Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	church_n	england_n	resolution_n	1,202	5	9.8319	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61159	A letter from the Bishop of Rochester, to the right honourable the Earl of Dorset and Middlesex, Lord-Chamberlain of His Majesties houshold concerning his sitting in the late ecclesiastical commission.	Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.	1688 (1688)	Wing S5033; ESTC R24609	4,599	23

A LETTER FROM THE Bishop of Rochester To the Right Honourable The Earl of Dorset and Middlesex LORD-CHAMBERLAIN OF His MAJESTIES Houshold Concerning his Sitting in the Late Ecclesiastical Commission In the Savoy Printed by EDW. IONES MDCLXXXVIII A LETTER From the Bishop of ROCHESTER To the Right Honourable The Earl of Dorset and Middlesex c. MY LORD I Think I should be wanting to my self at this time in my own necessary Vindication should I forbear any longer to give my Friends a True Account of my Behaviour in the late Ecclesiastical Commission Though I profess what I shall now say I only intend as a Reasonable Mitigation of the Offence I have given not entirely to Justifie my Sitting in that Court for which I acknowledge I have deservedly incurr'd the Censure of many Good Men And I wish I may ever be able to make a sufficient Amends to my Country for it Yet thus much My Lord I can justly alledge for my self That the Commission was made and my Name put into it altogether without my Knowledge when I hapen'd to be at Salisbury holding an Archiepiscopal Visitation with the Bishop of Chichester and other Commissioners Where by God's Blessing we composed several old Differences and Animosities and restored Peace and Unity to that Church At my return from thence to London I found I was appointed to be one in a New Commission But I could never see a Copy of it nor did I ever hear its Contents or know the Powers granted in it till the time of its being publicly open'd at Whitehal whither I was sent for on purpose in haste that very Morning from my House in the Country being just come home from a Confirmation and from paying my Duty to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark at Tunbridge Upon the first publishing the Commission I confess through my Ignorance in the Laws I had little or no Objection in my Thoughts against the Legality of it especially when I confider'd That having past the Broad Seal it must needs according to my apprehension have been examin'd and approved by the King 's Learned Council in the Law Men generally esteemed of eminent Skill in their Profession Besides I was farther confirm'd though too rashly I grant in my Error when I saw two Gentlemen of the Long Robe Persons of the greatest Place and Authority in Westminster-Hall joyned with us who I should have thought would never have ventur'd their Fortunes and Reputations by exercising a Jurisdiction that was Illegal And I believ'd I had Reason to conclude That this very Argument might prevail also with some others of the Temporal Lords that sate among us Particularly the Earl of Rochester has often assur'd me 't was that which induc'd him to accept of the Commission and that he did it as I my self did with a purpose of doing as much Good as we were able and of hindring as much Evil as we possibly could in that Unfortunate Juncture of Affairs As for my own Part I was startled when I perceived my Lord of Canterbury scrupled to be present with us whose Example 't is true I ought rather to have followed than the greatest Lawyers in all Matters of Conscience Yet I hope his Grace will excuse me if I declare that I did not at first know He made a Matter of Conscience of it Nor did I understand his Grace took Exception at the Lawfulness of the Commission it self till after my Lord of London was Cited and had Appear'd and Answer'd and the unjust Sentence was past against him For it was on the very Day the Commission was open'd immediately as I remember after it was read that my Lord of London was inform'd against for not Suspending Dr. Sharp Which though it exceedingly surpriz'd me at first yet observing with what heat the Prosecution was like to be carryed on against him that very Consideration did the more incline me to Sit and Act there that I might be in some Capacity of doing Right to his Lordship And whether I did him any Service through the whole Process of his Cause I leave it to my Lord himself to judge That I gave my Positive Vote for his Acquittal Both the Times when his Suspension came in question I suppose I need not tell the World. Having thus in the beginning of that Court and the highest Ferment of it freely discharg'd my Conscience by Endeavouring to clear my Lord of London I must own I thenceforth unawares took a Resolution which how hurtful soever it may now prove to my self yet I am still apt to believe did the Church of England no Disservice in the Main My Design by continuing longer among them was to make sure of one Vote at least and to do my Part to the utmost of my small Interest and Ability to lessen the Blow which I fear'd was coming on the Clergy since it could not altogether be avoided And I was the more persuaded to take this Course not only because the Legality or Illegality of the Commission seem'd at first rather a Moot-case than a determin'd Point either way divers of the Principal Lawyers as I was told being divided in their Opinions concerning it but also because I saw some other Persons were ready to fill my Chair there as soon as it should be empty Men of whose Principles and Practices I was so well aware that I knew they wou●d not have the same regard as my self for the Churches Preservation And perhaps I might add this further for the Extenuation of my Fault That I was not discouraged by some Grave and Worthy Persons for this very purpose to keep in some longer time But I forbear to name them that I may not involve any Good Man in my Infelicity However upon these Motives I Acted and in pursuance of this Design God knows I Voted as long as I remained at the Board Where all my Opinions were so contrary to the Humour of the Court that I often thought my self to be really in as much Hazard from the Commission it self by my not Complying as any of my Brethren could be that were out of it I Appeal to all that were acquainted with the Transactions there whether ever I gave my Consent to any Irregular or Arbitrary Sentence whether I did not constantly and firmly Declare against every Extravagant Decree I could almost presume to affirm That I was as far as in me lay some way or other a Common Sollicitor or Advocate for all that were unjustly Prosecuted before them And I might exemplifie this beyond all Contradiction if I should enumerate every particular Cause that came under their Cognizance After my Lord of London was Sentenced his Lordship knows I was always upon the Watch to obstruct all farther Proceedings against him Nay his Lordship well remembers I had once obtained to have his Suspension taken off if he would but have made an ordinary Submission Then I was Zealous for Exeter-College in their Defence against Father Petre in a