Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	england_n	king_n	write_v	2,660	5	6.0962	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95952	Brittish lightning or suddaine tumults, in England, Scotland and Ireland; to warne the united Provinces to understand the dangers, and the causes thereof: to defend those amongest us, from being partakers of their plagues. Cujus aures clausæ sunt veritati, ut ab amico verum audire nequeat, hujus salus desperanda est. The safety of that man, is hopelesse, we, may feare, that stopps his eares against his friend, and will the truth not heare. Mors est servitute potior. Grim-death's fierce pangs, are rather to be sought; than that we should to Babels-yoke, be brought. VVritten first in lowe-dutch by G. L. V. and translated for the benefit of Brittaine.; Britannischen blixem. English	G. L. V.	1643 (1643)	Wing V5; Thomason E96_21; ESTC R20598	42,972	73

and that the King condescended so far unto them that they also would then be ruled by the Kings religion to give him content and hereby have they blinded the eyes of the King and brought him so far that he in stead of hindering this bringing in of papistrie hath judged it convenient and maintained it by his authority to the grief and astonishment of all the godly and joy of papists N. What! were the Bishops such lads to deale by such false practices then 't is no wonder that all the honest men in England care not for them but tell me yet again were they also papists in their forme of doctrine or was it onely in the outward ceremonies and worship E. You can easily imagine whither it be possible that any man can come so neer the popish Religion in the outward worship with such zeal for those Idolatrous institutions without beeing one with them indoctrine also It is very true that the Bishops and their adherents will not go to church with such a cloak that they should be thought papists in doctrine they have kept that a longtime hid but the oulder they grow the more their painting falls off and the more their Esaws coate is worne out So that all men by little and little begin to see what was hid under it so that they could not alwayes play behinde the curtain as also was not their intention but they have now and then begun to appear on the stage and made it apparent that their mouth was reformed but their heart papish N. You say true for he that is a true protestant he will hate even the garment spotted with the flesh she that is not a whore in her heart will not put on a whorish attire he that is a right Reformed one will not be burthened with such traditions he will not touch tast or handle them as being brought in according to the institutions and doctrines of men much lesse he will defend them himselfe appoint them be zealous for them more then for the truth it self But I pray you tell me yet wherein have the Episcopall Clergie manifested that they are one with the papists in Doctrine also E. There can plentifull proof be given of that for they have not onely caused these foresaid things to be observed as indifferent but they have with the papists placed holinesse therein as by this appeares seeing they compell the people to do reverence to those things for when the bare name of Iesus is uttered then must every one bow also no man may approach to the meanest of those Altars which they have set up and named by the name of the mercy seate the place of Gods gif●s without bowing three times before it and then fall upon his knees They have consecrated and hallowed their Churches Chappels pavements of the same the pulpit cups church yarde and many other places pretending that without this consecration the places are unholy and unclean and therefore no service might be performed therein till that were first done yea if by any occasion they were never so little defiled then they were pronounced unclean till they were again purified by the Bishops Who may not from hence cleerly see that their faith concerning humane traditions is all one with that of the Papists N. You are in the right for such administrations are altogether according to the faith of papists so that I hold it for certain that the Bishops and Iesuits understood one the other in their doctrine also but tell me I pray is there yet any thing els whereby we may Iudge that they were papists in the faith also E. O yes for I scarcely know any thing exercised in papistrie which may not be found amongst them They administer the L Supper upon an Altar and they must receive it kneeling they administer Baptisme out of a font with a crosse on the fore head of the childe they have had that forme of confirmation whereby the Bishops must consecrate the children they have made marriage purely Ecclesiastical as depending on the bishops who have forbidden Mariage at some certaine times and almost half rhe year and unlesse their consent be gotten either by favour or mony none must Marry yea some Clergie-men amongst them may upon no condition Marry tho it be against the mindes and allowance of their parents and friends They have caused the Holy dayes to be more precisely observed then the Saboth forbidding all work therin upon great penalties They pray over the dead They make women after childbirth to appear in the church with white consecrated garments and then they are purified and many more such like things according to the papists institution are very precisely enjoyned by order from the Bishops N. You move my heart so that I am at the Highest pitch to hear such things of the goverment of Bishops I have alwayes thought England to be the most