Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A61450
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The true English government, and mis-government of the four last kings, with the ill consequences thereof, briefly noted in two little tracts
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Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing S5445; ESTC R15709
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5,264
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12
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Book of Sports and encouraging Formality and the External Pomp of the Church to gratifie that Faction And for Injustice I have already named the root of it Affectation of unlimited Prerogative and Absoluteness which produced more Illegal Proceedings and unjust Actions than can conveniently be enumerated here in particular and besides such another Faction in the State. These like the Wicked Policies of Jeroboam stuck so close to his House and so prevailed in his Posterity that they produced at length the like unhappy Consequences to them And though it can hardly be imagined that so Wise Vertuous and Generous a Prince as Your Self should ever fall especially after such Examples of Caution into such Errors and Miscarriages so contrary to Your own Publick Declaration and to the avowed Ends of Your Expedition yet if we consider how many Eminent Persons who seemed to have been designed for Great Matters and have been carried on a great way by a very propitious Providence have notwithstanding by some unhappy Miscarriage or Neglect of the Opportunity put into their Hands interrupted the Course of that Favourable Providence and been deserted by it it will appear that the Caution is not unreasonable And it will appear the more reasonable if we consider first The subtile insinuating and prolifick Nature of Sin and from what small Beginnings it insensibly grows up to a full Maturity Whereof we have very remarkable Examples in the great persons before mentioned How indulgence to Papists in King James the First came at last to such Zeal for Popery in King James the Second as lost him his Kingdom How Contempt of Preciseness in King James the first came at last to direct notorious Immorality in both his Grandsons and infected the Nation and the like 2. That every Opportunity of doing good is an Obligation to do it but every Special and Extraordinary Opportunity and Advantage a Special Obligation of Subservience to the Providence of God upon that occasion and such an Obligation as is never neglected by any Man without Loss Trouble or some great Mischief to himself 3. And yet the more reasonable still will it appear if we further consider the Great Obligations which that extraordinary Providence which hath conducted you and the Things to which it hath led You do necessarily infer both for Caution and Action God by Your Hand as his visible Instrument but indeed by his own Invisible Power and Ministers hath driven out Popery and Arbitrariness before You subjected a formidable Army much more considerable than Your own unto You and brought You with an easy Course to the Administration of the Publick Affairs of the Nation And thus far all is well But here we come to a Critical Point and of some danger 1. Lest it be thought that all is done and nothing more remaining which might produce an unhappy Neglect through Non-attendance to Your Calling and to the further Designs of Providence and that a Relapse of all again 2. Lest we fall into the Old unhappy Error through the Fallacies of that Spurious Wisdom of the World For though there be now no temptation to any Politick Compliance with Papists yet are there two other Nations of kin to them which must be subdued and all Leagues and Compliance with them avoided the Debauched on the one hand and the Factious on the other though the Debauched are as morally Factious as any But by Factions I intend here as well those Zealots for the Church of England who are really such as many are in a high degree as others who are such for their several Parties The true and effectual way to allay and extinguish the present Factions is very plain if we do but consider the Causes and Occasions of them which were principally the Princes Favours partially dispensed and Church-Preferments accordingly disposed and factious Acts of Parliament It is now known and believed by Men of good intelligence that not only the then D. of York but K. Charles 2. also were intangled in Popery before their Return into England And it is therefore not to be question'd but their Counsels and the Parliament it self being at first under a transport and after corrupted by Pensions and Expectations were through their Means influenced by the crafty and busy Romish Agents who by the same Means did both promote their own Designs and insinuate themselves into Favour They did really desire to have the King absolute for a single person they knew was more easy to be dealt with than a number of Men in Parliament They did really desire very strict Terms of Conformity and Severity against Protestant Dissenters to be enacted for this they foresaw would the more effectually divide the Church and Nation and so much the more weaken each part and give them advantage against either as they had occasion These were both of them plausible Pretences And the Impressions of both are very visible in divers Acts of Parliament especially those which concern Uniformity Conventicles Corporations and the Militia If therefore upon due consideration of this notable Abuse and Imposture those undermining Acts were all repealed all unnecessary Terms of Conformity never required in the ancient Church discharged and things were better setled upon a New or rather the true Antient Foundation more agreeable in the Church to the Nature of Christianity and in the State to the true English Constitution the Factions would easily be cur'd by Your Princely Wisdom and Moderation Concerning Debauchery I have said so much in the latter of these Papers that I need say the less here But this is most proper for this place Whatever Sensual Men may think it was not the Power of Your Arms nor the Concurrence of the Nobility and Gentry with You which made Your Success so Great Extraordinary beyond all Expectation But it was the Presence of certain Invisible Powers and a Secret Divine Majesty far beyond that of Crowns and Scepters communicated to You as is frequent with vertuous Men in just Undertakings agreeable to the Designs of the Divine Providence which made all yield and give Place before You. If these be provoked to withdraw or desert You which may be by Your Neglect or deserting their Conduct and the Service to which they lead You or by Indulging any wickedness or Profanation in Your self or about You or in Your power to reform for they are Holy Spirits in your case imployed upon a Holy work and design Your Strength will suddainly be gone You will become like other Men all things will be at a stand go heavily or cross with You and if You see not Your Error in time and amend it You will by degrees be wholly deserted and left naked And here it may be fit and I hope without offence to Your Majesty to offer to Your Consideration whether there may not have been some Fault already committed in this respect and the Course of Providence which moved so smoothly and effectually before be not since become thereby more slow and retarded And the reason is this There was long since a Paper put into your hand concerning this matter and the Care of it that it might not miscarry through Multiplicity of Business for it was then a busy time or Politick Considerations not long after recommended to one specially obliged to be concerned for such matters but it seems to have met with no favourable promotion But our Streets are still filled in the day time with horrid profane Swearing and in the night with lascivious Negotiations and all kind of Debauchery is still as impudent and rampant as ever without controll And agreeable thereunto the Course of our Affairs seems ever since in some things very slow in some stationary and in others plainly retrograde A parallel adjudged case in the Prophet Haggai may direct in the Examination and Resolution of this SIR If Your Zeal for the Honor and Service of God in these things and others to which You are directed not proper here to be particularly mentioned be not answerable to the Extraordinary Favours and Designs of Providence I dare be bold to say You will suffer an answerable Diminution of Your Majesty But if You do with all Fidelity and Resolution attend to Your Call and follow that Divine Conduct it will infallibly lead You to Great Honour and Satisfaction here and Eternal Happiness hereafter Which that You may is the only End of this plain Discourse and for this End I shall in all things endeavour to approve my self Your Obedient and most Faithful Subject and Servant