Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	faith_n	prove_v	3,810	5	6.3590	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47883	A memento, directed to all those that truly reverence the memory of King Charles the martyr and as passionately wish the honour, safety, and happinesse of his royall successour, our most gratious sovereign Charles the II : the first part / by Roger L'Estrange.	L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.	1662 (1662)	Wing L1270; ESTC R19958	132,463	266

Governs by his Laws at Home The Apprehension of Conspiracies and Plots in my opinion weighs not much or if there be any danger the failing is rather in the Constitution or Administration then in the want of Power to keep the Peop●e quiet Good Lawes and Good Officers will do the Business without an Army and if the Instruments be bad The Hazzard's Ten time● greater with it It will be needful here for the Clearing of the Question to make a Particular Enquiry concerning Seditions and That 's the Point wee 'll handle in the Next Chapter which for Order sake we shall divide into Seaven Sections with their Subdivisions as occasion shall require CAP. IX Of Seditions in Particular and shewing in what maner they arise from These Seaven Interests The Church the Bench the Court the Camp the City the Countrey and the Body Representative IN the first Chapter of this Tract we have touch'd upon the Matter and Causes of Seditions in General We must be now a little more Particular The Scene 's Utopia and wee 'll Divide it into Seaven Interests The Church the Bench the Court the Camp the City the Countrey and the Body Representative the least considerable of which being in any great disorder hazzards the whole and That either by engaging in some Actual Violence against the Government or by some Irregularity of Proceeding that may Provoke or Cause it Of These in their Course and first of the Church Sect. 1. Seditions Arising from the CHURCH THose Troubles in the State which derive from Distempers in the Church proceed either from Faction Ignorance or Scandal The Strongest Tie upon Reasonable Nature is Conscience and the Stubbornest Consciences are Those that do they know not What they know not Why. In Truth what is Conscience without Understanding but a well-meaning Madnesse And That 's the Fairest Sense my Charity can Afford to the Blind Zeal of a Transported Multitude If Conscience bids them Kill the King R●b the Church and Tear up the Foundations of Both Governments They 'll do it Nay More This has been done and Providence it self Proclaim'd for the Doer of it Great Heed should then be taken what Persons are Entrusted with the Care of Souls since the Consequence of a Factious Preacher and a Mistaken Conscience proves many times the Ruine both of Prince and People Under the Note of Faction I comprize all Opinions delivered Publiquely and with Design against the Doctrine Practice or Authority of the Church Reduce it in Short to Haresie and Schism● The former whereof reflecting only upon Matters of Faith concerns rather Religion then Government and lyes beyond the Line of my Purpose but in This Place the Latter is the Question and briefly as we may wee 'll take a view of the Rise the Methode the Design and the Effects of it It is with Church-men as with other Mortals There are of all Sorts Good Bad and Indifferent Some we have known whom neither the Losse of Dignity Fortune Freedome no nor the Losse of Life it self could ever move from the strict Rule of Conscience Magnanimity and Duty Others we have seen to Exercise these Cruelties though Ecclesiastiques themselves upon the Nobler Sort of their own Function And some again we have Observ'd to shift with every Turn and Steer by Interest Still putting on the Livery of the Prevayling Party Squaring the Rule and Will of Heaven to tho Appetites and Passions of Humanity so that upon the whole 't is evident some Clergy-men are Quiet because they have Preferments and Others Troublesome because they want them The Principal Ingredients into Schisme are These Ambition Avarice Popularity and Envy The Scope of it is to destroy Authority and advance a Faction Now how to accomplish This is the great work for a Rent in the Church signifies nothing without a Sedition in the State and in This manner they Proceed First in a Stile of Holy Tendernesse they slily disaffect the People against the Rites of the Church as in themselves unlawful and utterly Destructive of Christian Liberty To strengthen and advance the Imposture what do they next but rip up all the Faylings and shew the Nakednesse of their Superiours still aggravating what they find and Creating Scandalous