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cause_n	bring_v	church_n	great_a	1,628	5	2.8346	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87123	The harmonious consent of the ministers of the province within the county palatine of Lancaster, with their reverend brethren the ministers of the province of London, in their late testimonie to the trueth of Jesus Christ, and to our Solemn League and Covenant : as also against the errours, heresies, and blasphemies of these times, and the toleration of them.	Heyrick, Richard, 1600-1667.	1648 (1648)	Wing H800A; Thomason E434_7; ESTC R7597	26,660	31

of light and reason in other things God hath put the sword in the Parliaments hands for the terror of evil doers and the praise of them that do wel c. See a Letter sent to the House of Commons and printed 1645. going under the name of Oliver Cromwel and set down by Mr Rutherford in his survey of the spiritual Antichrist page 250. part 1. that do conceive that in things of the mind the sword is not put into the hands of the civil Magistrate for the terror of evil doers and the praise of them that do wel Yet because we judg the Toleration of all kind of opinions and professions in matters of Faith Errours therein being in the number of those evil works to which the Magistrate is to be a terror k Row 1● 3 4 to be impious and wicked and would be a tender nurse to give suck to cherish the foul ugly monstrous and mis-shapen births of our times as it would bealso desturctive to the Common wealth though we shall easily grant men are not to be punished by the Magistrate for their internal opinions which they do not discover l his 〈…〉 adjlipulamun qui sicuti beminum 〈…〉 is esse ajust it a 〈◊〉 de side opiniones a magis●●●ain 〈◊〉 esse 〈…〉 quanves 〈…〉 bo miman 〈◊〉 non esse puniendas largiamur 〈◊〉 tamia de rejpubluae exitialem religlonis proseljiunem a magistratu quibuslibet civibus ese ●●mitterdam negamus Synops purior theolog disput 50. thes 60. yet with our reverend brethren we do here profess to this Church and to all the Churches of God throughout the whole world That we do detest the forementioned Toleration m See a Yestimony to the Trueth of Jesus Christ page 34. And what ever others may expect to the contrary yet we hope that God wil never suffer the Parliament of England ever to be so unmindfut of either solemn League and Covenant or of their own formet Declarations and Remonstrances n The bonoiable House of Commans do thus remonshare They insuse into the people that we mean to abolish all Church Government and leave everyman to his own fancy for the service and worship of God And then afterwards they dicl●re And we do here declare that it is farfiom our purpose and desire to let loose the golden telns of Di●cipline and Government in the Church to leave private persons or particular Congregations to take up what form of diviven service they please for we hold it requifie that there should be throughout the whole Realm a consormity to that order which the Laws enjoyn according to the Word of God See the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom Decemb 15.1641 Protestations and Professions as once to give a liltening car to such as might move for such a thing and that they might be kept from being guilry of so great a sin shal be out earnest prayer for them unto God continually night and day IV. And thus having expressed our deepest sence concerning the Errours and Heresies of these times and the Toleration of them which to us is so hateful and abominable we are now carryed on to declare what we conceive to be the cause of the spreading of our freting leprosie and eating gangrene If we make inquiry into our selves we must needs acknowledg our not prizing trueth as we ought not improving precious opportunities for good that have been put into our hands the great decay of the power of godliness leaving first love lukewarmness sleighting and undervaluing the means of grace and barrenness under them faults generally to be found in the better sort of people together with the many other grievous sins that are commited in the Land are just causes why we should be scourged with such a spiritual plague but yet these hinder not but that we may also as truly number the not fettling a wel ordered Church Government for so long a time after the old rotten building was polled down amongst the causes of the growth and spreading of pemicious Errours Anarchy wil cause confusion in the Church as wel as in the Common wealth And therefore we do profess that without a wel ordered Church Government that we here may use the words of the general Assembly of the Church of Scotland o See the Exhortation of the general Assembly of the Church of Scotland page 12. where they use these expressions in reference to the Preshyterial Government which we do also with them fully and freely own We know no other proper and effectual remedy against the present dangers of Religion in this Kingdom or for purging the Church from Scandals which are destructive either to sound doctrive or godliness and are therefore thankful to the Parliament for ordaining of late the speedy divission of all the Counties of the Kingdom into Classical Presbyteries ★ See the Ordinance of Pailiament for the speedy dividing and settling the several Counties of this Kingdom into distinct Classical Presbyteries and orderedd to be printed Jan. 29. 