Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
peace_n	bring_v	good_a	tiding_n	2,863	5	11.4428	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51353	An Account of the present persecution of the Church in Scotland in several letters.	Morer, Thomas, 1651-1715.; Sage, John, 1652-1711.; Monro, Alexander, d. 1715?	1690 (1690)	Wing M2722; ESTC R6062	62,539	78

very few of the Scotch Nation then about him but such as were of that persuasion For the Declaration for the Kingdom of Scotland we found to be purely Presbyterian I 'm confident Doctor Burnet did not Pen it otherwise the Act of Glasgow had not been put into it as a Grievance He knows very well upon what reasons it was made and if he pleases can easily justifie it neither had the Clergy of the West for they must be the Men been so generally pronounced scandalous and ignorant He was better acquainted with many of them than so I had rather think the Doctor had never seen that Declaration until it was published But what though he had and for Reasons of State thought fit to let it go as it was 'T is no great matter As I said it was down-right Presbyterian and presag'd no good to us But God be thanked it found us generally in good preparation for suffering Persecution for we had cast up our accounts before and foreseen that possibly we might be expos'd to Tryals though we had not much reflected that it was to be by the hands of Protestants We were confirmed further yet in our suspicions when we found that those who were engaged in the Presbyterian Interests were flocking up to London and making the most numerous as well as active appearances about his Highness's Court that they only had his ear and seem'd to be the chief Persons who upon His Majesties Retirement transferr'd the Government of this Kingdom upon him By these steps we began to see further too into the politicks of our Brethren and upon what Designs they had carried on the Schism so vigorously the year before yet we never dreaded that such horrid Barbarities would be our lot as afterwards were put in execution And so I am introduced to the main part of my work which is to give you a brief account a taste as it were of our present Sufferings which were they represented fully and in all their proper Colours perhaps they would not obtain belief among Strangers Nor will I make it my work at present to do it both for that I intend brevity and am unwilling to give to the World such a disgust at my Native Country as the Barbarities we met with fully laid open must needs produce in all those who have any sense either of Christianity or Humanity In short then It pleased Almighty God to whose Providence it becomes us humbly to submit in all conditions to permit that we should have a Tryal of the Cross whereof God forbid we should ever be ashamed and for that end to give us up to the malice of our Enemies that they might thrust us into the furnace For carrying on which Glorious Work this was their opportunity when the certain accounts came of the Prince of Oranges's Resolutions to come into England all our standing Forces were called thither So that this Kingdom was left destitute of such means as were necessary to secure the Peace if any disturbance should happen to arise amongst us When that Prince Landed King Iames being deserted by his Army and soon after disown'd by his Subjects was put upon the necessity of leaving Britain And here in Scotland his Council very soon dissolv'd of its own accord so that in effect the Nation was in a manner without Government by whose fault I am not now to inquire Upon this His Majesties sudden Abdication and voluntary dissolution of his Council our Brethren found it seasonable for them to turn serious with us But it was expedient to project how their Game might be successful before they began to play it Therefore a Stratagem was contrived a general Massacre of Protestants was pretended and alledged to be intended by the Papists But how to be effectual Seeing their Numbers were so very few especially on the South-side of the Forth which was to be the chief Scene of the Tragedy for that this salvo was at hand So many Thousands of Irish-men were landed in Galloway had already burnt the Towns of Kirkhudbright all to Ashes and put all to the edge of the Sword Young and Old Male and Female only three or four Persons like Iob's Nuncio's had escaped and these Savages were posting hard to be over the whole Kingdom c. This Story flew at the rate of a Miracle for within twenty four hours or so it was spread every where through the greater half of the Kingdom No body doubts now but People were appointed at several Posts to transmit it every where at that same time for it run like Lightning and wherever it went it was so confidently asserted to be true that he was forthwith a Papist and upon the Plot who disbeliev'd it At first we all wondered what it might mean but it was not long before we learned by the effects what was the Politick for immediatly in the Western Shires where the Fiction was first propagated tumultuary Rabbles knotted and went about searching for Arms every body's house whom they suspected as disaffected to their Interests The pretext was that the Country might be in a posture of defence against the Irish but the real purpose was that all might be made naked who were inclinable to retard them in the prosecution of their designs upon the Clergy Especially they were sure no Minister should have Sword or Pistol as indeed few had any or any other Weapon that might be useful for his defence if an attempt should be made on him When they had thus made their preparations for the work and you would wonder to hear how speedily and yet how dexterously it was done they fell frankly to it It was on Christmas day that day which once brought good tidings of great joy to all People that day which once was celebrated by the Court of Heaven it self and whereon they sung Glory to God in the Highest on Earth Peace and good will towards Men That day which the whole Christian Church ever since has solemnized for the greatest Mercy that ever was shewn to sinful Mortals that day I say it was to the Eternal Honour of all especially Scotch Presbyterians on which they began the Tragedy for so were matters concerted amongst them that upon that same very day different Parties started out in different places and fell upon the Ministers Particularly about five or six of the Clock at Night Mr. Gabriel Russel Minister at Govean was assaulted by a number of Fellows most of them as I am told his own Parishioners to whom he had sometimes done considerable Kindnesses in his own house They beat his Wife his Daughter and himself too so inhumanely that it had almost endangered his life carried off the Poor's Box and other Utensils of the Church and threatned peremptorily if he should ever offer after that to Preach there he might assure himself of more severe treatment That same night about Eleven of the Clock another Party came to the Dwelling-house of Mr. Finnie Minister at Cathcart he