Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	call_v	church_n	king_n	6,073	5	3.8254	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32202	Copies of two papers written by the late King Charles II ; together with a copy of a paper written by the late Dutchess of York ...	Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685.; James II, King of England, 1633-1701.; York, Anne Hyde, Duchess of, 1637-1671.	1686 (1686)	Wing C2943; ESTC R9722	4,932	11

will not submit to his Church draw their Arguments from Implications and far fetch'd Interpretations at the same time that they deny plain and positive words which is so great a Disingenuity that 't is not almost to be thought that they can believe themselves Is there any other foundation of the Protestant Church but that if the Civil Magistrate please he may call such of the Clergy as he thinks fit for his turn at that time and turn the Church either to Presbytery Independency or indeed what he pleases This was the way of our pretended Reformation here in England and by the same Rule and Authority it may be altered into as many more Shapes and Forms as there are Fancies in mens Heads This is a true Copy of a Paper written by the late King my Brother in his own Hand which I found in his Closet JAMES R. IT is so Reasonable to expect that a person always Bred up in the Church of England and as well Instructed in the Doctrine of it as the best Divines and her capacity could make her should be liable to many censures for leaving That and making her self a member of the Roman Catholick Church to which I confess I was one of the greatest enemies it ever had That I choose rather to endeavour to satisfie my friends by reading this Paper then to have the trouble to answer all the questions that may dayly be asked me And first I do protest in the presence of Almighty God That no Person Man or Woman Directly nor Indirectly ever said any thing to me since I came into England or used the least endeavour to make the change my Religion It is a blessing I wholly owe to Almighty God and I hope the hearing of a Prayer I dayly made him ever since I was in France and Flanders Where seeing much of the Devotion of the Catholicks tho I had very little my self I made it my continual request to Almighty God That if I were not I might before I died be in the true Religion I did not in the least doubt but that I was so and never had any manner of scruple till November last When reading a book called the History of the Reformation by Doctor Heylin which I had heard very much commended and had been told if ever I had any doubt in my Religion that would settle me Instead of which I found it the description of the horridest Sacriledges in the World And could find no reason why we left the Church but for Three the most Abominable ones that were ever heard of amongst Christians First Henry the Eighth Renounces the Pope's Authority because he would not give him leave to part with his Wife and Marry another in her life-time Secondly Edward the Sixth was a Child and govern'd by his Uncle who made his Estate out of Church Lands And then Queen Elizabeth who being no Lawful Heiress to the Crown could have no way to keep it but by Renouncing a Church that could never suffer so Unlawful a thing to be done by one of Her Children I confess I cannot think the Holy Ghost could ever be in such Counsels and it is very strange that if the Bishops had no design but as they say the restoring us to the Doctrine of the Primitive Church they should never think upon it till Henry the Eighth made the Breach upon so Unlawful a Pretence These Scruples being raised I begun to consider of the difference between the Catholicks and Us and Examin'd them as well as I could by the Holy Scripture which though I do not pretend to be able to understand yet there are some things I found so easie that I cannot but wonder I had been so long without finding them out As the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament the Infallibility of the Church Confession and Praying for the Dead After this Sheldom A.B. of Cant. Blandford B. of Worcest I spoke severally to Two of the best Bishops we have in England who both told me there were many things in the Roman Church which it were very much to be wished we had kept As Confession which was no doubt Commanded by God That Praying for the Dead was one of the Ancient things in Christianity That for their parts they did it Daily though they would not own it And afterwards pressing one of them very much upon the other Points he told me Blandford B. of Worcest That if he had been bred a Catholick he would not change his Religion but that being of another Church wherein he was sure were all things necessary to Salvation he thought it very ill to give that Scandal as to leave that Church wherein he had received his Baptism All these Discourses did but add more to the desire I had to be a Catholick and gave me the most terrible Agonies in the World within my self For all this fearing to be rash in a matter of that Weight I did all I could to satisfie my self made it my Daily Prayer to God to settle me in the Right and so went on Christmass-day to Receive in the King's Chappel after which I was more troubled then ever and could never be in quiet till I had told my desire to a Catholick who brought a Priest to me and that was the First I ever did Converse with upon my Word The more I spoke to him the more I was Confirm'd in my design and as it is impossible for me to doubt of the Words of our Blessed Saviour who says the Holy Sacrament is his Body and Blood so I cannot Believe that He who is the Author of all truth and who has promis'd to be with his Church to the End of the World would permit them to give that Holy Mystery to the Laiety but in one kind if it were not Lawful so to do I am not able or if I were would I enter into Disputes with any Body I only in short say this for the changing of my Religion which I take God to Witness I would never have done if I had thought it possible to Save my Soul otherwise I think I need not say it is any Interest in this World leads me to it It will be plain enough to every body that I must lose all the Friends and Credit I have here by it and have very well weighed which I could best part with my share in this world or the next I thank God I found no difficulty in the Choice My only Prayer is that the poor Catholicks of this Nation may not suffer for my being of their Religion That God would but give me Patience to bear them and then send me any afflictions in this World so I may enjoy a Blessed Eternity hereafter St. James's Aug. 20th 1670. This mistaken deceived lady deserues lamentation