Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	acknowledge_v	church_n	true_a	2,766	5	5.8656	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32739	The declaration of Captain Alexander Charters brother of the house of Aimsfield / written and subscribed by himself in prison, and delivered, and read publickly at his execution at Edinburgh, the 21. of June, 1650 ...	Charters, Alexander, d. 1650.	1650 (1650)	Wing C3726; ESTC R2333	8,508	10

few moneths I was ingaged with Montrosse he undertaking by his means as he caled it to reduce Scotland to obedience But entring at Dumfreis his stay was short and his successe not great where I left him and did never again see him whil he had with his bloody Irishes and others his wicked Associates made havock of the people of God in severall conflicts And after that deplorable fight of Kilsyth Sathan again enticed me to joyn with that wick●d crue but the Lord did not suffer them long to prosper in their w●ckednesse for what reward they received for their former cruelties and blood-sh●d there may be some here were eye-witnesses And for my selfe The Lord again shewed h●mselfe displeased with my wayes by making me prisoner where I was kept in Sterling for a twelve moneth but the civility I received there being such and my liberty not much restrained I did not take it as an affliction from God never taking notice of Gods hand or displeasure against me for opposing his cause I being released from that easie restraint I cannot call it imprisonment returned to that place of the Kingdome where I had greatest interest and after I had given a seeming satisfaction to the Church I must ingenuously acknowledge the deceitfulnesse and hypocrisie of my own heart for it was not cordiall I was after some conference with the ministery admitted to subscribe the mutuall League and Covenant Truly at that time I did it something unwillingly not being desirous to joyne with those in England I did conceive were enemies to Monarchicall Government and no great friends to the person of our late King as by wofull experience we have seen prove too true yet though there be a wicked party now prevailing in England who have shaken oft all fear of God by subverting Religion allowing of a detestable mixture of all Sects and Heresies destroying the Lords annointed our late Soveraign and keeping in exile our present King overthrowing Monarchy and in a word tollerating all Atheisme and prophanity yet I am consident there is a party in that Kingdome who makes conscience of that Covenant and whom the Lord will at last raise up though at present they be borne down by the tyranny of the Sectaries and that God will make them and the faithfull party of this land instrumentall for the re-establishing and restoring Religion in doctrine and discipline to that purity which God in his word hath allowed and it shall be my prayer our now gracious King to his just rights and inheritance Thus when I had lived for a time in the country making little conscience of performing either publick or private duties to God delighting more in the society of those who were no great friends to his cause then in the faithfull servants of God or those made conscience to walke more strictly in their wayes At last I was ingaged in that late dishonorable Ingagement in England what successe that had and how the Lord shewed his wrath against us by rubbing dishonour upon our Nation and punishment upon a great many both leaders and others I need not to relate And among the rest the Lord did again afflict me with imprisonment then while the Rod was upon me I began in some measure to humble my self before the Lord and to seek him more earnestly by making conscience both of publike and private duties and I was not wanting of making vowes and promises that if the Lord would then deliver me from that affliction I should become a new creature and forsake my former sinfull courses but alas It proved but a hypocritical ●lash for no sooner had the Lord removed his Rod and restored me to my former liberty but with the dog to the vomit and the sow to the pudle fell I back to my former sinfull course of living So returning from England I went to Holland vomiting out against the cause of God and the persons who had the chiefe managing of affaires both in State and Church all the malicious invective raylings and bitter expressions that I could devise And there again did I associate my self with James Grahame he having purchased or as I said before rather extorted a Commission from this King to enter this Kingdome that he might be the only man as he would have made the world beleeve to set the Crown upon his Majesties Head But how the Lord hath disappointed his vain projects by bringing him to this kingdome to make him a publike example of justice where he had been so instrumentall in the shedding of the blood of Gods people is known to you all And I cannot but acknowledge the great mercy of God to me in particular who while I was in the late fight where I was grievously wounded and taken prisoner that the Lord did not destroy me