The true interest of the legal English Protestants, stated in a letter to a present member of the House of Commons concerning the test 1687 Approx. 12 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2011-04 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A63532 Wing T2714A ESTC R219806 99831253 99831253 35716

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A63532) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 35716) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2116:10) The true interest of the legal English Protestants, stated in a letter to a present member of the House of Commons concerning the test 4 p. s.n., [London? : 1687?] Imprint from Wing. Caption title. Copy has print show-through. Reproduction of the original in the Worcester College Library, Oxford.

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eng Protestantism -- Early works to 1800. Protestants -- England -- Early works to 1800. Church and state -- England -- Early works to 1800. Great Britain -- History -- James II, 1685-1688 -- Early works to 1800. 2020-09-21 Content of 'availability' element changed when EEBO Phase 2 texts came into the public domain 2008-12 Assigned for keying and markup 2009-01 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2009-03 Sampled and proofread 2009-03 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The True Intereſt of the Legal English PROTESTANTS, STATED IN A LETTER TO A Preſent Member of the Houſe of Commons Concerning the TEST. SIR,

IF you look round about you; you will find the greateſt part of the Nation to have been your Bloody Devouring Enemies: The viſible Reaſons, have been the Actings of the Biſhops in Scotland, and the High Commiſsion-Court in England: But the chief Reaſon of taking this pretence, was the Avarice of your Enemies to Uſurp Church-Lands: Which Intereſt (as it hath ever continued their Conſpiracies ſince) muſt always make them remain your Solemnly Leagued, and unalterable Enemies; though perhaps your preſent Flatterers. And you have no Revertionary proſpect to comfort you; for the next Heir now living, is Invironed with Presbyterian Inſtructers.

But the preſent King, (mindful of your paſt Loyalty,) hath Promis'd, and Perform'd the Protection of you, for two years together, without withdrawing ſo much as His Family-Chappel at Whitehall from you: And His Clemency and Compaſſion no loſs perſeveres, in Protecting and Cheriſhing thoſe Contenders with Kings, the French Hugonots: So that His Proteſtant Friends can have no motive to doubt Him, whom they can only Truſt, if they Diſoblige him not.

But if the Coerſive Power muſt be continued over the Sectaries, though it begun all our Miſeries; and the Penal Laws, with the Teſts, muſt remain, to drive all ſorts of Non-conformiſts to Hypocriſy; you will find that thoſe whom you would ſtill be Threatning without Power, will take new meaſures to deſtroy your future Power. I ſay not this, that I would have all ſorts of Rebellious Sectaries have Liberty to meet in what Numbers and Places they pleaſe; but would have new Acts (if there be not enough) to give the Civil Magiſtrate a ſufficient preventing Power of ſuch Temptations to Rebellion. But I would have the Proteſtant Church freed from the blemiſh of being Tyrants over Mens Souls; their Churches, Revenues, and ſuch a Paſtoral Power as Chriſt and his Apoſtles Exercis'd, being continued upon them. I mean a Power to Preach, Teach, and Excommunicate all Church-Diſturbers.

And now ſince the Teſt-Acts have made a great noiſe in the World; I ſhall preſume to offer ſome Proofs out of an Allowed Proteſtant Bible of the Unlawfulneſs of them.

And to begin with the Act of the 25th. of King Charles the Second, the words of the Engagement are theſe.

I A. B. do declare, that I do Believe that there is not any Tranſubſtantiation in the Lords-Supper, or in the Elements of Bread and Wine, at, or after the Conſecration thereof, by any perſon whatſoever.

And in the ſecond Act of the 30th. of King Charles the Second, there is added, The renouncing the Invocation of the Virgin Mary, or any of the Saints, as Idolatrous; as alſo the Maſs as it is now uſed by the Church of Rome, is declar'd Idolatrous.

But the Proteſtant Bible is poſitive in theſe Words, St. Matthew Chap. 26. ver. 26.

And as they were Eating, Jeſus took Bread, and Bleſſed it, and Brake it, and gave it to the Diſciples, and ſaid, Take, Eat, this is my Body.

And in St. Mark Chap. 14. ver. 22.

And as they did Eat, Jeſus took Bread, and Bleſſed it, and Brake it, and gave it to them, and ſaid, Take, Eat, this is my Body.

And in St. Luke Chap. 22. ver. 19.

And he took Bread, and gave Thanks, and Brake it, and gave unto them, ſaying, This is my Body which is given for you, this do in Remembrance of me.

And in the Verſes immediately following theſe three Texts, Chriſt calls the Cup of Wine, His Blood, ſhed for his Followers: But I omitted them for Brevity ſake.

Now I would ask you, whether the plain Words in the Teſt-Acts, are not expreſly that I believe not one of theſe Texts of Chriſt?

And to give you yet a plainer Text out of St. John Chap. 6. ver. 51. You will find theſe words in your own Bible.

I am the Living Bread, which came down from Heaven, if any Man Eat this Bread he ſhall live for ever.

And the Bread that I will give is my Fleſh, which I will give for the Life of the World.

Conſider now Sir, Whether the Ingagements in theſe Teſt-Acts, are not a Solemn League againſt the Word of God, ſo plain in four Texts; and a confounding Snare to thoſe that cannot Read and Underſtand, as well as to thoſe that can; for they engage to they know not what: Nor do I know one contrary Text.

