Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A62757
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To the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the humble address of the atheists, or, the Sect of the Epicureans
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James II, King of England, 1633-1701.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing T1503; ESTC R4843
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1,127
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1
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To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty The Humble Address of the Atheists or the Sect of the Epicureans GREAT SIR SINCE Men of all Factions and Misperswasions of Religion have presented their Thanks for your Majesty's gracious Declaration of Liberty of Conscience we think our selves obliged as Gentlemen to bring up the Reer and become Addressers too We are sure there is no Party of Men more improved and advanced by your Indulgence both as to Principles and Proselytes of England And our Cabals are as full as your Royal Chapel for your unlimitted Toleration has freed the Nation from the troublesom Bygottries of Religion and has taught Men to conclude That there is nothing Sacred or Divine but Trade and Empire and nothing of such eternal Moment as secular Interest Your Majesty's Universal Indulgence hath introduced such unanswerable Objections and happy Inferences towards ' all Religion that many have given over the troublesome Enquiry after Truth and set down that easie Inference That all Religion is a Cheat. In particular we can never sufficiently Congratulate and Admire that generous Passage in your Majesty's gracious Declaration wherein you have Freed your People from the solemn Superstition of Oaths and especially from those slavish Ceremonious ones of Supremacy and Allegiance and are pleased to declare That you expect no more from your People than what they are obliged to by the Ancient Law of Nature and so have bravely given them leave to preserve and defend themselves according to the First Chapter of Nature's Magna Charta Your Majesty was pleased to wish That all your Subjects were of your own Religion and perhaps every Division wishes you were of theirs But for our parts we freely declare That if ever we should be obliged to profess any Religion we would preferr the Church of Rome which does not much trouble the World with the Affairs of invisible Beings and is very Civil and Indulgent to the Failings of humane Nature That Church can ease us from the grave Fatigues of Religion and for our Moneys allow us Proxies both for Piety and Penances We can easily swallow and digest a Wafer Deity and will never cavil at the Mass in an unknown Tongue when the Sacrifice it self is so unintelligible We shall never scruple the Adoration of an Image when the chiefest Religion is but Imagination And we are willing to allow the Pops an absolute Power to dispense with all penal Laws in this World and in another But before we return to Rome the greatest Origin of Atheism we wish the Pope and all his Vassal Princes would free the World from the fear of Hell and Devils the Inquisition and Dragoons and that he would take of the Chimney-Money of Purgatory and Custom and Excise of Pardons and Indulgences which are so much inconsistent with the flourishing Trade and Grandeur of the Nation As for the Ingagements of Lives and Fortunes the common Complement of Addressers we confess we have a more peculiar Tenderness for those most sacred Concernments but yet we will hazard them in Desence of your Majesty with as much Constancy and Resolution as your Majesty will defend your Indulgence that is so far as the Adventure will serve our Designs and Interest From the Devil-Tavern the Fifth of November 1688. Presented by Justice Baldock and was graciously received