Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	great_a	king_n	year_n	21,498	5	5.0090	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79720	A declaration of the commissioners of the Generall Assembly to the whole Kirk and kingdome of Scotland, concerning present dangers and duties, relating to the Covenant, and religion.	Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.; Ker, A.	1648 (1648)	Wing C4217; Thomason E432_24; ESTC R206162	8,528	20

consultation had with the Assembly of Divines And the sixth Proposition That such unity and uniformity in Religion according to the Covenant as after consultation had with the Divines of both Kingdome assembled at Westminster is or shall be joyntly agreed by both Houses of the Parliament of England and by the Church and Kingdom of Scotland be confirmed by Acts of Parliament of both Kingdoms respectively Of which three Popositions there can be no hopes as to his Majesties consent or concurrance if the offer now made concerning a determination by his Majesty and the two Houses be compared with his Majesties claiming of a negative voice and with his Message of Nov. 16. in which he declared that both in relation as he is a Christian and as a King he cannot give his consent to the abolishing Archbishops Bishops c. Believing that this order was placed in the Church by the Apostles themselves and that his Majesty is also bound by his Coronation Oath to maintain it And this message of November 16. His Majesty adhereth unto in his Answer to the Bills and Propositions presented to him at Carisbrook Castle which Answer is dated December 28. and so after his Majesties Letter to us Upon these and the like considerations we have found the said second Article of his Majesties offers in point of Religion to be destructive to Presbyteriall Government the Directory of Worship and the uniformity intended according to the Covenant For the third Article delivered to us in these words And for suppressing of Schisme and Heresies his Majesty is content and most willing that an effectuall course be taken by Act of Parliament and all other wayes needfull and expedient for suppressing the opinions and practises of Antitrinitarians Arrians Socinians Antiscripturists Antinomians Anabaptists Arminians Familists Brownists Separatists Independents Libertines and Seekers and generally for suppressing all Blasphemy Heresie Schisme and all such scandalous doctrine or practises as are contrary to the light of nature or to the known principles of Christianity whether concerning faith worship or conversation or to the power of Godlinesse or which may be destructive to order or government or to the peace of Church or Kingdom As we doe Approve of the Suppression of the parricular Heresies and Schismes ennumerate in his Majesties offer So we see not how it can be reconciled with his Majesties Message of November 16. in which there was a concession to all such as differ from Presbiteriall Government And doe further find the Article dangerous and defective in omitting Erastianism and other dangerous errours especially Popery and Prelacy which may prove destructive to the Covenant in ministring the occasion to Papists and Prelats to plead for a toleration although the Covenant binde us to endeavour the extirpation both of Popery and Prelacy Having now discovered the snares and dangers We shall in the next place most humbly and seriously propose and recommend some wholesom seasonable and pious counsells to all the members of this Church and Kingdome especially to the Honourable and High Court of Parliament and to the Brethren of the Ministery which may also serve to expresse our sense concerning the whole matter contained in that narrative delivered to us in writing so far as is competent and fit for us to give any Judgement thereupon First of all we exhort all and every one to make more conscience of endeavouring a reall Reformation of themselves and their Families and of the place in which they live then ever yet they have done to be more serious in searching their hearts considering their wayes and purging themselves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit to perfect holines in the fear of God to oppose wickednesse and profanenesse promote the power and practise of Godlinesse and to be deeply humbled before the Lord for neglecting these things so much and so long with all employing and improving Christs alsufficiency and striving to exercise faith in him for the grace of mortification and sanctification as well as for remission of sinnes and peace with God that being implanted and rooted in him we may grow up as trees of Righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified for without amendment of life and bringing forth of better fruit the fierce wrath of the Lord cannot turn away from us Secondly as men desire they may not be led into temptation but may bee guided in safe and right pathes in the midst of so great difficulties Let them avoid the company and counsell of the ungodly whereby even good men have been oft times most dangerously ensnared Let all that fear God choose the Testimonies of the Lord for their counsellours be much in prayer and searching the minde of God in his word without leaning to their own understanding or consulting with slosh and blood in cases of conscience Thirdly seeing 't is no act of wisdom but of folly so to shune one danger as to runne upon another as bad or worse Let us therefore avoid enemies and beware of dangers on all hands We cannot see but the cause of God the true Religion the Covenant Presbyteriall Government this Church and Kingdom and whatsoever is dearest to us will be in as great danger if the Prelaticall party prevail as now they are into by the power and prevalency of Sectaries in England who have made the Covenant and begun reformation to be laid aside and hindered the promoting thereof So that there is a necessity to be apprehensive of dangers and attentive to remedies on both sides and to be ware of compliance with and connivance at Sectaries upon the one hand and Malignants upon the other Fourthly when we speak of Malignants we desire that the distinction may be remembred which was made in the solemne Warning to the Kingdom from the Generall Assembly in February 1645. Viz. That the cause is in very great danger from two sorts of Malignant Enemies First from such as have openly displayed a Banner or joyned in Armes and professed Hostility against the cause and such as adhered thereunto Secondly from secret Malignants Dis-covenanters and bosome Enemies This second sort may be still known by some Characters given both at that time and before that time As by their slandering or censuring the Covenant of the three Kingdomes and expedition into England in the year 1643 as not necessary for the good of Religion or safety of this Kingdom or as tending to the diminution of the Kings just Power and greatnesse By their confounding of the Kings Power and just Authority with the pretence and abuse thereof by Commissions Warrants or Letters procured from his Majestie by the Enemies of this cause and Covenant As if none were Faithfull and Loyall to the King who oppose such men and their wayes By their Spleen Malice and calumnies against such as God hath made eminently instrumentall in this cause and who resolve to be constant to the end in their first Principles as if such men were the Kings Enemies