1647. Discipline and Government in the Church being the golden Reins whereunto this present Parliament hath wel likened it serving to curb and restrain men who are by nature like a wilde asses colt p Iob 11 12. affecting unbridled liberty it is the rod wherewith to correct petulant and froward children the shepherds crook which the faithful Pastors cannot want but to the spiritual prejudice of their flocks the keyes opening the doors for the admitance in of those whom Christ would have to be admited into his Church and the shuting out of whom he would have kept out it is the hedg or wal to keep the ravenous beasts from entering into Gods garden and vineyard the means to take the soxes the little soxes that spoil the vines ●s q Cant. 2 15. and to purge out the leaven that other wise though but little yet would leaven the whole lump r z Cor. 5.6 And if not a little Family no Common wealth or society of men can consist without the bond of Laws or Discipline ſ Steri a societ●● into 〈◊〉 a demus quae vel 〈◊〉 samiliam ●●beat comtinon in recto statu sin dis●po●●● potell eam esse multo magr●●● 〈…〉 esse Calvin lto 4. insti● cap. 12.1 ct 1. Si●ut use samiliane● respublier 〈…〉 societas sine legum dise●pl●●● 〈◊〉 ●●●do consistere potest 〈◊〉 ●●●lesae ch●●●li 〈…〉 in hoe 〈◊〉 po●●st constare a●st ●●rto ●g●●ini at queidoreis legibus in adsba●● per quae ordoejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverj●● c●ms mondi sathanae f●aues ac m●i●●toc●●●●rvlatè consirve●ui Synopsis pu●or the dog Disp 48. thef 1. how can it be expected but want of Church Government will soon bring the Church to ruine Therefore seeing Government is so neccessry for the Church we cannot but judg that the want of it for so long a time hath been and is one main cause of those great evils with which

the same Heresies and Blasphemies when they published their Ordinance ' to that purpose As also for to seek Gods assidance for the suppressing and preventing the same and which put us in hopes that there would have been long before now an application of some effectual means of remedy And although we cannot but from the bottom of our hearts lament and pity all those that are intangled in the dangerous and deadly snares fo the Errours of these times yet considering that unsound and heretical doctrine Wil eat as doth a canker b 2. Tim 2.7 or gangrene and therefore doth manifestly tend to the razing down to the ground the true Christian Faith the extirpating of all true Religion and the power of godliness the poysoning and undoing of precions souls is the pest of a Church the weed that wil over-grow Gods garden and so choak the plants of the Lords own planting doth highly provoke God to anger and that the fuligmous vapors thereof which have of late risen up out of the bottomless pit as they have greatly eclipsed so are they in danger to grow into thick clouds to the utter datkening of the heavens over our heads that we should not behold any more the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ we do therefore hereby testifie with our brethren c Teslimony to the Touth of Jesus Christ page 33. to all our flocks to all the reformed Churches as our great dislike of Prelacy Erastianism ' Brownism and Independency so our utter abhorrency of Antiscripturism Popery Arianism Socinianism Arminianism Antinomianism Anabaptism Libertinism and Familism with all such like now toorife amongst us and more particularly all those Errours witnesses against by our brethren and recited by them in their Catalogue of infamous and pernicious Errours in their late Testimony And we do hereby as the Watchmen of God and Ministers of Jesus Christ give warning to our several flocks d Mat 7 5. That they take heed of the wolves in sheeps clothing of all e 2 Pet 2 1. false Teachers that do privily bring in dumnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction and that therefore they follow not their pernicious ways that the way of truth may not be evil spoken of that f 2 Ioh. v 10 11 if any man come unto them and bring not the doctrine of Christ they receive him not into their house neither hid him God speed that so they be not partakers of their evil deeds that g Rom. 16 17 they mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which the they have learned and avoyd them And do earnestly exhort them in the bowels of Jesus Christ That they labour to get sound knowledg and to be wel