reformed land in the world because I have seen so many excellent bookes that were penned in England against all such popish institutions for the advancing of the doctrine of salvation and the purity of worship and therefore I can not enough wonder that so many unclean things should bear such sway there E. It makes you wonder and it hath made us many times exceeding sorrowfull and to fear unlesse God speedily prevent it that we should shortly see all our land papists which we may perceive by their generall bent that way for in the universities they began openly to defend that we must pray for the dead yea it was preached in London at Pauls Cross there are bookes written of it as also that the Pope is not that Antichrist that men may very well be saved in the papish Religion as the Arch Bishop made it manifest to the Queen therefore he hath forbidden to pray for her any more that God would convert her and open her eyes as being a Papist They have publikely taught that men may be saved by their good workes and that with the approbation of the Arch bishop as from hence may appeare when he perused the Lithurgie of the Scots in the place concerning good workes it stood that they were not causa regnandi the cause of our salvation but via regni the waye to salvation which he caused to be put out and willed them to exhort the people to good works simply without such distinctions where hence we might easily perceive what he bare in his buckler as he hath also approved the foresaid bookes and by all meanes countenanced the pen men therof From all which it cleerly appeareth that they were right Papists both in faith and doctrine N. This cuts deepe and is something more than Caeremonies by such stalking we often see that the catt leaps quite out of the sack and that they were altogether Papists and would have made the whole land papists They must without doubt have had great correspondence with the papish Clergie that have so infected them E. You have read

have had not onely ecclesiasticall but Civill offices also have been also privy-counsellers Treasurers Keepers of the great Seal and I know not what therefore they have been a member of the Parliament in the upper house yea they have spent the most part of their time in politick affairs and had so far ingrossed them that scarce any man without their assistance could attaine a civill office N. I hear you but I thought that the preachers much more the Bishops had so much to do in their own offices that it well required the whole man and therefore that they had no time to trouble themselves with states matters But tell me pray how had the Bishops and Politiks contrived it to bring all goverment into their hands to finish their dessigne E. To this purpose they had conceived strange windings and first they put it in to the kings head that he ought to be an absolute Soveraigne not to be under any according to the example of France and that they would bring him thereunto by means of the Ecclesiastical persons which they had now at hand in all places and sate in the ear of the people When they had made the King to relish this to make him confirm all their design then they made him presently believe that all their doing tended thereunto N. Was the King then no absolute King so that he might do all that he would not having any man above him E. In no wise for Kings are limited by laws so that they can make no new laws nor lay any impositions on their subjects nor go to war with any without the consent of the Parliament els the inhabitants are not bound thereunto yea they are lyable to punishment if they pay any impositions or subsidies to the king upon his particuler order or will and those that counsil the King therunto or assist him therin are guilty of high treason N. What is the Parliament under which the King stands also E. It is the highest assemblie of the Kingdome which consisteth of the King Dukes Earles Barrons Bishops the Commons which is two persons out of every shire and chief citie deputed with absolute power that together they might redresse the enormities of the kingdom according to the lawes and to ordeyne new laws and impositions to the advantage of the King or kingdome without any compulsion of votes which assembly is gathered and dissolved by the King N. That is a stately and powerfull assembly if they understand themselves and of great might to redresse the greatest abuses and to assist the King with great sums of mony It were to be wished that we had sometime also such Parliaments as in former times the assemblie of the states generall used to be before that there was a Parliament companie of states generall set up thereby might great abuses amongst us also be reformed under which now 't is to be feared we shall sinck But have the great ones liked this Parliament E. That you may easilie imagine O no the Arch-Bishop and all Courtiers and those that were in favour with the King have alwayes withstood it many yeares delayed it or when it was assembled and that it began to touch the soars and to search out the bad practises of the great ones then knew they how to order the King that he from time to time hath caused the Parliament to break up and now the last time in May 1640. not withstanding that the King and state was in an exceeding great distraction by reason of great stirs that were in all places of the kingdome N. I hear it well there is much-adoe in all places it goes so with us also that they that know how to make themselves masters in the Provinces they hinder as much as they can that the states may not come together or