Matter where they want it When the Multitude are once mov'd in Conscience against the Impositions and in Passion against the Imposers their next attempt is upon the Authority and Then they divide into Separate Assemblies which under colour of so many Conscientious Dissenters from the Ceremonies of the Church are infallibly so many contrivers against the Peace of the Kingdom For here comes in the Civill Power to prohibit their Seditious meetings and Then the Saints they cry are Persecuted The Cause is God's and they are ty'd in Conscience to bind their Kings in Chains and through all Extremities to persue a Reformation This is the Fruit of Tolerating a Faction under a Countenance of Conscience Nor is it any wonder to see Those wretches draw their Swords against Their Sovereign in the Field whose Souls are turn'd against him in the Pulpit But 't is Objected that some Ministers do really make a Conscience of Conformity Truly the better for Them if they forbear upon That Accompt but 't is the same Thing to the Publique upon what-accompt-soever for they Prescribe what they Practise and by the President of Sticking upon a Doubt of Conscience they open a Dore to Disobedience upon any Pretence of it breaking the Bond of Unity in favour of a Particular nicety of Opinion Very Notable is The Determination of the Lord St. Albans in This Case In Points Fundamental he that is not with us is against us In Points not Fundamental he that is not against us is with us Let this suffice to shew the Political Inconvenience of Enterteining Schismatical Preachers It may be now a Question How far a Christian Magistrate may justifie the sufferance of any man to exercise the Ministery within his Dominions that 's a profess'd Enemy to Episcopacy Which I Offer with the fit Modesty of a Proposal and with Reverence to the better-enform'd But if as the Danger of such a Mixture is Evident so the Lawfulness of it shall appear doubtful their own Argument is then turn'd against Themselves and we have both Scripture and Experience on our side over and above The Three Questions wherewith King Charles the Martyr Choak'd the Presbyterian Ministers in the Isle of Wight Remain still Unresolv'd and they are These First Is there any Certain Form of Church-Government at all prescrib'd in the Word Secondly If there be any Prescript Form Whether or no may the Civil Power Change the same as they see Cause Thirdly If any Prescript Form there be and That unchangeable If it were not Episcopal what was it In Fact the Constant Exercise of Church-Prelacy is so manifest that the whole stream of Story and Tradition Runs Episcopal which to Oppose were

to dispense with Common Formalities in Order both to the Discharge of his Duty and the Wellfare of his People His Oath of Protection Implying him Vested with a Power of Protecting ●nd his Conscience as a Governour obliging him to be careful of his Charge The Objection is Frivolous that This Supposition opens a Dore to Tyranny because that at This Rate a Prince has no more but to pretend a Danger and Then to do what he Pleases 'T is very right a Prince may Tyrannize under This Colour but 't is as certain that a People cannot Scruple This Inconvenience without incurring a Greater for 't is an Opinion Destructive of Government it self all Subjects being equally expos'd to the same Hazzard under all Governments and it is inevitable that either the King must have it in his Power to Oppresse his People or the People have it in Theirs to Destroy their Sovereign and betwixt the Ills of Tyran●y and Rebellion all the world knows the Disproportion Wherefore let Subjects hope and believe the Best of their Prince his Will and Inclination without medling with his Power for it is not lesse His Interest to be well Obey'd and Belov'd then it is Theirs to be well Govern'd Yet when a Prince by Exigencies of State finds himself forc'd to waive the Ordinary Path and Course of Law the Lesse He swerves the Better and the more unwilling He appears to Burthen his People the more willing shall he find Them to serve Him Especially he should be Cautelous where men's Estates or Freedoms are the Question to make the Necessity as Manifest as is possible and the Pressure as Light and as Equall as Consists with his Honour and Convenience Mixing however with This General Indulgence such a Particular Severity where his Authority is Disputed that the Obedient may have Reason to Love his Goodnesse and the Refractary as much to Fear his Displeasure By These Means may a Prince preserve himself from the Hatred of his People without exposing himself to their Contempt and in Order to the avoiding of That too wee 'll take