Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	4,212	5	9.5265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62468	Captain Thorogood his opinion of the point of succession, to a brother of the blade in Scotland	Thorogood, B.	1680 (1680)	Wing T1062; ESTC R9103	17,937	16

in which necessity obliging the parties to the practice of promiscuous Violences Depredations and Slaughters the People at last wearied with the Cruelties and Calamities of War and to purchase quiet at any rate often give up their Liberty to the Conquerour and make the publick Desolations of their Country its Grave so terrible an Example of which we had in the late Troubles that surely none but such as are Betrayers of the English Liberty or destined for Slavery will venture the like Transgression the second time It will be said that his R. H. has embraced the Papal Religion which will be as destructive to the Temporal and Eternal Well-fare of the whole Kingdom in case he should come to the Crown as it is to his own Soul and therefore to prevent so universal a mischeif it is necessary his particular Interest should be sacrificed to the publick To this I Answer 1. No man ever yet gave any particular convincing instance of his being a Papist besides his not conforming to the Religion now established by Law or not taking such Oaths as would make him capable of enjoying all the great Offices of the Kingdom to which his Birth and Merit without them might justly entitle him But this Non-conformity is agreeable not only to all the Classes and Subdivisions of Protestantism but to all the other Forms and Modes of Worship in the World and his unwillingness to swear proceeds for ought we know rather from a belief that all Oaths are unlawful as not only many of old Christians our present Quakers but the most refined and ingeniously learn'd of all Modern Sects the Socinians maintain than that he thinks the matter of those the Law now requires to be Damnable or Heretical and therefore we may as well say that he is a Presbyterian Independent or Quaker or Socinian or which is yet worse a Turk or Jew as that he is a Papist and to speak Truth our too much curiosity and strict scrutiny into this matter is far less warrantable than his concealing his opinion for Who art thou that judgest another Man's Serva●t To his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of Darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the hearts 2. If he be a Papist now who can tell but the powerful operations of the Holy Spirit may by changing his Sentiments concerning Sacred things remove those jealousles and fears with which we are now so strongly possest and add to his future happiness the temporal blessings we so much dread to lose Faith is the Gift of God and he being most just and merciful will we hope bestow it where it may have the kindest reception and bring forth its Fruits in greatest Plenty that is on a Prince whose natural Endowments and moral Vertues are so eminent as if enliven'd by true Faith as we hope they are to enable him when a King to conquer the Atheism Irreligion Debauchery and other swarms of Evils with which the Age abounds by his Example as well as the Enemies of the Crown by his Valour 'T is our Duty then to wait the leisure of Providence and not by a rash not to say a wicked attempt endeavour to deprive him of his right and our selves of the happiness his enjoying the Religion as well as the Kingdom of his Ancestors may possibly secure unto us nor do I see any satisfactory reason why he should be so severely used allowing no hopes of his Conversion or Return to the Church of England for our Religion is sufficiently guarded by several Acts of Parliament which he can never repeal And besides His present Majesty is thank God Strong Active and Vigorous and likely enough either to out-live his R. H. or leave him so old and crazy as to want briskness answerable to his zeal to attempt any notable change or innovation in the Government 3. Popery in the single Person of the Prince whatever is said to the contrary is consistent enough with the Welfare of the Subjects though of another Perswasion as appears in Germany where in many Places the Body of the People are of the Reformed and the Prince of the Romish Religion without diffidence or fear or the narrow Spirit of Persecution of eitheir side 4. By the Principles of the Church of England no Prince can be depos'd or forfeit his Right to the Sovereignty purely upon the score of Religion and as long as that Church is in being and the rule and management next after the King of all things as well Spiritual as Temporal is by the Laws of the Land in its hands and the hands of such as are Members of it and obedient Children to the Practice and Discipline of so pious and charitable a Mother 't is evident that none else can be proper Judges or have cognizance of the point now in debate but they and therefore his R. H. appeals to them and is not at all concern'd at what others can do who doubtless have as great a desire to dethrone the King as to bar the Succession could it be done with as much security and safety For as he who intentionally and deliberately would destroy an Infant in the Mothers Womb by causing an abortion would never scruple the bringing of him to an untimely end after his coming into the World did not the Law appoint Death for the Punishment of this though not of the other So he that on the account of Religion would exclude another from the possibility he has to a Crown would make no conscience of discharging an actual Prince from his Royal Function upon the same or other motives were not his possession fenced and guarded by the Law which makes all such attempts High-Treason and so exposes him to all the evils attending so great a Crime But after all why so much rancor hatred and aversion against his R. H who of all men living is the most passionate Lover of his Country and under whom if ever it should be his lot to wear the Imperial Crown it would undoubtedly be as happy as under any that swayed the English Scepter since the Conquest having so many Princley Qualities though now clouded and kept conceal'd from the eyes of the Nation by the artifice of his Adversaries as would fill the hearts of all true English-men with Love and Respect and those of his Enemies whether Domestick or Foreign with Fear and Confusion For he is a Prince of a Noble Presence and affable Behaviour with a mixture of pleasantness in his Words and Actions that wins powerfully the affections of all that approach him His discourses are always pertinent and solid free from Flourishes and a vain and empty Ostentation of Wit which sorts better with the levity of mimical Heroes upon a Theatre then the true Grandeur of real Princes in a Court. He is of