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	english_a	king_n	3,418	5	3.7156	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33237	Second thoughts, or, The case of a limited toleration, stated according to the present exigence of affairs in church and state	Clarendon, Edward Hyde, Earl of, 1609-1674.	1660 (1660)	Wing C4425; ESTC R15288	7,331	10

paenaltys prevails in order to an exterior Conformity in such to their Errour of Judgment it adds Hypocrisie whereby they become worse Christians and Subjects than before and where it does not so prevail it lays the Foundation of a Civil War by daily Exasperating so great a part of the Nation or rather begins it by continually Invading though under Colour of Law the Liberties and Goods of our fellow Subjects If it be Replyed that although being Prosecuted by the Law they may be irritated and dispos'd for mischief yet being Tolerated they will encreas in Strength and by Consequence encreas our Danger I answear that how great a Paradox soever it may seem at first sight yet most true it is that taking the whole Body together of the dissenters who are equally concerned in the Prosecution they are far more dangerous and powerfull to do Mischief when Prosecuted than when Tolerated For when they are all in a suffering Condition they are united together in one Common Cause and Concern of easing themselves from the pressure they are under and being so different in their other Principles this is the only point they can eenter in and Knit together into a Body and the only Band that binds them up in a Bundle But when they are Indulged and left Free the Cement of a joynt Interest being taken away they will naturally and necessarily fall in sunder and remain as divided in point of Faction and party as they are in tenets and principles Of this we have a fresh and convincing Example in the late Revolutions for before the War when all Sectaries and Nonconformists lived under the Curb and penaltys of the Law and high Commission Court they were all embodyed together as Fellow Sufferers in the Common Cause and appeared to the World but as one Sect and were generally known only by the Common Name of Puritans And to what Power and Strength they grew by this union was too fatally known by the Famous Mischiefs they did But afterwards having shaken off their Fetters and clapt them on their Masters when they were at ease and prosperity then did each Sect apart begin to set up its own Colours and the Distinctions of the Presbyterians Independents and Quakers grew visible to the World by their Divisions and Quarrels amongst themselves And I desire it may be observ'd that Monarchy and the Church were pull'd down by them at that time when by a preceding prosecution they had been united together and that the Church and Monarchy were then again restored when by Liberty and Prosperity those very Sects were fallen from one another and each had rankt it self in its own Canton and Division But now it remains to be considered whither these Dissenters and Nonconformists in Religion are any ways capable of being made Loyal and faithful to the Government I think there is but one certain Rule to resolve this and all Cases of a like Nature First allowing them to have common Sense it will evidently follow that if we can make it their Interest to be good Subjects they will not fail of being so whoever shall assign any Security but this for the Peoples Allegiance do in my Opinion but play with the Wind and pay us with Words I know that No Bishop no King has past for a Fundamental Maxime with some and that English Loyalty cannot consist but in the Church of England as it is now establisht And I suppose they go chiefly upon this Ground that true Allegiance must proceed from a rectified Conscience and a rectified Conscience from true Religion But I must begg their leave to dissent from them in this Particular All Men I confess should be obedient to their Lawful Governours for Conscience sake but all Men are not as they should be Man-kind in general is constantly true to nothing but their Interest how much that over rules Conscience in all Religions is but too visible in the World Yet I am far from denying but that many may be found who by the ty of Conscience only are sufficiently withheld from the enormous Crime of Rebellion But since no other Person can tell all pretending to it who these are and since every good Security must be apparent and visible I think in Foroexterno we ought to exclude Conscience or rather the pretense of it which is all we can know of it in another from being a sufficient warrantly of Allegiance To retourn therfore from this Digression to my former Proposition let Men be never so Differing in Matters of Religion certain it is they will all agree in this point of being Constant and true to their own Interest And therefore the great Art and secret of Government is to make it the Peoples Interest to be True and Faithful to their Governours Now 't is apparent that if all these Dissenters in Religion who at present lye under the Lash of the Law were so far indulged that they might live with Security of their Estates and Liberty of their Persons amongst us and peacably enjoy their Conscience in their own way of Religious Worship it would be clearly their Interest to be obedient unto and maintain that Government under which they are so Protected For none are so Dull but must understand that when they are in a quiet enjoyment of their livelihoods if Disorders and War should come upon them they must needs at least the Major part of them be greater Loosers than Gainers So that the Publick Peace will now become their private Interest And this is the only Basis and Foundation on which all Government can firmly be Establisht They who imagine that Vnity of Religion is absolutely necessary to Vnity of Interest must needs fancy to themselves such an Extraordinary Charm in the Peoples meeting together on Sundays in the Church that they cannot fall out all the Week after But we find by sad Experience that Persons of the same Religion Witness the Wars between Sweden and Denmark France and Spain Quarrel no less fiercely than others who are most distant in their Principles of Belief And they are Strangers in the Affairs of the World who have not learnt that Interest and not Religion makes all the great Enmitys and amitys both Publick and Private Our Neighbours of Holland who are very Competent Judges in Matters relating to Publick Advantage and Self-preservation by their practice sufficiently shew the Conscistency and expedience of Tolerating different Religions under the same Government France affords us the like Presedent And I fear till we follow their Example in England too I fear we shall not arrive to that Plenty and Power which both those States at present enjoy For Nature hath so placed this Island that whenever we are Masters at Sea we are Umpires of this part of the World so that we must always Rise or Fall in Plenty and Power as we encrease or decay in Traffick and Navigation Now upon a just Calculation t wil appear that the Sea-fareing Men and the Trading Part