Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36048
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A Direct road to peace and happiness in church and state
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1696
(1696)
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Wing D1525A; ESTC R26699
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25,392
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45
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were Relieved and due Care taken of the Poorest of them in the First Place Object But Boroughs wherein are few Inhabitants will hardly consider ought but their own private Interest Answ Some may be Stupified until they be Disfranchised The People of England are not so Ignorant and Illiterate as they were when the Duke of Cornwall multiplied Burgesses nor when the Abby-Lands and the Ancient Rights Prerogative and Authorities of Justice 27 Hen. 8. Cap. 24. were rescued out of the hands of the Pope and his Petty Tyrants Object King Hen. the 8th was not involved in War and Espoused the Cause and gave his People to understand his and their Common Interest but the Nation is so Imbroyled with Wars Abroad Factions Plots and Conspiracies at Home that his Majesty wants Leisure to Consider the many Inconveniencies that attend Him and his People by not having the Defects of the Laws against Simony and Buying and Selling Offices supplied and you know several in Authority under Hen. the 8th were as Active as the King to make the People sensible of their own Interest Answ I Answer The People are not so Ignorant and Illiterate at this time but now all that are not wilfully blind see which side their Bread is Butter'd on 'T is thy Duty and mine in our Private and Publick Devotions to Pray for the King and all that are put in Authority under him that they may truly and indifferently Minister Justice and Maintain Truth and we best Express our Christian Duties when we in our particular Callings Professions and Trades be Serviceable Members of the State as well as of the Church 'T is true the King wants time to read but His Majesty hath many Honourable and Worthy Persons in Authority under Him that have Leisure enough and what they conceive fit to be done for His Majesty's Service they will undoubtedly Advise and Counsel His Majesty for the Best All that Truly Love and Honour His Majesty and heartily Desire and Wish the Prosperity of Him and His People are for Extirpating such things as make Parties and Factions in Church and State And seeing 't is usual to describe such Criminals as go by different Names and skulk to avoid Justice I will according to the best of my Skill discover a Symoniacal Parson and an Office-Jobber that they may be known and apprehended The Character of a Parson guilty of Symony He may be known by the extraordinary Pains he takes a little before he is to be examined by the Bishop or his Official a poor Felon who has the Benefit of his Clergy that can neither Write nor Read is not harder put to his Shifts to learn his Neck-verse by Rote than a Parson guilty of Symony is to fit himself for his Examination And as soon as instituted and inducted his whole Study and Business is how to make most of his Benefice And after that he is so taken up with Attending Courts of Justice in Suits between him and his Parishoners that he has much to do to escape the Penalties of the Law against Non-residency When Overtures of Peace are made he saith Let the Law decide it that his Successors may not blame him And never makes any Agreement upon his own Terms without a Salvo jure to his Successors That they may place him in the List of their Benefactors When he sees Complaint will be made of him to the Ordinary or Bishop at his Visitation he has recourse to his Patron and by Contrivance between his Patron and him the Matter is hush'd up if possible but in case it be not their business is by their Parties and Factions to represent the Complaints Schismatical Factions and what not His Flock are ever Bleeting for another Sheepherd as Lambs for want of their Dams and if they are not to be found in their Neighbouring Sheepherd's Fold they are stray'd further and lost The Character of an Office-Jobber He is of a Religion uppermost a most accomplish'd Temporizer his Ambition hates to see any of his poor and beggarly Kindred or to do any thing for them until he hath robed them with Honour Offices and what not at the Nations and Poor Petitioners Cost or he is so Covetous that he cares not what he gets or how he gets so he can but get and heap up Riches He is always Poor crying Give Give but never satisfied with what is given He will not serve any but in Matters wherein he can serve or gratifie himself as little Credit is to be given to his Oaths as to Whores Vows He is true to no Government yet Zealous in Appearance to serve every Government but Water-man-like Looks one way and Rows another He hates all Loyal Services which represent any worthy of a Liberal Reward Especially such as are Poor and cannot purchase it He is never without a Jackhall to Forrage for him When he meets a Man of Merit he cries Shame no Provision is made for him and when his Back is turned he redicules him for a Fool that serves his King and Country to the Prejudice of himself For publick Business he accounts every bodies Work and every bodies Business to be no bodies in particular But the proper Work of such as can serve Turns and themselves at every Turn His common Discourse is Religion Liberty and Property But feeds so greedily on Pippins and Pigg stuffed with Guinea's that he is Sloathful and Unactive to do his King and Country any manner of Service His Complements are I am but one and I will serve you if I can or come again to-morrow and your Business shall certainly be done And when you come in Expectation thereof it is still to-morrow And at last when he had gratified whom he thinks fit he tells you He is Sorry he cannot Serve you And if your Business happens to be done against his Will he tells you how Serviceable he hath been to you And that there is no Fee established for his extraordinary Care Pains and Expedition but will take what you give him In plain Terms Nothing but weighty Presents are weighty Reasons can work him into a Frame or Disposition to do you a Just Favour or Friendly Office by vertue of Hocus Pocus Colore Officii he can Drein your Purses Afflict your Mind and Body and do it so insensibly that you may accuse him but cannot recover any Satisfaction for the Loss and Damage you sustain You may know him by the great number of Petitioners waiting at his Gate for Recommendations or Reports of their Services and when his Tricking is found out and he is likely to fall under His Majesty's Displeasure he of himself fairly acquits all Publick Imployments and becomes a Country-Gentleman and there lives Great among his Neighbours and treats them with all imaginable Courtesie and Civility until they forget what manner of Man he was And in process of Time sets up to be chosen a Member of Parliament And if the People Elect him he Acts his part