To the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the humble address of the atheists, or, the Sect of the Epicureans 1688 Approx. 4 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A62757 Wing T1503 ESTC R4843 11957844 ocm 11957844 51570 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A62757) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 51570) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 518:24) To the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the humble address of the atheists, or, the Sect of the Epicureans James II, King of England, 1633-1701. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n.], [London : 1688. Broadside. Caption title. At end: From the Devil-tavern, the fifth of November, 1688. Presented by Justice Baldock and was graciously received. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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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 .