Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	church_n	religion_n	3,261	5	5.9527	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41882	The Great case of the justices stated and determined touching their duty of putting the laws in execution, whether dissenters were indulg'd or not, or, A discourse concerning the oath of the justice of peace, explaining the extent of its obligation : being a case universally seasonable, in regard to righteousness, peace, and the prosperity of this nation.		1688 (1688)	Wing G1672; ESTC R43213	15,063	84

present and justifies this Plea. In the Oath which the Justice takes for the Executing his Office the words run thus You shall do equal Right to Rich and Poor after your Cunning Wit and Power By which Word Cunning continued from Antient Use I understand not so much according to the best of a Mans Skill and Knowledge of the Law which is comprised rather in the Word Wit But according to the best of his Discretion Wisdom and Prudence which includes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Candor Moderation in Cases that require it That is You shall well and truly do trary to the Law of Nature and Reason lose their force and are no Laws at all Finch's Law p. 75. The Law of Nature and Reason is unchangeable and perpetual and no Statute can prevail against it Doctor and Student p. 4. Constat profecto ad salutem civium vitamque omnium beatam conditas esse leges says Cicero Ex quo intelligi par est eos qui perniciosa populis jussa descripserint quodvis potius tulisse quam leges in his two excellent Books De Legibus which have indeed given the first Light to all things almost which our Divines and Lawyers have said well on this Subject I will add St. Augustine and turn to no more Mihi lex esse non videtur quae justa non fuerit De Lib. Arb. l. 1. c. 5. After these Testimonies it is yet needful I explain the thing a little more for which I bring them When I say therefore That a Command or Law made against Charity Righteousness the Publick Good is No Law I understand not but that any Bill which passes the Houses and the King is a Law or Statute of the Realm that is a Law in Foro Humano in Mans Court or at the Bar in Westminster and if any Justice will Execute it the Outward Publicum And consequently if a Law prove otherwise or is against the Common Good it must be supposd also That such a Law is devoid of their intention or is not according to their Will and so does not bind the Conscience even upon a double ground both because it is destitute of the Authority it should have from God and its Authority from the Will of Man also upon the account already given If any Man now rise up again with a But who shall be Judge he may return to his Seat unless he choose to be a Bruit seeing every man according to the Religion of Protestnnts must be allowed a Judgment of Private Discretion to be his Guide in all which himself acts And if when a thing is commanded him he must judge whether it be agreeable to God's Word which is so much harder how much rather whether it be aggreeable to Right Reason which is the Law of Nature and the Common Good There were two Laws made in the latter Long-Parliament One about Burying in Woollen and the Other about Waggons Neither of which were at first regarded But the Woollen Act being found good for the Publick was renewed and is observed but the Other not being so is neglected that is as to the number of Horses very frequently but as to the breadth of the Wheels altogether I ask now Whether the Waggoner that makes no Conscience how many Horses he puts in his Waggon no more than of the dimension of his Wheels and breaks this Law does sin in it If he does seeing he does it every day and continues without amendment how can he be Saved If it be no Sin because the Common Good supersedes the Law I ask Who then is Judge whether this Law be for the Publick Good or not It is plain the Man himself finds the Inconvenience of it and he judges what is good for his Waggon and can do it better than they that Passed the Act and so orders his matters accordingly Suppose then an Informer comes to the Justice and Swears against him the Justice may Punish him if he will but he judging it no ways conducive to the Publick Advantage as well as the Waggoner at least not so much as can countervail the private damage of the Poor Man lets him go Here the Justice of Peace does judge of the Law in regard to his Execution of it and the Waggoner put Fear into the Heart of Man to be the Instrument by which his Vicegerents Govern the World. And now having stated the Case I took in hand as near as I can to my Mind I will suppose the most of such Gentlemen who are in Commission for the Peace if they may choose would be willing to live quiet with their Neighbours and if they may enjoy Their own Consciences be loath to vex others about Theirs but yet That there are some of another Make who either out of Hatred to the Conventiclers or Zeal for the Church or Sense of their Office or Instigation of Others or put upon it by some Informer are still for the Executing the Law against the Dissenting Meeter I must therefore take upon me to argue a little with the Justice of this sort and ask him two Questions What a Conventicle is and In what Manner he will proceed For the former The Act against Conventicles declares against all Assembling under Colour or Pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And the Oxford Act describeth such Meetings as under Colour of any Exercise of Religion are contrary to the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom It is not all Meetings then of above Four that are not of the same Family to perform a Religious Exercise are Conventicles but such as can be proved to be in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church or are contrary to the Laws of the Kingdom The Church and Law now of England does own the Word of God and Gods Word commandeth Religious Exercises at home and abroad as well as Church-Worship Christ Prayed and Preached on Mountains in Houses in Ships and so did his Disciples Cornelius called together his Kinsfolks and Friends to hear Peter The Apostle commands To Exhort one another daily and to consider one another to provoke to good Works The Thirteenth Canon requires all Persons to Celebrate the Lords Day not only by Publick but Private Prayer Confessing their Sins Reconciling themselves Charitably to their Neighbours and using all Godly Conversation Queen Elizabeths Injunctions 1559. allows a Minister at all times when necessity requires to comfort his Flock with the lively Word of God which is the stay of Man's Conscience Moreover The Church hath appointed the Psalms in Metre for Private Houses Forms of Prayer bound up with the Bible the Practice of Piety Nowel's Catechism Jewel's Works to be kept in every Parish where more than Four may Read them If more than Four or Forty meet to Feast together the Church and Liturgy forbids them not to give Thanks for their Meat no nor to Pray