Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A57287
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Scotland's grievances relating to Darien &c., humbly offered to the consideration of the Parliament
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Ridpath, George, d. 1726.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing R1464; ESTC R1580
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53,913
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60
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into all its Courts which is absolutely necessary to prevent Ecclesiastical Ambition it 's an effectual restraint upon them from decreeing such Doctrines as Passive Obedience and hinders them from Preaching Mankind out of their Lives and Eâ—taâ—es into a Slavish Subjâ—ction to Princes had it been otherwise we have good reason to think that the Interest of the Country would not have carried so much as it did in the last General Assembly From all this it will naturally result that it's incumbent upon our Parliament to take measures for securing the Church against such Threats as the Faction made use of to induce the Ministers to a Compliance this is so much the more reasonable because tho' Presâ—yterian Ministers may comply with the designs of Courts against the Liberties of the Subjects Bishops must and they are so much the more dangerous because they have a Power in the Legislation and are commonly so many Votes on the Courts side whereas by the present Constitution the Clergy have no such Power Iâ— the Parliament of Scotland should demand from His Majesty a further assurance for the Constitution of our â—hurch it 's no more than what our Neighbours in England have from time to time done as to theirs and wherein His Majesty did as readily comply with them To this end it would seem to be no unreasonable demand if the Revenues of the Bishopricks that are not already appropriated to Pious Uses were applied to the use of our American Colony This is so much the less to be objected against because the Establishment of our Plantation tends to the propagation of the true Christian Faith it would be an effectual way to prevent the Restituâ—ion of Episcopacy in this Nation which can never be done without throwing all into Confusion again which would utterly obstruct our Trade besides it were but a just reprisal since it is from those of the Episcopal Party in England that our American Settlement meâ—â—â— with the greatest opposition there If â—t bâ— objected that those Revenues have faâ—len to the King as Vltimus Hoeres we answer that as we never see a King amongst us there 's no reason we should augment his Revenue that the Parliament of England have appropriated to Publick Use the Irish Forâ—eitures which by the ordinary Course of Law sell to the King and that His Majesty is obliged by the Act establishing our Company to obtain a Reparatiâ—n of their Loss at the Publick Charge All this being considered such a demâ—nd cannot any ways seem unreâ—sonable and so much the less that this Fund is already settled and would be no new burden to the Subject These things we have insisted the more upon because some People took the opportunity to improve the proceedings of the Assembly to the disadvantage of the Presbyterians and openly boasted of it as a handle to restore Episcopacy But we hope that neither this nor any fuâ—ure Parliament of Scotland will be so Impolitic as to attempt that It 's well enough known the Presbyterians look upon their Form of Church-Government to be of Divine Institution that most of them have suffered for it and some hundreds of them have sealed it with their Blood therefore 't is no wonder they should prefer it to all Temporal Advantages whatever and shew more than an ordinary Compliance with what they are told is the Mind of a Prince whose Family and Person they have reason to esteem and to whom they have been more obliged than ever they were to any there 's so much the less reason to wonder at their Compliance when we consider what endeavours there have been to persuade them that the greatest Zealots for our American Settlement are their mortal Enemies and seek their overthrow Nor indeed have we any reason to wonder at the opposition of the Court when His Majesty is informed that the Affâ—ir of Darien is a Jacobite design at the bottom and that a Presbyterian Lord should be so far possessed with this Calumny as to assert it in opposition to our Colony in the English House of Peers Therefore it would seem to be incumbent upon our Parliament to enquire into the Authors of such malicious Suggestions This is so much the more necessary because our Enemies endeavour to maintain their own Cause by creating in us a mutual distrust of one another and dividing us amongst our selves by false reports Thus some of the greatest Men of ouâ— Kingdom as well as the greatest Friends of our Colony are sometimes traduced as carrying on a Jacobite design and at other times râ—proached as falling in with the Factions aâ— Court that have declareâ— themselves so openly against our Country But to return to the Presbyterians as we would not be thought to disuade them or others from entertaining high and dutiful thoughts of our most gracious Sovereign King William yet on the other hand as they never believeâ— Kings to be inâ—allible we would have them to beware how they fall in with such measures as ill Men about His Majesty may put him upon in relation to our Country and Colony We would not have them to lick up the Vomit of Passive Obedience that the Church of England hath â—pewed out and though we would have them and all good Subjectâ— to account His Majesty's Person Inviolable and Sacred yet there 's no reason that all aâ—out him should have the same priviledge or be protected from Justice when they invade the Fundamental Laws of â—ur Nation nor would we have them to obstruct the Peoples demanding a Redress of Grievances or not to concur with the Parliament to maintain their Authority which is so manifestly violated for this would be a direct breach of the Solemn League and Covenant which obâ—â—ges the Nation to maintain the Authority of Parliaments as well as his Majesty's Just Right and Prerogative It had been time long ago to have drawn to a Conclusion but the Pressures we labour under are so many that we hope they will make an Apology for the length of this Discourse It being evident that most of our Grievances proceed from His Majesty's absence and our Circumstances being so unhapy that we are no more to expect our Kings should reside amongst us We have no other Remedy but to Address our selves to our Parliament that they would take care to make up that want by good and wholsome Laws which it 's hoped His Majesty will very readily agree to Many Particulars might be insisted upon but those which seem most necessary are a Law for a New Parliament once in three Years as our Neighbours in England have that in future Reigns we may not be liable to be undone by a Band of Pensioners under the Notion of Representatives 2. That we may have the benefit of a Habeas Corpus Act as well as our Neighbouring Nation and so much the more that we seem intitled to demand it by the Article of the Claim of Right against Imprisoning Persons without expressing the Reason and delaying to