Monarchicall government in his Majesty and his posterity according to the Covenant not being ignorant what confusions and calamities use to attend the change either of the government it selfe or of the Royall line Neverthelesse the country being so generally possessed with so dangerous a mistake and misunderstanding of so great a businesse and his Majesty himselfe professing in his letter to us dated at Carisbrook Castle the 27. of December last that he hath resolved so farre to agree to the desires of this Kirk and Kingdome concerning the Covenant and setling Religion as he is confident shall give us satisfaction If now we should be silent we might be understood as tacitely consenting and acquiescing We are therefore necessitated for undeceiving the Nation and for acquitting our selves to declare that a narrative of the state of publick affaires having been made to us by those who were entrusted for that effect and since delivered to us in writing We have more especially taken to our serious thoughts so much of that narrative as was from his Majesty made known unto us as his resolutions for satisfaction in point of Religion The first Article whereof is as followeth 1. For the Covenant his Majesty giving beleefe to the professions of these who have entered into the League and Covenant and that their intentions are reall for preservation of his Majesties person according to their allegiance and no wayes to diminish his just power and greatnesse is content so soon as be can with freedome honour and safety be present in a free Parliament to confirm the said League and Covenant by Act of Parliament in both kingdomes for security of all those who have taken or shall take the said Govenant provided that none who is unwilling shall be constrained to take it Which Article hath nothing in it of his Majesties affection to or liking and approbation of the Covenant but only what he is content to yeeld in order to his own interest Yea an Act of Parliament for security of those who have taken or shall take the Covenant doth or may suppose some sault or somewhat justly challengeable in the taking of the Covenant which needeth ane act of indemnity Next the offer is but conditionall and hath in the bosome of it ane complication of such and so many conditions as might open a door to some evasion or other by multiplying exceptions difficulties and various notions either concerning the professions of those who have entred into the League and Covenant or concerning his Majesties just power and greatnesse or concerning his freedom honour and safety or concerning a free Parliament And although the concession were certain and absolute it amounts to no more but to a leaving of the Covenant arbitrary which is contrary to the Acts of the Generall Assembly and Parliament in this Kingdome to the Declaration of both kingdomes before cited and to one of the chiefe Propositions of Religion once agreed upon by both kingdomes for a safe and well grounded peace viz. The Proposition concerning his Majesties swearing and signing of the League and Covenant and enjoyning by Act of Parliament in both kingdomes the taking there of by all the subjects in the three kingdomes with such penalties as shall bee agreed upon by both kingdomes So that the first Article of his Majesties offer is a most manifest altering of the state of this cause It is also a strengthening of the hearts and hands both of the Sectaries and of the Malignant party a partaking and conniving at the sinne of all those in the three Kingdoms who have refused or shall refuse to enter into the League and Covenant an introducing of a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdom and the honour of the King And therefore we have judged this Article not onely unsatisfactory but destructive to the Covenant Neither are we moved with that objection which is hinted concerning the constraining or inforcing of mens consciences They refuse a necessary duty who refuse to take the Covenant and the penalty or punishment of such refusall is no constraining of the conscience more then the penalty or punishment of a Subject who refuseth to take the Oath of Allegiance is a constraining of the conscience to Loyalty or more then the punishment of Idolaters Blasphemers and Seducers mentioned so often in Scripture can be called a constraining of the conscience to the feare of God The words of the second Article are these His Majesty will likewise confirm by Act of Parliament in England Presbyteriall Government the Directory for Worship and Assembly of Divines at Westminster for three years so that his Majesty and his houshold bee not hindered from using that form of Divine Service he hath formerly practised and that a free debate and consultation be had with the Divines at Westminster twenty of his Majesties nomination being added unto them and with such as shall be sent from the Church of Scotland whereby it may be determined by his Majestie and the two Houses how the Church Government after the three years shall be fully established according to the word of God For ought we know the conditions couched in the first Article are also to be understood in this and the following Articles However this second Article as it is but the same in substance with some of his Majesties concessions in former Messages so that which is proposed in it is but a Toleration of Presbyteriall Government in England and that but for three years and is a direct allowance at least of the Book of Common Prayer in his Majesties Household And moreover by the second Article not only a door is lest open for reestablishing Prelacy and the Service Book But the happy progresse already made in the Reformation and Uniformity of Religion according to the Covenant in a confession of Faith Directory of Worship Form of Church Government and Catechisme is set aside as so much lost labour in order to a future settlement Free debate with any of the Prelaticall party nominated by his Majesty when there was any such occasion hath not been declined But we have great cause to be tender of unsetling and razing a good foundation already laid in the work of Reformation And whereas his Majesty will have it determined by himself and the two Houses how the Church Government after the said three years shall be established according to the Word of God This doth at once cut off three of the most materiall and most necessary Propositions concerning Religion formerly agreed upon by both Kingdoms and from both tendred to his Majesty though some of them be now laid aside by the two Houses of the Parliament of England namely The third Proposition for abolishing Archbishops Bishops c. The fifth Proposition That Reformation of Religion according to the Covenant be setled by Act of Parliament in such manner as both Houses have agreed or shall agree upon after