctor Gunning's in danger or in contriving any half Moon-plot over a pint of sack than ever they enjoyed as to their own particular since the absolute establishment of his Majesty This is the nature of fraile man and if the best and wisest of men cool a little by enjoyment what must they do that have no other guide but passion I wish then that our Sectaries had churches allowed them all the priviledges of their brith right as they call it nor am I yet their Advocate but the Nation 's as hoping to preserve it's Inhabitants destroy their foolish blind Zeal which has been so fatal to us Their Churches or Congregations I would have under penalty publique register'd which hath nothing of particularity in it seeing all the Churches in the Kingdom are so By this means his Majesty would know their persons manners Doctrine which now by their meeting in holes he is wholly unacquainted with if any man then spake in the least against the Government he should be made an Example with all the severity that could be thought of I have heard say that in Holland where no Religion is unwelcome if any Minister in his sermon or other spiritual function meddles with state affairs the Magistrates send him next day a pair of shoos to carry him forthwith out of the Province presently he provides for his march otherwise he is sure to be hang'd unlamented nor do they ever touch more than the offender which proceed's not so much from justice or Compassion as Prudence it being certain no penalty can so surely tye up an Incendiary's tongue as when