Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	4,717	5	6.8021	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96902	The Solemne League and Covenant of three kingdomes, cleared to the conscience of every man, who is not willingly blinde, or wilfully obstinate. The antiquity of the Covenant on the Scots-side; the seasonablenesse of it on the English side; the admirable wisedome of God, in stirring-up the spirits of men on all sides, at such a time as this; all this with other things mightily conducing to, and promoting of the militia of kingdomes, and the posturing every person there, is referred to a place, where it may take up more room. The clearnese for the matter of this Covenant; the solemnity for the manner of it, is the subject of these few leaves, and yet to be made more clear to them thaT have a mind to understand. By E.W. Imprimatur Edm: Calamy, the morrow after wee lifted up our hands, and subscribed our names to this Covenant, Octob. 2. 1643.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1643 (1643)	Wing W3505; Thomason E71_13; ESTC R14305	22,799	20

truly we are not Carefull much lesse Curiously Inquisitive about it Grant us to be Idiots Poore Illiterate men Nay if God has given unto any of us more Light in a Land of Visions Blessed be His Name But we are Content to be accounted Idiots at this time having no more understanding nor perhaps so much touching the Discipline in Scotland there is all the Question that can be made indeed or scrupled at than Josiah a young Saint yet an old Disciple could have in all the Commandements and Statutes and Testimonies and yet he made a Covenant before the Lord to keep them every one So Josiah ●id and made the People do according to the Light he had but with a sincere heart with all his heart and with all his 2 Chron. 34. 31 32. Soul to Perform the words The Intent of the heart was sincere and stood in a direct opposition to Ahabs house and all the Idolatries and Heathenish Services there and that was as much as was required of him or his people and to the extent of their Oath I must adde and Ours which stands in opposition onely to Ahabs House the Pope and his Bishops opposition against the said Discipline I will give one Instance more because I conceive no seeing Man can stumble any where else and there his Passage is cleared with excellent Prudence possibly we understand no more touching the Scots Discipline than the Potters I finde them in the Text and I will Instance in them all along Illiterate Men their Wives and their Sons and their Daughters could understand the Commandements of the Lord His Judgements and His Statutes and yet all these entred into Ne●em 10. 28. a Curse I pray you mark it and into an Oath To do and To observe all the fore-mentioned The Statutes and the Judgements of The Lord were deep things hard to be understood Not Levites onely and the Priests but the Rabbins might exercise themselves in the search of those things and for a full understanding thereof Object But the Potters and their Wives having knowledge and understanding as it is said they had knew that those Judgements and Statutes were good and just for they were The Lords His Statutes His Judgements Who is GOD in Heaven and over all the Earth But the said Discipline is the Discipline of Scotland a Church upon Earth The Potters and their Wives might Sweare to the one for they were sure those were the Statutes of God His Judgements and Nulla litura in Decretis sapientum there is no doubt of any fault or imperfection in the Decrees and Ordinances of Heaven But in the Decrees and Ordinances of man there have been are and will be defects and wants to the worlds end and so of the Discipline of Scotland Therefore we cannot Swear to it Answ You are not called to it not called to Swear That the Discipline of Scotland is perfect Nay you may Swear if you were called to it That the Discipline of Scotland is imperfect though as near * to th● Rule as Possibly their Light could bring them yet but according to the Line of men and then very Imperfect and you may swear it to be so For we may say of the Statutes and Ordinances of Men even in Church Matters as the Author concludes his Story If I have done well and as the story required It is the thing I desired but if I have written slenderly and barely It is 2 Mac. 15. 39. that I could You may be sure this is Apocrypha you will not swear that all there is true but you dare say that all is imperfect there I could say much more even that the Pure Word of God looseth something of its Clearnesse in its conveyance to us and tasteth something of Man through the Corruption of that Conduit-Pipe that brings it to us For Application of all this I adde We enquire not about the Discipline of Scotland we ask no Questions there for Conscience sake we are Christians by Profession and Professe to walk and judge by our Rule That the Discipline of Scotland is according to that Rule as near to the Pattern in the Mount as humane understanding can bring it We beleeve verily That our Brethren in Scotland have sought Counsell at Gods Mouth and Direction from His Hand for we see with all our Eyes That He has Counselled them He has Directed them He has Blessed them and they shall be Blessed He has making Himself known unto them by His Name JEHOVAH raised-up amongst them a Stage whereon He has Acted like a God And this we beleeve more touching this Matter or Forme rather of Worship for I would clear this That as God shal be pleased to communicate more Light unto them touching His Pattern they will come-up yet closer thereunto and by the degrees of Communication that way come-up yet nearer unto the Rule But in the mean time if the Common Enemy the Pope and his Bishops shall as they have done thrust-in upon them cont●ary to their Religion and Discipline established amongst them we have Lifted-up our hands according to the Power there To make Head against that Common Enemy so opposing Gods People 2. And if so for the Religion and the Discipline of Scotland then sure we will do as much and as heartily for the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland In Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government Object But what needs all this May some good Body say though I hope there is no good Body so voyd of understanding as to say The Doctrine in the Church of England is a Pure Doctrine The Worship so The Discipline and Government so The Church of England A glorious Church Archbishops and Bishops Deans and Arch-Deacons brave men in their Trappings and Accouterments these were the Church in Name as Rome is now and cryed-up so to be all over the Christian World And must we swear to a Reformation Where is there a more perfect Church for Doctrine and Discipline under the out-stretched Canopy I have heard them say the Bishops themselves we are well enough a brave Church Rich well decked and trimmed with costly Ornaments which were found lockt-up in Pauls and Westminster we want nothing Answ Well! So said a Church as much almost as this That they wanted nothing when yet their Vaunts were but Conceipts onely Thou knowest not that thou art Wretched and Miserable and Poor and Blind and Naked (e) Revel 3. ●● Master Brightman And truely to adde a word Mutato nomine dete narratur All this is told of us the Church of England by one whom we ought to beleeve because he speaks with the cleerest Evidence of Truth even from the Mouth of God But I am very easie to grant at this time for I will not contend Let the Bishops have their saying That this Church of England is a Perfect Church for matter and forme and in all the forementioned I can cleer it to the