grounded in the principles of the oracles of h Heb. 5.12 God the want whereof is the cause why so many are seduced and turned aside and being i Eph. 4.14 but children in understanding are tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cuning craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive k Acts 17.11 That they search the Scriptures with those good Bereans whether those things they hear be so or no l 1 Iohn 4.1 that they beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world m I Thes 5.20 21 that they dispise not prophecying but yet prove all things and hold fast that which is good n Eph 4.15 and that speaking the trueth in love they grow up into Christ in all things which is the head Most humbly beseeching o Eph. 1.17 the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory that he would give unto all his people the Spirit of wisdoms and revelation in the knowledg of him p Eph. 3.16 That he Would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that they may be kept from every evil way of errour and sin and may always have something to say for the trueth and nothing against it that all those that go astray may be brought into the Way of trueth and that we our selves our several flocks and the whole Church of God every where may be found blameless at the day of Christ And however we cannot but for the present deplore the sad condition of the Church of God in this Kingdom in respect of the poysonful Errours it is infected with yet we hope that that God which often works by contraries making scandals the tryal and triumph of his chosen is for the present doing his people good by the means of Errours growth thereby ●tying their sincerity and love to trueth stiring them up to prize it the more and more to search after it There must be Heresies saith the Apostle that they that are appoved may be made manifest q C●s 11 19 Open enemies and false brethren by the wise ordering of God who can make soveraign mithridate of the flesh of vipers do always advantage the r Non 〈◊〉 do ●●slo q●od nes●unt s●d ad ●●●un qu●●readum ca●●●les ad 〈◊〉 ap●●●idu● scin●●tua●●●●●●●●cos exci●a●do An●u●●● de vera ●●li●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 8. Church And we do further trust that when God by his thus suffering the growth of abominable and pernicious Errours for a time hath thereby fully accomplished the work he hath to do upon the hearts of his people he that knows how to bring light out of darkness order out of confusion good out of evil as he made the pride and tyranny of the Prelates the means to cast them forth so also in much mercy to England wil at length by this most unlikely and contraty means in it self make the Reformation of these Kingdoms much more thorough and glorious III. But before we pass on any further we are here led to express with what astonishment and horrour we are struck when we seriously weigh what endeavours are used for the establishing of an universal Toleration of all the pernicious Errours blasphemous and heretical doctrines broached in these times as if men would not sin fast enough they were biden or as if God were not already enough dishonored except the throne of iniquity were set up framing mischief by a Law ſ Psa 94.20 or as if men were afraid that Errour a goodly plant to be cherished would not grow fast enough except it were made much of or as if it might as justly lay claim to the priviledg of being defended as truth it self or as if there were danger that Satan would not destroy souls enough except he might do the same without all restraint For our own parts as we can never sufficiently admire and wonder that any that have taken the Sole●● League and Covenant should either have so quickly forgo●●nit or else

and keep it not expecting the blessing of God any longer on these Kingdoms then in the remembrance of it and adherence to it And as with the Reverend Alsembly of Divines ſ See the humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines concerning a Confession of Faith Chap. 22. Sect. 4. page 40. we are assured that an oath is to be taken in the plain and common sence of the words without equivocation or mental reservation adjudging the contrary opinion to lay a certain foundation for the cluding all or the as such a salve as this that the Covenant may be taken in mens own sence hath given occasion to some to except against the taking of it t See the Reasons of the present judgment in the University of Oxford concerning the Covenant c. page 22.23 so what ever any others may conceive to the contrary with our Reverend Brethren then Ministers of the Province of London u See a Testimony to the Tinen of Jesus Christ page 28. we do firmly beleeve That neither this nor any other oath is otherwise to be interpreted then according to the common plain and true grammatical sence of it accounting it a most absurd and wicked perverting of it when