Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	church_n	england_n	national_a	1,273	5	11.5498	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58979	A second letter to a member of this present Parliament against comprehension by the author of the former Letter for liberty of conscience.	Author of the former Letter for liberty of conscience.	1668 (1668)	Wing S2286; ESTC R16269	5,436	14

and the very memory of the Council of Sirmium and it 's Comprehensive Creed is almost totally extinguished I will trouble you with another instance under Charles the fifth when the Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists Carolstadians Anabaptists and other Sects divided and distracted the Popish Empire of Germany after sundry Warrs and Factions which weakned the Empire against the Turks and other neighbouring Enemies several conferences were had as betwixt Bucer and Julius Pflugg betwixt Luther and Cardinal Cajetan and others about some way of moderation for healing those Ecclesiasticall breaches Several things were condescended unto on both sides and forms agreed unto sometimes in order to a mutual accommodation of that Schisme But with what success Each party thought the other rather to design the subversion then Conversion of the other each was jealous of the other that they would but temporise at best and perhaps only make use of those ambiguous concessions or condescentions to the prejudice of the other So that they alwayes became ineffectual At length some moderate and Pious persons contriv'd a mixed Religion out of Popery and Protestancy in which Godly Melanchton as well as Cassander had an hand but this displeased all parties and the interested persons in framing of it became hated and detested by their followers How many successeless contrivances have there been to reconcile the Lutherans and Calvinists and have not both Parties at last found that the most assured way for them to live peaceably together was not to confound the two partyes by uniting Churches but by living comfortably together under different Confessions Ceremonies and Church-Government Put case here in England some Presbiterian Ministers that are now leaders of that party should be admitted into the Ministry upon such conditions as have been proposed Can any man who knows that party imagine the peace of this Nation secured Nay can any man think it so secure as it is now If these postliminary Divines must declare they conform to the Service and less offensive Ceremonies and Episcopacy as convenient in themselves or only because imposed though otherwise a Directory and the old Synodical way were better If the former then they conform only as so many single persons and the acquests of such men is not worthy of the concessions If the latter it is evident that the peace of the Nation is more endangered then ever when we give a sort of men opportunity to inform the souls incharged to them that Episcopacy is useless and of humane if not Antichristian constitution that all these Ceremonyes and the Service of the Church are unnecessary and impertinent or steril acts of Devotion to which they submit on no better terms then Peter du Moulin offered to Preach the reformed Religion upon at Rome he avowed he would be content to Preach in a fooles Coat so the Pope would but let him Preach there If they give their flocks this testimony of their Zeal that they will upon such difficult termes submit to become their Pastors Let every man examine if it will not unavoidably follow that these obliged Parishoners shall indeavour to discharge their Pastors from such impositions as are burthensome to them in carrying on the work of the Lord and hinder them in that edification unto which were these Episcopal Courts and Church Ceremonies and Service removed Or can we think ambition or pretenses of Zeal will be so extinguished in them that they will not go about to signalize themselves in their old formalities of propagating the Gospel whereby to draw upon them the eyes of the Nation for their exemplary pains and Piety and if this happen what circumstances is the Government of this Nation reduced unto If they be preferred the National Church of England is ruined and all the Gentry and Nobility If they be not then what clamours must we expect from the populace for the contempt and disregard of Godly and Orthodox men I conceive the best way to avoid these difficulties is by establishing the Church of England as it is with its publick emoluments and honours with the due regulation of the Episcopal Clergy the discountenancing of Arminianisme and a pious and laborious Catechising I am confident one age will restore us to our ancient glory It is but just that publick Churches should be like publick High-wayes at the Kings disposal and not for every man to build upon So the demesnes and revenues belonging thereto ought to be continued without grudging since no particular man is damnified by them The Tithes are no particular mans loss being not bought nor sold nor any part of his lease So that no Sect ought to refuse this payment But continuing this let them maintain their Teachers and Churches themselves if they will decline the publick assemblyes of the English Church By this Toleration we shall reap these benefits First the Episcopal Clergy will be reduced to a greater diligence in Preaching and Catechising a more exemplary life then is now found among them Next the Presbiterians and others not having the disposal of their Parsonages to their creatures will not be able to give those incouragements to them that are factiously bent which they will have by this comprehension And they will be so watched by the Sectaries on one hand who must fall if they rise and the Church of England on the other as never to be able to sway the ballance of this Nation And the Sectaries will acknowledge their subsistance to be so dependant upon the prosperity of the Church of England that they will reckon the enemies of the Church to be theirs And all Parties will be zealous to protect and support this ballance of the Nation under this Monarchy least any other Governour or Government should alter their condition All will strive to advance trade all will strive to serve so gracious a King all will decline or indeavour to suppress any growing faction by which they may run an hazzard of ruine No ambition will move the generality who will have all they can desire except the power to oppress others And for the Grandees they must be quiet and publick spirited when all pretences of grievances upon the people are removed which is the only course they can take to inviegle a party to follow them since all other obligations of villenage is extinct Thus the King shall reign absolutely over the persons and hearts of his subjects and be as much redoubted abroad as beloved at home Riches and plenty shall be the consequences of his united strength unconstrained piety shall flourish hypocrisie vanish and Morality be restored again But if this course be not taken the Dutch and New England will draw from us the trading and industrious part of our Nation with their stocks our reputation and forreign leagues will decline with our interest and strength Continual feares and jealousies will posses● the Land the Episcoparians will not be able to bear up against the Presbyterians and the Sectaries will contribute to their own and the general ruine whilest the Land may become in fine a prey to the powerful and ambitious French or be over-run by the rich united active subtile Papists betwixt whom and any Protestant there is no tye Religious Moral or Generous FINIS POSTSCRIPT I Thought fit to remark unto you that there may be no mistake in any that have a mind to object to my former Letter how considerable a Party of Dissenters were tollerated by the Jewes For in all they are computed under Solomon to be above 150000 men besides women and children 2 Chron. 2.17 a fair Number for Non-conformists to be in two or three English Counties If any are displeased at Calvin's saying St. George was an Arrian I am afraid they will be more angry with Hottingerus who I think in his Oriental Historie pag. 100. doth demonstrate from the Turkish Writers that St. George was a Mahumetan is one of the Turkish Saints he was cut in pieces and put into a pot to stew and after that say they revived and lived as a miraculous confirmation of the Musulmens Faith Thus is our Calender filled with Jewes Turks and Papists whilst our Prisons are filled with Protestants