Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A54986
|
Plaine truth vvithout feare, or, Flattery being a case of conscience tryed at Oxford
|
Wilbee, Amon.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing P2371; Thomason E89_30
|
5,026
|
9
|
delight to bath themselves in troubled waters as may appeare by a great party now in this Kingdome which take advantage of the present distractions and now live in defiance both of Religion Law seperating themselves from the Metropolis of England and have took a Journey as farre as Newcastle Thrivewell Jndeed J have heard that Newcastle is full of Papists nay the report goes that the Earl of Newcastle has a Popish Army under his command but J am hard of beliefe Sharpwit Beleeve it Sir t is as frequent with the said Earl to go from his Army to Masse as it formerly hath been with the Paulonian Singingmen to reel from the Alehouse to the quire and from thence to the Alehouse again as if they had made a Covenant with the Devill and might be drunke by Pattent Thrivewell J must confesse J have seen much wickednesse in some of those Cathedrall-men but because some are wicked we must not condemne all Sharpwit Jndeed it s the part of a Christian to Judge charitably but leaving this discourse pray tell me the oppinion of those men which you call by the name of Rounheads Thrivewell Why they are men that cry down the Common-prayer Episcopacie and the now established Chvrch Government they are all for the maintenance of the purity of Religion with many other new opinions touching which J desire you to give me your opinion Sharpwit To my best power J shall as touching the Common-prayer there hath been many things of late dayes brought in and incerted which are absolute Popery the particulaas therof J will sorbeare to mention because I hope ere long the Authority of the Law will purge the Land both of it and the bringers in of those abominations As touching the Bishops though it may seem strange that I should speak against them being a profest Schollar but J must speake my Conscience without feare or flattery they have been the Authors of all our present distractions had they been suffered to raign but one three yeares longer we had had Fire and Faggot as in Queen Maries dayes for already Divines were instructed to preach Prerogative and Divine Jurisdiction the power of the King over the Subject nay J heard that on Fuller of affection to his King then of Loyalty to his Country in a Court Sermon once and in many Sermons to his Parishoers taught openly this Portion of Law for Divinity â—…re it cannot be that the goods and estates of the Subject were at the Kings disposall if necessity reâ—…tred and that the King was sole judge of the said necessity and now judge whether this be not the highest degree of Prerogative had Ahab been possest of this rich Jewell he had not made murder the prize of Naboths Viâ—eâ—ard it hath been such false Doctrines which hath procured our present â—râ—eâ—ling miseries it hath been the Bishops and their Creatures who like so many fawâ—ing Spaniels can sooth and temporize and by Booke maintain to serve their â—uds and glut their Godlesse gaine that hath raysed this storme in the See of the Church and distracted the Commonwealth therefore it shall be my prayer that we may continue free from that Egiptian servitude which wee have so long lived in Thrivewell Pray Sir resolve me how farre doth Prerogative extend what is the Nature of it Sharpwit J shall be loth to medle with an edge tool for feare J should cut my fingers for such is Prerogative to be dealt withall tâ—eâ—efore leaving this discourse J wil relate unto you the manner of the Government in France Jn that Kingdome there are three degrees or ranks of People the Prince the Peeres and Pesants the Prince raignes like a Monarcke the Peeres like petty Kings and the poor Pesants like to many Tipâ—s of Egiptian slavery Thrivewell The manner pray relate Sharpwit As touching the King and his Nobles J will omit them but for the poore Commons J shall discourse at large theâ—e the Tennant or Faâ—…er cannot say his rent being paid that the overplus is his owne as the reward of his tillage the Labourer that hath wrought all day hard and with the sweat of his Brow purchased a piece of silver cannot say tâ—at is his owne neither for happily while he is counting his Cards an Edict comes from the King and takes away a thirds of what he had gotten so hardly and the question being made wherefore they do so answer is returned the King must have it and this is Prerogative Royall in France Thrivewell From which good Lord deliver us in England but leaving this discourse pray resolve me one thing heard you not that his