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A91013
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The Prime vvork of the first tripple-Parlament [sic]; or, The modest motion of religion's friends, humbly tendered by way of petition to the first representative of Great Britain and Ireland. Thus published, that some good men of every county may present a copy thereof to the Members of Parliament by them elected.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing P3460; Thomason E809_13; ESTC R207566
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7,095
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15
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Government both in Church and State They boast of the Spirit Gal 5.22.23 but shew not the fruit of the Spirit viz. Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance But the works of the Flesh are so abundantly manifested in them that your Petitioners in all humiliy do desire to prostrate before you the dangerous Consequences of these Innovators and their Innovations that so you may Cordially and Unanimously hasten to stop all their Exorbitances and Incroachments lest these ungodly men over-run His Highness Dominions Anno. 1533. 2 Tim. 3.13 and over-whelm them in Bloud as others did Germany For evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Be pleased therefore to take notice that the blessed Sacraments and other holy Ordinances of God are not only depraved by many of those who should teach conformity to established Laws but in contempt of them in many places wholy neglected or administred by the hands of unfitting men that have no outward calling to the Ministry audaciously and without any punishment Marriage an Ordinance of God also is exposed to contempt and that by virtue of an Act of Parliament Excommunication layd aside Catechising but seldom used Matth. 6.9 That absolute Model the Lords Prayer reviled Our only and blessed Saviour in his Deity and Scriptures blasphemed His Ministers reproached Many Houses of God robbed wasted and made desolate The Moral Law abrogated Obedience to Civil Magistrates denyed and in these the foundation both of Religion and the Common-wealth overturned By all which evils Almighty God is highly provoked the present Government dishonoured the Peace of the Nations disturbed the Consciences of Gods people disquieted the Ministers of Gods word discouraged the glory of our Israel departed and the enemies of the Church emboldned in their enterprizes Now not only to redress these Grievances and prevent these sad Events but that all may come into the Unity of the Faith Eph. 4.3 13 14 15. and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man and may all keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and may henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but may grow up unto him in all things which is the Head even Christ May it please this Great and Honourable Court speedily to command throughout these Dominions a general due observation of the true Reformed Religion by Law established in such manner as may seem best to the piety and wisdom of His Highness and this most Honourable Councel For your Petitioners do in no wise presume to prescribe Rules only these are their humble and ardent Desires 1. That to prevent a Combustion you would please to blow out the sparks and constrain irregular and disorderly Schismaticks and Heretical Sects now the most dangerous Incendiaries of all into right Paths of serving God to frequent his House as well to pray as to hear to be under a Discipline to bow to Authority and to live in Peace and Order Else variety of Opinions will beget variety of Affections and when mens hearts become Flinty each to other if they meet they will strike Fire 2. That the Word of God be not blasphemed nor any Innovation of Doctrine admitted or tollerated nor the holy Administrations prophaned you would please speedily to commit to Justice all known Blasphemers to suppress all Schismatical Pamphlets to provide against Heretical Sermons and to make some severe Law against Lay mens during to arrogate to themselves and to execute the holy Function of the Ministery in publick 3. That to dispel the Darkness of Ignorance you would please to let in the Light of divine knowledge by appointing publick Catechising every Lords Day in every Church And to propagate the Gospel more effectually You would please sadly to consider the desolation of the Churches in Ireland and the [*] In both their Books crys of the Churches in Wales and to restore unto them their former maintenances and to send forth able Pastors into every Parish 1 Cor. 9.13 4. That they that Minister at the Altar may live by the Altar and without Contempt you would please to enact some Law for Parsons and Vicars recovery of Tithes and Offerings in such a way as may be most speedy and least chargeable and to grant Augmentations to such as have the smallest Livings 5. That learning may be cherished and a supply of able Divines continued you would please to maintain the just rights and properties of the Universities which are the Seminaries of good Literature and the Schools of the Prophets and to reduce them to the due observation of their Statutes and to place worthy Governours in them 6. That the study of Divinity and the faithful Dispensors of the Gospel may be incouraged you would please not only to confirm unto them the setled maintenances without further diminution but also propound good Preferments to men able in this Heavenly Calling that thereby men of worthiest Gifts may be won unto it For herein the Papists shew themselves wiser than the true Church of God 7. Lastly that the precious Truths of the Gospel and the holy Ordinances of God may be preserved in their purity and brightness and all Differences concerning Doctrine and Ceremonies of Religion may be composed you would please that a free and National Synod may speedily be convened of most grave learned pious judicious and unbyassed Divines to be chosen by all the Clergy because all the Clergy are to be bound by their resolutions And the determination of this Synod to bind all persons after you have formed them into a Law And this your Petitioners humbly conceive to be according to the antient and fundamental Law of this Land confirmed by Magna Charta All which your Petitioners do humbly offer to the grave wisdom and pious consideration of this most Honourable Assembly as the thoughts and desires as they are perswaded of multitudes of the sound Members of the Church of Christ And in confidence of your forward Zeal for the Lord in advancing the true Religion they hold it needless to press you with Subscriptions of any of their Names but humbly beseech the Almighty God to direct and prosper all your Counsels and Results and ye to pardon their Errours and Presumptions herein Be of good Courage Psal 31.24 73.1 and God shall strengthen your Heart all ye that hope in the Lord. For truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart PSALM 25.22 Redeem Israel O God out of all his Troubles Amen FINIS
