Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54980
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The plain man's essay for England's prosperity more particularly referred and submitted to the consideration of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, 1698.
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Philalethes.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing P2364; ESTC R10783
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22,461
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29
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handle to pervert blast or invalidate any Parliaments Proceedings The last thing that I shall here mention of this nature is That His Majesty was so very cautious of endangering the Nation though by a temporary or occasional means of its preservation and of even giving umbrage of any such offence that after he had represented in a peculiar instance § 19. the failure or rather neglect of the then Evil Counsellors in not doing more to satisfy the many good Subjects of these Kingdoms or to put an end to their doubts He declares in very express terms § 21. that he brought over with him a force sufficient by the blessing of God to defend him from the violence only of those the then Evil Counsellors And further promiseth § 23. That as soon as the state of the Nation will admit of it he would send back all those Foreign Forces that he had brought along with him Not only so but in his additional Declaration we all may remember how occasion'd he most emphatically disclaims abhors and renounceth all suspicion of a wicked design of Conquering the Nation And as jealous for the People of their abandoning themselves altogether and their Deliverance too at last after such Instances given of their over-great and too easy Passiveness he yet further there minds them of the fatal Consequences of putting the Free People of England under a Force as that which would make void their own lawful Titles to their Honours Estates and Interests This as it shews His Majesty's great Wisdom and Goodness together so it serves to speak and make appear the Considerateness and sound Reasons of the late Parliaments Proceedings in relation to the Army and also strongly implies the Defectiveness of what is yet done therein which may not be unworthy your further Consideration For as it was one of the State-Policies calculated to serve the sinister Ends of the late Reigns to neglect discourage and discountenance The Militia of the Kingdom thereby to render it both contemptible and in a great measure useless in order to the superinducing in process of time and as time should serve A Standing Force so it appears but a reasonable Jealousy or Conjecture That notwithstanding what is already done in this matter if more do not follow and that the Militia of the Kingdom at least be not new-modell'd and better form'd than it can possibly be on the Foot it now stands it may yet prove for want of some ready disciplin'd domestick Power of one kind or another to withstand and oppose any Foreign Attempt but as a Postern-gate to let in at one time or other A Standing Force upon the Nation and then they that would have Honours Estates and Interests according to what goes before must have them there or no where Or if Gentlemen notwithstanding our present sure and happy Peace apprehend it requisite as an immediate Guard and Defence of the Nation to continue on foot for this one Year longer a certain Number of Men call them Regular Troops a Standing Force or Army or whatever else their Appellation be yet taking the real meaning to be That their Being shall determine with the Year it may nevertheless sure with Decency and good reason be expected not only that some special Reason be assigned why These must be continued This Year more than The Ensuing for a Perpetual Reason and a Yearly Expedient correspond not over-well and Perpetuity it self is made up and in some sort consists of One Year after Another But further I humbly presume it may moreover be expected that the same Gentlemen will rather chuse to move First than wait to Second any Motion for suitable Provisions for Futurity suppose one be for instance as before The new forming the Militia of the Kingdom that thus under the Cover of the foremention'd Expedient this at least may be gain'd that it be better settled Trained and become more and every way useful ◠upon this supposition still that as yet we want what is sufficient for the Safety Honour and Happiness of the Kingdom The glorious Ends His Sacred Majesty not only came hither for at first but which is all as he to his immortal Honour be it ever spoken continues gratiously to assure us in his late Speech to both Houses of Parliament he hath to ask After which I see not how it can any longer remain a doubt if any hitherto hath been but that an English Parliament will and without prejudice to any their more particular Engagements most carefully hold those general Engagements above-mentioned to the Safety Honour and Happiness of the Kingdom in all and every respect sacred or His Majesty is but too like to fail of the honourable Expectation he so graciously expresseth of the present Parliament And they will appear to come infinitely below the thoughts he entertain'd P. of O's Letter to the Officers of the Army even of the Officers of the late King James ' s Army who he had goodness enough to hope would not suffer themselves to be abused by a false notion of Honour but that they would in the first place consider what they owed to Almighty God to their Religion to their Country to themselves and to their Posterity which they as men of honour and it seems to hold much the same with all men of honour ought to prefer to all private Considerations and Engagements whatsoever but besides the force and extent of these Considerations yet even for the obtaining of the present supposed Point in issue a certain Land-Force for this one Year As such provisions and such concurrence by removing all Reasonable Jealousies and by that means inducing Men of somewhat other thoughts to quit their fears of this or any present Expedient that upon mature deliberation and debate shall be found occasionally necessary do both plainly and naturally tend to facilitate the End so they also help to make it easy for the time if not every way and altogether agreeable to those of such different Sentiments which with humble submission I take it His Majesty's late Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament is of more weight and better account than perhaps the bare carrying This or it may be any Other Point can in its self possibly be It being beyond all contradiction no less than self-evident That the flourishing of Trade the supporting of Credit and the quiet of Peoples minds at home will depend on the opinion they have of their Security I have been the freer to give some before-hinted Jealousies in this place the term of Reasonable because I observe That the raising and keeping a standing Army in time of Peace without consent of Parliament is assign'd in the Agreement of the House of Lords with the concurrence of the House of Commons as one of the Acts whereby the late King James did endeavour to subvert the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom and which together with all other the particulars therein enumerated