as he did many others who fell by the sword but hath reserved me to this time where though I am to receive this temporall judgement for my body yet my hope is that he intends mercifully for my soul Now the main things that are to be here observed are First Gods deliverance of his people from the Rods of their oppressours though it did lye upon them for a time for some reasons seeming good to our only wise God That so ye that are Gods people of this land who have faithfully adhered to his cause may stand fast and those who have the publike managing of affairs in Church and State may prove faithfull and neither upon the one hand incline to that accursed course of Malignancy which the Lord hath shewen evidences of his wrath against so much nor upon the other hand to the associating or any wayes countenancing those Sectaries of the neighbour Kingdoms enemies to Religion and all Government But that al the Land Rulers people would with their hearts spirits be thankfull to the Lord for his former mercies and seek him in sincerity in time coming without by-respects or ends only having the glory of God and the good of Religion before your eyes and consequently the King then will get what is due This being done feare not but the Lord will deliver you from all your feares though they seem great and get glory to himself in the destruction of all those shall rise up against him though they seem now to build on the high clifts of the Rocks and that the foundations they have laid are very strong yet the Lord will let it be seen who builds not upon him the foundation is sandy and the building shall not be of long continuance The next thing I would have taken notice of is That all those of my kinred or acquaintance and all others who ever have joyned or would joyn if occasion should offer against the cause of God would take notice of Gods judgements against all who have hitherto opposed his work and how that he hath carried on the same in despite both of all publick opposition and all secret plotings and Machinations Which things if they will lay to heart and seriously consider and seek in unto God by unfeigned repentance for their former guiltinesse and now prove themselves faithfull at this nick of time in standing for the maintenance of his truth they may be sure to meet with a mercifull God who is slow to anger long-suffering and abounding in mercy But after so much convincing light and so cleer evidences of the wrath of God against all the opposers of his truth if they will still persevere in their former wayes and malice to God his cause and servants they shall be sure if God shall not overtake them with temporall judgements here they shall not escape without repentance his everlasting wrath The last thing which I shall now desire you to take notice of is Gods dealing with me in particular who notwithstanding of the whole sinfull course of my life which I have been relating both in relation to publick and personall guiltinesse hath dealt so mercifully with me And I shall draw to a period by declaring how the Lord convinced my conscience of guiltinesse For being now this while by-past in prison I began after some few dayes were spent to run through some former passages of my life and finding that I had twice relapsed I conceived by the lawes of this kingdome I could expect nothing but death yet being hopefull that friends would use all the wayes they could for my safety which truly was not wanting It did not much sink into my minde yet finding all worldly means to fail and that death was determined by a certain day which afterward by a Petition I gave in was prolonged for a week then began the terrours thereof to dismay and much to dash me but casting my eyes beyond death upon etetnity and casting up the accompt of my former mispent life both for publick and personall guiltinesse and laying before my eyes the extremity and perpetuity of the pains of hell due to me for same I was extreamly dejected and casten downe and the fear thereof made me frequently to burst forth in tears Thus finding the weight of sin and of Gods justice lying upon my soul I was still seeking and striving to finde out some way in my self to satisfie Justice but in this I found much matter of discouragement and no comfort till God in his mercy did hold forth to me a better remedy and laid down a more sure foundation by flying from the law to the Covenant of free Grace and free Love which was opened up and explained to me by Gods servants of the Ministry and severall other good Christians that gave me a charitable visit in that my distressed condition for the which the Lord comfort their souls in the day of their trials and Afflictions And it shall now be my prayer and I shall desire the assistance of yours that through the blood of that Covenant my sins may be washen away and my soul may be received unto eternall happinesse Amen At Edinburgh 21 June 1650. I doe with Heart and Hand subscribe this Declaration ALEXANDER CHARTERS Witnesses hereto M. James Hammilton M. Robert Blaickley M. John Charters M. Laurence Charters FINIS