Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A37347
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English loyalty, or, The case of the oath of faith and allegiance to King William and Queen Mary examined and resolved in a letter from a father to his son, two divines of the Church of England.
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M. D.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing D59; ESTC R8414
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4,492
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2
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Seas and caused us to remain in the Land of Goshen in the full enjoyment of Plenty Ease and Safety and shall we be such Madmen to Invite them over to oppress us again shall we think our selves so bound to our former Task-Masters as to be obliged in opposition to God and his Providence to encourage them to a return St. Peter was freed by an Angel as we are and did his Duty or Allegiance bind him to go back into Prison or into the hands of Herod's Guards If our Deliverance had not been as visibly the hand of God as that of St. Peter or the Israelites there might be more colour for an exception or for minding of our former Obligations but we cannot bear Allegiance to King James without being injurious to God Enemies of his Glory Adversaries to Religion and disaffected to the Happiness and Prosperity of the Nation We commonly alledge in other Cases the Primitive Christians and their obedience to Magistrates to be the Standard and Rule of the Church of England what would they have done if Julian the Apostate had abdicated the Imperial Crown and by flight with his Idolaters and Sorceres into Persia or other remote Countries left the Throne vacant We may easily guess by the Christians rude and uncivil Speeches of him alive and dead I hope none of our Church and Nation will be guilty of such disgraceful carriage to our Late King. But however let us so far imitate the first Christians as to be willing to vindicate our selves and Religion from the same apprehensions of danger as they were in according to the late Example of the Protestant Kingdom of Sweden whose Condition was Parallel to ours when Sigismund a Papist came to the Crown and endeavoured to introduce the Pope and his Mass into that Christian Realm But what did we Swear to King James what are we required to Swear to K. William and Q. Mary Faith and Allegiance And who sees not but these are the returns of Lawful Protection and Government Why may we not be bound to both in their several times and Reigns The Loyalty between Subject and Prince is not like that between Man and Wife Death only and not Absence dissolves the Union and gives License for another Matrimony But in case of Oppression a Wife may sue for a Separation and obtain it by Law. And why may we not in France bear true Faith and Allegiance to King Lewis and in England be as Faithful and Loyal to King William and Queen Mary whilst we act nothing as a breach of our Faith against either and we are in both Kingdoms at several times Suppose the Master of a Ship is resolved to Shipwrack his Vessel against the Rocks or to deliver his Company Slaves to the Turks shall not the Company take from him the Helm and consult and provide for their own preservation or suppose that in a disgust he leaves his Ship and Associates to fly to the succours of Foreigners that at last he might have his purpose would any of them be so simple as to joyn with and own him as their Commander while he seeks their destruction All Societies are of a greater value and we are to have a more particular respect for the common good than for any private interest What hath the Nation done against their former Faith and Allegiance I do not speak of such as were under the late King's pay We were not obliged to fight for him and to hold him upon his Throne against his will neither could we in Conscience move for him because of the former Irregularities Violations of our Laws and danger of our Religion We were not bound to sacrifice our Lives nor be Martyrs for K. Jame's his Cause Whiles we were quiet and peaceable and acted nothing against the Laws and his Government we did bear true Faith and Allegiance to him And may we not do so now May we not bear the same Faith and Allegiance to King William and Queen Mary And is it not reasonable that we should be as well bound to them as they are to us by their Coronation Oath Our Governours being changed by the consent of the States of the Realm not by Tumult or Popular fury but by the Wisdom of the Great Council why may we not in these circumstances promise to be as Faithful Subjects to King William and Queen Mary as they have promised to be good Rulers to us The Subjects Allegiance tho' some may call natural it hath always a respect to the Laws in being and by consequence to the compact and agreement between Prince and People And the same Laws are now in force to bind us to be true to K. William and Q. Mary as were to oblige us to be Loyal to the late King James and shall we scruple to promise to be obedient to these Laws by which we hold our Estates enjoy our Lives Liberties and Religion It is a piece of ingratitude to receive from King William and Queen Mary the benefit of Protection and Freedom and to refuse to swear to them Faith an Allegiance And seeing there is a particular hand of Provividence that hath crowned their Endeavours in this strange Dispensation with wonderful Success Let not us of the Clergy the Instructers of the Nation the directors of Consciences be retrograde to the wise Council of the Nobility and Gentry and oppose the Confirmation of that Government which is likely to exclude Popery for ever from us but let me perswade you my Son and my worthy Friends Doctor S. Doctor M. and others to whom you may communicate these Lines chearfully to submit and by your Example to encourage others to take the Oath now to be imposed upon us So with my Prayers and Blessing I rest Your Loving Father M. D. LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin near the Black Bull in the Old-Baily 1689.