Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	babylon_n	church_n	zion_n	222	4	10.6009	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38109	The first and second part of Gangræna, or, A catalogue and discovery of many of the errors, heresies, blasphemies and pernicious practices of the sectaries of this time, vented and acted in England in these four last years also a particular narration of divers stories, remarkable passages, letters : an extract of many letters, all concerning the present sects : together with some observations upon and corollaries from all the fore-named premisses / by Thomas Edwards ...; Gangraena. Part 1-2	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing E227; ESTC R9322	294,645	284

it in running away with another womans husband is now sufficiently known to Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Saltmarsh and is one of the lyes like all the rest in Mr. Edwards Gangr●ena This wretched woman one of Mr. Goodwins and Mr. Saltm●rshes Saints as they make all without any distinction whom I speak of in Gangraena among other new truths and glorious lights preached that all the Devils should be saved alledging that place in Zachary sending forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water against which Doctrine one of the company objected and said sister what say you to that of Matth. 25. Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels unto which Mistris Attaway replyed that by everlasting in that place was meant while day and night lasted but not eternall after day and night were ended March 13. Two honest Citizens coming to me about some Sermons an Independent Minister had preached in London one of them told me he lately had a man and maid-servant who were Anabaptists and that when he was abed they would set up and juncket together making Sack-possets and such like provision of his purse and in sum this male Anabaptist got the female Anabaptist with child and after married her The Master speaking to him of breach of Covenant how he had covenanted not to marry in the time of his Apprentiship till his years were expired he said it was a divelish Covenant and so would not keep it On the sixteenth of March a Member of the Assembly of Divines related this following story for a certain truth which he knew to be so only would not name the persons that a Sectary one of Master Goodwins and Master Saltmarshes Saints and beleevers a Seeker by Sect sought to gain the good will of a Virgin to be his wife and when she consented and was contented to it hee propounded that they might lie together at nigh● at which motion she startled saying not till we are married to which answer this Seeker replyed that marriage was but an idle Ceremony they were now man and wife before God having promised one another whereupon they went to bed together and next morning after the Seeker had satisfied his lust he ranne quite away and left his bride and instead of one Seeker there were two the daughter thus forsaken and her mother who was widdow to seek after him In a Book lately printed call'd the Ordinance for Tyths Dismounted which book also was given into the hands of one Parliament man as I can prove by a great Sectary who may justly be thought the Author of it there are such passages of reproach against the Parliament as are not to be paralled in any writings except some of the Sectaries In pag. 6.7 8.40 this Sectarie speaking of a passage in the Ordinance of Tyths made by the Lords and Commons hath these following words Had not such a passage gone under the Title of the Lords and Commons who are chosen for the weale of the people I should not have judged it an act of humanity but rather the result of an Hell-bred conspiracy by the Divell and his Angels to confound us with their unreasonable malice c. and this was the first stone these Master-builders laid in their blessed Reformation And in another place of the Book speaking by way of scorne calling it that most religious and spirituall Ordinance for the supper as absolute Ordinances as unalterable at the Directory these words are brought in For indeed at the first on set it was not policy to rush such a diabolicall and villanous invention point blanck upon us with an It is decreed and ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament But after a more mysterious manner of ordination slily intrude it upon us unawares in the godly and specious vizor of Rules Directions as if our Parliament men had such a spirituall and holy eare over us to give us such wholsom and pious Directions while indeed under this innocent Apparition in the shape of Lambs they ar● no other then ravening Wolves rending and tearing us in peeces and again speaking of Parliament men in that Ordinance for Tyths Dismounted there are these words But what they are let all the people judge let them consider whether there can be the least dram of honesty or Religion in them or respect to the liberty of the free-borne Nation therein seeing they lay upon us a heavier yoake then ever was laid upon us in the dayes of the Bishop● And again this Sectary the Author of the Ordinance for Tyths Dismounted speaks thus of the Parliaments Ordinance concerning suspending scandalous persons from the Lords Supper It will be the greatest thraldome and bondage that ever the Kingdome was involved into and by this Ordinance of the Supper I am afraid we shall all go supperlesse to bed and speaking of the Classes Synods calling them High Commissions he addes if we can finde no justice there we may appeal forsooth to our Gods themselves the Parliament life everlasting world without end of whom how may we expect mercy or justice then that thus before hand whip us with the stings of Scorpions and grind us between the devouring jawes of such develish tyrannicall Courts which will even crush our bones in peeces and squeese out our very marrow and juyce and suck out our very hearts blood like so many greedy Cannibals Vid. plur ibid. The Sectaries generally cannot endure any man who speaks against or complains to Authority of any who b●oach Errours though never so great as for example a godly understanding Christian told me within these three dayes that because he complained of a man who denies both the Son and the holy Ghost to be God therefore the Independents and all the Sectaries among whom he lives deadly hate and revile him and since the time that the weekly newes Books have mentioned a Vote to be passed in the House of Commons for drawing up an Ordinance against Paul Best that Anti●rinitarian and Blasphemer some of the Sectaries have spoken boldly and bitterly against it and saying they would be loth to be any of them that should give a voice or have a hand in the proceedings against him with other words to that effect There is an Independent of Mr. Carters Church who speaking against our publike Assemblies often quotes that Scripture in Rev. 17.5 Babylon the great the mother of Harlot● interpreting it thus Rome is the mother Church and all the Parish Congregations of England are the daughters which are Harlots and this having been objected against this Interpretation that the Apologists acknowledge many of our Congregations to be true Churches he and divers other Independents say they are not of the Apologists minds The Sect of Seekers growes very much and all sorts of Sectaries turn Seekers many leave the Congregations of Independents Anabaptists and fall to be Seekers and not only people but Ministers also and whosoever

