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CONSIDERATIONS ON THE BILL Depending, for Preventing Occaſional Conformity, Humbly Offered by the People called Quakers.

IN the latter part of the Preamble of this Bill, it is declared, that the Act paſſed in the Firſt Year of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, Entituled, An Act for Exempting their Maje­ſties Proteſtant Subjects, Diſſenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws, ought Inviolably to be Obſerved. Which Noble Declaration, would give us Ground to hope that nothing is deſigned in this Bill, to Infringe the ſaid Act of Ex­emption; yet in the Beginning of the Preamble and following Clauſes of it, we have, as we humbly con­ceive, Reaſon to think the Liberty, given by the ſaid Act, is made liable to a Doubtful Senſe, if not Infringed.

Firſt,The Term [Truly] in the Preamble, not be­ing Limited in its acceptation, may be ſo conſtrued, as to interfer with the Deſign of the Act for Exemp­tion, which is therein declared to be to Unite the Queen's Proteſtant Subjects, in Intereſt and Affection; which good End, that Parliament did hope Effectually to ob­tain,2 by giving ſome Eaſe to Scrupulous Conſciences in the Exerciſe of Religion, as therein appears, with­out leaving it to any Subordinate Magiſtrate, to deter­mine what is, or is not Truly Scrupulous.

Secondly,It ſeemed meet to that Parliament, not to diſtinguiſh the Religious Aſſemblies, or Meetings of Proteſtant Diſſenters, with the Term of Conventicles, as in this Bill, under which Term, by ſome former Laws, we have ſeverely ſuffered.

Thirdly,To make any Perſon in Office, an Of­fender, and to forfeit his Office or Turſt, with a Penalty, only for Reſorting to, or being Preſent at any ſuch Aſſembly as aforeſaid, when the Occaſion may be on the account of a Funeral, &c. we conceive, if En­acted, will not only infringe the Toleration, but render Illegal the Common Offices of Love and Huma­nity betwixt Friends and Relations, and not only to thoſe, who do Occaſionally Conform, but alſo to Conſtant Conformiſt••

Fourthly,That Act allows ſundry Offices to be ſer­ved by Deputy; this Bill makes no ſuch Proviſion, ex­cept for Offices of Inheritance.

Fifthly,As we are Free-men of Corporations, and Members of Companies, by the Terms of Admiſſion, we are bound to do in our Courſe the ſeveral Du­ties thereof; which by this Bill, we are not only ren­dred incapable of, but alſo ſubject to Fines and Pe­nalties for not doing them.

Sixthly,The Words Scandalous and Irreligious Pra­ctices, uſed in this Bill, being in the Plural, ſeems to conclude the Reſorting to, or being Preſent at the Re­ligious Meetings of Proteſtant Diſſenters, equally offen­ſive with an Occaſional receiving of the Sacrament, on­ly for a Place of Profit, or Turſt in the Government, which we hope is not intended; for that would carry3 an unmerited Reflection on Religious Aſſemblies, and is, as we conceive, not agreeable with the Act for Ex­emption.

Seventhly,we have never ſought after any Place of Profit or Truſt in the Government, and therefore pray that the Conſcientious Liberty, which we thankfully Enjoy, and was granted by that Act, may be kept entire.

Laſtly,As it is our Chriſtian Principle to ſuffer for Conſcience, ſo the ſame makes us plead for the Liber­ty of it, to all whoſe Morals and Obedience to the Government cannot Juſtly be queſtioned; and we con­ceive, reſtraining from Proving all things,1 Theſ. 5.21. in order to hold faſt that which may be moſt conducing to future Happineſs (the Chief End of RELIGION) is oppoſite to the Apoſtle's Advice; And where ſuch Reſtraint is, we cannot think the Toleration ſecure.

About this transcription

TextConsiderations on the bill depending, for preventing occasional conformity humbly offered by the people called Quakers.
Author[unknown]
Extent Approx. 4 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images.
Edition1695
SeriesEarly English books online.
Additional notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A80364)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 153139)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2350:7)

About the source text

Bibliographic informationConsiderations on the bill depending, for preventing occasional conformity humbly offered by the people called Quakers. 3,[1]p. s.n.,[S.l. :1695?]. (Wing (CD-ROM edition) reports date of publication as [169?̲]) (Reproduction of original in the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library.)
Languageeng
Classification
  • Society of Friends -- England -- Early works to 1800.
  • Dissenters, Religious -- England -- Early works to 1800.
  • Church and state -- England -- Early works to 1800.

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Publisher
  • Text Creation Partnership,
ImprintAnn Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2011-04 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2).
Identifiers
  • DLPS A80364
  • STC Wing C5912aA
  • STC ESTC R229791
  • EEBO-CITATION 99899370
  • PROQUEST 99899370
  • VID 153139
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