Selected quad for the lemma: end_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	king_n	people_n	safety_n	1,796	5	9.5781	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97096	The compassionate Samaritane unbinding the conscience, and powring oyle into the wounds which have beene made upon the separation: recommending their future welfare to the serious thoughts, and carefull endeavours of all who love the peace and unity of Commonwealths men, or desire the unanimous prosecution of the common enemie, or who follow our Saviours rule, to doe unto others, what they would have others doe unto them.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665, attributed name.	1644 (1644)	Wing W681B; Thomason E1202_1; ESTC R208770	22,915	91

an opinion O then they tell us that our Anabaptists are no Anabaptists To what purpose then doe they exclaime against Anabaptists that have been of that opinion as they say though for my part I beleeve neither them nor the books that tells them so when they cannot but know if they know any thing that the Anabaptists which now are be not of that opinion why for this end and purpose they resolve to make the Anabaptists odious to the people and nothing they thinke will sooner doe it then by making the people beleeve that they are the harbourers of such an opinion as would dissolve all societie and bring into confusion the state Now this they speake of the Anabaptists in generall knowing that the people will apply it to the Anabaptists in England concerning whom how true it is you may judge by that which followes The Anabaptists opinion concerning Government is that the world being growne so vitious and corrupt as it is there can possibly be no living for honest men without Government That the end of making Government is the Peoples quiet and safety and that whatsoever doth not conduce thereto is tyranny or oppression not government That the Government of England is of all others that they know the most excellent the people by their chosen men being the makers reformers therof That therein the Parliament is the supreme power and that the King is accountable to them for the not performance of his Office as all other Officers of the Common-wealth are That the Parliament only are the makers and alterers of Lawes for the regulation and ordering of the people That of right they are to be called by those Lawes they have made in that behalfe and to dissolve when they themselves see good that it is not at the Kings wil or pleasure to signe or refuse those Bills the Parliament shall passe but that he is of duty to signe them That all great Officers and Majestrates of the Kingdome are to be chosen by them That the King is to have his personall abode neer the Parliament that they may have free conference with him at pleasure touching the former discharge of his Office or the present state of the Common-wealth That to Parliaments alone belong the disposall of Shipping Forts Magazines and all other the Kingdomes strengths both by Sea Land The making of peace war the pressing of souldiers the raising of monie for the preserving or regaining the safety or freedome of the people which for any other person to doe is treasonable These grounds principles of our government they knowing could not but see the exorbitances of the King whereto al his lawles courses designes tended therefore have not ignorantly as perhaps others but upon these grounds assisted the Parliament and will doe till the last Judge by this then whether these men hold an opinion against government or at what wretchlesse passe those men are that would make the people beleive they doe I might insist here upon a Booke called The Confutation of Anabaptists lately set forth which saies They are absolute and professed enemies to the essentiall Being of Civill Government but I find people so little regard the Booke it being so full of non-sence and in this particular so evidently contrary to truth and the experience of every man that lookes abroad and knowes any thing of the Anabaptists that it will be but losse o● time to take notice of it only it were worth observation to see how easily it obtained an Imprimatur and how open the Presse is to any thing true or false sence or non-sence that tends to the Anabaptists scandall or disgrace In the beginning of the Parliament a Booke was published called the History of the Anabaptists in High and Low Germany the aime whereof was by fastning odious errours and feigned mutenies upon the Anabaptists to deter this present Parliament in their Reformation of Bishops for feare as the booke saies least they who now cry out for Christs rule strike not so much at the misrule of Episcopacy as quarrell at all rules so that what course was taken by the Bishops and their freinds to hinder the Reformation of that Hierarchie namely the affrighting the Reformers by airy and imaginary consequences the same are used by our Divines to prevent a through Reformation of many erroures and mistakes in our Clergie which they exceedingly feare and therefore they have and doe continue early and late to render the Anabaptists as odious to the people as their wits and inventions can make them But as the Bishops then failed of their ends by the wisedome of the Parliament so I trust the present endeavoures of our Divines in striving to raise themselves upon their Brethrens disgrace and ruine will by the continued courage and prudence of the Parliament prove vaine and fruitlesse They who eccho the Kings words and take the Bishops course I will not say have the Kings ends but so farre doe the Kings worke The King I confesse has reason to cry out upon the Aabaptists because he knowes them to be enemies not of Government but oppression in Government and all those who intend to oppresse in any manner ought if they will be true to