Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	child_n	father_n	life_n	5,155	5	4.4801	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57864	A vindication of the Church of Scotland being an answer to a paper, intituled, Some questions concerning Episcopal and Presbyterial government in Scotland : wherein the latter is vindicated from the arguments and calumnies of that author, and the former is made appear to be a stranger in that nation/ by a minister of the Church of Scotland, as it is now established by law.	Rule, Gilbert, 1629?-1701.	1691 (1691)	Wing R2231; ESTC R6234	39,235	42

the Western parts 1666. known by the name of Pentland-hills was purely the fruit of the horrid Barbarities that that people suffered from Military force sacking their Houses and destroying their Livelihood treating their persons with the greatest Inhumanity under which they groaned for several years and had no shelter but in Mountains and in Caves nor were safe but in such companies as could make resistance and yet what then was done was the act but of a few Presbyterians and therefore could not warrant further severity nor could be chargeable on all and on this or some other consideration it was that they had an Indulgence granted for a time but it was so contrived as could not answer the necessities of the people the Ministers being all confined to one corner and the rest of the Nation left destitute which made it reasonable for some to use that liberty that they might serve the Church and others to refuse it that they might be useful in other places where it was not allowed What is alledged of assaulting Ministers robbing their Houses wounding them c. much of it was found to be meer forgery to make that party odious and to give a colour for further severities and what was done if any thing was without the knowledge and with the greatest dislike of the Presbyterians in general for indeed the severities of that time did provoke some to run into these principles and practices that ever since hath been uneasie to the State and grievous to sober Presbyterians some of whom have been as much in hazard from them as the prelatick Clergy have been it is therefore strange that such things should be pretended to justifie the bloody Laws that followed and which reach even them that were quiet in the Land § 6. He next cometh to the Act 1670 wherein the Preface brandeth Meetings tho' they were only for Praying and Preaching as Seminaries of Rebellion tho' it is well known that Loyalty hath been many times preached in them and no Sedition nor Rebellion was ever taught except by the persons above marked and for a House-Conventicle the Minister is Imprisoned till he pay 175 l. sterling and must engage to preach no more or give Bond to leave the Nation without returning unless by the King's leave others were to pay an Inheritour of Lands the fourth part of his Rent a Servant the fourth part of a Year's Wage a Farmer 40 s. sterling a Cottar 20 s. If the Meeting were in the Fields where yet Christ and his Disciples often preached and that contrary to the Laws of Men the Minister was punishable by Death and confiscation of Goods and every Hearer the double of what is above mention'd If here be nothing of Persecution that hearing a Sermon from one that Christ by his Church hath sent to preach should be bought at such a rate and that a few peaceable People meeting in a corner of a Wilderness for no other intent and about no other work but to hear the Gospel should take away the Preacher's Life and the Hearer's Livelihood if this I say be no Persecution let the World judge There might have been some shadow for such severity against meeting with Arms tho' even that was in some cases necessary but that was always disallowed by the soberest and wisest but when nothing appeared in mens words or behaviour but that in peace and quietness they were seeking after the food of their Souls such severity must either be called Persecution or we have lost the very names of things and must call Vice Virtue and Virtue Vice § 7. What he hath owned is sufficient to ruin his Conclusion that he would prove by these Topicks to wit That the Penal Laws against Scotch Presbyterians had no persecution in them But it doth further appear how absurd it is if we consider what he hath wisely suppressed as ashamed to speak out all the truth Three things he suppresseth 1. Some severe Laws 2. Some Acts of Council or Orders given forth by it which exceeded all the Severity of the Laws 3. Execution of these Laws and Orders beyond what either of them could warrant For the 1st in the Act of Parliament Aug. 13. 1670. it is declared that if a Minister Preach Expound Scripture or Pray in a House where there be more persons than the House contains it is not said than the House can contain so as some be without doors which might happen without the Ministers or Peoples knowledge after the work is begun or by the Malice of some who might stand without doors on purpose to ensnare those within it is declared to be a Field-Conventicle and consequently the Minister is liable to death when he doth his best so far to conform to the Law as to shun that hazard and the People are liable to forfeit the double of what in reason they could expect By the same Act the Lives of them that so meet are exposed to the mercy of their most malicious Enemies for not only a Reward is proposed to any who will tho' without Warrant or Order of Law seize and secure any at such a Meeting but they are indemnified for any slaughter that they shall commit in the apprehending and securing of them Nothing but the restraining power of God hath preserved the Lives of many thousands who were so by this Man 's Innocent Laws exposed to the will of an ungodly and merciless Crew Afterward an Act was made declaring that not only Field but House-Conventicles should infer the pain of Death to the Minister and that a Field-Conventicle should be death to all present Minister and Hearers 1685. May 8. It is by another Act 1672. declared that where-ever a Minister not allowed by a Bishop or licensed by the Council doth preach and expound Scripture or pray in his own House where more persons are present than four beside the Family or in any Family that is not his own tho' none should be present but the Family that it is a Conventicle And comparing this with the above-mention'd Act a Minister loseth his Life by Law if he pray in a Family where he happeneth to lodge a night out of his own House Likewise Anno 1685. Act 4. any who refuse to witness that is to be an accuser of the Brethren the Devil's work about House or Field-Conventicles or Church-Disorders are to suffer as guilty of these Crimes themselves that is to suffer death and thus the Wife or Child must either contribute to take away the Life of her Husband or Father or lay down their own Life Also Act 8. of the same Year it is declared Treason to own the Covenant as Lawful or Obligatory though we had sworn it and many being questioned about the Obligation of it behoved either to Perjure themselves or suffer death from the hands of Bloody Men. And Act 6. Husbands who complyed with the Laws unless they were also judged by the Council to be Loyal which no Man could expect unless he

