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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	congregation_n	elder_n	2,807	5	10.1144	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66765	Paralellogrammation an epistle to the three nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, whereby their sins being parallel'd with those of Judah and Israel, they are forewarned, and exhorted to a timely repentance, lest they incur the like condempation : to render it the more effectual, some considerable notions are therein expressed touching ceremonies, and things indifferent, the Lords supper, the civil government, the taking of oaths, the mark of the beast, the library of conscience, the great Sabbath, and the two witnesses, with other particulars of concernment interwoven / written by Geo. Wither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1662 (1662)	Wing W3176; ESTC R11575	78,735	140

agreeable to the Word of GOD in my understanding in obedience to him without wilful or factious disobedience to the Civil Power or giving just occasion of offence to the Elders or Members of the Church of England or of any particular Congregation within these Islands but what I cannot believe warranted I cannot practise or profess whatsoever penalty I incur I conceive not the Church of England or any other Church to be so properly called the Mother as the Nurse of those who are in them begotten and regenerated Nor was I by Covenant at my Baptism or at any time since to my knowledge made a Son or Member of any Prelatical National or Congregational Society but of the Catholick Church only If I thought otherwise and were not conscientiously perswaded that it would be uncomely or somewhat worse to go back again to the door for an Initiation after I have been openly admitted to communicate at the LORD's Table I would be rebaptized therefore I will conform to no Personal National or Congregation Judgement or Practise further than I know it to be Catholick and warranted to quadrate with necessary decency and good order by GOD's Word and the Light which is in me sanctifying through his Grace the talents of Nature How other men ought to demean themselves the same Light in them assisted as aforesaid will also direct and of their actings in things controverted there can be no other competent Judge but GOD. For there is a Latitude by him vouchsafed to the Consciences of some persons in some cases to vary otherwhile from General Rules as to the Children of Israel in forbearing Circumcision whilst they were in the Wilderness to Paul in Circumcising Timothy as also touching some outward Conformities in respect of the Civil Power even in things injurious to their own personal Right according to Christ's example who paid tribute to Caesar the usurper of his Kingdom In great straits and necessities that which is not lawful may be expedient and therefore tolerated It was unlawful for any to eat of the Shewbread but the Priests yet Mercy being better than Sacrifice David and his followers did eat thereof rather than perish by hunger and Reason of State excuses not Saul from being a Murderer in slaying those who gave it unto them in that necessity though by the Arbitrary Laws of earthly Monarchs it was adjudged Treason Moreover that Toleration which was desired by Naaman appears to me approvable though I was once of another Judgment That Assyrian Lord being cured of his Leprosie humbly desired in respect of his nigh Relation to the King of Assyria his Master who had sent him to be cured that God would pardon him when only to do his service to the King he went with him to the house of Rimmon if whilst his Master there leaned upon him he bowed down without intending any Adoration to the Idol which I conceive was implyed In answer to this request the Prophet said Go in Peace which if it had not amounted unto a toleration according to his Petition the Prophet in my Judgment had neither dealt faithfully nor charitably to send away one so likely to be a true Proselyte without plenary satisfaction and instruction concerning his duty I can neither excuse those who Magisterially burthen the People of GOD with indifferent things as being necessary to his divine service whilst they on whom they are imposed conceive them to be superstitious an infringment of their Christian Liberty nor blame those who shall humbly peaceably and orderly plead to be delivered from their bondage and obey in suffering For though they may Authoritativly say as the Jews did when they crucified Christ We have a Law by which he ought to suffer they may answer and be bold to say GOD and Nature have Laws by which it ought to be otherwise The benefit of those Laws I do modestly not factiously endeavour to vindicate and will be as wary as I can not to hazard Substances for Circumstances or Accidents nor be afraid to glorifie GOD and confess Christ in the same good words which are formally used by wicked or prophane men though I will not joyn with them in their intentions but knowing that Truths and pious Words are sometimes used to deceive will so far only conform to other mens Words and Actions as they are good in themselves and as they may be turned to the Truths advantage in my understanding Much less then will I make scruple to joyn with Christian men in pious Expressions and in