themselves to doe so too for the Anabaptists are oppressions enemies whoever be the oppressours And whereas they say they find in Bookes that the Anabaptists are enemies to all Government it were well if they would confider who wrote those Bookes it may be they were written either by mistake or for the same end ahat they repeate them We can shew you books too that say the Parliament are Brownists Anabaptists And past all question if the King should thrive in this unnaturall warre this Parl. should in their Court Histories not only be called Anabaptists but branded also to all posterity with that opinion falsly and maliciously fathered upon the Anabaptists That they were enemies to Government and went about to bring all into confusion little credite therefore is to given to Bookes in matter of obloquie and scandall but the men and their judgments in the times they live are to be considered And then I am confident it will appeare that the Anabaptists be of well affectted mindes and peaceable dispositions meriting a faire respect from the State and may well challenge amongst others the quiet enjoyment of themselves as they are men and the ordinances of Christ as they are Christians I will adde one thing more to the Brownists and Anabaptists glory that in the times of the Bishops domineering when many of the Presbyterians complyed some to the very top of Wrens Conformity and preached for those things they now prerend cheifly to reforme and the Independants fled to places where they might live at ease and enjoy their hundred pounds a yeare without danger the Brownist and Anabaptist endured the heate and brunt of persecution and notwithstanding the severall wayes of vexing them continued doing their duties counting it the glory of a Christian to endure tribulation for the name of Christ And the times a●●e●ing the Presbyterian soon comes about and the Independant comes over to be ●eaders in the Reformation when forgetting the constancie and integrity of those who bore the heat and burden of the day they hold the same heavy hand over them that their fathers the Bishops did And as the Brownists Anabaptists affection to the common good of all was themfirme able to endure the triall of persccution so hath it in these present searching times continued constant unshaken notwithstanding the many almost unsufferable Injuries provocations of the Divines on the one fide the faire promises frequent invitations of the King on the other so that had any ends of their owne beene aimed at they could not have continued such resolved immoveable enemies of Tyranny freinds to their conutry I beleeve if we would suppose other men to be in their Condition we could hardly expect the like even upright carriage from them amidst so many stormes and temptations surrounding them I hope all good men will take all that hath been said into consideration especially the Parliament who I presume are most ingenuous and impartiall of all others and whom it cheifly concernes they being called and trusted to vindicate and preserve the peoples liberties in generall and not to enthrall the Consciences Persons or Estates of any of them unto a pregmaticall pretended Clergy whether Episcopall Presbiteriall or any other whatsoever The greatest glory of authority is to protect the distressed and for those that are Judges in other mens causes to beare themselves as if the afficted mens cases were their owne obseruing that divine rule of our Saviour What soever yee would that usen should due vnto you even so doe yee to them And if to the Parl. it shall appeare for the reasons given or other better they can siggest to themselves that it is most uniust and much more unchristian that any man should be compelied against his conscience to a way he approves not of I doubt not but they wil be pleased for Gods glory and vnion sake and likewise for these good mens sake which for the present it principally concernes at least for their owne sakes for who knowes how socne this may be his owne case speedily to stop all proceedings that tends thereunto and for the future provide that as well particular or private Congregations as publike may have publike protection so that upon a penalty no injury or offence be offered either to them from others or by them to others That all Statutes against the Separatists be reviewed and repealed especially that of the 35. of Eliz. That the Presse may be free for any man that writes nothing standalous or dangerous to the State That so this Parliament may prove themselves loving Fathers to all sorts of good men bearing equall respect to all according to the trust reposed in them and so inviting an equall affection and assistance from all that after Ages may report of them they did all these things not because of the importunity of the people or to please a party but from the reason and justnesse of them which did more sway with them then a Petition subscribed with Twenty thousand hands could have done FINIS

