Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	faith_n	true_a	3,070	5	4.9666	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58293	The recantation of the prelate of Canterbury being his last advice to his brethren the bishops of England : to consider his fall, observe the times, forsake their wayes, and to joyne in this good work of reformation.	Laud, William, 1573-1645.	1641 (1641)	Wing R613; ESTC R10287	21,554	48

How we have kept Courts made all our Processes Summons Citations and Censures in our owne name style it would make a History as long as tedious to the World as shamefull to my abhorred selfe They are written with the point of a Diamond on all the Church windows every letter whereof to mee is a nigrum Theta for it must be confessed that I and my furious faction so ordered all untill all was put out of frame making the Kingdome the object of pitie lacerate with many miseries and distresses and my selfe of too just an hate thereby giving occasion to the Enemies of the Gospel to sing Te Deum and to the Church of England to cry Ichabod And never more justly then now might it be said Men groan from out of the City and the souls of the wounded cry out But I forbeare to enlarge my self and afflict you with the sad relation of these conveyances wherein yee had a great hand to which yee are privy only let me confound my self before the World in this Declaration concerning my tyranny in the Scottish affaires because it is the most eminent and funest act of the Tragedy and has proved most effectuall to my perdition and from thence unde dolor lachrymae put forth a Prophesie to you of these evils which will certainly come upon you likewayes breake you asunder and shake you to pieces if you stop your eares and still hate to be reformed when Hee that is the confidence of all the ends of the earth hath now revealed himselfe so powerfully and answered the expectation of the upright creature by terrible things in Righteousnesse for I know the end of your hopes and gave expansion to my soule to seek the things of this world and not of God but now behold I stand upon the stage of mortality like an accursed tree the miserable object of this age groan under the hatred of three Kingdomes able to crush all the Miters in England ready to be teared by the wrath of mine Enemies who sharpe their eyes against mee Not content with that absolute Power which the errour and consuetude of Times and the indulgence of Princes importuned with restlesse ambition suffered to fall upon mee heere in the English Church I would needes dilate my selfe like a swolne cloud of infection to obscure the light to poyson the aire and to trouble the calme and serenity of other Kingdomes I could not endure that other Churches should looke grievously and a squint upon our manner of government For I must confesse my intentions were deepe and large against all the reformed Churches and Reformation of Religion which through his Majesties Dominions I had wounded to the very soul so that it lay groveling and panting on the ground ready to expire if I had not been removed and our plots detected to the glory of God to the honour of King and Parliament to the terrour of the wicked and comfort of all those who have bin labouring after the beauty of these times and would have bought these acceptable days with many thousands For this purpose I made the first assault on the weaknesse of Scotland as in my light estimation I conceived but was destitute of the Spirit of Prophecie and caused to be compiled a Service booke for their devotion obtruding the same upon their Church which I knew the tenderness of their conscience could no ways endure yet by my owne counsell I was cast down for though I knew well it was nothing else but a strange Rhapsody of all unclean things and unsavoury wch once received in the bowels of Church or State could never give rest till like a virulent poyson it had begotten intestine warre in the body Ecclesiastick and Civill I knew likewayes it overturned from the foundation the order of their Church making a large entry to all Novations to come being repugnant to the Doctrine Discipline and order of their Reformation to their Confession of Faith Constitutions of their Generall Assemblies and Acts of their Parliament establishing true Religion yet would I needs enforce that booke upon a Nation which sooner would have welcomed the Plague the Famine and the Sword Hence did spring this terrible combustion which I feare shall no other wayes be quenched then by the bloud of that faction which caused the same now threatning with open mouth and implacable fury to devoure us all When the Scots affrighted with such an unknown Monster had in most humble manner prostrate themselvs to authority and craved a dispensation from that imprestable obedience not able to drinke that poyson which I had so imperiously presented to them as if Supreame Majesty had been violated Monarchy affronted and a Royall Prerogative many wayes injured I armed Authority against them and made such strange pretences dissembling a Zeale to the honour of the Crowne which meane while I was trampling under-foote that any thing behoved to bee done all the Treasures of Revenge were to be wasted before his Majesties command did not meete with full obedience but the suggestions and motions were ever mine most palpably to blow up all and involve all in conflagration All the Supplications both pious and frequent the Declarations Informations and Reformations to which none of us could ever reply of that afflicted Nation I caused to bee suppressed most diligently not able to stand before such a Light and fearing they should work the overthrow of our cause and procured them to bee answered with terrible Proclamations And when they were constrained to use the remedy of protestation without any scruple or tryall of the busines like an undistinguishing fire that delights to feed it self by embracing all Objects I caused them bee declared and published in all the Churches of England Traitors and Rebells And lastly when they were seeking to possesse their Religion against my strange devices and Novations I Kindled the fatall warre and rather then I should fall from my counsels and have any of my intentions cast back on my face I chosed to cover the whole Island with bloud And therefore having once espoused the Roman quarrell I caused display an open banner and mustered my forces called forth my Squadrons as if religion and the honour Royall had been lying at the stake and set forth an Episcopall Expedition for defence of the Mitre which in end will be covered with ashes in despight of all created powers But ô yee of little providence for what all this fury Where were your souls And why did none of us foresee the black successe of such destructive distempers and unmercifull extremities But this was our houre our very houre wherein wee were wise to our owne destruction Thus when by our working the Land was divided in two Armies advanced and brought in view of each other yet not so much as a Dog to offend When all matters were sweetly composed and by a Pacification as undesired as unexpected of us both Nations had comforted themselves with the hopes of peace