Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A56832
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The loyall convert
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Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing Q107; ESTC R6161
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14,154
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26
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our Learned Religious and Orthodox Divines who by their able Tongues and Pens have defended and maintained the true ancient and Catholique Faith and vindicated the Reformed Religion from the aspersions of her potent Adversaries are now plundred in their Goods sequestred in their Livings imprison'd in their Persons if not forced in their Consciences whilest their Wives and poore Children begging their Bread are left to the mercy of these 〈◊〉 mercifull times even for the encouragement of them whose pedantick learning durst never shew her ridiculous face before an easie School-man whose livelyhoods they unworthily usurp not dispensing the bread of life but the darnell of giddy-headed fancie and sedition abhorring the way to peace and maligning those that ensue it I but we desire Peace so we may have Truth too What meane ye by having Truth The preservation of the old Truth or the Institution of a New If ye feare the alteration of the Old having your Soveraigns Oath which you dare not beleeve what other assurance can you have The Blood you shed is certaine the change you feare is uncertaine It is no wisedome to apply a desperate Remedy to a suspected disease If the enjoyment of Peace depends upon a full assurance of Truth our discords may beare an everlasting date God hath threatned to remove his Candlestick and our wickednesse justly feares it And so long as we feare it shall we abjure Peace the blessed meanes to prevent it He that seekes to settle Truth by the sword distracts it Or is it a Truth ye want If so Is it of Doctrine or of Discipline If of doctrine Actum est de nostra Religione Farewell our Religion Or is it of Discipline Discipline is but a Ceremony And did the Lord of the Sabbath dispence with a morall Law for the preservation of an Oxes life or an Asses and shall we to alter some few indifferent Ceremonies allowed by the Parliaments of three pious and wise Princes and the practise of many holy Martyrs who sealed the true Protestant Religion with their Blood cry down Peace and shed the blood of many thousand Christians Our seduced Protestants will have no set Forms of Prayer but what proceed immediatly from their owne Fancies This is their Truth Our Semi-separatists wil heare our Sermons if they like the Teacher but no Divine Service This is their Truth Our Separatists will not communicate in our Churches nor joyne in our Congregations That is their Truth Our Anabaptists will not baptize till yeares of discretion and re-baptize That is their Truth Our Antinomians will have no Repentance This is their truth Our Independents will have an universall Paritie This their Truth Good God when shall we have Peace if not till all these Truths meet But Christ sayes I come not to bring Peace but the Sword therefore for the propagation of Peace it is lawfull to use the Sword So He is tearmed a stumbling block and does that warrant us to stumble So He sayes All you shall be offended because of me and does this patronize our Offences The Law is good and just Because then we had not knowne sinne but by the Law is it therefore lawfull for us to sinne God forbid Our Saviour brings the Sword among us as wholesome meat brings sicknesse to a weakely sick stomack or physick to a body abounding with Humours not intentionally but occasionally Thus by your erroneous and weake mistakes you make the Prince of Peace the Patron of your unnaturall Warre and the God of Truth the president of your unexamined errors But Almightie God the Champion of his owne Truth and maintainer of his own Cause hath to mere then common admiration appeared in this great enterprize He that delivered Israels handfull from the hand of Pharoahs Host hath shewed himselfe in the almost incredible proceedings of this heaven-displeasing Warre the brief relation whereof may move those hearts that are not seated or stone to melt into a thankfull acknowledgement of his Power and remaine as Monuments of his Mercy that children yet unborne may say hereafter God was here viz. The two Houses of Parliament made first a generall seizure of all the Armes Ammunition Castles Forts Magazines and Ships being the whole visible strength of this unhappie Kingdome to whom having now setled the Militia both by Sea and Land in their own hands tides of Proposition-gold came in upon the Publique Faith Money like blood from the Liver conveighed through all the veines issued to make a large supply and where it stopt a while mountains of massie Plate from the vast Goblet to the slender Thimble this Faith removed into their safe possession And when the great Milch-Cow began to slake they prest her nipples and by hard streyning renew'd the stream As Physicians evacuate the Body sometimes by Vomit sometimes by Purge sometimes by Phlebotomie sometimes by sweating sometimes fluxing sometimes diuretically yet purge but the same peccant humour So did they first by Proposition then by way of Contribution now by way of Loan then by way of Subsidie no lesse then 50 at one time here by way of Assessement there by way of Twentieth part then by way of Excise one while by way of Sequestration then by way of Plunder but still the issue MONY And to work the better upon the Affections of the Multitude all this for the behoof of King and Parliament for the pretended defence of God knowes what Religion insomuch that men came in like Swarmes to the next Tree or rather like treacherous Decoys with their innocent multitude into the Net and Horses without number Thus were they supplyed with all necessaries which the Arme of flesh could provide for the waging of an unconquerable War whereon the Money alreadie expended makes no lesse figures then 17. Millions Ster. besides the Revenues of the King Queen Prince Duke of Yorke and the whole Estates of all such as take up Armes against them besides free Quarter and Souldiers yet unpayd His Majestie on the other side driven away with a few Attendants not having among them so many Swords and Pistols as these had Cannons wanting both Money Horses and Ammution onely what he received from the pietie of some beleeving Subjects whose eares were Pamphlet-proofe against all defamations and scandals cast upon sacred Maiestie finding slender Provision in his own Dominions and that stopt or seized which came from forreigne parts No Shipping but what he purchast with the precious and extreame hazard of his few but valiant Subjects No Armes but what he gained by the couragious venture of his owne neglected life the subject of our cortinuall Prayers Yet hath God covered his head in the day of battaile and blest him with such successe that He is by the Divine Providence become a great Master of the Field and almost able to maintaine fight with his owne Ships at Sea The God of Heaven blesse him and prosper him and make his dayes as the dayes of Heaven