THE PRIME WORK OF THE FIRST TRIPPLE-PARLAMENT OR The modest Motion of Religion's friends humbly tendered by way of Petition to the first Representative of Great Britain and Ireland Thus published that some good Men of every County may present a Copy thereof to the Members of Parliament by them elected Praemonitus praemunitus He that taketh warning shall deliver his Soul Ezek. 33.5 As they went through the Cities they delivered them the Decrees for to keep that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders and so were the Churches established in the Faith and increased in number daily Acts 16.4.5 London Printed by T. W. 1654. To the Supreme Authority of the Common-wealth of Great BRITTAIN and IRELAND The most HIGH and HONOURABLE Court of PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of divers wel-affected in behalf of the CHURCH of CHRIST in all the three NATIONS Humbly sheweth THat your Petitioners with all cheerfulness and contentation affying in the happy settlement both of Church and State by the prudent and Religious endeavours of His Highness the Lord Protector and this Honourable Assembly and with due humility and obedience submiting to the unanimous Conclusions of this Supreme power do conceive themselves bound in duty thankfully to acknowledge that they are much comforted that in this time of Jacobs trouble Revel 12.15 wherein the Serpent hath cast out of his mouth a floud of Heresies and Errours God hath even beyond hope called together such Men of stature in Religion and such worthy Champions for Religion as are resolved vigorously to oppose the enemies of the Truth and Kingdom of Jesus Christ Jude 3. and earnestly to contend for the Faith which was once for all delivered unto the Saints As the end of your calling and meeting together is to serve the Lord God and these Nations so your way most surely and powerfully to effect both is by settling the Distractions of the Church of Christ for as the Church is part of Christ himself Eph. 5.23 so is it a principal part of these Nations even the Pillar and stay of all for the State and Welfare of the Common-wealth have their subsistence by true Godliness Therefore as Religion is the whole duty of Man Eccles 12.13 so the whole work of a Parliament It is the Basis and bottom on which all Happiness of a People are grounded Doctor Usher the Soder of all Societies the Rule of right ruling the Mother of entire and hearty love and obedience the Life and Cement of Laws the Nurse of Peace the Bond of Unity the Strength of all Defence and such a Blessing as blesseth all other blessings unto any People Therefore now at your first Entrance whilst your thoughts are free and devoted to God Your Petitioners do mind you of nothing else but only of setling the Doctrine and Discipline of the true Reformed Religion By Sir Ben. Rudyerd This hath often heretofore been Petitioned and moved for in Parliaments and will now lye heavy upon Parliaments until it be effected for when God is neglected of Man Man shall be contemned of God when man abridgeth God of his honour God will shorten man of his happiness But now if you do indeed make Religion your Business you will become a Heavenly Parliament for that will be your guide and stay in all other businesses you will Steer your course by that Compass it will new model your desires and affections and direct limit and circumstantiate all your Debates Votes and Acts. And in securing Religion you will also secure His Highness and your Selves not only by maintaining His and your best Interest the Union and Love of the People but by defeating any Plots that are or may be conspired by the enemies of Religion whose factious and seditious Spirits as they do already much disquiet the Church and discontent all good people So they do evidently endanger the Peace of the State subversion of the Civil Government and destruction of the Governours for Church-Rebels will soon become State-Rebels and their Doctrine and practice have ever been Master Hooker either to Level Common-wealths or to assume Magistracy unto themselves They that drave on so furiously in the late Parliaments will again undoubtedly contrive to encounter you with their Faction for having already unrivetted the Fabrick of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government they do now imagin nothing is too difficult for them to attempt It needeth not be instanced how they therefore exclude all Order that they themselves may rule mean while setting up so many different and contrary Congregations one against another that they have almost rendred themselves uncapable to be reduced into the Body either of Church or State yet still think themselves the only fit men for the Keys and Scepter So that greater Divisions and more horrible Factions will inevitably ensue to the breach of that Union which is the sacred bond and preservation of the Common Peace of Church and State Wherefore unless you will be undermined by them surely you will not so silently and patiently tollerate them If you please to consider with what vehemency of Spirit they prosecute their Designs how plausible their popular Infusions are in their poysoning Sermons and pestilent Pamphlets how industrious and earnest some of them were to be elected into this present Parliament and what insolent speeches terrible menaces and liberal promises they then publickly used offering unto the people for their Suffrages no less than the Tithes of this Nation and scandalizing honest men that Voted for most worthy Members you will with your Petitioners soon acknowledge that of all the Distempers that at present threaten the Welfare of this Realm no one more imploreth the speedy mature and effectual consideration of your most High and Honourable Council than the Torrent of such Violent spirits to be stopped ere ever they swell beyond the Banks of Government the over-flowing of which Torrent is easily foreseen but will very hardly be remedied unless the vigilancy of your Zeal do the more seasonably prevent You are now the Governours you are the Nursing-Fathers of Gods Church unto you is committed the care of all the Churches in all the three Nations wherefore your Petitioners do further presume to point out unto you some other Troublers of our Israel and to lay open before you some other sore Grievances of the Church of Christ humbly beseeching you with pitty to behold the miserable disorder and breaches thereof for alas it shaketh Psal 60.2 and to foresee the Calamities that will unless by your great wisdom prevented unavoydably follow It is a work worthy the labour of a Parlament to redress them none but a Parlament can do it and none can do it more succesfully than this Triple-Parlament For most of the Churches of Ireland are unprovided of sufficient Ministers and maintenance many Churches of Scotland and Wales are deprived of their maintenance and consequently of Ministers in the Marches or utmost Borders of England are few good