Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	5,724	5	4.8029	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66942	The dissenting casuist, or, The second part of a dialogue between prejudice, a dissenting country gentleman, and reason, a student in the university being I. a clear justification of the execution of the laws against dissenters, II. a comparison of the arguments on both sides concerning monarchy in general, III. concerning an elective kingdom, or whether a lawful successor or true heir upon any misdemeanours may be excluded.	Wood, Thomas, 1661-1722.	1682 (1682)	Wing W3409; ESTC R21026	23,696	40

mad and foolish I say 't is not in the Power of the House of Commons to exclude him from the Crown neither can there be shewn one Precedent that they may imitate seeing 't was alwayes allow'd that the House of Lords had as much or more Authority than they and the King a Negative Voice Neither doth this tend to the Subversion of the Government if this irregular Heir should come to the Crown but rather to the establishment of it it taking away any Success that the the scandalous and unjust imputations of a giddy Rabble might make for the future upon one that is innocent If Immoralities and Crimes would do the business a present Monarch would not want Enemies that should asperse and depose him The Doctrine of Passive Obedience ought to be embraced by the publick as well as the private for though I agree with you it may not be observ'd in respect to Foreign Affronts and Abuses yet Subjects ought to observe it in respect to their Prince being at all no dishonour to the State And though I grant you too that a Crown is an Inheritance accompanying an Office of Trust yet I cannot yield that a House of Commons nay if they were joyn'd with the House of Lords too the King declaring to the contrary are capable Judges whether the Heir can be defective of that Trust or forfeit his Inheritance And though he were really defective Mad and of ill Principles they must for all that submit and bear with him his Power being as much the Ordinance of God as the Power of the wisest best Prince in the World These are but Subjects to the King while living or to his lawful Heir when dead by which lawful you must think Natural Affection meant the nearest of Blood and in them to be placed the Sovereign Power Now if the two Houses could dispose of this Sovereign Power you must think they had as great or greater in themselves than the Sovereign or highest Power which to affirm is Nonsense The King hath his Authority from God and to him Sir William Smiths Speech alone he is accountable He hath the Laws only from his People by which he ought to govern which Laws you Dissenters mistake for the Authority The King therefore ought not to be importun'd by the People to do any thing contrary to what he judges lawful for he alone must answer for the irregularities not they But to go a little farther with the Equity of it Do Ibid. you think it reasonable that a man should be punish'd in praesenti for a fault to be committed in futuro If a Bill had been presented to a Grand Jury against a Man upon presumption he would commit such or such a Crime a year hence surely they would never find the Bill This of the D. of Y. is of the same nature His being a Papist cannot be a fault until he was to succeed to the Crown and that is uncertain whether ever or never But if God hath made an Election it is not for you to say Nolumus hunc regnare It would be to question Divine Wisdom and usurp upon Gods Prerogative in whose hands are the issues of Life and Death and all other Events to which all men in prudence ought to submit because they know they must do it whether they will or no. Fears and jealousies ought not to make People extravagant Disputes of Succession are dangerous The controversie between the House of Y. and Lancaster had almost drown'd us in our own Blood if the Good God in his infinite Mercy at last had not relieved us I cannot see why People should be so desirous of an Elective Kingdom seeing Disorder in the mean while must tyrannize and seeing Burgesses Aldermen and Mayors of little Corporations cannot be chose without Tumult Noise and Confusion an unanimous Consent being seldom or never heard of amongst them We murdered and deposed the Royal Father and we have seemed to repent in dust and ashes cried mightily and requested of Heaven that the sin might not be laid to our charge that the bitter cup might pass from us and shall we be so impudent and ungretefully wicked as to murther him again in his Posterity We shall not be excused at the great day because we have persisted in our iniquity neither will God be frighted into a forgiveness 'T is their right and nothing but an immediate Voice from Heaven can make it otherwise Prejud Electing and Excluding had been practised by Gods own People and countenanced by God What else is the meaning of Gods giving the Kingdom of Israel Tory Plot. to Saul of the Tribe of Benjamin the youngest of Jacob's Sons or to David the younger of his Fathers Sons and of the Tribe of Judah while