it is so interpreted as to engage to defend and maintain any kind of Religion whatsoever without any inquiry at all how orthodox it is if established by them who have all the authority that is visible to choose for themselves which is the construction that is put upon it by some that profess to have taken w Secondly what would it do were it renewed and made perpetuall thus much it saith in my opinion and no more whensoever you shall be violently hindred in the execution of that Religion you had amongst you at the time of the engagoment and shal require out assistance we must afford it you for the removall of that violence In like manner when we shal be hindred in the excreise of that Religion which we according to the Covenant shall establish here upon request to you made for that effect you are tyed to assist us and so throughtout all the other clauses respectively and equally carrying this along with you we are hereby obliged to the reciprocall defenco of one another according to the declaration of the party wronged in any of the particulars there comprised without being cavilled at or scrupled by the party involied whather your Religion be the same it was or ours the same it should be whether the bounds of your liberties or ours be not enlarged beyond their then line whether your delinquents or ours be justly so or no for the native Rights of both people being the principal it not the only thing we looked on when we swore we do not keep our oath in preserving those rights if we do not allow 〈◊〉 master-right to each several people 〈◊〉 by to be sole judges within themselves what ●●●●gion they will set up what kind of laws they will have what size what number of Magistrates they hold fit to execute those laws and what offendors to be tryed by them Hereupon you know we did not enquire at all how orthodox your religion was before we towed to maintain you in it that is in the quiet possession of it not in the theological trueth of it a business for an University perhaps not for a Kingdom being well assured it was established by them who had all the authority that is visible to chase for themselves and could not without apparent breach of order and in jury to fundamentals be disturbed in the exercise of what they had to chosen See the Independen●y of England edeavoured to be maintained by Henry Marten a Member of the Parliament there c. page 11 12. it God having never given such an absolute power to any men on earth to establish what religion they please and to require from any sort of persons in any Kingdom whatsoever who are all to render an account to God for themselves that they should maintain and defend it upon such establishment without any inquiry at all whether it be according to the Word of God or no as also because the Covenant according to this interperation might be made the bond of iniquity to maintain defend such Religions as are flat contrary to the Word of God as Judaism Turcism and even Paganism yea Popery it self although by Covenant we be expresly bound to endeavour to extirpate it if established by them who have all the authority that is visible choose for themselves And therefore we are sure this can be none of those native rights of the people of any of these Kingdoms which we looked on when we sware and which by this Oath or Covenant we are obliged to preserve Thus fearing lest if we had altogether held our peace at this time x Esther 4.14 God might have sufficiently vindicated his truth by other instruments but for our baseness judged us unworthy to be intrusted any longer with so precious a treasure as trueth is we have therefore chosen rather to approve our selves faithful to God by joyning hands with our brethren who have witnessed such a good confession in giving such a publike and open Testimony to the trueth of Jesus Christ to our Solemn League and Covenant and against the Errours Heresies and Blasphemies of these times and the Toleration of them though for so doing we should be never so much persecuted by men then by our sinful silence seem to be ashamed either of Christ his Trueth or faithful servants boldly standing up in the cause of our great master although thereby we might be assured to gain the whole world And now having discharged our consciences how ever our actions may be misconstrued by some yet we knowing our witness is in heaven and that God is the righteous judg we do not doubt but the testimony of our consciences that herein we have aimed at nothing but the glory of God the defence of his Trueth the health and recovery of this bleeding Church the casting some discountenance upon the raging Errours of these times and testifie our adherence to our Solemn League and Covenant wil abundantly support us against the worst of evils that can befal us for witness-bearing to the Trueth Subscribed the 3d of March 1647. by us Richard Heyrick Warden of Christ-Colledg in