their lives and places so doe our Sectaries make it their study to remove worme by degrees out of places upon one pretence or other when they cannot doe it otherwise active Presbyterians of which we have too manie instances and set themselves to vex them by over-rating in Townes where they have place by bringing them into Haberdashers H●ll by putting in Articles against them which they cannot prove and so putting them to chargeable journeyes and expences with abundance of such 4. The Bishops and the Court-party to bring about their ends would bring matters to such a condition and such a necessitie and then would make those necessities that condition of affaires as a ground of such and such following actions pleading the necessities and the condition of the times as their warrant so our Sectaries doe in many cases they have by their policies and wayes hindred the setling of Church-Government all this while and they plead the long delay of setling it as a ground to justifie their gathering Churches saying how manie yeares would you have us to stay when as in the Assembly Citie in all places by all meanes where they have anie interest they retard the work and so if meanes be used by Petitioning the Parliament to settle Church-Government and to suppresse the great errours then some of the Sectaries say and give out The Army will be offended when as many of the Sectaries have used all meanes and do still to bring things to that passe that we might have an Armie under the commands and in the hands of the Sectaries though blessed be God we have a Noble Generall free from sectarisme and not above one in six in the Armie that way tainted 4. The Prelaticall faction and that Court-partie were great Innovatours given to change running from one opinion to another being Arminians as well as Popish yea some of them Soci●inians and countenancing such and were everie day inventing some new matter in worship adding this ceremonie and the other putting downe some part of worships and altering them by substituting other as in putting down singing of Psalmes in some Churches and having Hymnes in putting downe all conceived Prayer and commanding bidding of Prayer with a multitude of such like so our Sectaries are great Innovatours as changeable as the Moon bringing into their Churches new opinions daily new practices taking away the old used in all Reformed Churches and substituting new taking away of singing of Psalms and pleading for hymnes of their own making bringing in anoynting with oyl bringing in their laying on of hands to give the Holy Ghost with severall other strange wayes and practices which the Reader shall find in this following discourse among the narrations of passages and stories 5 The Prelaticall faction and that Court-Clergie were daring bold men that durst venture almost upon any thing upon counselling to prorogue and break up Parliaments in times of danger and distraction upon putting men out of offices and places that were not for their turne and to bring in others calculated for their Meridian upon corrupting Religion and Lawes at once breaking in both upon the Truth and the libertie of the Subject at the same time upon any thing or person that stood in their way So our Sectaries many of them are daring men have attempted and been upon high businesses about counselling and drawing up Petitions for adjourning as they call it the Assembly in a time when the distractions of this Church are so infinite and things so unsetled as also have inserted strange passages into other Petitions which yet have not been presented others of the company opposing them with severall other particulars which would be too large now to relate in one word there is almost nothing which they have not and dare not venture on that stands in their light and in the way of their designes and I may say of many of the Sectaries for I do not mean all as I have said before so I say again there are some good souls meerly seduced who are not of the Faction they have overpassed the deeds of the wicked not only walked after their wayes nor done after their abominations but have corrupted themselves more than they justified the Bishops and their Faction by falling into those opinions and doing those actions in an high bold and open way which that Faction never durst do for feare of the people Next the present Malignants and the Sectaries agree in the generall thus that thorowout the Kingdome it is now notorious that the greatest Malignants and Sectaries hold together and vote together against the Presbyterians and the Reformation in all places and upon all businesses of which there are many examples in the choyce of Burgesses for Parliament in the Petition presented in London at the choyce of the new Common-Councell the grandest Malignants and the Independents joyned together to oppose and in some Committees where men of both these sorts are it is observed also but to come to some particulars The parallel between the present Malignants and our grand Sectaries stands in these 1 The Malignants have opposed the proceedings of Parliament by preaching and writing books against them reviling the Houses especially the House of Commons and many particular worthy Members by name speaking against their Ordinances constitutions as Covenant Directorie Ordination against their Power and Priviledges we know what Aulicus that grand Malignant hath done and how manie books both from Oxford and here at London hath been by the malignant partie printed and vented so also have manie Sectaries and here it would fill a great book to bring into one all the speeches with the passages in Petitions Sermons Prayers printed books that have been vented against the Parliament and particular Worthy Members of both Houses their Power and Power and Priviledges with their Ordinances and Orders in reference to matters of Religion as the Nationall Covenant Directorie Ordinance against mens preaching out of Office the Monethly Fast the Ordinance for Tithes the Orders and Directions about Classes and chusing Elders in which Sermons printed Books Discourses Petitions and other carriages of the Sectaries there have been more things vented distructive to the verie power and nature of Parliaments undermining the verie root and foundation and all their proceedings in reference to matters of Religion yea of justice and civill matters then ever have been by all the Malignants in England as ever I could heare of witnesse Lilburnes booke with that lately come forth call'd Innocency and Truth justified all the printed Letters and Papers that were printed upon occasion of his imprisonment Englands Birthright the Ordinance of Tithes Dismounted the Arraignment of Persecution and all his fellowes as Martins Eccho c. Turners Heavenly con●erence for Sions Saints resembling the Directory to the golden Calves of Jeroboam and affirming there are untruths contradictions to the Canonicall Scriptures errours c. And here I dare be bold to say that here have been greater insolencies and