when they are together they set one city against the other casting many things in amongst the members that so they might not understand one another and so depart a sunder without effecting any thing to the highest discommodity burthen trouble dishonour and spoil of the Provinces and unspeakable disavantage of many that it concerneth that can procure no expedition from the table which in the end if the members be not wise to understand one an other to use their own freedome without depending upon these or any will bring all into confusion as you said it was in your three kingdomes But tel me what were the stirs that were in all places of the kingdomes E. Unmeasureable great and dangerous for Scotland was in arms we had a leager in the field on the frontiers of Scotland the King was set on to fall upon the Scots and they practised daily to set the two Kingdoms together by the ears N. But tel me pray whence proceeded this disunion for the two Kingdomes have one King one Religion and have till this time lived in peace what hath brought forth this disquiet E. This disunion hath been a long time in breeding by the Bishops and Papists whose designe was not onely the changing of Religion in England but also in Scotland yea to thrust in all their superstitions into Scotland first as being the weaker nation and ftom thence into England to which end they have by little and little thrust in Bishops there against the minde of the Kingdome which they first pretended should but serve to keep good order in the Church without having such authoritie over the church and Ecclesiasticall persons as in England but growing by little and little in authoritie power so 't was that they indeavoured alwaies to have as great authoritie in Scotland as in England wherein they were heartened by the Bishop of Canterbury and through his advice by the King also and in the end set on work to thrust in the service-Service-book that is the Lithurgie of England into the church of Scotland augmented with many additions some openly and some covertly opposing the reformed Religion together with all those former papish Caeremonies that were before in England which first of all began to be set on work when the King was in Scotland to be crowned N. How have the Scots behaved themselves therein for they have been alwayes famoused for great Protestants and lovers of the puritie of worship ful of courage to mainteyn rhe liberties of the Kingdome against all opposers E. The Scots so soon as they were aware of these novelties and that they were propounded by the king himself in their Parliament so to thrust in some beginning thereof into Scotland then have all the gentrie and burgesses cried it down in the presence of the King and persisted therein notwithstanding that the King took it very discourteously and manifested the same by his suddain discontented departure out of the Kingdome commanding his Counsell to thrust in such church orders as he had given them in charge by authority N. Durst the Kings counsell attempt such a thing against the minde of the gentrie and Commons for they

water at the brim then God takes most pleasure to manifest his power But tell me I pray more particulerly what wayes the Bishops have further proceeded in to bring the papish Religion into England E. Besides that spoiling the Kingdom in all places of their faithfullest Preachers and thrusting in others according to their own humour in their places or leaving the church unprovided giving them onely a reader that read their Injunction in the church out of the service book so that great circuites of land of 30 or 40 miles in compasse had scarce two or three sermons in a whole year to the unspeakable spoil of the people who neverthelesse must bear the burden of Gods worship and pay out of their Parrishes two three or foure hundred pounds sterling per annum according to the quantity of the Parish unto such lasie and idle bellies that had the name to be their preachers Besides this wicked practise I say they have used many other meās to bannish wholy all saving knowledge of the truth out of the Kingdom that so they might the better draw the people unto poperie N. Loving friend what do I hear have they so took care for sowls as to feed them onely with humane Traditions without the preaching of the word of God the hey and grasse and yet were so shamelesse as to take such great wages of the people God will revenge it But proceed to shew me what have been their further practises E. They had a thousand tricks to blow out that zeal and practise of Godlines which had been exceedingly inflamed by so many excellent preachers for an example to the world and to set up in the place thereof an Athiestical liberty and worldlinesse to which end they have with-stood the means of salvation and set the contrarie readie for the people as when they brought into contempt the sanctifying of the Sabboth by exceeding ungodly practises for they knew so far to abuse the power of the King that they have stirred him up to give out a Proclamation in the year 1633. wherein he required that all his subjects should have libertie servants against the will of their masters and children against the will of their parents to spend the Sabbath after service in all manner of recreations and danceing men and women going to playes in running shooting bowling stool-ball and all to this porpose that they might change the repeating of sermons and other Spirituall exercises into such idle wanton sports and that by Proclamation as if men were not sufficiently of themselves inclined to profane