Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	civil_a	society_n	1,332	5	9.1138	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70779	A treatise of oaths containing several weighty reasons why the people call'd Qvakers refuse to swear : and those confirmed by numerous testimonies out of Gentiles, Jews and Christians, both fathers, doctors and martyrs : presented to the King and great council of England, assembled in Parliament.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.; Richardson, Richard, 1623?-1689.; Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1675 (1675)	Wing P1388; ESTC R17219	94,426	174

which is the only Due of Perjury and if you condescend to yield us the Kindness of the one we offer our Persons to answer the just Severity of the other We will add here out of Hoof●'s History of the Netherlands a President not impertinent to our Purpose fol. 464 465. translated out of Latin as follows CXX In this Assembly of the States saith Hooft there was something attempted towards the Oppression of the Menists as appears by a certain Letter written from Dort the last of March by the Ld. St. Aldegonde to the Minister Caspanus Heidanus which was thus worded The Cause of the Menists hath since receipt of your and Taffin's Letters yesterday been treated of with the most illustrious Prince And verely I find it more difficult then I had hoped for ever may and will such Cursed Hopes meet with such Wise Repulses from prudent Rulers For he had at Middelburgh given me great Hopes that we should seclude from the Freedom of Burgesses or at leaft not so solemnly receive those that refused an Oath Now he alledgeth that such a thing cannot be concluded without a new Convulsion in the Churches because the States will never suffer that such a Law be made as they judge no wayes conducing to the Common Good of the Republick Yea he avers That this was the only Cause formerly which brought their Consistories so far into the Displeasure of the States that it differed very little but they had been all at once voted down and laid aside by the Council That they the Clergy were now again about the same thing and that in such a season that no doubt many would pour in cold Water out of the Popish Hodg-podge That his settled Judgment was that this would turn to great Disadvantage and breaking down of their Churches And when I saith Aldegonde fervently urged That we could easily reject those that broak the Band of all Humane Society upon Pretence of Civil and Political Order and when I added saith he how much Danger and Peril Church and State were threatned with by such a Conclusion of the Council in it self Ungodly He answered me sharply enough That those men's YEA must pass for an Oath and that we must not urge this thing any further or we must confess that the Papists had Reason to Force us to a Religion that was against our Consciences and that the North-Hollanders would not at all allow of it In short saith he I scarce see any thing we can get done in this Point which verely ye may believe him upon his Protestation Is the greater Smart to me the more I observe that the Minds of many Honest Men by the pretending of I know not what unseasonable Stumbling Blocks will be thereby imbitter'd yea I could almost say wounded to see them less affected ●o those that to their uttermost seek to advance the Cause of the Church The PRINCE saith he partly in the Name of the State and partly of himself chid me as if we were about to set up in our Clergy a Dominion over the Conscience and as if they endeavour by their Laws and Constitutions to subject all others to them And he praised the Saying of a Monk that was lately here who answered to the Objection of the Persecuting Spirit of the Romish Church That our Pot had not gone so long to the Fire as theirs whom we did so much revile upon that Account And that he clearly saw That before two Ages passed the Church-Dominion would upon both sides stand on even Ground To which Hooft adds By this we may observe of what Consequence the Prince and States then held Liberty of Conscience to be And that what we have hitherto said may not be thought a thing impracticable we shall present you with the Judgment and Edicts of Forreign Governments Here follow Two Letters of the Grave of Nassou and Prince of Orange to the Magistrates of the City of Middelburgh in Behalf of the Menists there CXXI A Copy of the First Letter FOrasmuch as a Supplication hath been presented unto his Excellency in behalf of certain Inhabitans of this City of Middelburg complaining thereby That the Magistrates of the said City had lately caused their Shops to be shut and consequently prohibited their Trade which yet the only means which they have to maintain their Families the s●id Prohibition proceeding from their not having yet taken the Usual OATH as others The said Inhabitants further remonstrating how that they now for a certain long Term of Years have without taking the said Oath freely born all Civil Burdens Contributions and Taxes equally with other Burgesses and Inhabitants of this said City without ever having been in any Default and therefore ought at present still to remain unmolested seeing they do therein not desire any thing else then to live in the Liberty of their Consciences upon which Account this present War against the King of Spain hath been by his Subjects taken up and all Ceremonies contrary thereunto resisted in which such Advance is through the Help of God made that the afore-said Liberty of Conscience is preserved and therefore it would be an Unequal Thing to Deprive the Supplicants thereof who have helped to acquire the same by bearing Taxes Contributions and other Burdens not without great Peril of their Bodies and Lives consonant to which they having presented a Request to the aforesaid Magistrates but got for Answer That they must regulate themselves according to the Policy and Order of the aforesaid City Whereby saith the Petition the aforesaid Magistrates seem to endeavour by the Oath not only totally to ruin and expel out of these Lands the Petitioners with their Wives Children residing in Middelburgh but consequently innumerable others in Holland and Zeeland who have according to his Excellency's Proclamations placed themselves under his Excellency's Protection by which no man can be any wayes benefited but all these Lands received great and considerable Dammage because thereby the Traffique thereof would be every where greatly diminished Intreating therefore and humbly begging his Excellency that looking upon their Case with Compassion he would take due Course about it especially seeing that the aforesaid Petitioners do proffer that their YEA passing for an Oath the Transgressors hereof should be punished as Oath-Breakers Therefore his Excellency having considered the Premises and having maturely deliberated upon the same hath with the previous Advice of the Governour and Council of Zeeland ordered and appointed ordereth and appointeth hereby That the aforesaid Petitioners YEA shall be received by the Magistrates of the aforesaid City instead of an OATH provided that the Transgressors thereof shall be punished as Oath-Breakers and Perjured Persons His Excellency charging and commanding the Magistra●es of Middelburgh and all others whom this may concern No further to oppress the Petitioners contrary to their Consciences concerning the Oath but suffer them to Open their Shops and Enjoy their Trades as they formerly have done all by Provision and