indifferent Actings though there may be a sinister intention in them unknown to me who am in charity to judge the best where evil is not apparent And because I may possibly thereby take occasion sometimes to make that which was impertinently or superstitiously intended both a means to frustrate that ill intention and to improve a righteous purpose as GOD doth to glorifie his Justice and Mercy by our prevarications Therefore as to advance the Glory of GOD and preserve their own internal quiet I exhort all men to be watchful that they neither act or omit the doing of any thing but as they are conscientiously perswaded until they shall be convinced to the contrary So I desire them for preservation of their outward peace to be as wary neither wilfully or factiously or for sinister ends to refuse Conformity to the Ordinances of men in such particulars as come within the extent of things decent orderly and well-spoken of by good men and may conduce to Edification in Piety or of Civil Concernments which clash not with Divine Constitutions Be not afraid or ashamed to conform if you have no better ground of dissent than your temporary advantage or disadvantage or because you have heretofore acted and professed to the contrary especially in such cases as may make it more obstructive to the Gospel of Christ and to the improvement of Christian Amity than by giving offence to some Brethren when as many of another Judgment will be offended also of whom you ought to be as conscientiously tender in which case there will be need of much sanctified discretion I likewise humbly beseech all those to whom GOD hath committed the managing of Civil Powers to be careful if they would have men conscientiously obedient to their Civil Constitutions and Commands that they intrench not upon GOD's Prerogatives and positive Ordinances to the provoking of his wrath by imposing on his People unjust or unnecessary burthens in Concernments Divine or Civil or by giving those power to domineer over the LORD's Heritage who pretend to be Pastors of Christ's Flocks under them and may multiply by their assistance impertinent and superstitious Traditions and Ceremonies till at last they leaving nothing indifferent bring the most part of Civil Causes into their Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions and be destructive as well to the Supream Civil Magistrates as to the Estates Persons and Consciences of their faithful Subjects by depriving them of their natural and

Adultery and all other meer carnal sins put together yea more heinous than those the Jews committed by their Idolatries killing the Prophets and crucifying Christ in the flesh for the last was but a sin against his Humanity and their Idolatries but the ascribing some part of that honour to Creatures which was due to GOD onely whereas the limiting of GOD's Universal Grace in Christ with the concommitant Doctrines and the Consequences thence raised and the imputing to GOD an eternal Reprobation of the greatest part of Mankind before they had done good or evil and for those sins also which they blasphemously say he necessitated them to commit to shew his Justice and manifest his hatred to sin is a dispoiling GOD of his Divine Nature of his Goodness and an ascribing unto him that which belongs only to the Devil Oh the Patience of GOD What can be so abominable They do not only make Reprobation older than the father of it the Devil but make GOD also the Author of his wickedness in necessitating him to be a Devil and consequently Author of all the wickedness committed by all the Devils in Hell and all the wicked men upon Earth which appears to me so horrible an Impiety that I wonder not to see the World so full of Plagues and Sins and Sins Sinners become such Plagues to each other as they are nor can I believe there will ever be less Plagues where that Blasphemy is professed and indulged as Orthodox Doctrine until it be repented of nor shall I marvel if my words be misunderstood and my good meanings mis-interpreted if GOD's Word be so mistaken and his Love so ill rewarded I know the bitterness and uncharitableness of their spirit who shall be obstinate in this Judgment yet am neither afraid nor ashamed for any respects to declare my Conscience herein or in whatsoever else I think may concern GOD's Glory and the Peace of my Country If I think any to be in an Errour I will peaceably do the best I can to reclaim them but attempt nothing to destroy them for that is an Antichristian Principle and I abhor it Oh let us be more heedful to avoid it and more conscientious in acknowledging our Destruction to be only and originally of the Devil and of our selves I confess that GOD who would have all men to be saved hath provided means of salvation for all without excluding any who first excludes not himself by his personal sins and impenitency and that our manifold sins may be forgotten I desire we may henceforward believe both his preventing and assisting Grace shall be vouchsafed to all those who shall ask for it in Faith or have not wilfully rejected it being offered In like manner for I now come to the second branch of my Memorandum if we desire an external Peace may be setled and continued so among us that we may serve the LORD in Holiness and Righteousness let us be conscientiously careful that we intrench