was by them declared utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws and Freedom of this Realm whereupon followed the Abdication and Vacancy which made way for under God our present Gracious Deliverer and Sovereign to fill the Throne thereby to supply that Vacancy And that these words without Consent of Parliament stand part of this forecited Article takes not off the force thereof For besides the foreignness of the Supposition That a Free English Parliament would e're consent to raise or keep up an Army in time of peace without some imminent danger apparently impendent on the Nation and Government This only obviates the Exceptions and Offence that might be taken from the Ways and Means of coming by or of retaining such a Force but by no means provides against the many and great Dangers if no more immediate Evils naturally accruing and arising thence which is by far the greatest part of the difficulty as it is most evidently of the last and utmost Concern to a free People Now how any can think it if any do altogether unreasonable to be though but thus remotely jealous for His Majesty and our own sakes of any thing that had such a part in the late King James's Fate and the Nations Sufferings under him is beside I confess or it may be rather it surpasseth my small Capacity and Understanding which way soever the merits of the matter turns as to a Standing Land-Force being a present necessary Expedient for preserving the safety honour and happiness of the Kingdom And as to what consideration it may have Abroad His Majesty is also pleased in his before-mentioned late Speech so full of Wisdom and Grace to give us this fresh Information and Assurance That to preserve to England the weight and influence it has at present on the Councels and Affairs Abroad it will be requisite Europe should see we will not be wanting to our selves ☞ But as to this and indeed in what not His Majesty moreover had before acquitted himself in so solemnly declaring § 21. the design of his Expedition to be That so the Two Houses may concur in the preparing of such Laws as they upon full and free debate shall judge necessary and convenient both for the confirming and executing the Law concerning the Test and such other Laws as are necessary for the security and maintenance of the Protestant Religion as likewise for making such Laws as may establish a good Agreement between the Church of England and all Protestant Dissenters as also for the covering and securing of all such who will live peaceably under the Government as becomes good Subjects from all persecution upon the account of their Religion even Papists themselves not excepted and for the doing all other things which the Two Houses of Parliament shall find necessary for the peace honour and safety of the Nation so that there may be no more danger of the Nation 's falling at any time hereafter under Arbitrary Government by which he fully refers to your Honours as he still continues to do And there in all humility I leave these Considerations at a Season which in many respects appears proper and adapted to such Cares and Endeavours For an end being put to the growing Expences and Hazards of a tedious War the time is come that the Nation by report at least and speech of People has been referr'd to The Time is also come that such as for distinction-sake have been call'd Whiggs are said to be more in play and have greater Parts and Interests in State-Affairs than formerly who have hitherto loudly call'd for a full Regulation and better Settlement in these Matters And God be thanked our Case is not at present so forlorn and past all remedy that it should seem to be with us as Bishop Sanderson on another occasion express'd himself as with decaying Merchants almost become desperate who when Creditors call fast upon them being hopeless of paying all grow careless of all and pay none And if These neglect their Opportunities which God and the King have and do put into their hands and more if they withstand them in so dishonouring their own Principles and sinning so much against knowledge and conviction they 'll endanger the rendring themselves contemptible and of becoming more a common scorn than I am willing to say for thus as Popish Policy sowed Divisions among us that we might do their work by in our turns devouring one another when they without our help were not sufficient to effect our Ruin so Tories as men have been distinguished might well laugh in their Sleeves nor scarce would they stop there if the Whiggs but through neglect or indiscretion suffer those Evils to overtake Posterity which the Others could not whether wittingly or unwittingly bring upon the present Generation and so it would be justified beyond dispute that though it would be hard perhaps nay next to impossible it may be to establish the Government altogether by Tories yet however that it 's also possible it may not be preserv'd with Whiggs Quod Deus avertat It were 't is confess'd to a high degree vain to imagine that so general a defection and corruption as well in Politicks as Manners as hath over-run the Nation since the very Remarkable Restauration of King Charles the Second should be wiped off corrected and set right in an instant but so your Faces my Lords and Gentlemen are but seen and observ'd to keep looking towards the peace and prosperity of our Jerusalem that we continue not still under a Government of Expedients the Nation it 's not to be doubted will repose themselves on you as their present best and ablest Physicians when to apply and how to proportion either Remedies or Preservatives and thus persisting you 'll still more ennoble your selves by giving more glory to God in doing more good to men and beyond any thing besides thereby also will you endear His Sacred Majesty whom God long preserve a publick Blessing to those Nations yet more and more to all His Subjects universally render His Reign happy and His Memory precious to all Posterity agreeable to the judicious Observation of a Wise and Experienc'd Gentleman now living That a King of England at the head of His Sir W. Temple in his Essays Parliament and People and in their hearts and interests can never fail of making what figure he pleases in the World nor of being safe and easy at home and may despise all the Designs of factious men who can only make themselves considered by seeming to be in the interest of the Nation when the Court seems to be out of it But in running on Councels contrary to the general humour and spirit of the People the King indeed may make his Ministers great Subjects but they can never make Him a great Prince Which notwithstanding in its true and genuine sense and signification concludes not but that at long run too the King 's is as truly and properly His Ministers