Maâ—…sty had lately a List of the names of all those persons of Eminencie that stand for the King in the City Sharpwit I can name some of them the ringleader was one Blackmore aâ— very pursey Gentleman but since J have heard that he was very poor for having spent his estate in good House-keeping he has shut up his shop like a broken Marchant and is gone to Sea to â—ave his credit The next was a â—aâ—dfore man with a Crispt Perriwig his name J have quite forgot but J and certain he was a franke Customer then there was a Capring Just-asse which J believe doth Foster a malignant Spirit next there was one Baconface a â—…ntner which J heare say builds Castles in the Aire then there was another that was scarce able to say Boâ—… to a Goose with many other Bakers and Brewers and inded of all Trades so that J could not but wonder that so many men seemingly wisemen should be so blind as not to disern how they send aid to those that desire to destroy them Thrivewell Make that apparent Sharpwit Is not Religion the Foundation of the Lawes and do not the Papists endeavour to subvert our Religion and if the Religion of a Land be subverted are not the Lawes infringed and if the Law which is the protection of the Subject be infringed do we not lye open to an arbitrary Government and so consequently that man that shall any way assist that Party in the promoting of the Designes which they have now on foot their intentions being so apparent doth as much as in him lyes to destroy the Religion and Lawes of the Kingdome and so consequently is his owne destroyer for the bringing in of an arbitrary power is the first step to destruction Before the comming together of this Parliament you had a taste of an arbitrary Government witnesse the Ship-money with many other things from which next to God this Parliament hath preserved us from and therefore considering the benefits we have received by them with the continuall charge care and toyle which they undergo for the Generall Good and how notwithstanding the scandalous speeches of some wicked ones that say they aime at Preferment they might by joyning with his Majesty gain Honour with lesse charge and more security if they did not aim only at the glory of God and the good of the King and Kingdome it is the best way in respect of God to joyn with the Parliament in the defence of Religion and in respect of your own safety to assist them in the maintaining of the Lawes for if the Lawes be destroyed the Liberty of the Subject cannot stand Thrivewell J am converted and will hencforward practise to be an instrument of Reformation FINIS
Plaine Truth VVithout Feare or Flattery Being a Dialogue between Mr. Thrivewell a Citizen and Mr. Sharpwit a Schollar upon the Road between Oxford and London Sharpwit MAster Thrivewell well met this Frosty Morning whether hath the desire of profit drawn you thus early that you have left the security of your City and exposed your selfe to the danger of an Enemy of such dangerous consequence Thrivewell Enemy Mr. Sharpwit what Enemy I am confident I cannot meet with so great an Enemy as J have left behind Sharpwit Thinke you so suppose you should meet with a Company of Cavaliers as this Country is full of them that should use you like the poor Publican amongst Theeves first Rob you then wound you and leave you in the field destitute of all comfort Thrivewell Truely Mr. Sharpwit J should thinke it very hard usage but J cannot beleeve that any of the Cavaliers can be so cruell Sharpwit Thinke you so what thinke you then of their proceedings at Kingston upon Thames Brainford and Reading where they were invited into the Towd by the Jnhabitants where since their Arrivall they have disarmed the Townesmen possessed themselves of their Houses seized their Goâ—ds imprisoned their Persons and forced the rest to leave the Town exposing them their wives and children to take up their lodging in the open fields Thrivewell J have heard such a report but J cannot beleeve it to be true I conceive it to be a report formed by a sort of people which we have in London which by such reports endeavour to make the Cavaliers odious in the sight of the world Sharpwit That is your Jmmagination but by the way what sort of People are those Thrivewell J will tell you they are called Round-heads Sharpwit Why are they so called Thrivewell Nay that J 〈…〉 J know no reason for if but J have heard some say that they are called Roundheads because they cannot endure the Bishops for Common prayer Sharpwit They are those that his Majestie mentions so oft in his Declarations under the notion of Brownists And aâ—â—ists and Seperatists Thrivewell The very same they are the onely Cavaliers in the Kingdome that