not injuriously upon the Civil Government whereto GOD hath subjected us how oppressive soever it shall be or seemeth to be unto any of us in particular during the time wherein GOD gives it a Soveraignty over us For all Power was and is of him by his Grace or Permission not only that which was Patriarchal in Adam and Noah with that which was established for a time in Moses Joshua and the Judges of Israel and that which is called Ecclesiastical in the visible Church of Christ but all those tyrannizing Powers Governments and Governors also which have been in the world ever since the Creation until now were gracious or permissive effects of that longing after the knowledge of Good and Evil which corrupted our first Parents whose Posterity were permitted to elect such Governments and Governors as they best liked till some of them lost that Priviledge by their own folly as the Jews and others have done Thus it was in all times and Nations after the natural and Paternal Government ceased by the death of Adam and Noah except that which was Supernaturally Constituted over the Jews in the dayes of Moses That and the Paternal Government being conferred the one by Grace and the other by Nature were Branches of the Fifth Monarchy as many now call the Kingdom of Christ which indeed is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last ever one and the same in regard that Providential Government which is and was in GOD the Father by right of Creation and exercised imperfectly by Adam Noah Moses and his Successors was translated to GOD the Son who is the only and true Catholick King though Antichrist hath given that Title to one of his Vassals yea though this Government hath seemed a long time suspended and been intruded upon by the Usurpation of Tyrants in most parts of the world ever since the dayes of Nimrod he will at last assume his Kingdom and the Government thereof in his own Person when the time appointed is come In the mean space his Father and He himself have permitted others to make Kings and to be Kings and Governors according as they could effect it by their own Policy and Power This was one product of eating the forbidden Tree and of man's desired knowledge of Good and Evil especially his experience in what is evil hath been much advanced in all Nations and Generations by the Exorbitances of such Governors and by the Popular Idolizing and base flattering their Kings and Governors into a foolish conceit they were more than Men and by deifying them as the Romans and others did until they became worse than Beasts and little better than Devils to the rest of Mankind in which sordid Flattery the Priests in all times were most instrumental Therefore GOD permitted for a punishment of their wickedness and folly and to perfect their desired knowledge of Good and Evil as aforesaid the Kingdoms of the Earth as it is said Dan. 4. 17. to be governed by the basest of men which will never be otherwise until the People shall reform themselves by a true Self-denial and until that is fulfilled which hath been prefaged in these Verses A King shall willingly un-self un-King And thereby grow far greater than before The Clergy to contempt themselves will bring And thereby Piety shall thrive the more When a King or the Civil Governor or Governors by whatsoever Title they Reign shall quite lay aside all those tyrannous Prerogatives which were usurped by the Emperours and Kings of the Nations who knew not GOD and when they shall Govern according to the divine Law which he hath declared in his Evangelical Word and had once written in the hearts of men then shall a Righteous Government be established and when the Clergies Prevarications shall bring upon them a general Contempt such an endeavour will be in season When this comes to pass which is contingent and may be or not be Righteousness will begin to flourish or else never until Christ assumes his Universal

thereby damnified or want Consolation whatsoever he suffers though it may have some errour in it through humane frailty For he that is unfeignedly consciencious of what he professeth because he believes it is agreeable to the Will of GOD and will not therefore infringe it through fear of any outward disadvantages or for the enjoying of any temporary benefit hath so much of GOD and of his Love in him as also of Brotherly Affection that if his Judgment be faulty Love will rectifie it at last whereas whatsoever his Judgement be who wants Love and Sincerity or conformeth to the Judgments of other men meerly for external ends it will be corrupted to his detriment yea though it were an approveable Judgement The Truth which is professed whereunto the heart is not inclined for its own sake but for some carnal respects will rarely be sanctified unto any man without much trouble in the Flesh and affliction in the Spirit Therefore to force or allure the Conscience by temporary baits from what it sincerely professeth in a peaceable deportment to the Civil Power is a great Cruelty and Oppression and whosoever is guilty of that violence or insinuation is like one of them who was said to compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes or obedient Subjects and did but thereby make Hypocrites and secret Traytors beget Children for the Devil instead of true Believers or Vassals for Antichrist rather