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	rule_n	scripture_n	2,577	5	6.0532	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90061	The craft and cruelty of the churches adversaries, discovered in a sermon preached at St. Margarets in Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament. Novemb. 5, 1642. By Mathew Newcomen, minister of the Gospell at Dedham in Essex. Published by order of the House of Commons.	Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1643 (1643)	Wing N907; Thomason E128_1; ESTC R18223	52,376	80

of great persons If any begun to tartle or be troubled at the matter what was their present answer My Lord Bishop doth thus and thus and my Lords Grace of Canterbury doth thus and thus The Knights of the most noble order of the Garter bow Versus Altare A C. Speech in the Starre-Chamber p 47 towards the Altar at their installement His Majesties Chappell is thus and thus adorned By these the like pretences casting a mist before the peoples eyes that some did not others durst not see any thing tending towards the altering of Religion Our adversaries said they shall neither know nor see His third Rule His third Rule is this That arch Heretickes and such as are teachers of Heresie must be banished the Common wealth at once if it may safely bee done but if not by degrees It is easie to know who are the Iesuites Arch-Heretickes the most active orthodoxe Protestants For the rooting out of such the Iesuite prescribes a method of twelve or thirteene steppes Cout Pol. lib. 2● c. 18. §. 6. For which though well worth the relating I referre you to his book least this discourse should swell to much Only in summe Let me shew you how their operation hath beene according to this Rule The Arch-Heretickes and Teachers of heresie in England have beene counted the Puritan Preachers though they teach nothing but consonant to Scripture and the publike Doctrine of the Church yet they are the teachers of heresie and being too many to root out 〈◊〉 once it must be done by degrees that it may effected with more ease and lesse noise and therefore First east all those out of the ministery that will not be punctuall and full conformists to the old Ceremonies Next because there were a company of conformable Puritans as themselves stiled them they procure an edict for recreations upon the Lords Day and this must be published by Ministers that such as could stand under the ceremonies though groaning for the burden might fall and be broken in pe●ces under this And yet because some men suspected of Puritanisme might have a latitude here bey ond their brethren They have a third engine ●nd that is injoyning new Ceremonies and adorations that if any could swallow the book yet they might discover cast them out by straining here To this they adde a fourth Prayers and Proclamations to be read against our brethren the Scotts And their last and greatest engine which was like the powder plot against the godly ministery of the nation to blow up the reliques of them at once was the oath for Episcopacie By these successive stratagems they made account utterly to extirpate those Arch-Hereticks As it was somtimes said to Elijah 1 King 19. Him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Iehu slay-and him that escapeth the sword of Iehu shall Elisha slay So had they said Him that escapeth the dint of the Ceremonies shal the book of sports slay and him that escapeth the book of sports shall the new injunctions slay and him that escapeth the new injunctions shall the proclamations slay and him that escapeth the proclamations shal the oath slay And this by degrees and pauses that they shall neither know nor see till we slay them and cause the work to cease His fourth Rule The fourth rule is this That those which are adversaries to the true Religion which with him is Popery be put by their dignities places offices I think none here is such a stranger in England but from his own knowledg can wi●nesse this The bestowing of all offices the collating of benefices the election of Masters and fellowes of Colledges in both Vniversities who had the over-ruling hand in them all the power of mandamus but Canterbury and his faction And whom were they conferred upon Vsually Men infamous for and a So Leontius Bishop of Antioch a dissembling concealed Arrian was observed to disrespect all Orthodox men and preferr no one in the Church but such as enclined to Arrianisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theod. 2 24. Quis enim non facilè Pruitanos in Anglia redig●● in Or ●inem si Episco●or m approbationem ab tis ex torqueat Contz vbisupra paragrap 9 impudent in Arminian and Popish opinions Protested Arminianisme and bold faced Popery the only speedy unerring way to Church preferment His fifth rule is To make the Protestant Religion odious by laying load upon such tenents as are most subject to harshest constructions In this our adversaries have not bin sparing Quot plaustra convitiorum have they poured out upon some doctrines of our Religion specialy the points of grace The pulpits of Italy and Rome never spitt more gall and venome against the doctrines of Election free grace justification by faith perseverance c. nor never sweat more to exaggerate the seeming absurdities which carnall men would draw from them then some of ours have done His sixth rule is To foment the quarells that are among the Protestants and strengthen that party that is nearest compliance with Rome And here the wretch hath the unhappines to prescribe one thing as the proper meanes of Englands cure For who saith he might not easily reduce the Puritans of England into order you know what the Iesuits reducing into order is if he could extort from them an approbation of the Bishops And had they not attempted and almost effected this They had made us their slaves before and were they not about to make us swear we would be so for ever Certainly though nothing but Episcopacy floated in the surface of that ●ath yet Popery was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the c. of it o● reducing the Puritans of England into order sensu Pontificio His seventh rule His seventh is this That all private Conventiles and publick meetings must be forbidden For private Conventicles you all know that to meet together to pray or to conferre which with them was a Conventicle was Peccatum irremissible A man might at a better rate almost answer any thing then such a meeting For publick meetings The ancient laudable exercising of prophecying I mean not in that sence the word is lately taken for private spirits to interpret Scripture but prophecying by men in office peculiarly gifted and called to that work these are banished The publick and most frequentod lectures blasted Publick fastes by consent of Ministers which had of long time bin used in many parts of the Kingdome were become piacular A sermon at next Church the forbidden fruit when they had none at home or worse then non Our adversaries have bin but too diligent to suppress not only private Cōventicles but publick Assembl His eighth rule The eighth meanes is By severity of Lawes and punishments to compell the obstinate unto duty and yet the rigour of the Law must be slowly drawn out and not against all but only such as be most dangerous Now what severity not only Ad summum

