Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	church_n	time_n	6,871	5	3.7848	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36317	Fears and jealousies ceas'd, or, An impartial discourse, tending to demonstrate from the folly and ill success of the Romish politicks, that there is no reason to apprehend any danger from popery in a letter to a friend.	Doolittle, Thomas, 1632?-1707.	1688 (1688)	Wing D1884; ESTC R12533	8,954	10

cruelty they use the poor Protestants there what unheard of Torments they make 'em endure we shall find that Hanging Burning and Cutting of Throats is but Plain Work in comparison of the more exquisite Inventions of those Modern Executioners Now if these be the Effects of Refin'd Popery I leave you to determine what Stomach People can have to fall in love with our Super-Refiners But you 'll object perhaps that whatever concerns France is wholly Forreign to us and that the greatest part of our Nation is not to be mov'd with any thing but what we our selves see acted or at least remember done As to the former part of this objection I answer that the same Causes must necessarily produce the same Effects We see that our Converters brought over their Doctrine along with them from France a little mended I must confess according to their poor Abillities They pursued the same Methods to propagate it as the French did before they took off the Mask and had not his Majesty been Graciously pleas'd to stop their Proceedings there is no doubt but that their Endeavours wou'd not have been wanting to imitate to the Life if not to improve the Original As to the second part of the objection I will suppose it at present to be true that most men here are wholly ignorant of the Affairs of their Brethren abroad Yet have they learn't from the Actions and Writings of the Propagators themselves enough to make them for ever detest that Religion which suggests to her Followers such treacherous means as they have used to introduce it To prove which I need only put you in mind of some of their brave exploits for which they will never be forgotten in England and from hence you may easily imagin how mightily they are like to prevail amongst us You cannot but remember how in his late Majesties Reign the greatest part of those Persons who had distinguisht themselves for their Loyalty to their Prince and Affection to their Church seeing a most Powerful Party of the Nation furiously enrag'd against the whole Canaille of these Miscreants took compassion on their sufferings and without over-curiously examining their Case but judging by themselves that it was impossible for Animals in Human shape to be guilty of what they were accus'd snatch't them out of the fire tho' they burnt their own hands by the bargain stood in the Gap betwixt them and Death and abandon'd themselves to the Fury of the incens'd Multitude to preserve these Wretches Now after such signal obligations one might reasonably expect some small signs of Gratitude from them to their Protectors But they that did so knew them not and they that had unwarily Nourisht them in their Bosoms soon found what a Generation of Vipers they had to deal with Who as soon as they were warm fell a Hissing and Spitting their Venom at their Benefactors Surely we might have hop'd for at least that Favour at their hands which the Cyclops gave to Ulysses to be the last objects of their outragious Malice But these more Savage Monsters of Ingratitude scorn'd to follow the steps of any in their Villanies and were resolv'd to become an Original themselves never to be imitated But I will yet suppose that there are many Englishmen who out of the abundance of their Charity will absolve these good Fathers of what has been hitherto said and lay all the fault at the door of Holy Church The C. of E. they 'll say was the greatest obstacle to the Introduction of Popery she therefore must be destroy'd let the means to bring it about be never so Infamous Their Religion dispenses with all those petty toys call'd Honour Conscience and Morality whensoever her own advancement is concern'd Well granting these to be the Principles they suck'd from the Breasts of their Holy Mother yet a Man would think they might have the sense to conceal them from us Hereticks or the Common People at least the most part of which are not so very conversant with the Casuists as to have their stomachs prepar'd to digest so crude a Doctrine But if we take a short view of their late Actions we shall find it to be a matter of Controversie whether they have not shown themselves not only to the Discerning part of Mankind but even to those of the meanest Capacity to be greater Fools than Villains This is a bold Assertion I confess especially in a matter where the Reverend Fathers the Jesuits are concern'd But I 'll appeal to any one whether it be possible for a more stupendious piece of Folly to enter into the thoughts of Man than that which our Wise and Politick Missionaries were guilty of when they had the Confidence to maintain not in a Corner but in the Face of the whole World such Forgeries which there was not a Boy whose Memory serv'd him for five years but might discover and at the same time give the Good Fathers the Lye in their Teeth Who would blush for these men when he sees in their Writings the Church of England accus'd of all the Extravagancies of some fiery Dissenting Zealots in the late Plot time The Church of England men not excepting the Bishops themselves represented as the Contrivers Promoters and Managers of the Bill of Exclusion Nay and one that had never known any thing of our concerns would guess by their Libels that the whole Church had been resolv'd into a Camp in the time of Monmouth's Invasion and that all her Members had