Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A33470
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The grand expedient for suppressing popery examined, or, The project of exclusion proved to be contrary to reason and religion by Robert Clipsham.
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Clipsham, Robert.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing C4717; ESTC R27263
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164,018
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330
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sure it must needs be sinful and unlawful for him to do it To Execute Thieves and Murderers and yet be Unjust and Cruel himself 'T is true if he be so his People may not must not revenge the wrongs nor resist the Violence he offers to them because the Apostle tells them what the dreadful Punishment of that resistance will be They that resist shall recieve to themselves Damnation And because God is the only Judg of Kings and he so Righteous a Judg that he will be sure to Punish them if they abuse their Power When David was unjustly pursued Injuriously dealt with by King Saul he did not study Revenge but abhor'd it saying God forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lords Anoynted 1 Sam. 26. 11. He remitted or left him to his proper Judg. David said furthermore As the Lord Liveth the Lord shall smite him or his Day shall come to Vers 10. Dye or he shall descend into Battel and Perish But as for me I have no Commission nor Authority to cut him off and therefore God Almighty keep me from committing so Audacious and Execrable a Crime or Wickedness But the Peoples having no Power from God to Revenge the wrongs done them by their Prince is no encouragement for him to do them because as they are contrary to his Duty and the abusing his Authority he is answerable and accountable to God for them and must expect from him a Punishment equal to them And that they may Faithfully perform this Duty consult and provide for the good and welfare of their People the Apostle requires that Supplications and Prayers and Intercessions be made for them for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead quiet and Peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty This as it is the Princes Duty so his Honour and Glory when according to the Ancient Title of Kings he is a Common Father to his People hath a Paternal care of and Affection for them Loves them and is tender of their Lives and Properties is so far from Destroying the Innocent that he is unwilling to Condemn and Execute the Guilty and would not do it but that those cannot be safe unless these be cut off had rather save one Subject than Destroy a Thousand Enemies and thinks himself Rich enough if his Loyal Subjects be so and instead of Impoverishing them by needless Wars encourages Trade and Studies to keep them in Peace and Plenty 'T is as impossible for wise and good People not to Love such a Prince as it is for them to hate themselves or not to be concern'd for their own Interest They look upon him as their chief Patron and Benefactor upon Earth and the Sun it self is not dearer to them than he is They Love and hate as he doth they that are his Friends they account theirs and those that are his Enemies they abhor as if they were their own They have the highest esteem and Admiration for him in their Hearts which they express in their words and Actions In their words by filling all Places with his Praises and speaking nothing but Panegyricks and Encomiums of him In their Actions by treating him with the greatest reverence and respect receiving him in Triumph and with all possible expressions of Joy whereever he comes as if some Glorious Angel was descended from the Heavenly Regions and come to Bless them with his presence By obeying his Laws and observing all his Royal Injunctions doing every thing he Commands with a ready cheerful and willing Mind Such a Prince as he is admir'd and belov'd in his Life so he is truly Lamented at his Death and his Subjects pay their Tributary Tears at his Royal Sepulchre weep over him and say as Elisha did at the departure of Elijah my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and Horsemen thereof And though he be gone to take possession of a better Kingdom and to receive a brighter Crown yet amongst all his Glorys above they cannot forget to Praise and Honour him upon Earth not only think but call him Blessed raise the fairest Monuments to his Memory inscribe his Royal Vertues and Glorious Actions in never Dying Records that his Fame and Renown descend to after Ages and all Generations may admire and call him Blessed So that the providing or taking care for the welfare of his People is a considerable part of the Princes happiness Let us enquire then if this be not also lost by the Dukes being a Papist if the Crown should descend to him If he come to be King and be of the Romish Religion he must set up that or not if he do it not he Frustrates their Expectation disobliges that Party and thereby incurs their Rage and Displeasure which must needs be very Fierce and Cruel because ever since Queen Mary left the World it hath been their study and endeavour to get a Catholick into the Throne This hath cost them so much Labour put them upon so many Conspiracies for this so many of their Zealots have been Executed found a worse Purgatory here than that they talk so much of after this Life And having gain'd their point as they thought got a King of their Religion for him to be content with Mass in his own Chappel and let his People openly profess and enjoy the Reformed Religion which they call Heresy and hate worse than they do the Devil What an unpardonable Injury Affront and Disappointment is this This is to rouse and irritate the Angry Lyons to deny the hungry Wolfes the Prey they have been so long hunting after his Holiness though he be Indulgent enough to other Sinners and sells them Pardons at as Cheap and Reasonable Rates as they can well desire hath no Mercy in store for such a Transgressor Sons will sooner pardon those that Kill their Fathers Fathers those that Murder their Innocent Children inraged Husbands them that Ravish their beloved Wives than he will forgive such a crime as this A crime that robs him of his so much admired Soveraignty of his dear and most desired Profit of his first Fruits Tenths Peter-pence Fees for Investing Bishops Indulgence Mony and all his other ways of getting Wealth by which as our Histories relate he drain'd a mighty Treasure out of this Kingdome and which if the Prince deny him his Reign will be short and his days few for if the Traiterous Priests and Jesuits that are about him do not Poyson or Stab him before their great Master hath declared him Unprofitable Consequently unworthy of the Royal Throne to be sure he having first for Fashion sake Admonished and Exhorted him to be Zealous of and mind the good of the Catholick Cause will proceed to Sentence Declare him Uncapable of faln from all Dominion and Rule then every one that Kills him thinks he doth God the most acceptable Service such as Merits from him the bigest reward and the brightest Crown provided inthe
