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church_n according_a religion_n word_n 3,061 5 3.7397 3 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A40420 Free thoughts of the penal laws, tests, and some late printed papers touching both in a letter from a person of quality. 1688 (1688) Wing F2123; ESTC R33793 11,219 18

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to gratify our Adversaries we should at once betray both our Religion and our Interest it is but just that together with such Statute as shall take away the Penal Laws in Contest there pass another for security of the National Religion that it shall not be altered and of the regular conformable Clergy and their Successors that their Rights shall not be invaded It is told us indeed we have His Majesties Royal word many times repeated I humbly return that I know no true Church-of-England Man who does not rely upon His Majesties Word during his Reign which God long continue for the security of our Church But Succession is a long Train and Laws if standing may keep posterity in peace when Promises with their Authors are faln asleep He is not just to the present Age who is not to his power just to Posterity however remote It is therefore reasonable fit and necessary that such a Statute as is desired pass As to what you conclude with That the Clergy of the Church of England are very ungrateful to His Majesty for his repeated Promises of Protection and together uncivil to him in not fully acquiescing in his Royal word so often given for the security of their Religion Rights and Privileges and not offering to concur according to his desire in the Repeal of the Penal Laws I take the liberty to aver that I know not one Clergy-man of that Church who has not solemnly under his hand given His Majesty thanks for those Promises All the Addresses we made in the year of His Majesties accession to the Crown were so many humble Testimonies of our Gratitude and Zealous Vows of our Loyalty and if Addresses of meer Thanks and Vows of Loyalty would be accepted there is not an English Bishop Priest or Parish in the Three Kingdoms I believe but would present them most gladly But who sees not the Declaration for which 't is expected we return Thanks consists of more parts than that private Subjects can justify their approbation of the whole And as to the sacred Veneration we have for His Majesties word I have spoken already Give me leave for a Conclusion to tell you a new and very true Story A Friend and Neighbour of mine being very intimate with an eminent person of a certain Religious Order and knowing well the Principles of that Order asked him in a good hour what they meant by this furious driving on an Universal and Unlimited Toleration The answer he received was that they were now Scaffolding My Friend understanding him not desired he would explain himself but could get no more out of him than this that they were yet but Scaffolding After further importunity for a more explicit resolution the good Religious person answered he would not tell him more but bid him go to such a person a Master-Bricklayer or Mason be-like and ask him what Scaffolding was He went to the Man assigned and received this Answer Scaffolding is setting up Poles and Boards and such rough stuff which serve us to build and when we have built we throw them aside The Story I avow to be true and leave the application of it to all those parties whom it concerns very well remembring that Scaffolds are ordinarily made for more uses than one However according to the Interpretation given the Toleration now promoted seems not by its Agitators designed to stand long But to make an end On what terms I conceive the Penal-Laws in question may be Repealed with justice to the present and succeeding Ages you may easily collect out of this long and hasty scribble and so you have my Free Thoughts in this so hotly agitated Question God preserve the King and grant we may live to see the days wherein all Laws Penal to Peaceable Conscientious men and together all uncharitable Laws on all sides may be for ever abrogated I am your Humble Servant Printed in the Year 1688.