Manchester Richard Hollinworth Fellow of Christ-Colledg in Manchester Alexander Horrocks Minister of the Gospel at Deane John Tilsley Pastor of Dean John Harper Pastor of Bolton Richard Goodwin Minister of the Gospel at Bolton Richard Benson Minister of Chollerton William Alt Min of Bury Robert Bath Pastor of Rachdal William Assheton Pastor of Midleton John Harrison Pastor of Asshton-underline Thomas Pyke Pastor of Radcliff John Angier Pastor of Denton William Walker Minister of the Gospel at Newton-heath Chappel Toby Furnesse Min. of the Gospel John Joanes Min. of Eccles. Edward Woolmer Min. of Flixton Robert Gilbody Preacher at Holcome Jonathan Scholefield Min. at Heywood Thomas Holland Min. of Ringley Thomas Clayton Min. of Diasbury Robert Constantine Min. of Ouldham Peter Bradshaw Min. of Cockey John Brierley Preacher at Salford Thomas Johnson Min. of the Gospel at Halsal William Bell Pastor of Hyton William Dun Min. of the Gospel at Ormeskirk James Worrall Pastor of Aughton William Aspinwal Preacher of Gods Word at Mayhall John Mallinson Min. of Gods Word at Melling Robert Seddon Min. of Gods Word at Alker Will Norcot Minister of West-Derby Will. Ward Min. of the Gospel at Walton Nevil Kay Pastor at VValton Henry Boulton Preacher at Hale John Fogge Pastor of Liverpoole Joseph Tompson Min. of Sephton Jo. Kyd Min. of Much-Crosby James Bradshaw Pastor of the Church at Wigan James Starkey Pastor of North meoles James Wood Preacher of the VVord at Assheton in Makersield Robert Yates Pastor of the Church at Warrington Bradbey Hayhurst Preacher of the VVord at Leigh Thomas Norman pastor of Newton Timothy Smith preacher of the VVord at Rainforth John Wright pastor of Billinge Henry Shaw pastor at Holland Thomas Crompton Min. of the Gospel at Aslley William Bagaley Min. of the Gospel at Burtonwood William Leight Preacher of the Word at Newchurch Richard Mawdesley pastor of Ellins James Hyet pastor of Croston Thomas Cranage pastor of Brindle Edward Gee Minister of the Gospel at Eccleston Paul Latham pastor of Standish Samuel Joanes pastor of Hoole Henry Welch Min. at Chorley Wil Brownsword preacher at Dugglas James Crichley preacher at Penwortham Edward Fleetwood pastor at Kirkham Isaac Ambrose pastor of Preston William Addison Lecturer at Preston William ●ngham Minist at Goosenarghe Matthew Moore minister at Broughton Christopher Edmundson pastor at Garstang Thomas Smith preacher at Garstang Chappel John Breres minister at Padiam Richard Jackson pastor at Whittington Nicolas Smith pastor of Tatham Robert Shaw pastor at Cokeram James Scholecroft minister at Caton Thomas Whitehead pastor at Halton Peter Atkinson minister of Ellel John Jaques minister of Bolton Richard VValker minister of VVarton Phillip Bennet minister of Vlverston VVilliam Smith minister of over-Kellet Brian VVillan Minister of Coulton Peter Smith minister of Shireshead Edward Aston minister of Claughton Thomas Demy minister of VViresdalle Thomas Fawcet minister at Overton VVill. Garner Preacher of the Gospel John Smith Minister of Melling Errata Page 4. line 10. for accursed read condemned FINIS

this sick and languishing Church is so much distempered And as we are fully perswaded with the reverend and learned Assembly of Divines from clear Scripture grounds t Isa 9 6 7 1 Tim 5.17 Act 20 87 28. Heb. 1 7 17 24. 1 Cor 12. 28 Mat 28. 18 19 30. That the Lord fesus as King and head of his Church hath therein appointed a Government in the hand of Church Officers distinit from the civil Magistrate u See the humble Adivice of the Assembly of Divines concerning a Confestion of Faith ch 30. sect 1. page 52. and that it is hi upon Whose shoulders the government is who sits upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever having all power given to him in heaven and in earth by the Father Who raised him from the dead and set him in his own right hand and put all things under his feet w See the humbly Advice of the Aflembly concerning Church Government page 3 So also with our reverend brethren the Ministers of the Province of London x See a Testimony to the Trueth of lesus Christ page 24. we are well assured that Jesus Christ hath siufficiently revealed in his Word how he wil have his Church governed now under the New Teclament and that the Presbyterial Government truly so called by Presbyteries and Synods in a due line of subordination of the lesser to the greater with procperous success exercised in the best reformed Churches is that Government which is most agreable to the mind of jesus Christ revealed in Seripture And if this Government were but fully established and settled a throughout this Kingdom we do not doubt but through the bles●ing of God in the sincere and faithsul exercise thereof the mists that do at present overshadow and obscure this Church would be soon dispelled the Errours that do boldy walk up and down without controul would not