none of Reuben's Of-spring ever sate upon the Throne Or if God may by Prerogative dispence with this Law how came David to put Adonijah by the Throne and seat Solomon in it After Solomon there was not one bad Prince longer endured than the People were constrained out of mere necessity to whose destruction also they were oftentimes incited by God himself Reas Your own Author in two or three Leaves after confutes himself and tells you the Commands and Examples in the Old Testament cannot countenance such an Assertion nor can the Civil Constitutions of the Jewish Tory Plot. Oeconomy oblige any Christian Kingdoms there being very special Reasons to the contrary As God had a special Prerogative for giving his Kingdom of Israel to Saul so had David too when he excluded Adonijah and gave the Kingdom to Solomon it being by the immediate direction of God himself But now God forbearing to speak to us immediately from Heaven sends us word that The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lion Prov. 20. 2. whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul That we should not touch his anointed nor do his Prophets harm Speak thou to us and we will hear thee but let Exod. 20. 19. not God speak to us lest we die This is a most absolute obedience to Moses Concerning the Right of Kings God speaketh by the mouth of Samuel and saith This 1 Sam. 8. 11 12 c. will be the right of the King which you shall have to reign over you he shall take your sons and set them to drive chariots c. He shall take your man-servants and your maid-servants and the choice of your youth and imploy them in his business c. So that whatsoever he will inflict on you it must by no means be resisted But let us hear what the Gospel says The Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. 2 3. sit in Moses chair and therefore all that they shall bid you do and observe that observe and do Where can there be a more simple Obedience implied and what can command Subjection more plainly Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake for conscience sake I

THE Dissenting Casuist OR THE SECOND PART OF A DIALOGUE BETWEEN PREJVDICE a Dissenting Country Gentleman AND REASON a Student in the Vniversity BEING I. A clear Justification of the Execution of the Laws against Dissenters II. A Comparison of the Arguments on both sides concerning Monarchy in general III. Concerning an Elective Kingdom or whether a Lawful Successor or true Heir upon any Misdemeanours may be excluded Saepe etiam Stultus opportuna loquitur LONDON Printed for T. Sawbridge at the Three Flower de Luces in Little Britain 1682. TO THE READER THE first Part of this Dialogue being not above three Sheets was designed onely by way of Preface to this I being forced to dig upon Rubbish before I could come to their Mine of Gold but really if you are impartial you will conclude with me that this is mere Rubbish too If in the first Part they were represented as gross Fools they must thank themselves for it not me If people talk idlely I cannot help it I am sure if you will take the pains to keep them company you may hear the same every day But Ugliness does not care to have its Picture drawn I am no common Pamphlettier neither do I at all delight in it being very well satisfied in my Conscience that the Works of our Tribe will never be sent to Forein Courts or translated into another Language I believe it is with most of them as it is with the Poets they first get the Itch of writing in their Fingers being perhaps an Infection from the Pen they hold and then it presently spreads over their whole Bodies so that they can never be at quiet till they are scratching upon Paper My design is onely for the good of my Country but if I signifie but little toward it my Zele and Loyalty will be commended This Discourse is not levelled against any particular man but against all their Arguments that have been are at present or are to come and that is a bold word you will say but read and judge I have engaged with their Champions condescended to the little ones and resolving as much as in me lieth to clear the Country of all sorts of Vermin I have div'd into Stews Haylofts and Boghouses If I have not been very exact in my Quotations on the Margin I suppose every Author can find his own words out I am sure I have not abus'd or misinterpreted his Assertions Pardon pray the Printers Errata and I am Your very Humble Servant T. W. June 20. 