As for the Miracle of Tranſubſtantiation, which the Teſt-takers think ſo hard, God hath Impower'd Man and Beaſt to demonmonſtrate it daily to them: For the chief ſorts of Beaſts do daily Tranſubſtantiate Graſs and Water into their own Fleſh and Blood: And Man does Tranſubſtantiate the very Elements of Bread and Wine into his own Fleſh and Blood: This undenyable Truth then ſhould induce the Teſt-League to allow God a little more Power: And ſince he ſhews them the multiplication of all growing Bodies in their Seed, they cannot deny him a Fertile Power over his own Body: For ſince the Holy Ghoſt Breathed Chriſts Body into the Womb of a Virgin, Chriſt being God and Man, cannot be denyed the ſame Power to Breath the Breath of Life into Bread, by his own or his Delegates Words. And for Fleſh to lye hid under the outward Figure of Bread, is no more impoſſible, then for the hidden Fleſh of all Birds with their entire Forms, to be conceal'd under the Shape, Taſte and Complexion of Eggs. We muſt then believe God of ſuch Infinite Power, as to Create all things out of nothing by his Word; which is the greateſt and moſt viſible of all Miracles: For (beſides the proofs in Geneſis) we daily view the Univerſe, which could never make it ſelf in ſuch Beauty and Order, without an Infinitely Powerful Deſigner.

And that Chriſt did Delegate his Power in the Sacrament to his Diſciples, is plain in the Text above-mention'd of St. Luke Chap. 22. ver. 9. This do in remembrance of me.

If then we have ſo many Texts for Tranſubſtantiation, and none againſt it: And the ſecond Councel of Nice with others, declaring for it, and none againſt it: Theſe are not Authorities to be oppos'd by an Antient Father or too, as our Adverſaries ſay, or a little late grown Reformed Church or two.

For the oppoſers of Gods Word condemn their own Principle of Reformation; and Contradictors of General Councels, are underminers of all Chriſtian Authority or Unity; for they are the choſen Repreſentatives of the Generality of Chriſtians. Amongſt whom, Peaceably call'd by the chief Power for many hundreds of years, the Church of God muſt be: To which Chriſt Promis'd to continue with, St. Matthew Chap. 28. ver. 20. in theſe words, Loe I am with you always, even unto the end of the World. And if ſo, all Peaceable General Councels muſt be of like Authority: And they who will not hear them, muſt incur the Penalty denounced in St. Matthew Chap. 18. ver. 17, 18. And if he neglect to hear thee, tell it unto the Church; and if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an Heathen, man and a Publican.

Verſe 18. Verily I ſay unto you, whatſoever ye ſhall bind on Earth ſhall be bound in Heaven. And whatſoever ye ſhall looſe on Earth, ſhall be looſed in Heaven.

And the Church that we muſt hear, muſt be always Viſible (if Chriſt be always with them) or elſe it can neither command, nor we hear them to Obey.

And without an Umpire Church we can never agree about the Sacrament; nor any other of the many Controverted Texts, and Sects growing from them.

And now I believe this may be enough, though you ſtill doubt Tranſubſtantiation, to make you think it your Duty to endeavour to Repeal theſe Teſt-Acts; to remove ſuch a Bait for Diviſion between His Majeſty and People.

As for the Declaration in the ſecond Teſt-Act, Of Idolatry for Invoking the Virgin Mary or Saints, or Adoring Chriſt in the Elevated Bread of the Maſs, Where they ſuppoſe he is not: I ſhall, in brief, only ſay, That the ſeeking of Chriſt either by or without his mediating Favourites, though it ſhould be, where he is ſuppos'd not to be,) can be no Idolatry. Since Chriſt is every where, as he is God; and that no Pagan Gods are in the Hearts of any Chriſtians.

And now having prov'd the unlawfulneſs, I ſhall proceed to the Inconveniencies of the Teſt-Acts.

And what can be more improper, then depriving the Government, not only of the uſe of the Roman Catholicks in all Chargeable, Troubleſom, or Dangerous Offices, either Civil or Military; but even of all other Subjects, who may avoid ſuch Imployments, by ſaying, I cannot take the Ingagements in the Teſt-Acts, and therefore muſt not obey you.

How ridiculous were any Government, that ſhould not have a Power to ſuſpend ſuch Laws?

As for the Penal Laws againſt Non-conformiſts, they were made to wear out the Oppoſers of Queen Elizabeths Title to the Crown; But that Cauſe being remov'd long ſince, it is certain that they have been contrary to the Primitive Doctrine and Practice of Chriſtians, Oppreſſive of mens Conſciences and Families, the Cauſers of Conſpiracies and Rebellions, and drivers of men to Hypocriſy.

If theſe then are their undenyable Attributes, your Compaſſion, Juſtice and true Proteſtant Intereſt, will Ingage you to endeavour when you Sit again, to get the ſtart of all your Enemies, in obliging His moſt Illuſtrious Majeſty, by taking off altogether the worſt of Slaveries, at leaſt from the moſt Loyal of His Oppreſſed Subjects.

They are but a Contemptible Handful of People. And therefore when God ſhall remove His glorious Majeſty; if you ſhall then find them worſe then other Subjects, you will be numerous enough to make what new Laws you pleaſe againſt them: For they are not the twentieth man, and have grown no faſter here in this ſhort time of Liberty, than a great Body of them hath done amongſt the Wiſe United Netherlanders with a hundred years Liberty; where they are in Peace, with a continued Fidelity to their Government, when Invaded by the French of their own Religion.

But let what will happen, it is the True Intereſt of the Church of England to ſtand or fall with its Duty: Their King (if he were a Heathen) is the Lords Anointed; as Cyrus was call'd in Iſaia chap. 45. v. 1. and he is the Legal Head of the Engliſh Church, by which he can model them to their Duty without force.

And now I have ſaid enough, to one ſo Wiſe as to know, that God and the King muſt be Truſted with ſomething. For I ſhould Apologize for ſo tedious a Letter from

Your very Affectionate and moſt Humble Servant.