all Persecutors but many yea the far greatest part were § 2. Now what hath he to say for vindicating the Clergy from this Imputation He telleth us The Clergy never Addressed the King for punishing the Presbyterians A goodly Apology as if there were no other way of compassing such a malicious Design save this one Next The inferiour Clergy did not obey the Order for Informing This is answered Most did and but a few refused He talketh of Bishops shewing Acts of Charity in relieving the Necessities of Presbyterians and mitigating the Penalties of the Law when it was in their power and that the particulars of this might swell his Paper to a great bulk Answ. These Acts it seems were very secretly done neither the man 's own left Hand nor the Observation of others could discern them If some acts of Charity were done to some in distress it is no more than what some Oppressors have done first made People poor by taking a pound from them and then relieved them by giving a penny notwithstanding any who have given a Cup of cold Water to Sufferers shall not want their Reward from the Lord nor their Commendation from us That private and publick witnessing against Schism was all that the inferiour Clergy did against Dissenters is so false an Assertion as nothing can be more false QUEST VII Whether the Episcopal Church of Scotland were compliers with the Designs for taking away the Penal Law against the Papists HE will here vindicate his own Church from this blame and in the next Question throw it on the Presbyterians both of them with a like truth and candor We are far from charging all the Episcopal Party in this matter especially the Church diffusive which he saith was represented in Parliament We know these Patriots did worthily in opposing that ill and dangerous Design but we will not own that all that sat in that honourable Assembly were Episcopal however they went a further length in complying with it than some have freedom to do Not a few of them we hope will now shew and have shewed that that way was not their choice for the Bishops he seemeth not to deny that two of the fourteen were for it and it is well known how far these two and they were the two Heads the Archbishops appeared for it both in Council and Parliament and that two were deprived yea and appeared against this design we deny not but can he say that the rest appeared against it in Parliament when they had the fairest opportunity and were in a special manner called to it For the inferior Clergy he will have them all innocent in this matter because they preached against the Doctrins of Popery that they prayed for the Protestants in France and other appearances they made against Popery None of these things we deny nor do we envy them their due praise on this account yet two things are to be considered one is That it was but the practice of some It is well known how many were sinfully and shamefully silent and others who were bold to speak were checkt by their Bishops for it The other is That it is very consistent to be against the Doctrins of Popery and yet to be for a Toleration to them and against their being under the hazard of Penal Laws for their Religion Whence I infer That his Conclusion doth no way follow from his Premisses § 2. The Zeal that some of the Prelatists shew'd for continuance of the Penal Laws might be considered either with respect to Papists or to Protestant Dissenters who might have ease by the removal of these Laws the former part of their Zeal was laudable not the latter which of them did preponderate we are left to guess and may be helped in this guess by a commune principle that many of them I say not all have expressed That they had far rather that Popery should prevail than Presbytery and the actings of the chief men and of the most part of them do correspond with this principle at this day What are the sentiments of the Prelatists in Scotland about taking off the Penal Laws against Papists may be manifestly gathered unless we will abandon all argumentation and the rational inference of one thing from another if we consider what our prelatical Parliaments have declared what the Archbishops and Bishops in their Letter to K. James Nov. 3. 1688. have with much flattery said and what the University of St. Andrews in their Address to that same King have published partly of their adherence to him while the subversion of our Laws and Religion was not secretly but visibly carrying on partly of that absolute irresistable and despotick Power that they ascribe to him for if he have such power to do what he will and if he was for taking off the the force of these Laws as they cannot once question how is it consistent with that unlimited obedience that they owe to such a Monarch that they should not be also for removing them QUEST VIII Whether the Scotch Presbyterians were complyers with the Designs for taking away the penal Laws against Papists HE affirmeth it We deny it But in this that Scripture is fulfilled Psal. 55. 3. They cast iniquity upon me and in wrath they hate me Nothing in this Book hath less semblance of truth and more evidence of spite than this And in nothing the unfaithfulness of his Party and the integrity of the Presbyterians did more appear than in the stir that was about taking off these Penal Laws for his party had no inducement to be for removing them except to please the King and to advance Popery but the Presbyterians especially the Ministers were under the strongest temptations imaginable to shew themselves so inclined not only to gain the favour of the Court the want of which had been so heavy to them but also because they were to share in the ease from heavy persecution which these Laws had brought on them and on them only for these Laws were severely executed against them but not against the Papists and above all this every Presbyterian Minister in Scotland was liable to death by these Laws none had observed them and they might rationally expect that the Court being provoked by their appearing for their continuance might cause them to be executed with rigour upon them notwithstanding of all this they took their lives in their hands and as they had occasion shewed themselves against taking off the Penal Laws against Papists meerly out of conscience and out of zeal against Popery whereas the other Party were not so faithful as was above shewed Their Reasonings against it on all occasions and their dealing about it with Members of Parliament are well known besides more publick witnessing against it as they had occasion Neither can it be made appear for any thing that I could ever learn that any one Minister of our way was of another sentiment and for others two or three or a very few