the day of the Lord by such vanities N. Is it possible knew they so far to mislead the king as that he should give out a Commandement directly contrary to the Command of God wherein he willeth that the Sabbath should be sanctified and set a part to all such exercises which tend to the prosperity not only of the bodie but of the soul of man You must surely have given strange attention when you heard such things proclaimed for I have alwayes heard that the English make great conscience of the Sabbath yea when they went in the streets of the City they saw not the least work done or any wātonnesse vsed but that in all houses the Sermons were repeated psalms sung and profitable questions propounded So that all understanding men did judge that the sanctifying of the Sabbath was the principall reason of Gods blessing and mercie over England There is great profanation of the Sabboth in our land by working playing riding stool-ball diceing drinking wrestling and runing but God be thanked they are not done by vertue of any command of our Govervours but contrary thereunto so there be many excellent Proclamations against the prophanation of the Sabboth in many Provinces come forth ô that God would graunt they might be well mainteyned E. Yea so is it come to passe amongst us and yet the Bishops are so shamelesse that whereas they ought to have stood for Gods right and to have informed the King better they have caused all preachers to read the same Proclamation out of the pulpit to all the people and to exhort them to observe the same against the fourth Commandement those that have refused have been deposed to more then an hundred in number not with standing that the Dean which was sent by the Bishops to see this executed in all churches a little without London fell dead from his horse for a warning yet they could there by be brought to no remorse but went foreward with the busines N. O how inst are Gods judgments and how sottish are the hearts of men if God mould them not It was never heard that preachers were commanded to deliver from the pulpit that which cleerly and evidently opposeth the command of God those that have refused to do it have done like Christians But what more practices had they E. They have also forbidden to preach twise on the Sabbath under the pretence of Catechising which was then ordeined appointed and directed to instruct the children and teach them the traditions of the Pope or Bishops They have to their power forbidden the printing of all good books and contrarily suffered to be printed all Arminianish Papish vaine books of Amadis de Gaule and of Commedies to 40 thousand in a yeare They have also suffered Reliques to be solde openly yea they have been sent from the Pope to the Arch-Bishop himself who knew well how to make his profit by them N. Well! those were great wickednesses which God will seeke and finde How soever it goeth also very bad amongst us in those things for there is here in our land also great libertie to print all unfeemlie hurtfull hereticall bookes yet the honourable Magistrates of Amsterdam have exceeding worthilie caused to be burned certaine Socinian books and have hindered the players and dancers on the ropes which follow fayres and Markets from playing oh that it were in all places imitated yet 't is so that here in our land there bee some papish booke-sellers that openly sell nothing but papish bookes of Breviaries Masses Rosaries Legends and publikly hang out Idolatrous Images Crucifixes Beads Paternosters Agnus Deis c. without hinderance which is to be feared wil bring Gods judgments on us nd although by Gods blessing it is not so yet ordered amongst us that good bookes are forbidden yet there are few printed because there is so little vent while all hands are full of vain unfit uncivil venemous works that hinder thē from reading good ones But tell me what are the deceipts the Bishops have used to bring in the Popish Religion E. As it appeareth from that which hath been said that the Bishops and papists understood one the other in all things well enough so have they given them great libertie in all places not executing the Proclamations and orders against them but have connived at their assemblings Idolatrous exercises absence from sermons in all places so that England became full of Iesuits

might well fear that they were lesse able to bring such a thing to passe and now against the resolution of the Parliament which the King himself could not accomplish E. The councill was exceedingly animated by the King and specially by the Bishops as well of Scotland as of England to go forward courageously herein not to fear with promise of assistance and punishment upon all those that should refuse where upon the Councill with the advise of the Bishops of Scotland and command of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury did augment the service-Service-book of England and mingled it with a great deal more poison than in England which together with the five ceremonies of England they decreed to thrust into the church by publike Proclamation declaring those preachers to be fallen from their obedience that should oppose it and severely to punish all such inhabitants that would not subject themselves to these institutions N. This was a bould attempt but what was the issue E. Presently thereupon it came to passe that a great number of Comitees out of the church and state addressed themselves to the high Counsil and divers times desired that such a resolution might not go forth but that they would leave the church and church-men to their