Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	sergeant_n	sir_n	thomas_n	13,755	5	9.7066	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86884	Comprehension promoted. Whether there be not as much reason, in regard to the ease of the most sober consciences, to take away the subscription in the Act of Uniformity, as well as the declaration of assent and consent?	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1704 (1704)	Wing H3675; ESTC R178383	6,720	8

be taken but to that whereof we are certain To require of men therefore to swear to the Verity of a Doctrinal Proposition is not according to judgment being a thing impossible because no man is infallible Now Sirs then when here is such an Erratum in the Composure as the want of the words I believe or the like I swear that I hold or beleeve that it is not lawful c. And so material an exception as the judgment of the most learned in general comes to against the Substance in terminis of the first part of this Oath which yet goes down most ordinarily without chewing I humbly offer it in the third place to be considered how this Oath can be taken either in Truth or Judgment An Oath must be taken in Judgment in Truth and in Righteousness The first part I argue is not according to Judgment the second not according to Truth the third not according to Righteousness I proceed to the Subscription This hath two parts The one is the Purport of the Oath of which therefore I shall add no more but this That when the matter of the one and the other in the former part thereof is such as enters the foundation of Politicks in general and the Laws and State of our Land in particular which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ringdom regulated by Laws as Sir Thomas Smith has it Rex sub Deo sub Lege The King is under God and the Law says Hooker and Bracton So that it requires the skill of the greatest Judges Sergeants and Sages of the Law to determine the cases included in it every poor silly Minister is put to decide the same for himself and to have that evidence therein as to be able to take his Oath or give his hand to the certainty of it The other part of the Subscription concerns the Covenant where the words nor any other are such a Ford that as to the Consciences of all not throughly Episcopal so far as I see is unpassable It is nothing to me to subscribe there lies no obligation on me from the Covenant to endeavour any alteration of Government because I never took it it was against my Conscience and I can conceive for others in a private capacity what have they to do with Government No Oath can bind to sedition and disobedience But as for such who are in a publick capacity and can act lawfully toward Reformation in their place What shall I say to those One way there is indeed will strike off all and that is to hold the present Government established to be Jure Divino altogether so that any alteration is sin He that holds thus may affirm clearly that though a man swear he would endeavour to alter the Government it binds him nothing let him be in what capacity he will the least alteration is unlawful and he must therefore repent of his Oath and not perform it But if a man hold that the Presbyterean Government is rather Jure Divino or that neither Episcopal nor Presbyterean is Jure Divino Or that Episcopal Government is well yet that ours as it is now is not altogether so well but that something may be altered for the better I would fain be informed how such a man can absolve him who is in a publick capacity as a Parliament man from his endeavouring so much according to time and prudence if he hath sworn before that he will It is in vain to hide where the water sticks There are some cannot tell how to absolve One other for their lives I say not there lies an Obligation on any to do as they have sworn for fear it be dangerous and I dare not say there lies none because I fear God But this I may say that I desire to be instructed and this I will say that it is a hard thing to be put on it to say that there lies no Obligation upon any other but our selves whether there does or no● To relieve us in this Grievance and others of the like nature with this I propose this remedy to wit That those Declarations which are required of the Nonconformist to be made subscribed or sworn may be imposed only in the matter and end and so long as he comes up in his sense and meaning to give satisfaction therein he may be left to the liberty of using his own expressions To conclude There are many have been hugely sensible that the Papists at this season were borrowing a Helve for their Hatchet out of the Wood of the Fanaticks and that if they came to obtain their purpose it is not hard to conjecture which Trees were like to go down afterwards one with another If it shall please the Parliament therefore now to proceed with vigour to an establishment by Law of the moderate and sober Protestant that can unite in our Parochial Congregations to out-ballance both these Extremities And if those persons who preach the Gospel to others could be perswaded to put the great duty of it which is self-denial into practise themselves in the matter or Pluralities to make an Act for Comprehension significant I know nothing more desireable to the prosperity of the English Church and Nation Provided only by all means that neither of these parties her enemies be exalted or new spirited by Persecution for their Consciences Secundae cogitationes prudentius Moderatius consulunt prudentius quia moderatius Second Thoughts do counsel us more prudently and more moderately and more prudently because more moderately FINIS