Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A36199
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Dr. Sherlock's Two knights of Brainford brought upon the stage in a congratulatory letter to Mr. Johnson : occasioned by the doctor's vindication of himself in taking the oath of allegiance to Their Majesties after the time, indulg'd by the law, was expired.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing D1766; ESTC R31333
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34,233
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42
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beginning that Argument fails 3. If it were as much broken at the beginning as now that was not the Argument but some more private Motive 4. If that Argument cannot have full force now himself in holding out so long and others of his opinion in coming into this Government with the same opinion and retaining it may be thought in great measure the occasion Tho Providence had made a Settlement early it was prudent not to venture too far on its side and to see whether it was any more than a pattern or platform to be pulled in pieces presently as soon as God Almighty had taken a view of his Handy-work Or rather tho this was a Settlement which bound the Laity the Clergy Gods peculiar Lot and Inheritance had an Exemption till himself had spoken to them by his Church At least they ought to stay till they saw the Church of England secured and that there was no * Page 50. prospect of securing it by any other means then their Interest obliged them to pretend to Loyalty with the forwardest Shall they ungratefully reject this Blessing from Heaven While they keep up an Empire within an Empire the Changes of Civil Government will not bind them till they are subdued upon the Struggle and by Providence condemned to Affairs truly Spiritual Good God! How long shall Men be made Slaves and the Peace and Settlement of Kingdoms †P. 45. Properties to an equivocal Word When they have to deal with those of Rome then in pious Condescention and Christian Charity to Vid. Dr. Sherlock of the Vnity of the Church compared with his Sermons and Tracts of Church-Communion and Vnion with Christ Jesus themselves the Laity shall be called in to their Aid When a turn of theirs is to be serv'd or colour'd then Church-men alone without a King are as good Authority as can be urged to the Members of the Church of England For the most part Church-men with a King at the Head of them are the page 10. Supream Authority and Judges in all Controversies about Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Matters and neither can ascribe too much to the other while they hold together Sometimes Constantine and his Arrians at other times he and the Orthodox are the true Church But Orthodoxy like Civil Government went along with the Power Tho the right Faith like the Dispossessed legal King may retain the Right still unaltered yet Error carries on the Name of Church as well as the other does that of Government and ought to be submitted subscribed and sworn to as long as it has Power to Crush the Obstinate Refusers Gods Authority if not Infallibility attends the Chair when it stands guarded in Conjunction with the Throne and no Man ought Saucily to Affront the Powers by preaching up the True Religion where a False one is settled Nay they ought to pray that God would keep and strengthen the Power in that False Worship And according to some Mens Reasons Error in the Chair is more Gods Ordinance than Truth out of it All the Stories of Miracles wrought at the Tombs of Martyrs must be look'd on as lying Legends for who can think that God would give such publick Approbation to their Affronting his Ordinance and Authority Fifthly It is probable the Doctor did not perform his Duty to the late King upon his own Interpretation of Scripture and Providence even before the Abdication But that he did not after is evident for while he not only thought him to have the Right as it is to be presum'd he does still but that God had set up no other Government he did not use the means in his power for the restoring him to full Possession and preferred his own Safety to the Obligation of his Oath to maintain and defend his Right which whether possible or no the event only could shew but it is a safe Rule to run no page 16. Hazard He still leaves him a Right to contend for his lost Crown but sets up the Supream Law common Safety against that Sacred and unalterable Right I shall forbear to draw together into full light all those Instances whereby it appears that he is far from serving their Majesties But in one respect he has not followed the Rules of Prudence in relation to his own Interest How much soever W. I. might grasp at an Absolute Power it is plain from History and Records that he would not pretend to the Name of Conqueror least he should create a Jealousie in his People And had the Clergy of that Age Flatter'd like others since he would have certainly shewn Marks of his Displeasure if it had been for no other reason but that he might demonstrate to his People that they ought to have no Apprehensions of losing their Rights and Liberties upon the Change I shall run the Parallel no farther than to say That no Man can reasonably expect their Majesties Favour who tells them or the World that they are invested with an Absolute Power of the Gift of God without regard to Right without regard to Law Arbitrary Power tho it is a Plant which rises towards Heaven as it pretends a Descent from thence is not likely to over-top King William's Laurels It is a Contradiction to the end and effect of his coming an Enemy to his Crown and Dignity a Friend and Creature of France and King James Nursed up here for their Service And as it gave Rise to that Power with which its Chief Patron has plagued Mankind its Teachers cannot but expect a Reward or more easie Servitude than others if he should accomplish that Universal Tyranny for which it is calculated The Doctor affirms with great Assurance that his are the only Principles which in such Revolutions as page 43. he treats of can make Government easie both to Prince and People And says he if Government must be preserved in all Revolutions those are the best Principles which are most for the Ease and Safety of it But 1. If the Government be limited it is not for its Ease and Safety that the Prince should be thought to have an Arbitrary Power of Gods Gift 2. If the Person of the Prince be the Government it is not for his Ease and Safety that no Laws no Submission of the People can engage his Subjects to this Prince against a supposed Legal King 3. It it much more easie to perswade Men to refer the Determination of Legal Rights to the Legal Authority page 52. of the Estates of the Realm which the Doctor owns to be conclusive than to satisfie them that they ought to Swear Allegiance to a King while a Legal Right remains to his Rival 4. How much soever Subjects may be harangued into a Neutrality they who assist neither are likely to be treated as Enemies which side soever prevails But the Philosophy of Hobbs or Divinity of the Graver Stoicks agree neither with our Constitution nor with Gods Methods in governing the World