I stand in feare of Sharpwit Why do you fear them If they be true Roundheads they define to live peaceably and religiously with all men which are the onely instruments of Reformation Why should you feare them Thrivewell You coming from Oxford cannot I know be ignorant of the great differences and distractions which are fallen between his Majesty and the Parliament Sharpwit Sir to my great griefe they are very well known to me but to your discourse Thrivewell These differences caused the Parliament to raise an Army this Army caused an imposition on us Citizens that we should contribute toward the maintenance of the said Army which for a while was done voluntarily by the Roundheads but when their springs were almost exhausted then they began to looke more narrowly to us and because that every man should beare an equall share there was an Ordinance made that every man should pay the twentieth part of their Estates which being denyed by the same power they come upon the Persons so refusing and the goods of the said persons to the vallue of the summe so assessed for the purposes aforesaid and this Ordinance being put in execution by these men which we call Roundheads both to secure my person and my estate I have left London and am travailing toward Oxford hoping to enjoy that liberty there which is denyed me at London Sharpwit Truely Master Thrivewell I am affraid you have leapt out of the Frying-pan into the Fire you have strove to avoid Sylla and are like to fall into Caribdis nay I may make a more effectuall and efficacious construction of this your progression you have left the Tents of Kedar and are wandering toward the Wildernesse of the wicked but pray stay a while and since you have given me so free a relation of the estate of London I wiâ—l discourse to you the true condition of Oxford Thrivewell I thinke my selfe much ingag'd to you for so great a courteâ—â—e pray proceed Sharpwit Sir you had a great Captain lately left London and some other great ones that is I have heard so the same Cause left London and went to Oxford Thrivewell T is true Sir I know them very well Sharpwit It will be a discourse sutâ—able to the season to declare unto you the manner of their arrivall and entertainment Comming into Oxford newes was immediately brought unto the Court that such men were privately come to the City whereupon there was command given that a messenger should be sent to fetch them to the Court and to command them to attend his Majesties pleasure where being come the cause of their arrivall was demanded Answer was made that they came to make a tender of their service to his Majesty being convinced in their Consciences that their Allegiance bound them thereunto hoping that his Majestie would pardon all their former actions promising amendment for the future which was accepted gratiously by his Majesty and they for the present dismiâ—… the next day a messenger was sent to them to demand the Loan of ten thousand pound a man otherwise they were to leave the City now judge whether it be better to pay the Twentieth part of your estate and live in security or to part withall otherwise to be exposed to the scorn and abuse of Welch and Irish Cavaliers where you hall not walke the street but shall be called A Parliament Fugitive with many other abuses of the like nature Thrivewell Sir I am satisfied in that particular but pray resolve me do not you thinke that his Maistie intends to maintain the Protestant Religion Sharpwit I should sinne if I should thinke the contrary Thrivewell why then should he be opposed against whom do wee take up Armes wherein lyes the danger which is so much feared Sharpwit I will satisfie you in that particular Armes are taken up against a pack of knaves alias Evill Councellours who have combined together to destroy the Religion and Lawes of the Land Thrivewell Pray Sir relate the circumstances in each particular There is you know a great party of Papists which by all meanes endeavour to promote the warre they being bound to endeavour to gain a freedome of Conscience which they have lost by the same Law of Conscience by which we are bound to defend that freedome of Religion that we enjoy Thrivewell Sir pray tell me a reason why the Papists may not be suffered to have freedome of Conscience Sharpwit J will answer you with a question wherefore were the Israelites commanded to purge the Land of Jdolatry Thrivewell J am satisfied in that Particular pray proceed Sharpwit Next there is a great Party of Delinquents which promote the warre having no other way to secure themselves from the censure of the Law but by fomenting and encreasing these distractions those that are possest with malignant spirits