Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	profess_v	3,448	5	8.0722	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40071	An answer to the paper delivered by Mr. Ashton at his execution to Sir Francis Child ... together with the paper itself.	Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714.; Ashton, John, d. 1691.; Child, Francis, Sir, 1642-1713.; Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1690 (1690)	Wing F1695; ESTC R30132	19,700	32

himself in the Vindication of both and that this is not repugnant to the Doctrines and Principles of the Church of England It was not thought disagreeable to them for Q Elisabeth to assist the Dutch against the King of Spain yet she had no such reason for it as our King and Queen had to prevent the suppression of their own Religion here and the Rights of that People to whom they were so nearly related For there was nothing in her Case so considerable as the growing Power of Spain and the danger of overturning the Religious and Civil Liberties of a neighbour People The Queens Professor of Law in Oxford at that time saith that it was then made a Question by some whether Q. Elis. had just Reason for that War in assistance of the Dutch and he resolves the Lawfulness of it upon 3 Grounds First That it was to prevent ensuing Mischief Secondly From the ancient Alliance between the two Nations Thirdly That if the Dutch were totally vanquished by the Spaniard they would be made Slaves under an Arbitrary Power The Queen herself owned this as the Ground of her Resolution That it was Christian Piety to relieve them who were of the same Religion which she professed and Wisdom to prevent the pernicious designs of her Enemies And in her Declaration she published this as the Reason of her sending Forces to the Aid of the Netherlanders That they might peaceably enjoy their ancient Freedom In the latter end of the Reign of King Iames I. the War broke out in Germany wherein the Emperor used his utmost endeavour to establish absolute Power and Popery together There was occasion offered to try whether the giving Assistance against these were against the Principles and Doctrines of the Church of England For the Prince Elector Palatine was chosen King of Bohemia and sent over for King Iames's Advice about it But his Designs lay then so much another way that he had no mind he should engage in it But the Archbishop of Canterbury in his Letter to Sir R. Naunton then Secretary of State saith That God had set up this Prince his Masters Son in Law as a Mark of Honour throughout all Christendom to propagate the Gospel and to protect the oppressed that for his own part he dares not but give Advice to follow where God leads apprehending the Work of God in this and that of Hungary that he was satisfied in Conscience that the Bohemians had a just Cause that the King's Daughter the Elector's Lady had professed she would not leave herself one Iewel rather than not maintain so Religious and so Righteous a Cause In the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the First when I suppose it will be granted That the Doctrins and Principles of the Church of England were understood and followed the King of Denmark had taken up Arms to settle the Peace and liberty of Germany as he declared But he met with a great Defeat Whereupon King Charles the First thought himself concerned to give Assistance to him And Archbishop Laud was then employed as Dr. Heylin confesseth by the King's Command to draw up a Declaration to be published in all the Parishes of England which was read by the King and approved by the Council wherein the Greatness of the Danger they were in is set forth and the People are exhorted to serve God and the King and to labour by their Prayers to divert the Danger Wherein lay this Danger It is there said to be That by the Defeat of the King of Denmark there was little or nothing left to hinder the House of Austria from being Lord and Master of Germany And what then Why then there will be an open way for Spain to do what they pleased in all the West part of Christendom It seems then it was not thought disagreeable to the Principles and Doctrins of our Church to hinder the growth of a Western Monarchy although it be by assisting Subjects against their Princes who promote it And then follow these remarkable Words You are to know therefore that to prevent this is the present Care of the King and State and there is no proba●le way left but by sending of Forces and other Supplies to the said King of Denmark to enable him to keep the Field that our Enemies be not Masters of all on a sudden And not long after If he be not presently relieved the Cause of Religion is not only like to suffer by it in some one part as it hath already in a fearful manner in the Palatinate but in all places where it hath got any footing So that if we supply not presently our Allies and Consederates in this case it is like to prove the Extirpation of true Religion and the Replanting of Romish Superstition in the Neighbouring parts of Christendom And the Coldness of the State shall suffer in all places as