Die Sabbathi 5. Novemb 1642. SIR William Massam is appointed to return thanks to M. Newcomen for his great pains taken in the Sermon he this Day preached at St. Margarets at the intreaty of this House and to desire him forthwith to print his Sermon and to give a Coppy thereof to the Committee for Religion that when they shall have liberty to sit they may consider by it how to prepare and provide for the extirpation of Popery And it is further Ordered that he shall have the usuall priviledge for Printing his Sermon Hen Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint Christopher Meredith to Print this Sermon MATH NEVVCOMEN This is Entred HEN WALLEY THE CRAFT AND CRVELTY OF THE CHVRCHES ADVERSARIES Discovered In a SERMON Preached at St. Margarets in Westminster before the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT Novemb. 5 1643. By Mathew Newcomen Minister of the Gospell at Dedham in Essex Quid facit in Pectore Christiano Luporum Feritas Canum Rabies Saevitia Bestiarum Veneuum Lethale Serpentum Cyprian Cum sitis Impij Crudeles Homicidae Inhumani non amplius eritis Christiani Lucifer Calazit Published by Order of the House of COMMONS LONDON Printed by G. M. for Christopher Meredith at the Sgne of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard M.DC.XLIII TO THE HONOVRABLE THE HOVSE OF COMMONS now Assembled in PARLIAMENT IF there be any History in all the Booke of God that may paralell our times sure it is this of Nehemiah The People of Israel though delivered from their long and sorrowfull captivity in Babylon yet long it was ere they could see Truth and peace established in their Church and Common-wealth the Temple of God reedified the worship of God restored the walls of the holy Citty repaired the Lords Sabbaths sanctified the Priests in their severall Orders and stations attending the service of their God Long it was ere matters of Church and State attained unto a Beautifull Regularity c Pembl some reckoning above a a 100. other above 150. b Perk. Chronol Red. cap. Anno. 3431. Secundus Nehemiah praefectus Anno Mund. 3537. Calvetius Helvicus redit populi 3418. Secund Nehem. praefect Anno 3575. some 200. yeares d The vulgar Latine and the English Geneva make Ezra the writer of this Story but it is a mistake Nehem. 1.1 See Pembl Three on sets were given to this great work thrice did the Lord raise up and employ blessed and glorious instruments in it before it arrived at it's perfection The first was Zorobbabel Ezra 1. The second was Ezra Ezra 7. The third was Nehemiah the Author of this Booke according to the good hand of his God upon him e Neh. 4.2 3. with invincible courage and indefatigable patience against the insolent scoffes multiplyed conspiracies f Cap. 4.8 11. cap 6.2 4. and terrifying reports of his enemies g Cap. 4. cap. 12. cap 6.6 9. against the treacheries of some of his owne Brethren and Nobles and their base compliances with the publick Adversaries h Cap. 3.5 cap. 6.10 17. against the murmurings of the people i Cap. 4.10.5.1 2 c. with great expence of his estate k Cap. 5.8 14 15 16 17 18. and hazard of his life l Cap. 4.23.6.2 carried on this great work and gave it a full and blessed period to the comfort of the Jewes and terrour of their enemies m Chap. 6.16 To paralell this the people of England though through the mercy of God they have bin in a gracious measure delivered from the spirituall Captivity of Romish Babylon which our fore-Fathers were enthralled in so long a time yet now almost a 100 years have passed over us since that first deliverance and yet we see not that purity of Truth that beauty of worship that orderlines of administrations that strength of discipline as wals and bulwarks about this our Jerusalem which hath bin the desire prayer expectation of us the ages that were before us God seems to me to proceed by the same steps with us that he did with the people of the Jews and hath made 3 visible and memorable on-sets upon the Reformation and restauration of his Church among us The first by that famous Prince the miracle and glory of his people age Edward the 6. of ever blessed memory whose beginnings though exceeding hopeful and promising were soon stopt by acountermand as it were from the God of Heaven as Zerobabells beginnings were by letters from the King n Ezr 4.23 24. Soon after the work was revived againe by his deare and gratious sister Q. Elizabeth in whose hands the Lord caused the worke to prosper to some further perfection yet not unto that beauty and glory we hope our God intends to raise it to therfore this 3d time hath God raised up Instruments for the advancing of this worke even your selves Honorable and Beloved who though you have met with the same oppositions in this great imployment that worthy Nehemiah did Malignant scoffs bloudy conspiracies reports full of various terrours desertions of some of your Brethren murmurings of not a few of the people yet in the midst of Armies and changes of Oppositions and discouragements have hitherto with unwearied patience and undauntable Resolutions not without great expence of your estates and hazard of your lives attended upon this worke now these two years At the present to the great griefe of all loyall and honest hearts we see you in the same posture that Nehemiah and his assistants were Cap. 4.17 Every one with the one of his hands working and with the other holding his weapon a sad condition yet go on the work of reforming the Church is Gods he called you to it he will maintain and defend you in it he will give perfection to it God is not as Man that he should begin to build and not be able to finish The sutablenesse of this History to our times invited my thoughts upon Summons received to this service to looke into this Book and see if there were not something there might fit the Day and the sutablenesse of that portion of Scripture which is the Basis of this ensuing Discourse unto the Day concluded my thoughts upon this Text. My desire and prayer was that I might speake something that might give glory to God for the manifold and great Deliverances he had wrought for us and something that might give encouragement to your selves in the great things you are to work for God This latter part of my desire was intercepted by a feare of consuming too much of that time which though your Piety could willingly have bestowed upon the worke of Praise-offering yet the extreme necessities of State could hardly spare This made me silence much of what I had prepared to speake both in the Explicatory and Applicatory parts of the Sermon which yet seeing it is your pleasures to command what you heard to the Presse waits now with the rest upon you I dare not