Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	according_a	church_n	true_a	3,494	5	4.5949	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96240	A letter from the Assembly of Divines in England and the commissioners of the Church of Scotland written, and sent by order of the honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament, to the Belgicke, French, Helvetian, and other reformed churches / translated into English and now published with the severall inscriptions to those churches by order of the said House.; Literae a Conventu Theologorum in Anglia et Ecclesiae Scoticanae delegatis. English	Westminster Assembly; Lauderdale, John Maitland, Duke of, 1616-1682.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1644 (1644)	Wing W1443A; ESTC R42767	7,942	17

A LETTER FROM THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES IN ENGLAND AND THE COMMISSIONERS of the Church of SCOTLAND Written and sent by Order of the honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament to the Belgicke French Helvetian and other Reformed CHURCHES Translated into English and now published with the severall Inscriptions to those Churches By Order of the said House LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for Ralph Smith and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Bible in Cornhill neere the Royll Exchange 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons House of Parliament That the Assembly of Divines bee moved to write Letters unto some Divines or Churches of Zealand and Holland and to the Protestant Churches in France Switzerland and other Reformed Churches to informe them against the great Artifices and Disguises of his Majesties Agents in these parts of the true state of our affaires and of the constant imployment of Irish Popish Rebels and other Papists to be Governours Commanders and Souldiers the many evidences of their intentions to introduce Popery their indevour to hinder the Reformation here intended and condemning other Protestant Churches as unsound because not Prelaticall And that the Scots Commissioners be desired to joyn therein And likewise that the Committees of the Lords and Commons and of the Divines may advise with the Scots Commissioners in the Premises H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. IT is this day ordered by the Commons House of Parliament That the Letter from the Assembly of Divines to the Reformed Churches beyond Seas shall be printed in Latin and English with the the Severall Inscriptions to the Particular severall Churches and that Mr. ●elden and Mr. Rous doe acquaint the Assembly with this Order H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. A LETTER FROM THE ASSEMBLIE OF DIVINES IN England and the Commissioners of the Church of SCOTLAND to the Belgicke French Helvetian and other reformed Churches Right reverend and dearly beloved in our Lord Iesus Christ WEE the Assembly of Divines and others called and conveened by the Authoritie of both Houses of Parliament of England vvith the Commissioners sent from the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland doe heartily salute you in the Lord. Wee doubt not but the sad reports of the miseries under which the Church and Kingdome of England do bleed and vvhere-with vve are all readie to be swallowed up the cup which the righteous Lord hath given us to drink is long since come to your ears And it is probable that the same instruments of Sathan and Antichrist have endeavoured by their emissaries to present us as blacke as may be among your selves vvho by falsehood lies endeavour every vvhere to put faire glosses upon their own bloudy designes to reproach our strugglings after a more thorow Reformation of Religion in the Church of England according to the vvord of God and our just defence of our lives liberties and Religion against their cruell and unjust violences And vve sometimes doubt vvhether vvee have not been vvanting to our own innocency and your satisfaction in being thus long silent from giving you a faithfull though sorrowfull relation of the state vvherein vve stand But pardon us deare Brethren if this cup of trembling wherevvith our spirits have beene filled to amazement and our wrestlings vvith extreame difficulties ever since our meeting have hindred us from that vvhich vve long since knew to be our duty And give us leave now a little to ease our grief by powring our hearts into your bosomes vvhile we relate the desolation made by an Antichristian faction who amongst us have still beene hindring the vvorke of reformation and vvith all introducing and cherishing of Popery and are now arrived at that strength and have prevailed so farre against us that if the Lord vvhose judgements are unsearchable and vvhose tender mercies are innumerable doe not speedily helpe us vve shall even altogether be laid waste by them How great a hand this treacherous and bloody generation amongst us have long had in the miseries of other refored Churches in the destruction of the Palatinate and in the betraying losse of Rochell and how by seeming overtures of Ambassies and Treaties for their reliefe they have fomented continued and encrased their calamities are so fully known by you all and miserably felt by some of your selves that we need not speak any thing of them And we suppose their inveterate hatred against you all is sufficiently manifested in that multitudes of them have refused to acknowledge any of you for Churches of Christ because you are not Prelaticall and thereby as they conceive vvant a lawfull Vocation of Ministers Sure vve are that