the Betrayers of that Religion elsewhere which it professeth and honoureth at home which will be an Imputation never to be washed off And God forbid this State should suffer under it And in the last place You are to call upon God your selves and to incite the People to joyn with you in humble and hearty Prayers unto God That he will be pleased now after long Affliction of his dear People and Children to look in mercy both upon them and us and in particular for the Safety of the King of Denmark and that Army which is left him That God would bless and prosper him against his and our Enemies Thus far Archbishop Laud. Let those who now with as much Ignorance as Confidence upbraid Men with Renouncing the Doctrins and Principles of the Church of England read and consider these Passages and if any thing will make them more wise and humble this will Did Archbishop Laud go off from the Church of England or King Charles the First who both suffered for the sake of it But some Men have never throughly penetrated into the Doctrins and Principles of our Church but look only on some Principles in opposition to the late Times of Rebellion and think there is nothing farther to be looked after Whereas the Consideration is very different as to our Duties with respect to our own Princes and those of a more general Concernment as to the state of Religion and Government in the World But from hence it is plain that it was then thought not only Lawful but a Duty to prevent the dangerous growth of such a Monarchy which designs to suppress Religion and Civil Liberties and not only to give Assistance to those who joyn in the same Design but to pray God to bless and prosper it And accordingly a Form of Prayer was then Appointed for those Dangerous Times Not long after this a Breach with France hapned and the King Published a Declaration of the ground of the War wherein it is laid down as the first Ground That the House of Austria Conspiring the Ruin of all those

White-Hall March 18. 1690. Let this be Printed SYDNEY AN ANSWER To the PAPER Delivered by M r ASHTON at his Execution TO Sir Francis Child SHERIFF of London c. Together with The Paper it self LONDON Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in S. Paul's Church-Yard 1690. M r. Ashton's Paper Mr. Sheriffe HAVING observed that the Methods of making Speeches at the place of Execution was not alwayes attended with the designed Success And thinking it better to imploy my last Minutes in Devotion and Holy Communion with my God I have prepared this Paper to leave in your Hands as well to assert my Principles as to testifie my Innocency As to my Religion I professe by God's Grace I dye in the Faith into which I was baptized that of the Church of England in whose Communion nothing doubting of my Salvation thro the Merits of my Saviour I have alwayes thought my selfe safe and happy according to her Principles and late much esteemed Doctrines tho now unhappily exploded I have regulated my Life beleiving my selfe obliged by my Religion to looke upon my rightfull lawfull Prince whatever his Principles were or his Practises might be as God's Vicegerent and accountable if guilty of Male-administration to God only from whom he received his Power and alwayes beleiving it to be contrary to the Laws of God the Church and the Realme upon any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against him and let all the World take notice in this Beleife I dye But I have more particular Obligation to the King my Master whom I have had the honour to serve and received many signal Favours from him for sixteen years past so that Gratitude a thing not much esteemed at this time as well as Duty and Religion Commanded the utmost Service I could pay him and when I add these Considerations that we were born his Liege Subjects that we have solemnly professed our Allegiance and often confirmed it with Oaths That his Majesties Usage after the Prince of Orange's arrival was very hard severe and if I may so say Unjust And that all the new Methods of settling this Nation have hitherto made it more miserable Poor and more exposed to Foreign Enemies And the Religion we pretend to be so fond of preserving now much more than ever likely to be destroyed There seems to me no way to prevent the Impending evils and save these Nations from poverty and destruction but the Calling home our Injured Sovereign who as a true Father of his Country has notwithstanding all his Provocations and Injuries a natural love and tenderness for all his Subjects and I am so far from repining at the loss of my life that had I ten thousand I should think my self obliged to sacrifice them all rather than omit any just and honest means to promote so good and necessary a work and I advise and desire all my fellow Subjects to think of their Duty and return to their Allegiance before the severe Iudgment of God overtake them for their Perjury and Rebellion but certainly the good and Interest of these Nations abstracted from all other Considerations will ere long convince them of the necessity of doing it Having thus frankly declared my Principles