1682. The Dissenting CASUIST OR The Second Part of a Dialogue between Prejudice a Dissenting Countrey Gentleman and Reason a Student in the University c. Prej. Come Sir I am desirous of entring into a second Discourse with you the Distraction of the Times makes me thoughtful so that I find I am forc'd by my Conscience and good Nature to raise up as many Arguments as is fit and convenient for a man in my mean capacity I keep several Persons in pay sending them out to Taverns Coffee-houses c. to see if there is any thing more to be glean'd and pic'kd up towards the maintenance of our Cause and the heartning on of the Righteous that they may not have reason to say they are weary of these * Sh Sh te Carryings on And truly I think my self as Loyal as he that keeps a Regiment of Souldiers at his own charge and is hourly at his Majesties Service Well then first I say you Crape Gown-men are rank Papists downright Devils though you hide your cloven Feet though for the present you are pleas'd to put on the Garments of the Angels of Light Your Pride Ambition Covetousness c. shew that you are possess'd The Restauration of the Abbey Lands and the pretended Riches of the Church Cardinals Caps c. the dear embraces of the gaudy painted Whore are the Objects of your furious and extravagant Loyalty Your Covetousness is so great and * A Scandalous Libel call'd Speculum Crape-Gownorum Part. 2. there is such a uumerous Fry of you that hunger and thirst after Maintenance and so few bones in the Nation that you snarl at all who do but pretend to share with you We may easily discern whether the Good Pious Nonconformist Ministers or the Priests of Baal are the truest Levites or the chosen of the Lord the Actions of the former being wholly and without the consideration of worldly Gain directed to the Spiritual edification and recovery of Souls to the preaching of the Lord Christ c. whereas the Zeal and Divinity of the latter must never mount or fly abroad unless it be upon Wings that are adorned with silver and golden Feathers unless for every Scripture Sentence so much Money is paid down as may recover the Preachers Spirits render him in good Plight that he may come up with the greater Assurance and Eagerness the next Week Reas I do not understand what you mean by all this Ribble Rabble unless that in your Judgment 't is a thing unbecoming and irreligious that our Ministers do not preach and perform their Spiritual Offices in any place without a Promised Maintenance and Salary or without Respect to things that are sordid and temporal I am very far different from this Opinion or do in no wise think it unbecoming or that a care for a competency of living deserves the Epithet of Sordid We know that Mens Minds are now grown more carnal and sensual than ever that really Christs Kingdom is not of this World nor in the Hearts of worldly men that Interest and Riches is the only God ador'd here that the Man that can shew a good Face and an Acquittance for so much Money shall gain more Respect and Honour than Virtue it self if she be naked Alas we have very few Philosophers amongst us that will admire Wisdom in her Rags A Knavish Mahomet if he sets in a Throne shall gain more Followers than a True Christ if he once lay in a Manger Men will scarce be convinc'd by the Doctrine of that Person who does owe him Money or who is beholding to him for his Bread 'T is very requisite yea and necessary that they should be endowed with the greatest Plenty both of Riches and Honour First because as I told you it gains them a greater Respect from their Auditors who on this Consideration will more easily yield up their Hearts and Attention Secondly because there will be greater Encouragements where they may not be liable to ill Fortune and the Crosses and many Accidents of the World or have their Studies interrupted or that glorious design of making men eternally happy swallowed up in Poverty We often see what Authority the Presence of a Bishop has over his vast Congregation whilst perhaps the Poor Curate is attended only by a few serving Maids and very drowzily hearken'd to though perhaps his Doctrine may be the same or every whit as good In my small reading I have found that

know that grand Impostor and Mountebank Buchanan with his Zany Milton explain these places as if they were spoken to the scattered and weak Christians that they should be subject out of policy because they had not opportunity and strength to resist But it seems very strange to me that if common prudence onely and self-preservation were in the case that the Apostle should urge it with so much vehemency and extravagance that they should be desired to live for the Lords sake and for conscience sakc when afterwards they so eagerly strove to die for it Is there not plain positive Practice consonant to these Doctrines Did not Christ as soon as he was seiz'd on by the High Priests Officers severely rebuke the great Apostle St. Peter for but once using the Sword Blame an untemperate Zeal proceeding from an unreasonable Passion without any Call to his Superiours Chide him for wounding the High Priests Servant though he was performing a most unjust action but he being commissioned by Publick Authority taught that every Private Mam must submit to him Will you think too that Christ did this out of policy because he was too weak to struggle with them No he tells you he could have fummon'd more than twelve Legions of Angels to his immediate rescue But he would not employ them as a triumphant Dr. Sprat Serm. Ap. 20. 