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prayer_n hear_v lord_n soul_n 7,256 5 5.1453 4 true
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A51204 The Magistrates monitor, or, Several considerations & observations upon the Act against seditious conventicles humbly offered to the serious consideration of all judges, justices of the peace and other inferiour officers concern'd in the prosecution of Protestant dissenters and submitted to the judgment of all conforming and nonconforming Protestants. 1682 (1682) Wing M252; ESTC R26791 14,677 18

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practices upon the Church of England or suppose any Courtiers Lawyers Clergymen or Magistrates should by the instigations of the Devil be led into high Crimes against the King and Government it would be high injustice to charge or reflect upon all persons of such Ranks and Degrees as being concerned with such horrid Crimes Therefore let men learn that blessed Doctrine of Christ viz. Do unto others as you would they should do unto you The third particular in the aforesaid Act to be considered viz. The Persons who are to be punished and they are all persons of the Age of Sixteen years or upwards being Subjects of this Realm who shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under Colour or Pretence of any exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practise of the Church of England they being in number five or more besides the Family or Houshold and if it be in a place where there is no Family inhabiting then the number of five or more are deemed Offenders From hence observe these things Observ 1. That such whom this Act accounteth Offenders are they which meet and assemble together under Col●ur and PRETENCE of exercise of Religion which words supposeth that the exercise of Religion is but pretended and some bad design is Resolved v●z Contriving Insurrect●ons as aforesaid and so to colour that design make a shew of Religion but this is not the practice of the Dissenting Protestants they do not design any other things then the Real Performance of Religion in sincerity of heart to promote godliness among themselves and others that God may be served and they may be saved according to the Precepts and Promises in the blessed Gospel of Christ Observ 2. The Persons accounted Offenders are such as thus under pretence exercise Religion in OTHER MANNER than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England now these words in other manner may be fairly understood such exercise of Religion as is directly contrary and opposite to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England in the main and substantial parts thereof but that exercise of Religion which is agreeable to and corresponds with the practise of the Church of England in the main and substantial parts thereof may be truly said to be according to it every small variation must not be counted a Contradiction For the Church of England doth vary in some things from each other in their exercise of Religion in some places they have Organs and in some they have none in some they have Singing Men and Singing Boys and in otherplaces they have none Observ 3. That this Act doth not declare it to be a Crime if any Assembly of people have not the Book called the Liturgy among them or because they do not Read it in their Assembly but it doth require that the exercise of Religion among them should be according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England and therefore let the exercise of Religion in the Church of England and among the Protestant Dissenters be well considered and compared together and then we shall see whether it be contradictious or Harmnious in the main and substantial parts 1. The exercise of Religion in the Liturgy and as it is practiced in the Church of England doth consist of Prayers to Almighty God in the name of Jesus Christ his only Son for Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and this is the practice of the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings and the Church of England doth use Extempory Prayers as well as the Dissenters 2 The Church of England in the exercise of Religion does give Thanks to God for Mercies Received and so do the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 3. The Church of England does instruct Souls from the Holy Scriptures viz. From the Law of M●ses from the Prophets and from the Epistles and Gospels and this is the practice of the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings for which they are Prosecuted 4. The exercise of Religion in the Church of England is performed in English and so it is among the Protestant Dissenters that all persons may hear and understand what they say 5. The Church of England doth not allow praying to the Virgin Mary nor prayers for Souls in Purgatory but denies a Purgatory they allow but of two Sacraments viz. Baptism and the Lords Sapper they also allow the Cup as well as the Bread to the Lay-people in Remembring the Death of their Redeemer these things are the principles and practice of the Protestant Dissenters 6. The Church of England hath declared in her Articles of Religion that the visible Church of Christ is a company of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is Preached and the Sacraments be duly ministred according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same see Article 19. The Protestant Dissenters profess and declare the very same Principle 7. The Church of England declareth that it is not lawful for the Church to Ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture repugnant to another see Article 20. This is also solemnly Prosessed by the Protestant Dissenters Observ 4. That if any Dissenters should have the Liturgy of the Church of England and read it all over in their Meetings and should mingle Sedition with or contrive Insurrections against the Government that Service-Book would not save them from the punishments provided in the aforesaid Act because then they would be Seditious Conventicles not withstanding the Serv●●●-Book Observ 5. That such as really and visibly perform the exercise of Relig●●● in praying to God praising of God Hearing and Preaching the Word God ought not to be punished by the aforesaid Act for as much as the●● things are according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England Fourth particular to be considered in the aforesaid Act is The manner way of proceedings against the Offenders mentioned in the said Act vi● any Justice of Peace or chief Magistrate where such Offence aforesaid shall be Committed are required and injoyned upon Oath of two Witnesses or the Confession of the Party or Notorious Evidence of the Fact to make Record of every such Offence under his Hand and Seal which shall be in Law taken and adjudged to be a full and perfect Conviction and thereupon the said Justice or Magistrate shall impose on every such Offender so Convict as aforesaid the Fine of Five Shillings for such first Offence which Record and Conviction shall be certified by the said Justice or chief Magistrate at the next Quarter-Sessions of the Peace for the County or Place where the Offence was committed From this part of the Act observe these things Observ 1. That Justices or chief Magistrates are not bound to make it their own business to hunt after such Coventicles but if proof be made to them of such Meetings then