taken up at first by proud Church-men for ambitious ends is still continued for ends though not in every thing the same yet differing I feare me rather in the degrees than nature of them we cannot tell what else to thinke of it but that finding our Divines aiming at authority and jurisdiction have judged it most politicke to gaine a preheminence lesse stately and pompous but altogether as imperious and awfull over men as the former which because it is not so garish outwardly as the Bishops they may presume will therefore be the easier admitted and prove of longer continuance II. The second interest of the Divine is to preserve amongst the people the distinction of Clergie and Laity though not now in those termes because they have been unhappily discovered The Scriptures so evidently makeing the people Gods Clergy by way of distinction from the Ministers 1 Pet. 5. 3. but never the Ministers by way of distinction from the people And then for Laity a people as the word signifies I hope the Ministers are such as well as any others Well the distinction by words is not so materiall as a reall distinction with their interest is to pres●●ve They would not have us to thinke that a Ministter comes to be so as an other man comes to be so as an other man comes to be a Merchant Bookeseller Taylor c. either by disposall of him by his friends in his education or by his owne making choyce to be of such a Trade no there must be something spirituall in the businesse a Iure Divino must be brought in and a succession from the Apostles and even as some would have us thinke Kings to be annoynted of God because the Israelitish Kings were by his command so we are made to beleive that because the Apostles were ordained by God to be Teachcers of the people and endued with guifts for that end that therefore there is a like divine though secret ordination from God in making of our Ministers and spirituall guifts qualifications thereunto Because otherwise if the people did not beleive so they would examine all that was said and not take things upon trust from the Ministers as if whatsoever they spake God spake in them they would then try all things and what they found to be truth they would embrace as from God for God is the Authour of truth what they found to be otherwise they would reject and then for the most part they might spare their nothings and repetions too unlesse the more to discover the groundlesnesse of the doctrine and the giddinesse of the doctrine and the giddinesse of the Divinity which they generally heare They would then handle their Ministers familiarly as they doe one an other shaking off that timorousnesse and awe which they have of the Divines with which they are ignorantly brought up He that bade us try all things and hold fast that which was good did suppose that men have faculties and abilities wherewithall to try all things or else the counsell had beene given in vaine And therefore however the Minister may by reason of his continuall exercise in preaching and discoursing by his daily study and reading by his skill in Arts and Languages by the conceit of the esteeme he hath with a great part of admiring people in whom is truly fulfilled the prophecie of St. Paul 2 Tim. 4. 3. 4. presume it easie to possesse us that they are ●●re divine then other men as they style themselves yet if the people would but take boldnes to themselves and not distrust their owne understandings they would soon find that use and experience is the only difference and that all necessary knowledge is easie to be had and by themselves acquirable and that it is the Ministers interest their living depending thereupon to frame long methods and bodies of Divinity full of doubts and disputes which indeed are made of purpose difficult to attaine unto that their hearers may be a lwyes learning and never come to the knowledg of the trnth begetting disquiet and unsetlednesse of mind continuall controversies sadnesse and many times desperation All which makes for them for that upon all occafionsmen have recourse to them for comfort and satisfaction which how weake and short soever it be in it selfe must be currant because from them the Keyes of the Church a prerogative which our Saviour gave to his Apostles they arrogate to themselves a new Authority they make mention of in their Sermons which they call Ministerial though no such thing belongs to them nor is yet setled upon them nor I hope ever will be thus their interest is to make of themselves a peculiar Tribe of a nearer relation to God then other men His more immediate Servants the Labourers in his Vineyard the Co-workers with him and all other titles they claime given in Scripture to the Apostles though neither for their abilities much lesse for their vertues or conversations or in any other respect can be due unto them III. The third interest is to perswade the people that the Scriptures though we have them in our owne tongue are not yet to be understood by us without their helpe and interpretation so that in effect we are in the same condition with those we have so long pitied that are forbid to have the Scripturs in their own tongue for 't is all one not to have them in our own tongue and to be made beleive that we cannot understand them though we have them in our owne Is the Cabinet open to us and doe we yet want a Key has so much labour been spent so many Translations extant and are we yet to seeke Let us argue a little with them either the Scriptures are not rightly Translated or they are If they are not why have wee not beene told so all this while why have wee beene cheated into errours If they are rightly Translated why should not Englishmen understand them The Idiomes and properties of the Hebrew and Greeke Languages which some say cannot word for word be exprest in English might all this while have beene Translated into as many English words as will carry the sence thereof There is nothing in the Hebrew or Greeke but may be exprest in English though not just in so many words which is not materiall so that it must be confest that either we have not beene fairly dealt withall hitherto in the conveyance of the Scripture a thing which few dare suspect or else the Scriptures are as well to be understood by us as by any Linguist whatsoever Well notwithstanding all this how evident soever it be a great part of us people doe beleeve just as they would have vs and therefore silly men as we are in case of doubt to them we goe to be resolved and hereby is maintained the necessity and excellency of learning and the Languages and so of Universities and a supposall that the arts likewise are of necessity to a Divine seven yeares at least are