dare to peep forth or if they did would be soon suppressed looseness and profaness would be more restrained the power of godliness more advanced many scandals prevented and removed sundry stumbling blocks would be taken out of the way of the weak to the healing of our divisions and so the Spouse of Christ that at present is black over would look with another manner of face then now she doth The experience of the reformed Churches and especially of Scotland confirms the successfulness of this Government abundantly for the weeding up of Errours and keeping the Church of Chirst chaste from being drawn aside to commit spiritual fornication with the idols of the brain We also our selves in the exercise of this Government according to those cautions and considerations premised by us z See the deliberate Resolntion of the Minislers of the Gospel within the County Palatine of Lancaster with their grounds cautions according to which they put into execution the Presbyterial Government upon the present Ordinances of Parliament Pieston Novemb. 17. 1646. have to the praise and glory of God cause to acknowledg it in some measure successful amongst us in the exercise of that part thereof that is alrealy settled for the stirring up of the ignorant to endeavour after more knowledg and the restraining of the scandalous but much more fruit we apprehend would be reaped from it if in all the parts thereof it were in its ful force established But in the mean time we cannot but bewail that there are so many that are prejudiced against it do asperse it speaking evil of what they understand not and that sundry do not only refuse to submit to it themselves but do with tooth and nail oppose and hinder the establishing of it in the Kingdom Here also we do further signifie that we cannot only our selves submit to what the reverend and learned Assembly of Divines have presented to the Honorable Houses of Parliament as their humble advice concerning this Government judging it to be very consonant to the Word of God and wel agreeing with the Government and Discipline of other reformed Churches but do also unfeignedly and heartily desire in pursuance of our Covenant that the three Kingdoms may be brought to that uniformity for Discipline and Govenment that is advised to there not without much regreet disapproving of the new-coined titles of distinction of a Scottish and English Presbytery V. As for our Solemn League and Covenant for the defence of our Religion and to endeavour Reformation we cannot but here cal to mind the manifold encouragements given us to take it it being when it was by authority pressed upon us thought a fit and excellent means to acquire the favor of almighty God towards the three Kingdoms a See the Ordinance of Parliament Feb. 2.16.41 for the ta●●● the Covenant and for the better encouraging of all sorts of person to take it was by the Parliament in the tenth instruction for the taking of the Covenant recommended to the Assembly of Divines to make a brief Declaration by way of Exhortation to all sorts of persons to take it as that Which they judged no only lawful but all things considered exceeding expedient and necessary for all that wish wel to religion the King and Kingdom to joyn in and to be a singular pledg of Gods gracious goodness to all the three Kingdoms and was accordingly urged by the Assembly as the soveraign and only means to recover an embroiled bleeding remnant b See the Exhortation for the taking the Covenant ordered by the House of Commons to be p●●ated Feb. 9.1643 and yet further that in the Declaration of both Kingdoms joyned in Arms ordered to be printed Jan. 30. 1643. such as would not take the Covenant are declared to be publick enemies to their Religion Country and that they are to be censured punished as professed adversaries and Malignants all which as they did lay strong engagements on us to take it so to see it so urged and pressed made our hearts within us to leap for joy We remembred our servitude and bondage under the Prelatical Task-masters how the Doctrine Discipline and Worship had been corrupted and this Covenant for Extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schism and Profaness and for Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Discipline Government and Worship not only recommended but also commanded and so strongly pressed by the higher powers to be taken throughout these three Kingdoms did in the midst of our troubles at that time lying on us mightily revive and cheer our drooping spirits and was as life from the dead c Rom. 11 15. We also shal never forget how the taking of this Covenant was by our selves pressed and urged on our several Congregations how lolemnly it was sworn and what rejoycing there was at the Oath sundry at the taking of it weeping for joy And when the Covenant was thus taken we thought within our selves that surely now the Crown is set