Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A29790
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The reasons of the new converts taking the oaths to the present government in a dialogue / by the author of the Reasons of Mr. Bay's conversion.
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Brown, Thomas, 1663-1704.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing B5073; ESTC R12615
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22,453
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34
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the Dr. has got such a pretty way of answering his own Books that 't is a thousand pitties any one else should take the trouble out of his hands Nay I am inform'd continues he that when he took the Oaths he desired to be sworn upon the Naked Gospel Freeman 'T is strange me thinks that the Dissenters should be angry with the Dr. for what he has done if their Zeal for the Government is real and sincere which 't is a Sin for us in the Country to question I wonder why they should quarrel with him upon this score since the influence of his Example for all they know may be serviceable to reduce the rest of his Brethren who at present dissent from us Tim. That does not signifie a farthing for besides their particular pique against the Dr. as he is a Member of the Established Church they would have neither him nor any one else who is not of their party be thought Loyal For all their former Bellowings and Cries against the Illegality of Monopolies yet at present they would willingly engross all the little Honesty and Loyalty that is left in the Nation into their own hands though by the By their Loyalty is compounded of such cross surly ill-natur'd Ingredients and is such an odd awkward sort of Loyalty that for all I can see to the contrary no Prince in Christendome is likely to be the better for it Freem A Dissenter's Loyalty is like the officiousness of a Rock at play who only lends you Mony in order to your ruin I pray Heaven it proves of long continuance but for my own part I am afraid it will last no longer than they find their Religion I mean their Interest concerned in it Tim. More than all this they 'l tell you that we owe the Sunshine of the Gospel and all the other Blessings of the late Revolution intirely to their Discretion and State-principles and that if these impracticable Doctrines of the Church of England concerning the Civil Magistrate had taken place we had by this time been utterly overwhelmed with Popery and Slavery Freem Why this is ten times over a more fulsome Plea than their pretensions to Loyalty They preserve the Protestant Religion Where or how or in what Reign that we may see it registred in our Almanacks I am sure they have contributed in all their pious Endeavours to make the Reformation as scandalous and despicable as any of the Fathers of the Society could have done They preserved it after a fine rate by their universal silence in the late Reign and their little low abject applications to Popery and now when the Enemy is beaten out of the field they make a great pother with a few Gleanings out of our own Authors and pretend the Victory is owing to their Assistance and Conduct Tim. Nay the Dissenters have not been wanting even in this Reign to do the Protestant Religion all the good service they can One of the Tribe in his Modest Enquiry as he called it very modestly advised the Rabble to knock all the Clergymen in the Head And another nameless Rascal in his Reflections upon the Miscarriages of our Navy that are printed by one of those godly wholesale Dealers in Scandal those scruple-selling Vermin of the Poultry has this remarkable passage viz. That there 's more Virtue and Honour to be found among the Rabble than the Gentry Rabble is likewise the word with their dear Brethren in Scotland and you may guess what a brave Religion we shall have of it at last if we follow these blessed methods and suffer it to be modell'd and fitted to the Inclinations of our judicious Rabble Freem Why prithee Tim you need not give your self the trouble at this time of day to acquaint me with any of the laudable Qualities of the Dissenters and especially of their Levites as for instance either with their wit which never appears but in their Similes and in interpreting the Prophets or with their Charity which is never extended beyond their own party or with their Modesty which is never visible but when they wink in the Pulpit or with their Sincerity which never appears but when they own themselves in their Prayers to be a pack of the damnedst Rogues in the World or with their Learning which never goes beyond a Dutch System and a little Herauldry or with their Sobriety which is never admitted to keep them company at their pious Friday Entertainments or with their Loyalty which was ever shown but by their promising to lend this King more Mony than they could raise and abusing the two last reigns or lastly with their Zeal against Popery which is never to be proved but by their continual Endeavours to undermine the Established Church But let me conjure you dear Tim to drop this nauseous fulsom subject for as I hope for mercy I am as weary of it as a Presbyterian Splitter of Cases is weary of a poor Brother that constantly comes every Sunday with his dozen troublesome Scruples to be resolv'd sub forma pauperis Tim. Thus you see Sir with what contempt and aversion the Dissenters in Town entertain the story of the Dr's Conversion now give me leave to add a word or two more concerning them and then I 'll have done You very well observe that they pretend to have abundance of Zeal for Their present Majesties so they do if you 'l take their own words for it they 'l tell you that no body keeps the Fasts and Thanksgiving days with that Devotion as themselves have done But for all this dear Friend of mine they are angry to see the number of the Kings Subjects increased if they see a Church-of England-man come over to the Government they immediately call him all the Rogues and Rascals in the World the Reason is plain they 'd willingly have His Majesty served by none but themselves and then they don't question to reduce the French King and demolish Popery in due time Besides if all the Church-of England-men had taken the Oaths they had lost their dearly beloved Topick of railing at them and I dare swear so well am I acquainted with a Dissenter's tenderness they 'd rather sacrifice all the Princes in the Universe than lose the precious opportunity of libelling and railing You are infinitely mistaken if you imagin that the Bishops would find better Quarter from the Fanaticks if they should ever take the Oaths no no they pray with all their Hearts that they may refuse the doing of it still for then they are in hopes to see their Order abolish'd and their Revenues divided amongst the Saints i. e. their old Oliverian Leases come in play again Of all which expectations they would be miserably disappointed if those immortal Patriots could prevail with themselves to comply Freem I don't pitty the Dr. however for being used after this unmerciful rate by those Sons of Schism for if it were my own case I should rather chuse to put that