I know the Inference will be that I have acted accordingly and consequently that am I now justly condemned but as I ingenuously own the Premisses so as I positively deny the Consequence for whatever my Inclinations or Actions have been yet as to the Matter I was sentenced to dye for I declare my self innocent and will appeal even to the Iudges themselves whether or no upon my Tryal there appeared the least proof that I knew a tittle contained in the Papers but Presumption was with the Iury thought sufficient to find me guilty tho I am told I am the first Man that ever was condemned for High Treason upon bare Suspicion or Presumption and that contrary to my L. Coke's and other eminent Lawyers Opinions The knowledg of my own Innocency as to the Indictment and Charge against me was that that armed me with so much assurance and occasioned my casting my Life upon the first Twelve Men of the Pannel without challenging any But tho I have I think just reason to complain of the severe Charge given by the Iudges and hard measure I have received not to mention my close Imprisonment the hasty and violent Proceedings against me nor the Industry used in the Return of fitting Persons to pass upon me the denying me a Copy of the Pannel c. Yet as I hope for Pardon and Forgiveness at the hands of my God so do I most heartily pray for and forgive them and all my Enemies all the World nay even that Iudg and Iury-Man who did so signally contrary to common Iustice expose themselves to destroy me But let the Will of God be done I rely wholly upon his Mercy and the Merits of my blessed Saviour for Salvation I do chearfully and entirely resign my self into his Hands as into the Hands of a faithful Creator in sure and certain hopes of a happy Resurrection Bless protect and strengthen O Lord God my good and gracious King and Master in thy due time let the Virtue Goodness and Innocency of the Queen my Mistress make all her Enemies blush and silence the wicked and unjust Calumnies that Malice and Envy have raised against her make her and these Nations happy in the Prince of Wales whom from unanswerable and undoubted Proofs I know to be her Son restore them all when thou seest fit to their just Rights and on such a bottom as may support and establish the Church of England and once more make her flourishe notwithstanding the Wounds she hath received of late from her prevaricating Sons Forgive forgive O Lord all my Enemyes bless all my Friends comfort and support my deare afflicted Wife and poor Babes be thou a Husband and a Father to them for their sakes only I could have wished to live but pardon that Wishe O good God and take my Soule into thy everlasting Glory Amen JN o ASHTON The ANSWER THE Paper which passeth under the Name of Mr. Ashton's SPEECH seems to me to be composed with too much Art and Care to be the Work of one who professeth he thought it better to employ his last minutes in Devotion And if he was so illiterate and unskilled in the Law as he said at his Tryal Fol. 111. one may justly wonder not only at such Terms as Impending Prevaricating Premisses and Consequènce c. but at such a peremptory Judgment as he gives about the Laws of the Realm in a Case that must be acknowledged by all ingenuous men of his own Party to have a great deal of Difficulty in it But there are some Men who think to bear down all others by their Confidence and would have it taken for granted that the whole Nation themselves excepted is under the guilt of Perjury and Rebellion These are the modest Terms in this

of the Reformed Religion as plainly appeared in the Affairs of Germany had such an Influence on the Councils of France as to make them break Promise in such a manner as hazarded the loss of the whole Party in Germany The next is That he had broke his Articles with his Protestant Subjects when he had been a Mediator of Peace between them and they had done nothing to violate them So that a Design to suppress the Protestant Religion in a Neighbour Country was looked on as a just Cause of War when he was concerned to preserve it And then another Form of Prayer was Appointed to be used suitable to that Occasion which plainly evidence That such a Design was no ways thought repugnant to the Doctrins and Principles of the Church of England But since the French Conduct seems to be now admired by this sort of Men I shall bring some remarkable Instances from them It is Notorious to the World what Powerful Assistance the French gave to the Confederate Princes of Germany against the Emperour their Lawful Prince and what Defence they made for this They Published an Account to the World of the Reasons of it and the Chief was this viz. That they had Reason to suspect that from Charles the Fifth's Time the difference of Religions had been secretly supported by the Emperours in order to their making themselves Absolute and that the Changing the Form of Government in the Empire was sufficient for a Neighbour Prince to interpose by force of Arms. In the Revolt of Catalonia from the King of Spain their Lawful Prince the French King accepted of the Sovereignty over them