Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	catholic_n	church_n	communion_n	1,107	5	9.3710	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61705	Some remarks upon a late pamphlet, entituled, An answer to the Scots Presbyterian eloquence wherein the innocency of the Episcopal clergy is vindicated, and the constitution and government of our Church of Scotland defended, against the lies and calumnies of the Presbyterian pamphleters.	Strachan, William.; Ridpath, George, d. 1726. Answer to the Scots Presbyterian eloquence.	1694 (1694)	Wing S5776; ESTC R1954	92,648	108

Kingdom defeated our Forces and oppressed all that stood in any sort suspected of the Crime of Loyalty But it is evident from the History of these Times that the generality of the Presbyterians were so far from being forward in owning the King's Interest that at the same time when Cromwel was so successful in the South of Sc●…tland as to have all besouth Forth under his Dominion great numb●…rs of them were assembled in Arms in the West and remonstrated against the Nation for owning the King's Interest And this much of the Loyalty of our Presbyterians This Author Pag. 53. to justifie the Proc●…dings of their late General Assembly in refusing to admit some of the Episcopal Clergy into a share of their Government upon the Terms desired by K. William urges That they did no●…hing but what the Church of England Convoc●…tion had done 〈◊〉 them who 〈◊〉 to admit th●… 〈◊〉 on the same King's d●…sire It were no small presumption in me to offer any Vindication of the Proceedings of those learned and worthy Meembers of the Convocation in England who at that time opposed the designed Comprehension of the Dissenters but I think I may be allow●…d to say that they w●…nt upon far better Grounds than our pretended General Assembly who refused to receive such of the Episcopal Clergy as condescended to address them upon that account I am not concerned here to enquire into the ●…awfulness of what these ●…piscopal Addressers did in desiring to be united with the Pr●…sbyterians in the Government of the Church I shall not here so much as enter upon that Question My business at present is only to shew that the 〈◊〉 of Scotland are ●…ar more inexcusable in denying the Request of these Episcopal Ministers that addressed them than those of the English Convocation who obstructed the Union with the Dissenters upon the Terms that were then proposed and my Reasons are these First The Dissenters in England never offered any Address to the Convocotion declaring their Willingness to return to the Churches Communion upon her laying aside the use of these innocent Ceremonies which they pretend they cannot in Conscience comply with Had the Presbyterians given but the least intimation of their readiness to abandon their Schism upon the making of these Alterations the Clergy perhaps to further so desirable a Work might have easily been induced to grant them some Ease as to their unreasonable Scruples about those harmless Rites used in our Worship which tho' indisferent in their Nature yet are very signi●…icant in their Use. But it is to no purpose ever to expect to reclaim the Presbyterians from their Schism upon such Terms since they declare against the whole Body of the Common-Prayer and the Order of Episcopacy as unlawful and therefore to make Alterations in the manner of our Wo●…hip which could have no other esfect but to create more Enemies to our Communion was no ways consistent with the Prudence that is required in Ecclesiastical Governours Now this is what the Sc●…ts Assembly cannot urge in their Defence since those of the Lpiscopal Clergy who had the freedom to joyn with them in the Government of the Church Petitioned them upon that account and declared their readiness to concur with them in maintaining the Discipline of the Church and punishing scandalous and contumacious Offenders which were all the Acts of Government they de●…ired to share with them in As for their Presbyterian Ordinations they did indeed declare positively against them and refused to joyn with them in any such Acts as they thought to be direct Encroachments upon the Episcopal Power But Secondly There is another Reason which may have influenced the ●…nglish Convocation to oppose the Alterations in the form of our Worship which K. William did then desire them to make and that is T●…e Preservation and Saf●…ty of the whole Liturgy They were ●…t that time sensible of the fatal overthrow of their Neighbouring Church of Sc●…tland how the Order and Constitution of its Governm●…nt was ●…uite overturned by the Presbyterians and not only the Bi●…hops turned out both of their Spiritual and Temporal Rights but 〈◊〉 the greatest part of the Clergy most barbarously Treated ●…nd driven from their Houses and Churches This cruel Treatment which their Brethren in 〈◊〉 received from that Dissenting Party might ju●…tly a●…arm the English Clergy to expect the same Usage from the P●…esbyterians here as soon as they could thrust themselves into 〈◊〉 power of doing th●…m any mischief And therefore considering the great Interest the Presbyterians had in that ●…irst Parliament a●…ter the Revolution it was no ways safe for the Convocation to consent to the Dissolving of the present Act of Uniformity lest they should meet with such Obstacles in establishing another as they were hardly able at that time to grapple with The Presbyterian Members of that Parliament were so numerous that had the present Act of Uniformity been once dissolved they would have th●…own in so many Stops and Hinderances against a new Establishment of the ●…urgy by Act of Parliament they would have started so many new Scruples of Conscience to be solved about it and by this means occasioned such infinite de●…ys therein as would have made the Re-settlement of our Liturgy a t●…ing almost impossible If the Parliament had offered to ratisie the Service-Book with the Alterations the Convocation should think fit to make therein before they Dissolved this present Act of Uniformity I cannot tell but many Members of that Convocation might have been prevailed with to Consent to some Alterations in those indisferent Ceremonies the Presbyterians so groundlesly exclaim against that for the future they might not have the least pretence for continuing in their notorious and wretched Schism But for the Convocation to consent to the Dissolving the present Establishment without having any security for another is what none could expect from any prudent or reasonable Society Thirdly The Convocation in England might perhaps be the more remiss in promoting an Union with the Di●…senters upon the Terms proposed because they saw no probability of preserving thereby the Unity of the Church as long as the Presbyterians profess to own no common Principles of Unity with us that may still oblige them to remain in the Communion of the Church Unless they acknowledge our Bi●…hops to be the Principles of Unity and that it is necessary for every one that intends to continue a Member of the Catholick Church to be united in their Communion I say unless they own these Catholick Painciples of Unity in common with us we can have no security that they will remain ours any longer than their Interest shews them their Duty And therefore an Union with them upon any other Terms in stead of preserving the Unity of the Church would be a ready way to enable them to make a greater rent and breach in our Communion whenever they should see it their Interest again to erect Altar against Altar But our Scots