Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	learned_a	pastor_n	reverend_n	3,088	5	16.4121	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96239	A letter from the Assembly of Divines in England, and the commissioners of the Church of Scotland, written, and sent by order of the honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament, to the Belgick, French, Helvetian, and other reformed churches. Translated into English, and now published with the severall inscriptions to those churches. By order of the said House.; Literae a Conventu Theologorum in Anglia et Ecclesiae Scoticanae delegatis. English	Westminster Assembly; Lauderdale, John Maitland, Duke of, 1616-1682.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. aut	1644 (1644)	Wing W1443; Thomason E39_7; ESTC R20514	7,959	20

blood poured out in every corner things though otherwise very precious to us wee omit to mention If our God wil lay our bodies as the ground and as the dust under their feet the will of the Lord bee done Might our blood bee a Sacrifice to ransome the rest of the Saints of Christ from antichristian fury most gladly would wee offer it upon this service But that which breaks our hearts is the danger wee behold the Protestant Religion and all the Reformed Churches in at this time Wee know their rage is insatiable and will not bee quenched with our blood their fury is kindled against us not as wee are sinfull men but as men ingaged in the defence of the true Religion and panting after a right Reformation And if once the Lord deliver us as a prey into their teeth Oh the darknesse and horrour the bondage slavery and persecution which all who will not receive the mark of the beast are like to bee wrapped in in these three wofull Kingdomes And not here only but they are like to attempt the same in all the Reformed Churches in Europe Your owne thoughts can easily suggest unto you with what rage the beast which came out of the bottomlesse pit the Woman who hath thus long drunk the blood of the Saints is filled now before her utter destruction against that Virgin Company that follow the Lamb. The Church and Kingdome of Scotland have been willing and ready by all good meanes to quench this unnaturall fire They have sent their humble Supplications Remonstrances and Declarations to his Majesty And at last made offer of their humble Mediation and Nationall intercession for a Pacification All which being refused and rejected they have entered into a mutuall League and Covenant with the Church and Kingdome of England and have resolved to joyn in Arms with their Brethren for their assistance and deliverance for the preservation of their own Religion of themselves from the mercilesse cruelty of the common enemy and so farre as in them lyeth for the safety of their Native King and his Kingdoms from destruction and desolation as is more largely expressed in their publick Declaration and in the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdomes which will give full satisfaction to all the wise and well-affected concerning their intentions They have also according to the desire of the Honourable Houses of Parliament sent us their Commissioners hither for uniformity of Religion in the Churches of both Kingdoms And wee their Commissioners do exceedingly rejoyce to behold the Foundation of the House of God not only in Doctrine but Church-Government laid before our eyes in a reverend Assembly of so wise learned and godly Divines And find our selves bound in all Christian duty but especially by the late Solemne League and Covenant of both Kingdomes wherein wee are so deepely interessed and ingaged to joyne in representing to the Reformed Churches abroad the true condition of affaires here against all mis-informations and mistakings And now deare Brethren in this extreame danger threatning us all what are the things wee can begge of you But that first you would judge aright of our afflicted condition of our innocency and integrity in this our just defence If our Enemies every where calumniate us that we be risen up in Rebellion against our Soveraigne to deprive him of his just power and greatnesse and endeavour to bring Anarchy and confusion into the Church of Christ from these foule and false aspersions our intentions fully and clearely set forth in our solemne League and Covenant the copy whereof we here withall humbly present you wee doubt not will sufficiently cleare us But if these children of Beliall have unjustly stirred up our Soveraigne against us and by abusing his Majesties name and Authority are labouring to keepe themselves from deserved punishment of their former crimes which the supreme Judicatories of the Kingdome went about to inflict upon them and to deprive us of our lives Liberties Priviledges and especially of our Religion And that our defensive Arms are by us used and intended onely to preserve our selves from their unjust violence which hath often beene the condition of many of your selves Let the righteous Lord judge between us and them whom we implore to helpe us no further then we can plead these things in sincerity before him And let our deare Brethren to whom these letters are addressed acquit our Innocency in their hearts and make their Apologie for us in all their Churches Secondly that yee will sympathize with us as Brethren who suffer in and for the same cause wherein your selves have beene oppressed which will be no little refreshing to our mourning spirits when we shall know that our God who smites us yet inclines the hearts of his beloved Churches to looke upon us with compassionate bowells as judging us to be the servants of their owne God and Saviour Jesus Christ and as remembring themselves to be in the body Thirdly and lastly That as all the Antichristian faction ownes the cause of our Adversaries as their owne and contributes what lyes in their power every way to their helpe and our ruine So that you would imbrace our condition as your owne common cause wherein if we be once swallowed up your selves are not like long to escape the quarrell of the enemy being not so much against the persons of men as against the power of Godlinesse and Purity of Gods word wherever it is professed The way and manner of your owning us we leave wholly to your selves Except this one particular which we must importunately crave even your fervent prayers both publike and private That God who heareth prayer now he hath humbled us and broken all our Arms of Flesh whereon alas we have beene too prone to leane would himselfe bring salvation to us that the blessings of truth and peace might rest upon us that these three Nations may be joyned as one stick in the hand of the Lord and that we our selves contemptible builders called to repaire the House of God in a troublesome time being ashamed of our former pollutions may see the patterne of this House and commend such a platforme to our Zorobabells as may be most agreeing to his own sacred word nearest conformity to the best Reformed Churches and greatest uniformity amongst our selves that all mountains may become plains before them and us that then all who now see the plummet in our hands may also behold the Top stone set upon the head of the Lords house amongst us and may help us with shouting to cry Grace Grace unto it And thus much we have beene willed to Informe you of Reverend Brethren and by you all faithfull Christians under your Charges by the Honourable House of Commons In whose name and in our own we bid you heartily farewell in the Lord. Your most affectionately devoted Brethren in Christ Commissioners of the Church of Scotland Jo. Maitland A. Jhonston Alex. Henderson Sam. Rutherfurd Rob. Bailyie Geo. Gillespie William Twisse Prolocutor Cornel. Burges Assessor Jo. White Assessor Henry Robrough Scribe Adoniram Byfield Scribe THE Severall Inscriptions to THE REFORMED CHVRCHES Zealand TO the Reverend and Learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Zealand our much Honoured Brethren Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Holland our much Honoured Brethren East-Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of East-Holland our much Honoured Brethren Gelderland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Gelderland our much honoured Brethren Over Ysell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Over Ysell our much honoured Brethren Utrecht To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Utrecht our much Honoured Brethren Frizeland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Frizeland our much honoured Brethren Groningen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province and City of Grohingen our much honoured Brethren Geneva To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Church in the City and Republick of Geneva our much honoured Brethren Berne To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Berne our much honoured Brethren Zurich To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Zurich our much honoured Brethren Bazell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Bazell our much honoured Brethren Schafhausen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Schafhausen our much honoured Brethren Paris To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Church which is at Paris our much honoured Brethren Hessen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Hessen our much honoured Brethren Anhalt To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Anhalt our much honoured Brethren Hanaw To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Hanaw our much honoured Brethren FINIS