antient customs without thrusting in of novelties otherwayes the whole kingdome was prepared to come into a great uprore which exceedingly distracted the Counsil but being set on by the Bishops they went forward to the great discontent of the Comittees and their chiefs whereupon the gentrie the particular Magistrates and the Ecclesiasticks began to bethink themselves of some means to resist this evill and to this end resolved to bind themselves by oath to maintein with their estates and lives that old Covenant concerning the maintenance of Religion forme of doctrine and goverment as it hath been alwayes maintained in Scotland Which Covenant was confirmed and subscribed by all the inhabitants of Scotland except those that were papists or held with the Bishops faction N. That was a fast Bond and exceeding fearfull for by that means the strength of those that would stand for Religion against the popish institutions did presently appear But what way could the Counsill together with the Bishops take to mainteyn their resolution E. They were exceedingly distracted hereabout but their fury zeal to the popish institutions was so great that they would hold firmely this point against the whole Kingdome to this end they perswaded the King that his prerogative was ingaged that he mainteyn his purpose use all his strength therein yea though he should compell them thereunto by force of arms advising him to this end to insure all the Castels forts of Scotland which was in like manner put in practice in the mean time they in Scotland went forward to thrust in the Service-book and the five Caeremonies deposing and punishing many that were against it so that there fell out great stirs and heavy oppositions in all places which by little and little increased more and more bred great distrust against the King and so much the more when it was found that he caused arms and amunition to be secretly brought into the Castels where he had his governours N. I hear wel there was a bad fire kindled which could not so quickly be quenched but how went it at last did no man put himself upon the pikes to prevēt this threatning evil to informe the King of the danger he should bring his Kingdomes into and that for a few papish Caeremonies E. O yes divers did seek to diswade the King but in vain for either they could have no hearing or els the ●●shops knew strait so to bewitch the King that he believed no man but accounted them all for enemies to his prerogative that counsilled him to the contrary whereby the common governours of Scotland were necessitated for the mainteynance of their freedomes and defence of themselves to come into arms under Generall Lesly with such a Generall concourse of all the people that every one alike willingly offered himself therunto bo●h with his person and also his money which in great abundance was given for to pay the souldiers N. How did the King take this for it seemeth much that a Kingdom should betake themselves to arms without consent of their King E. The King is herby induced to take up men against the Scots to beset their havens to ploclaim their ships prise and to permit the Duynkerkers to take all such as had no commission from him so that Scotland was exceedingly distressed both by Sea and Land which made them resolve to take in certain forts to free their sea coasts to bring their leagers to the frontiers of England and so to begin a formall order of war not against the King but against his bad Counsillers N. So 't is often seen that a great fire cometh of small sparks These were sad beginnings but how did the king behave himself in these dangers E. The king did also place himself in order of warre through the Counsill of the Bishops who promised to pay his leager out of the contributions of the Clergie so that an English leager was pitcht which together with the king came to the borders of Scotland In the mean time proclaiming the Scots for Rebels and suppressors of the kings prerogative so that the two kingdomes stood in direct opposition the one against the other yea so farre that the king made the greatest part of the English leager approach upon the Scots who incompassing the English took some prisoners and got their ordonance and amunition without blood shed all which they discharged and sent to the king to shew that they intended not the dammage of their brethren the English whereby the English gentry have gotten better experience of the Scots then others had informed them in reporting that the Scots began this war to enrich themselves out of the revenues of the English which then appeared to be contrary and was also otherwise conceived by the English N. You report strange things unto me I never read in any historie of such civiltie in those that were together by the eares that they should so freelie dismisse one an other here hence it also appeared that the Scots sought not the blood of their brethren but their own freedome which without doubt made the English to entertaine a good conceipt of the Scots E. Wee have all in generall so conceived it and our gentrie began to perceive that it was but the worke of the Bishops to adorne their chaire who knew how wonderouslie to lead on the King to the destruction of both his Kingdoms which hath excited the great ones to advise the king to make an agreement with Scotland which was also performed upon condition that both the armies should be cashiered the Castels restored into the hands of the king and Synode and a Parliament assembled absolutly to end all differences where upon there was great joy all the former conditions