sworn to live and dye with the Rebel when at the same time I need not tell you how notorious it is to all that have ever heard any thing of our late Transactions that it was for the Heighth of their Loyalty to their late Soveraign their Zeal for His present Majesties Service in opposing the Bill before and the quelling of the last and dying efforts of his Enemies since his coming to the Crown that was the great occasion of all those Heats and Animosities which our Common Adversaries whose preservation was not the least ingredient towards the enflaming of them have endeavour'd since to make so great an advantage of But shall we be angry with these Ingenuous men who have thus Represented us By no means let them alone and have Rope and as the Proverb says they 'll hang themselves They can do us no greater Service than continue to rail at us the best Arguments in the World to make People detest and abhor them are their own elaborate Writings For can you think it possible that any Idiots should be so senslless as to believe these Persons in the Stories they tell of some Hundreds of years standing when they find so many gross Impostures in reports they make of things that were done as it were but Yesterday I cannot therefore help smiling to see you so serious in bringing forth one of your main Reasons for your Fear of Popery and that is forsooth the profound Politicks which the Managers of that Party

this our Proteus first in the form of Sabran then in the likeness of Natalis Alexander and batter'd him under the Shapes of so many supposititious Fathers he was resolv'd at last to appear as fierce as a Lion a Smithfield one and up starts he in the figure of a Non-Con-Parson and falls a bleating most terribly at his Adversary But that Jilting Baggage Fortune which loves to thwart all Wise undertakings brought our Sly Man under the same Misfortune as she did a more subtil Animal of the same species who had cloathed himself with the Lions Skin and was discover'd by his long ears For to confess the truth he manag'd the Intrigue so clumsily that the subtil Mr. G. presently spies out the Jesuit under the borrow'd Cloak strips him of his Disguise and exposes him to the laughter of all men But now to help a poor lame Dog over the Stile and wipe off the scandal that might be cast upon the Holy Church out comes another Reverend Father of the Society who with Hands and Eyes as it were lifted up to Heaven solemnly declares that they never have been tampering with Dissenters never appear in Jumps and little Bands but abhor renounce and detest all manner of Dissimulation and Disguisements in what ever concerns Religion But to say nothing of the R. Dr. Sh. whom I will not dishonor by bringing him into competition with this Varlet I must beg Mr. G's pardon for keeping him in such bad company all this while What shall we do then for one to match this our Dreadful Champion Truly we shall be at a great loss for the Footman has so often foil'd tript him up and laid him on his Back that henceforward even Porters and Cobblers will think it a Disgrace to be put into the Ring against him But tho' the Unfortunate Sabran has been thus stript of his Learning Politicks and Common Sense yet his Philosophy will never forsake him there 's none I 'm sure that can deny him to be perfectly endued but more especially about the Forehead with all the Apathy of a most accomplish'd Stoick for notwithstanding all his Disgraces he has still the Courage to live and in England too the Scene of his Follies The Judicious Mr. Pulton may perhaps take it ill that I have been so long a coming to him but it is very probable that I shall some other time take an occasion of staying with him a little longer than he desires I am a little out of breath at present and therefore shall only tell him that I have read some of his Works with as little prejudice as it is possible for one to entertain that has the least knowledge of Popery and all the punishment I would desire should be inflicted on the overgrown Grammarian for all the Nonsensical Ribaldry wherewith he has pester'd the World is That he were put a little while under old Busbys lash he would then find that did he use no better Arguments in a Declamation than he does for his Religion he 'd receive more stripes then Choerilus for betraying his Cause But to conclude Sir I doubt not but that by this time you perceive how despicable a thing this once so terrible a Bugbear is you see what small reason we have to be afraid where no occasion of Fear is If that party ever had any advantage over us it proceeded from our own timerous Apprehensions of them But they have now been so kind as to let us know that all their Plots and Contrivances against us ought to be so little the objects of our Dread that they are beneath even our Contempt and Scorn Our safety as it is inseparable from that of the C. of E. so it is now together with it establisht upon so solid a Basis that it is impossible for all the Southern blasts to shake it His Majesty has at last so effectually secured us in the enjoyment of our Religion and Laws by restoring to the Church such Prelats as are Infer●our to none of those of the Primitive times to the State such of the Nobility and Gentry whose Integrity and Honour are Proof against the strongest Temptations Let us not therefore show our selves unworthy of such Great Favours from our King and Injurious to those Worthy Persons to whom he has entrusted our Welfare by continuing to entertain our Groundless Suspicions We have now nothing to Fear but the Dismal Effects of Popular Fears Let us therefore endeavour as much as in us lyes to Allay them lest we run our selves into greater Dangers than those we seem to Apprehend Sir I am Yours T. D.