up This Observation by the way That Subjects do Generally Love or Hate for Their own Sakes but when they despise a Prince it is for some Personal Weaknesse or Indignity in Himself Nothing makes a Monarch Cheaper in the Eyes of his People then That which begets an ill opinion either of his Prudence or Courage and if they find once that he will either be Over-reach'd or Over-aw'd they have his measure By Courage here we do not intend a Resolution only against Visible and Pressing Dangers but an Assurance likewise and Firmness of mind against Audacious and Threatning Counsels The Prudence we intend is of a more extensive Notion and from the most Mysterious Affaires of Royalty descends to the most Private and Particular Actions of a Princes Life It enters into his Cabinet-Counsels and Resolves his Publique Acts of State his very Forms of Language and Behaviour his Exercises and Familiar Entertainments In fine It is scarce lesse Dangerous for a Sovereign to separate the Prince from the Person even in his dayly ●ractices and Conversations then to permit Others to Divide Them in their Arguments And in a word to secure himself from Contempt it behoves a Monarch to Consider as his most Deadly Enemies such as Brave his Authority and by no means to allow even in his most Acceptable Servants and most Familiar Humours too great a Freedom toward his Person Not but that a Sovereign may in many Cases Familiarize with his Subjects and by so doing win the Reputation of a Wise and Gracious Prince Provided that the sweetnesse of his Nature cause him not to forget the Severity of his Office and that his Stooping to his People prove not an Emboldening of Them to come up to Him This is a Course to Prevent Sedition in the First Cause and check it in the Bud. But if it come once to shew it self and spread there is first Requisite upon a Cleare and Open Proofe a Speedy Execution of Lawes to the Utmost Rigour I say upon a Cleare and Open Proof for in such cases 't is of great Advantage to a State to make the Crime as evident as the Punishment that the People may at once Detest the Fact and Approve the Iustice. I say Likewise a speedy execution for Delay brings many Inconveniences It gives a Faction Time to Contrive and Unite and Boldnesse to Attempt for it looks as if They that sit at the Helme were either more sensible of The Danger or lesse mindfull of their Duty then becomes them Lastly whereas it is added to the Utmost Rigour My meaning is not to extend the Severity to a Multitude of Offenders but to Deterre the Generality by making some few and Dreadfull Examples Nay my Advice should be to Pick These Few too They should not be Fools Madmen or Beggers but the Boldest the Wisest the most Circumspect and Wealthy of the Party the Leaders and first Starters of the Quarrell to shew that neither their Confidence should Protect them nor their Shifts and Politiques avayle them But above All let not their Mony save Them for That 's no other then Setting of a Price upon the Head of the Sovereign Another Expedient to Stop a spreading mischief is for a Prince to keep a watchfull eye over Great Assemblyes which are either Irregular and Lawlesse or Regular and Constant or Arbitrary and Occasionall Concerning the First it is seldome seen where the Maner of a Meeting is ●umultuary that the Businesse of it is not so too and where Many Concurr● in One Unlawfull Act 't is no hard matter to persuade them to agree in Another So that to frustrate the Ends and Prevent the Consequences of such Meetings the surest way is for the Soveraign to employ his Authority Timely and strictly to Prohibit them If That does no Good He has no more to doe but Instantly to Scatter them by force and single out the Heads of the Riot for Exemplary Punishment Touching Conventions which are Regular and Steady It concernes the Chief Magistrate not to be without his Creatures and Discoverers in Those Assemblies and to see that they be well Influenc'd as to the Government For Instance when the People Meet to Chuse Officers when Those Officers meet to advise upon Businesse 't is worth the while for a Prince to learn how the Pulse Beats and Principally to Over-watch Churches and Courts of Iudicature Both in regard of the hazzard of Errours in matters of Law and Religion and of the Multitude being ever in readiness and Humour to Entertein them As to Meetings Arbitrary and Occasionall heed must be taken to the Persons assembling the Occasion which brings them Together and the Matter whereupon they Treat which we shall handle in their proper places and so passe from Generalls to Particulars beginning with the CHURCH Sect. I. By what means Haeresies and