being offered him by the States of that Country and caused Discourses to be written in Justification of their Transferring their Allegeance And yet their Complaint was nothing but the Severity of the Spanish Government and a desire of some greater Liberties than they enjoyed under it Why then should it be now thought an Unjust thing for a Sovereign Prince so nearly related to the Crown of England to espouse the Cause of our Religions and Civil Interests when the Design was so apparent for the Suppressing them If that Opportunity had been lost they might before this time have been past all reasonable hopes of Recovery II. But suppose this were allowed yet here is another Difficulty ariseth concerning the transferring Allegeance from a Lawful Prince to him that met with unexpected Success in his Design And here I shall endeavour to make it plain That this is not against the Doctrins and Principles of the Church of England If we allow the Church of England to have declared its Sense in the Matter of Government it can only be with respect to Subjects But I think the Measures of our Obedience are not to be taken from the Rules of the Church but from the Laws of the Realm Because they are not the same in all Countries where the same Religion is Professed as is plain in the Case of France and Poland The Reason of the different Measures in these Countries is not from the Church but from the different Constitution of the Kingdoms And I do not see how the Rules of the Church can alter the Fundamental Laws For the Church only enforceth the Duty of Obedience on the Consciences of Men but it doth not prescribe or limit the Bounds of it Whether our Monarchy be Absolute or Limited or if Limited whether in its Exercise of Power or in the Right of Sovereignty how far the Limitation gives a Right of Resistance in case of the Breach of it are nice Questions but not to be Resolv'd by the Rules of the Church but by our Legal Constitution and the General Reason of Mankind And therefore in such Cases where the Right of War and a Foreign Power are concerned we are not to judge meerly by Municipal Laws but we are to proceed by a more General Law viz. that of Nations which takes in the Effects of a just War which the particular Laws of a Country have n● regard to But where hath the Church of England declared its sense about the Right of War The Articles of our Church declare that the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm doth appertain to the Civil Magistrate But they no where say that in a just War the Supream Power cannot be acquired or that God doth never confer it in an extraordinary method The Book of Homilies is very severe against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion but it is no where said that where the Right of Sovereignty is transferred by a successful War there is no Allegeance due to those who possess it On the contrary it is said in the first Part That If God for their wickedness had given them an Heathen Tyrant to Reign over them they were by God's Word bound to obey him and to pray for him Can it then be agreeable to the Doctrins and Principles of our Church to refuse Allegeance to good Religious Princes whom God hath made the happy Instruments of preserving our Religion and Liberties In the same Part the Iews are commended for praying for the King of Babylon when they were in Captivity that they might live under his Protection and do him Service and find Favour in his sight And what is this short of Allegeance to one who had nothing but bare Success in War to plead for his Title to it If any Princes of their own Religion had rescued them from that Captivity would they have scrupled Allegeance to them when we see how far the Maccabees went in the Defence of their Religion and Laws In the Second Part the obedience of the Iewish Nation to Augustus is commended and it is evident that he had no Authority over them but by the Right of War And our Blessed Saviour's example is mentioned who being brought before the Roman President acknowledged his Power and Authority to be given him from God And how was this Authority conveyed to him but by the success of War So that we can find nothing in the certain established Doctrin and Principles of our Church which is repugnant to our Allegeance to the present Government I might easily produce considerable Testimonies of some of the greatest Divines of our Church which assert that Soverignty may be transferred by a just War but I leave that to others and proceed Mr Ashton saith That we were born leige Subjects to another that we have solemnly professed our Allegeance and often confirmed it with Oaths I know no body denies it But is this all Is our Allegeance so inseparable from the Person we have once sworn to that no Case whatsoever can alter it Not the Case of plain voluntary Dereliction Not the Case of putting the Kingdom under a Foreign Power Not the seeking the utter Ruin and Destruction of the People Is Allegeance inseparable in these Cases because we were Born Subjects and did swear Allegeance If not then it is not always so notwithstanding the Oaths For