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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	king_n	time_n	2,805	5	3.3508	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47911	Remarks on the growth and progress of non-conformity	L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.	1682 (1682)	Wing L1296; ESTC R7094	33,007	58

Religion the violation of Duty Conscience Peace Order Laws Justice c. and compare it with the Persecution of the Greek Churches and he shall find that all the ravages of the Turks since the taking of Constantinople hath not so disfigured them in two hundred years as these Reformers did in six or seven years in their own native Country Such abomination of desolation is Presbyterian Reformation which Mr. Case says Armies fought for ParlJam nts consult for Ministers pray for and all good People long for And let no body pretend in this as Mr. Baxter doth about the Regicidy that it was a rude conquering Army For read who will their Souldiers Catechism their Zions Plea Christ on his Throne as also their Ordinance on August 28. 1643. and he shall see that all this was done by Authority from the Houses of ParlJam nt and in the fear of God by the advice of the Assembly of Divines 2. The extravagancy of their Reformation will further appear by considering the matter of it or the things to be reformed which are chiefly Episcopacy and the Liturgy 1. Episcopacy an Order which hath been proved abundantly to be founded on no other than Scripture and Apostolick practice Antiquity and Necessity necessary as woful experience hath verified to the support of the English Monarchy according to those words of King Charles the Martyr That he could scarce ever boast of one days felicity after he had once consented to the taking away the Bishops Votes in ParlJam nt Which I take notice of the rather since in a place of note in this Kingdom at the last Election of ParlJam nt in the year 1681. the Rabble of the Faction cried it No Bishops No Bishops the very same words and with the same kind of violence as Dr. Burgess's Myrmidons did before the ParlJam nt House doors in 1641. 2. The other thing to be reformed is the Liturgy whose Reformation from Popery was sealed by the bloud of Martyrs When it was first composed and used the People of England received it as a heavenly treasure sent down by God's great mercy to them All moderate men beyond Seas applauded the felicity of the Church of England in fashioning such an excellent Form for God's publick Worship And the Act of ParlJam nt that first confirmed the same declared it to be done by the special aid of the Holy Ghost as the words of the Act are and Mr. Fox the Author of the Book of Martyrs fears not to say that it was indicted by the Holy Ghost Yet this is that Liturgy which the peevish Professors of these stirring Times would have laid aside for Reformation sake that so as King Charles observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers may be left to their liberty and private abilities in God's publick Service where no man can tell to what he may say Amen or what adventure he may make of seeming at least to consent to whatever errours and ridiculous indecencies bold and ignorant men list to vent in their Prayers and other Offices But 't is enough to satisfie any unprejudiced and judicious Reader of the unreasonableness of scrupling the Liturgy that will but consider well those frivolous flaws and exceptions which the great Non-conformity-Champion hath made against it as the best he could devise after the twenty years study he speaks of II. The second thing to be considered in their pretensions above other men in their greater Sanctimony and tenderness of Conscience which were it real as it is pretended I should tremble to think of charging them with the counterfeit and pretence of it onely But that which liables it to the suspicion of Counterfeit lies in these two things 1. The erroneousness of it which is so gross as to call the Design of overturning the Government no Treason the taking up Arms against the King no Rebellion dividing from the Communion of the Church no Schism appropriating to private uses the Church-plate and Revenues no Sacrilege and using the name of God to all this no Hypocrisie How can such thickness of errour consist with true Sanctity and tenderness of Conscience especially if we take tenderness of Conscience as that Party doth in the same latitude with a good Conscience for such a tenderness as to be afraid of sin and to decline the temptations occasions and appearances of evil 2. Their pretended tenderness of Conscience above others is to be suspected upon the account of its great partiality and defect wanting that uniformity which is required to its sincerity When a man shall scruple a Ceremony and yet neglect an Institution of Christ not dare to kneel at the Sacrament yet wholly neglect the Communion boggle at the use of a Ceremony yet openly avow the blackest of Crimes backbitings slanderings schism and sedition is this true tenderness of Conscience or is it not rather as one says a conscience of making no conscience at all But more particularly doth not the partiality and defect of their conscientiousness appear in their notorious uncharitableness and censoriousness rash censuring and condemning slandering and defaming all that differ from them especially Ministers But above all those that oppose their way if subtlety and malice can do it shall be sure to be rendred odious but the partiality and defect of their conscientiousness is most apparent in their old Gnostick Principle of disobedience to Magistrates Will any man believe that Practice to be conscientious or that Religion to be of God which so dishonours God and Christianity that so confronts God's Vicegerent and those in Authority under him which God commands obedience to upon pain of damnation and which as though foreseeing the pretence of Conscience for their disobedience doth so indispensably urge you must needs obey and for Conscience sake and that even Heathen Governours whereas the Governours i. e. the ParlJam nt in part that our Dissenters are to obey are of their own chusing and so the Laws are partly Laws of their own making as made by their own Representatives What they urge for their disobedience is so ludicrous and of so frequent and obvious confutation that 't is a shame to insist upon them But just to mention them as 1. That 't is better to obey God than Man which in the form of an Objection is nothing else but a factious slander intimating as though our Rulers enjoined any thing in disobedience to God 2. A second thing urged for their disobedience is that of Christian Liberty The same that the Gnosticks urged for their revolt from Christianity and which was used among the Jews as a Passport for fugitive Servants and a praetext to all Outrages and Rebellions and which the Gnosticks used to justifie their disobedience to Magistrates Whereas indeed this Christian liberty is a quite contrary thing viz. a discharge from the necessity of observing the Mosaical Law and Rites of Judaism and a power in utramque to do or leave undone things