Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A87423
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A brief vindication of the religion and governmet [sic] of New England against the presbyterie of Scotland together with some materiall observations worthy of consideration / by Lievtenant John Jubbes.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing J1164; ESTC R179072
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5,043
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9
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shall not see nor heare of one to be whipt in many moneths or hanged in many years will it not be said of a truth God is there and that this is the most pure Religion and peaceable Government of Christ above all others that is yet professed and that I have sufficiently proved the thing But if this be not sufficient I beseech all men to examine if the nature of the Presbyterian Government of Scotland take more from their King then it adds unto the Ministry so as the people gets neither knowledge or Freedom thereby and to give you an unerring president consider what I said in the beginning and let any that knowes the nature of that Country judge and answer if the debaucht slavish condition of the inferior and Common sort of people in Scotland which is continued by the tyes of Religion be lesse slavish and miserable then the Turks or other infidells And I say if every Religion that is practised in any State ought to be judged on to be of Christ or Antichrist according as it bringeth a sober and godly Freedome with it and that thee remony or forme of worship is not the substance but righteousness is the marke of Christ And slavery which is the fruits of unrighteousness the mark of the beast Then I conceive no man will maintaine any thing in opposition hereunto but if any shall be pleased to oppose the truth hereof I shall in a Christian way be ready to reply provided we may hold to the true grounds of distinction between good and evill The nature of Christ and Antichrist according to Gospel-warrant and can it be conceived that when the debaucht person doe rightly consider the perill of his soule by his trade of evill as also that the custome and trade of education in the dayes of those peoples youth do inlarge their hearts through Love not by feare hereunto that he will not only say that where the same government is proclaimed to be firmely established it ought to be imbraced above all others and that it had been good for him to have been educated under such a meanes of grace but will petition as also assist the honourable Parliament to establish the like noble things with us And whereas some have been pleased to give out reports concerning some arrears which are holden by me I have briefly laid downe the substance of my judgement to tryall againe First I hold the pure word of God and strength of the Scriptures doe prove that God is the life Motion and being of all things but all in Order and as he did so he doth create all things good and nothing evil Secondly that all good is that which proceeds from the perfect love of moderation and the proper use of things according to Ggreements by the wisdome of God in Man for the preservation of Love peace and Admiration unto him the Creator Thirdly that all evill commeth of the imperfect love of immoderation and the improper use of things contrary to agreement by the wisdome of God in Man to the hindrance of Love Peace and Admiration Fourthly that the true Catholique or universall faith of Jesus Christ is to believe that as God is our life and being so is he able and will save to the utmost all them that trust in him Fifthly that this love of moderation Mediation or Reconciliation is the saving love of Christ by which he had Communion with the Father before the world was and by which the world was made and is still preserved and continued Sixthly that this universall faith of Christ is first in order to his universal love for faith shall cease but love shall endure Seventhly that it is the nature of Christ by which we are saved and although it is said there is no other name then the name of Jesus only by which we can be saved it is true for by his name we figure out his nature and his name varies as the Languages do besides we may see Christ in the fruit and Actions of a Christian but doubtlesse not in him that prophanely and desperately swears by it and when his name and Nature goe together then shall every knee bow but if at his name only judge yee Eightly that understanding of God in man which proceeds onely from the Love of Moderation for the proper use of things according to Agreement is to be called Reason and it is not the high conceit to work curious works or speak elegant words nor yet the subtile Art to destroy one another that is to be said of Reason for then the Wolfe the Bee the Spider the Parrot should be called reasonable Creatures And the height and excellencie thereof is to be measured according as it extends it self in a peaceable order for the regulating and making of the most equall and just agreements Now having received Christ as before so walk I or desire to walke in him and square my reason as well as my actions by him being at peace and in universall love with all men but if any thing may be objected against any of this or whatsoever else I have or shall lay down I doubt not but to give satisfaction either by a sober answer of justification or sudden acknowledgment of my error with much rejoycing Now if at this and every season all things stand and are good according to the divine decree then ought every man who hath but the present moment of time to endeavour the preservation thereof through the exercise of reason of the love of moderation for want whereof things which are not shal destroy things which are and because all things may be lawful yet not at every season expedient but now looking at the best visible thing with us I have freely taken the Ingagement to be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth of England without a King or house of Lords Touching which through God I shall not faintly endeavour to performe to the utmost For although he that is a true Christian by nature can readily lay down his life for the most righteous Peace and freedom unto the publique yet ought he to know that in order to the best Thing valour and courage must not be absent and that Command of Christ that saith unto him he that striketh us on one cheek we should turn the other hath referenâ—e unto persons seasons time and place as I might instance many wayes by his own example and that this is only to be done where in reason it may convert into mercy and as among such as have partaken of the nature of Christ and bear good will to the Gospell by which meekness we may build them up therein it oftententimes ought to be but this command extends not to be practised by us unto the Turks and Infidels or other the sensuall persons of immoderatâ—ion that have received Christ but nominally to whom the true Christian is odious And as a good man is mercifull to his beast so is it mercy 〈◊〉 in many Cases to kill his beast as when they grow fierce and mad and destroy others aswell as to sustein the life of man who keepeth the sheep from the wolves and by his wisdome and order preserves and causeth them to increase and multiply so is it mercy and righteousness in the reasonable true Christians to raise and exercise the sword against the sensuall and immoderate persons aswell by war as in times of Peace for the most publique Good FINIS