confession that he hath a Right to do it if he survive his Royal Brother otherwise the Law is needless and fights with a meer Chimera or Shadow Besides the Bill of Exclusion is in its own Nature and the Intention of the Authors of it either a Cautionary and Preventive or a Penal Bill or both a Cautionary and Preventive Bill to keep a Papist whether real or supposed I here dispute not from the Crown if so it strongly asserts the Dukes Right because without such a Prevention if he be the longer Liver the Crown will regularly and de jure devolve upon him or else a Penal Bill design'd to punish his revolt from ours to the Roman Church but what sense is it to punish him with the loss of that to which he hath no Right This is as wise as if the Venetians upon some Offence committed by their Duke should make a Law that he should never be King of France 't is brutum fulmen an empty noise and insignificant sound 't is a Law Penal and yet inflicts no Punishment a Diminution and yet the Person is no way lessen'd nor degraded by it His Royal Highness then the Excluders themselves being Judges hath a Right to succeed the King and that the Injustice of their attempt to take it from him may the better appear I shall briefly consider the greatness of this Right or the value of the thing they would deprive him of 'T is an old saying de minimis non curat Lex the Law takes no care about trifles and petty things but overlooks them as below its notice and concern But a Crown sure deserves to be reckon'd inter maxima amongst them that are greatest and most precious and that Law that takes no care to secure it to the Right owner much more that would Rob or deprive him of it ought to be abhorr'd and branded as summa injuria the highest Injury 't is not properly a Law but Impudent Tyranny and Oppression a Conspiracy or Combination of unjust Men to degrade a Prince and devest him of the greatest Right for such the Royal Dignity hath ever been Esteemed by Mankind and their high Value and Admiration of it appear from their Envy at them that have it and their bold attempts to Invade and Usurp it The greatest Enemies of Kings have been are and will be such as are desirous to be so themselves The Rich Orient Jewels that adorn a Crown cast such a tempting Lustre and look so Lovely in the Eyes of Corah and all his Sons that their murmurs and complaints against those that own it do commonly proceed from a Vehement desire to wear it themselves who being misled by their Ambition think it a Glorious Theft to Steal a Crown A prize so Rich and Valuable in their Opinion that they will seize it if they can upon any terms run the greatest hazards expose themselves to the most dreadful Dangers to obtain it attempt it as Jason did the Golden Fleece though watch'd by Dragons and guarded with all the Artillery of Heaven and Earth Bewitch'd and dazled with the splendour of a Royal Throne mad Corah will venture to invade it till oppress'd with the burthen of his Pride and Folly the Earth grows weary of and swallows him up Flatter'd with the delusive hopes of ascending this Foolish Absalon forgetting the Piety and Duty of a Son seduced the mutinous Tribes from their Allegiance to His Royal Father and by their Arms endeavour'd to Depose him whom Heaven it self had invested with the Government and nothing could reclaim the Traytor till he and his Ambition were buried together Search all Histories look out the best the bravest Prince that ever wore a Diadem a Prince adornd with the noblest and most lovely Vertues inrich'd with all those admirable perfections that can endear him to God and men yet these cannot secure him from the Tongues and Conspiracies of Traytors but with Impudent Calumny they will slander him to his People endeavour with cursed Lies to stain his Innocence blemish his vertues and to blast his Glories that they may rob him of the love and esteem of his People bring them by degrees to a dislike both of his Person and Government and so prepare them to take Arms against and depose him What Prince was ever more Merciful and Compassionate then King David as being fashioned and framed wholly according to his Heart who is the God of Mercy and Compassion Yet wicked Sheba the Son of Bichri lifted up his Hand against him and blew the Trumpet of Schism and Sedition to rent his Kingdom from him That peaceful and moderate Emperour Augustus honour'd by his Enemies for his God and the King Pa. 3d. Princely Vertues was assayled ten several times by Conspirators Vespasian even composed of Mildness and Clemency had daily Treasons against him and his Son Titus for his Pleasing and Amiable vertues termed by Suetonius the Love and Delight of Mankind wanted not a Trayterous Caecina Our Martyr'd Soveraign King Charles the Blessed that Mirrour of all Vertues in whom all the Glory and Perfections of his Illustrious Ancestors met and were United how was he Blasphem'd Dishonour'd Ruin'd by them that envied and aspir'd after his Royal Dignity and said with those Wicked men in the Gospel This is the Heir come let us kill him and seize his Inheritance Were Tyrants only subject to the Clamours and Mutinies of the People their misgovernment might justly be accounted the Sole cause of them but seeing the best the most just and mercyful Princes are equally assaulted by them it can be nothing but Envey or Ambition that prompts the chief Rebels and leading Mutineers to enterprise against them They think the Royal Dignity so Superlative a Glory such a transcendent Felicity that they repine and are grieved any should enjoy it but themselves and do what they can to jostle him that is by wright possessed of it out of the Throne that they may Seat themselves in it For though all Rebels pretend the common good yet they all intend their private Profit Honour and Advancement this is the mark they aim at that is only the Colour or Pretence with which they wheedle the People and draw them to their assistance The People 't is certain cannot be better nor happyer then under the Protection of a wise and good Prince under his Wings they are safe and free from Violence and Oppression Here then all Rebels begin their Base and Wicked attempts against their Prince this is their first work to perswade the People who are not so wise as to know when they are well that their Prince is not the Person they take him for neither Loves nor cares for them seems to be tender of their Rights only to make them secure that when opportunity serves he may seize them into his own Hands and spoyl them of all they have Or if the Princes Justice be so great that it cannot be blasted and no aspersions will stick