Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	brethren_n	know_v	life_n	4,656	5	5.3920	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85826	The Covenanters plea against absolvers. Or, A modest discourse, shewing why those who in England & Scotland took the Solemn League and Covenant, cannot judge their consciences discharged from the obligation of it, by any thing heretofore said by the Oxford men; or lately by Dr Featly, Dr. Gauden, or any others. In which also several cases relating to promisory oathes, and to the said Covenant in special, are spoken to, and determined by Scripture, reason, and the joynt suffrages of casuists. Contrary to the indigested notions of some late writers; yet much to the sense of the Reverend Dr. Sanderson. Written by Theophilus Timorcus a well-wisher to students in casuistical divinity.	Timorcus, Theophilus.; Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654, attributed name.; Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656, attributed name.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691, attributed name.	1660 (1660)	Wing G314; Thomason E1053_13; ESTC R202125	85,431	115

bound to keep it The most therefore of Dr. Featly's and the Oxford Reasons against the Covenant signifie nothing to our present case Dr. Gawden's late Arguments signifie as little many of them were considerable before the taking of the Covenant but argue insufficiently for the violation or irritation of it but as to that Point are clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 10. It is agreed by the eminently Learned and Reverend Dr. Sanderson and all Casuists That an Oath may be unlawful respectu rei juratae De Jur. prom prael 2. Sect. 14. or respectu actus jurandi with respect to the thing sworn i. e. the matter of it or in respect of the Act of swearing What Oath soever a man takes unlawful in the first sense doth not oblige But an Oath unlawful in the second sense when once taken doth oblige Our question is not about the lawfulness of taking the Covenant but the necessity of keeping of it by such as have no desire to seal up their souls to damnation and sacrifice their honour to a reproach before the world For Perjurii poena divina est exitium humana dedecus saith Tully § 11. Dr. Gawden and one Mr. Rowland have expresly spoken or at least pretended to speak to the true question but with what success the first hath done it will be discerned by that excellent Answer which Mr. Crofton hath given him which might have superseded any further pains if there had been no cause to add somthing to some Pleas made or further improved by others and to second Mr. Crofton with the Suffrages of Casuists and especially of Dr. Sanderson in the case and for the other we judge him not worthy our notice § 12. It was Augustines opinion that although Pelagius was fully answered yet every one should write against such a common enemy of the Gospel It is our Opinion that those who any waies contribute to bring souls under the dreadful guilt of swearing falsly are such common enemies to Christianity yea to mankind an Oath being the common security of the Sons of men that those who go about to invalidate it having their hands against all men deserve to have all mens hands against them as doing that which is not pleasing to God and contrary to all men § 13. We cannot but admire the Religion of our Late Famous Soveraign Ch. the First a man of much sorrow and Afflictions and to whom it was continually suggested that the Covenanting Party of the Nation were the Causers of them though indeed some of the Prelates were the true and proper cause by exasperating his Subjects by their illegal and enormous actions yet in the midst of these sufferings he is found thus speaking in his Meditations upon the Covenant As things now stand 〈…〉 pag 86. good men shall least offend God or me by keeping their Covenant in good and lawful waies since I have the Charity to think that the chief end of the Covenant in such mens intentions was to preserve Religion in purity and the Kingdoms in peace § 14. By which expression not only your Honours and all sober men may judge what an insufficient Plea in conscience they bring to absolve us from the Covenant who plead his Majesties dissent at first declared and afterwards continued as to the imposing of it upon others But you may also discern that his Sacred Majesty had more Charity for those of your Honours who took that Covenant than our late Absolvers have who can see no end in the giving or taking of it but Faction and Rebellion and we know not what As also that his Majesty had more Godly jealousie for the soules of his people ingaged in it that they might not be destroyed by Perjury than some late Casuists whose proper Office it should be to watch over soules The Lord lay not their sin to their charge § 15. But Right Honourable above all things that they talk there is nothing considered as a Reproach more intollerable unto us or considered as an Argument more ridiculous to all that shall hear of it than what they urge in order to the absolution of their credulous Proselites from the high presumptions of those who having engaged in the same Covenant with us so horridly violated the Oath of God in the murder of his Majesty of Glorious Memory c. § 16. His Majesty in the midst of his Exile was pleased in his Instructions to him who is now Lord Chancellor when he was sent Ambassador for him into Spain to do the Nation of England that Justice as to declare those Actions 〈◊〉 Actions only of an inconsiderable Faction of Miscreants and your Honours have been pleased to take 〈◊〉 of his Majesties justice in it as likewise in your first 〈◊〉 to his Majesty to declare That if the Parliament the Covenant-imposing Parliament had not been broken by a mutinous Army those things could never have been done Our Brethren know that divers of those who took the Covenant sacrificed their lives unto death in opposition to the violaters of the Covenant That for their adherence to it the House of Lords was broken up 200 Members of the House of Commons were secluded that of those who remained the number was very few that consented to those horrid actions that our Brethren of Scotland offered their lives and liberties in that Sacrifice that the Ministry of England openly declared against it to that height which caused the ruine of some of them made their whole Party odious to the Usurpers and such as they would never own or trust And therefore we cannot but think it a great want of Truth and Charity in our Brethren to charge those things so generally upon the Covenanting Party of the Nation who we humbly conceive have done more in order to the Ends of the Covenant relating to his Majesties Concernments in the day wherein the Covenant was to be pleaded on their behalf than any of those did who now are so free to lay these things to their charge § 17. It is a piece of new Divinity to us that if five hundred take an Oath and five of them violate it the rest are all absolved from the Obligation of it Yet the disproportion is far greater betwixt those who took that Covenant and those who so violated it both as to their number and quality § 18. The Oath of God Right Honourable is upon us and we are afraid because of it we have sworn to endeavour the Reformation of the Church of God in England in Doctrine Worship and Discipline according to the example of the word of God the best Reformed Churches To endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy If this Oath be Obligatory we cannot break it without the highest presumption of wickedness and therefore must be Sufferers under the old Constitution of Ecclesiastical Government and Forms of Worship in England if it be restored We know your Honours will be tender of enforcing any to suffer for