amongst our selves in all these three Kingdomes they have prevailed so far in advancing Poperie and depressing Religion that it vvould require a Volume rather than a Letter to relate all the particulars Scarce one thing can be thought upon which may be supposed to be an argument of any intent set up popery and even extirpate the true reformed Religion but we could give you abundant instances that they have not onely attempted but in great measure prevailed for the putting thereof in execution All the good and just Lawes of this Kingdome against papists concerning their lives liberties and goods suspended Judges prohibited to proceed against condemned Priests ever Jesuites set free Houses of superstition in Ireland and England set up not discountenanced beside the seldome or never questioned transportation of many young persons to Seminaries in foraine parts Notorious papists contrary to known Laws permitted to come to Court to reside there enjoy the favour preferment of it Multitudes of them released from legall penalties for time past and time come Prosecuters of them checked and discountenanced Agents sent from hence into Italy Nuntioes and Agents from Rome received and treated with such as warped that vvay cherished and advanced The most zealous Ministers and professours of Religion bitterly persecuted And all these things so apparant that abundance of popishly affected Prelates and Ministers adventured in every part of the Kingdome publickly to preach and leaven their people with almost all points of popery except the Supremacy and to introduce abundance of corrupt innovations in the vvorship of God compelling the people to yeeld conformitity to them vvith persecuting such as vvould not Insomuch as many who looked at Religion only for outward advantage found it best for their gaine and sarty to turne papists And many godly Ministers who vvould publish a book purposely set forth to allow such sports on the Lords day vvhich the reformed Churches thinke unlawfull at any time or who vvould not conforme themselves to their other superstitions have had their mouthes stopped many thousands of their people vvith them compelled to seeke for refuge amongst your selves or in remote parts of the vvorld Yea so farre they had advanced in their presumption as to impose upon the vvhole Kingdome of SCOTLAND a new popish book of

to us we omit to mention If our God will lay our bodies as the ground and as the dust under their feete the will of the Lord bee done Might our bloud be a sacrifice to ransome the rest of the Saints of Christ from Antichristian fury most gladly would we offer it upon this service But that which breaks our hearts is the danger we behold the Protestant Religion and all the reformed Churches in at this time Wee know their rage is insatiable and will not be quenched with our bloud Their furie is kindled against us not as we are sinfull men but as men ingaged in the defence of the true Religion and panting after a right Reformation And if once the Lord deliver us as a prey into their teeth Oh the darknesse and horrour the bondage slavery and persecution which all who will not receive the marke of the beast are like to be wrapped in in these three wofull Kingdomes And not here only but they are like to attempt the same in all the Reformed Churches in Europe Your own thoughts can easily suggested unto you with what rage the beast which came out of the bottomlesse pit the woman who hath thus long drunk the bloud of the Saints is filled now before her utter destruction against that Virgin Company that follow the Lamb. The Church and Kingdome of Scotland have been willing and readie by all good means to quench this unnaturall fire They have sent their humble Supplications Remonstrances and Declarations to his Majesty And at last made offer of their humble Mediation and Nationall intercession for a Pacification All which being refused rejected they have entered into a mutuall League and Covenant with the Church and Kingdome of England and have resolved to joyne in Armes with their Brethren for their assistance and deliverance for the preservation of their own Religion and of themselves from the mercilesse cruelty of the common enemy and so farre as in them lyeth for the safety of their native King and his Kingdomes from destruction and desolation as is more largely expressed in their publick Declaration and in the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdomes which will give full satisfaction to all the wise and well-affected concerning their intentions They have also according to the desire of the honourable Houses of Parliament sent us their Commissioners hither for uniformity of Religion in the Churches of both Kingdoms And we their Commissioners do exceedingly rejoyce to behold the foundation of the House of God not only in doctrine but Church-government laid before our eyes in a reverend Assembly of so wise learned and godly Divines And find our selves bound in all Christian duty but especially by the late Solemne League and Covenant of both Kingdoms wherein we are so deeply interessed and ingaged to joyne in representing to the reformed Churches abroad the true condition of affaires here against all mis-informations and mistakings And now deare Brethren in this extreame danger threatning us all what are the things we can beg of you But that first you vvould judge aright of our afflicted condition of our innocency and integrity in this our just defence If our enemies every where calumniate us that we be risen up in rebellion against our Soveraigne to deprive him of his just