Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A60025
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A Short abstract of the reasons against passing the bill of forfeitures by way of inquiry.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing S3529A; ESTC R37548
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5,616
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4
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raise more Money and prevent Future Taxes upon the People Or only for the Vindication of Publick Justice If the latter then the Exemplary Punishment of a few active Men may answer that Design in this as well as in all other Offences If the Former then the New Proposal for raising more Money towards the speedy Reduction of Ireland by a general Tax upon all Offenders seems more equal more safe and more effectual for that purpose Such a general Law may be so penned as to answer all the several Interests of this present Government For there are three Things which seem to be our Interest at this Juncture of Time. 1. To make as many Friends as we can 2. To disable all our Enemies 3. To raise more Money as a Fund to carry on the War against France by such a way as may prevent Future Taxes upon the People The way to make as many Friends as we can is to Indempnifie all those Protestants who behaved themselves moderately in their respective Stations continued to do this Duty upon the change of the Times for the Service of the present Government and either have already or are willing to take the New Oaths or a civil Test and do all other such Acts as shall be required for the Service of the Government And those who have been active and leading Men and shall persist in their Wickedness thô 't is hoped there will be but Few yet we may conclude that under all the long black Catalogue of Offences there cannot remain less than 4000 which at 1000 l. a Man one Offence with another will amount to Four Millions or at 500 l. will amount to Two Millions to be levied upon Notorious Offenders utter Enemies to the present Government the Discovery whereof is our Happiness and their Punishment our Security so that by such a Bill with a Proviso of that Nature we shall be sure to make many Friends to disable our Enemies and to raise a very considerable Fund and prevent future Taxes upon the People and therefore we join Issue with the Irish Proposers and wish them good Success in their Paper For in that Proposal there is room for mercy but here there is room for none that is equal and just this alone would seem unequal and partial since it is therein prov'd that those other Offences are punishable by Law and this is not that may answer all the Ends of Government this can answer none Query 9. Whether it be not reasonable and most consonant to the method of Proceedings in Parliament that such a Number 〈◊〉 Men should have fair warning by some Vote or Statute That the Judgment of Judges shall not be Law before they are condemn'd and ruin'd with their whole Families Those who are guilty of buying and selling of Offices have had fair warning by a Vote and the other Offenders must be sensible of committing a Crime against the great Law and Custom of Parliament which is Lex Terrae as well as the Common Law and it 's conceived they cannot so much as pretend Conscience in the Case But it 's plain that the Dissenters had all along refused the Oaths and many refused to act in any Commission till they were frightned with the Crown-Office on one side and persuaded by their Council on the other side That the Judgment of the Judges was Law till Reversed Thô it might be observed also that the Members of the Church of England and the Reverend Bishops and Clergy did all acknowledge not long ago That they were sorry for the late Persecutions meerly upon the account of Religion and that the same might justly provoke our weak Brethren against us and therefore let one Failing be set against the other and all true Protestants be at length united against the Common Enemy Query 10. Whether there be not many true Members of the Church of England who would be involved in such a general Act of Attainder Some having by a bare Neglect or by Sickness or other extraordinary Occasions lapsed the time in both the late Kings Reigns Others who took the Oaths hapned to go away in the Crowd without signing the Declaration or Test Some tendred their Certificates and were refused by Popish Justices Others have perform'd all Ceremonies and the Records of the Sessions are either imbezled or lost by neglect of Officers Some again by Mistake have taken the Oaths in the Kings-Bench instead of Chancery and signed the short Test instead of the long Test Others for want of Quarter-Sessions have also incurr'd the Penalties These and many other Cases may not be in every persons present thoughts and the Dissenter is willing that others should be saved whatever becomes of himself Query 11. Whether any of the late Justices did act like honest Men in their Stations Either they did or they did not If they did not let them be severel punished according to Law If they did Where is the prejudice to the Government O but they depended upon the King 's Dispensing Power What then Were they not forc'd to it in their own Defence They did indeed depend upon the Judgment of the Judges to be Law and for that Reason were under no Necessity of complying with the late King in taking off the Test as some will have it No it was not these Men but the multitude of Addresses which deceived the Late King and brought all those late Miseries upon us Query 12. Whether the late Protestant Justices be Friends or Enemies to the present Government If Enemies let them feel the Rigor of the Law If Friends then it is not our Interest to reject or destroy them No more than it would be for London-Derry that is besieged to destory a Fountain of water at one time which by moderate use would have supplied the Garison with fresh water the whole Siege Query 13. How shall we do to know who are our Friends and who are our Enemies You may guess by their Religion by their Interest and by their Deportment under this Revolution and you may also add to all this a civil Test Query 14. What Method then shall be taken to raise more Money Such a Method as is consistent with our Interest as will not raise more Dust than it will lay Such a Method as will preserve our Friends and destroy none but Enemies as will raise no Pity or Commiseration and consequently no Aversion to the Government Such a Method as is proper after so great a Revolution and may unite all true Protestants at Home against the Common Enemy abroad Such a Method as may prevent France from being Universal Monarch and make England the great Umpire of all Europe But the particular Method is humbly submitted to the Honourable Members of the House of Commons Query 15. Shall we then impose a certain Fine upon all such as refuse the Oaths and in case of a Criminal that the Fine shall be doubled The Dissenter is so charitable as to believe that there are many pious and religious Prelates and other Members of the Church of England who intend to live quietly under the present Government thô their Consciences may be tender in this Point and hope the Members of the Church of England will have as favourable Construction of their Proceedings in the Late King's Reign But 't is presum'd that those who say they intend to live quietly under the present Government will not refuse to swear it and to take such a Test as this viz. ☞ I A. B. do Swear and Solemnly Profess in the Presence of Almighty God That I will not take up Arms nor by any other Ways or Means Directly or Indirectly Counsel or Assist any Person or Persons whatsoever against their present Majesties KING WILLIAM and QVEEN MARY So help me God. And if any such there be in this Kingdom it may be our Interest to discover them and very just to raise a Tax upon them For he who renounces Subjection ren 〈…〉 Protection and consequently hath not Right by Law to his Life or Estate By such 〈…〉 d you will oblige your Friends and disable your Enemies And either such a Law will 〈…〉 onsiderable Sum or it will not If it will â—ot then you will have Men instead of Money you will the better guess at your strength and what Measures to take hereafter the Nation can lose nothing by such a Law And His Majesty having been Graciously pleased to intimate his pleasure That He shall not have Occasion for more Money till next Sessions by that time a better and more effectual Method may be discover'd But if it should so happen that by this means a considerable Sum may be raised as it is not impossible you will not lose or reject one Friend by it but you only take from your Enemies that Money which you may be sure will otherwise be made use of against the Government as soon as a fair Opportunity offers itself And you will thereby gain the great Advantage to make this happy Revolution more easie and acceptable to the Nation By a Just Prevention of Future Taxes on the People