than loyal Leige-men to their Governours Whatsoever they pretend unto they thereby seek somewhat for their own advantage much more than for GOD's glory the publick peace of the Nation or the Salvation of private persons This is my Judgment and will be until I shall be convinced to the contrary and then I shall heartily recant it as I will all my other private Opinions upon those terms in whatsoever I have Dogmatically declared and offered to Consideration But I yet doubt not of what I have averred and am confirmed in my belief by what the LORD hath said by his Prophet Isaiah to all those who tremble at his Word and serve him according to their Conscience Your Brethren saith he hated you and cast you out pretending it to be for GOD's glory for his Names sake but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed Isa 66. 5. Be not offended if in some Particulars I seem not to be at present wholly of that Judgment which you best approve of for I shall be so at last if it be truly approveable In the mean time by such necessary offences the persons and things which are best to be approved will be the better known and though I dissent from some good-men in things indifferent or in such as they think not indifferent or though I may with-draw out of a conscientious respect to others from partaking with some Professors of Christianity in that which I or other men conceive to be erroneous or scandalous yet an Heretick or Schismatick properly so called I hope never to be because GOD's grace preserveth me from wilful averrations and from infringing of Brotherly Love Whether it be in Spiritual or Temporal things I judge in the abstract as I think the Word of GOD judgeth of them leaving mens persons to him and to those unto whom a personal Judgment of them belongs declaring my Conscience and Belief as I think I am obliged to do without personal respects or disrespects that I might preserve concord and incline other men to be like-minded toward me and to each other and I conceive I therein give no just occasion of scandal to my Superiours or to the Catholick Church When a City is first Incorporated every man who had a Possession therein or is afterward admitted to be a free Citizen may therein exercise the Trade and Faculties which he had as a Freeman before there were distinct Societies in the same and cannot justly be dis-infranchized or reputed a Transgressor though he be none of those new Companions I was admitted into the City of GOD before there were to my knowledge any gathered Churches therein and I conform according to my power and understanding to all the positive Laws of that City living peaceably in concord with every Fraternity and if all the distinct Corporations therein will receive me into their Societies I will be obliged to be conformable to every one of them so far forth as their By-Laws and Orders be in my Conscience agreeable to the Universal Laws of the City of GOD and not repugnant to each other For I am not only a Professor of Universal Humanity and Philanthrophy but also a Jesuite and a Catholick Christian A Jesuite of the Society and Order instituted by our Patron Jesus Christ not of that upstart Sect lately and falsly so called and invented by Ignatius Loyola for the service of Antichrist under colour of that name A Catholick also I am but not a Roman Catholick which is an absurd term contradictory to it self nor am I of any other particular profession which may imply a repugnancy to Universal Truths or Duties therefore cannot separate in Love from any especially not from those of any Church who are in a possibility of being in Christ Jesus though they are for the present entangled in some Errors and I have as well a Charity for mine Enemies as an affectionate Love for my Friends not only desiring the Salvation of all those who profess Christ by whatsoever Sect or Name distinguished and of the prophane among them reputed as Publicans and Sinners but that Infidels also Mahumetans Jews yea and Antichristian Christians who are the worst of all men might if GOD pleased come out of the Malignant City by Repentance into his New Jerusalem And forasmuch as it is said He would that all men should be saved I would have them compelied to come in by all manner of loving compellations and by preaching unto them the Universal Love and Mercy of GOD in Christ Jesus by our exemplary good lives as well in deeds as in words To this end I have much upon my spirit to be expressed but I reserve it to be inserted in what I have begun to meditate upon the more Excellent Way mentioned by St. Paul and for illustration of that Universal Gospel which St. John in his Revelation informs us an Angel flying through the midst of Heaven was commissioned to preach For I have hitherto so long observed and insisted upon expressing the ingratitude of Mankind and the prevarications of the world that I am as weary thereof as it is of me and leaving her henceforth to her own wayes without reproof will spend the rest of my time if my Pen be not taken from me to magnifie that Eternal Love by which all things were created and which shall be in GOD's time manifested in the perfecting of what his Wisdom intended before there was a visible World Mean-while I will proceed with what I have now in hand The General Love by me professed as is aforementioned so