power and greatnesse and endevour to bring Anarchy and confusion into the Church of Christ from these foule and false asperations our intentions fully and clearly set forth in our solemne League and Covenant the copy whereof we here withall humbly present you we doubt not will sufficiently cleare us But if these children of Beliall have unjustly stirred up our Soveraigne against us and by abusing his Majesties name and Authority are labouring to keepe themselves from deserved punishment of their former crimes which the supreme Judicatories of the Kingdom went about to inflict upon them and to deprive us of our lives Liberties Priviledges and especially of our Religion And that our defensive Arms are by us used and intended only to preserve our selves from their unjust violence which hath often been the condition of many of your selves Let the righteous Lord judge between us and them whom we implore to helpe us no further then we can plead these things in sincerity before him And let our deare Brethren to whom these Letters are addressed acquite our innocency in their hearts and make their Apologie for us in all their Churches Secondly that yee will sympathize with us as brethren who suffer in and for the same cause wherein your selves have beene oppressed which will be a little refreshing to our morning spirits when we shall know that our God who smites us yet inclines the hearts of his beloved Churches to looke upon us with compassionate bowells as judging us to be the servants of their own God and Saviour Jesus Christ and as remembring themselves to be in the body Thirdly and lastly That as all the Antichristian faction ownes the cause of our Adversaries as their own and contributes what lyes in their power every way to their helpe and our ruine So that you would imbrace our condition as your own common cause wherein if we be once swallowed up your selves are not like long to escape the quarrell of the enemy being not so much against the persons of men as against the power of Godlinesse and Purity of Gods word wherever it is professed The way and maner of your owning us we leave wholly to your selves Except this one particular which we must importunatly crave even your fervent prayers both publicke and private That God who heareth prayer now he hath humbled us and broken all our Armes of Flesh whereon alas we have been too prone to leane would himselfe bring salvation to us that the blessings of truth and peace might-rest upon us that these three Nations may be joyned as one stick in the hand of the Lord and that we our selves contemptible builders called to repaire the House of God in a troublesome time beeing ashamed of our former pollutions may see the paterne of this House and commend such a platforme to our Zorobabells as may be most agreeing to his own sacred word nearest conformity to the best Reformed Churches and greatest uniformity amongst our selves that all mountains may become plaines before them and us that then all who now see the plummet in our hands may also behold the Top stone set upon the head of the Lords house amongst us and may help us with shouting to cry Grace Grace unto it And thus much we have beene willed to Informe you of Reverend Brethren and by you all faithfull Christians under your Charges by the Honourable House of Commons In whose name and in our own we bid you heartily farewell in the Lord. Your most affectionately devoted Brethren in Christ Jo. Maitland A. Johnston Alex. Henderson Sam. Rutherfurd Rob. Bailyie Geo. Gillespie Comissioners of the Church of Scotland William Twisse Prolocutor Cornel. Burges Assessor Jo. white Assessor Henry Robrough Scribe Adoniram Byfield Scribe THE SEVERALL INSCRIPTIONS To the Reformed CHVRCHES Zealand To the Reverend and Learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the province of Zealand our much Honoured Brethren Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Holland our much Honoured Brethren East-Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of East-Holland our much Honoured Brethren Gerderland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Gelderland our much honoured Brethren Over Ysell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the province of Over Ysell our much honoured Brethren Utrecht To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the province of Utrecht our much Honoured Brethren Frizeland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the province of Frizeland our much honoured Brethren Groningin To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province and City of Groningen our much honoured Brethren Geneva To the Reverend and learned Pastors Elders of the Church in the City and Republick of Geneva our much honoured Brethren Berne To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Berne our much honoured Brethren Zurich To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Zurich our much honoured Brethren Bazell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Bazell our much honoured Brethren Schaf hausen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and elders of the Churches of Schaf hausen our much honoured Brethren Paris To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Church which is at Paris our much honoured Brethren Hessen To the Reverend and learned pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Hessen our much honoured Brethen Anhalt To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Anhalt our much honoured Brethren Hanaw To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Hanaw our much honoured Brethren FINIS