12. Host but as an Harmonious Choir to sing peace on Earth good will towards every one of you If it is then forbidden on the Penalty of Death of perishing by the Sword to rebell against those most cruel Tyrants most fierce Enemies to the Christians Monsters of men either of no Religion or a false one and yet a disgrace to Heathenism it self If however on the most Solemn Obligations of Conscience they were not to be oppos'd much less destroy'd by any Christians what can be said greater or more august than this What stronger what more Sacred confirmation can be given to our conscientious obedience to another manner of Authority By how many tyes Temporal and Eternal are we bound to yield a faithful Subjection to our Christian Kings under whose Protection many Subjects prosper though against their Wills Kings who are the best nursing Fathers of the best Church in the Christian World Prejud Christ and his Disciples might well bear with this for their Kingdom was not of this world They came Joh. 18. 36. Charge of the Tory Plot maintain'd not to divide Inheritances Which rather implies than denies that such whose Kingdom is of this World may dispose of Inheritances Reas Truly the Christians Kingdom too is not of this world for if it were they would be of all men the most miserable They came to imitate Christ to submit to every Ordinance of Man as he did to bear afflictions to follow him through a Sea of Bloud though 't were thorow the wilderness of Popery and most severe inconvenienees There is not a Vertue in the whole Life of our Saviour Mr. Manninghams Sermon Dec. 7. proposed to our imitation which has not for its Appendage that which the Animal man calls Misery tho' it proves in the event the onely winging of the Soul the highest exaltation of humane nature which had never been honoured with the Vnion of God if it had not been in order to suffer Prejud 'T is a good thing in private men to bear Afflictions patiently not to run into an evil to avoid them to glory in their tribulation But when Sir the State is concerned when the question is whether they must suffer a Popish Tyrant to reign over them when they can-hinder it they will tell you they don't think themselves bound to such narrow private Apprehensions of things neither will State Policy allow of such directions as passive obedience would give them They will not Spec. Crape part 2. call those things evil which you may A Captain of a Man of War being like to be taken by the Enemy is bound to sink his Ship and blow up it may be three or four hundred men rather than deliver his Charge to the Enemy One would think it an evil in it self to destroy so many innocent Souls yet unless this be done the Captain shall be shot to death by the Laws of War and look'd upon as an Enemy Reas Suppose I do grant in some special cases that State Policy ought not to call those things evil which private men do as requiring satisfaction for injuries offer'd by a Forein Kingdom which I hinted to you before how does this excuse Subjects from committing an evil against their Prince who are commanded as Subjects to bear with him and obey him Then your Instance in a Captain of a Man of War does not hold true for 't is seldom or never practis'd that he shall be shot to death if he is in those circumstances and unless he is under suspicion of Treachery Neither ought he upon any account to sink the ship or destroy so many innocent Souls and if he is punished for the Non-performance of it his Punishment is severe and unjust Religion binds us not only to our Personal Capacities but as to our Relative and Politick too as we are incorporated into Kingdoms Families and other Societies Dr. Wallis S. Resurrection asserted As Societies are made up of single Persons so the acts of Societies and of Persons related whether sinful or virtuous are in Gods account the Acts of particular Persons and are in those Persons punished and rewarded according to their Deserts both in this World and in that which is to come And thus the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with those about them are said to suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire when indeed it is the Persons of those Cities that do suffer These are the words of a Learned man who is said to be a well-wisher to your Party but I hope he is belied Prejud If we must bear every thing as Subjects that is inflicted upon us if we cannot chuse the Person to reign over us where is the Liberty of the Subject all this while Reason What will you commit Treason and plead the Liberty of the Subject Have you not free Trade free liberty to buy and sell to chuse your own Habitation your own Diet your own Calling and Profession educate your own Children as you think fit c. If any thing is to be decided between the Sovereign and Subjects is there not an Appeal to the Laws Have not your Lawyers free liberty of Speech to plead for you and does not Majesty it self condescend to their Judgments Are you loaden with Taxes are your Estates taken from you and have not you leave to take upon you so much Impudence and Ingratitude as not to give one part in a hundred to him who protects all you have and gives you your very Being c. Is not the Government according to the Establish'd Laws and has not the * Kings Speech to the Parl. at Oxford