A briefe vindication of the Religion and GOVERNMET OF NEVV ENGLAND Against the Presbyterie of SCOTLAND Together with some materiall Observations worthy of Consideration By Lievtenant Colonell JOHN JUBBES ALthough I was not Ignorant of the Court designe both of K. Iames as wel as the late King Charles to involve this Nation in extreame Ignorance and slavery and in order thereunto had for that purpose settled such Bishops and heads of the Schooles of Vniversities and Iudges and heads of the Innes of Court also as corrupted and perverted the truth of the divine Gospell Law and word of Christ as well as the Common and Civill Law and word of morallitie of the Nation also Yet when the Scots began to make their party in England as for Gospel-Freedome and Liberty and had entred our Country with an Army I was not their friend therein but greatly feared a horrid event of that miserable beginning for these reasons First because they did set their quarrell by Religion to which it is considerable that they that are deceived drawn and forc't into any Antichristian Religion and unto any obedience on paine of the curse and of damnation are oftentimes through Ignorance and slavish fear as zealous as is verified by the Papists and Turk also almost as the truly valiant Christian that the saving Love of Christ constraineth Secondly because all Gospel-Liberty I say and maintaine all true Gospel-Liberty is known by its unerring marks of equality through answerablenesse to each other in the Law for avoiding the cause of contention and for the making sober and continuing all men in an equall externall Peace Freedome and godly prosperity thereby which must first be in order to the Catholike Faith Love and Peace internall Thirdly on the contrary the debaucht slavish and beast-like ignorant condition of the generality of the inferiour and common sort of people of Scotland is such that the Turks and other Infidells doe much surpasse them both in Freedome and morality Therefore I conceive them a sad president of Gospel peace and liberty unto us Fourthly the deep conjunction and unity of that Nation in themselves and their great wisdome of uncrediblenesse unto all others Fifthly the aptnesse of this Nation unto disunity and carelesnesse of its owne members and crediblenesse unto others as have not only been ever observed by other Nations but lately sufficiently verified by our Invitations of the Scots But when the late King had left the Parliament and levied warre against it about halfe a year after it pleased God that I raised a Company for the Parliament and continued ingaged both before and in all the service of the Earl of Manchester and after in the new Modell in all five years in which time according as I covenanted with the Lord at my first beginning that as I was not then rich so should not these miserable and unnaturall wars make me rich and although I have since had as great meanes thereto as most men have yet can I boast of nothing so much as of my being inabled to performe the same And when I found that Wars were like to break forth again and having receiv'd Christ in that his glorious office of mediation did thereupon lay down my Commission to labour therein and accordingly have indeavoured for a Gospel-accommodation unto all Interests not according to the streame of my own desire but to move all men if it might be to the glorious work of consideration and triall of all things of good and evill that every one might be perswaded in his owne Conscience and although I have not prevailed yet if every one would have done the same it could not have been avoided no more then the glory and peace which my soule receives through my earnest discharge of my duty for which I was created yet can I not but greatly take blame upon my selfe for some bitternesse of Spirit vented by me against some precious men my dearest friends when I have thought them in the least blame thereto but having considered many sad presidents unto those people that have gained a sword and upon their adversaries credit have suffered them suddenly to share with them therein again must greatly condemne my passion and evill thereof And one president of many I shal here lay down In the late great War of the Parliament and King Charles the ninth of France which yet exceeds not the memory of man after the King and Lords had on both sides deeply wearied the Nation they then were able and closed up a bargain that according to the ignorant desires of the Common people for peace sake that they should submit unto and trust the King with their Liberties but that the Lords should be free of all Taxes whatsoever except only that when the King should go to War that he should command any of them a Warfare at their own cost as to their particular expence by which their freedom and exemption from taxes they are so greatly inriched that some of them have purchased gotten estats of 100000. pounds a year Others to the value of 150000 l. a year and yet the poor Pesants so called are at the charge of maintaining the most magnificent Court in the world and at all times not fewer then 80000 men in Armes to inslave and keep themselves under even more miserable then many beasts but since the War between Spain them not leâ—â—â—hen 160000 The charge of the Navy the Marriage of the Kings Children and all other Charges whatsoever and besides all this that interest of people which first opposed the Crown notwithstanding as large Acts of forgetfullnesse and pardons as ever were or could be made there was massacred and slain to the number of 10000 soules in one night and scores of thousand vassalzed ruined and utterly captiv'd Why now should Consideration be wanting unto the Presbyterian that caused this war as wel as to the Independant And seeing it is said in the Scots Covenant that wee shall reforme our Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Worshippe according to the best reformed Churches and also because the Religion which is practised in every State is the seale of obedience unto bondage or freedom Therefore I mayntaine that the Religion which is practised in new-New-England ought to be our patterne because you shall find that although it is as barren a Country as Scotland is which is now planted more then 200 miles in length and yet that one shall not see a person there that begges his bread or any to be drunk or sweare an Oath or that is reputed a Whore-monger by the year throughâ— and likewise if any shall injure another or shall but subtilly over-reach his neighbour in bargaining and that this be told unto the Church restitution and satisfaction is made in love even the first day as also if a man be knowne to live in much Covetousness that hee is not holden worthy by the Church to beare any office there or in the Common-wealth and that you