Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A92231
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Three great questions concerning the succession and the dangers of popery fully examin'd in a letter to a Member of this present Parliament.
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M. R.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing R50; ESTC R229912
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34,686
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24
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Prophets This then would be folly and to pursue it would be madness because it would be to oppose his single strength for in this case he would stand alone to the united force of Lords and Commons and the whole Body of the People And who knows not that in this Sense Dominium fundatur in voluntatibus hominum For without an Army and a very great one he could not compasse his impertinent project this Army he could not raise without a vast Treasure this Treasure he cannot have but from his own people in Parliament who will not give it to their prejudice For out of Parliament he cannot have enough even for his ordinary Expence much lesse for the defence of the Kingdom against forraign Attempts because upon the death of the present the following Successor will find so much fallen off that there will not be left one third of the present insufficient Revenue for all necessary Uses of the Crown An Argument that alone may convince the sober and unbyass'd that be he of what perswasion soever he must of necessity comply with his Parliament who can't be suppos'd neglectful of the great Concern of Religion And to think that the Papists at home or abroad will give it is Folly or Inconsideration Those at home could not by the sale of all their Fortunes make the Fond that can never be supposed by men in their wits nor indeed can I see why they should contribute at all since their gain by offices of which they are now incapable would be but advantagious to some and why shall the whole be at a losse for the profit of a few that uncertain Besides that party is now more a Gainer by freedom from offices of Charge and Trouble than they could then be by the partial Advantage of Employments The Papists abroad will less find their Accompt for Princes of all Religions and the only present rich and powerful one of That expends his Money for Earthly Glory leaving as he ought the Heavenly to the Spiritual Princes These all are ever were and will be such Lovers of Wealth Pomp and Grandour as not to bestow it in the purchase of Heaven which they know is not to be bought for Silver or for Gold The Pope regaining Peter-pence could not invite him if he had the Sum for if you compute that you will find it a Trifle 6666 reckoning it after the way of the present Chimney-money set for 160 odd thousand pounds at two shillings a Chimney whereas that was only a peny a House not a peny a Chimney as in this Caluclation is allow'd when Houses are much more than in those days And for the First-fruits and Tenths they are no lesse inconsiderable For Indulgences Appeals and the consequent Charges they are trivial and accidental and go not into the Pop's but into particular Officers pockets Besides no one Pope can hope to see such a Design effected and the Nephews and Nieces will prevent their converting their Riches to the advantage of the Successors And as for the Church or Abby-Lands they could not on this accompt be of any moment since if restor'd to the Church which would be uncertain as the effect of War they would fall into the hands of Clergy-men who have nothing before hand to contribute Now considering that the late rais'd Army under 30000 men put the King to the charge of more than a Million how many Millions think you must be requisite for a much greater Army necessary for so great a Design when the Opposition will be strong and lasting the very Lifted Millitia being above 160000 And supposing that all the Papists in the three Kingdoms would become Voluntiers in this extravagant Expedition the whole would be still as disproportionat and as unliklely to prevail as an Army of Pigmies with Spears of Bulrushes mounted on Crans against an Army of Gyants riding on Elephants and every way well appointed for War In the year 1672. and they cannot since be much encreas'd the Papists upon a Survey of them Conformists and Nonconformists severally were found throughout England to be under 27000. Men Women and Children In Scotland the disproportion is greater on the protestant side in Ireland on the Papists Yet by a Medium of all three there would be 203. Protestants to one Papist What then can be dreaded from them though assisted with an Army of profligat Hirelings for none else would fight to destroy Religion and enslave their Country and a Prince of their own Perswasion whose Example could win but on the mean and base the flattering and mercenary Courtiers to hold with him as with other Kings their Necks awry So inconsiderable a Number could not shock the main Body of the People sighting not as the others for Opinion or for Pay but further for Liberty Property Religion and Estate of which being possest though the others were equal in Numbers theirs would be the advantage according to that Rule Milior est conditio possidentis And indeed considering the Athelstical bent and humour of the Nation whose Religion is generally in their Mouths only and not in their Hearts I am apt to conclude the great Heat and Contention is founded upon the apprehension of the loss of Church and Abby-Lands not of protestantism and the rather because it is urged Nullum tempus occurrit Ecolesiae The Maxim is Regi and yet we find though most of the Lordships of England belonged formerly to the King they are now possest by others without danger of reassumption and yet even that has been practised in former Kings Reigns and advised by parliaments who al ways reputed them unalienable And yet why we should now be more sollicitous for fear of the Church than of the King I cannot understand since either prescription or their own Consent lies against both and that even in the infancy of the protestant Religion upon the return of Popery by parliament the Pope did in Q. Mary's Reign by his Legat Cardinal Poole confirm to the Laity the Temporal possessions of the Clergy And can any one imagine that how when a contrary Religion is of so long standing and the professors as far exceeding the Papists in number as they did then the Protestants a parliament would be kinder Earthly Interest will ever weigh more than Heavenly the World being now so much enlightned with Knowledge and Letters beyond its former Experience when not only Salvation but Wisdom hung upon the Lips of the priests it be will be impossible for men to be perswaded even upon their Death-beds to bestow all for the gaining of Heaven The Statute of Mortmain was made in the height of Popery and none but Fools can suffer themselves to be imposed upon that a Statute of Restitution could be possible in the Meridian of a contrary Religion This is well known to the leading and considering men who having Designs upon great Offices and preferments in the State make the Care of the Church a pretence only to their